I conducted a mold inspection recently in Pottsville. The source of the mold turned out to be a leaking roof. I’m concerned there might be hidden damage in the walls and am looking for an inspector with an infrared camera to travel to Pottsville, PA, to investigate. The homeowner would like estimates on the cost of such a project. He doesn’t want to probe walls for possible damage. I said infrared was the way to go.
I do’t have an infrared camera yet, but it’s on my wish list.
I have an thermal imaging camera, but Pottsville is about 2 hours away from me. If the client is willing to pay for the extra drive time, I will be willing to help them out.
How much would you require for the drive (It is 2 hours because I make a lot of trips back and forth to my son’s home in Roxborough.) Also, will you provide an estimate of the inspection cost? The homeowner wants to get a few estimates.
Thermal camera might help if there is an active leak showing a difference in surface temperature of the wall, but previous water damage that has dried will be hard to find without opening things up. Do you have a moisture meter?
I once did a mould remediation job, that started out small (just a bit behind a 6 foot section of baseboard in the basement). After removing the baseboard and panelling, I found about 40 sf of mouldy drywall and a section of the bottom plate was “compost”. I would stay away from estimating any repair costs till you know the full scope of the job and then pass that responsibility onto a remediation company.
I don’t plan on doing any remediation, but just helping the homeowner find the extent of the water damage without chopping up the home. But your advice is excellent.