Q&A OF THE WEEK: “Am I Being Scammed by a Mold Expert?”

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Q: Am I being scammed by a mold expert? I found a 24” x 24” area of discolouration on my garage ceiling after a roof leak was discovered and repaired right away. One contractor wants to cut out the area and replace the drywall. That’ll cost $1200. Another contractor says I need $4000 of mold remediation work that’ll take three days of not using the garage. I have no technical knowledge and I’m afraid of being cheated. Can you help?

A: You’re right to be concerned because that $4000 estimate is crazy.  If you’re replacing the moldy drywall, then presumably there’s no need to treat the remaining areas that have no mold. Even the $1200 is out of line for drywall replacement in such a small area. Also, it’s quite easy to kill mold yourself when it appears in a relatively small space like you’ve got. Using a registered fungicide on the mold would kill it completely. Judging by the photos you sent, I don’t think you even need to replace the drywall at all. Wait for things to warm up in spring, kill the mold (Concrobium Mold Control is the best product I know of for this and it’s non-toxic), then repaint. I think you’ll find the discolouration completely gone. Use a stain-blocking primer such as Zinnser’s B-I-N and you’ll be pleased.

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Some people wonder how a non-toxic product can kill mold. Don’t things need to be poison (like bleach) to kill organisms such as mold? No, not always.  Watch the video above to see how today’s leading-edge mold-killing products work by mechanical action, not toxicity. It’s an interesting story.