Factoring in mold for SOW

[Alton Phouvong]

I am attempting to submit an offer on a property. Can anybody help me figure out how to factor budget in a moldy basement? The entire basement walls are covered in mold spores and it seems like there was water damage coming from maybe a broken pipe or maybe from the exterior of the house. Any suggestions or comments welcome.

[Travis West]

Alton.

The technical term for removing mold is "remediation." Abatement is commonly used for asbestos. With that said, I would like to recommend that you find a professional company using professional standards. That's one of the first steps to having the job done correctly. Hiring Benny, Guido, Lurch, and Associates who have wet-vacs and some used plastic in the back of their cars will only cause you heartache!

Visit the non-profit Indoor Air Quality Association. They are an international association who train and maintain qualified remediation companies within their membership. To do that, visit IAQA.org. In the upper right corner of the home page, you'll see the "Find and IAQ Professional" button. From there, you can drill down to contractor; remediation; Massachusetts; and even zip code.

Ask questions that YOU should know the answer to, such as:

Will you place the remediation area under containment? And, explain what containment is. (Answer: Containment usually involves 2 layers of plastic sheeting creating a wall separating the containment area from other parts of the home. This is sealed well using tape or other methods. The purpose of containment is to ensure that airborne molds, dust, fibers, etc. do not get into the un-contaminated portions of the home.)

Will you scrub the air? (Answer: Scrubbing the air involves using large fans that have 3 types of air filters on them. Their purpose is to pull the dusty air from the contamination work area, in and to filter out the dusts, fibers, spores, and other mold pieces.)

Will you keep the containment under a negative pressure? (Answer: Negative pressure ensures that any work being done in the containment is isolated from surrounding areas. As an example, if someone were smoking in containment, could you smell the smoke outside of containment. If you could then the containment would be blowing air and would be "positively pressurized." If you couldn't then the containment would be considered to be "negatively pressurized.")

How will you discard the mold contaminated debris? (Answer: Mold contaminated gyspum wallboard should be broken into small pieces and carefully placed into large plastic bags - while still in the containment. Once filled, the bags should be sealed, they should be wiped or vacuumed clean, and then (and ONLY then) should they be removed from the containment. This will ensure that errant mold spores do not migrate from the containment area into surrounding areas.)

Will you repair the source of the moisture or do I need to call another contractor? (Answer: Many remediation contractors will only remove mold. They are not remodeling contractors.)

Will you run dehumidifiers? (Answer: Your heat/air conditioner will not be supplying any conditioned air to the contaiment since it's isolated. Consequently, the contractor should bring in dehumidification units designed to dry the air in the containment until the ALL CLEAR has been given.)

How will we know it's been done correctly and it's ready to rebuild? (Answer: Some companies may try to say they can test their work after they have finished. Then, they will provide you with a report showing that they did a great job! That's really a case of "the fox watching the hen house." They should NEVER test and approve their own work. Rather, you should look for a testing company that can do post remediation sampling to confirm that all work was completed correctly. That may involve extra expense, but it's worth it in the long run.

Certainly as in all business transactions, you should ask them for a business license and insist on insurance. Reputable mold remediation companies should qualify on both issues.

Good luck!

Travis West
CIEC 0609003 (Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant)
MAC0325 (Licensed Mold Assessment Consultant; TX-DSHS)