Philadelphia Mold Removal
We were contacted to bid on a Philadelphia mold damage job that was the result of a waste line leak. Prior to contacting us, the homeowner removed a small section of wet drywall in his dining room and discovered extensive mold growth on the inside surface. The leak went undetected for an indeterminate period of time as the flow of waste water was too slight to be readily apparent and quickly identified. This ongoing release of moisture into the ceiling cavity with little air movement presented ideal conditions for mold contamination and the need for mold clean up.
Mold contamination can endanger the health of a home’s residents and mold clean up jobs must be carefully executed so as not to exacerbate the situation. After dawning the proper PPE (personal protective equipment), the first step in this Philadelphia mold removal job was to encompass the mold contamination by building a containment chamber. This was done using zip poles, two sided tape and 6 mil plastic sheeting to build a floor to ceiling airtight enclosure that will not let mold contamination escape and possible disperse spores into the living environment.
Mold Clean Up
HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) air scrubbers are deployed prior to starting the mold clean up, which will capture any impurities that may have become airborne prior to our arrival and encapsulation of the mold contamination. Once the aforementioned precautionary measures are enacted, the actual mold clean up begins.
Mold clean up continued with the use of a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuum being passed over the contamination area that was exposed by the homeowner. This process captures mold spores and removes mold. Once complete, the area exposed by the homeowner was coated in an antimicrobial solution and wiped or scrubbed away. The above 2 steps were repeated after the initial application of antimicrobial solution was permitted to dry. This process is commonly referred to as a ‘HEPA Sandwich’ in the mold remediation industry.
Once mold clean up of the homeowner exposed section was complete, we opened up several the ceiling and wall cavities giving us access to additional mold contamination. To ensure we were had access to all of the mold associated with this event, it was necessary to remove enough sheet rock in the surrounding ceiling and walls to the point where no mold contamination or moisture was evident. After the additional building materials were removed and contained, mold clean up was required in the newly uncovered areas. Again the double HEPA vacuum and antimicrobial treatments or ‘HEPA Sandwich’ were executed over the affected areas.
Structural Drying
Fallowing the mold clean up, structural drying of the affected areas was required to complete this Philadelphia mold removal job and ensure that the area is too dry to support mold contamination. The floor/ceiling joists and plywood bathroom sub-floor were holding in excess of 30% moisture content but should be holding less than 10% moisture content. We set up a Drieaz Revolution dehumidifier as well as an axial air mover in the dining room and a second Drieaz Revolution dehumidifier with a conventional air mover in the bathroom above.
Slow undetected leaks that continue for extended periods of time allow water to become trapped deep within building materials. This situation gave rise to the Philadelphia mold damage job described above and the result is extended structural drying times. Coupled with the fact that the bathroom sub-floor was covered with ceramic tile that hampered drying from above as a result of diminished permeability, this structural drying required 5 consecutive days to achieve dry standard.