House had mold..was cleaned with bleach and primed with Kilz...is this good enough?

Question

Looking to purchase a rehab and the seller has already remediated a mold issue by using bleach and painting everything with Kilz.  I am pretty sure this is not the correct method.  The house had mold in the attic and in the bedrooms.  I have no issues hiring out the mold remediation process but can I do it correctly if it has been painted with Kilz?  Is there an air test I can perform?  Thanks!

Travis West · Answer

Hi Adam.

There is virtually no difference between mold and mildew. They are both biological in nature, occur when water is present, and can cause health problems if/when susceptible people are exposed.

To answer you question, I would say the following:

If the treatment-cleaning with Clorox was done in a safe manner and the mold colonies were captured effectively, then perhaps it was done well. This also assumes that the mold growth was on the surface of the wall materials.

If however, the mold was caused by a severe water leak and the wallboard became saturated, then the mold's hyphal structure (microscopic branches) likely became embedded in the wallboard. In this instance, simply wiping with Clorox and water won't help much.

Treatment with Kilz or even an encapsulating paint (I.e. Fosters) will be sufficient in the first instance. This treatment would not be effective in the second example - involving the hyphal structures.

I agree with others that you should test the air for airborne mold. I would suggest however, that you only do that AFTER you are personally satisfied that the seller treated the mold as outlined in the first example. If however, the wallboard was wet from a water leak, and if the structural integrity of the wallboard was compromised, opt to replace it (or have the seller do so).   In this case, air testing should only be considered after the work is safely completed.

When wallboard is affected by live liquid water and the structural integrity of the wallboard is compromised, cut it out. Make that problem really go away.

If the mold is because of condensation and was only present on the surface, a good wiping, treatment with paint (Kilz or Fosters) and a quick air sampling can easily resolve your concerns.

Either way, it offers you a good point of negotiation on reducing the offer price for a property.

Travis West
CIEC (Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant)
MAC0325 (Mold Assessment Consultant licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services)

Savannah Leigh · Answer

IIf its blue or green, you can make it clean

if its black, gotta break your back

meaning remove all surfaces touched)

Rodger Meyer · Answer

Painting with Kilz will not be a proper remediation..I’m not sure about it. Better you can have air quality test done by any remediation agencies in order to know the extent of mold and take actions after that..

Last year  in my home by Healthy Environmental in Ontario. Their work was good. You too can speak with them and can decide if you are fully satisfied.

Rick H. · Answer

So, lets return to the deal.  I think the remaining issue is:  Who bears the risk of the cost of remediation?

If your written agreement puts it upon the seller to correct, demand licensed professionals familiar with mold and mildew remediation as part of escrow condition.

If you as buyer must take the risk, budget for th worst and do the job righ so the problem stops with you. That means you or your professional would need to find and identify the source of the problem, resolve that, and correct the affected parts. If that means replacing drywall, it may be limited to certain areas.

This being said, there's nothing worse than trying to resell or rent a property that I have not completely resolved a problem and I won't sleep well until its fixed right.

Adam Demchik · Answer

Roy N. ...Thanks.  I am looking for a company to do the air quality test now.

Roy N. · Answer

Adam Demchik:

You can bring in your own specialist to perform testing for mould.  I've done it a few times, it usually costs us $200 - $400 and has saved us much more than that.

Adam Demchik · Answer

The remediation was done by the seller and not a contractor that did a third party test.  My concern is whether a proper remediation can be done now that they have painted it with kilz. Thanks for the advice!

Chris Riggins · Answer

As a contractor I can tell you that the only way you will know is by having a third party do an air quality test, no this is not something you can do yourself.  Remediation companies, (at least here in California) are required to use a third party to test.  The technique of sealing with a primer is generally used for fire (smoke damage) and applied to framing members, ive never heard of or seen a remediation company seal in mold with primer so I would say be careful on this one, it sounds like it could turn into a mess

Joel Owens · Answer

Was it mold or mildew??

What caused the problem?? If the problem hasn't been fixed it will just come back again or it could still be there but be covered up.

If a seller just did the cheapest thing possible and put lipstick on it I couldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. I would have to get the property for next to nothing to be worth my while.

What else has the seller patched and covered up?? Who knows?? Unless this property is at an amazing price where you can price in the risk I would go after something else.

No legal advice

House had mold..was cleaned with bleach and primed with Kilz...is this good enough?

Most Popular Reply