Worries of Mold

[mikeylikesit5805]

Hey Guys, Im new to the forum and have some questions.

I just bought a house and got it inspected, all checked out OK. But I have a feeling I have a bit of a mold problem.

When I was redoing the living room I found some mold/mildew under the windows and few soft spots in the drywall.

Then the upstairs bathroom has a drop ceiling (some crafty work by the old owner ) with no vent fan. I think it may be the perfect recipe for mold up in the attic.

So my questions are: does anyone know of any good mold tests? do the
petri dish things work? also any idea how to test for mold inside walls?

Thanks guys, I'm just a worried new home owner, so any advice would be great.

[pushkins]

The Mold Test Kits available at Lowe's and HD are about as good as any homeowner needs, they are pretty simple to do and come with clear instructions. The only way to test for mold inside the wall cavity is to remove a section of drywall and take swabs from the inside, either the back of the removed drywall or the studs etc...
The mold being under the windows seems to indicate that there is a leak somewhere around the window, either faulty flashing or missing caulk. Check the exterior of the window for gaps in caulking.
In some cases I've seen moisture damage from single pane windows with bad condensation issues, the condensation drips/runs down and over time degrades the drywall.


The bathroom without a fan is a problem area, moisture will build up between the drop ceiling and the original ceiling, this is where mold may well start to grow.

[mikeylikesit5805]

Good News,

Placed the test kit in the bathroom, no signs of mold yet. And the Drop Ceiling leads directly up to the attic there is no other ceiling.

Ill keep you updated.