Healthy Home Center

Back in January, after a thaw, I noticed a water stain on the living room ceiling. There were no pipes in the area so I knew it had to be coming in from outside. With all the snow, freezing rain, rain, thaws and refreezing we had this winter, I didn't manage to track the leak down until late April. It was discovered that when the previous home owners had had the roof redone, the roofer had not bothered to recaulk around the chimney base. The old caulk had deteriorated and water was coming in. I got that fixed but started to notice a mouldy smell in the master bedroom so knew I needed mould remediation done.

I got a couple of estimates, which were competitive, but decided to go with Healthy Home Center because I was impressed by Gabriel's knowledge and honesty. I was also very concerned about any remediation products and building materials that would be used because I am very allergic to most VOCs. Gabriel had no problem whatsoever using the brands of insulation, drywall, and drywall compound that I knew I wouldn't react to. He assured me all the remediation products he uses on mould are very low or zero VOC. He said this, combined with the work being done in a contained area and vented outside, should assure I had no problems.

Gabriel and his team arrived and started work in the living room. A bit of mould and water damage was discovered behind the walls around the fireplace and in the ceiling. The drywall, vapour barrier, insulation and part of the ceiling were removed. All the remaining surfaces were treated for mould and thoroughly dried out.

Upstairs in the bedroom, the only sign of water damage was a bit of bubbled hardwood. I'd told Gabriel, when he came to do the estimate, that I thought the leak had occurred on and off for about five months. Once he'd removed the drywall in the bedroom though, he saw that the damage was extensive. He said it looked like the water had been coming in behind the bedroom wall for years. It had come down from the roof, somehow missing the bedroom ceiling, had soaked through the insulation in the wall and then run under the floor. The vapour barrier had stopped any water from damaging the drywall which is why I had no idea how long it had been leaking before it finally came through the ceiling below in the living room.

Gabriel showed me pictures he'd taken of the damage. There was a lot of mould on all the surfaces. The studs, the bottom plate, the floor joists, and the subfloor had all sustained water damage. Some were so badly rotted they could be picked apart by a finger nail! There was so much more damage than had been expected that the job ran an extra day and extra materials had to be purchased. I was kept fully informed by Gabriel and although this meant the cost would be higher than the original estimate, I had no problem with that. I didn't want to fall through the floor!

Gabriel and his team were working during the few really hot days we had in June. Although they were in the house, the vents were blocked off inside the containment areas, so they had no air conditioning. On top of that, they had to wear haz mat suits and masks. Through it all, everyone worked hard and were unfailingly polite and pleasant.

After the decontamination was done, they rebuilt everything with the materials I'd specified. Gabriel brought in a finishing specialist who repaired the popcorn ceiling in the living room and did the painting. The painting wasn't in the estimate because I was trying to save money and was going to do it myself. Gabriel said it wasn't a big area that needed to be done and that they'd throw it in. I was stunned and very thankful. I am a senior and while I do know how to paint, their results were so much more professional (not to mention quicker) than anything I could have done.

When they replaced the bubbled hardwood flooring in the bedroom, they replaced more than just the few damaged bits. I had extra flooring so they replaced quite a few rows so that it all looked seamless.

It's obvious Gabriel and his team take great pride in their work, it shows in the finished job. Although mould remediation is a very noisy job with the big fans venting outside 24/7, it was managed with the least possible disruption to me and my home. There was very little drywall dust after the repairs were finished and because of that, and the products they used, I had no allergic reactions.

If anyone has need of any of the services Healthy Home Center offers, I'd recommend Gabriel and his team very highly.