Does Moldy Drywall Always Need to Be Replaced?

When does moldy drywall need to be replaced? Well, mold can cause a lot of damage, especially to drywall. If you don’t replace water-damaged, moldy drywall, it could end up compromising the structure of your home. It’s also a health hazard, and in some cases, the only way to get rid of toxic black mold on drywall is to remove the affected panels completely.

However, demolition is not always necessary, even if you have black mold on your drywall! The remediation experts at My Pure Environment use a patented dry fog technology that can penetrate drywall and eradicate black mold. We answer some of the most common questions about mold and drywall below.

What does mold on drywall look like?

When drywall gets wet from condensation, leaks, or floods, it can easily become infested with mold. Although mold doesn’t eat the compressed gypsum that most sheetrock is made of, it can eat the thick paper that lines each side of a sheet of drywall.

If your drywall is moldy, you might notice:

• Dark, spotty stains
• Fuzzy growth
• Irregular spots ranging in color from brown or black to green or pink
• Bubbling or peeling paint/wallpaper

Most of the time, indoor mold is not visible to the naked eye. When you see mold growing on drywall, it is already in its third and final stage of growth. Wherever there is visible mold, there is sure to be more mold growing in places you cannot see. You will need to have your whole home treated for mold, not just the areas where mold is visible.

When does moldy drywall have to be removed?

Mold on drywall is usually the result of water damage. With mold eating away at the paper lining of the drywall and water eroding the gypsum underneath, your wall or ceiling will grow weaker and weaker.

You may need to remove and replace any sections of drywall that are soggy, crumbling, or severely compromised. However, if the drywall is in otherwise good condition, dry fog mold remediation can save you all that costly demo!

If someone in your family suffers from mold-related allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions, you might want to remove moldy drywall just to be on the safe side. But in most cases, our patented dry fog technology is able to penetrate drywall and kill any mold that lurks inside.

Can you paint over mold on drywall?

New paint might make your walls look better, but it won’t stop mold from growing. Believe it or not, mold can grow through paint and even inside of paint cans! And even though there are mold-killing and mold-inhibiting paints on the market, they’re intended for fresh walls—they won’t work on drywall that is already moldy.

Painting over mold will cover it up, but ignoring mold will only make the problem worse. If you paint moldy drywall, it will look nice for a little while, but eventually, the mold will resurface. Before you start painting, you should definitely schedule dry fog mold remediation to stop the mold from coming back again.

Can you clean moldy drywall?

When it comes down to it, there is no 100% effective way to remove mold from drywall. Mold cleaners, bleach, or vinegar might help temporarily, but most likely the mold will return. All it takes is a little moisture for dormant spores to start growing again and eating away at your drywall. Professional dry fog mold remediation is the only way to get rid of mold on drywall.

Can I remove moldy drywall myself?

If you try to remove moldy drywall on your own, you’ll need special equipment like a HEPA vacuum and protective gear, or else you’ll be putting your health at risk. But, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up spreading the mold spores around even more.

If you have toxic black mold in your drywall, you should never try to clean it or remove it yourself. You’ll need an expert mold remediation team who can dispose of the moldy drywall without increasing the health risks and prevent toxic mold spores from spreading to other parts of your home.

Mold Remediation in Spokane

Does moldy drywall need to be replaced? Not always—dry fog mold remediation can penetrate porous surfaces and kill the mold that lurks beneath. We can treat moldy drywall without any need for demolition.

If you think you might have mold in your drywall, schedule a free inspection with the experts at My Pure Environment. Our highly trained team will investigate and let you know if you need professional mold removal or remediation. Call us today at 509-213-1915 or make an appointment online.

Photo by Milivoj Kuhar on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 6/28/2022.