by Eric Cureton
Operations Manager

As inflation increases the cost for just about everything, businesses are on the lookout for ways to save money whenever possible. Increases in the cost of materials and supplies, as well as labor have many scratching their heads on how they can fight rising costs in all sectors. No doubt, the environmental abatement and remediation industries have also seen prices going up. Just take a look at the cost of a roll of polyethylene sheeting, which jumped to an all-time high in April and May of 2023, and is now just starting to make a downturn.*

So rather than shell out money to perform a mold remediation project, improving your facility’s preventative maintenance (PM) and addressing moisture or water issues early can help stretch every dollar. Recently, I conducted a building walk through that was a good example of this strategy. This particular facility had an air handling unit located above an acoustic ceiling grid and serviced a couple of offices and an employee breakroom. At some point over a holiday weekend, the condensate drain pan below the unit became clogged, causing the pan to fill with water and soak the offices and breakroom directly underneath. The incident was not discovered until Tuesday morning.

The breakroom had to be temporarily closed and employees working in the affected offices had to be relocated. Money was then spent on an assessment of the area as well as remediation. In this instance, the facility had been conducting quarterly filter changes as needed, however no one was performing other preventative maintenance on the system, such as ensuring the condensate drain pan was flowing. Preventative maintenance like that isn’t the most exciting or technically difficult work, however the value, as demonstrated in this example, is very clear.

In addition to preventative maintenance other tips for mold prevention include controlling relative humidity. Indoor relative humidity should not exceed 60% to minimize the potential for mold growth, and the ASHRAE 55 standard (published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) specifies acceptable operative temperature and humidity ranges to satisfy 80% of the building occupants. Mold can flourish in environments with elevated relative humidity.  If your system can’t maintain relative humidity in those ranges, there are many options to add de-humidification, either with portable units or whole system add-ons. Ensure your facility has proper ventilation, to help maintain relative humidity and prevent the building up of excess moisture in enclosed spaces.

Capture water leakage from roofs using a roof leak diverter trap to control the moisture intrusion and prevent other building areas from water damage.  Dry and clean areas affected by moisture intrusion as soon as they are identified. Drying and tearing out wet components before mold amplification begins can help keep the costs of remediation minimal.

Building owners will always battle the elements trying to maintain indoor air quality for building occupants. Implementing more quality PM’s can help prevent expenditures on unplanned water damage and/ or mold remediation projects.

How We Can Help
The AMA team brings decades of professional experience and quality to the table in every facet of our business. For additional information, related services, and more, contact AMA at 410-684-3327 or info@amaconsulting.com, or visit amatraining.com.

*Source: Polyethylene (PE) Prices, Latest Price, News, Database (procurementresource.com)