After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Bessemer, AL
An independent assessor confirms whether the assembly that got wet is actually dry, whether growth started while it was not, and how far it reaches. An inspection after a water loss confirms whether the assembly that got wet is dry now and whether growth started while it was not. Readings are taken in the material, cavities are opened where the readings point, and the result is a written scope of what is dry, what is not, and what has to be corrected for the repair to hold.
No obligation: the assessment comes before any scope
On this site, inspection is the last check of a water job rather than the start of a separate one. Most people reach this page because something was wet, was dried, and a smell or a stain came back. The inspection answers whether the material is dry now and whether anything grew while it was not. Nothing here is medical advice; questions about health are for a clinician.
Often needed alongside
- Mold Remediation
Growth and the material it grew into come out under containment, what remains is cleaned, and the assembly is dried and read before anything closes it in.
- Structural Drying & Dehumidification
Sealed air movers and dehumidifiers bring framing, subfloor and drywall back to a measured dry standard, with daily readings logged from inside the material.
Frequently asked questions
There is no sheathing behind the siding. Is that a problem?
It cuts both ways. Water that gets past the outside surface is straight into the cavity with nothing to slow it, so it reaches the framing immediately. Against that, there is no saturated panel to dry out, so once the inside is opened the wall has air on the studs directly and comes down quickly.
Where does the wet area run?
Along the studs rather than across a panel. With no sheathing to spread it, water follows the framing down the bay it entered, so the wet pattern is vertical and narrow rather than a broad patch. Readings are taken bay by bay, and the opening usually follows one or two bays rather than a wall.
Does the crawl space under the house come into it?
Usually, because the bottom of the wall opens into it. On a house standing on piers, the stud bays run down to a space with humid air moving through it, so the base of a wet cavity is being supplied from below. The crawl is read and dried alongside the wall rather than treated as separate.
The Bessemer overview carries this FAQ with the city research.