I'm having a custom home built and the winter weather has been less than optimal this year...lots of rain while the framing has gone up. The roof now has a moisture barrier in place, and the house is finally drying out. However, there are several locations where there is a dark grey or black discoloration on the wood which will eventually be covered in drywall. This does not appear to simply be weathered wood Is there a potential that this is mold or could lead to future mold growth? If so, what can be done about it? I'd rather fix the problem now before the drywall is installed.

Thanks for your input!

Your best bet is to have the condition examined by a mold specialist. Any diagnosis offered here based on just a verbal description would be suspect. You are wise not to simply cover it up without determining what it is, and applying any remedy that might be appropriate, especially in what I'm guessing is a damp climate.

Hi, The staining you are seening is a form of mold. I don't feel you need a mold specialist and here is why. Mold needs three things to grow, moisture, heat, and darkness. Mold spores are everywhere, they were present on the lumber when it was delivered to your site. So the only way you can stop and control any future mold growth is to stoping all moisture, because heat, and darkness are for the most part are out of your control. The mold specialist can only tell you what type of mold it is and any protocol for remediation. The most important action you can take is make sure you are truly dried in and the problem areas are allowed to completely dry out before any insulation or drywall is installed. If you any worries you can sand the spots and wash with a bio wash then incapsulate with a mold inhipitor, I prefer foster 20/20. If you take away the moisture it can't grow or spread, the spores lay unactive waiting to be brought back to life with moisture. You can use fans to help dry the areas out. Hope this helps. Of course if your home has been sitting for months and months under poor conditions without any protection you may have other problems. Just for the record I am a owner of a construction Management firm and have been involved in many mold remediation projects.

There are a couple of things you can do. First, rub the stained area. If it is mold some of it will come off. (This does not necessarily mean it IS mold, dirt and other deposits will also rub off.

If it doesn't rub off, it might be Blue Stain which comes with the wood, will not grow or spread, and is harmless to both humans and the wood.

If you want to know for sure if it is mold take a piece of cheap, clear cellophane tape (not the frosted stuff) and lightly rub the sticky side across the stain. This will lift a sample of whatever it is. Place the tape on a microscope slide or some other hard glass or plastic-like surface. If you don't have a slide you can also just fold the tape over on itself sticky side to sticky side and send it to a lab for analysis. They will tell you if it is mold or not and if it is they will identify it to the genus level. It really doesn't matter what species of mold it is - if it is mold it shouldn't be there. I use Environmental Microbiology Labs for analysis. I think it costs about $50 per sample.

The purpose of all this is just to make sure it is mold and not something else. It would be a waste of time and money to perform a mold remediation effort if it isn't mold. Good Luck.

Molds are microscopic organisms found virtually everywhere, indoors and outdoors. A potential problem with an over-pressurized house is that moisture laden air can be forced from the living space, into the wall or ceiling cavity.

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