Replies

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Apr 09, 2009 04:27pm | #1

   Yep. So long as the studs are sound.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

2. 
   RalphBarker | Apr 09, 2009 05:57pm | #2

   Don't forget to wear a serious respirator, one certified for the application (not just a dust mask), when scrubbing the mold. Or, let us know what types of flowers you want on your grave. ;-)

1. 
   pm | Apr 09, 2009 06:12pm | #3

   Good point - thanks.

3. 
   YesMaam27577 | Apr 10, 2009 02:44am | #4

   You could use chlorine bleach, or there are other products, some of which won't get to your sinuses quite as bad.

   Jomax is one that I've used quite successfully, that's easy on the nose.

   Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
4. 
   dynamwebz | Apr 10, 2009 04:43am | #5

   I am remodeling my bathroom partly because of my mold problem. It was also a good excuse to build some nice cherry cabinets rather than home center cabinets composed of sawdust and resins which seem to breed mold.

   After the stud treatment, consider the drywall.

   Conventional drywall will mold because of the paper. A newer drywall is paperless and is not supposed to allow mold to grow. It's only a bit more expensive. It can be purchased at home centers. I haven't researched how to best finish it yet.

   But if the studs are moldy, attempt to determine where the moisture is coming from. It could be moving through the exterior wall into the wall cavity. You may need to waterproof around any windows and other cracks, especially in an older home.

   Additionally, you can purchase kits to spray a type of expanding foam between the studs. It's not that expensive considering the positive results and it's great at keeping out moisture.

   Lastly, consider installing a humidity controlled exhaust fan which vents to the outside, not the attic.

    

1. 
   pm | Apr 10, 2009 03:30pm | #8

   Is it possible to install foam insulation myself? I had the impression that you had to hire a professional to do that, that it was a big job?Although it's clear that the mold came from a leak in the shower, while I'm doing this project I tore out all of the drywall in the bathroom and bedroom so I could better seal and insulate it.

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 11, 2009 07:37pm | #13

   If you end up trying DIY on the foam, I'll pass along a tip from a guy I watched last year foaming a new room.  To smooth down the face of the foam after it dried, before putting up drywall, he used an old-fashioned circular metal curry-comb which has serrated teeth on all those little circles:

   View Image You can probably get them at a feed store, or tack store that carries lots of Western gear. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   pm | Apr 11, 2009 11:14pm | #14

   Thanks. I had been assuming that foam insulation would be cost prohibitive, but I decided to check into it to make sure. It turns out that, for my bedroom and bathroom, it will only cost about $400 more to have icynene foam installed by a professional than to install fiberglass batting myself. It was too good an idea to pass up.

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 12, 2009 02:24am | #16

   That's great news.  You'll want to do it on a day you can air the room out, stinky stuff until it dries, but it's the cat's meow once it's done.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

5. 
   BossCrunk | Apr 10, 2009 01:33pm | #6

   Don't scrub the mold - just spray the bleach on.

   Mix it one-third to two-thirds with water and mist it on with a good quality plastic spray bottle.  The bleach will ruin a cheap one.  A janitor's supply has what you need.

1. 
   pm | Apr 11, 2009 06:43pm | #12

   Why wouldn't you want to scrub the mold off with the bleach? I would think that would do a better job of getting any mold that's behind the surface.

1. 
   BossCrunk | Apr 13, 2009 01:10pm | #17

   Puts spores in the air that will just settle later in the closed stud bay.

1. 
   pm | Apr 13, 2009 02:58pm | #18

   Thanks - that never would have occurred to me.

1. 
   BossCrunk | Apr 13, 2009 11:56pm | #19

   It's like burning poison ivy - worse when it's in the air.

6. 
   bones | Apr 10, 2009 02:55pm | #7

   Nothing does the job like bleach.  Cut it a pit maybe 80/20 with water and you are good to go.  Back in the day when I did construction, TSP was our choice for mildew/mold.  Do kill it before covering it or it will grow.   Just be sure to wear gloves it is an iritant. 

   Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases:
   If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
   And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
   
7. 
   Hastings | Apr 10, 2009 04:19pm | #9

   pm:

   After you have sorted out the studs, you should put a sheet of visqueen before hanging the wall board. It will act as a moisture barrier.

   When I redid my shower, I used cement board (Duraroc) rather than drywall.

   Hastings

1. 
   Woodman41 | Apr 14, 2009 12:10am | #20

   no one should ever use sheetrock in a shower or other wet location, a moisture barrier and a cement backer board (which is also porous, hence the moisture barrier) is the proper way to tile a shower. It's a code violation to use sheetrock and aside from that it's just a bad practice because the water will penetrate the grout and you will be back in their in short order doing it right. Greenboard, as has already been pointed out, is not waterproof but rather water resistant.A better product to use for wet locations is Wedi board. It's an extruded foam product that is truly waterproof (you use a polyurethane caulking around the edges) and super easy to work with as well as a heck of a lot easier to move around when compared to cement backer board. I've used Wedi board a lot and think it's even better than the Schluter products.

8. 
   Ray | Apr 10, 2009 06:42pm | #10

   If you're using drywall, National Gypsum makes a mold-inhibiting drywall, the paper is purple.  The drywall with green paper is waterproof.

1. 
   dynamwebz | Apr 11, 2009 05:03pm | #11

   You are referring to greenboard. It's water resistant. I used it 20 years ago in my tub area. Once water started to penetrate, it fell apart. The last BR remodel I performed in my home, I used cement board. No mold, no other issues.

   But for the rest of the BR?

   I did some research on the newer type of mold proof sheet rock. I found the following information at http://www.inspect-ny.com/interiors/drywallmoldresist.htm

   Mold proof drywall ? You Must Be Kidding!From the manufacturer:

   Avoid exposure to temperatures exceeding 125 deg F (Translation: keep it away from your boiler flue, it's not fire-rated).

   Avoid exposure to excessive or continuous moisture before, during and after installation. Eliminate sources of moisture immediately. (Translation: if you put this material in an environment where mold grew on your old drywall, we're not promising that this product will perform any better.)

   Not suitable for use in high moisture areas such as tub and shower enclosures, gang showers, and other areas subject to direct water exposure. (Translation: you shouldn't have used your old drywall in the bathroom and you shouldn't put this new product near the tub, sink, or shower.)

   Non load bearing.

9. 
   Jammersix | Apr 12, 2009 01:08am | #15

   The real problem is the cause.

10. 
    edsshop | Apr 14, 2009 12:15am | #21

    I had a similar situation and found great results by doing what a previous individual recommended:  #1 used a tank sprayer with a solution of about 50/50 water and bleach and thoroughly sprayed down everything. Once I thought I sprayed enough, I sprayed some more.  #2 I dried the area completely and repeated #1 and dried it again and my problem was completely solved.  I checked around with some friends who do remodeling and was told my process was more than enough.

1. 
   Woodman41 | Apr 14, 2009 02:10am | #22

   btw, there is a big problem brewing with made in China drywall, it's gassing off and causing all kinds of problems (it probably has melamine in it... they put that crap in everything it would seem). http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0404/p99s01-usgn.html

11. 
    forrestb | Apr 14, 2009 04:17am | #23

    When putting up new wallboard you might want to consider the paperless drywall. It uses fiberglass rather than paper as the exterior surfaces. We used it recently in two bath remodels. The mold feeds on the paper but will not feed on the fiberglass. If you use drywall screw-type anchors for towel racks etc. drill a pilot hole the size of the lead and screw the anchor in as you would tap metal: half turn in and back out a bit. Until I figured this out I was camming out the Philips recess in the anchor.

1. 
   Woodman41 | Apr 14, 2009 05:44am | #24

   I've been curious to hear some feedback on paperless drywall. Thanks.I will take this opportunity to point out that a properly constructed and adequately ventilated space should never have a mold problem.