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| “J
& M is a licensed FULL SERVICE
restoration company. We can handle the entire job from top
to bottom including remediation, structural repair, personal
content restoration, deodorizing and final cleanup.” |
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We have
extensive TECHNICAL TRAINING
in Mold Remediation:
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We
are an Arizona Certified Licensed Contractor
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An
IICRC Certified Restoration Firm in Water Restoration, Mold
Remediaton, and Carpet Cleaning.
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An
IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association) Certified Firm in
Mold Remediation
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We
hold multiple Structural Drying School Certifications
We
have years of EXPERIENCE
in mold remediation and a successful proven track record.
For Example: Between 2001-2006 we successfully restored over
2,000 mold damaged facilities.
We
have the CAPACITY
to get your job done quickly, and to get it done right the first
time.
With over $2,000,000 invested
in state-of-the art remediation equipment we have the capacity,
and experience to easily handle any size mold remediation job
quickly and professionally.
“In
mold remediation, no two situations will ever be the same -
so we
tailor our services to meet your and your families' specific
needs.”
“Our
goal is to get your home or business, and life back to normal
ASAP,
AND to make sure we have done everything possible to protect
your health,
lower the risk of additional damages, and save on restoration
costs.”
|
Pages
4.1 |
Topics
Basic
Information on MOLD |
| 4.2 |
Common
Allergic Reactions to Mold
NewsWeek / Mayo Clinic article on
mold causing chronic sinusitis |
| 4.3-
4.4 |
The
Basic Steps to Mold Remediation (Removal) |
| |
Additional
Materials Available on the Download
page: |
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Q:
How Am I Exposed To Indoor Molds?
A: Mold is found everywhere, indoors and outdoors. It
is common to find mold spores in the
air of homes and growing on damp surfaces.
Much of
the mold found indoors comes from outdoor sources. Therefore,
everyone is
exposed to some mold on a daily basis without evident harm. Mold
spores primarily
cause health problems when they enter the air and are inhaled
in large numbers.
People can also be exposed to mold through skin contact and eating.
Q:
How Much Mold Can Make Me Sick?
A: It depends. For some people, a relatively small number
of mold spores can cause health
problems. For other people, it may take many more.
“The
basic rule is, if you can see it, or smell it, (musty odors) take
steps to eliminate the excess moisture, and to cleanup and remove
the mold as soon as possible.”
PLEASE
NOTE: Mold is a serious issue. It will grow in 48-72 hours.
Mold inside a building in unhealthy - no matter what kind.
All molds produce chemicals which can be released to
cause allergies or mycotoxicosis inside a building.
Q:
Who Is At Greater Risk When Exposed to Mold?
A: Exposure to mold is not healthy for anyone inside
buildings. It is important to quickly identify and correct any
moisture sources before health problems develop.
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The
following individuals appear to be at higher risk for adverse
health effects of molds: infants
and children, the elderly,
immune compromised patients (people with HIV infection,
cancer chemotherapy, liver disease, etc.), pregnant
women, individuals with existing
respiratory conditions, such as allergies, multiple
chemical sensitivity, and asthma. |
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Q:
Are Some Molds More Hazardous Then Others?
A: Allergic persons vary in their sensitivities to mold,
both as to amount and type needed to cause reactions. In addition,
certain types of molds can produce toxins, called mycotoxins,
that the mold uses to inhibit or prevent the growth of other organisms.
“Mycotoxins
are found in both living and dead mold spores.”
Materials
permeated with mold need to be removed, even after they are disinfected
with cleaning solutions. Allergic and toxic effects can remain
in dead spores. Exposure to mycotoxins may present a greater hazard
than that of allergenic or irritative mold.
How
Does Mold Affect Asthma?
“For people sensitive to molds, inhaling mold spores
can cause an asthma attack.”
Asthma Facts
- Asthma
leads to 2 million emergency room visits and 5,000 deaths per
year in the U.S.
- Asthma
accounted for more than 14 million missed school days in 2000.
- Asthma
costs (health care costs and lost productivity) totaled $14
billion in 2002.
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Top
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A
Hidden Health Hazard: Sneezing and Sniffling? Maybe
the problem isn't a cold but mold. It's more dangerous than
you think. (causes allergies, asthma attacks, colds
and flu)
Deena
Karabell had lived in her New York City apartment for 15 years,
so when she fell ill in 1983, she never suspected that her
apartment itself could be to blame.
Over
the next 15 years she grew progressively weaker. Finally,
in the spring of 1998, she lost 30 pounds and went into anaphylactic
shock three times. She literally lay dying in her bedroom
when a hired nurse noticed a strong odor of mold in the closet.
Suddenly
things clicked. Karabell's family moved her out immediately.
Today--at a safe distance from the mold--she is almost back
to normal. "People are amazed at my recovery," she
says.
Molds
have been an under recognized health problem, but that is
changing. Health-care professionals now know that molds can
cause allergies, trigger asthma attacks and increase susceptibility
to colds and flu.
Anyone
with a genetic predisposition can become allergic if exposed
repeatedly to high enough levels.
Last
year Dr. David Sherris at the Mayo Clinic
performed a study of 210 patients with chronic sinus infections
and found that most had allergic fungal sinusitis. |
 |
"The
prevailing medical opinion has been that mold accounted for
6 to 7 percent of all chronic sinusitis," says Sherris.
"We found that it was 93 percent--the exact reverse."
From
Newsweek: December 4, 2000
|
Top
The
Basic Steps of Mold Remediation (Removal)
Step
1 - Verify that the moisture source has been eliminated or repaired.
Step 2 - Detailed “Visual”, “Thermographic”,
& “Moisture Meter” Inspection
(We’re looking for mold you see and the mold and
moisture you can’t see with the naked eye.)
- A
thorough inspection of the property includes determining the
exact cause of the loss and verifies that repairs have been
made to eliminate the source of water.
This
inspection includes photo documentation AND a
Thermographic investigation to
find “HIDDEN MOISTURE”
sources.
- If
a building smells musty you may have hidden mold.
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Or even if you can’t see it or smell it - Mold may be
hidden in places such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper,
or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside
of carpets and pads, etc.
- After the visual
and thermographic inspections
we’ll use sophisticated moisture
meters to document the moisture content of
the structure / area.
|
In
the EXAMPLE above
The visual inspection showed nothing. BUT the thermographic
inspection found HIDDEN
MOISTURE from an upstairs shower leak. Further
investigation found HIDDEN MOLD! |
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Step
3 - Containment
Our immediate concern is to contain the “mold
effected area” to prevent “cross contamination”
into other parts of the building. To help improve the containment
we create negative pressure using specialized air filtration
devices to prevent mold spores from spreading to unaffected
areas.
Plastic sheeting
is used to outline the proposed work-zone and cover
windows. These barriers are used to prevent the spread of
mold to unaffected
areas of the residence during the demolition portion of our
work and to prevent infiltration of outside air into our work-zone.
The barriers will remain in place until the Industrial Hygienist
has determined that the indoor environment has been restored
to normal, with respect to mold.
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Step
4 - Recommend an indoor environmental professional
to sample & evaluate the mold problem.
Depending
on the size and severity of the mold we find during the inspections
we may recommend that a “Certified
Industrial Hygienist” take a series of
“air samples”
in order to determine the impact the mold growth has had on
the indoor air quality of the residence.
Air
samples are also obtained from the outside air in order to serve
as a comparison to the indoor samples. The air samples are then
sent to a lab for evaluation to determine the quantity and type
of mold in the acquired samples.
“Based
on the visual inspection and the results of the air sampling,
the Certified Industrial Hygienist will prepare an “independent
protocol” for the mold remediation. The
protocol will specifically identify the location of containment
barriers to outline the work-zone, list the structural materials
and contents to be disposed of, and describe the extent and
type of cleaning needed to properly remove the mold from the
residence.” |
Step
5 - Pack Out – All of the contents within
the work zone will need to be cleaned, boxed, and wrapped
prior to demolition. This is done to remove settled mold spores
from the surface of the contents and allow us to inspect the
contents so that all of the affected materials/contents are
identified.
Step
6 - Demolition – This part of the process
involves the removal of mold and water damaged materials like
carpet, drywall, and cabinetry as outlined in the Industrial
Hygienist’s protocol. Prior to removal, the visible
mold growth is vacuumed in order to remove loose particles
to prevent them from becoming airborne during demolition.
All of these materials are sealed in plastic bags, double-bagged,
and then sealed again before they are removed from the work-zone.
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Step
7 - Cleaning
– Once the demolition has been completed, the work zone
must now be meticulously cleaned to remove any loose particulate
like drywall dust, carpet fibers, and mold. This cleaning
involves first HEPA vacuuming
all of the remaining surfaces within the work-zone, then damp-wiping
them to remove any remaining particles and then HEPA
vacuumed again.
Equipment
– In addition to the HEPA vacuums used during our cleaning
efforts, we use 2 other types of equipment.
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Air
Scrubbers
– are responsible for cleaning the air throughout
the remediation process. They remove
airborne particulate by drawing air through their 3 stages
of filtration, the last being a large HEPA filter. This
is the only way to remove airborne particulate.
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Dehumidifiers
– are used to maintain the relative humidity below
60% in the absence of conditioned air. All of the
air conditioning vents within the work zone must be sealed
prior to demolition creating the need for dehumidifiers.
All drying is done to meet
IICRC S500 Standards for Mold Remediation
Step
8 - Clearance Testing – Once the remediation
process has been completed, the Industrial
Hygienist will then return to the residence
in order to validate our efforts through visual inspection and
additional air sampling. The visual inspection is conducted
to insure we have complied with their protocol. The additional
air sampling will determine if the indoor air quality of the
residence has been returned to normal, with respect to mold.
When the Industrial Hygienist approves the completion of the
project, the homeowner can then proceed with reconstruction.
Step
9 - Final Reconstruction and Cleaning |
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