If you've already repaired a leak and completed mold remediation butr still wonder if there is more mold, an independent building science investigation can help determine whether another moisture problem is still present or whether something else has been overlooked.
One of the most difficult calls we receive is from homeowners who have already done everything they thought they were supposed to do when they found a water leak or suspected mold. Now the remediation is done, the clearance testing complete and the house was put back together... but their health issues didn't go away....or another water stain appeared on the ceiling.....or the musty smell remained....or they had the HVAC serviced and the guy mentioned that there is pest poop up in the attic.
Thousands of dollars spent and feeling like you are back at square one. After everything you've already been through, you're probably wondering one thing. Did the remediation fail?
Sometimes the remediation was unsuccessful. Sometimes it was done perfectly fine and there is a new issue. Sometimes it was just not enough to tackle all the problems associated with the moisture source.
It is important to note that mold is usually a symptom, not the root problem. Mold grows because moisture was present long enough for it to grow. This may be as soon as 48 hours. That moisture could have come from a plumbing leak, a roof leak, a cracked window, an HVAC issue, high humidity, or dozens of other sources. Removing the mold is an important part of the process, but it's only one part of fixing the problem. The real question is what lead to the mold growth? If that question was never fully answered, the conditions that allowed mold to grow may still exist today. That's why our inspections focus so heavily on understanding the building itself. We aren't just looking for mold. We're trying to understand how water got in, where it travelled, why it didn't dry properly, and whether those same conditions still exist.
We've been in plenty of homes where the remediation company did an excellent job. They removed the damaged materials properly, cleaned the affected area thoroughly, and completed exactly what they were hired to do. However, the problem was not with the remediation but with the scope of work to begin with, meaning there was more than one moisture issue going on in the home. For example, you move into a new house and there is a musty smell in the kitchen but you can see the water mark on the ceiling from the bathroom above. You fix the bathroom leak and assume the problem is solved. Yet it turns out the kitchen cabinet had mold too. This is one of the reasons we don't love looking at just one room. Homes are systems, and sometimes the clue you're worried about isn't actually where the real problem is.
In some instances, the original moisture source is still active. Perhaps the roof was repaired, but another flashing detail is still leaking. Maybe the plumbing leak was fixed, but the wall cavity never fully dried. Maybe everyone focused on the obvious water damage while thr mold continued growing inside the HVAC plenum. We've also seen situations where water has been entering through a small crack around a window for years. It never caused a big leak, but every heavy rain added just enough moisture to slowly wet the drywall inside the wall.
Air sampling can be a very useful tool, but not the only thing to rely upon in a mold investigation. This is why in clearance testing we take a sample inside and outside the containment zone. We are comparing the remediation area with the rest of the room. Not the results in isolation.
Not necessarily. An ERMI measures mold DNA in settled dust. That dust tells the story of what has accumulated over time, not just what's happening on the day the sample was collected. A recently remediated home may still have elevated ERMI results because contaminated dust wasn't completely removed. It is good practice to wait to have 90 days of new dust accumulation after a remediation is completed before you even consider redoing an ERMI. And again, an ERMI can give us some information but has nothing to do with finding the source of the moisture.
If you've already completed remediation and you're still asking questions, getting a second opinion is completely reasonable. You may want another investigation if your home still smells musty, your family's health hasn't improved or you simply don't feel confident that the original moisture source was ever identified.
Sometimes we confirm that everything appears dry and the previous remediation was successful. Sometimes we find new sources of mold that were not previously discovered. Or if the original inspection only focused on one part of the home, perhaps the second step is looking at the entire home including the attic, crawl spaces, the exterior, etc.
We want to make sure you achieve the piece of mind you are looking for. That may mean doing a thorough investigation to double check nothing was missed. It may mean doing indoor air quality testing instead of mold testing to rule out other issues making the family sick. It may mean investigating areas that no one has yet inspected. We want you to be healthy and feel safe in your home. That's our goal!
Resources
One room in my home smells musty
Mold found after purchasing a home
Do I need a whole home mold inspection?
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Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Mold Assessment Consultant: #MAC2207 Exp 11/27
TDLR Consumer Mold Information Sheet
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