A building management company retained Braun Intertec to provide mold testing and inspection services.

One of the client’s properties had a roof leak in the past and had current tuck point leaks as well. Though the roof had undergone repairs and the tuck leaks were being fixed, water damage had already occurred. The building’s tenant was deeply concerned about the presence of mold.

Challenges

The building manager had not experienced a mold problem before and needed advice on how to deal with the issues at hand.

A cleaning service had worked on carpeting and furniture after the roof leaks, and the tenant wanted verification that the job had been done properly. The tenant also requested that we investigate areas around the windows for mold hidden in the walls.

Solutions

Nondestructive vacuum samples were collected from the carpet and furniture, tape samples were collected from suspect stains, and air samples were collected from inside walls. The client requested that disruption be minimized during testing, so we collected samples early in the morning before most workers arrived for the day.

Fortunately, it was determined that cleanup measures in most areas had been adequate. We recommended remediation where high mold counts were detected from the wall air samples and removal of carpeting where repeated cleanings had not significantly reduced the mold count.

After completing five rounds of testing over three months, we were able to eliminate some areas of concern so the client could focus cleanup efforts where they were needed most.

Finally, we educated the client and tenant about mold growth and how to best prevent it. We provided current EPA guidelines regarding mold cleanup and what types of materials could be salvaged and what should be discarded. Our lab results were explained in detail, and we held meetings after each round of testing to answer questions and address any new concerns.