[Greenbuilding] firing a roofer, preventing mold, etc

[Courtney Moriarta]

Agreed on the vermiculite.  You should wear a good cartridge-type respirator
when working with any insulation -- even breathing in cellulose dust is not
good for you.  Look for the magenta/yellow cartridges.  Most major hardware
stores carry them these days.  It'll cost you about $40 but will be well
worth it.  It's also a good idea to wear disposable tyvek coveralls.

Get everything out that is wet and won't dry well.  This includes the
insulation and any stored items you may have had in the attic (cardboard
boxes, clothing, etc.).  Sheetrock may or may not need to be replaced,
depending on the extent of the damage.  Try drying first unless it is
already falling apart.  Run fans in the attic.  If you contact a company
that specializes in moisture mitigation, they can provide good centrifugal
fans and commercial grade dehumidifiers.  The faster you get it dried, the
better your chances of avoiding any long-term problems with mold.

Make sure the insulation around the ceiling fan and any other electrical
ceiled fixtures is removed and allowed to dry well.  Some of the chemicals
used in fireproofing cellulose can be corrosive to metal when exposed to
moisture. 

Don't forget about the walls.  If the water got into the walls, that is a
whole other problem.  You may need to open them up (cut a hole in the
sheetrock) and blow air into the cavity with a fan to dry them.  Again,
depending on the extent of the moisture. . .

If you really want to know when things are dry, you can get a surface
moisture detector from Professional Equipment (Grainger may have them, too)
for about $200.  Kind of expensive if you are not in the business of doing
moisture inspections but if it saves you a couple thousand dollars in
damage, it could be worth it.

Homeowners insurance?  I would contact them.  They may be able to initiate a
claim on your behalf with the contractor's insurance (assuming he has one.)
Attorney?  I'd find one, depending on what happens with the insurance route.
Stay home Monday?  I would.

Glad to hear you were able to stop payment on your check.

Good luck.

-Courtney

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Mike Paulsen
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 11:38 PM
To: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] firing a roofer, preventing mold, etc

Ben Pratt wrote:
(snip)
> There is still wet insulation (Fiberglas batts over 
> cellulose, over expanded mica).
(snip)
> Questions:
> 
> Protecting my property and my family:
(snip questions I'll leave for your insurance company, building 
inspector, & lawyer.)
> I will continue to remove all the insulation i can find.
> What else should i do?

The vermiculite insulation may contain significant levels of asbestos. 
Assume it does until you have it tested.



_______________________________________________
Greenbuilding email list
     Environmentally-preferable design, construction, building elements
List info:
http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.org
List email: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Managed by BuildingGreen, Inc. http://www.buildinggreen.com
      publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec
Hosted and archived by REPP / CREST http://www.crest.org
To get on the list:
  http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.org
  or mailto:greenbuilding-request at listserv.repp.org?subject=unsubscribe
To get off the list:
  http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.org
  or mailto:greenbuilding-request at listserv.repp.org?subject=unsubscribe