Mold in Walls & Drywall in Woodstock, GA

Local conditions in Woodstock

Woodstock is a fast-growing Cherokee County city of about 35,000 people, roughly 25 miles from Atlanta, with a depot-era downtown around the 1912 Woodstock Depot and a greenway trail network along its creeks. Little River, Noonday Creek and Kellogg Creek all run through the area. In the September 2009 floods, NWS gauges at Woodstock went well above flood stage: Little River crested at 20.80 feet against an 11-foot flood stage, and Noonday Creek at 19.66 feet against 10 feet, both on September 21. Cherokee County was one of four Georgia counties designated for FEMA Individual Assistance. Homes near those creeks that took water then may have walls that were closed up before the framing fully dried.

Away from the creeks, wall mold here comes from the same sources as anywhere in the metro: supply and drain leaks, shower surrounds, window and roof leaks during storms, and condensation on cool walls in humid summers.

Cleaning vs cutting out

Warning signs

• Drywall stained in a level line along a lower floor
• Baseboards that have swollen or split
• Paint lifting under windows after storms
• Spotting on a wall shared with a bathroom
• A musty smell in a basement or bonus room
• Tack strips or carpet edges that stay damp along one wall

Woodstock Community Development also includes a Stormwater & Environmental Management division, a useful contact if runoff from a street or neighboring lot keeps sending water toward your foundation.

Timing

EPA says to assume mold if wet materials could not be dried within 24 to 48 hours, so act fast after any leak or flood. Humid late summer is when hidden wall moisture is easiest to smell and measure. For the rebuild, the City of Woodstock Building & Safety Division at the City Hall Annex on Highway 92 issues building permits. Renters with unrepaired leaks can contact Woodstock Code Enforcement, a division of Community Development.