In last year’s mold article, one drywall sub
from the Golden State said he would not get
into mold remediation because it was too
much trouble. His exact words were: “We
could make money as a specialized remediation
company, of course, but you have to
work too hard to make it, which leads to
stress and too much demand on the workers,
which leads to a greater likelihood of
turnover and accidents. You have to go to a
high level of care and protection of the
workers doing the removal, just as if one is
removing asbestos, with proper respiratory
training, proper equipment, and medical
follow-up of the workers. I’ve been in the
business of safety 30 years and was in the
front end of dealing with the asbestos issue.
It seems that people are getting the message
on mold a lot quicker than with asbestos,
but where I see us running into difficulty is
if subs think they can accommodate the general
contractor by removing mold when it
is at the level of removal that requires respiratory
protection and their people are not
qualified. It is a very complicated and cumbersome
process to remove mold correctly.”
Fortunately, some contractors weighed the
risks and decided to take the leap. One such
was Poellinger Inc. of La Crosse, Wis., a
company with a strong background in stucco,
exterior insulation and finish systems,
drywall, light steel framing, fireproofing and
sprayed acoustic systems. They formed a
mold remediation division just over a year
ago. It was not a decision that came lightly,
but it was catalyzed by some finger pointingover bacteria and mold that had formed
after a small fireproofing job in a school.
Poellinger realized that those giving recommendations
were not as knowledgeable
as he had hoped, and so stepped up
to the plate as the local resource.
Since then, Poellinger has received many
requests for information and assistance
concerning mold in drywall, gypsum
board, etc. from other contractors, as
well as building owners and representatives.
“We see a lot of inquiries from home
owners, too” notes Richard Rice
([email protected]), the business unit
director for Poellinger’s Mold Environmental
Services Division, “especially
after the media fuel interest in the subject. We’ve had school mold situations
in our area, which tend to act as catalysts
for inquiries from other commercial
building owners who may have discovered
similar problems.
“The media spotlight has assisted in raising
awareness among owners, GCs, contractors,
insurers etc. and developing
internal knowledge on mold. We are
also seeing independent seminars being
sponsored to educate these groups.
“The need and demand for mold remediation
exists, therefore, but until the federal
government establishes a minimum
exposure level (as with asbestos and
radon) the mold situation and industry
will remain in a free-for-all unregulated
state, with a wide variety of responses to
problems encountered. Some people
request the experience and background
of a remediation contractor, while others
attempt to handle mold on their own.
“To be sure, removing drywall is not
rocket science, but what a remediation
contractor brings to the table is training
and education, standard operating protocols,
pollution liability insurance, and
most importantly, documentation these projects all have to be highly documented.
“While the standards may not yet be
agreed upon, the technology for dealing
with mold is definitely in place, not only
being adequate to deal with mold, but
to prove completion of a job by an independent
tester. These third parties take
pre- and post-test air samples that allow
us to ascertain whether or not the air
quality has improved and the project is
complete.”
Leaving Mold to the Mold Busters
So how does one get to this happy point
of “mold gone,” and how long does it
take? Once mold has been identified
through sight and/or smell (to borrow a
familiar expression: “If it looks like mold
and smells like mold, then it probably
is mold”) following a building occupants
complaint, accidental discovery or
assessment following known moisture
intrusion, one tests to determine which
of the various species and types of mold
is proliferating. Some molds are more
likely to cause allergic reactions and
health problems. These test results are
then used to develop a scope of work to
select the best procedure for removal and
avoid cross contamination. Remedial
strategies may also include the subsequent
use of alternate building materials designed to retard any future development
of mold.
The first step of any such plan is to identify
and resolve the moisture source,
whether a condensation problem or a
water leak from building envelope or
pipe failure. Mold spores exist everywhere
and become a problem, of course,
when a food source (such as cellulose
materials like paperbacked drywall) and
water combine.
Arrangements are then made for occupant
removal as needed. A containment
area is set up using 6 mil poly with a two or
three stage airlock to control entrance
and egress. Negative air pressure is then
established within the contained area
using negative air-filtration devices.
Then workers, who need to be trained
on the proper use of personal protection
equipment—respirator, a Tyvek suit
(moon suit), gloves and work boots and who have undergone a medical evaluation
and annual medical follow-ups,
enter the area to cut out, bag and
remove the infected material. The concept
is basic: Anything porous-dry-wall,
fiber-needs to be removed,
including contents and furnishings.
Non-porous items, such as ceramic tile
or finished cement, can generally be
cleaned and coated.
Workers walk into the first airlock and
then the second airlock, where they put
on their protective gear. They then walk
into the work area. To exit, they have to
enter the second airlock to remove their
suits and then move to the first airlock
before exiting.
Post-remediation clearance testing then
usually takes a week. Assuming testing
signals the “all-clear,” one has a contingency
in place to rebuild the area, or
another contractor is free to do so.
Depending on the severity of the infestation,
the project can be completed reasonably
rapidly.
“One key misconception in the indus-try,” Rice points out, “is that the length
and ease of completing a project is determined
by the amount of square footage
affected. The truth is that tens of thousand
of mold spores can exist in one
square foot. Such a small area does not
mean one can go in and remove the
affected piece. Without negative pressurization,
those mold spores can:
Cross contaminate other areas of the
building compromising the overall
building health.
Compromise occupant health.
Compromise those members of their
own team who may be susceptible to
allergic reactions.
So when should a sub or GC ask a remediation
specialist to step in? Rice provides
the answer again: “The moment
he discovers what he believes to be mold
in any kind of a cavity or wall opening.
All disciplines, whether plumbers, electricians,
etc., should stop and notify the
GC, building owners or reps as soon as
they see a spot of mold. The GC in turn
should call in a specialist to handle it.
Many GCs do not yet fully grasp the
complexities of the issue, so we see a
wide range of responses to the discovery
of mold.
“Any sub trying to handle the health
care clinic we are working on currently
without proper protocols would be a
disaster waiting to happen for all parties
concerned. In this particular case, the
basement is affected near all the central
air-handling units. The potential for
cross contamination in the building is
great, as is the health hazard, bearing in
mind that the elderly, the young and the
sick have a greater difficulty dealing with
mold spores. The moisture source is a
building envelope leak caused by poor
landscaping and water entering through
cement block walls. The standard protocols
are sufficient for dealing with the
project, with the additional requirements
that the air-handling system be
relocated temporarily and the HVAC
system be cleaned and sanitized.
Playing the Mold Game
“Education on mold and its remediation
is my advice for all GCs and contractors,”
Rice continues. “Then prepare to
deal with mold issues by having a team
in place and a response protocol formulated
for the day the call comes in, or the
certified letter arrives, saying, ‘The
building you built for me last year is
now full of mold.’
“Who should be on that team? If you are
not going to get into the remediation
business yourself, then meet with local
remediation contractors, understand
their capabilities and look at some of their
past projects. Keep certified industrial
hygienists and environmental consultants
in your resource bank: It is a conflict of
interest for a remediation company to
offer air-quality tests for hire (as distinct
from internal quality-assurance air tests at
the end of a project before a third-party
tester arrives).
“Find a legal counsel knowledgeable in
building and construction issues, and
form a strong alliance with your insurance
professional as well as architects and
engineers. Find restoration industry people
with experience in quick drying
before mold can grow—companies that
pump out water and insert air into the
walls. Connect with the International
Institute of Restoration and Cleaning
Contractors, the IAMRS International
Association of Mold Remediation Specialists
and the Indoor Air Quality Association.
“If you are considering moving into
mold remediation,” Rice adds, “first
check the need in the local area. Mold
remediation companies are starting to
spring up, and your area may not be able
to support two such companies if the
existing one is competent and being
awarded most of the work already.
“Take advantage of the mold industry
association programs that are available,
obtaining certification and training to
bring your people to current industry
standards. This can take as little as two
weeks, with ongoing education a must
as the industry evolves on a monthly
basis with new techniques, products,
programs and equipment being released.
“Make sure the professionals on your
team are willing to take on documentation.
Once you start dealing with a
problem that is thought to be causing
health effects, you better be able to document
how you handled it. Too many
construction companies are weak on
documentation and will have difficulty
compiling the needed report at the end
of the project. Then check your insurance coverage, especially pollution liability,
and have all the company protocols
written out and known.
“The trick in bidding on any mold
remediation jobs is to factor in the lower
production rate that workers can provide
when suited up and going in and
out all day through the decontamination chambers. Also factor in the pre-liminary
work and the definition of the
end of the work being tied to the testing
protocol, requiring that work sometimes
be redone. So build in contingencies for
the project lasting longer than expected.
There are variables and unknowns in
these projects that can put you below the
bottom line unless you take them into
account.
“Lastly, confidentiality and discretion
are important elements. You can’t have
a truck with a huge sign on it saying
Mold Remediation, or be seen walking in
and out of a building with moon suits
on. It’s not uncommon in higher profile
jobs, to have media present, wanting to
talk to your people. You are not trying
to hide from anyone, but there is the
question of discretion and catering to
the building owner’s/customer’s needs
and expectations. Mold remediation
actually requires that you balance the
concerns of the building owner and
occupants, the environmental consultant,
your workers, your own company
over issues such as liability, etc., so keep
this in mind if PR is not a strength in
your company”
Each remediation job has its own personality
No two are the same. While
removing mold was never considered
rocket science, the fact that one has to
wear moon suits these days shows there
is much about mold that we did not
know in the early days. Getting up to
speed, however, is not difficult, as long
as you do what has won before, and not
new things untried as yet.
About the Author
Steven Ferry is a freelance writer based
in Clearwater, Fla.
