Increased commercial tenant vacancies caused by economic hardships have led to tough decisions for sustainable and efficient building operation. A similar situation is also being faced by owners of high rise condominiums, who are challenged with protecting building assets while facing operating shortfalls, declining sales, unfinished construction, and foreclosed dwellings. Having learned how such decisions impacted building performance and associated costs in more robust economic times, we describe below an actual situation we encountered. [More]

Ed Light, CIH, a nationally-recognized expert partnering with Building Health Sciences on its Chinese Drywall initiative, is Co-Chair of the upcoming ASTM Johnson Conference: Standardization of Mold Response Procedures. [More]

Mold litigation has expanded beyond personal injury claims to building owner negligence, design deficiencies, defective workmanship and construction defects. Recently, damp indoor spaces and a host of associated factors: bacteria, endotoxins, cell wall components, VOCs, and viruses have taken center stage. [More]

Residential crawlspaces are one of the most complicated, dynamic and geographically-influenced assemblies in residential construction. In addition, they are intimately associated with the indoor living environment’s performance. However the crawlspace assembly is frequently overlooked and under-estimated as a source of contaminants, moisture and pathway for cross-contamination of living spaces. [More]

Mold amplification across 300 homes where the escalating value of homes was creating tremendous gains in homeowner equity. Decades of the developer’s family business continuity were threatened by the potential magnitude of a financially punitive class action settlement beyond the costs of corrective actions. [More]

A newly constructed three story senior living facility with 150 rooms developed visible mold amplification in a few of the initially occupied units. [More]

Following the flooding of an assisted-living facility, significant mold growth, Stachybotrys included, resulted. Decisions had to be made about the occupants, their accommodations and their possessions with respect to the extent of remediation required. Several town meetings with physician com... [More]

An atopic (one with multiple environmental allergies) instructor reported asthma-like symptoms when working in his classroom. He complained of "toxic mold" in his classroom and formaldehyde off-gassing from furniture as the cause of his problems. Others in the building were also conc... [More]

The developer faces a dilemma if unprepared for a mold emergency. Reactions escalate quickly. Mold is not just a warranty issue but potential groundwork for litigation. A mold related incident gains intensity with a life cycle all its own. Homeowners ask hard questions. Preparation includes unders... [More]

The right medical and scientific knowledge, and practical experience, will help ensure mold-related health risks and building health risk cost drivers are properly addressed. [More]