Indoor Air Quality Association Offers Flooding Resources

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

IAQA President John Lapotaire responds to the recent flooding in Louisiana. “Dealing with the aftermath of a disaster, such as the flooding in the Baton Rouge area, is very emotional,” he said.

ATLANTA – As you cover the story of the flooding and its aftermath, please note the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) has resources available to mitigate the damage from storms and flooding. IAQA is the nation’s largest indoor air quality trade association.

“Dealing with the aftermath of a disaster, such as the flooding in the Baton Rouge area, is very emotional,” John Lapotaire, president of IAQA, said. “Occupants and owners face pressure to quickly find solutions to allow them to resume their normal lives. However, quick and easy solutions to flood damage can cause serious future challenges. These issues need to be addressed by experts with specialized knowledge of water damage restoration and mold remediation.”

Lapotaire notes that issues can include:

1. Health problems caused by improper removal of bacteria, viruses and mold

2. Collapse of buildings not properly dried

3. Fire risk to electrical systems not correctly restored

“IAQA strongly encourages residents and building owners who have beenimpacted by the flood to work with a certified indoor air quality professional with specialized knowledge of water damage restoration and mold remediation,” he said.

A complete list of IAQA resources can be found at www.iaqa.org/storm-damage-resources.

To help homeowners and others, IAQA offers its free Find a Pro tool. This web-based tool allows consumers who are interested in finding an IAQ professional to search for IAQA members in their area and can be found at http://ewebiaqa.ashrae.org/eweb/iaqaeweb/findapro/pro.

The Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing practitioners together to prevent and solve indoor environmental problems for the benefit of customers and the public. IAQA was established in 1995 and is the nation’s largest indoor air quality trade association with and chapters worldwide. More information is available at www.iaqa.org/news.

1. John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

2. Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant

3. Indoor AIr Quality Solutions, IAQS

4. Microshield Environmental Services, LLC

5. www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL- IAQ .com

6. www.FloridaIAQ.com

7. http://www.microshield-es.com/moldinspectiontesting.html

8. http://www.orlandomoldinspection.us/

9. http://www.microshield-es.com/nuisanceodor.html

10. http://www.floridaiaq.com/moldremediationprotocol.html

11. http://www.floridaiaq.com/moldclearancetesting.html