Last week I was invited to walk through a building that had been vacant for 4 years. The NEW owners invited me to a bid meeting purpose to clean (restore) the building HVAC system. This meeting was attended by a local duct cleaning competitor and a local “remediation” contractor. During the walk through it became very evident that the building was in need of more than just air system restoration – the building interior was coated in black suspicious microbial growth oily to touch and smelled like wet dirt. My competitor quickly began calling this substance “killer mold” and, eventually began telling the owner that he needed to post warning signs on all doors stating “Warning: Do Not Enter, Sick Building”… (Keep in mind that this building in not occupied). They went on to pull wall paper and siding off the walls all the while telling the customer about “Mold Sickness..” This kept the potential client’s attention! It was a very dramatic performance. It was a very blatant hard remediation scare sales tactic. I can’t wait to see their estimate!
My Concerns with this visit:
1. We did not know that this was mold! Call an Industrial Hygienest. Let them do an indoor air quality test, inspect the building, write a full scope of work, and then bid the work.
2. We do not know the cause so we can't fix the problem. Let the Hygeniest do their analysis.
3. No professional will throw the word "killer mold" or "mold" into a conversation. This is a warning. Call another professional! We are in the phone book!
I quietly told the new owner that he needed to hire an Industrial Hygienist. ` An Industrial Hygienist will perform air quality tests, swab tests, inspect the building, and provide a detailed scope of work detailing clean up (the remediation process) and probable fix as to the source of the problem. With this information I would be glad to provide an estimate for cleaning and treating his HVAC system. Without this analysis I could not provide a bid or do the work.
Call DUCTZ. We are Professional. We work with top remediators throughout the US to improve indoor Air Quality. We are NADCA trained and NADCA certified to clean duct work and know when to call for assistance or to inform you that we can’t “fix” your problem.
Call us today. We can help you – if not, we can refer you to qualified professionals!
In the Greenville, NC area, call 252-355-7779 or Call Dave at 252-714-8052.
In the Wilmington, NC area call 910-799-2345 or Robert at 910-470-7884.
In the Myrtle Beach Area call 843-249-3828 or call Robert at 910-470-7884.
Some easy to read information on Remediation From Wikipedia:
Molds and other allergens
Main articles: Mold health issues and Mold growth, assessment, and remediation
These biological chemicals can arise from a host of means, but there are two common classes: (a) moisture induced growth of mold colonies and (b) natural substances released into the air such as animal dander and plant pollen. Moisture buildup inside buildings may arise from water penetrating compromised areas of the building envelope or skin, from plumbing leaks, from condensation due to improper ventilation, or from ground moisture penetrating a building part. In areas where cellulosic materials (paper and wood, including drywall) become moist and fail to dry within 48 hours, mold mildew can propagate and release allergenic spores into the air.
In many cases, if materials have failed to dry out several days after the suspected water event, mold growth is suspected within wall cavities even if it is not immediately visible. Through a mold investigation, which may include destructive inspection, one should be able to determine the presence or absence of mold. In a situation where there is visible mold and the indoor air quality may have been compromised, mold remediation may be needed. Mold testing and inspections should be done by an independent investigator to avoid any conflict of interest and to insure accurate results; free mold testing offered by remediation companies is not recommended.
There are some varieties of mold that contain toxic compounds (mycotoxins). However, exposure to hazardous levels of mycotoxin via inhalation is not possible in most cases, as toxins are produced by the fungal body and are not at significant levels in the released spores. The primary hazard of mold growth, as it relates to indoor air quality, comes from the allergenic properties of the spore cell wall. More serious than most allergenic properties is the ability of mold to trigger episodes in persons that already have asthma, a serious respiratory disease.
Mold is always associated with moisture,[4] and its growth can be inhibited by keeping humidity levels below 50%. Moisture problems causing mold growth can be direct such as a water leaks and/or indirect such as condensation due to humidity levels.
Call us today. We can help you – if not, we can refer you to qualified professionals!
In the Greenville, NC area, call 252-355-7779 or Call Dave at 252-714-8052.
In the Wilmington, NC area call 910-799-2345 or Robert at 910-470-7884.
In the Myrtle Beach Area call 843-249-3828 or call Robert at 910-470-7884.
What is mold remediation?
Remediation
The first step in solving an indoor mold problem is stopping the source of moisture. Next is to remove the mold growth. Common remedies for small occurrences of mold include:
- § Sunlight
- § Ventilation
- § Wall insulation
- § Non-porous building materials
- § Household cleansers
Significant mold growth may require professional mold remediation and removal of affected building materials. A conservative strategy is to discard any building materials saturated by the water intrusion or having visible mold growth.
There are many ways to prevent mold growth; see heating, ventilating, improved insulation and air conditioning, and dry fog.
In extreme cases of mold growth in buildings, it may be easier to condemn the building rather than clean the mold to safe levels. Alternatively, look into the possibility of applying external wall insulation. This has the benefit of increasing the wall temperature above the dew-point, thus helps prevent internal condensation which results in mould-growth.
Certain contractors are capable of repairing mold damage - usually by removing the affected areas and eliminating the cause of the excess moisture.
There are also cleaning companies that specialize in fabric restoration - a process by which mold and mold spores are removed from clothing to eliminate odor and prevent further mold growth and damage to the garments.
New technology also allows some mold remediation companies to fill a room with a dry fog that kills the mold and stops its growth. This fog uses a chemical that is EPA approved and does not harm or damage the physical well being of persons or animals.
Improper methods for cleaning mold include exposure to high heat, dry air, sunlight (particularly UV light), ozone, and application of fungicides. These methods may render the mold non-viable, however, the mold and its by-products can still elicit negative health effects. As noted in following sections, the only proper way to clean mold is to use detergent solutions that physically remove mold. Many commercially available detergents marketed for mold clean-up also include an anti-fungal agent. The most effective way at this point is formal Mold Remediation.
The goal of remediation is to remove or clean contaminated materials in a way that prevents the emission of fungi and dust contaminated with fungi from leaving a work area and entering an occupied or non-abatement area, while protecting the health of workers performing the abatement.[6]
In conclusion, after the moisture source has been eliminated and the mold growth removed, the premises should be revisited and then re-evaluated to ensure the mold growth and the remediation process was successful. The premises should be free of any moldy smells or visible growth.
Call us today. We can help you – if not, we can refer you to qualified professionals!
In the Greenville, NC area, call 252-355-7779 or Call Dave at 252-714-8052.
In the Wilmington, NC area call 910-799-2345 or Robert at 910-470-7884.
In the Myrtle Beach Area call 843-249-3828 or call Robert at 910-470-7884.
See the original article on BizBrag
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