Does Mold Resistant Paint Work?

Does mold-resistant paint work as advertised or are there skeletons in the closet that need to be brought into the light? We'll separate facts from fiction so you can use the products available correctly, effectively, and safely. We'll also go through the pitfalls of incorrectly using mold-resistant paint because it can enable mold to proliferate quickly throughout your home or office. It's a great product and an ongoing nightmare if you make one or more of a handful of simple mistakes that could bring catastrophic results.

We've got a lot to cover, so let's get started.

How Does Mold Resistant Paint Work?

This specialty paint is different from other paints with two main capabilities. The paint creates a smooth surface that prevents dust and mold spores from sticking in the small crevices of normal interior or exterior paints. This is important for two reasons.

First, dust contains organic matter, a full buffet for mold spores. Organic matter is what mold eats. It's their food sources and why you see mold growing on dead wood in forests and rotting wood from homes plagued with mold infestations on lumber, drywall, or other organic materials. The surface is so smooth that neither mold's food source nor moisture will hang on surfaces painted with mold-resistant paints.

Second, this specialty paint has anti-microbial enzymes that kill mold and prevent it from producing new spores.  Like people who maintain septic tanks use enzymes to clear them and prevent backups, clogs, and filling lines, anti-microbial or mold-resistant paints do the same job against mold growth.

Pros and Cons of Mold Resistant Paint

Let's cover the top 4 pros of mold-resistant paint:

1. A high success rate when applied properly, preventing new mold growth.
2. Easy to apply with standard paint brushes, rollers, and paint guns, whether electric or pneumatic.
3. It prevents mold's food sources and spores from attaching to its surface, and if it does succeed in securing, it will be killed by the anti-microbials in the paint.
4. Prevents moisture from penetrating the painted surface. It acts as a moisture barrier to moisture, which is needed for them to reproduce spores for growth. It kills any chance of mold proliferation.

Now we'll cover the top 3 cons of mold-resistant paints:

1. Will not adhere to surfaces such as drywall if the outside paper backing is compromised by mold growth. Remember, mold feeds on organic materials, paper being one of the easiest to attack. It's on their natural food list because it's made from wood.
2. If any surface has not been pre-cleaned and dried properly, adhesion to that surface will fail in waterproofing qualities. This product should be considered an encapsulant because it creates a great moisture barrier between your building materials and the outside world, where mold spores are a constant. There are always spores in the air. It's the higher concentrations that make toxic molds dangerous to your health. Hazardous concentrations can only happen in the home if colonization is in progress. The longer it's allowed to grow, the higher the concentrations become.
3. It's substantially more expensive than most interior and exterior paints.

Is Mold Resistant Paint The Same As Mold Killing Primer?

Yes and no. It carries one of the two major benefits that mold-resistant paints offer in comparison. Mold-killing primer does not give the smooth surface that mold resistance paint does, making it a bit more respectable to mold spores and organic matter to embed in its surface. Primers have a little rougher surface that allows the paint to adhere to its surface. Using a mold-resistant primer before using mold-resistant paint is never a bad idea. It's an extra layer of protection you and your family deserve.

Can I Paint Over Existing Mold?

You can paint over existing mold, but I strenuously disagree with this practice because it will likely fail in under a year. If you paint over mold and do not clean the surfaces before painting, you will waste money and time and potentially move the mold to the inside of walls, in or below flooring, under cabinets, or wherever spores attach. Active mold growth also has to have moisture present. Even though you can't see it clearly, it's there.

If you paint over mold on drywall, the paper is likely saturated and damaged because mold is munching on the backing.  If the paper backing is compromised, neither drywall mud, primer, nor paint will adhere to the surface. Here's an entire article on why you should never paint over mold on any surface.

Where Should I Use Mold Resistant Paint?

• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry Rooms
• Wherever the water heater is located
• Garages
• Basements
• Outdoor shaded areas

Any room with water sources prone to water intrusion from leaking plumbing should install quality mold-resistant drywall. This could be the wall behind your kitchen sink and dishwasher, behind every vanity, and the walls surrounding showers and bathtubs. Your laundry room is constantly moist and humid. You should also have it installed in the area your water heater calls home.

Can I Paint An Entire Room With Mold Resistant Paint?

Sure, you can use it anywhere, but remember the cost difference. It's best to use it in similar places to mold-resistant drywall. You only need it in spaces prone to water intrusion and excessive humidity.

How To Apply Mold Resistant Paint

Remove The Mold: Removing small areas of mold is fine for the DIY types, but the EPA states that if the mold is over ten sq feet of surface area, you should have licensed pros do the job.  Why do they suggest ten square ft? Because if mold is visible throughout ten square feet, there's likely hidden mold growth that you can't see visually. It could be inside walls, below carpeting, other flooring material, or the cabinets where water faucets abide.  Various natural and commercial products are available to kill and clean mold from the surfaces affected.

Dry The Surface Thoroughly: It's time to drag out some fans or blowers to help dry the surfaces, and if you have a decent dehumidifier, fire that puppy up, too. Close the doors and windows and add your A/C or air conditioner. If you think about an air conditioner, it does exactly that. It conditions the air via condensation. It's why it has a condenser. It's a dehumidifier at its core. It's also your biggest dehumidifier, even if it's a window unit.

Use a moisture meter to ensure you're below 15% moisture in the areas to be primed and painted before painting.

Paint it: Use two coats to finish after the primer has been applied and has had time to dry. Remember to save money by using it only in potential problem areas, as mentioned above.

Where Can I Buy Mold Resistant Paint?

You can purchase these products at your local hardware or paint store in most locations across the US, but you can also find them in your big building store, such as Lowes, HomeDepot, and even Amazon. They're not hard to find, and you can have them shipped.

What Mold Resistant Paint Should I Buy?

Generally, any recognized brand will have a quality product, and we can't ethically recommend specific products when they are mostly similar in makeup. Take the time to read the labels and look at reviews on sites such as Amazon. Zinsser comes to mind as a quality brand as I write this, but there are others, such as Kilz. Do your due diligence, and you'll be fine.

Keep the process simple, follow directions, and everything will work out. If you have an excess of moisture in the material surrounding the mold infestation, you should probably call for help. It's likely a much larger and more in-depth job requiring professional technicians and equipment to locate, remove, and restore the property to its former state and beauty.