Our house still smells moldy

Q. We just returned from wintering in Florida. Our home was flooded in Hurricane Sandy, and we were lucky enough to find a contractor and get our house back in order before we left. But now that we’re back, there’s a smell of mold; we noticed it the moment we opened the door. Now we’re concerned about getting sick. What can we do now that the walls are finished? Will we have to remove the sheetrock? Is there a way to do a mold test?

A. Initially I thought that mold wasn’t as serious as people made it sound. Ten years ago, I attended a conference at which scientists presented findings that most mold found in walls isn’t harmful, just a nuisance, and that only a few strains are deadly. Recently, however, there’s evidence of lingering spore growth in human organ tissue, such as the lungs, that may cause chronic breathing problems and potentially lead to more serious medical ailments, from brain damage to death, according to the last report I researched.

Most mold is a smelly growth in the walls, and it can be treated, but the most effective way is by direct surface contact. Mold requires moisture to survive. I questioned whether the quicker repairs I had seen allowed wood wall studs to really dry out. I also wondered whether the insulation I never got to see was installed correctly. About 50 percent of the insulation I did see was installed backward, contributing to even more moisture buildup in the walls, since the vapor barrier will not do what was intended.

You have to decide how to respond. You may want to begin with an air test. You may also be able to pick up a test kit from a home improvement store and do a mold growth test by reaching into an opening in the wall. While I do recommend doing the wipe test, I don’t see the need to rip your walls apart, at first. Dehumidification, using your air conditioning system or a dehumidifier, may be enough to remove the moisture. If you find that, after doing a wipe test and dehumidifying, the smell lingers, you’ll have to remove the wallboard and start over. Of course, if you have allergies to mold, don’t stay in your home and risk getting sicker.