A homeowner in Aiken spent a weekend sanding old paint off the exterior trim of her 1962 house before repainting it herself. She’d heard about lead paint rules for contractors and figured, since she was doing the work herself, none of it applied to her. She wasn’t entirely wrong about the rule. She was wrong […]
The RRP Rule Doesn’t Cover DIY: Why Homeowners Renovating T … Read More »
A property management company in Augusta reopened a mostly vacant office building after a slow leasing period left two floors unoccupied for nearly five months. Water service had never been shut off, but almost nothing had run through the pipes on those floors: no faucets, no showers in the tenant break rooms, minimal flow through
Legionella Risk in Buildings That Sat Empty: Why Reopening a Wate … Read More »
A homeowner in North Augusta called EnviroPro 360 after a home inspector’s general walkthrough came back clean, but she still noticed a musty smell every time she went downstairs to do laundry. The inspector had checked the basement, seen no visible mold on the walls, and moved on. What he hadn’t done was pull the
Basement Mold in Augusta Homes: Why Below-Grade Spaces Need Diffe … Read More »
A homeowner in Evans finished her basement last year: new drywall, a drop ceiling, carpet over the slab, and a supply vent tied into the main HVAC trunk line. The house had tested for radon when she bought it eight years earlier, and the number came back well under the EPA’s action level of 4
Radon Testing After a Renovation: Why Your Old Test No Longer App … Read More »
Augusta’s version of fall is gentle and slow. Temperatures drop gradually, humidity finally begins to ease, and there is a period of several weeks in October and November when it is comfortable to open windows and let the house breathe. Most homeowners take advantage of that period without giving much thought to what comes next:
Fall Home Prep in Augusta: The Environmental Testing Checklist Be … Read More »
One of the most persistent misconceptions about asbestos is that its presence in a building automatically constitutes an emergency. For homeowners in Augusta who live in pre-1980 structures, that misunderstanding causes unnecessary anxiety and sometimes unnecessary expense. The more useful framing is this: asbestos-containing materials in good condition, left undisturbed, present a different risk profile
Asbestos in Roofing, Siding, and Floor Tiles: What ‘Intact& … Read More »
The most expensive water damage in a home is rarely the kind you can see. A burst pipe that floods a basement is dramatic and obvious. You know it happened, you know approximately when, and you can see the scope of the damage. The more costly problems, in terms of both repair costs and long-term
Thermal Imaging for Leak Detection: How Infrared Technology Finds … Read More »
When a homeowner discovers significant mold growth, one of the first calls is usually to the insurance company. The second call is often to a public adjuster or attorney, because the initial conversation with the insurance company did not go the way the homeowner expected. Mold coverage is one of the most contentious areas of
Mold and Homeowners Insurance: What Your Policy Covers and Why Do … Read More »
The phrase “indoor air quality test” gets used broadly, and that creates confusion about what testing actually involves and what it tells you. Someone whose tenant is complaining of respiratory irritation, someone who just finished a basement renovation, and someone who recently moved into a new home all might be told they need an indoor
What an Indoor Air Quality Test Actually Measures: A Plain-Langua … Read More »
Legionella gets significant attention in healthcare settings, and for good reason. Hospitals and nursing homes concentrate immunocompromised patients in buildings with complex water systems and face specific regulatory requirements that force attention to water safety. But healthcare facilities account for a fraction of Legionella outbreaks. Residential buildings, hotels, and multi-tenant commercial properties are responsible for
Legionella Risk in Apartment Buildings and Multi-Tenant Propertie … Read More »
