A Middleton WI family had mold symptoms but no visible growth anywhere in the home. Pure Maintenance Wisconsin found mold hidden inside their HVAC. Health conditions improve after remediation

A family in Middleton, Wisconsin contacted Pure Maintenance Wisconsin because they were experiencing mold-related symptoms with no obvious explanation. There was no visible mold anywhere in the home, no water stains, no musty odor they could pinpoint. What they had noticed was a puddle appearing in the middle of their basement on a couple of occasions during the summer, seemingly coming from the ductwork — and their air conditioning had gone out during that same period. They suspected mold but had no idea where to look.

Our investigation uncovered a chain of events that had unfolded invisibly over time. Water was entering the home through a gable end window under specific weather conditions, working its way down through the wall cavity, and finding its way into the return duct system before pooling in the basement below. During that same window of time, the air conditioning failure had allowed temperature and humidity inside the ductwork to rise unchecked — creating ideal conditions for mold to form and spread throughout the HVAC system and into the home. Air sampling inside the HVAC unit confirmed 10,300 spores per cubic meter, validating the suspicion. A separate inspection of the unfinished basement revealed an additional problem: improper flashing on a back porch area had created a second independent mold situation in one corner of the basement.

Besides our sanitation vapor process we recommended to additional steps— a thorough duct cleaning and a biological cleaning of the furnace itself by qualified HVAC contractors. Both ACME ducts and Ducts on Call contributed to this successful remediation. Their contribution turned out to be critical. When the furnace was opened, standing water was discovered in the bottom section of the unit — completely invisible from the outside and unknown to the homeowners. The back porch flashing was corrected to eliminate that water intrusion source. And of course Pure Maintenance Wisconsin applied our patented vapor technology throughout the entire home. Post-remediation sampling inside the HVAC unit showed 53 spores per cubic meter — a dramatic decrease from the pre-remediation reading of 10,300.

The results for the family were immediate and lasting. Symptoms began subsiding right away, and a lung condition the resident had started to improve after remediation. The other family members noticed significant health improvements right away. This case illustrates something we encounter regularly — the most significant mold situations are often the ones you cannot see. A thorough investigation, the right contractors working in the right sequence, and a complete vapor treatment of the interior space is what resolves them permanently. Pure Maintenance Wisconsin serves the west side of Madison including MIddleton and communities throughout Dane County

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