Property Management

Page 18 — Property Management Quarterly — October 2021 www.crej.com Maintenance S ummer weather is coming to an end, and the cold weather will soon be upon us. Aller- gies from pollen, mold, smoke and other environ- mental contributions are prevalent during the summer for many peo- ple. While some may think that the end of summer will be a reprieve from mold concerns, in fact, the wetter, colder months tend to bring about more indoor environmental issues, such as mold. Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter a property through windows, vents, and heat- ing and air-conditioning systems. When mold spores fall on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots or where there has been flood- ing, it will grow. Many building materials provide suitable nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard, ceil- ing tiles, wood and wood products are particularly conducive for the growth of some molds. Other mate- rials such as dust, paints, wallpa- per, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, fabric and upholstery com- monly support mold growth. Molds are classified into three categories: allergenic, pathogenic and toxigenic. Mold species that commonly are found in commercial buildings are allergenic, such as Aspergillus and Penicillium. These types of molds can cause some individuals to have an allergenic reaction but don’t typically cause serious health effects. Pathogenic and toxigenic molds can be more dangerous and cause illness. Health effects are obviously the most important reasons to keep your prop- erty free of mold, but mold also can have devastating impacts to your building. If mold is present it can con- tinue to grow and spread to other surfaces. Long-term mold growth can result in serious property dam- age. Property managers need to take action to find and eliminate the source, but also there is the public perception surrounding mold that needs to be addressed. Discretion in handling the situation can make a property manager’s job easier. The word mold itself can bring out fear in people. People working in buildings where they believe mold has been found can cause a ripple effect throughout the building, causing what is called “sick building syndrome.” Someone may become ill, not necessarily from mold, and word will spread, which can make others believe that they too are sick and that mold is cause. Sometimes people immediately associate the word mold with black mold, or toxic mold. Mold can be seen having many colors. The color of mold does not automatically mean that it’s black mold. Black mold has become a common term for certain types of potentially harmful mold, such as Stachy- botrys. In my years of experience in the field, I have encountered Stachybotrys in a rainbow of colors. The same is true for common mold species. You may have common- looking mold growth that you might think is harmless. There is no way determine the type of mold by sim- ply looking at it. Indoor air quality tests for mold are the only way to positively identify what species of mold is growing and to what extent. Mold testing also will provide you with the level of spores that are in the environment. Extremely high levels of common Aspergillus and Penicillium can have adverse health effects to those with compromised immune systems or respiratory problems. When mold is discovered, the first step to take is finding out why. Do you have a leak somewhere that is promoting the mold growth? Have you had recent water damage that wasn’t dried out properly? Property managers must find and eliminate the source to effectively correct the problem. Secondly, mold growth needs to be properly remediated to ensure that no spores are left behind to spread and start growing in other places. There are general misconcep- tions about mold remediation. Mold growth occurs in porous materi- als. Cleaning the surfaces of these materials might make it look as though the mold is gone, but in fact spores may be growing much deep- er than the surface. The only way to be certain of getting rid of mold is to remove the affected porous materials under mold remediation protocols. Proper work containment and air filtration is paramount in keeping any spores from releasing and finding a new surface to grow on. Prevention is the best way to avoid mold problems in your prop- erties. Moisture control of the envi- Avoid problems from the dreaded 4-letter word Jackie Bauer Director of business development, Colorado Premier Restoration When mold spores fall on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, it will grow. Please see Bauer, Page 23