Mould Spread in Ceiling Space

Project Overview

Due to improper shower steam venting, moisture was leaking into the attic void space for a long time, causing mould growth throughout the ceiling space, and spreading onto the ceiling of the upper level. NLR Restorations was called in to investigate and completely remediate the complete spread of mould.

NLR technicians decided, to safely remove the mould infection from the house, they first needed to mitigate the mould damage from spreading further, and prevent secondary damage from occurring when carrying out invasive works. To do this NLR installed and implemented negative venting using two air movers and three HEPA filtration units. This effectively took the contaminated air (mould spores), filtered it and blew it out of the house. 

Technicians also installed containment barriers at entrances, to seal off the affected area. HD 200um plastic sheeting was installed on the flooring, including the stairs, to protect the flooring as well. They removed all affected porous fittings (curtains and blinds), for offsite cleaning by a subcontractor.

After the electrician came through to make safe invasive works, NLR Technicians put on level 3 PPE gear, cut, stripped and double bagged the ceiling plasterboard and insulation of the second level. A disposal skip was left on-site during the day, for technicians to dispose of affected materials. Further negative airing was implemented.

Afterwards, NLR technicians, wearing full level 3 PPE gear, started physical mould remediation to the ceiling/roof space, by HEPA vacuuming, scrubbing and wiping timber trusses, sarking, ceiling framing and walls. Additionally, technicians also started mould remediation to all upper-level room surfaces. Once the mould was remediated heavily, drying of moist building material could commence, with the installation of two dehumidifiers and two air movers. H2O2 vaporisation was installed in the contained area to add more surety that the mould was killed, especially in hard to reach places.

Lastly, after removing the sheeting NLR technician’s carpet and tile cleaned all areas of the home, and remediated three air-conditioning units, using anti-microbial treating methods. Before removing equipment, technicians took post-remediation mould sampling and testing to verify remediation results (2 air samples, 1 air-o-cell, 1 via-cell and two ATP surface samples).