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January 30, 2017
30 Jan 2017

Is Mold Growing in Your Building?

Excessive Moisture in Buildings Can Be Costly to Health and Business 

Black mold in the corner of room wall. Preparation for mold removal.

Once excessive moisture is introduced into an indoor building environment, there is a high possibility for the growth of bacteria or fungi that can pose adverse health effects to tenants, employees and laborers. The California Department of Public Health has concluded that the presence of “water damage, dampness, visible mold or mold odor” in all buildings and indoor environments is unhealthy. Some of the symptoms and adverse health effects associated with excessive indoor moisture and microbial agents (bacteria and fungi) include:

  • Upper respiratory symptoms
  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Exasperated asthma symptoms in people with asthma
  • Shortness of breath
  • Asthma development
  • Lower respiratory illness in children

Building owners and tenants bear the majority of costs associated with problems caused by excessive moisture in buildings and impacted building materials. This could include:

  • Absenteeism due to illnesses
  • Workmen’s compensation cost
  • Increased insurance risk
  • Repair and replacement costs associated with damaged building materials, furniture, products and supplies
  • Loss of use of building spaces after damage and during repairs
  • Increased insurance and litigation costs related to moisture damage claims

Additionally, excessive indoor moisture degrades the quality of the building and could make restoration costly if it isn’t handled promptly. Possible items that may require repairs include:

  • Poor adhesion of floor coverings,
  • Other building materials or components such as drywall, ceiling systems, light fixtures, other electrical items, carpeting, and carpet padding.

However, moisture damage to building materials can be prevented or minimized if moisture testing is conducted very soon after a moisture intrusion incident and implementation of measures to prevent or minimize the growth of microbial agents.

For more information about mold and moisture, see Omega’s previous blog post.

Omega Environmental Services, Inc. has qualified and certified professionals (Certified Industrial Hygienists, Professional Engineers, Geologists, Certified Asbestos Consultants, Certified Lead Professionals, Toxicologists) that have the expertise to assist businesses in assessing and managing their hazardous materials.

 

References:

Statement on Building Dampness, Mold and Health. – California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

Moisture Control Guidance for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance – EPA

American Society of Testing Materials

Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration – Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification

 

Contact us for more about our mold inspection and testing service

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September 21, 2016
21 Sep 2016

Is Moisture in Your Building Costing You? Here’s What To Do

When Should I Moisture Test?

Typically, moisture testing is necessary when there is a potential water intrusion event. In new construction concrete floors will release moisture into the building during the normal concrete curing process. Depending on the type of mixture, some curing times can exceed 30 days! As a precautionary measure, it is prudent to measure the moisture content prior to completing the finishes to eliminate the possibility of impacting other building materials with moisture resulting in mold growth.

Moisture Testing in Concrete & Other Building Materials

It is important to test for excessive moisture in an indoor environment in an effort to minimize the potential for building material damage and the proliferation of microbial growth. Excessive moisture can accumulate from many different water sources in a building, including but not excluded to:

  • Faulty fire sprinklers
  • Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other rooms where moisture collects (condensation as a lack of proper ventilation)
  • Leaks in water transport mechanisms, such as kitchen pipes and other plumbing
  • Other indoor and outdoor sources of humidity and sewer water and water transport
  • Faulty vapor barriers on concrete subfloors

During the construction process testing for moisture in concrete slabs, otherwise known as moisture vapor emission testing, makes sense and should be performed on concrete even if flooring conditions appear to be normal. Concrete slabs should be tested regardless of age or grade level, whether it’s on grade, above grade, or below grade. From the penthouse of a building to the basement, the concrete should be tested.  Proper moisture testing of the slab will determine the moisture content and potential emissions into a building space. The findings could reveal subfloor conditions that allow you to source the correct type of floor covering that is needed. This will help you avoid future issues such as delamination of VFT or sheets and more importantly, mold growth on carpet padding and carpeting.

Two common methods for testing can provide valuable information and understanding of the slabs moisture condition.

  • The American Society of Testing and Methods (ASTM) Standard ASTM F 2170, which is a standard test for measuring the relative humidity in concrete floor slabs using In Situ probes.
  • The other test is ASTM F 1869, the standard test method for measuring vapor emission rate of concrete slabs using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride, which measures the vapor emission at the surface.

Omega Environmental Services, Inc. has qualified and certified professionals (Certified Industrial Hygienists, Professional Engineers, Geologists, Certified Asbestos Consultants, Certified Lead Professionals, Toxicologists) that have the expertise to assist businesses in assessing and managing their hazardous materials.

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