Mold Inspection in Norcross, GA

Local conditions in Norcross

Norcross sits about 17 miles from downtown Atlanta, bounded on the south by Interstate 85 and crossed by Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Indian Trail Lilburn Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Beaver Ruin Creek runs through town, and during the September 2009 floods the National Weather Service gauge on Crooked Creek at Norcross crested above flood stage on September 21. Homes on low ground near those creeks are the first places an inspector will ask about.

The city has a mix of older single-family houses, apartments and newer townhomes. In older homes the usual culprit is a damp crawl space; in newer, tighter ones it tends to be a missed flashing detail, a kinked condensate line or a leak hidden behind finished drywall. Apartments add another layer: water from a unit upstairs or next door can show up in yours, so an inspector may need to trace a stain back through a shared wall or ceiling before anyone can say where it starts.

Two ways to look for mold

Signs worth reporting

• A smell that is worse after rain or when the house has been closed up.
• Peeling paint or bubbling drywall low on an exterior wall.
• Rust or water marks around the water heater or air handler.
• Recurring growth on window sills or closet walls.
• A ceiling stain in a townhome or apartment that lines up with a bathroom on the floor above.

Seasonal notes

Summer humidity and heavy afternoon storms are when most Norcross calls come in, but winter has its own pattern: condensation on cold exterior walls behind furniture. EPA suggests keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50 percent. A basic hygrometer from a hardware store will tell you whether a room stays damp. If repairs are needed after the inspection, the city's Community Development building official handles permits and inspections, and Norcross Code Enforcement takes property maintenance complaints from tenants.