Major Southern California University – Mold Identification and Remediation

Clark Seif Clark, Inc.

During the construction/renovation of the Arts Center of a major Southern California University, the interior of two buildings was flooded by rainwater. One building was completely vacant and the other was partially open for students. The contractor was unaware of the damage that water may cause, so he proceeded with construction without issuing proper drying of affected areas. Consequently, the water damage caused severe mold growth on all newly placed drywall material, as well as, existing plaster/drywall product, vinyl floors, and structural wood members. Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC) was contacted by the University’s insurance company to perform a comprehensive microbial investigation, which included air and surface sampling. In addition, since a portion of one of the buildings was being used for lectures, the HVAC system had to be shut off in order to avoid the migration of mold spores to these areas.

The investigation yielded severe mold growth, specifically aspergillus/penicillium genre. CSC issued a comprehensive set of specification to address the microbial growth. It included sections that dealt with bacterial cleanup, mold cleanup, containment, negative enclosure, decontamination procedures, and personnel protective equipment.

Remediation included removing most of the affected newly placed drywall, specifically the bottom 4 feet, cleaning of the wall studs with a bleach and water solution, removing some water damaged asbestos-containing vinyl flooring, decontamination of the existing HVAC.