A minor mold problem was detected and PowerBees contacted in early July in the town of Foxboro, MA.  The homeowners and their small children are currently living in the colonial style home build approximately 85 years ago.  The clients have occupied the property since 1997.  One of the residents became concerned after noticing an odor on the first level kitchen.  The odor was intermittent during the summer but reportedly worsened in the last few weeks.  There was no reported history of significant flooding.  They recently converted from oil to gas heat and had both the chimney and old furnace removed.  The partially finished basement consists of old plywood paneling and new sheetrock in a recently partitioned office.   They expressed concern about possible microbial growth in the basement and requested that mold testing be conducted.  The results from the samples showed high levels of airborne Penicillium/Aspergillus spores in the basement.

A large quantity of mold was suspected at a property in Newton, Mass.  They requested mold testing be conducted by PowerBees to ascertain the extent of airborne spores in the property. The client is currently living in a single family house with her mother who is assisted by a medical aide during the day.  Concern was expressed about an odor in the house and possible mold in her finished basement after the health aide brought it to the client’s attention.   Concern was subsequently expressed over the air quality and the possible impact on her family’s health.  There was reportedly basement flooding in the past and the gutters were subsequently repaired. The carpeting was also removed.  There was no remediation at that time. Three non-viable air samples were taken by PowerBees.  One air sample was taken in basement, a second air sample was taken from the 1^st level Family Room and a third air sample was taken outside.  The results from the samples showed very high levels of airborne spores in the basement and Stachybotrys on both levels.  The Penicillium / Aspergillus spore count is quite high and may pose significant health risks.  A count of 2000 is considered a threshold level by the EPA. Stachybotrys was also found both in the basement and on the first level.  Stachybotrys isn’t safe at any level.  Based on these results and the visible mold in the Basement, PowerBees recommends a remediation process to eliminate visible mold

A concerned resident of the city of Brookline, MA recently contacted PowerBeesIncorporated to discuss her mold issue.  A mold inspection was recommended and upon in inspection by a certified mold inspector, it was found that there is visible water staining on the pitched ceiling, from approximately half-way to the peak down to the wall and along the top of the wall. No visible mold was noticed in the living room. Moisture levels, measured using a Delmhorst Moisture Meter, were normal in the sheetrock of the living room ceiling and wall near the staining as well as in the window trim and baseboard below the staining. In the basement there is water staining on several ceiling tiles and on the sheetrock within the utility room. The most heavily water stained and water damaged tile appears to lie directly beneath the water stained wall of the living room. Other water stained tiles throughout the basement appear to have had water damage from condensation on the AC coolant tubing. There is visible Black Mold in the basement utility room behind the HVAC unit. There is Brown and Grey Mold on the door to the utility room and the electrical closet.

A homeowner in Wellesley recently contacted PowerBees Inc.  She reported water damage in bedroom within her finished basement. Approximately one year ago, water leaked from bathroom on the first level into the basement bedroom and saturated a section of the ceiling, two walls the carpet.  Mold reportedly was colonizing on the ceiling, walls and carpet. Another remediation company was hired to perform a microbial remediation which was completed on October 21, 2010.  The client reported that the work did not take place under containment, although she did not know all the specific details about how the remediation was completed.  The client requested clearance mold testing to confirm a reduction in spore counts down to acceptable tolerances.  Upon inspection, there was no discernable musty odor present in the basement.   It was evident that the carpet, pad and tack strip had been removed from the basement bedroom and the foundation floor was exposed.  An 8’ x 7’ section of sheetrock had been removed from the ceiling. The sheetrock had also been removed completely from the rear wall and an 8’ x 5’ section of sheetrock was removed from a wall separating the bedroom from a bathroom. Water staining was visible on the exposed sub-floor and joists of the bathroom above. Moisture levels, measured with a Delmhorst Moisture meter, were normal in the exposed framing, foundation floor and remaining sheetrock. There was no visible surface mold, although the stained areas of the sub-floor and joists were black. There was no visible dust or debris remaining in the basement bedroom.

A client contacted PowerBees recently to perform a thorough mold inspection of a property in Cambridge, MA.  The client is considering purchasing the above mentioned property which was foreclosed on and is believed to have been unoccupied for at least six months. On the day of inspection it was noted that the property was winterized in March of 2010 after heating pipes had frozen and leaked on the first level. There was water staining on the hardwood flooring in the living room and approximately half of the hardwood flooring had already been removed. The kitchen floor had also been removed and there was visible water staining on the sub flooring. On the hallway and master bedroom the hardwood flooring was water stained and buckled. In both bathrooms the sub flooring beneath the tile was buckled. There was visible black mold in the grout between the shower tiles. Humidity on the first level was high.   There was no visible mold elsewhere on the first floor except for that bathroom.  In addition to the main living space there is an attached garage that has been turned into a living space which transitions between the main living area and the basement. There is water staining on the ceiling around the chimney as well as near the stairway to the basement. The carpeting in this room was never removed.  There was standing water on the floor in the basement.  Moisture was dripping from the pipes and closet doors. It is unknown to what extent the basement was flooded from the above mentioned plumbing leak as well as from the March rains. The basement was at one time finished and at the time of inspection most of the sheetrock had been removed from the framing and ceiling leaving just insulation and the exposed framing. There was visible black, grey, green and yellow mold on the remaining sheetrock, insulation and ceiling joists. There was moisture on the floor and the insulation was wet.  Per request of the client, PowerBees Inc. will propose a work order to remediate select sections of the property.