Commercial Mold Remediation in Waleska, GA

Waleska conditions

Waleska is a small college town of about 900 people built around Reinhardt University, roughly 40 miles from Atlanta and about 7 miles northwest of Canton, along State Routes 140 and 108. Lake Arrowhead, a residential reservoir community, lies about 2 miles west. Commercial property here is modest: rentals that house students, small shops and offices, churches, and buildings that serve visitors to places like the Funk Heritage Center. Rental units that sit closed over breaks, older buildings on crawl spaces, and the humid North Georgia summers are a reliable recipe for mold. Cherokee County was one of four counties designated for FEMA Individual Assistance after the September 2009 floods.

One local detail matters for rebuild: the Cherokee County Development Service Center permits all construction activity in unincorporated Cherokee County and in the City of Waleska, so permits for replacing drywall, ceilings or mechanical equipment go through the county. Because the town is small, there is no separate city code office named for tenant leak complaints; renters should put repair requests in writing to the landlord and keep copies, which Georgia Legal Aid recommends. Owners of buildings used by students or visitors should also keep a simple log of leaks and repairs, which helps if questions come up later.

Who handles which part

Signs

• A musty rental unit after a semester break.
• Spotting on bathroom ceilings where fans are weak or unused.
• Damp or moldy insulation in a crawl space.
• Stains spreading from a roof valley or chimney.

Timing

EPA says to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours. In Waleska, the useful windows are before students return and right after summer storms, when hidden leaks show themselves. Landlords should remember that Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 44-7-13) requires keeping rental premises in repair. Cherokee County Environmental Health in Canton takes mold complaints and gives information but does not inspect residences.