[HelenAg]

Hello. We had water in our basement and discovered in a little closet down there, that mold had been growing for a long time. We never used the closet. We managed to clean it off the cement with a detergent/disinfectant, and then bleach. Problem is, we are finding mold behind the wood paneling that makes up the closet on two sides. I've read that using bleach on wood does not kill mold. What does? The solution I have is a fungicide, but it did not removed all the black dots of the mold from the cement block. I know we ought to tear out this whole closet, but the work involved is pretty messy. Do you think I can successfully kill the rest of the mold that I can see, use a dehumidifier, fan, and keep the door open... that that will keep mold at bay??

[rsain2004]

Be careful with bleach, it's an oxidizer and corrosive... Tile-x or equivalent works with direct contact. Mold grows into, and is protected by wood. Ultimately this wood will rot and need replacing. The black dots on cement are the dead molds' physical structure and can be minimized by scrubbing, but difficult to remove completely. An idea is to cover with exterior paint containing a fungicide additive.

[HelenAg]

Thanks so much. I did use Tilex, sprayed it on and used a scrub brush. If, as you say, the wood will eventually rot, then the closet's days are numbered... we really should take it down. Shouldn't we?

[rsain2004]

It's been flooded... even boats need regular maintenance to protect their wood from water... although in their case, they were designed for it... the last wooden submarine was a long time ago. May God bless you, and good luck.