Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1148971
Healthy Indoors | 17 ucts like OSB, particle board, etc.) will do nicely. Just add water! Our concern for the proliferation of these mi- croorganisms in our indoor environments is fun- damentally driven by their potential for adverse health effects and their ability to cause extensive damage to buildings and personal property. Out of this, of course, stems the issue of liability - to commercial property owners, designers, builders, insurance carriers, service contractors, school districts, product manufacturers, and now indoor environmental consultants and remediation con- tractors! Attorneys all over America geared up for the microbial litigation "mold rush" by attending specialized legal seminars on the topic, even per- haps to the point of fueling the industry. Health concerns, property loss and liability are a potent combination for creating both opportunity and hysteria in this fledgling indoor environmental in- dustry's attempt to deal with an age-old problem. Eating You Out of House & Home Aside from the real concerns about adverse health effects from exposure to microbial contaminants in- doors, there is the issue of property loss. And this can be staggering! Consider the loss of your prop- erty, either your home or commercial space, along with many (if not all) of its contents. Now add to that the cost of relocating for the time it takes to suc- cessfully assess, remediate, reconstruct and refur- bish all the damaged property. Keep in mind that many people are finding out the hard way that their insurance company will not cover these losses due to the numerous exclusion clauses in most policies. Oh, and even if you can pay to fix the problem, don't forget the stigma associated with a property that has had a significant microbial loss—poten- tial buyers and lenders aren't enthusiastic about a moldy building. Also, be sure to toss in how difficult it may be in the future to insure the property after a reported mold claim. While there is still debate regarding the poten- tial occupant health effects resulting from microbial contamination, there is little doubt that the financial trauma from property damage is real. In many in- stances, owners left without insurance coverage and faced with the burden of paying for a large mi- crobial remediation project have little choice but to walk away from their property and default on their mortgages. We're talking about walking away from Mold growth within wall from plumbing failure —Photo by IAQ Technologies Failed Remediation — Clear encapsulant misapplied over mold growth in attic —Photo by IAQ Technologies everything you've worked for, in some cases. A large portion of the undesirable fungi you hear about typically damage only finished surfaces along with affected building contents. Prolonged excessive moisture conditions in a wood framed property, however, can lead to structural compromise that may ultimately doom the entire building. However, fungal damage isn't only limited to wood- framed buildings. Even concrete and metal structures have their Achil-