ᐅ Mold Behind Baseboards – Any Experiences?

Created on: 19 Jan 2025 16:16
J
Jschm88
Hi, I recently removed two baseboards from exterior walls for a different reason. Could this be mold? On one baseboard, there are black marks that might also just be fingerprints. On the second baseboard, it looks similar to dirt, which could also possibly be animal droppings.

The baseboards themselves and the wall behind them are not damp, I measured this. Could there still be too much moisture in the screed? I installed the floor myself in a new build about 15 weeks after the screed was laid, with some technical drying, but I didn’t measure moisture! It was a 7cm (3 inches) flowing screed. The wall is made of thermal pumice blocks without additional insulation. The temperature inside the house is around 23°C (73°F) everywhere with 30 percent humidity. I sealed the top of the baseboards to the wall with acrylic.

Back to the baseboard – I reattached it without any treatment. Now I’m wondering – if it was mold, should I remove all baseboards? What do you think? And if so, only on exterior walls or really all of them?

I’m attaching two photos of each baseboard.

Thanks and regards,
Julian
Close-up of damaged covering with white layer and brown cardboard next to wooden floor

Torn white foam strip on brown carrier in wooden frame.

Close-up of cardboard surface with peeling white layer next to wooden floor.

Long brown strip with white footprint-like spots lying on a wooden table.
Mycraft21 Jan 2025 11:29
Check everywhere for any spots and completely remove those areas, then replace them with new ones from the hardware store.

But honestly, looking at the pictures, I would inspect where there might be more damage and only dispose of those parts. What you show here can most likely be put back on the wall without any issues.