A recovery sequence for Lafayette homes
Finding mold tends to set off a rush to scrub, spray or rip out whatever looks stained. That rush usually costs time and money. Growth is what you see; a moisture problem is what you have. This guide lays out a sequence that deals with the water first, brings in a remediation company with a clear scope, and ends with records you can hand to a buyer or an insurer later.
Step 1: Trace the water
Work backward from the stain. Is it below a bathroom, beside a window, under the air handler, along an outside wall, near the water heater? Typical sources include a condensate drain that backed up, a supply line weeping at a fitting, a roof or flashing leak, rain that got past window or door trim, and a sweating duct. Call the trade that fixes that source, whether a plumber, roofer, HVAC technician or window installer, before anything else. Cleanup on a surface that keeps getting wet will not hold.
Step 2: Know what the station says about rain and wind
NOAA's engineering weather data for Lafayette lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 120 mph (a 3-second gust measured at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.5 inches per hour, and about 9 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. These are design values from the Lafayette station, used by engineers to size roofs, walls and drainage. For a homeowner, they are a reminder to walk the house after a hard rain and look at ceilings, window corners and the floor along exterior walls.
Step 3: Start drying, safely
Once the power in the affected area is safe to use, run the air conditioning and add a dehumidifier. Remove standing water. Carry wet rugs, cushions, boxes and papers out of the room. Keep fans from blowing across visible growth, since moving air can carry spores into clean rooms.
Step 4: Record everything first
Before anything is cut out or thrown away, photograph and film the source, the damage, any growth and the belongings involved. Write down the date you first noticed the problem and what you did about it. If you plan to file a claim, call your insurer now and ask what records it wants and whether it needs to see the damage before work starts.
Step 5: Learn Louisiana's license rule
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors requires a Mold Remediation license for remediation projects valued at $7,500 or more; to qualify, the license's qualifying party must have 24 hours of training in mold remediation and basic mold assessment from a board-approved provider.
For each company you consider, look it up on the LSLBC's license search and see which license types are listed. Ask it how the value of your project is likely to come out and, if it reaches $7,500 or more, which license covers the job.
Step 6: Get the problem mapped
Ask for a written description of where the growth is, how far it reaches behind walls, floors or ceilings, which moisture source fed it, and what the cleanup should include. Ask who is preparing that description and what training they have. A written map gives every bidder the same starting point.
Step 7: Compare bids on one scope
Give that same written scope to two or three remediation companies and ask each to price exactly that work. A careful job generally includes:
- plastic sheeting to seal off the work area;
- filtered negative air pressure so spores stay inside the containment;
- bagging drywall, insulation, carpet and other porous materials before they travel through the house;
- cleaning and drying framing, subfloor and anything else that stays;
- a stated method for showing the work is complete.
Ask every bidder for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation, and keep copies.
Step 8: Dry it all the way
In an average year at the Lafayette station, NOAA counts about 2,531 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 4,176 hours above 67°F. Opening the windows is not a drying plan; outdoor air can carry moisture back into a wall cavity. Drying means a closed room, dehumidifiers, air movers, and moisture readings logged each day until the materials reach the target written into the plan.
Step 9: Inspect before the rebuild
New drywall, insulation or flooring should not go in until the opened area is clean, dry and free of visible growth. Ask for the final moisture readings in writing. Look into the open cavity yourself before the rebuild crew arrives, and photograph it.
Step 10: Stay safe while work goes on
Keep out of the containment while the crew is working. If you have to enter a damp room before help arrives, wear gloves, eye protection and a well-fitting disposable respirator, and keep children and pets elsewhere. If you have health questions about mold exposure, ask your doctor.
Step 11: Keep it from coming back
- Leave the cooling system running when you travel; set it a few degrees higher rather than off.
- Have the condensate drain flushed and the pan checked on a schedule.
- Keep a hygrometer in the house and watch the indoor reading.
- Run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans long enough to clear steam, and make sure they vent outdoors.
- Check under sinks, behind the refrigerator and around the water heater a few times a year.
- After a heavy storm, walk the house and look up at the ceilings.
Step 12: One folder for the whole job
Put the written scope, contracts, moisture logs, photos, invoices, license lookups and insurer letters in one folder. When a buyer, appraiser or insurer later asks what happened and how it was fixed, that folder gives the answer.