Musty Smell in Walls - Mold Remediator or Insulator?

[Anonymous]

We have a 1930s cottage with wood frame and brick veneer walls. Upstairs interior is plaster and downstairs is drywall. Since buying the house, we've noticed a musty smell (very strongly when it rains) coming from the downstairs drywall. At first I thought it was the leaky windows. Then I thought it was a poorly functioning radiator. Now I'm pretty sure it's the wall itself. I'm not sure who to call. I know we need insulation, but do we also need a mold remediation contractor? Can the insulator address the mold problem? We don't have a lot of cash to throw at diagnosing this issue. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a 1930s cottage with wood frame and brick veneer walls. Upstairs interior is plaster and downstairs is drywall. Since buying the house, we've noticed a musty smell (very strongly when it rains) coming from the downstairs drywall. At first I thought it was the leaky windows. Then I thought it was a poorly functioning radiator. Now I'm pretty sure it's the wall itself. I'm not sure who to call. I know we need insulation, but do we also need a mold remediation contractor? Can the insulator address the mold problem? We don't have a lot of cash to throw at diagnosing this issue. Any advice?

Most mold in walls is caused by roof leaks. Start there.

[Anonymous]

I would do roofers first, then a drywall specialist.

[Anonymous]

I think you need to pull out a chunk of drywall and take a look. It could be a lot of things including termites which bring dirt and moisture inside, mold or just wet.