After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Chillum, MD
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.
The pro who inspects is the pro who quotes
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
Why could nobody turn the water off?
Because there is nothing to turn. A good many of these houses were built without an interior stop, so the only valve is in a pit in the front yard, under a lid, and it needs a key rather than a hand. That is a long way from a burst pipe at two in the morning.
How much does that change the damage?
More than anything else about the failure. Supply water arrives continuously, so every minute spent finding a lid and a key is water into the structure, and the difference between five minutes and forty is the difference between one room and a floor.
What is worth doing before it happens?
Finding the pit and having the key, which takes ten minutes on a dry afternoon and is worth a great deal at the wrong moment. Fitting an interior stop is the better answer where the plumbing allows it, and it comes up on most of these afterward.
These questions come from the Chillum page.