How to Test for Mold Behind Drywall in 3 steps

Approximately 70% of homes are infested with mold due to the high humidity level in Florida. If left unchecked, mold may create major problems and lead to costly repairs in the future.

You can identify mold in clearly visible places like your ceiling, on your walls, etc. But you don’t know if your walls are hiding mold inside them.

Mold grows when there is no proper ventilation system so there’s ample room for it to grow behind a drywall, espeially when there’s enough moisture to go around. Testing for mold behind the drywall is an important step in maintaining a home’s structure. Although mold is always present in the air, in excessive amount, it can lead to different health problems, such as asthma, coughing, and shortness of breath.

If you want to keep your family healthy and your home in prestine condition, you need to know exactly where mold is, so you can take the necessary steps for its removal.

3 Steps to Identifying Mold Behind Drywall

Visual inspection

Flashlight

Mold is usually hiding in dark, moist areas like behind a drywall. A flashlight can help illuminate such areas, relatively easily, so you can identify if there is mold on the surface.

Key Areas

Drywalls in basement, kitchen, washroom, and behind appliances like the refrigerator are prone to more mold growth. So focus on these areas during your visual inspection.

Signs of mold behind drywall

The infected area will be dark green, black, or white. If you find any bubbles in the paint, there is a high chance of mold infestation there. Also, if mold is on the drywall, the wallpaper will easily peel off.

Photograph

Take a picture of the infected areas for record and share it with a professional mold inspector when they visit your property.

Moisture testing

Moisture is the key element that provides a hospitable environment for mold. Follow these steps to identify the moisture behind the walls.

Choose the right tool

You can find different tools/testing kits that will help identify moisture in the air so you will know if mold is likely in that certain place or not.

Fix the tool at a specific space

Place the moisture testing kit against the wall, especially near the window or pipes where moisture accumulation is going to be higher.

Normal moisture level

The normal moisture level is between 5% to 12%. An excess amount of moisture in that specific area indicates a habitable environment for mold.

Surface sampling

Collect surface samples from mold-infested areas and store them safely.

Cutting the infested area safely

Use a proper tool to cut down the infected part of the drywall by 2 x 2 inches for a minimum repair. Make sure that the other things behind the walls are safe, especially the electrical wires.

Put Samples in a bag

Put the mold-ridden part into a sealable bag. Tag it properly with a date and the location where you picked the sample from. This will help you see mold progress and will also be helpful when a professional mold inspector checks your property.

Understanding mold and its impact on health

Now that we know how to identify mold, let’s discuss its impact on health.

Mold is a type of fungus that quickly grows in a moist environment. It reproduces when its spores are floating in the air and land on the surface. Various types of mold are produced in a home, including Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Stachybotrys. Stachybotrys mold is also called black mold. 

These different types of molds grow on different surfaces like wood, carpets, and even behind the drywalls. Sometimes it’s our whole house that needs to be tested, for that you need to know how to test for mold in a house. But if you want an in-depth review of how to test for mold behind drywall, keep reading.

Is mold behind drywall dangerous for health

It is a myth that mold dies when dry. It becomes active again when it gets a suitable humidity level. Mold spores stay suspended in the air and enter the human body through breath in an infested environment, causing allergic reactions:

• Eye, nose, and throat irritation
• Respiratory infections like coughing and shortness of breath
• Skin rashes
• Lung problems

Preparation and safety parameters

Before starting to test the mold presence in a behind drywalls, you need to follow these steps:

Protective items

You should wear gloves, safety goggles, and a mask, preferably N95. It will save your skin from direct contact with mold spores.

Recommended tools

Some recommended tools are a flashlight, screwdriver, moisture kit, and utility knife. These tools will help to find mold in specific areas.

Testing kits

Air sampling and surface sampling kits for mold. A sealable sample bag to store mold samples.

Final Words

Mold has a long-lasting effect on health and can cause allergic issues such as shortness of breath. That’s why it is important to check the house for mold, including drywall.

Although we’ve divided the DIY testing into easy-to-follow steps, it can be hard to estimate the actual amount of mold in a home based on these tests. You need professional mold inspectors to examine the property for signs of mold. Peace of Mind Home Inspections offers professional mold inspection services in Florida.

We recommend that you call us when you first notice any signs of mold in your home, be it behind a drywall or on a ceiling.

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