After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Malden, MA
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
Is plaster worth drying or does it come off?
It is usually worth drying, which surprises people used to board. Hard plaster survives a soaking that would finish a paper-faced sheet. What decides it is the keys, the plaster squeezed through the lath that holds the wall up: where those have broken under the weight of water, the section comes off whatever the face looks like.
How is the lath behind it dried?
Through small openings rather than by taking the wall down. Air is introduced into the space behind the plaster at intervals along the wet run so the strapping dries from its own side, and readings are taken into the lath rather than off the plaster face. Where the wall is coming off anyway, it is dried open.
Does a December loss run longer than a summer one?
It runs differently rather than longer. The wettest month lands in midwinter, when the house is closed and heated, so opening up to outdoor air is not available and everything is condensed out by equipment. Against that, heated indoor air is genuinely dry, so a wall that is open gives up its moisture well.
These questions come from the Malden page.