Mold Exposure or Is It Methane Gas
In the past six months since Hurricane Irma, we have been called into several mold related cases which ended up as Methane Gas exposure. Each of these clients were shocked to find out they were being exposed to Methane Gas. This one of our Indoor Air Quality Tests that we perform when we do a Mold Inspection. Methane Gas testing is important.
Methane Gas Leak
Let’s get into the details of one of these clients.
Client #1 was experiencing headaches, runny nose and spaciness. She lives in a five story condominium in South Florida. During our inial investigation for mold, we found elevated levels of microbial growth which required mold remediation. This microbial growth was from a roof leak four months prior that came down the Air Condioning Chase. The area passed a mold clearance test with flying colors thanks to a competant mold remediator(not all are created equal).
During the reconstruction phase, we saw that the Plumbing Vent Stack Pipe was cracked between the floors after we noticed new water on the floor again. This pipe was ten feet from the original water leak. The unit owner above had just come back from Canada two days before after an absence of six months. A Plumbing contractor was called in and he removed the cracked vent stack pipe and found another cracked pipe. The Plumbing contractor informed us it could have occurred during Hurricane Irma due to building movement. The vent stack was made of galvanized pipe. Our client is finally living in a Safe Home after a lot of hard work was completed in the unit.
The moral of the story is: It is not always Mold but can be Methane Gas from a leaking cracked vent stack pipe. It is important to test for Methane Gas in all homes that are exposed to Hurricane Force Winds.
