Can I paint over mould/mildew?

Hi there,
I fear I might have mould or mildew in my bedroom under a bay window. I have washed the walls twice now but it seems to be returning. Will an a mould killer do the job?
I have debated sanding it over and painting/skimming the area but dont want to if it's going to return.
Is there a special paint I can buy to go over it?
How do i identify what it is exactly?
Thanks in advance.

Asked by Carol on 24th Mar 2020
Expert Trade Answers
"Hi
Please don’t do what the posters are saying (yes bleach will get rid off the mould temp, but will come back worse as mould feeds on bleach!) you need to wash and clean with anti mould spray from Johnstone’s paint shop as follows:-

Wear a mask!!!!!
Spay anti mould spray on wall.
Wash clean the effected wall .
Spray anti mould spray lightly on effected area and leave overnight.
Paint acrylic anti mould paint x2 coats and leave.
Always wear a mask as the spray is effective.

If you do go down the re-plaster route you would have to hack off plaster to bare brick, treat the wall, plaster sand wall then plaster skim wall.

I have done this procedure to 1000s of homes with good effect."
Answered on 28th Mar 2020 - Member since Mar 2019 - report
"Hi,
First thing is you have to wash mould off with bleach and water.

Second thing is to apply 2 coats of Dulux alkali primer to the affected area of mould. It is the most hard wearing primer you can get and also it will stop the mould from coming through.

Third thing is after that to apply 2 coats of Matt emulsion to the affected area.

From,
Paul Philpotts"
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2019 - report
"Hi there,
You need to wash mould down with some warm soapy water and allow it to dry.
Apply 2 coats of Zinsser Bullseye Stain block allowing an hour in between each coat to dry then you are good to paint preferably with an anti mould paint."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Sep 2016 - report
"Fungicide should kill it.

Wipe down, fungicide then blast the area with an oil based undercoat.

Then you will be good to go with a decent vinyl matt emulsion."
Answered on 17th Apr 2020 - Member since Dec 2019 - report
"Hi,
I would suggest washing it with neat bleach as this should kill the spores. I then suggest painting walls with Matt paint..not vinyl or vinyl matt, just matt. Can get this in most places like B&Q.
This allows walls to breathe. Also you should ventilate the room for a couple of hours a day. Just open a small window. Try not to keep any furniture tight to the walls and allow small gap so it can ventilate around it."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Feb 2020 - report
"No. It will always show through after time.
Best to find the source of damp of mould then treat.
Re plaster and paint after treatment"
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Mar 2020 - report
"First thing is first. Get sugar soap, and mix it with water and then wash the area. Then you can use an oil based paint to cover the areas and then you are ok. You can use an undercoat."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Nov 2019 - report
"No! You would first have to use a mould remover and clean the mould off or you could mix water with normal household bleach and wipe down the walls with a cloth then wipe it dry after before applying Primer or Damp paint and then finally painting it with a colour of your choice.

If these steps are not followed through the mould will reappear or it will came through causing health issues."
Answered on 30th Mar 2020 - Member since Mar 2020 - report
"Combine two tablespoons of borax with 1/4 cup white vinegar and two cups of hot water in a bowl.
Pour into a spray bottle. Liberally apply on the painted walls.
Scrub thoroughly and wipe clean, then spray again and let sit for 10 minutes before wiping dry."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Feb 2020 - report
"Spray the mould with hg mould spray, after it has dried spray again, once dry either sand lightly to make the mould less noticeable or stain block with a stain block spray or paint use a shellac stain blocker like Zinsser which is available at B&Q or Screwfix then either use Zinsser perma white or a anti mould paint."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Feb 2018 - report
"Wash the surface down with a bleach based cleaner to kill off any mould growth/damp spores. Allow to dry and coat using any paint you like.
The issue is either moisture ingress or condensation build up. Ingress will need to be investigated and resolved or the issue will return, condensation build up is due to a lack of circulatory air, open night vents on windows where available, turn down heating in the room by a few degrees, ventilate regularly.
Hope this helps.
Scott"
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"There is a underling problem that needs to be solved, sounds like you need to seal a window bay. You should also check out side window bay to see if that's allowing water in, yes there is a block you can buy but solve water mould first as this must be stopped."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Feb 2020 - report
"Hi
Just painting over it won’t work and mould will be back in a short time period.
You need prime it with anti mould paint with at least two coats and then when it’s dry you can paint on top with emulsion.
Thanks"
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Oct 2019 - report
"Wash it down with a mould killer/spray the use a stain block you can buy a spray can normally quite cheap which can be painted over within ten minutes. If the mould returns then you may have a damp problem. Could be the seal around the windows or a problem with the wall"
Answered on 3rd Apr 2020 - Member since Apr 2017 - report
"Scrape off all affected areas then sand lightly, prepare a mix of bleach and water one quarter bleach to water and spray on the area, dry off with a soft cloth after 10/15 minutes.
You can buy anti mould paint Zinsar or Ronseal are good brands if the problem is reoccurring you may have underlying damp problems."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"Yes you can get a special paint called Zinisster B.I.N, coat this first and then use your final preferred coat."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Dec 2019 - report
"If you're going to paint over mould or mildew I would use a paint like Fungi-Shield after you have prepped the area."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Feb 2019 - report
"Only after it’s been washed down with an anti mould or a mild bleach spray."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Aug 2019 - report
"You need to wash it first with a mould wash and if it's stained the wall you may have to apply a stain block before painting."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"You will need to kill the spores first then use an antibac paint"
Answered on 26th Mar 2020 - Member since Mar 2020 - report
"It is best to use anti mould paint as it will stop it from bleeding back through."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Sep 2015 - report
"You've washed it down, now apply a stain block paint, something like zinsser cover-stain or an oil based undercoat."
Answered on 24th Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"Morning Carol,
Yes you can apply a coat of stain block to the area. Let it completely dry before repainting the area.

Regards
Ken"
Answered on 25th Mar 2020 - Member since Mar 2020 - report
"You need to find out why the wall is getting mildrew
On in the fist place ,could be leaking drainpipe of gutter.
Once this has been fixed and allowed to dry out .
Then give 2 coats of damp seal then paint over and it should not come back"
Answered on 17th Apr 2020 - Member since Aug 2019 - report
Find Tradespeople, compare up to 3 quotes!
It's FREE and there are no obligations
Ask a Trade
Got a question that only a tradesperson can answer? We have thousands of trades ready to answer any question you may have.
Ask your question
Ask a Trade

Are you looking for advice on a DIY project or have a question for our tradespeople?

We'll email your question to tradespeople who are skilled in your chosen category.

Your question will be made public - please do not include any personal details.

{{ first(ask.errors)[0] }}

By continuing you agree to the Community Guidelines.

Report Content

{{ first(reportForm.errors) }}

Thank you

Your report has been created and will be investigated shortly.

Ready to get a price for your home improvement project?
Get started

Over 1 million homeowners and over 50,000 tradespeople
use MyJobQuote nationwide each year