Black Mold Removal in Hendersonville, TN

Why does black mold keep showing up in Hendersonville houses?

Hendersonville is a lakeside city on Old Hickory Lake about 13 miles from Nashville, and its housing stock is middle-aged: the median home was built in 1989. Houses from that era are reaching the point where original supply lines, water heaters, shower pans and roof flashing start to fail, and slow leaks behind finished walls are a classic source of dark growth. Add humid summers near open water and a crawl space under many homes, and you get mold on the backs of cabinets, around tubs and on floor framing. About three-quarters of homes are single-family, with a rental share a little under 30 percent.

Does flooding from Drakes Creek change the job?

It changes the scale. Sumner County's Flood Insurance Study includes detailed analyses of Drakes Creek and its tributaries for the city, and notes that intense local rainfall makes headwater streams rise fast, with major floods typically in late winter and early spring. When flood water soaks drywall and insulation and they can't be dried within 24 to 48 hours, EPA says to assume mold growth. That usually means cutting out the lower part of walls, removing pad and carpet, and cleaning the framing, not just wiping the black spots you can see.

Who do I contact about permits or a landlord who won't fix it?

The City of Hendersonville Building & Codes Department handles permits, inspections and plan review inside city limits. Mold cleanup itself isn't usually permitted, but rebuilding walls or replacing structural framing may be. The same department takes building and codes complaints through its online form; it doesn't accept anonymous complaints except in emergencies, so renters should be ready to give their name. Health questions can go to the Sumner County Health Department, which has a clinic in Hendersonville.

One local note

Sumner County is not one of the counties where TDCI requires the Home Improvement license for jobs from $3,000 to under $25,000. For jobs of $25,000 or more, the company needs a Tennessee contractor's license, and mold remediation is the S-F classification. Angi also recommends using a separate company for testing and for removal.