MOLD REMEDIATION OPERATING PROCEDURES

Mold contamination in commercial buildings, institutions and households alike continues to receive increased attention in the media and is a rapidly growing concern for homeowners, property managers, insurance companies, and restoration companies. Without proper mitigation of an indoor moisture occurrence, mold can start to grow in as little as 48 hours, and mold contamination has been identified as a major contributor to building-related illness and poor indoor air quality. Despite the rapidly growing body of knowledge about mold, it remains the subject of a lot of confusion. While DampRid does not claim to have all the answers about mold, we hope that this information will help you to make better decisions.

What Is Mold?
We have probably all encountered mold at one time or another. It might have been mold in the shower, or mold on a stale piece of bread, or mildew on some wet drywall. Mold is a microscopic life form found in all parts of the world. It is part of the natural decay process of organic materials. There are many different species of mold and while they are diverse, they share some common characteristics:

Why is mold harmful?
Mold causes problems for several reasons:

• The coloured, fuzzy mold growth on the contaminated surface is obviously very objectionable.
• Active mold colonies usually emit a very unpleasant, musty odour.
• Because the job of mold is to digest, decay and recycle dead organic matter, it destroys whatever surface is its host.
• Exposure to mold spores can cause mild to severe allergic reactions, and possibly more serious problems, depending on individual sensitivity.

What is a reasonable and safe response to mold?
The best way to deal with mold is to prevent it from happening. If wet building materials are dried within 24 hours (assuming clean water), the chances of preventing mold growth are excellent. If the area remains wet, mold will start to grow. Therefore, addressing and eliminating the moisture problem is the most important first step to mold mitigation. But once mold is present, drying is not enough. Moldy materials must be either removed or decontaminated. This process is called remediation, and means “to remedy” or “to cure”. Proper remediation procedures are determined by the size, scope and nature of the mold contamination.

Three integral principles form the framework for mold remediation: containment, removal and safety. Containment is the practice of sealing or separating the affected area to keep mold spores from spreading and causing mold to grow in previously uncontaminated areas. Temporary walls of plastic or plywood may be erected to separate the affected area from the rest of the building. This area is called the containment zone. Air machines equipped with high efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filters are used to pull outside air into the containment zone and exhaust filtered air to the outside. These machines are sometimes called air scrubbers and this process is called negative air flow. Removal of mold and mold-contaminated materials must also be done in a manner that prevents further contamination. Most importantly, these procedures must be performed in a way that protects the remediation technicians, as well as the occupants of the building from potentially harmful exposure.

SUMMARY

We at Damp Rid hope the information in this guide helps you prevent mildew, mold and other musty odors in your home. We always like to hear comments or suggestions from our customers, and we invite you to call us on our toll free customer Help Line 1-888-326-7743. We also make our products available via our e-commerce website. Just call or write us, and we will be happy to help you.