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| Environmental
Inspections |
An ever increasing awareness of
environmental issues allows us to
offer a diverse range of testing
services for commercial and residential
properties. The risk to inhabitants
of buildings with contaminated soils,
excessive radon gas, interior mold
growth or water impurities can be
detrimental to health and pose great
liability risks. |
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| Mold Inspections & Testing |
| A detailed review of the properties interior and exterior will be conducted to determine potential sources of moisture infiltration and the possibility of physical mold growth. Sophisticated devices such as moisture meters and humidity monitors will be utilized to ascertain areas where mold growth is possible. The mold inspection is typically the first step in developing a mold profile of a property. In many instances, physical mold is not visible, therefore indoor air quality testing is necessary to determine the scope of contamination. A variety of mold testing procedures are utilized to discover what types of mold strains exist in a contaminated property. |
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| A Physical Mold Test is taken when there is visible mold growth within the property. This test will identify the dominant mold strain growing in a particular area. Based on the strain, remediation actions can be dictated. |
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| An Indoor Air Quality Test is a more extensive series of sampling. The air samples will give a more complete understanding of mold growth within a building. Air testing consists of the collection of 150 liters of air taken from various internal areas within a property and one exterior sample. The exterior sample serves as the control test which gives a profile of the mold strains existing in the natural environment that the building resides. After all samples have been processed by a certified laboratory, the interior samples are compared to the exterior sample. If there are unique mold strains or like strains at higher spore levels in the interior samples, colonizing mold is possible within the building. Typically 6 – 8 different strains of mold will be identified per sample, and their corresponding spore counts will be known. These two data sets will provide an accurate identification where mold growth is occurring in a property and to what degree the growth is occurring. |
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Mold
Remediation |
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The remediation (removal process) of mold
is the last step in dealing with contaminated
materials within a property. Typically,
a removal and replacement of contaminated
materials is what constitutes a remediation
project. Special care has to be taken
to ensure non-contaminated areas of a
property are not cross-contaminated during
the removal process.
Air filtration, spore capture and ventilation
must be employed during the course of
remediation. Each remediation project
is highly unique, typically escalates
in scope and can be costly. We approach
remediation projects very carefully. The
safety of the inhabitants of the property
is our greatest concern. Our personnel
are certified to conduct remediation and
produce remediation plans. If your property
requires mold remediation, we will consult
with you to provide the best options for
your situation. There are mold remediation
companies that thrive on the fear factor
to initiate unnecessary procedures which
drive costs sky high. If you have already
received a remediation plan and would
like a 2nd opinion, please don’t
hesitate to contact us. There’s
good reason why several school districts,
relocation companies, construction firms
and countless property owners have trusted
us to conduct safe, reliable and thorough
remediation projects. |
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Phase
1 Environmental Site Assessment |
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Structure & Site is experienced in
reviewing site conditions and conducting
investigations to assess potential environmental
risks associated with a piece of commercial
or industrial property. The Phase
l is performed to determine several
factors, such as the historical use of
the property, known or suspected contamination
sources within the site vicinity, and
potential subsurface conditions in the
site vicinity. The decision to conduct
a Phase ll is based on
information obtained from the Phase l.
The Phase ll will determine
if contamination is present, analyze the
extent of contamination and estimate the
cost of remediation. The degree of investigation
can include groundwater, soils, underground
storage tanks, PCB content in transformers
and other electrical equipment, drinking
water quality, indoor air quality, and
asbestos-containing materials. Many lending
institutions require a Phase I as part
of the mortgage due diligence process.
Don't hesitate to contact us if you have
any questions, it is possible that a limited
environmental assessment can be conducted
which can significantly reduce costs.
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Radon
Gas - Radon is a natural occurring
by-product of decaying uranium within
the earth. All buildings have some level
of radon gas. The EPA reports that Radon
is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer
in the country, causing 14,000 deaths
annually. To calculate the amount of radon
within a building, Structure & Site
utilizes the EPA recommended procedure
to collect and analyze radon gas level
over a 48 hour period.
Click to visit the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality's map of radon
concentrations in your county MI RADON MAP
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Radon
Remediation - If a building tests
positive for high radon levels, simple
and inexpensive remediation solutions
are available. The most common remediation
is to install a sub-slab ventilation system.
This system consists of a ventilation
pipe inserted into a hole that has been
dug through the concrete foundation slab.
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A vent fan then pulls radon gas from under
the building and vents it outside before
it has a chance to enter the interior
of the building. Costs range from $800
for a home to more than $3,000 for a large
commercial building. The sub-slab vent
system is very effective in reducing radon
gas and is unobtrusive within the building.
Additional info can be found at this EPA
site. |
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Water Purity - Homes
or buildings with water supplied by a
well can be subject to many impurities.
Structure & Site provides water purity
tests that detect levels of coliform bacteria,
nitrates, nitrites, metals, radon, E-Coli,
lead and arsenic. Buildings built before
1980 may contain a high lead content within
the plumbing pipe solder which can be
picked up by water movement through the
pipes. Additional info can be found at
this
EPA site.
Water testing can be a costly endeavor,
as many potential contaminants exist in
water supplies. Different geographic areas
present unique chemical ground water circumstances
and we recommend that you consult us prior
to testing. |
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Lead Based Paint - Structures
built before 1975 are subject to lead
based paint content. Consumption of lead
paint by way of lead paint dust poses
a health threat. Testing consists of taking
air quality samples, physical samples
of paint or a swab tests from areas within
the building, which will be analyzed to
identify lead based paint content. Additional
info can be found at this
EPA site. |
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