alleviating mold concerns

[Richard W. Washington]

trying to come up with the calmest wording for a client that is concerned about mold on the framing since we've had a ton of rain lately.

I'm thinking of telling her "your home was exposed to the rain before the home was "dried in" however there will be weeks after the roof is put on for the wood to dry out. In addition, the siding will be installed even before the drywall goes up thus giving the wood even more time to dry out. Mold will not be an issue however I will be inspecting for it just in case.

Suggestions?

[Doug Edwards]

First, lets get some perspective about how much moisture is a problem. All homes have a lot of inherent moisture in the building components while the home is being built. The wood members, especially PT wood is high in moisture content. The drywall will be mudded which is full of water, the concrete will be moist, the paint, etc. A home continues to lose moisture for a year or more after construction is completed. This is one of the reasons there are expansion joints on homes with an EIFS exterior finish. The house literally shrinks ever so slightly as it loses moisture through evaporation. Once the AC (and furnace) comes on line it too adds to the removal of moisture. Some moisture content is good and desirable. You will never completely remove all moisture. Now, if the walls and interior is sopping wet than there needs to be a drying out period, after the source of moisture is found. Typically, what I have found is there is a leak, flashing missing or improperly installed on the roof, sidewalls, etc. Hope this helps some.