I tried the “no demo” route once after a minor leak, and everything seemed fine for a couple weeks... until that musty smell crept in.
That’s pretty much what happened to me last year. I thought I’d dodged a bullet by just cranking up the fans and running a dehumidifier for a few days. Looked dry on the surface, but a month later, I noticed the paint near the floor bubbling up. Pulled off a section of drywall and—yep, black mold city. Ended up being way more work than if I’d just checked behind the walls right away. Those moisture meters are legit, though. Wish I’d used one before trusting my “eyeball test.”
I hear you on the moisture meters—those things are game changers. I used to think if it felt dry and smelled okay, I was in the clear. Turns out, water loves to hide in insulation and behind baseboards. One time I skipped pulling up the carpet after a small flood... big mistake. Ended up with warped floorboards and a nasty surprise under the padding. Honestly, unless you’re 100% sure, it’s worth opening things up, even if it feels like overkill at first.
Yeah, I learned the hard way too. Thought I could just run a fan and call it good after a leak—nope. Couple weeks later, the musty smell hit and I was pulling up trim and finding mold. Now I always check behind everything, even if it seems dry.
