Air Quality Sciences (AQS) has helped many water disaster recovery efforts over the last 20 years, including those following Hurricane Katrina. Rapid response and assistance from qualified, experienced firms are keys to success. Follow these flood recovery tips to reduce remediation costs and facility downtime:

·         Replace porous materials that have been damaged by the floodwaters. This includes items such as carpets, drywall and ceiling tiles. Porous materials damaged by extensive rainfall should be reused only if the structural integrity of the material remains intact and the material has completely dried out. Floodwaters often contain chemicals and bacteria, which can pose serious health threats, as documented along the Gulf Coast — especially in New Orleans and surrounding areas.

·         Retain the services of a qualified remediation consultant who has documented and verifiable experience with natural disasters or catastrophic building failures. Check references if possible. Doing so will greatly increase the chances of a successful and cost-effective cleanup and restoration project.

·         Negotiate carefully for a structural drying and water damage restoration service. Insist on fixed-fee contracts or unit pricing to control costs. If time and material contracts are necessary to expedite operations, shift to fixed-fee arrangements once the scope of the damage is understood. The environmental consultant should comment on the services proposed by the contractor.

·         Make sure remediation activities do not expose building occupants and/or the remediation works to airborne contaminants such as mold spores and other mold colony components. If possible, damaged facilities should be unoccupied during remediation. If undamaged portions of a facility must be occupied during remediation, employ effective engineering controls to prevent the spread of contaminants outside of the remediation zone.

For more information, call 770-933-0638 and ask to speak with our Building Consulting team, or e-mail info@aqs.com.

Additional Mold Info

Hurricane Guide- Post Hurricane Basics:Restoring Your Property provided by Air Quality Sciences

An Article on Hurricane Preparedness:  Now  More Than Ever by Air Quality Sciences' General Manager, Taylor Gonsoulin IE Connections August 2005

A Guide to Avoiding Moisture & Mold provided by Air Quality Sciences

Fact Sheet:  Basic Facts about Mold

An Article on Mold Prevention and Remediation: Mold, Mold Everywhere by Regina Raiford Babcock Buildings, February 2004

An Article on Mold Growth in Homes Free of Water Damage by W. Elliott Horner and Anthony Worthan of Air Quality Sciences published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Nov 2004, p. 6394-6400.

An Article on the Evaluation of Mold Growth by W. Elliott Horner of Air Quality Sciences published in Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America 23 (2003) p. 519-531