After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Santa Clara, CA
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
What is an underfloor plenum?
The space under the floor used as the duct. Instead of running metal to each room, the builder sealed the underfloor space and blew supply air into it, letting it come up through registers. It works, but the duct is made of the building's own surfaces rather than of anything that can be pulled out.
What happens when water gets into it?
It is in the air system immediately. A plumbing failure in the floor, or ground water coming up, puts standing water into the chamber that the house breathes from. That makes it a different order of problem from a wet duct, and the system stays off until the space has been cleaned and dried.
Can it be dried like an ordinary cavity?
It can be dried, but it has to be opened and reached, which usually means lifting registers and working through them. The important part is what happens afterward: the surfaces forming the plenum have to be clean as well as dry before air is blown through them into the rooms again.
These questions come from the Santa Clara page.