Mold, Moisture & IAQ Quality Assurance Program for Construction Projects

Introduction

In the current economic conditions there is fierce competition for current construction projects and those in the pipeline and the smart business strategy going forward for architects, construction teams and developers will be to compete on value, not price. At the inception of the supply chain architects and construction teams must find a competitive edge.

Environmental issues have played a major role in construction over the past few years, both negatively via construction defect litigation, and positively, via the burgeoning green movement. If properly addressed, both offer scope for that competitive edge. If mold, moisture and IAQ are neglected during the construction phase, there is the potential for catastrophic and time consuming plaintiff litigation. Conversely if these issues are proactively addressed, there is a powerful marketing message in the “healthy buildings” concept.

Healthy Buildings has been monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) and mold in buildings for the past 30 years. To protect new construction from mold, moisture or IAQ problems, and potential liability issues, we offer a powerful mold, moisture and quality assurance program.

A Proactive Approach

Modeled on the success of our proactive indoor air quality program for major office buildings, with well over 400 million square feet of buildings inspected, Healthy Buildings offers an IAQ consultation and inspection program for construction teams. The main objectives of this program being to:

  • Turn a potential liability problem into a valuable asset, to be used as a marketing tool to help attract potential buyers or building users in the highly competitive marketplace.
  • Protect the owner – developer against liability by demonstrating due-diligence by retaining an independent, respected third-party professional.
  • Enhance the relationship between the building user, owner and the developer by demonstrating a genuine concern for the building occupants’ comfort and wellbeing.

    Throughout the construction and commissioning process, we offer consulting services as part of a quality control program to ensure that the property meets the highest standards of Indoor Air Quality excellence. Once construction is complete we conduct a final IAQ survey of the building to enable us to deliver a Certificate of Air Quality Assurance that should be included in the Owner’s Package as proof of due diligence and freedom from mold or moisture concerns in the completed building.

    LEED Protocol

    Healthy Buildings has created protocols that meet or exceed certain prerequisites and credits from the U.S. Green Buildings Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) program for environmental friendly buildings. Three integrated but separately available services can be integrated, so whether or not certification is your goal, these can be implemented and documented compliant with LEED at client request:

    1. Development and monitoring of an IAQ management plan during construction (LEED NC EQ 3.1)
    2. Blower door testing for multifamily residential projects for compliance with LEED NC EQ P2, environmental tobacco smoke control.
    3. IAQ inspections before occupancy (LEED NC EQ 3.2)

    IAQ Management Plan

    Healthy Buildings will develop and deliver an appropriate IAQ Management Plan for the use of the general contractor throughout the construction process. This will include details on HVAC protection, pollutant source control measures, control of pollutant pathways, housekeeping requirements and specific environmental benchmarks that will be used to determine that the finished building achieves satisfactory standards of indoor air quality. There will be particular emphasis on mold and moisture intrusion.

    During construction, at regular intervals, Healthy Buildings inspections will be made of all interior areas of the building to ensure that no mold or moisture is present, and that proper measures are being employed to protect absorbent materials such as drywall, insulation materials, ceiling tiles and wood structures from exposure to moisture. Once the building envelope is completed and all the windows installed, the regular inspections will be expanded to all areas of the building and supplemented by thermal imaging (Infra-red photography). The objective being:

  • Collect and maintain photographic evidence that activities during the construction were acceptable and conformed to the defined construction management plan.
  • Complete a comprehensive visual inspection of all surfaces in the finished spaces for confirmation of freedom from mold contamination.
  • Duct inspections of the HVAC system to confirm they are clean and dry.
  • Document via thermal imaging photography, supplemented by surface moisture meter readings that the properties are dry and free of invisible moisture.
  • As the building nears completion the inspection would include documenting conditions, including photographs (digital and infrared) of voids, sub-floors, air plenums, pipe chases etc to document freedom of moisture and/or molds.
  • If problems are encountered remediation specifications will be presented and subsequent inspections will be made to confirm the adequacy of the corrective measures taken.

    IAQ Inspection Prior to Occupancy

    As the building is completed, Healthy Buildings conducts a final IAQ survey of the building to include:

  • An examination of the cleanliness of each HVAC unit.
  • An assessment of the quality of the air filters and the integrity of their fit.
  • Complete visual examination of all exposed surfaces of the building interior to ensure freedom from visible mold.
  • A thermal imaging survey of all exposed surfaces in the building to confirm absence of moisture in surface materials.
  • All surfaces indicating any significant level of moisture content from the thermal imaging will be tested to confirm final moisture content with an electronic moisture meter. Any damp or mold contaminated materials will be subject to replacement.
  • Air quality measurements will be taken in a representative series of rooms in the building to include:

    Airborne mold spore counts Total volatile organic compound concentrations (TVOC)
    Carbon dioxide levels Oxides of Nitrogen
    Carbon monoxide levels Sulfur dioxide
    Temperatures Hydrogen sulfide
    Relative humidity Respirable sized particulates (RSP)

    All results will be compared against generally accepted indoor air quality standards. For instance, it can be expected that mold spore counts in outside air will be considerably higher than found in the interior of the building.

    Deliverables:

    After completion of the IAQ Management Plan inspections throughout the construction, and the IAQ surveys of the finished building, all the photographs and inspection results will be tabulated and burnt onto a CD as a comprehensive record of the environmental conditions within the building. This CD will be delivered to the Developer. If the project is pursuing LEED certification, formal submittals ready for inclusion into the appropriate templates will be provided. In addition, a Certificate of Indoor Air Quality Assurance will be issued for the building owner’s closeout Package.

    Construction Monitoring for Hospitals

    There are special risks and requirements for hospital construction projects. Healthy Buildings develops and implements mold and moisture construction monitoring plans in compliance with Joint Commission, Federal and State regulations for hospital construction and renovation projects. We have extensive experience in this specialized field; please contact us for more details.

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