Mold in Your Associations–A Remediation Guide for Community Association Managers
January 31, 2024
For Community Association Managers (CAMs), grappling with mold issues can be a significant challenge to ensuring a safe, healthy living environment in their communities.
The impact of mold in buildings is often misunderstood and underestimated. Mold can result in:
In this article, we demystify mold, debunk a few myths, and provide a clear path to effective mold remediation in associations.
The Importance of Knowledge and Professional Standards
Understanding the nuances of mold management is not just a part of your job as a CAM; it’s a responsibility with implications for the well-being of the buildings and people in the communities you oversee.
In dealing with mold, community association managers in Florida must adhere to industry standards for remediation. This requires staying informed about the latest standards and practices in commercial mold remediation, plus keeping up to date on relevant Florida statutes.
Understanding Mold: More Than Just a Fungus
Myth: mold is always an enemy.
Fact: mold is a natural part of our environment and is present in the decay of organic materials.
However, when mold grows unchecked in buildings, it is an enemy.
Mold thrives in conditions with moisture, lack of light, warm temperatures, and the presence of a growth medium. It reproduces through spores, which are invisible to the naked eye. Among the thousands of fungi species, the molds of concern in buildings are microfungi, distinct from mushrooms and other visible fungal forms.
The Concerns of Mold Growth
Mold growth in buildings is not just an aesthetic issue; it’s a concern involving health, safety, legal, and financial aspects. Here are the key risks:
- Health and Safety Risks: Exposure to mold poses health risks, often leading to conditions like Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
- Asset Value Impact: Mold can decrease the value of an association property.
- Legal Implications: Ignoring mold growth can lead to legal liabilities for associations. It’s essential to consult legal counsel for liability concerns related to mold.
Prioritizing Health and Safety in Remediation Efforts
As a CAM, your primary concern in any mold remediation effort in your community should be the health and safety of occupants and remediators. This involves ensuring that remediators are well-trained in safety protocols and that the health of occupants is not compromised.
Additionally, you must consider the structural integrity of the building and the potential legal liabilities associated with mold growth in public spaces.
Mold Remediation Standards and Practices in Florida
Recognized Florida state standards guide mold remediation efforts. These standards aren’t laws but serve as industry benchmarks for effective and safe mold management.
In Florida, mold assessment and remediation professionals must be licensed, with clear distinctions between the roles of assessors and remediators (Florida Statute 468.8411). Unlicensed practices are not only unethical but also illegal.
The Remediation Process: A Structured Approach
Mold remediation is a systematic process that starts with a thorough assessment by a licensed professional. The assessment leads to a remediation protocol, defining the scope and limits of the remediation work. A licensed mold remediator then performs the actual remediation, following the assessment guidelines. Post-remediation, clearance, and testing are crucial to ensure the effectiveness of the remediation efforts.
Here is the step-by-step process that you, as a CAM, should implement in rectifying mold situations in your associations.
Step One: Test the Mold
First, hire a licensed air-quality hygienist or environmental hygienist to test for mold types and quantities (“colonies”) of mold. These experts determine if the mold present can cause serious illness and if the number of mold colonies should be a cause for concern.
Step Two: Protocols for Remediation
The air-quality hygienist writes protocols for the remediation company to follow. Note: your chosen remediation company may refer you to a good hygienist, but your remediation company should not be writing the protocols for removal or remediation. When the hygienist writes the protocols, it ensures that you have a third party saying what’s really there and what needs to be done. This extra step and expense ensures that the association is not getting ripped off by an unethical remediation company.
Step Three: Choose a Quality Remediation Company
If you don’t have a remediation company already on standby, now is the time to choose one. Do your research and select a reputable remediation company with technicians who are trained and certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). This industry association sets the standards for proper mold removal and remediation.
A reputable remediation company will outline in its contract that if its work doesn’t pass the air hygienist’s post-inspection, it will return at no extra charge to continue remediation measures until the building passes inspection. CAM, double-check your contracts and make sure this is stated. You are paying the remediation company to do the job properly. If mold isn’t treated correctly, the remediation company must return.
Step Four: Post-Treatment Testing
Once the remediation has been completed, the air-quality hygienist must return to test the building and ensure that the environment presents safe mold levels. This protects 1) you as the CAM, 2) your association, and 3) the remediation company. Should mold start growing again, you’ll know it wasn’t because your remediation company did a poor job. Instead, the mold growth is due to a new issue.
Preventing Mold in Association Buildings
Water intrusion from any source can lead to mold growth if not addressed promptly and effectively. Repeated water losses and unattended water damage should be of significant concern to a CAM.
Building characteristics like HVAC systems, airflow, temperature and humidity levels, and structural age play roles in mold proliferation. CAMs need to understand these factors to prevent and manage mold growth in associations.
Conclusion
Mold remediation is a critical aspect of association management, requiring your understanding of mold growth and a knowledge of proper remediation steps and practices.
Remember, mold lives in the air, both inside buildings and outside in the environment. It is a part of our ecosystem, and not all mold is bad. Your facilities will never be completely free of all types of mold spores.
As a CAM, your critical responsibility is getting the air tested when you identify the presence of mold. Testing determines if the mold is harmful to the building or its inhabitants. Secure an air-quality or environmental hygienist to run testing before and after remediation procedures. Use a reputable remediation company that follows protocols written by the hygienist.
Keeping mold from growing in the first place requires keeping your buildings in cool and dry conditions. Unfortunately, not all association homeowners will do their part in preventing mold growth. This makes it tough on the Florida CAM because of our nearly year-round high humidity conditions.
Yes, it can seem like a neverending battle. Know that you can win the war if you have the right team in place. Use your resources at CAM University to locate the best remediation company near you.