Anyone can start here · Invited homes, Hazard and North Fork valley communities, KY 41701
Document the flood-damp conditions in invited Hazard homes
Around Hazard, families rebuilt fast after 2022 with whatever materials arrived, and damp trapped behind new drywall is now surfacing as stains and musty rooms. An invited, room-by-room photo record separates the homes that need a dehumidifier from the homes that need a credentialed crew — before winter seals everyone indoors with it. Standard: EPA flood cleanup and mold guidance; SDG 3 + SDG 11. Proof: Room-by-room survey with a photo per finding Method (EPA flood cleanup and mold guidance; SDG 3 + SDG 11.): 1. Confirm the occupant invitation and walk each accessible room noting stains, water lines, buckling, odor, and visible growth. 2. Photograph each finding and locate it on a home sketch. 3. Record the flood and rebuild history the occupant shares. 4. Give the occupant the recovery-program contact and record that it was shared. 5. Submit the survey and GPS-dated photos the same day. Done when: Room-by-room survey with a photo per finding
How this work is done
A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–120 minutes. Method of record: Mold remediation readiness + dry-home baseline survey (EPA 402-K-01-001 remediation guidance + EPA 402-K-02-003 homeowner guidance; moisture-source-first; observation only)
Bring
- camera
- pin/pinless moisture meter
- hygrometer (indoor relative humidity by room)
- flashlight (attic/crawl/basement/under-sink)
- tape measure (visible-mold extent vs the EPA 10-sq-ft threshold)
- N95 respirator + nitrile gloves (surveyor protection — no disturbance)
Steps
- 1. Start with the household's experience: where it smells musty, who has symptoms, when it started, what flooding/leak history the home has. Their answers target the survey — this is their claim of a dry, breathable home.
- 2. Hunt moisture sources room by room and in attic/crawl/basement: active leaks (roof, plumbing, windows), condensation surfaces, grade/drainage problems at the foundation, bath/kitchen/dryer exhaust termination, and HVAC condensate; photograph each and take moisture-meter readings at suspect assemblies.
- 3. Record indoor relative humidity by room (target <60%, ideally 30-50% per EPA) and note dehumidification or ventilation gaps.
- 4. Document visible mold WITHOUT disturbing it: location, surface/material, and measured extent per patch, classed against the EPA threshold (under ~10 sq ft = careful DIY-cleanable per EPA guidance; over = professional remediation).
- 5. Build the moisture-first sequence: fix the water FIRST (each source mapped to the right trade — roofer, plumber, drainage), then dry, then remediate, then rebuild; mark what the household can safely do (small-area cleanup per EPA steps, humidity control) vs what routes to pros.
- 6. Enter photos, GPS/address, the moisture-source map, humidity/moisture readings, the mold extent inventory, and the sequenced plan; sign. Real (found and measured), Proven (photo+GPS+signature), One-of-one (this home's water, this family's air).
If it does not match the plan
- Any visible mold patch over ~10 sq ft, mold in HVAC ducts, or mold from sewage/contaminated water -> professional remediation only; do not scope household cleanup; route to a qualified remediation contractor per EPA guidance.
- Occupant with asthma, immune compromise, or persistent symptoms attributed to the home -> advise routing the health question to their clinician; the survey documents the home, it never assesses health.
- Active leak or structural water damage (sagging ceiling, spongy floor) -> the sequenced plan's first item is that repair by the right licensed trade; remediation before the water is fixed is wasted money — say so in the plan.
- Suspected asbestos or pre-1978 deteriorated paint on a surface slated for remediation demo -> do not disturb; mark abatement/RRP-gated and route to licensed pros.
What counts as done
- Household symptom/odor/leak history recorded and used to target the survey
- Moisture-source map complete: every found source photographed with moisture-meter readings at suspect assemblies
- Indoor relative humidity recorded by room against the EPA <60% guidance
- Visible mold inventoried by location + measured extent, classed against the EPA ~10-sq-ft professional threshold
- Moisture-first sequenced plan delivered: water fixed first (right trade named per source), household-safe steps separated from professional remediation
Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.
Claiming is free. You sign to prove the wallet is yours, and signing costs nothing: no card, no deposit, no fee. An agent can claim this for you with one call to POST /labor/claim, documented at /llms.txt.
Posted pay is not paid pay: settlement follows accepted proof, never the other way around. Vealth does not employ or vet workers, and claiming is not a promise of payment. See how proof and receipts work.