Understanding Indoor Air Quality and Mold
Four Steps to Understanding Indoor Air Quality:
Locate, Assess, Clean and Post test
As a disaster restoration and indoor air quality specialist for more than 25 years, I have seen some unhealthy indoor environments! You can cut through a lot of the mystery related to clean up by following these simple guidelines.
1. Locate: My first instinct in diagnosing a mold problem employs some of most sophisticated technology ever created-- the customer's own senses. These observations can contribute enormously to defining the problem. Some of the first questions I ask during a pre remediation survey are "can you see or smell something?" Incorporating this kind of information can often save lots of time. This is logical for people who call and say "it looks funny on my basement wall," or" it smells funny in my closet." I absolutely do not encourage sending Uncle Joe on a smelling expedition to locate the source. This may be hazardous! Remember this is part of the history not the exploration of new data.
2. Assess: How much mold are you dealing with? Contamination levels run from acceptable to hazardous. Did you know that one of the current standards for acceptable mold contamination within a living environment is defined by how much mold is outside verses inside that space? If there is more XYZ outside than inside, in general you're ok. Because mold is invisible until it manifest in quantities usually harmful for Indoor Air Quality, one should always use an independent laboratory to pre-test before beginning a job. Lab testing can determine two things which are impossible for the human apparatus to discern: type of species and level of contamination. Sample results, like ''X rays", serve as your guide to cleaning the invisible world you are entering. Professional disaster restoration companies follow IICRC industry standards which say that if people are living, working or learning in a space, indoor spore count should be below outside limits to be considered acceptable.
3. Clean: It's best for more complex projects to employ an independent lab to provide your remediation team with a remediation plan. They can provide a project supervisor as well. The plan usually focuses on the type of contamination and the best practices for your clean up.
4. Post test: Conducting a "post remediation" test is equally important to insure you're clean up was successful, or, that more cleaning is necessary. Lab results can also satisfy legal authorities who might require them for public health reasons in the event you are required to document your procedures later on.
Always remember, having a good working plan and finish line will insure a better night's sleep especially when dealing with an invisible boogieman such as mold.
Paul Plouffe has owned and operated a ServiceMaster of Greater Bridgeport for over 25 years. Paul is a Certified Indoor Air Quality Manager and Certified Mold Remediation Technician. You can find more information about Paul and his company at www.servicemastergb.com or call ServiceMaster Greater Bridgeport 1-203-386-1565. www.IICRC.org