After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Portsmouth, NH
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
There is damp on every floor around the chimney. Is that three problems?
Almost certainly one. In a house framed around a central stack, water entering at the roof runs down the masonry itself rather than dropping into a ceiling, so it appears wherever the chimney passes a finished surface. The source is at the top and the marks below it are the path, not separate failures.
What is opened to dry it, given the age of the finishes?
As little as possible and as low as necessary. Base and casings around the stack come off first so the wall bottoms can breathe, and small openings are made where probe readings are high. Original plaster and trim are dried rather than removed wherever they are sound, which takes longer and is worth it here.
The stack is still damp in November. What does the winter do to it?
Wet masonry and a five-month freeze are a bad combination. Water held in a stack through repeated freezing takes the face off the brick and pushes the pointing out, so damage that was cosmetic in October is structural by April. The wettest month falls immediately before that, which is why autumn work is pushed hard.
The Portsmouth overview carries this FAQ with the city research.