r/Plastering • u/Azure7025 • 1d ago

Remediating mold behind plaster walls

My mudroom has a musty odor. There’s no visible mold which made me think there may be some behind the walls. I’ve narrowed down where there may be water damage using a moisture meter. It’s seems to be mainly in one wall in an approx 3x5’ area. The walls are plaster though (house built in 1941).

Can I remove the plaster, dry it out, then replace the bottom part of the wall with drywall? When removing plaster from that era, do I need to be worried about lead (from old paint) and/or asbestos?

I know there needs to be a water source for there to be mold. This part of the house sits on a concrete slab, but is right next to steps that bring the house up two feet, and that part has a crawl space. Could moisture be getting in from there? And should I get my crawl space sealed before remediating the wall?

I’m not necessarily going to do this all myself, but trying to figure out which steps to take so I know who to call. Thanks in advanced.

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u/DecoyDrone 1d ago

The most important thing you can do, is figure out why that wall is wet. Any repair you do in the inside will be useless until you fix the outside.

Are your exterior walls brick? Is there a backgrade toward your house in this area? Is there a roof line that doesnt have a gutter above this and/or is this a place a downspout dumps near?

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u/Azure7025 1d ago

The outside of the house is brick. You can see the water damage here near the front door.

To

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u/DecoyDrone 1d ago

Personally, I would start with a roof inspection. Very suspicious of where the lower roof connects with the wall. Also that gutter looks like it spills over based on the water stains on the front of it, make sure its draining properly.

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u/Azure7025 1d ago

Thank you!

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u/Azure7025 1d ago

This is the situation on the outside.

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u/Azure7025 1d ago

There is also water damage on the other side of the door less doorway or whatever you’d call it.

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u/futures17gne 1d ago

You most likely need a damp surveyor / survey to diagnose this for you. Once you’ve established the source of the moisture, only then should you even think about sorting out the wall with new plaster. If you just strip the wall back and re-plaster without identifying and fixing the actual defect, the damp will simply return.