Our client was notified that an occupant of a dwelling unit in their multifamily building had submitted notification of a mold problem. The property management firm’s consultant conducted an investigation of potential moisture intrusion sources. Infrared inspection of walls around windows, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) components, and other areas did not identify moisture intrusion. Sampling of tenant clothing that had been stored in a closet revealed high concentrations of penicillium/ aspergillus on surfaces and in air in the closet. The source of airborne fungi was attributed to moist clothes stored by the tenant in a closed closet with HVAC turned off.
The property management firm’s cleaning contractor mobilized to the apartment to remove the affected clothing, tenant belongings, and to clean hard surfaces and replace carpet and padding in the presence of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) scrubbers. Thereafter, the unit was re-painted and re-carpeted.
Targus was engaged to conduct a post-cleaning/ pre-occupancy mold inspection. Our field representatives conducted close visual examination of the interiors, checked moisture content of the walls, measured indoor air comfort parameters with an emphasis on temperature and humidity, and also collected air samples for biological evaluation. The results of biological testing identified indoor total spore counts, and genera-specific counts, to be substantially lower than in samples of ambient outdoor air. No indicators of moisture intrusion or other causes for biomagnification were encountered.
