Mold growth is often the result of a moisture problem in your South Jersey property. Whether is it a leak of some kind, humidity issues or other water source, the moisture problem and the mold needs to be addressed to avoid widespread damage and potential health implications. Mold is considered a bio-contaminate that needs to be actively removed in order to protect your New Jersey home or business.
Can I Paint Over Mold?
All too often, South Jersey homeowners believe the misconception that painting over mold is a sufficient solution to the problem. Do NOT just paint over mold under any circumstances. Painting over mold is one of the most common methods to cover up or hide mold. But that is the problem – you are only hiding the mold temporarily. The mold still exists underneath that coat of paint, and it will inevitably resurface if it is not effectively remediated. Mold does not simply fix itself once it’s covered in paint, even if it is a coat of “mold-proof” paint.
If you have excessive mold growth in your New Jersey residential or commercial property, it needs to be actively removed through proper mold remediation, and you need to get to the bottom of the water source that is causing the mold in the first place. Whether it is a feeble attempt to save money or the homeowner is simply unaware of the seriousness associated with mold, a lot of NJ property owners make the mistake of painting over mold. Not only is painting over mold ineffective, by painting over mold, you could be setting yourself up for more serious and expensive problems down the road.
Using “Mold-Proof” Paint
Yes, mold-proof or mold-resistant paint is equally as ineffective as regular paint when it comes to addressing an EXISTING MOLD problem. It is like putting on a bulletproof vest after you have already been shot. It doesn’t magically dislodge the bullet. In the same sense, mold-proof paint and mold-resistant paints are designed as a preventative tactic to reduce the likelihood of mold development on the painted surface. These paints were NOT developed to remove existing mold spores and roots.
The best use for a mold-proof or mold-resistant paint is either following a proper mold cleanup or before mold ever develops. The important key is that mold is not an existing problem in these scenarios. If you have an existing mold problem, it needs proper cleanup. Once the mold has been effectively removed and indoor spore levels are restored to normal, a coat of mold-proof paint along with moisture control can aid prevention efforts and retard future mold growth. For South Jersey homes without a mold problem, it would be a good opportunity to consider a coat of mold-proof paint as a a preventative measure in addition to assessing the property for opportunities for moisture control.
Why is Painting Over Mold Bad?
Painting over mold is not an effective way to deal with mold, but more importantly, neglected or painted over mold can mean more problems in the future. The only way to safely and effectively solve a mold problem is to actively remove the mold growth AND get to the bottom of and fix the water problem that is causing it in the first place. While not all cases of mold development require professional attention, serious mold growth may require the help of a professional mold removal company in NJ.
If you choose not to properly address the mold growth and simply paint over it, you could be setting yourself up for future problems like the following:
1. Temporary Fix: Painting over mold is a temporary fix to an unsightly problem. If you just paint over the mold, you are not addressing the water source, and you are not actively removing the existing mold growth. As long as the mold is still under the paint and the moisture still exists, the mold will eventually grow through the paint and spread.
2. Worsening Conditions: Typically, mold problems only worsen with time if it is not properly addressed right away. Safe and effective mold remediation includes addressing the existing mold growth AND source identification. It is important to get to the bottom of the moisture source that is promoting fungal activity in your NJ property. As long as there is moisture, painted over mold will continue to feed on your building materials, germinate and spread to previously unaffected areas. Not only is painting over mold ineffective, with time, a minor problem can spread into a widespread mold contamination.
3. Costlier Repairs: As with most home repairs, the worse the problem, the more expensive the solution. If you are trying to save some money by painting over mold in your South Jersey home, don’t do it. One, it is not an actual solution. Two, you are only delaying the inevitable. Usually when a NJ homeowner paints over mold, he/she assumes that it is no longer a problem… until it growths through the paint. If you discover that mold is growing through your paint, you probably have a pretty serious problem on your hands. All that time has allowed the mold problem under the paint to spread. The cost of remediation at that point is likely far more expensive than the cost of properly addressing the mold and moisture in the first place, at the time of discovery.
4. Health Implications: Mold spores, even painted over mold spores, have the potential to release mycotoxins that are potentially dangerous to humans. By painting over mold instead of properly remediating it, South Jersey homeowners are just risking prolonged exposure to mold. The health implications potentially associated with elevated mold growth varies per individual. The only effective way to avoid getting sick from mold is to actively remove the mold growth and restore the indoor mold levels to normal.
Effective Solution to a Mold Problem In South Jersey Property
New Jersey homeowners choose to paint over a mold problem for a number a reasons. One of the reasons being that some homeowners are unaware of the potential seriousness of elevated indoor mold growth. While not all cases of mold development require professional remediation, painting over existing is just a bad idea for anybody. Bottom line, if you have an indoor mold problem, of any size, you need to properly remove it, and fix the water source.
While minor areas of mold growth on hard, non-porous surfaces with a surface area of less than 10 square feet can be handled by the South Jersey homeowner with a little guidance, major areas of mold contamination should be left to mold remediation professionals. However, no matter situation, you should never paint over mold development. Painting over mold is not a solution to your New Jersey mold problems.
If you uncover a serious mold problem in your South Jersey property, you should contact a trained South Jersey mold inspector to properly assess your home and prescribe an effective mold remediation strategy. A properly completed mold remediation in South Jersey will ensure that the mold has been safely removed and it will not return.
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