News / Business
Mold and Bacteria Contamination in Foreclosed Homes – An Epidemic
Foreclosed homes or buildings can sell for a fraction of their original value, and may seem like a steal: A fixer-upper at a low price. But while there are plenty of good deals to be found on the foreclosure market, “these homes can also harbor unpleasant guests—such as mold, bacteria, mycotoxins and endotoxins” stated Dr Rajiv Sahay, Director of Lab Services at Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory (EDLab) an AIHA accredited microbiology laboratory
Atlanta, GA.-- Mold and foreclosure—their may not seem to be an immediate correlation between the two, but if you're talking about the foreclosure crisis you might see that oftentimes they go hand in hand.
Foreclosed homes or buildings can sell for a fraction of their original value, and may seem like a steal: A fixer-upper at a low price. But while there are plenty of good deals to be found on the foreclosure market, “these homes can also harbor unpleasant guests—such as mold, bacteria, mycotoxins and endotoxins” stated Dr Rajiv Sahay, Director of Lab Services at Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory (EDLab) an AIHA accredited microbiology laboratory.
RealtyTrac®, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, released its February 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™, which shows foreclosure filings - default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions - were reported on 290,631. More than 850,000 homes have been repossessed by lenders since August 2007, when the credit crunch took hold.
The foreclosures are bad enough though realtors and consumers are very concerned about the condition of these unattended homes. What can be done about restoring the indoor environment after foreclosure?
Bill Radu, CIAQP/Industrial Hygienist with Pure Air Control Services/Building Heath Check®, a national leading indoor air quality consulting firm with over 24 years experience and over 10,000 studies stated “we have evaluated numerous foreclosed homes and we are finding that since the homes have been left unattended, they are enclosed, many non conditioned that the microbial amplification has exasperated exponentially causing significant growth and potential health risk to those who enter.” Temperature and humidity levels have been out of norm for weeks and in most cases months and will produce conditions where microbial contamination can and will proliferate.
According to Bill, “The homes are like giant Petri dishes without proper care. The longer the homes sit the worse they get”. Bill suggests “to develop a baseline condition evaluating the following: wall moisture content, interstitial wall conditions, HVAC hygiene condition, air and surface sampling for molds and bacteria and possible endotoxin and mycotoxin assessment. This baseline will assist in devloping an effective remediation plan that will assure a healthy indoor environment” concluded Bill Radu.
For a Building Health Check® evaluation of your home or business you can reach Bill Radu or one of the building scientists at Pure Air Control Services at 1-800-422-7873 ext 202.
About Pure Air Control Services:
Alan Wozniak founded Pure Air Control Services, Inc. in 1984 as a small mechanical contracting firm. Today, the work distributed from its offices in Tampa, Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Houston and Washington D.C. sets the industry standard for indoor environmental quality diagnosis and remediation.
Pure Air Control Services is a national provider of the following IAQ services: Building Sciences Evaluation; Building Health Check (USP 797 monitoring compliance); Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory (EDLab) an AIHA accredited micro laboratory (USP 797 Lab analysis); DIY IAQ Green Check test kits, Environmental Project Management; HVAC System Cleaning and Mold Remediation Services, among other indoor environmental services.
The company’s expanding valued client roster includes the General Services Administration (GSA); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Allstate Insurance; Carrier Air Conditioning; Naval Air Warfare Center, Orlando; and Naval Air Station - King's Bay, Georgia, and many other Fortune 500 companies, school boards, and city, state, and county governments, making Pure Air Control Services the reliable industry leader in IAQ.
For more information on Pure Air Control Services, Inc. please contact Ed Ziegler, VP at (800) 422-7873 x 804, or visit www.pureaircontrols.com.
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For: Pure Air Control Services, Inc.
Contacts:
Ed Ziegler, VP Business Development
800-422-7873 ext 804
Alan Wozniak, President/CEO
800-422-7873 ext 802
