Will Painting Over Mold Kill It?
Mold
When it comes to fixing mold issues in your house or basement, you’ve probably come across a dozen solutions and ideas from friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, though they mean well, there is a very strong chance that your friends and loved ones are giving you the wrong information.
In fact, there are so many myths about mold treatment doing the rounds these days that even the experts have a hard time differentiating between actual facts and nonsense. Speaking of nonsense, one of the most common myths you’ll hear is that painting over it can help get rid of it.
Well, that’s an absolute lie and here’s why:
It’s Not Just Some Old Stain You Can Get Rid of with Paint
For starters, mold is an actual microorganism that grows on your walls and other surfaces. It’s a type of fungus to be specific. You can find in a wide range of colors that include green, blue, black or brown. Texture wise, they can either look powdery, fuzzy, or slimy.
Truth be told, mold actually eats through painted surfaces. In fact, that’s why they cause discoloration. The discoloration occurs as a result of chemical reactions between the mold and the painted surface. Once it eats through the layer of paint, the actual surface material becomes compromised.
Painting over it is not a real solution. At best, it is a very temporary one. Mold will continue to spread under the paint surface anyway. Eventually, it will even manage to eat through the paint.
The confusion about painting over the area to treat it probably comes from the use of mold inhibitor paints. It’s not uncommon to find people use these types of paints to fix their mold ridden surfaces. Unfortunately, this is a result of a misconception involving the term ‘mold inhibitor’. These inhibitor paints only inhibit the growth of mold. They do nothing to eliminate it.
Possible Solutions
The best way to get rid of mold is to target it at its source. According to the Paint Quality Institute, a quart of fresh disinfectant bleach with three quarts water should do the trick. However, it is not wise to handle all these chemicals yourself. Also, if you have severe growth, it is better to get in touch with a professional service to take care of the problem.
What’s even better is not letting mold grow. For this, you need to make sure there are no water leaks in your basement and ensure that there are necessary prevention measures taken. Basement moisture is one of the top factors involved in the growth of mold, especially in the crawl space.
