PowerBees Inc. was recently called in to help with a mold problem in the attic of a single family home in Wayland, MA.  The homeowners wanted a mold inspection conducted in their attic.  Moisture readings in the attic, taken with a Delmhorst moisture meter, were slightly elevated.  The attic mold is a result of insufficient ventilation.  There was only 1 gable vent with thermostatic fan. There were no soffits. White Mold and water staining was identified on the lower 1’ of a particle board partition in the basement.  The current owner reported that the French drain had at one time failed and that the water heater had also ruptured.  Humidity in the basement was measured at 32%.  Moisture readings in the basement (foundation floors, walls and particle board partition) were within normal limits.  A bedroom where there was access to the attic space had paint peeling from the walls, possibly the result of water damage, although there was no water staining to sustain this suspicion.  There was no visible mold colonizing in this bedroom. There was visible black mold near an exhaust fan in a bathroom ceiling and also on the tile grout.  There was evidence of water damage in the bottom of the vanity but no current leaks.  A converted garage had some water staining near the skylight, but no visible mold was found.

A property in Ft. Lauderdale was recently inspected for mold by PowerBees, Inc.  There is water staining and visible Grey Mold on one upper window sash. Condensation was present between the window panes. The inner pane on that same window is cracked. Moisture levels were high in that window but were within normal limits throughout the rest of the room. Humidity in the upstairs hallway was measured at 47%. There is no visible mold present in the hallway or closet, however in the bathroom there are small amounts of visible Black and Grey Mold on the upper window sash. Moisture levels were within normal limits throughout the hallway, closet, and bathroom. In the upper level boy’s bedroom, humidity measured at 52%. There are small amounts of visible Black and Grey Mold on the upper window sashes in the boy’s bedroom. Moisture levels were within normal limits throughout the room. Humidity was measured at 57% in the master bedroom and there is a visible Grey Mold covering three quarters of the ceiling and on the back of the curtains. There is evidence of water staining on the hardwood flooring near the sliding glass doors. Moisture throughout the bedroom was within normal limits. Moisture was present on the ceiling of the attached bathroom though it was obvious the shower had recently been used. Humidity in an attached den measured at 62%. There was Grey Mold present on most of the ceiling and on the back of the curtains in the den. Moisture levels were within normal limits throughout this room as well. Basement humidity measured at 52%. A dehumidifier was present and operational. Moisture levels were within normal limits throughout the basement.  There was no visible water staining or mold in the basement. Outdoor humidity measured at 30% on the day of inspection.  The mold inspection took approximately 1 hour to complete.

A mold inspectionin Kings, Point, FL occurred recently after the homeowners discovered water damage in their kitchen.  A dehumidifier was not present for the inspection.  A musty odor was not discernable anywhere within property.  Water staining was observed on the floor of the boiler room.  Water staining was not identified anywhere else within the unit.  There is no indication of past flooding in the bedroom.  Moisture levels, measured with a Delmhorst moisture meter, were high in the floor of the cabinet below the kitchen sink but normal throughout the unit.  PowerBees was able to verify that visible mold was not observed anywhere within the unit.  Various improvements have been made to the drainage, e.g, regarding the back patio and unclogging a drain, since the flooding last spring.  However, several of the drain spouts are still not directed far enough away from the property to be fully effective.

A PowerBees Inspector recently conducted a complimentary mold inspection at a single family home in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the purposes of estimating the cost of Mold Remediation.  The customer contacted us and reported mold in the attic that was identified during the removal of contents, although he had noticed discoloration in the past. We examined the 26’ x 30’ attic in this colonial style home.   Black, White and Grey Mold were visible on approximately 70% of the total plywood sheathing and 30% of the rafters. There were insufficient soffit vents and visible leaking with the roof.  There were gable vents (w/ thermostatic fan) and a functioning ridge vent.  Moisture may come in through a gable vent as well. Moisture detection readings, measured with a Delmhorst Moisture meter, registered as “high” in the roof sheathing and rafters mostly on the north side of attic. Humidity was measured at 62%, which is normal for today’s weather.  It is believed the mold resulted from improper ventilation and a buildup of condensation on the plywood sheathing.  To remediate, PowerBees will create a Managed Air Flow Environment on in the attic and employ the use of a HEPA Air Scrubber to remove airborne mold spores.  We will employ the use of HEPA Vacuuming and an antimicrobial agent to remediate the mold.  We will encapsulate the plywood sheathing with an EPA Kill-rated encapsulant. Air Scrubbers will capture airborne Mold Spores during the filtration process.

PowerBees Inc. was contacted to perform a mold inspection at a commercial property located in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida for the purpose of creating a work order to remediate the affected space.. The basement was flooded with approximately 3’ of water during the March Rains.  The upper levels of the building are used for various commercial businesses including a café and a boutique. A large amount of debris, rotting wood and sheetrock is in the process of being removed.  Approximately 1” of standing water remains at the bottom of an elevator shaft. Moisture levels were high throughout most of the foundation floor and up to 3’ up on the walls. Moisture levels were high in the overhead sub-floor and beams. Visible black mold was colonizing on the remaining sheetrock and framing.