What Happens If You Paint Over Mold?
Yes, of course, you CAN paint over mold, but that doesn’t mean that you should. In fact, painting over mold is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet hole.
Let’s Start From The Beginning.
Before you think about painting over any mold you find in your home you need to find out why it is there in the first place.
Mold loves dark, damp and humid places, so that means if you find mold growing in your house the area must be damp. Some places in the home, such as the kitchen or bathroom, are naturally damp, and if they are not properly ventilated naturally mold will thrive in these places. So, make sure to keep them well ventilated at all times.
But, if you find mold growing in another part of the house, you’d be right to be concerned and suspect that you have a leak. Water can leak from your roof, a pipe, an appliance (like your washing machine) or your air conditioner and sometimes the leak is small enough that you don’t notice until you see a wet spot or mold growing in your house.
Once you’ve noticed mold growing investigate the area thoroughly to find the source of the leak that is causing the water damage. It is important to find the source and stop the leak before you can continue.
Before you start painting you must also make sure that the water damage is thoroughly dry, otherwise, the mold will return. You don’t want a temporary solution to your mold problem, so it is best to take your time and take care of the mold properly before you start painting.
Painting Over Mold
You may notice a discoloring of the paint on your walls, and that could be mold that was painted over and has grown back because previous water damage was not taken care of properly, and the area was painted over to hide the unappealing mold. So, as you can see, painting over mold does not necessarily solve the problem. Don’t forget that the mold is also bad for your health, so it is important to get rid of it thoroughly and not only paint over it.
You can first clean the area with bleach or a solution of detergent and water before painting. It is important that the area is totally dry before it is painted, if not the mold will return.
Once the area is ready to be painted you can paint with mold resistant paint. These paints do a very good job of keeping the mold away but are not a 100% guarantee that the mold won’t return in the future.
Nobody likes having mold in their homes. If you want to get rid of mold and repaint your house, speak to Mold Oakland’s experts. We will get the job done for you thoroughly and in a quicker time.
