Mold in Walls & Drywall in Forest Park, GA

Forest Park homes and hidden moisture

Forest Park is a northern Clayton County city of about 19,900 people, roughly 9 miles from Atlanta near I-75 and I-285. It started as a railroad wood-and-water stop and now includes the former Fort Gillem. The city runs a Residential Rental Dwelling Unit Inspection and Maintenance Program through Planning & Community Development, which matters for the many renters here. Inside the walls, the causes are the usual metro ones: plumbing leaks, storm water around windows, and summer condensation. Apartments and duplexes add another wrinkle: a leak in one unit can wet the shared wall of the unit next door, so the stain may show up on your side even though the pipe is on theirs.

What to do now

1. Stop any active leak, even if that means shutting off water to one fixture.
2. Dry what you can with fans and a dehumidifier; EPA says wet materials should dry within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Keep from scraping or sanding the stain, which puts spores in the air.
4. Photograph the wall and write down dates.
5. If you rent, tell the landlord in writing and keep a copy.
6. Have the wall checked with a moisture meter before anyone cuts it.

What you see and the likely cause

Cost factors

Angi's Atlanta cost guide reports most pros charge $12 to $29 per square foot for remediation, plus $1,174 to $3,405 for drywall repair. Every job is priced on what the wall looks like once it is open, so expect the scope to be confirmed after the first cut. Costs rise with the number of wall sections opened, wet insulation, cabinets or tile that must come out, and the amount of finish work. The City of Forest Park Building Permits & Inspections office on Forest Parkway issues building permits if the rebuild needs one.