New Construction Mold  Remediation

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New Construction Mold Remediation & Prevention

NEW CONSTRUCTION MOLD INSPECTIONS, REMEDIATION AND PREVENTION

At the early construction phase, wood framing, sheathing, subfloor, drywall, and other organic building materials are highly susceptible to mold if they are exposed to moisture, for a even a short period of time. Within 48 – 72 hours of these materials first getting wet, there is a high possibility of mold growth occurring.

PREVENTING MOLD GROWTH DURING NEW CONSTRUCTION

The main goal of any general contractor or construction company is to keep all organic and vulnerable building materials dry at every phase during construction. Below are ways general contractors or construction companies can have this accomplished:

100% DRY-IN OF BUILDING ENVELOP

100% Dry-in of building before installation of insulation and drywall. This means building envelopes should be enclosed properly to sufficiently keep out rain, wind, or the weather in general. This ensures that organic weather-sensitive building materials are kept dry and construction work can begin without interruption.

Depending on the type of construction project or building, the general contractor or construction company may employ a dry-in process that on occasion will be confined to a portion of the building where interior work is contemplated. While at other times, they may require and/or install special temporary building protective measures to achieve temporary dry-in status to permit certain interior work to begin.


100% DRY-OUT OF WET BUILDING MATERIAL

It is always recommended that general contractors or construction companies dry out any building materials that may have become wet prior to drying-in of their building. Wooden frame studs, trusses and subfloor can hold moisture for a long period of time after any rain event and then release it back into the enclosed indoor environment after drying-in of the building. This moisture can then be absorbed by insulation and drywall which will enable mold growth. These building materials should be given plenty of dry time to prevent any form of mold growth.

Moisture inspection of wood framing, sheathing and insulation for dampness before installation of drywall and other wall materials that would limit the framing, sheathing and insulation to dry out properly.

Moisture test of wood framing and sheathing to ensure the moisture content or percentage is within acceptable limits (≤ 17%).

Air dry or use drying equipment such as fans and dehumidifiers during the drying process before enclosing the walls.

Follow manufacturer’s specifications when installing gypcrete and other wet-applied insulation products. Make sure an adequate amount of dry time is allowed.

REMEDIATE OR ERADICATE NEW SOURCES OF HUMIDITY

Since mold requires water to grow, it is especially important to remediate and/or eradicate moisture problems in buildings. Moisture problems can have many causes, including uncontrolled humidity. EPA recommends maintaining low indoor humidity, below 60% relative humidity (RH), ideally 30-50%, if possible.  Even if your construction property is dried-in, there is the possibility of mold growth if moisture is mistakenly reintroduced. This often happens with plumbing leaks.

5 BASIC STEPS TO PROPER MOLD REMEDIATION AND CLEAN-UP

•  Learning about moisture
•  Documentation of the mold problem and creation of a remediation plan
•  Determination of the extent of the mold contamination
•  Remediation and clean-up of mold contamination
•  Determine if Remediation and cleanup has been successful

MOLD GROWTH CAUSES A LOT OF PROBLEMS

• Slows down construction
• Delays completion date
• Huge cost in replacing affected materials
• Huge remediation and clean-up cost
• Preventing mold growth initially takes a little bit of care and investment upfront, but then again it can prevent millions of dollars’ worth of damage overall.