At Bay Area Mold Pros, we regularly explain to our clients that the reason that mold growth is so common on drywall is the fact that even though the main component in drywall is gypsum, the face of drywall is paper, and mold loves paper! Mold spores are looking for “organic matter” on which to grow. Organic matter is any material that was once “alive.” Paper, which comes from trees, is therefore organic matter. Other examples of organic matter found in all of our homes are wood (both trim wood and framing lumber), animal skins (like leather and wool), and food sources (particularly old food found in garbage containers and compost containers).
But what the photo above depicts is often hidden from view, the “back side” of drywall, which is the side attached to the framing. The homeowners in this San Francisco home inspected by Bay Area Mold Pros removed the mold-covered drywall from the wall framing in this room, only to be shocked at what they believed was mold within the wall framing, on the back side of the drywall affixed to the other side of the framing. This is a reminder that not only is the face of drywall made of paper, the back of drywall is also made of paper. And when drywall gets wet, it is very common for mold to start growing within the wall framing, on both the framing lumber and the backside of the water-saturated drywall.
A slide sample of this suspected mold was submitted to our lab, and not surprisingly, the results showed high levels of multiple types of mold spores, including the dreaded Stachybotrys. Many homeowners are familiar with Stachybotrys through internet articles (commonly referred to as “toxic black mold”), and when this genus of mold is found growing within our homes, there is reason to be concerned. The air sample collected in the room with the depicted framing revealed high levels of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and numerous lesser-known mold spore types. But the bottom line was this…there was obviously an advanced mold growth problem in this home, and a professional mold remediation was called for.
At Bay Area Mold Pros, our background is in construction. Owner Rick Bruce has been remodeling homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for 45 years. Rick’s son Tyson, also a licensed general contractor, started remodeling homes with his dad while still in high school, and went on to work as a union carpenter through his college years. Rick and Tyson have both owned their own construction companies, and Tyson is still working both in the construction industry and the mold inspection industry. Rick is trying to segue to an eventual retirement by running the day to day operations of Bay Area Mold Pros, Rick no longer works actively in the construction industry.
If you suspect that you have a mold problem in your home in the San Francisco Bay Area, give Bay Area Mold Pros a call. Rick and Tyson can quickly and accurately assess what the underlying conditions that are leading to mold growth. Don’t wait until the problem becomes as advanced as the one depicted in the photo! Give us a call today.