Independent Mold and Moisture Investigations for New-Home Warranty Claims
A homeowner reports mold, a stain or a musty smell in a new home. You need to know where the water is coming from, how far it went and what the fix really is. We find the source, measure the extent and put it in a written report you can share with the homeowner.
Find the source, then the extent.
A stain or a spot of growth is where the problem shows, not where it starts. We trace the water back to its source and mark where the wet material ends, so the repair covers the cause and nothing more.
- Infrared and meters. A FLIR MR277 combines a thermal camera with pin and pinless moisture readings, to find wet material behind finishes without opening walls.
- The moisture map. Readings room by room on drywall, framing, flooring and subfloor, with the edge of the wet area marked on a sketch of the home.
- A look behind finishes. A borescope through a small opening, or a baseboard pulled and put back, where the readings point behind a wall, a tub or a shower.
- Samples when they help. Spore trap air samples against an outdoor control taken the same day, and swab or tape samples on suspect growth, under chain of custody to an accredited lab.
Not a coat of caulk. Not a gut job.
The readings set the scope. Drywall and other porous materials are read as wood moisture equivalent (WME). Wood framing is read as moisture content (MC). This is the scale we report against.
A report your team and the homeowner can both read.
Every Prescient report follows the same structure, so a reader can find the answer fast and a contractor can price the work from it.
Plain summary
What we found and what we recommend, in plain English, at the top.
Findings and photos
Room by room, with moisture readings, humidity, photos and the moisture map.
Lab results
A spore table compared to the outdoor control, interpreted against the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard.
Work scopes
Recommendations broken into moisture repair, remediation, cleaning and verification.
A phone walkthrough
We walk you through what the report means and what to do next.
Retesting
After the repair, an independent post-remediation verification with moisture readings and air samples, and a written pass or fail.
Findings that hold up with a worried homeowner.
We do not sell remediation or repairs. The result does not change what we earn, so the homeowner hears the findings from a third party with nothing to sell them.
- Measurements, not opinions. Readings, photos and lab results the homeowner can see for themselves.
- Neutral wording. We report what we measured and observed, with no blame on any trade.
- Credentialed. A CIEC Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, DC DOEE Licensed Mold Assessor and Maryland Accredited Asbestos Inspector.
Quick to site, quick to paper.
Call
Tell us what the homeowner reported and where. We quote it on the call and give you our first opening.
Lab results
Typically 24 hours for mold samples at an accredited lab.
Report
Within two days of receiving lab results. A 24-hour rush is available.
Stop it during construction.
A small water event that nobody logged, nobody dried and everybody closed in can turn into a warranty call later. For multifamily and other larger projects, our Three Phase Program and Moisture Management Program inspect framing and drywall during construction, at the phases that decide whether a building grows mold.
For warranty managers.
Who do you work for on a warranty claim?
The builder hires us, and the report goes to whoever you choose to share it with. The findings are the same either way.
Will you open walls or remove finishes?
Only where the readings point to it, and only as much as it takes to see. Most of the work is done with meters, infrared and a borescope before anything is opened.
Do you always take air samples?
No. If the readings and the visual inspection answer the question, we tell you whether sampling would add anything.
Do you do the repairs or the mold removal?
No. We only inspect and test. That keeps the findings independent, and the report tells your trades exactly what and where.
Where do you work?
Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Have a warranty claim with mold or water? Call us.
Weekdays 8 to 5. Tell us what the homeowner reported, and we will quote it on the call. Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.