Remediation Requests in Monticello, Florida

Old houses, old materials, real moisture loads

Monticello's historic district and the surrounding rural properties include homes built long before vapor barriers, continuous insulation or mechanical dehumidification were considered. Many sit on piers with open or partially screened crawlspaces, have wood siding that has been repainted many times, and carry a century of renovation layers inside.

Practically, that means two categories of request tend to arrive together. There is the moisture problem — high crawlspace humidity, wood decay near sills and porch connections, plaster damage from a roof leak. And there is the materials question — textured ceilings, old floor tile and mastic, aged pipe insulation, and paint layers that predate 1978. Renovation work in these buildings routinely turns up materials that should be evaluated before they are disturbed.

Rural property considerations

Outside town, many properties are on well and septic systems, sometimes with long driveways and limited access for larger equipment. Septic drainfield surfacing after heavy rain is a recurring contaminated-water request. Outbuildings, barns and detached workshops are also common, and they often hold water problems nobody notices for a season.

• Crawlspace moisture and pier-and-beam wood decay
• Roof and chimney leaks affecting plaster and framing
• Septic overflow and contaminated water cleanup
• Suspected asbestos or lead materials found during renovation
• Storm damage on tree-covered rural lots
• Vacant or seasonally occupied property moisture problems