Mold and Moisture Consulting Services Available from HBI

• Management Plans
• Inspections for Mold and Moisture Ingress
• Scope of Work Preparation for Remediation
• Clearance Inspections and Documentation
• Thermal Imaging Inspections
• Pre-Purchase Due Diligence Inspections
• Laboratory Services
• Expert Witness Consulting
• Training (live or online, see below)  

E-Seminar Training on Mold

HBI’s interactive web-based training curriculum was designed to meet mold awareness training required by major property insurers. This web-based platform, available through special arrangement with BOMA (www.BOMA.org) or directly through from HBI through www.Intellum.com provides a cost-effective online solution for mold awareness training. Please Contact us for more information about these training programs.

Introduction to Mold

All molds are members of a class of organisms known as Fungi. The name molds and mildew are interchangeable. However, Fungi also include other organisms, such as mushrooms and puffballs that differ from molds because of their ability to form large so called fruiting bodies, these are usually bulbous structures typically seen sprouting above the ground. Thus all molds are fungi, but all fungi are not molds. Molds, and fungi are a lower form of plant-life. Fungi differ from green plants in that they have no chlorophyll (the green pigment), so they cannot use the process of photosynthesis to manufacture carbohydrates using energy from sunlight.

Since they cannot synthesize their own foods, they obtain their carbohydrates by digesting other organic materials. In this regard they are of immense importance to us. Most molds and fungi are saprophytes, this means that they live on dead tissue, and in many respects they play a vital part in nature’s life cycle. They are scavengers that decompose wood, compost, leaves and dead animal tissues. The fact that molds do not need sunlight to grow also explains why so many molds grow better in dark secluded spaces.

Most organic materials can be decomposed by fungi, including sugars, starches, carbohydrates, cellulose, leathers, and lignin (the main component of wood). When we examine our buildings and their furnishings we find large volumes of cellulose present in paper, insulation products, wallboards and ceiling tiles. Starches are also present as binding agents.

Cotton and rayon contain cellulose, both of these products, plus adhesives, are used in the manufacture of soft furnishings or carpets. Thus it is no surprise to find fungal growths on damp carpets, clothing or fabrics, the molds attacking the fibers and the adhesive backing. Nor is it unexpected that fungi will thrive on wallpaper adhesives, and on the jointing compounds between vinyl and ceramic tiles, and wood. Since molds basic function is to breakdown organic matter, they destroy everything that they can grow on.

How Molds Enter and Circulate in Building

The molds themselves are present virtually everywhere, including the interior of all buildings. They usually reproduce by producing tiny microscopic sized airborne spores that simulate the seeds of higher plants. These spores are carried into buildings by people, on our bodies, in our hair, on our clothing. Additional spores come in through openings of doors, windows and outside air intakes of HVAC systems. Decorative plants and pets that are brought into buildings add more species of microorganisms. Once inside the building, the central air conditioning and ventilation systems can potentially distribute the tiny spores to other areas of the building, where they may land on a source of nutrition where they may “put down their roots” and continue their own lifecycle.

Molds have very simple requirements to grow and multiply. These include a food source, moderate temperatures and moisture. They are virtually ubiquitous both indoors and outdoors and it is impractical to strive for their total elimination from buildings. We neither need nor want a sterile environment. Fortunately, molds need moisture to grow and reproduce; therefore the key to their control is to control the moisture content within the building. If relative humidities are kept below 65 percent few molds can grow or reproduce.

Water incursion from outdoors due to excessive rains or floods must be prevented. Building system failures, leaks through roofs, vapor migration through the building envelope, and water infiltration into basements must be eliminated. Plumbing leaks, condensate tray spills, and tenant activities generating water or vapor must be promptly controlled.

Health Effects of Molds

There are thousands of species of molds or fungi and they are present nearly everywhere. Some species affect humans. The most common symptoms resulting from exposure are runny noses, eye irritation, wheezing, shortness of breath and upper respiratory problems.

A few fungi are pathogenic to humans. The most common of these is the fungus that causes Athlete’s Foot or Ringworm on the skin. These are topical diseases that usually respond well to treatment with anti-fungal medicines. In commercial buildings the greatest health problem caused by molds are allergies and the exacerbation of asthma in people who suffer from it. These are important concerns but under most scenarios they are rarely life threatening.

Toxic Molds

The media has created the label “Toxic Mold” and one or two individual molds have been singled out for special attention. Much of this was precipitated by a study in Cleveland, Ohio, sponsored by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Approximately one dozen children became sick following flooding, subsequently at least one of the children died. All of the children suffered pulmonary hemorrhaging, bleeding in the lungs, and researchers had identified a fungus, known as Stachybotrys chartarum as the probable cause.

The media had a field day, as a result of which, the very presence of this common fungus in any building precipitated near panic. What appears to have been overlooked is the fact that the CDC retracted its findings. They published a report that concluded that there was no hard evidence linking the fungus with the symptoms. They admitted gross errors in the first report and the CDC has been emphatic in pointing out that when they reviewed the data, they concluded that there was no evidence that Stachybotrys was to blame. This observation has been further supported by the study released in June 2004 by the Institute of Medicine (Part of the National Academy of Sciences) that concluded that molds do not cause cancer, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems or neurological disorders. This report added that there were many factors present in indoor environments that can intermingle to produce allergic type reactions, but mold alone cannot be held responsible for causing the more severe illnesses listed above. 

Management Plans for Property Owners

In the last few years, because of burgeoning claims for property damage due to mold many building owners and insurance companies are taking a proactive approach to reduce the potential risk from moisture or mold in their buildings.

HBI provides inspections and education plans for property owners.  A key part of this is a mold awareness program and a commitment by the property owner/manager to abide by the principles of the plan. It is imperative that the building staff is properly trained, and will continue to maintain a level of ongoing training and that this process is adequately documented. 

Objectives of a Mold Management Plan

Mold management should ideally be a corporate wide policy for legal consistency. The primary objective is to provide guidance to the property managers, building engineers, maintenance and janitorial staff with respect to identifying and correctly addressing mold related issues in properties owned or managed by by the company.

In addressing mold issues in buildings it is essential to recognize that all growth of molds is precipitated by moisture problems. Thus in preparing any preventive strategies for mold we must focus on moisture control. The overall goal of a mold policy is to create a mold and moisture awareness operating and maintenance protocol to:

• Protect building occupants from exposure to excess mold.
• Deal promptly and efficiently with early signs of contamination and/or moisture incursion.
• Introduce a policy that will under normal circumstances prevent any reoccurrence of mold growth in the building.

Microbes in general and molds and fungi in particular have been in existence much longer than humans and, as with all living things, have developed ways to adapt to changing conditions of their environment over many millions of years. It should therefore be of little surprise to us that when we design buildings that are optimized for human comfort, the ubiquitous microbe population was immediately able to find a very comfortable niche within them.

By design, most buildings remain dry during normal occupancy. Under dry conditions fungi do not propagate. Thus the vast bulk of building stock does not suffer from any problems of visible mold growth. Problems only occur when surfaces become wetted or relative humidities climb above 65 percent. However, if molds start to propagate, it is most important that any visible presence of fungal growth should be addressed as soon as is possible, to prevent widespread dissemination of spores to other areas. A plan and the supporting training aids, helps building management teams understand the nature of molds and how they may try to establish themselves in some buildings. It also identifies those steps that the building manager can complete in-house and it provides guidance as to when and if help should be solicited from outside professionals, such as HBI.

 

Healthy Buildings Internatational Inc. is independent of any hardware sales or remedial service companies.