Sunday, May 6, 2007
Drying Out from a Flood Was Not Enough + Baltimore Mold Testing Investigation
My Maryland client complained that every time he entered his house, he got a headache. He wondered if the cause could be mold.
During the previous summer, there had been a flood in his finished basement. His homeowners insurance company paid for cleaning up from the flood. A water damage restoration firm had sent in workers with commercial dehumidifiers and fans to dry the basement and clean the carpet. After the workers finished, all seemed well. However, a few months later, the headaches started.
What I found when I investigated with my on-site microscope, was a high level of mold. The underside of the base of a large custom-made bar was covered with Aspergillus mold. My client told me that workers had placed hoses releasing warm air under the base of the bar, but obviously this air had not adequately dried out the wood in time to prevent mold growth. Further, test holes near the bottoms of walls revealed high levels of mold in the wall cavities.
This client had a choice: his headaches or a major mold remediation job in the basement. The post-flood drying project had left some major areas of mold growth behind.
During the previous summer, there had been a flood in his finished basement. His homeowners insurance company paid for cleaning up from the flood. A water damage restoration firm had sent in workers with commercial dehumidifiers and fans to dry the basement and clean the carpet. After the workers finished, all seemed well. However, a few months later, the headaches started.
What I found when I investigated with my on-site microscope, was a high level of mold. The underside of the base of a large custom-made bar was covered with Aspergillus mold. My client told me that workers had placed hoses releasing warm air under the base of the bar, but obviously this air had not adequately dried out the wood in time to prevent mold growth. Further, test holes near the bottoms of walls revealed high levels of mold in the wall cavities.
This client had a choice: his headaches or a major mold remediation job in the basement. The post-flood drying project had left some major areas of mold growth behind.
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