Commercial Mold Remediation in Woodstock, GA

Local conditions in Woodstock

Woodstock is a fast-growing Cherokee County city of about 35,000 people, roughly 25 miles from Atlanta, with a downtown built around the 1912 Woodstock Depot and a network of greenway trails. The Little River, Noonday Creek and Kellogg Creek all run through the area. In the September 2009 floods, the National Weather Service listed Woodstock gauges well above flood stage on September 21: the Little River crested at 20.80 feet against an 11-foot flood stage, and Noonday Creek at 19.66 feet against 10 feet. Cherokee County was one of four counties designated for FEMA Individual Assistance that month.

Commercial buildings on low ground near those creeks, restaurants and shops in older downtown buildings, and newer retail and apartment communities along Highway 92 each have their own moisture risks, from groundwater to rooftop units. Cherokee County Environmental Health in Canton takes mold complaints and gives information, but it does not inspect residences, and Georgia DPH says indoor mold has no enforceable standards. That leaves the owner, the tenants and the lease to decide how the work is handled.

Owner staff or a remediation company?

Signs

• Lower-level suites with a musty smell after heavy rain.
• Stained ceiling tiles in a line, following a roof leak.
• Peeling paint and swollen baseboards near exterior doors.
• Resident reports of spotting in closets or bathrooms.

Timing and permits

EPA says to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours, so after a storm start drying immediately. Late summer and the weeks after big rain events are when hidden problems surface. For rebuild work, the City of Woodstock Building & Safety Division at the City Hall Annex on Highway 92 issues building permits. Woodstock's Community Development Department also has a Stormwater & Environmental Management division and a Code Enforcement division, the latter being the place to report leaks a landlord is not fixing.