Hurricane Katrina and Wilma Clean-Up Guide

Supplemental Mold Clean-up Advice for Residents. This document provides supplemental information to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals document entitled “Indoor Mold and Mildew after Hurricane Katrina and Wilma”.

When can I safely re-occupy my home?
Homes that sustained any flood damage can be expected to be contaminated with visible mold growth, and should not be re-occupied until the necessary mold remediation is performed. Mold is a national health crisis of epidemic proportions and the health effects from exposure (inhalation, skin contact, and remotely, edibility) can be extremely dangerous to anyone, depending on indoor air counts and length of exposure.

Who should perform mold clean-up work?
There is a general consensus (EPA, CDC, NYC DOHMH) that mold remediation work involving large areas (100 sq ft or 10 ft x 10 ft) should be performed by trained mold remediation personnel. Under normal circumstances, areas exceeding 25 to 30 sq ft should also be remediated by trained personnel who can contain the area and remove the mold effectively and safely.  Personal protective equipment is mandatory.

Removing Salvageable Possessions

• Computers, microwaves, window A/C units, and other electronics/appliances containing fans that are housed in moldy rooms should be disposed of regardless of their apparent condition.
• TV’s, stereo equipment, and other electronics that do not contain fans may be salvageable, and can be cleaned with regular cleaning products.
• Photographs and critical documents displaying minor levels of mold growth may be salvageable by wiping with damp paper towels and a mild detergent solution. Freezing these items will retard further growth until professional restoration can be performed.
• Valuable artwork can be HEPA vacuumed to remove surface mold. Frames and backings can be wet wiped with a mild detergent solution. Items can then be wrapped in plastic (when dry) and taken for professional restoration.

Mold Remediation Procedures

Gutting
Many homes display such extensive mold growth that completes ?gutting? is necessary. Gutting should include the removal of all Sheetrock and plaster walls and ceilings, all wood lath behind plaster, all non-structural wood studs and joists, all wood flooring, sub-flooring, cabinetry and trims, all vinyl flooring, all windows, all duct work, all water damaged air handlers, all electrical wiring, outlets, fixtures and other equipment (warning: main power line must be disconnected by an electrician before start of work).

Structural wood displaying mold growth should be wire brushed with a detergent/or an effective antimicrobial solution.  When completely dry, wood that continues to display significant mold growth should be encapsulated with a good fungal encapsulate/coating.

Gutting is a mold remediation project, and should be performed only by trained and licensed mold remediation personnel.NOTE:The use of products such Vick’s Vaporub inserted into nostrils to avoid the stench of mold has been reported as unprotected laborers are gutting houses for piece work prices such as $200.  This is totally unacceptable and below health standards.

Sheetrock Constructions

• Before removing Sheetrock, spray visibly moldy surfaces with water to reduce dust release. Remove with minimum possible disturbance. Remove minimum 1-2 ft beyond visible mold growth on front and back sides. Bag for disposal.
• Scrub (abrasive sponge) or wire brush discolored wood studs/joists with detergent/10% bleach solution (or SoftScrub).
• When studs/joists are dry, encapsulate with Fosters 40-20 (low toxicity fungicidal/fungistatic paint).

Plaster Constructions

• Wet scrape (spray with water) to remove paint and weakened plaster/brown coat.
• Remove wood lath boards that were submerged and display visible mold growth.
• Scrub (abrasive sponge) or wire brush discolored wood studs/joists with detergent/10% bleach solution (or SoftScrub).
• When studs/joists are dry, MH Approved encapsulate (low toxicity fungicidal/fungistatic paint). Look at www.mold-help.com for approved resources that will be published shortly.

Painted Brick/Cement
Wet wire brush (detergent/10% bleach solution) to remove discoloration and precipitate deposits (efflorescence).

Wood Trims

• Remove and dispose of swollen doors.
• Remove base moldings and inspect back side. If visibly moldy, then dispose of or scrub with detergent 10% bleach solution, allow to dry, and encapsulate.
• Wood door frames and window components displaying visible mold may be salvageable by cleaning (SoftScrub/abrasive sponge), then refinishing (may require professional restoration).

Wood Cabinetry (kitchen/bathrooms/built-ins)

• Remove and dispose of all cabinetry (fiberboard/plywood) that had been partially or fully submerged or displays severe visible mold. Architectural quality wood cabinetry may be salvageable by cleaning (SoftScrub/abrasive sponge), then refinishing (may require professional restoration).
• Remove any cabinetry that impairs access to affected walls.

Wood Floors

• For constructions on piling/piers, buckling will subside. Flooded wood plank floors with two layers of boards or laid over plywood should be removed and disposed of. Single-layer wood plank floors nailed directly to joists may be salvageable.
• After all other remediation work, HEPA vacuum, then scrub floors with detergent solution to prepare for sanding/re-finishing. Final polyurethane coating will substantially prevent air infiltration from crawl space below.

For Constructions on Slabs

• Remove and dispose of flooring and sub-flooring that were submerged.
• Ceramic and Vinyl Flooring – Ceramic flooring laid directly onto cement/concrete slabs may require only HEPA vacuuming, then washing with a detergent/10% bleach solution.
• Vinyl flooring should be removed and disposed of.
• Vinyl or ceramic flooring laid onto plywood should be removed and disposed of, including the plywood. The underlying cement/concrete should be brushed with a detergent/10% bleach solution.

Asbestos Floor Tiles

• Pre-1970 rigid floor tiles measuring 8″ X 8″ or 9″ X 9″ should be presumed to be asbestos containing tiles. Under normal conditions, these tiles should be removed as an asbestos project in accordance with regulations.
• While it is a violation to remove these tiles other than as an asbestos project, remediators should understand that saturating these tiles with water will substantially reduce the levels of asbestos released if the incidental disturbance of these tiles is unavoidable.

Heating and Air Conditioning Systems

• Remove and dispose of all ductwork and air handling equipment that was submerged. Inspect non-submerged air handlers and ducts for visible mold. Interior fiberglass duct liner may be a problem.

Occupant, Worker and Premise Protection

• In two story houses, thoroughly seal-off second floor with poly sheeting (blue tape on ceiling, duct tape poly to blue tape).
• Run high power exhaust fan in work area to provide dilution ventilation and to prevent infiltration of airborne mold/bacteria into adjoining spaces.
• Warning to contractors and homeowners: personal injury lawyers are already soliciting workers to file personal injury lawsuits for adverse health effects related to remediation work exposures.
• Houses that are being ‘gutted’ must still be considered mold remediation projects. While occupant exposure is not an issue, worker exposure is a huge issue. Re-usable HVAC components must be protected.
• Clean up all dust with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner. Final clean all surfaces with a detergent/10% bleach solution.

Dealing with Mold Remediation Contractors

• State of Louisiana requires licensing of mold remediation contractors.
• Hire only a licensed contractor.
• Get two to three price quotes.
• Require contractor to provide insurance certificate, naming property owner as insured, with proof of commercial general liability, contractual liability, and pollution (mold) liability.
• Ask contractor to provide 5 references on similar jobs, and call re job satisfaction.
• Require contractor to submit written proposal that includes:
  • Detailed scope of work.
  • Detailed plan for occupant, worker and premise protection.
  • Provision for final payment being conditional on results of satisfactory third party final inspection and post-remediation air testing.
• Beware of contractors who only recommend fogging/spraying without removing compromised material. Moldy materials must be removed first.

Rebuild

• Do not use Sheetrock (paper-faced gypsum board) when rebuilding. It is the refined cellulose content of paper that provides ideal nutrient to support toxic fungal growth in the presence of water damage.
• Use fiberglass tape in place of paper tape.
• Insulate wall cavities with Styrofoam board in place of fiberglass batting insulation.
• Where wood studs/joists are removed, replace with galvanized metal.
• Paint walls and ceilings with a mold resistant paint.

Health and Safety Advisories

• Mold growing on Sheetrock may be Stachybotrys chartarum or Chaetomium, which produces a toxin which has been associated with severe adverse health effects in humans.  See the Mold Help symptoms page for more information on this site.
• The whitish/yellowish cotton candy-like mold growth observed in many homes has been identified in limited testing as Fusarium, which may produce a toxin associated with severe adverse health effects.
• Mold clean-up activities may result in the release of lead paint dust.  For households with children under the age of 7, lead dust wipe post remediation clearance testing is strongly recommended.
• Plaster may contain asbestos.  More extensive testing is required to understand the scope of this potential problem. Plaster can be inexpensively tested for asbestos content.  Remediation of asbestos-containing plaster surfaces poses a severe health risk to workers and occupants.
• If you smell a gas leak, there may be a risk of fire or explosion.  Call your utility company.
• Stay away from downed power lines and damaged electrical wires.
• Carbon monoxide exhaust kills.  Use gas powered generators outdoors only.

The Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service (LSAFHS, Inc.), founded in 1958, is a nonprofit community-based organization that works with the people of East Harlem to address the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual dimensions of family health. Its home-based and center-based programs are designed to empower those who are most vulnerable and who have least access to the basic necessities of life, in the conviction that the entire community grows when individuals and families are affirmed in their own dignity.

This document was prepared by Ray Lopez and Bill Sothern and edited by Mold Help.  The team wrote the initial draft after after inspecting homes throughout the New Orleans area during the first week of October 2005. Ray Lopez is the Environmental Program Manager of LSAFHS, Inc. (www.littlesistersfamily.org). Bill Sothern, MS, CIH (www.microecologies.com) is the author of the NYC Housing Preservation and Development Protocols for mold inspection and remediation.

Disclaimer: This article is solely the opinion of the above credited author, therefore, does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mold Help; its contributors, writers, advisers, peers, or affiliates.  Mold Help is not liable for the content of this commentary and does not endorse or agree with this announcement.  MH provides this public service as the civil right to freedom of speech but by doing such; assume no liability of this submission whatsoever.  Any inquiries to the author can be sent to this site and will be forwarded to the author if deemed appropriate.