How to Treat Mold on Walls before Painting?

It is essential to remove mold on walls before painting as painting moldy walls only hides the problem. The mold will be back in 3-4 months. This article explains how you to treat moldy walls before painting them.

Just a Safety Tip: Wear protective equipment while treating mold. You will need a face mask (one with a filter is the best), safety goggles, and long gloves (like the one used for dishwashing).

Step 1: Scrubbing

EPA suggests scrubbing mold with a solution of dishwasher soap and water. Prepare this solution by adding a few drops of the detergent in a gallon of warm water and start scrubbing.

Scrubbing is a lengthy process; start early in the morning and try to plan this activity on a warm sunny day.

You can use a pressure washer to remove mold outside your home. Add some detergent for better results.

Step 2: Disinfecting (Killing) Mold

Add 1 cup of borax to 1 gallon of water and mix the contents. Scrub the moldy surface vigorously. Let the solution dry naturally so that it settles down on the moldy surface.

You can also add a cup of vinegar to make the solution more powerful. Vinegar comes in handy when the mold is smelly. Commercial mold killers also give 100% results. It is not recommended to use bleach on walls as it can penetrate porous surfaces.

Don’t rinse or wipe the walls after scrubbing, as it is better to have a thin layer of borax to protect against mold bounce-back.

Step 3: Final Touch: Applying Primer

Let the surface get completely dry before painting. The moisture on the wall can feed mold spores that are left un-killed during the last step. Applying 1-2 coats of primer containing mold disinfectants is a great way to ensure that mold spores will not get any breeding ground under the paint layer.

The thicker the layer of primer, the more protection you will get from it. Let the primer get dry before you start you start painting.

Read: How to Get Rid of Black Mold in Shower Caulk?

How to Treat Mold on Basement Walls before Painting?

Basements are hot spot for mold growth. Most basements have concrete walls that act as a breeding ground for mold. Follow the steps below to clean mold from basement walls.

1. Scrub the concrete walls with a mixture of detergent and water.
2. Disinfect the mold using bleach or vinegar. (Bleach: 1 part of bleach and 4 parts of water. Vinegar: use equal parts water and vinegar.)
3. Paint the walls once they get dry.

Tips to Prevent Mold on Walls

• Fix plumbing leaks and water problems as early as possible. Water accumulation on roofs causes ceiling mold to multiply speedily.
• Porous and absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, carpets, and rugs may have to be thrown away if they are infested with mold. Mold occupies the space in these structures and may not be completely removed from them.
• Never paint a moldy surface. Painting is not the solution. You must clean the mold and let the surfaces dry before repainting.
• Increase ventilation in places that are always wet, such as washrooms and kitchen walls. Use a fan and/or open windows as much as you can. Opening the windows for 30-45 minutes early morning is a great idea to keep mold away.
• Frequent cleaning and drying of these places also help reduce mold growth.
• If you repeatedly encounter mold problems, use paints with special mold prevention additives. These paints contain additives that can kill mold growth and stop it from coming back.
• Reduce moisture inside the home by avoiding drying the clothes inside and covering pans when cooking and boiling water.
• Keep your home heated or at least the rooms with mold growth.
• Keep the furniture away from molded walls for ventilation and stop the mold from spreading from one surface to another.
• If not installed already, consider adding exhaust fans to the basement and laundry areas.
• Deal with mold problems as soon as possible.

Read: 4 Working Solutions to Remove Black Mold from Shower Curtain

FAQs

Is vinegar better than bleach at killing Mold?

Vinegar is a better choice than bleach when it comes to killing mold. First of all, EPA does not recommend using bleach to kill mold. Bleach only kills surface mold as it cannot penetrate non-porous surfaces.

On the other hand, Vinegar can easily penetrate porous and non-porous surfaces alike and is a safer choice than bleach. You can use distilled vinegar or cleaning vinegar with 6% acidity. Both are effective against mold and may take up to 60 minutes to destroy the mold.

However, vinegar must not be used on surfaces like natural stone, waxed wood, cast iron, and aluminum because of its acidic nature.

What are the signs of mold growth?

• Finding green, green-brown, orange, or black spots on walls, ceiling, and other surfaces
• Cracked or peeling paint
• Paint discoloration
• Mold smell (musty, damp smell)
• Excessive moisture in the air

What is the most common spot for mold growth?

Bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchen, basements, and showers are the common areas for mold growth.

How can I remove mold from tiles and stones?

You can use homemade bleach-water or borax-water solutions to clean tiles and stones mold. The application process is the same; scrubbing with soap and water and then applying the cleaning solution followed by scrubbing.