Few cities have rebuilt as much housing at once as Panama City did after Michael. That wave means a huge volume of new drywall, flooring, cabinetry, adhesives, and paint going into tightly sealed, heavily conditioned homes on compressed schedules. All of that new material off-gasses volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde, and in a sealed home the concentration builds instead of clearing.

Layered under that is leftover moisture. A rebuild that closed before the structure fully dried carries humidity and the microbial activity that follows it. New-material off-gassing and hidden moisture can both be present at once, and they feel similar from the inside. Testing separates them so the fix targets the real cause.