Walls and Ceilings - Wallboard & Mold...

The more I find out about the previous owners of my house, the less I like them.

We took down some newly installed wood paneling off of a single wall in our home. Behind that panel was the original wallpaper and a ton of black mold. Above the section of paneling was a book case, installed directly on the wall. Behind that was more mold. Apparently this home had a roof leak that translated into a wet wall and mold. THe wall is in good shape except for the mold on the wall surface.

How do I clean this up? I've taken bleach water to it and washed it off. I plan on taping up a crack in the wall(inspections showed that the fireplace was settling a bit and that's where the crack is), skimming the whole wall, and rolling out some texture. Is this the best way to go about it? or should I instead use a mold-covering paint and then the joint compound over that?

TIA,

Sam

I don't know how long the wall is, but I think I would replace the sheetrock. I would like to see what is behind the wall. It will also give you the option of just painting the wall which will require fnishing the drywall or texturing the wall which can be done without really finishing the walls too good just tape.If you don't want to disturb the wall ceiling joint[if the ceiling is drywall] you could cut a very straight line about 6" down from the ceiling and just drywall up to it.Might look ok if you texture. If you know there is no mold behind the wall and you kill all the mold on the front you could do as you describe or paint it with Zinsser perma-white mildew-proof bathroom paint[can be tinted to light colors] and leave it or texture over that. I might post up in the paint section where there are people that deal with this stuff.

Toxic molds have become a hot issue in construction and real estate litigation lately. Although it isn't as big of a deal as asbestos, it's easily in the top five issues nowadays. When a mold problem crops up, the owners usually sue everyone up the chain--subcontractors, general contractors, and architects--on a variety of theories. In the sale of existing residential construction, a seller who knows about the problem and doesn't disclose it can be liable for the nondisclosure. Now that you know there is a mold issue in the house, you will probably have to disclose that fact in a future sale (at least where I'm from, the disclosure rules would mandate it, even if you fix the problem).

This is one problem you want to fix right, which probably means getting a mold remediation expert involved. Brace yourself--it won't be cheap. The mold problem can go beyond the visible. Although the wall studs may look clean, you could have spores embedded in them just waiting to bloom. I think the first thing you want to do is get the mold remediation company out to your house to examine the problem and determine how far it goes. Once you know the extent of the problem and what materials you will have to replace, you can make plans from that point.

Now, perhaps I'm too sensitive to mold issues because I've defended clients in mold litigation. In my opinion, this is an area where you should spend the extra money to have a professional do the work. It will save you trouble down the road. Also, consider talking with an attorney who does construction or real estate litigation. From the facts you presented, I suspect that the previous owner knew about the mold problem, and simply slapped up some paneling to conceal the problem (ask your expert how long it appears the problem has existed). If that's the case, you may have a claim for fraud and you may be able to force the previous owner to pay for the remediation.

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Actually, I contacted the realtor and he basically told me that there was no way we could prove that he put it up, knowingly covering up a mold problem. He's right, too, but even a moron can draw a safe conclusion about how and why.


Sam