Containment and equipment
- Containment
- A sealed enclosure, usually plastic sheeting on walls and ceiling, that separates the work area from the rest of the house.
- Negative air pressure
- Keeping the containment at slightly lower pressure than the rest of the house, so air leaks flow into the work area rather than out of it.
- Air scrubber or negative air machine
- A fan unit with a HEPA filter that pulls air from the work area and filters it; it can create negative pressure when exhausted outside the containment.
- HEPA
- High-efficiency particulate air filtration, designed to capture very small particles including mold spores.
- Decontamination chamber
- A small plastic room at the containment entrance where workers remove protective gear before leaving.
Many of these terms come from industry guidance such as the IICRC S520 standard for mold remediation and from EPA publications on mold cleanup. You do not need to read those documents to evaluate a scope, but it helps to know that most reputable contractors are working from the same general framework, which makes it reasonable to ask how a particular step lines up with it.
Assessment and verification
- Moisture source
- Whatever is wetting the material: a leak, condensation, seepage or high humidity. Remediation without fixing it rarely lasts.
- Moisture mapping
- Taking readings across walls, floors and ceilings to outline the wet area before removal is planned.
- Dew point
- The temperature at which air's moisture condenses; surfaces colder than the dew point get wet.
- Condition 1, 2 and 3
- Categories used in the IICRC standard: normal background, settled spores from a nearby source, and actual growth. Remediation aims to return areas to condition 1.
- Post-remediation verification
- The final check that the area is clean and dry, sometimes including air or surface sampling.
- Independent assessor
- A professional, often an industrial hygienist, who inspects or tests but does not perform the removal.
Materials and methods
- Porous material
- Drywall, ceiling tile, carpet pad and insulation; growth penetrates these and they are usually removed.
- Semi-porous material
- Wood framing and some trim; often cleanable if structurally sound.
- Nonporous material
- Metal, glass and sealed stone; generally cleaned rather than discarded.
- Flood cut
- Removing drywall in a straight line at a set height above the wet or contaminated area.
- Antimicrobial
- A product applied to surfaces; it does not substitute for physical removal and cleaning.
General information for Cherry Hills Village, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.