Take a moment to think back through 2016. What changed in your life this year? What changes did you notice in the community, state, and even world around you? What headlines come to mind? 

Thermal imaging cameras can be a very helpful tool during water damage remediation work. However, the key is knowing what you’re seeing, and how infrared technology works.

In May 2016, the massive Fort McMurray wildfire that forced more than 80,000 people from their homes was dubbed the costliest disaster for insurers in Canadian history.  With tens of thousands of personal, commercial and auto claims, the devastation took months to document and the re-build will be underway for some time to come.

If left unchecked, water intrusion can damage a home or building. It can cause rotted wood, peeling paint, rusted metals, water stains, buckling floors, mold growth, and even pest infestations.

Testing for EPA registration of disinfectants and antimicrobials is conducted following a strict protocol. But such testing does not mimic the way that such chemicals are used for the remediation of water losses, mold, etc.

This story starts back in September of 2015, with routine annual inspections by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development at the Eureka Gardens apartment complex in Jacksonville, Fla.

Usually mold testing is done with an inspection plus air and/or tape sampling. In recent years, our industry has seen a new method of mold testing – Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) and sometimes it’s cousin HERTSMI-2.