We Determine Whether the Damage Is Historic or Still Active
Wall discoloration in a Las Vegas home from moisture falls into two categories: historic staining from a past water event that has since dried, and ongoing moisture that is producing active mold or continuing to saturate the wall. The appearance of the two can be similar. The difference is what is happening in the wall assembly right now, which requires moisture metering to determine rather than a visual inspection.
A historic water stain tan or brown discoloration from minerals in water that evaporated indicates that the wall was wet at some point. It does not confirm whether the assembly behind the stain is currently dry or still elevated. Past events that were surface-dried without professional drying equipment sometimes leave staining as the only visible indicator of a wall assembly that has been at elevated moisture content ever since.
When Dark Patches Mean Active Mold
Dark gray or greenish-black patches on wall surfaces that spread over time, that have a slightly textured or fuzzy appearance, or that are accompanied by a musty smell are almost certainly active mold. The color comes from the melanin produced by mold species like Cladosporium and Aspergillus. If a stain has changed shape or size since you first noticed it, the colony is growing. A stain that was smaller three weeks ago and is larger now is not a historic water stain.
What We Do
We assess the moisture condition of the wall with metering and thermal imaging and determine whether discoloration is historic or active. If mold is present, we provide a scope. If the wall is genuinely dry and the staining is historic, we tell you that. Read more about our mold inspection process. Call (702) 442-1126.