Mould remediation

Sources of advice

The UK has not really woken up to mould remediation as a necessary professional activity. The main reference standard was published in the USA, but did include some expert input from UK practitioners. The industry standard damage management qualifications are also ratified by a USA body, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). It is easy to access US Environmental Protection Agency documents regarding mould from their websites. 

Secondary damage mould can often be avoided if action is taken to prevent the almost inevitable mould growth from 24 to 48 hours after a water damage event. For example, in Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings there is a comprehensive list of prevention measures, including the disposal of wet, porous materials, removal of vulnerable items such as books and papers, drying of upholstered furniture, etc.

Mould results from a moisture imbalance in air or materials, so to reduce recontamination the moisture problem needs to be solved. To properly remediate the mould, you will need to solve the damp problem. There is little point spending resources on a thorough clean-up operation if the mould will soon return.

Range of available remediation techniques

Mould remediation could divide itself into 3 or even 4 categories. Listed below are the author's 3 key mould classifications that could help devise a suitable remediation approach. Note that no specific areas of mould are specified. This is deliberate, as quoting square metres of mould can be misleading. It is likely that yet more advice will be available to surveyors in the future, so it is perhaps more useful for the author to offer the general principles on mould surveying at this stage.

• Level 1: trivial mould – DIY cleaning – very small areas of mould – e.g. around a bath or sink – householder.
• Level 2: larger areas – trained staff, PPE, vacate adjacent areas.
• Level 3: extensive outbreak – expert team including health and safety professional.