After the drying
Mold Inspection & Testing in Reading, PA
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
How far along the row does the drying have to go?
As far as the meter says, which is normally one house either side and sometimes further. Water that got into a continuous attic runs along the joists and soaks insulation well past the wall it started at. Readings are taken from each adjoining attic before anything is decided, because guessing on this is how a neighbor's ceiling comes down a month later.
Can a plaster ceiling that took water from above be kept?
Sometimes, if it is caught quickly and has not lost its keys. Water sitting on the top face soaks the lath and the keys that hold the plaster to it, and a ceiling that flexes under a hand is coming down whatever it looks like. Where it is sound, wet insulation above is pulled and air is moved across the lath from the attic side.
How long does an attic loss take to dry in July?
The attic itself is quick, often three or four days, because a brick row under a summer sun runs very hot up there. The plaster underneath is the slow part and takes a week or more. The job is not finished when the attic reads dry, and the ceilings below are what the schedule should actually be built around.
These questions come from the Reading page.