Do I have black mold? The dreaded black mold?

Maybe I should say African-American mold? I don't want to offend...... Anyway, as part of replacing a picture window in my house I decided to repair obvious water damaged drywall that was at the bottom corners of the window. As I chipped the first bit of paint away I saw black mold. It only went as far as the paper, and an area about, maybe 9" circle?
I have two buddies telling me different things, though at this point neither one has seen the issue, or even the pics below. Here's what I have:
Here's the effected area, after removing the paint and sanding the wall. Just shows the scope

I cut a few squares out so I could see the backside. The gypsum separated from the backing paper because I was right on a stud and didn't cut all the way through the drywall backing paper. Here's the chunk of gypsum showing the mold in what I think is the glue layer.

Here's the same piece of paper

One buddy says to use a shellac-based primer. That'll seal the area and keep the mold where it is. With the new window in place, the air and water shouldn't be there anymore, thus allowing the mold to die. Is that correct?
The other buddy (who does have mold removal experience) says it's the mold is the dreaded black mold that kills on sight and I should hire a haz-mat crew to come in and collect 10K for removal. My online research says that 80 or 90 percent of the black mold you see is just, mold that is black.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there any test kits that I can use? I don't want to seal the are up only to have a sick (or dead) family and a happy mold population.

The truth is a little of both. The mold that kills looks just like the mold that doesn't. If possible, just remove the effected drywall, replace with new and continue on with your project. If it is on the studs, you can sand it clean or kilz over it. The pros use a ice blaster (like a sand blaster with ice chunks).

Scrape a little off and huff it and the get back to us in the morning.

Find someone to analyze the sample?

My internet skilz says you guys aren't going to be any help . Mold is many colors and only a small percentage of black mold is the dreaded, killer stuff. And, only a microscope and an expert can tell. So, I'm going to paint it with a product similar to Kilz now and call in an expert to examine a sample I have. Wish me luck, the thought of removing the drywall from an exterior wall, one with blown-in insulation is not a pretty one.

carguy123 wrote: Scrape a little off and huff it and the get back to us in the morning.

i LOL'd

There's DIY mold test kits out there, they pretty much all require that you put some in a Petri dish, then if it grows you send the sample to them to determine exactly what it is. One company: http://www.prolabinc.com/mold-kits.asp No affiliation, may curve your spine, may cause drowsiness, etc etc etc.

The washer at my Mom's house had a pinhole leak in the drain hose from the pump to the hose connection on the back. It leaked for a while apparently and the drywall from the floor up about 4 inches looked like that. I removed the damaged drywall and didn't die. Don't know if that helps FWIW.

We can't tell you what kind of mold it is. There are literally thousands of strains.

Statistically, the odds are in your favor. Test it if you want to know.

We can, however, help a bit with the construction aspects.

Both your friends are right. And wrong.

Shellac based primer/sealer (like Kilz) will seal the paint, and likely prevent the mold from bleeding through the paint. However, you've got a slightly bigger problem.

The mold is in the wall cavity. The patch you removed had mold on the back. That means water has been in the cavity, and there is more mold than you think.

Keeping it from bleeding through the paint will not kill it, or get rid of what is there.

You need to cut out more sheetrock. Probably quite a bit more. At least a couple of square feet, and all the way down to the floor. You'll find the insulation is wet, the mold is on the back of the exterior wall sheathing and the sides of the studs, and possibly that the bottom 2x4 plate of the wall is rotted (depending on how much water leaked for how long).

The hollow wall cavity is a prime environment for continued mold growth, dry rot, and termites. You need to tear it out. Treat mold with Clorox, replace rotted wood, air dry (preferably with fans) for several days, then put it back together (don't re-use insulation that was once wet).

But it is fixable. If you can do a small sheetrock patch, you can do a larger one. Go for it!

What he said ^.

Why can't someone invent a mold and moisture impervious alternative to sheetrock? That stuff seems like more trouble than its worth.

Here's a plan for you:

1) Hire a "mold clean up crew"... but no one must know its really your friend, and he'll screw up the job

2) Contact Holmes on Homes

3) Enjoy your new window, room, floor, walls, roof, porch, landscaping and patio!

mikeatrpi wrote: Here's a plan for you: 1) Hire a "mold clean up crew"... but no one must know its really your friend, and he'll screw up the job 2) Contact Holmes on Homes 3) Enjoy your new window, room, floor, walls, roof, porch, landscaping and patio!

Sweet! I often wonder who pays for that stuff. I mean, the poor homeowners have already been screwed and bilked out of more money than they intended on paying, then he comes along and rebuilds the neighborhood. Seems like a genuine guy though. And my mom things he's hot. And if you saw this thread you'll know that GPS is my mom.

HappyAndy wrote: Why can't someone invent a mold and moisture impervious alternative to sheetrock? That stuff seems like more trouble than its worth.

M-R board (Moisture Resistant). Gold Bond calls it XP Gypsum Board. There are other names like ProRoc Moisture Resistant Gypsum Board, green board, etc.

It's used in commercial work all the time.

SVreX wrote:

HappyAndy wrote: Why can't someone invent a mold and moisture impervious alternative to sheetrock? That stuff seems like more trouble than its worth.

M-R board (Moisture Resistant). Gold Bond calls it XP Gypsum Board. There are other names like ProRoc Moisture Resistant Gypsum Board, green board, etc. It's used in commercial work all the time.

This. I had to repair the under kitchen sink cabinet area after the ex left the sink running to overflow a few times. Most of it ran down from where the SS sink fastened up underneath to the stone counter but the seal at the back of the counter also seemed to have broken down over time with more water damage back there. ripped out everything back to the brick behind (bottom floor of old city row house converted to 4 condos) and there were areas of mold starting.

I figured if it happened once, it's going to happen again and the green board is cheap insurance, especially if you're not doing a (relatively) large area. Were you able to identify exactly how the moisture got there, and how to prevent it? I know you said you're replacing parts around there, but I would think you'd want to make sure that you're definitely fixing the problem in a way it won't just come back over time into the new work.

The only way the water could have gotten in there was the window. It sealed nearly as good as a screen door. Really, it was pitiful. On a windy day, the curtains could be seen moving. I never felt moisture there, but it was there for sure. With the window out I didn't see anything as far as rotten wood so I think it was just seeping in at the bottom corners.

In reply to DrBoost:

It makes sense, I'd just want to make sure it was only that, and maybe that there isn't anything else that could be done on the exterior to help keep moisture from being able to collect near the sill.

You are taking the "I cant help work on your car because I have to install a window" story to a whole new level!

DrBoost wrote: With the window out I didn't see anything as far as rotten wood so I think it was just seeping in at the bottom corners.

Seeping in at the the bottom corners and as SVreX said running down behind the drywall.

At a minmum I would remove the drywall from the window down to the floor and at least one stud bay wider than the window on each side

logdog wrote: You are taking the "I cant help work on your car because I have to install a window" story to a whole new level!

I was afraid you'd call me for help again.

Hal wrote:

DrBoost wrote: With the window out I didn't see anything as far as rotten wood so I think it was just seeping in at the bottom corners.

Seeping in at the the bottom corners and as SVreX said running down behind the drywall. At a minmum I would remove the drywall from the window down to the floor and at least one stud bay wider than the window on each side

Yeah, I know. The house has blown-in insulation. I can't even imagine the mess that's gonna be.

You need to remove the wall board to access the mold. Remove the insulation. Then you need to kill the mold with a moldicide, let it dry completely, scrape off whatever you can, then you need to encapsulate the affected area with mold resistant paint/primer. Just went thru this on a bank owned property that had water/mold damage. I got to fix the leaks and ask the mold remediation guys lots of questions. I was floored when I saw what they charged for basically two days of demo, shop vacuuming, and spray painting. Quick calculations worked out to somewhere around $125 an hour for each undocumented respirator wearing worker on the job. Oh, and one more thing. If you have water damage there, you will most likely have an entry point at the top of that window. Plan on accessing the area around the outside of the window so the sheathing can be fixed and sealed up properly. So add siding repair to the list.

tr8todd wrote: You need to remove the wall board to access the mold. Remove the insulation. Then you need to kill the mold with a moldicide, let it dry completely, scrape off whatever you can, then you need to encapsulate the affected area with mold resistant paint/primer. Just went thru this on a bank owned property that had water/mold damage. I got to fix the leaks and ask the mold remediation guys lots of questions. I was floored when I saw what they charged for basically two days of demo, shop vacuuming, and spray painting. Quick calculations worked out to somewhere around $125 an hour for each undocumented respirator wearing worker on the job. Oh, and one more thing. If you have water damage there, you will most likely have an entry point at the top of that window. Plan on accessing the area around the outside of the window so the sheathing can be fixed and sealed up properly. So add siding repair to the list.

The top of the window is 2" below the overhang, and it's a 3' overhang. The installation job, and the quality of this window was incredibly bad. I think I'll be calling the insurance company....

Disclaimer: I am an insurance adjuster and see mold on a weekly basis. I have yet to die or get ill in the last 4 years handling property claims. I am not certified in mold remediation/restoration.

Before filing a claim take a look at your policy. There are often times exclusions for improper workmanship or installation as well as long term leaks/rot etc.

Coverages depends on the company and what type of policy you have.

General rule of thumb is to remove the drywall at least a foot past the last visible mold. You may also wish to set up a containment barrier when doing the tear down to limit contamination. Bag and dispose of affected material. A moldicide then sealant on affected studs etc. Replace insulation and drywall paint on go on with you life.

Depending on what is found behind the wall if you were to contact a mold remediation guys they would set up a chamber with a Negative Air Scrubber during tear out. Other than that the repair process is generally the same as above. Often times they will also tear out the carpet and wipe down the entire room with a moldicide.