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Construction Defects and Mold Exposure 
Window flashing is one of the most critical details of construction that is often improperly performed. Flashing keeps water from entering joints between dissimilar building materials. An improperly flashed window allows water into the wall cavity below the window causing mold and wood rot to occur. Fixing the problem can be costly. It is often difficult to find out where the window is leaking. Leaking windows can go undetected for a long period of time. 
Attempts to find the leak by squirting water from a garden hose onto the window is often misleading. We use test calibrated equipment that simulates the effect of rain and wind at the pressure the window was designed to withstand. The design pressure rating is how much wind driven rain a window can withstand. The test results pinpoint where the leak is and how it can be repaired. Expensive looking windows do not necessarily mean that a window has a high-pressure rating. These windows can leak after the first decent rain storm. Most of the time, if the window leaks, it has to be completed removed, properly flashed and then replaced. Caulking around the perimeter of the window (inside and outside) is highly ineffective. 
Stucco and stone finishes are very popular but are another common source of water intrusion into the home or building if the underlying drainage plane is not correctly installed. When designing a stucco wall system, it's critical to assume that water will get past the stucco and enter the wall system. The best practice is to apply two layers of moisture protection, either asphalt-impregnated felt paper or house wrap, against the sheathing of the house. It's critical to use two layers to create a drainage plane. Some builders used only one drainage plane, like house wrap. Because it's bonded to the stucco, water that gets past the stucco will wet the house wrap, which in turn causes the framing materials to get wet. These wet materials (framing and sheathing) that can't dry out can deteriorate quickly and become a food source for mold. 
Mold grows quickly in the wall cavities on the back of drywall and on the paper side of the insulation. Often, a strong mildew smell in the affected room will occur after a rain event. The health of asthmatics and people will allergies are affected by exposure to mold. A new study by University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers found that infants who were exposed to mold spores early in life were more likely to develop allergies to mold, pollen, dust mites, pet dander and certain foods as they grew older. This is the first study to show a relationship between specific airborne fungal spores and an increased risk for multiple allergies in children. Please call our toll free number at 866 328 9457 to speak with one of our certified professionals. To receive more information about our firm or services please click here.
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