Checking For Mold Inside Walls

Growth medium that serves as a base for tested samples.

Checking for mold inside walls.

Behind your refrigerator beneath stacks of newspapers or cardboard behind the drywall in wall stud spaces that contain plumbing lines below sinks behind the wallboard around. There is a significant amount of wall mold on the outside of your walls. The following are some of the most common spots for mold to grow undetected and therefore smart locations to test for mold. It is recommended that you check in several places since you might miss small amounts of mold if you only look inside the wall in one spot.

You should suspect mold in your walls if. If the spot quickly lightens or keeps coming back after cleaning assume it s mold. There has been flooding or other significant water damage in the home. They aren t intended to detect mold inside walls but they can provide a starting point for diy mold removal.

To check inside your walls for mold you ll need to carefully cut out six inch squares of drywall remove the cut out squares and use a long handled mirror and flashlight to look inside for mold. A quick test for mold can be done when you dip a swab in diluted bleach 1 part bleach 16 parts water and dab it on the wall. Most mold is unmistakable but sometimes small or largely hidden growths just make a surface look dirty. While home mold testing kits are simple to use they only capture samples in the air and on exposed surfaces.

How do you know if you have mold inside walls. You smell a definite musty odor in the room but can t see any mold in this case check air ducts for mold as well. Check for speckled or cottony growth on walls especially near water damaged surfaces. Look for discolored patches on walls furniture and carpeting.

Look for patches of mold in colors ranging from white to orange and green to brown and black.