Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 1/6/2009

Question
My husband was the contractor on our home,the wood frame was exposed to the elements,heat water,ect.They became black.Someone told my husband to clean the wood with bleach,and others said it was not neccesary.So we didnt clean the wood before putting up the walls.I notice musty smells and ecspecilally around the windows.Do I  have a mold problem now because we didnt clean the wood from the black stuff that we saw on the woof. at the time it didnt appear to have mold,they just had black areas on them.

Answer
Hi Sarah, if the wood was dry before the drywall etc. was installed you are probably okay.  Plus it takes moisture for mold to grow so unless there is a source of moisture in the walls then the mildew will eventually die out.  The bleach would have been a good idea.  I use Clorox outdoor bleach for stuff like this.  I spray it on  (I use a water bottle that hooks up to the hose and dilutes the clorox as it sprays) and let it dry.  That way I don't need to worry.

If you are getting musty odors around the windows you might want to check and make sure that the windows are flashed and sealed/caulked properly.  They may be introducing new moisture through leaking which is causing the musty odor.

I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com