Post-Remediation Clearance Testing in Lebanon, TN

Our street floods more than once. Is clearance even worth it?

Yes, and it matters more. Homes along Spencer Creek near Lebanon flood repeatedly, and residents have built berms to protect their houses; neighbors blame debris piling up under the bridge on Northern Road near Highway 109. In February 2019, roads including Bluebird Road east of Lebanon off I-40 went under water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a Wilson County watershed study starting with Spencer Creek, and county officials said the county had seen flood events since 2010 it had not experienced before. When water returns, a clearance report documents the condition of the house after each cleanup, and the inspector's moisture readings show whether the materials are dry enough to rebuild at all. EPA's rule of thumb after flooding is to assume mold where an area could not be dried within 24 to 48 hours.

Can the company that cleaned it also clear it?

Tennessee does not forbid it. Angi still recommends using separate companies for testing and remediation, because an inspector with no part in the cleanup has no reason to go easy on it. For homes in Lebanon's older neighborhoods around the Town Square and Castle Heights Avenue, or rentals near Cumberland University, a neutral report is also easier to hand to a buyer, tenant or adjuster.

Who issues permits and takes complaints?

The City of Lebanon Building Inspection Department, at 200 North Castle Heights Avenue, receives building permit applications inside city limits and handles framing, mechanical, plumbing and final inspections; electrical inspections are done by state deputy inspectors. Mold cleanup itself is not described as permitted work, but rebuilding framing or walls may be. Renters with a leak the landlord will not fix can file through the city's online Codes Complaint form.

Local note: if your home has flooded more than once, keep every clearance report, remediation scope and invoice together. They help with insurance questions and with a future sale. The Wilson County Health Department is on East Baddour Parkway in Lebanon, and the Tennessee Department of Health's Healthy Homes page covers mold and moisture.