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Building a New Home? Consider Mold Treatment & Prevention! 
MOLD IN NEW CONSTRUCTIONWooden building members with mold on them can create health related problems after construction is finished. A moisture intrusion event such as high relative humidity or a leaking window or door can turn the dormant mold on the wooden building member into active mold growth. That’s why it is very important to make sure all wooden building members are mold free before close in with drywall. There is enough scientific evidence to support claims that exposure to mold can adversely impact the health of both allergenic and non-allergenic people. Children, asthmatics, elderly and immune-compromised people are especially susceptible. Many builders use bleach to remove the mold but in most cases it grows right back because of its rooting system. The Pro-active builders retain the services of a professional mold remediation firm to address mold concerns prior to "close-in", that is, before sheetrock and finishing components are added. Your home is the most important investment you will make. Make sure it doesn’t have a hidden mold problem that will surface after you move it. Call us for more information. See the University of Connecticut Health Center Study and the Institute of Medicine, National Academies 2004 Publication: "Damp Indoor Spaces and Health".  We see this situation a lot in townhomes and condos where the parting walls or firewalls are constructed before the roof goes on. The mold grows on the surface of the parting wall and is often so imbedded that nothing short of material removal will remedy the situation. Of course, the builder can’t remove a firewall so he often will spray it with bleach. The bleach oxidizes the surface and appears to make to mold disappear but in a week or so it grows right back because bleach can’t destroy the mold rooting structure. Professional mold remediation, using more aggressive fungicides, antimicrobial coatings, or encapsulants, is required to permanently eradicate the problem. Unfortunately, more times than not, the mold is not professionally remediated and the insulation and drywall are installed. Mold problem arise after occupancy, especially in rooms that have an exterior wall(s). Air testing for mold is required to determine if hidden mold is present.  Mold on trusses doesn’t present a health concern as much as it does a marketing one when you go to resell your home. The potential buyer’s home inspector will identify this as a major concern and remediation will be required. It’s more expensive to remediate these building members after the attic insulation and cross members are installed than before it. The most common cause of truss mold is usually due to poor materials delivery planning by the builder. The truss package will arrive weeks and sometimes months in advance of its planned installation. In the interim, the entire package will sit on the ground, often uncovered and in the mud, where mold has a chance to develop. By that time, the wood is so discolored by mold growth that there is no economically practical way of restoring it to its original color. Surficial mold on the trusses can be sanitized but aesthetically, the trusses will remain a concern. Treatment with a moisture and mold resistant encapsulant paint is often required to eliminate this concern for a potential buyer.  Sometimes the builder will tell you that wooden building members with mold on them came from the lumber yard that way. Sometimes that’s true. A more likely scenario is that mold grew during the construction cycle. Water ingress into the building envelop after a heavy rain or snow melt coupled with high relative humidity and/or a delay in the construction cycle will cause mold to develop on wooden building members in a relatively short period of time. We've watched some builders have their site people wipe off with bleach; others just proceed with close-in without treatment. Mold on wooden building members becomes problematic when they are located in bathroom wall and ceiling cavities or other areas of the home where high relative humidity can activate the mold growth cycle. Our prescribed treatment techniques is to HEPA sand each mold impacted building member and then treat with a long lasting anti-microbial compound. Air sampling is required to determine if hidden mold is present in wall and/or ceiling cavities. 
 Protecting your future indoor environment during the construction cycle can prevent mold problems after you move in. We offer a complete application solution to new home buyers and builders who want to protect themselves against possible mold claims. Many insurance companies exclude mold from their coverage. Application occurs when the building is sided, roofed and the individual rooms framed (prior to insulation). Ideally the treatment occurs before electrical and mechanical components are added. We have performed this service on hundreds of homes and know how to work within the construction schedule. Our technicians can treat a 3,000 square foot house in about 4 hours, depending on the design. The cost of treatment is affordable. Treatment of building members with an anti-fungal agent prior to close-in gives piece of mind to the home owner and reduces the builder's risk of costly mold remediation and/or litigation should water intrusion occur. Applicable in:
If you would like to speak with an environmental professional, please call our corporate office in Delaware or the office closest to you. You may also Email a request.
Indoor Air Quality Services | Mold Inspection | Mold Remediation | New Construction
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