Secondary Damages: From Water Damage to Mold Everywhere

What Happened 

In Gainesville, FL in November 2024, PUDDLES conducted an water damage inspection and informed the homeowner that numerous rooms had elevated moisture readings that required drying. 

The property owner decided to hire a cheaper company. Four months later, in March 2025, the insurance company issued the insurance check/payment to both the homeowner and the mortgage company (i.e., the bank). However, the bank insisted on getting a mold test before endorsing the check over to the homeowner. It gets both hot and humid in Gainesville, FL. Unfortunately, the mold test confirmed that mold is now throughout the entire house, including:

• The Kitchen
• Master Bedroom
• Hall Bathroom
• Guest Bedroom
• Living Room
• Etc.

Everything tested was confirmed to have mold, including the TV stand, barstool, etc.

What We Did 

We inspected the entire home on April 4, 2025, with a moisture meter and infrared camera. During the inspection, the homeowner had work done to the house, including painting, which was done AFTER the mold test but BEFORE any mold remediation.

As such, PUDDLES Restoration did not and will not perform any remediation services to the property to avoid the implications of being complicit in “painting over any mold.” 

CHEAP IS EXPENSIVE!