GENERAL GUIDELINES - STRUCTURAL MOLD REMEDIATION

This document outlines the general guidelines for structural mold remediation for use by our
customers and remediation contractors. These guidelines are to be used in conjunction with
the specific remediation details outlined in our reports. It discusses the general principles,
evaluation criteria, containment types, and work procedures for mold remediation. It is
assumed that these guidelines will be used by trained, experienced and preferably certified
mold remediation professionals. Professionals should be familiar with the industry guidelines
and standards.

1. General Principles
Carefully review our scope of work to assure that all outlined work areas are addressed in the
contractors work plan. A mold problem in a building is always a moisture problem. Therefore,
all sources of water and moisture intrusion must be identified and eliminated. A logical
sequence of work should be established and may include procedures not mentioned in these
guidelines. Deviations are acceptable as long as the intent of environmental and personal
protection remains the same. The contractor must follow all applicable local, state and federal
regulations when using personal protection equipment.

2. Material Evaluation Criteria

The treatment of mold contaminated building materials depends on its porosity, exposed
substrates and the ability to adequately restore the material. The following table represents
the generally accepted treatment procedures for building materials affected by fungal
amplification (actual mold growth)1. Materials containing multiple layers of differing porosities
should be carefully evaluated on a case by case basis.

MATERIAL MATERIALS TREATMENT

CATEGORY
Porous Drywall, ceiling tiles, insulation, Discard, except in rare cases
particle board, medium density
fiberboard (MDF), carpet, etc.
Semi-porous Wood, brick, plaster, block, concrete, Abrasive methods:
plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), Wire brushing, sanding,
etc. media blasting, etc.
Non-porous Glass, metal, Formica, plastic, Surface cleaning:
porcelain, ceramic tile, etc. Damp wiping, HEPA
vacuuming, etc.

1
IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation

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Porous building materials are primarily organic materials that readily absorb moisture and are
highly susceptible to fungal growth. Semi-porous building materials are materials that absorb
water slowly and are susceptible to fungal growth. Non-porous building materials are
materials that do not absorb moisture and do not support fungal growth, although, growth can
occur on surface dirt films. These non-porous materials may be organic, synthetic or inorganic
materials or which have been altered to be non-absorbent.

3. Engineering Controls
The objective of a remediation project is the removal or treatment of the affected materials
without causing additional damage or airborne exposure to the occupants and unaffected
areas of the building. Removal of mold-contaminated building materials can create extremely
high airborne spore concentrations as well as dust in the work area. Therefore, remediation
contractors need to be knowledgeable with the principles of isolation, air flow management,
containment and dust suppression methods, and the selection and use of personal protection
equipment.

4. Isolation and Containments

The type of containment method used is dependent on the size of the affected materials, the
configuration of the space, the ease of clean–up and economics. Containments generally are
separated into three basic types: Source, Local and Full Containment2. Please review your
report for the type selected for your project.

Sealing off of interstitial spaces, penetrations, electrical outlets, drain lines, etc. may be
necessary to prevent air infiltration and to manage air flow. We recommend removing carpets
from inside the containment work area. If carpets can not be removed they need to be
contained and protected by 6 or 10-mil polyethylene sheeting material (poly) and tape.

4.1 Source Containments

Source containments are used for relatively small areas of visible mold growth in conjunction
with other engineering controls. Such methods include covering the affected area with plastic
sheeting or self adhesive plastic before removal and immediate bagging or wrapping of
affected materials before removal from the site.

The floors should be protected. Dust and debris should be immediately HEPA vacuumed.
Removal of affected materials should be performed with little agitation as possible (dust
control methods) to prevent spore and dust aerosolization. Use of N-95 respirators and gloves
is recommended3.

2
New York City Guidelines
EPA Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings Guidelines
ACGIH Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control
3
ACGIH Bioaerosols, EPA

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4.2 Local Containments
Local or “mini” containments are used for moderate amounts of visible fungal growth or
suspected hidden mold growth. A structural enclosure is created around the work area and
covered with 6-mil poly. A negative pressure differential in the work area is recommended.
Local containments are usually negatively pressurized through the use of HEPA filtered air
filtration devises (AFD) to manage the air flow in the work area. Refer to section 5 for further
information. Personal protection equipment should be used in the work area. Decontamination
(decon) chambers may or may not be necessary or specified.

4.3 Full Containment

Full-scale containments are used when significant or extensive visible mold growth is present
or suspected and local or source containment methods are not effective or economically
feasible. The entire room or building section is designated as the work/containment area and
no structural enclosure is built. Prior to the start of the remediation the interior surfaces may
need to be sealed off with poly if they can not be effectively cleaned. A negative pressure
differential should be created in the work area. Personal protection equipment should be used
in the work area. A decontamination chamber (decon) is usually placed at an entry door.

5. Pressure Differentials
Pressure differentials are used to manage airflow. A minimum negative pressure differential of
5 Pascal or 0.02 inches of water gauge in the work area is generally recommended. If
pressure differentials are used, they should be created by using HEPA filtered AFD’s. In
specialized environments, such as health care facilities systems, manometer with data logging
and/or alarm capability is highly recommended.

6. Decontamination Chambers
Decontamination chambers are attached to local or full containment to provide a transitional
space between the work area and surrounding areas. They provide an area for
decontamination of demolition debris and workers. The number of decon chambers varies
depending on the project and the contractor’s professional judgment.

7. Material Removal
Affected porous materials, such as drywall, should be removed 1 or 2 feet beyond (or one
stud bay beyond) the area of visible mold growth and/or water damage.

The extent and degree of the mold contamination may only be visible during the demolition
process. The contractor needs to inspect the adjacent remaining materials to insure that they
are free of visible mold growth.

Abrasive methods can be used to clean affected wood framing. If the structural integrity of the
material is lost during the cleaning process, replacement is necessary.

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Immediately bag or wrap demolition debris in 6-mil polyethylene bags or sheeting material
before removal from the work area. If local or full containments are being utilized, bag or wrap
the material before removal from the containment.

Wood rot should be removed 2 to 3 feet beyond visible decay and be evaluated for structural
integrity by a knowledgeable contractor, engineer or architect.

Remove all the baseboards in the remediation area to assess if additional water or mold
damage is visible in areas previously unsuspected. Inspect the backside of baseboard and the
exposed drywall materials

8. Deep Cleaning
After the demolition work has been completed, deep cleaning of all interior surfaces in the
work area is required. Deep cleaning is used to remove settled dust, mold spores and fungal
fragments from interior surfaces. HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners shall be used. All remaining
surfaces in the work area should be vacuumed and damp wiped.

The use of HEPA filtered scrubbers prior to clearance testing is very helpful in removing
airborne dust, mold spores and fungal fragments from the work area.

9. Misting
Misting is a method of atomizing water as a vapor in the air for the purpose of controlling
airborne and surface dust and mold spores. We generally do not recommend misting.
However, appropriate misting techniques in conjunction with adequate engineering controls
for dust suppression and clean up purposes may be considered. Misting is not wetting.

10. Encapsulants
We generally do not recommend the application of encapsulants because physical removal is
the preferred method. However, if encapsulants are used, do not use pigmented encapsulants
on building materials prior to our post remediation inspection. Such encapsulant application
will prevent us from visually inspecting and verifying that the mold contaminated materials
have been removed. The use of clear encapsulants is acceptable. The application of
pigmented encapsulant after a passed clearance test is at the discretion of the remediation
contractor.

11. Post Remediation Testing (Clearance Testing)

After the remediation work is completed, but prior to any reconstruction work, a post
remediation inspection and testing (“clearance testing”) should be conducted to assure that
proper decontamination has been conducted prior to reconstruction.

If post remediation testing is requested or required, local or full containments should not be
removed until the work area has passed the post remediation testing. Testing should be

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performed by an independent and experienced indoor environmental consultant or industrial
hygienist. ET&T’s post remediation criteria consist of the following parameters:

• Work area shall be free of visible mold growth.

• Work area shall be free of visible dust.
• The remaining building materials shall be dry to industry standards.
• The airborne total mold spore counts inside the work area shall be lower or similar to
the outside reference air samples.
• The type of molds present in the work area shall be similar to outside reference
samples.

If the work site fails the evaluation, additional material removal, re-cleaning or increasing the
dilution ventilation may be required. Retesting needs to be performed after additional clean up
work has been performed.

12. Contractor Qualifications

Mold remediation work should be conducted by a qualified, trained, experienced and
preferably certified contractor or company.

13. Personal Protection Equipment

The use of appropriate personal protection equipment such as coveralls, respirators, gloves
and the like is highly recommended during demolition and clean up work. The type of personal
equipment selected varies with the type of contaminant, the quantity of affected material and
the work time period. Professional judgment in equipment selection is required4. The
contractor must follow all applicable local, state and federal regulation when using personal
protection equipment.

14. HVAC Systems

The filter-elements of the heating ventilation and air conditioning equipment should be
replaced as part of the remediation process. We recommend that the HVAC system be
cleaned, if the system was exposed to significant fungal contamination.

4
EPA

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