Monday, December 21, 2009

Can you wash down the 2x4 wood that supports interior walls with bleach to remove mold?

I have torn the walls out of a room in my home because of mold and moisture issues. I have removed the moldy insulation and fixed the moisture problems. (wearing a mask and other protective gear of course). There are a few of the 2 x 4 boards that support the wall that have a little bit of mold on them but other than that they are not damaged. Can I wash them off with a bleach water solution and keep them in place or do I have to tear them out and replace them altogether?Can you wash down the 2x4 wood that supports interior walls with bleach to remove mold?
There is no need to replace the studs in your repair.





There are commercial products (including bleach) that will kill the active mold. Of equal importance is mitigating the contributors to the mold problem.





Mold needs three things to thrive: Darkness (can't help this inside a wall), Food (the wood is the food- can't help this), and Moisture. Addressing the moisture will prevent future mold issues.





Mold reproduces through spores, so a VERY thorough cleaning of the area before sealing that wall back up will be to your advantage.





Best of luck.Can you wash down the 2x4 wood that supports interior walls with bleach to remove mold?
I have done this. But I used strait bleach in a garden sprayer to treat the 2x4s. I treated them when I first uncovered them. Then I sprayed them again before I put the new insulation in. Its been 5 years and the mold has not come back. Use safety glasses and a mask and old clothes. when spraying.
On a porous product like wood the mold might go deeper that the bleach will penetrate. The chlorine will also evaporate in hours or days and have no residual effect. Better to use an antifungal treatment specifically designed to do the job. I'm no engineer but if the studs are physically sound I cannot see any reason to tear them out if the mold removal is successful.
There is a type of sealer that you can buy for this kind of situation (I don't know the name of it) but, yes,,you can wash it with bleach.
Leave the studs.





Lowes sells a concentrate ';inhibitive'; mold wash that mixes with bleach. Inhibitive means it will penetrate the wood surface. When applied, the mold can be wiped off right away while the chemical continues to penetrate into the wood.





Good luck !
Yes use bleach it kills all mold if you want you can paint with a product called KILL'S get it at any diy stores that's after you bleach and let dry

No comments:

Post a Comment