Our Mould Solutions:
- Flood Clean-up
- Mould Assessment
- Mould Sampling
- Remediation Oversight
- Restoration Inspection
- Project Management
- Management of Restoration Contractors
What is Mould?
Mould assessment is the identification of the location and extent of the mould hazard in structures. Mould remediation is the removal and/or cleanup of mould from an indoor environment. When mould spores are present in large quantities, they can be a health hazard to humans and can cause allergies and respiratory problems.
The terms "toxic mould" or “spores” or “microbial contamination” refer to moulds that produce mycotoxins. Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and in some cases, death. Prolonged daily exposure at work or at home can be especially harmful.
The reproduction of mould is through airborne spores. We can find mould in the indoors and outdoors as mould grows when moisture is present. When spores land on a moist surface that is suitable for life, they begin to grow. Because mould spores are everywhere and building materials (such as drywall, plywood, carpets) are capable of sustaining mould growth, indoor mould is normally related to water or moisture within a building. Mould growth can be caused by flooding, incomplete drying of flooring materials such as concrete as well as leaky roofs, building maintenance problems, or indoor plumbing problems. The problem may be aggravated when water infiltrated is contaminated by sewer wastewater.
When an incident of water damage in a facility occurs, there is a mould growth within walls which becomes dormant until a subsequent incident of high humidity occurs; this illustrates how mould can appear to be a sudden problem, long after a previous flood or water incident occurred that did not produce such a problem. The delay in addressing any type of water damage (both clean water and waste water) will exponentially increase the extent of the damage and, thus, the remediation cost.
The main problem with mould is the inhalation of mycotoxins, which are very high after a flood even when it has dried out. Moulds are frequently followed by a particular smell. HVAC systems can also create the optimum conditions for significant mould growth and inhalation.
Assessment
The first step is a visual inspection of the facility. This method, considered non-intrusive, can only detect visible and odor-causing moulds. Sometimes more intrusive methods are needed to assess the level of mould contamination, i.e. find the locations of mould and sources of moisture within structure.
Sampling
- Air sampling
- Surface sampling (swabs and tape lifts)
- Bulk samples
Remediation
Significant mould growth requires professional mould remediation and removal of affected building materials. 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.
The purpose of the clean-up process is to eliminate the mould and fungal growth and to remove contaminated materials. As a general rule, simply killing the mould with a biocide is not enough. The mould must be removed since the chemicals and proteins, which cause a reaction in humans, are still present even in dead mould. The contractors we hire are equipped with full-face respirators using HEPA filters and disposable protective clothing. The work area will be isolated from occupied areas and clean-up will be conducted with specialized equipment.
