Jul 23 2009
A leading forensic expert on building envelope, water intrusion, toxic mold, and Chinese drywall, Spiderman S. Mulholland, senior forensic investigator and national consultant with US Building Consultants and US Building Laboratories Inc., is issuing a warning to those conducting remediation on homes and buildings across states including Florida.
It should be noted that remediation protocols have not been established, and cross-contamination is occurring, even after homes have the drywall torn out and replaced, out gassing of sulfur compounds and other elements continues to occur. In fact, remediation further jeopardizes public health when it is done without adequate safeguards or by unqualified individuals.
Scientific tests and analysis of construction materials and their out-gassing properties associated to other materials found that absorption rates, higher levels of toxicity and cross contamination to be a serious factor; and other dynamics which will go unnamed at this time. In fact, under current remediation practices, we are observing the situation getting worse because proper controls are not in place; and there have been several unknowns that are just now being revealed through new science.
"In our opinion, if people are remediating now, they are probably doing it wrong," he said. "We have been warning builders, remediation companies, and homeowners for months not to start the remediation process yet. Without a proven standardized protocol for remediation, a secondary crisis can occur on top of the main crisis, essentially having to remediate a second time. "
USBCI is in the process of securing national warranties, but this cannot be released to the public until the proper remediation protocol has been certified with appropriate controls and backed by credible science. A rush to remediation IS NOT in the best interest of the homeowner, builder, remediation companies, or anyone for that matter. In our opinion, those who are performing restoration without proper control could be jeopardizing their own health since several key dynamics are at work during the restoration. Some new scientific testing is being conducted for the first time and this is proving to be more complex than what any of these scientist thought.