If you decide that you need
a professional inspection and assessment the process will begin after
one of our certified inspectors arrives and begins a comprehensive
visual survey. During this survey the inspector is looking for signs
of water damaged building materials, mold growth, or conditions that
may be conducive for mold growth.
After the visual assessment and walk through, the inspector will
often utilize some of our state of the art equipment to physically
and/or electronically look behind walls and other structures that may
be harboring evidence of moisture or mold growth.
And while visible mold growth is an obvious problem, sometimes it
can be hidden behind walls; out of sight, but still adversely
impacting the quality of your indoor air because mold spores are
microscopic and can easily migrate from behind walls and through
floors.
The photo above shows excessive toxic mold
growth
due to a basement flood not being dried fast enough.
Mold is ubiquitous to our environment, which simply means that it
exists naturally and can never be totally eliminated. However, some
molds are extremely toxic to humans and animals and therefore should
not be inside your home or business. This is especially true of what
are known as water damage indicator molds such as Chaetomium and
Stachybotrys that thrive on damp building materials like drywall and
are known to be extremely toxic.
Should evidence of a mold problem be discovered, often times it is
suggested that ambient air or other types of samples be taken from
strategic locations inside to determine the types and amounts of mold
or contaminates present.
 |
Mold often can grow undetected
for a long time in ceiling
and wall cavities.
The picture above shows active growth
of the highly toxic Stachybotrys, otherwise known as “black” mold, growing on a bathroom ceiling.
Left untreated, mold growth can begin to
compromise the structural integrity of building materials, as was the
case in the sub-floor and support joists shown above.
Mold growing hidden inside of a home’s ceiling cavity. |
The remediation, or clean up
phase, begins after the inspection determines the extent of the
problem. Reports indicating what the problem is, why it is occurring
and what needs to be done to prevent it from happening again are
prepared and sent to our clients.
These reports contain observations and analysis, digital
photographs, laboratory results with interpretation as well as
specific recommendations to be followed during the remediation. The
information in these reports is considered proprietary and we will not
disclose their contents to anyone other than the client.
The accepted industry standard maintains that the environmental
consulting firm that does the inspection and assessment does not
perform the remediation. This is because after the remediation is
complete, Chesapeake Environmental Solutions returns to the property
to perform what is known as the Clearance Inspection. Following a
successful Clearance Inspection a final report is prepared indicating
that the preexisting problem has been fixed.
This is important in that mold infestation is often considered a
"defect" that must be disclosed prior to the property being sold. The
documents you receive from us clearly show that the condition has been
remedied in accordance with accepted industry standards and protocols.
Nevertheless, there are exceptions to almost every policy and we
have found that many of our clients implicitly trust our integrity and
therefore insist that we perform the remediation procedures. As there
is no law saying that we can’t, we often will provide our clients with
a bid for their project. We certified in remediation work and are
adequately insured with consultant’s professional liability insurance
and pollution liability insurance.
If you chose to utilize the services of another remediation
contractor, we are still your consultants for the duration of the
project and you can call us anytime. We can also assist you with
choosing a qualified and experienced contractor who adheres to the
suggested industry guidelines and protocols, such as those published
by the EPA and the
IICRC.
|
EPA and
OSHA requirements call
for adequate personal protective
equipment, or PPE, to be worn
during remediation efforts.
Some of the larger equipment
typically found on a remediation project include: dehumidifiers, air
movers,
HEPA filtered vacuums and air scubbers. |
The clearance process begins
after the remediation contractor states that they have completed the
project in accordance with the Remediation Recommendations Report that
was prepared by us following the initial inspection.
A certified inspector, usually the one who performed the initial
inspection, will return and inspect the site to ensure that all of the
mandatory requirements under the Acceptance Criteria portion of the
Remediation Recommendations Report have been met.
If samples were collected for laboratory analysis during the
initial investigation; comparative samples will often be taken during
the clearance investigation. If the remediation was successful, these
samples will show concentration of mold that are similar to those
found to exist contemporaneously in the natural outdoor environment.
This is one way for the inspector to definitively demonstrate that the
remediation was successful.
Should our clearance inspection show that additional work is
required, the remediation contractor will be contacted and informed of
that fact. The additional costs associated with this work, to include
the cost for our re-inspection, are normally paid by remediation
contractor as stated in their contract.
Once the project has been deemed successful, you will receive your
official "clearance" document stating the abatement procedures have
been successful and reconstruction, if necessary, may begin.
|
 |
