Whether a refurbishment or new floor, wet floor problems are increasingly becoming a major cost to both builders and insurers. Floor failures are unfortunately increasing with growth only matched by insurers refusing claims for failed floors. Many problems are apparent but they almost always revolve around excess moisture.

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Water damage is often believed to be a static effect of primary damage where the visual effects of contact and adsorption are a measure of damage. The reality is that water damage is dynamic, continuingly expanding it’s effects and is capable of developing far reaching secondary damage in minutes or days after the initial effects. Bio amplification, mould, corrosion, swelling and distortion are typical effects of uncontrolled water escape or flooding.

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Facility managers and building owners are faced with new responsibility and liability as the building industry follows a trend in tighter building construction with paper and chalk products (plasterboard) held together with tape and silicon sealer. Moisture will activate the ubiquitous mould spore and subject to environmental parameters being met, usually present in the built environment, mould growth will follow.

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Lloyd’s of London and insurers generally will have to face escalating and extensive long tail potential claims from hurricane Katrina. As re-insurers or partners to many US prime policies they will be expected to pick up part of the restoration and recovery cost but will, we believe, be exposed to unnecessary costs far beyond the initial and expected reserve levels. The hazards and risks of mould in terms of health issues, bad faith and long tail claims should be high on the list of insurance risk mangers involved with Katrina.

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In the UK, the health and structural effects of mould have  typically been ignored, despite the fact that much of the research regarding health issues from exposure was undertaken in Europe. A new development in economic and effective mould decontamination has evolved, based on the technology to decontaminate WMDs weapons of mass destruction, this adapted technology can eliminate the need for intrusive soft demolition but can provide complete eradication of both viable and non viable spores and mycotoxins.

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