Re: Bellmead church battling mold problem

[Guest guest]

We are missing a critical point. What would prevent these

catastrophes from happening? The answer is avoiding continuous high

relative humidity in the buildings. Our sick buildings group focuses

on the after-effects of extended high humidity- " mold growth " . Why

not educate the consumer on the early warning signs of future mold

growth. High relative humidity for more than a day is cause for

alarm. After two days of high humidity, mold growth is started.

All buildings should have high relative humidity alarms. If you are

concerned about indoor air quality where you live and work, you

should monitor the relative humidity everyday. $25 buys a good

hygrometer at Radio shack or a hardware store. $100 buys data logger

for long-term documentation.

When relative humidity is +65% for more than a day, humidity control

and an investigation should begin ASAP. Mold is probably growing on

the cooler surfaces in the building. A water intrusion, plumbing

leak, high outdoor humidity, or air-conditioning malfunction is

occurring. A properly sized dehumidifier will dry the building down

to <60% short term preventing mold growth while repairs and changes

are made. This provides the time it takes to fix other problems

without growing mold throughout the building.

In other words, lets get on with it! Prevent these disasters from

reoccurring over and over.

@y..., bherk@m... wrote:

>

http://www.wacotrib.com/auto/feed/news/2002/03/31/1017633416.05426.635

0.2606

> .html

>

> Bellmead church battling mold problem

> By TERRI JO RYAN Tribune-Herald staff writer

>

> Some walls will come tumbling down this week at Bellmead First

Baptist

> Church - moldy walls in a two-story multipurpose building that had

to be

> abandoned in late November after mold spread throughout the

structure,

> exposing the congregation to potential health problems.

>

> Church leaders believe the mold erupted after a major water leak

last fall,

> said Eddie on, the church's minister of music. He's been

placed in

> charge of the recovery project by pastor Bruce Austin.

>

> A pipe that apparently burst under the building sometime in

September was

> not discovered until a month later, when the water bill jumped from

$300 to

> $2,500, on said. A perfect environment for rapid mold

growth, the

> moistened masonry and other materials began to affect members, many

of whom

> complained of watery eyes, stinging noses, shortness of breath and

headaches

> from the bad odor, he said.

>

> Testing determined that the majority of the first floor and parts

of the

> second were infested with mold, he said, and it was in the walls

and ceiling

> near the nursery in another building. After a thorough survey of

the rest of

> the property, the cleanup firm determined that the sanctuary was not

> affected, on said.

>

> The $800,000 multipurpose building, which was built in the early

1950s and

> renovated for $26,000 last year, now stands vacant, on said.

It

> contains the kitchen, fellowship hall, library, chapel and

classrooms - all

> off-limits until the majority of the first floor is gutted by ARC

Abatement

> Inc., he said.

>

> All of the portable property, such as desks, tables and chairs,

have been

> removed, treated and now sit in storage in the church's gym,

on said.

> If it weren't for the availability of the gym, the church would

have to pay

> rent to store the cleaned goods with the bio-remediation firm.

>

> The materials to be ripped out this week by ARC will be bagged and

taken to

> a landfill, on said.

>

> " We have had to make some temporary classroom changes, " he said.

Some of the

> bigger classrooms in the other education building not affected by

the mold

> have been converted into small rooms for the children's classes. A

men's

> Bible class has to meet in the choir room, for example, and the

women's

> class meets in the bride's room.

>

> Couples who had reservations to use the social hall and kitchen

have been

> given notice that they are not available now, on said.

>

> Ernesto , pastor of El Buen Pastor Missionary Baptist

Church, which

> used the church's chapel in the multipurpose wing, said his flock

has been

> moved to the second floor of the remaining education building and

put into a

> classroom. The ministry, which will mark its second anniversary on

May 1,

> has 32 members, including almost 20 in Sunday school.

>

> The classroom they are in accommodates up to 50, said. But

putting

> El Buen Pastor on the second floor means that some elderly members

in the

> missionary congregation have been unable to attend classes because

they are

> unable to climb the stairs to get to them. said some are

able to

> climb with the help of more able-bodied members.

>

> " We've just had to adapt to it, " he said. " First Baptist has been

very

> supportive and helpful in every way. "

>

> According to the Centers for Disease Control, mold exposure has not

been

> " definitively linked " to any illnesses, but common reactions

include lung

> problems and memory loss. People with compromised immune systems

seem to be

> at a higher risk for contracting an infection, the CDC says. In

addition,

> allergic symptoms and difficulty breathing are other common

reactions to

> mold.

>

> A further complication is that the abatement company also

discovered the

> building contains asbestos, which must be removed before the mold

cleanup is

> completed. The estimated bill is about $200,000.

>

> " The members of the church have taken all of this in stride and

have made

> some sacrifices to make good out of a bad situation, " on

said. While

> not naming an exact timeline for re-entry and reuse of the

building, he

> estimated it will be 12 to 18 months before the church can raise

the money,

> pay for the removal process and move back in.

>

> Terri Jo can be reached at tjryan@w... or at 757-5746.