After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Ithaca, NY
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
The damp on the wall is a straight line. What causes that?
The rock behind it. Shale close to the surface carries water along flat bedding planes rather than soaking through, so it arrives at the wall at one particular height and enters along that level. The wall above and below can be genuinely dry. It is a useful sign, because it tells you the water is coming from outside rather than from a pipe.
Where is the wall opened?
At the line and a little above and below it. The finish and any framing over that band come off so the concrete can be read and dried and so the seam can be seen. Opening the whole wall achieves nothing here, and the framing at that level is what has been sitting in it.
It was wet in April and dry now. Is it fixed?
Probably not; it is seasonal. A bedding seam runs when the ground above the rock is charged and stops when it draws down, so the same wall can be wet in spring and completely dry by late summer with nothing having changed. Readings taken in September are worth interpreting with that in mind rather than as an all-clear.
This FAQ belongs to the Ithaca page; it is repeated here.