Tips for Preventing Moldy Drywall

Mold is something that every homeowner needs to think about. There's no avoiding the fact that moisture can seep into walls, floors, and ceilings to cause runway mold problems. For homeowners in humid or flood-prone climates, risks for mold are dramatically increased. It can feel like you're constantly doing battle with moisture. In situations where water enters your home during storm surges, your home's drywall is incredibly vulnerable to mold after being soaked.

People who move to low-lying, flood-prone, or storm-prone areas for the first time often feel overwhelmed by the need to be vigilant about water damage and flooding. If this is you, you may be looking up how to protect your walls from mold. We want to share some of the top tips for preventing moldy drywall in your home.

1. Keep Humidity Levels in Your Home Under Control

Allowing high humidity in your home is an invitation for mold. That's because humid air is moist air. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping indoor humidity levels between 30% and 50% to reduce mold risks. In addition, this is also the humidity range for maintaining a comfortable indoor environment for both humans and pets. If you're noticing that your home's humidity is routinely climbing above 50%, try some of these EPA-approved tips:

• Use dehumidifiers and air conditioning.

• Look for leaks and seepage that could be allowing water to enter your home from the outside. Leaks are often caused by the ground sloping toward the house instead of away from it. You may also be lacking proper gutters.

• Cover crawl spaces with dirt or plastic to stop moisture from entering your living spaces.

• Make sure your home's crawl spaces are properly ventilated.

• Check that you have functioning exhaust fans in your home's bathroom(s) and kitchen that vent moisture to the outside.

• Keep doors between rooms open to increase air circulation in your home.

Remember that the amount of moisture your home can hold at any given time relies heavily on the air temperature. As temperature decreases, air loses its ability to hold moisture. Temperature control in your home is the first line of defense against moisture issues.

2. Don't Leave Wet Clothes or Towels Around the House

Yes, your drywall can suck up moisture from wet items in your home. Standard drywall is made of gypsum, paper, and additives that soak up moisture like a sponge. Moisture transfer is a very real thing that allows moisture from one object to move to another. A home's bathroom is the most dangerous spot for moisture transfers. After showering, make sure that towels, mats, and shower curtains are fully dry. If your home has a pool, don't get in the habit of bringing in wet towels and bathing suits to leave hanging in bathrooms or bedrooms. If possible, create an outdoor drying rack where these items can safely dry away from your home. The same goes for any pool shoes that may be moist.

3. Use Paint That Inhibits Mold Growth

Mold-inhibiting paint can help you to proactively prevent mold growth in some situations. This is a special type of paint with anti-mold additives. However, it's important to know that mold-inhibiting paints cannot actually kill mold. They simply make it more difficult for mold to proliferate on your walls. That's why mold-inhibiting paint is only intended to be used proactively to prevent mold from forming. Attempting to paint over mold using mold-inhibiting paint can actually make the mold worse. Painting over mold can cause the mold to spread as the paint dries.

4. Act Quickly If Drywall Gets Wet

If your home endures a flooding event, it's critical that you act quickly. Mold begins to form on wet drywall within 24 to 72 hours. However, it's actually possible for spores to begin forming in just 12 hours. Once your drywall has touched water, you must dry out the room(s) affected using fans and dehumidifiers. If drywall is soaked, it is generally considered too compromised to be restored. You will need to cut drywall above the flood line to tear out all pieces that were affected by the flooding. After allowing time for the interior of the wall to dry out, you must then replace insulation and drywall.

Allowing soaked drywall to simply dry in place almost guarantees that your home will have mold issues. What's more, formerly rigid drywall will begin to buckle, warp, and crumble over time after being exposed to water. That's because drywall is made of organic materials that attract and retain water. When you begin to tear away your drywall after flooding, you may be surprised that it begins to crumple in soggy bundles that need to be hauled away.

Looking at Drywall Differently: Welcome to EnduraFlood

Homeowners who choose EnduraFlood don't have to obsess over humidity when it comes to their drywall. That's because EnduraFlood is 100% waterproof drywall. We've created durable, attractive wall boards made from inorganic material that repels moisture. In fact, our walls are so resistant to water that they can easily stand up to a power wash! That's why we're able to assure our customers that they'll never need to replace drywall again. If your home experiences flooding, simply open up your EnduraFlood panels to allow your walls to dry out. While you may need to change soaked insulation, you won't have to tear out your drywall. Once everything is aired out, simply close your walls back up again to get back to normal living. Our customers report getting back to normal at a rate of about one room per day. For people who need to replace soaked drywall, the process could take several months and thousands of dollars.

EnduraFlood also makes it easier to fight humidity when you aren't dealing with a post-flood situation. For homeowners in high-humidity environments, being able to check behind their walls to see if their insulation is moist brings so much peace of mind. Don't let mold worries steal your peace of mind at home! Learn more about EnduraFlood today!