RestorationHQ (RHQ) was tasked with addressing a water intrusion incident on government property. The project’s complexity required RHQ to deploy specialized teams to minimal resource areas, comply with stringent background checks, and liaise with the client’s industrial hygienist. The leak was reportedly caused by a recently installed roof system and was believed to be a small, isolated area. The impacted area was in the medical building onsite and human health was of the utmost importance. The client informed RHQ that the leak occurred 6 days prior to the call and that they had concerns for secondary damage. The client also notified RHQ that they were aware of potential failures in the system and were working with the other party to attempt to prevent additional water intrusions but were unsuccessful.
The client has their own industrial hygienist, required a licensed restoration company, and required pre-approval for the scope of work prior to any work being executed. RHQ deployed teams to a small area of the state with very minimal resources while complying with background check requirements for every worker that stepped foot on the property. These challenges required a very specific work schedule and created additional challenges that RHQ is very experienced with.
The team faced several obstacles during the restoration process, including the evolving classification of the water intrusion from Category 2 to Category 3, the discovery of extensive microbial growth in the walls, and the presence of hazardous asbestos-containing materials. This required RHQ to change the approach and provide the necessary engineering controls to control the emissions of the project.
Despite these challenges, RHQ’s teams demonstrated exceptional resilience and adaptability. They constructed secure engineering controls (containments) and utilized HEPA Filter-equipped negative pressure machines in enclosed areas to control emissions effectively. These measures ensured the safety of both the RHQ crews and the client. During the demolition process it was discovered that the wall system was constructed out of multiple layers of drywall which varied from 2 to as many as 4 layers.
Additionally, the crews discovered suspect mastic material on some of the layers inside the wall which could not be seen until the removal process had started. Immediately, an industrial hygienist was contacted, and samples were taken for analysis. It was confirmed that the suspect material was asbestos containing and that the project would, once again, need to be adjusted to handle the hazardous materials. RHQ crews worked nights for 9 days and completed all work satisfactorily. Throughout the project, RHQ worked closely with the client’s industrial hygienist, ensuring that all steps taken met the highest standards. In the end, the project was completed to the satisfaction of the industrial hygienist, showcasing RHQ’s commitment to delivering top-quality restoration services even in the most complex and demanding situations.
