Mold After Water Damage in Franklin, TN

What a survey establishes before anyone cuts

The survey answers three questions: where the moisture is, where the growth is and how far it reaches.

The surveyor reads the moisture in the wet zone and compares it with the dry material beside it. The growth is mapped by surface and by depth where a cavity is open. The reach of the growth matters because it sets the size of the containment and the amount of material that has to come out.

A survey is not a test for a particular species. The survey records what is visible and what the readings show, and it leaves the decision about the removal to the homeowner and the contractor.

What the household can check before a visit

A few observations, written down, make the first visit faster and more accurate.

• Note where the smell is strongest and whether it is worse in one room or in one season.
• Photograph any visible growth, with a coin or a ruler in frame, and note the date.
• Write down when the water event happened and when the room was last dried.
• Keep the heating and cooling system's return vent in the affected room closed off until the survey is complete.
• Do not scrub or disturb the growth, which sends spores into the air.

Containment and the household

Containment protects the rest of the house while the work is done.

The work zone is sealed with barriers and the air is kept moving out of the zone through a filter, so that the air in the rest of the house does not carry spores. The people in the house who have breathing problems, asthma or a weakened immune system are asked to stay away from the work zone and to talk with a doctor before re-entering.

Pets are kept out of the zone as well. The crew explains where the entry and exit points are, and the household is asked to keep doors closed while the work is in progress.

Licensing and what to ask

The licence question is checked with the state board, not assumed from the company's name.

Contractor licensing in Tennessee is handled by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, which sits under the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The homeowner can ask the company for its licence and check it with the board directly. This page does not say how the board classifies mold work; that is a question to put to the board.

A written scope should name the area, the material to be removed, the method, the checks and the final readings, before any work starts. The homeowner can ask for that scope to be explained line by line.

Keeping the house from growing it again

The growth returns where the moisture returns, so the moisture is watched.

Bathrooms and laundry rooms are ventilated and their fans run during and after use. Closets on an outside wall are left with some air movement, and a dehumidifier is used in a damp room. A homeowner who sees condensation on a window or a cold wall in summer should check the wall for moisture, because the humid air outside can meet a cool surface indoors.

After a removal, the room is read again at the start of the next humid season. A reading that climbs again points to a source that has not been stopped.

A homeowner who is deciding whether to have a survey often asks how to tell a survey from a sales visit. A survey produces a written record of readings, locations and observations, and it does not begin with a price. The record is what the homeowner can take to any company for a second opinion, and it is the document that shows the work done before and after the removal.