Mold in Walls & Drywall in Marietta, GA

Does an older house near the Square need special handling?

Often it does. Marietta is the Cobb County seat, about 17 miles from downtown Atlanta, built around Marietta Square and home to six historic districts, including Whitlock Avenue, Church-Cherokee Streets and Northwest Marietta. Older houses in those areas may have plaster walls, original trim and layers of past repairs. Plaster hides moisture longer than drywall, and removing it makes more dust, so containment and careful cutting matter more. Ask any company how it will protect trim and floors, and how much original material it expects to save.

Our house is near a creek. Could that be the source?

It could. Sope Creek and Sewell Mill Creek both have National Weather Service gauges listed at Marietta. In the September 2009 floods, Sewell Mill Creek crested at 13.26 feet against a 12-foot flood stage on September 21, and Sope Creek crested at 18.35 feet against a 12-foot flood stage. Homes on low ground near those creeks can have wet soil against lower walls long after a storm passes. If a wall took water in a flood and was closed up before it dried, mold may still be inside. EPA's flood guidance says to assume mold growth when a home could not be dried within 24 to 48 hours.

I rent in Marietta. Who do I call about a leak in the wall?

Start with the landlord, in writing, and keep a copy. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 44-7-13) requires landlords to keep rentals in repair, and Georgia does not allow rent withholding. Cobb and Douglas Public Health says tenants with mold from a mechanical or structural failure in an apartment may contact their local building inspections department, which may be able to address the moisture problem. Georgia Legal Aid has more on repair requests. This is general information, not legal advice.

A local note

The City of Marietta Building Inspection Division inspects and enforces the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes for remodels, plumbing and HVAC work. Ask the city or your contractor about permit requirements before rebuilding walls, especially in a historic district. For health questions, Cobb and Douglas Public Health publishes mold guidance for residents.