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threeapples

Will bleach kill mold on wood framing?

threeapples
11 years ago

I'm worried about my basement. We are drywalling there soon and there is black mold on the framing. I'm super nervous about getting it all since my son and I have bad mold allergies and we'll never know if mold is behind the drywall. Any suggestions? Also, our house was up without brick or a roof for many rainy months. How do I know mold didn't grow behind the tyvek?

Comments (4)

  • _sophiewheeler
    11 years ago

    Mold only grows in moist environments. Dry it out and it is dead. As long as you have a decent waterproofing system for your basement, it should be fine.

    On the other hand, mold spores aren't actually alive, and that is what most people are allergic to. However, they permeate the environment and are impossible to eliminate. The best "treatment" for them is encapsulation. Putting drywall over them and air sealing will keep them from floating around on the air currents. It's also a wise move from an energy conservation standpoint to air seal the home as a whole.

  • threeapples
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    not to be ignorant, but what do you mean "air seal" the home? how do we do that? i'm terrified that we will have mold problems down the line and even more worried that there might be mold between the tyvek and the plywood since our home was sitting with no roof or brick all spring. i'm going tomorrow to check between the tyvek and the wood. what do i do if there is mold?

  • Missy Benton
    11 years ago

    We hired an independent inspector to periodically inspect our build. It was well worth the money and gave us peace of mind. You can also tell your builder that you insist on having someone do an air test for mold once it's all dried out. We did that as well because we were worried just like you.

  • rmhallman
    10 years ago

    As a person with HLA genetic problems I will tell you what I learned about immunology--bleach doesn't "kill" mold. It only bleaches the surface. And yes if you are suseptable any kind of mold "residue" will fly though the air and make you sick. Dead spores are just as bad as wet ones bc they land in your nice wet lungs. DOn't be fooled. Rip it all out, keep the humidity below 40-50% and put high quality air cleaners everywhere. The ones that use all three moldalities (UV light, charcoal and HEPA andd even a fourth--OZONE will do the trick). Be cautious. People scoffed at me and said, oh mold is everywhere you're not sick from that are now shocked at what I have learned. Don't take any chances. I've lost my whole immune system and look like I'm dying from AIDS. They thought I HAD AIDS!! That 's how sick I am. Be CAREFUL.

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