"Norminn" wrote in message
nk.net...
MiamiCuse wrote:
In a property I recently purchased, while peeling back one of the
bathroom wallpaper, I found mold behind the wall paper.

I was going to knock down the walls in the bathrooms and redo the bath,
but now I have stopped the work.

How do I find out how extensive the mold is, if it has spread outside of
this bathroom wall to adjacent rooms, do I need to rip out other walls
just to find out?

If mold is on the wall, that means it's also inside the wall, on the
studs. Do the wood studs need to be replaced or can it be treated? Do I
need to expose all affected studs to get them replaced or treated?

If I continue the work by ripping everything in the bathroom out, will
this risk stirring up all the spores into the air?


Yes and no. The spores are already in the air. The moisture and food
(paper and wallpaper glue) just give it a good breeding ground. You are
already planning to strip the walls, so go ahead. A dehumidifier might be a
good idea if you want an extra measure of protection. Take away moisture
and food and you make it difficult for hte mold and mildew to get a
foothold. Also a heatlamp on the area will kill the spores, assuming the
mold is localized.

I thought all I had to do is to spray Clorex to get it under control then
proceed with the work, but the more I read the internet to get educated
on this issue, the scarier I got and now I am thinking I need a level 4
bio hazzard team to come in to seal the bathroom. Where is the happy
medium?

What should I do next, any idea?

Thanks,

MC

There is a lot of hysteria about mold. The spores are everywhere, but
don't settle in and grow unless conditions are right. If you wash the
wall with good household cleaner and a little bleach, you probably will be
fine. If the paint is intact, the mold/mildew was probably superficial
and hasn't hurt your wall. We had mildew growing under the wallpaper in
our bath, which was redone about two years ago. It was mostly along where
the seams had been and hadn't caused the paper to peel off. When one
showers and doesn't use exhaust fan, the ceiling and walls can be wet - I
believe the moisture was just enough to get under the paper a little bit.
The paste apparently is good "mildew food". Sooooo, if the wall is firm
and the surface intact, don't worry about it.


Why? We had mold and did the bleach thing. Paint and paper are in good
condition. The mold came back in a few days. We need to cut back the paper
and treat underneath.

If the mold/mildew is on the wall surface, it does not mean it has
permeated the wall structure for pitty sakes.


Not necessarily. Since the op is redoing the bathroom, it is best to go
ahead and knock out the walls as planned and see if it has spread to the
studs. Don't worry about it until the walls are stripped clean to the studs
and see what is there. Use the new mildew resistant drywall when redoing
the walls.

Install a timer switch on the exhaust fan in the bath so's you can run it
when you shower and not have to go back in to shut it off.

Excellent advice.