A common nightmare for builders is the discovery of mold in a recent project. The cost for mold abatement can be immense in both time and money.
Mold abatement can cost up to $25 per square foot. However, this cost is not limited to the areas covered with visible mold. Often contracts require the builder to do abatement in areas adjacent to observed mold, as mold in one location indicates that the environment was right for mold to grow elsewhere. This means that costs can multiply quickly.
The inspections themselves – requested by the client in advance and required by clients and the law after the work is completed – can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
And there are even cost beyond time and money. When mold is discovered on a construction site or in a project done by a company, that company’s reputation takes a hit.
So your best investment is in prevention.
Prevent mold by keeping water and humidity out
To prevent mold, select contractors who are trained and certificated in using the best methods to prevent leaks, drainage, and trapped vapor. These contractors will talk to you about their training and demonstrate certification in best practices to prevent mold.
More importantly, they will take proactive steps to mitigate the conditions in which mold can grow in the first place.
Keeping a foundation dry through effective drainage and water management is important. Also, using the best waterproofing materials helps to ensure that water that makes contact with your building will be kept out.
Prevent mold by ensuring adequate ventilation
Of course, moisture can get into a building site in lots of different ways. The foundation is a common route as ground water or rainwater finds its way through the tiniest cracks. However, on construction sites, moisture is just as likely to build up from rainwater blowing in through unsecured tarps or where the roof is not yet installed.
In these cases, waterproofing materials alone are not enough. Care must be taken to allow adequate ventilation. In an open construction site this typically is not a problem as ventilation occurs naturally where there are no windows or walls. However in more constricted areas builders choose to add temporary ventilation until HVAC units are installed, inspected, and fully functional. This helps ensure that water won’t build up, leaving a place for mold to grow.
Prevent mold by using products that fight mold
Construction and waterproofing experts are also aware that there are products they can use that fight mold. This includes paints and stains created with fungicides in their formula. A final step in a project that involved a lot of humidity can involve a specific treatment with a fungicide to make sure that no mold was allowed to fester as a potential time bomb.
