When I travel I tend to get congested, etc. in some of the motels I stay in.  I am very allergic to mold.  What could be in these motels/motel rooms that can be causing me to respond in this way?-Anon

            As is the case with most other buildings, motels can also experience mold infestation problems.  Such infestations exist even in the absence of any mold signs (visible mold growth, odor).

            Motel buildings that tend to have problems are those with brick veneer on all or part of the facade and those that are a little older.

            The most common cause of mold infestations in motel rooms is water intrusion through brick veneer, around windows, and around air conditioning units.  Sources of water intrusion can be seen in the following images (click to enlarge). 

            In the first image  6 rooms (there are actually a lot more) can be seen to be undergoing remediation.  Windows are sealed with plastic with one of them with an inflated plastic bag protruding through it (I have never seen this type of whatever it is used for).

            In the second image Stachybotrys-like growth appears on the internal wall near a window.

            In the third dark stained brick veneer between 2 windows can be seen.  The windows appear to have been recently re-caulked.  It is likely that over the years water intrusion occurred as the caulking material shrank and pulled away from adhering surfaces.

            In the fourth image the grill face of an air-conditioning unit can be seen.  Arrows indicate areas where water can easily penetrate during a wind-driven rain.

            In the fifth  one can see a caulked settling crack associated with an AC unit.

            In the sixth an AC unit was replaced with somewhat different dimensions from the original.  As a consequence the brick veneer had to be patched.  The weakened face provided penetrations allowing water to enter the wall.

These images were taken from an existing motel and a second that had been converted to another use. The former appeared to be at least 15 years old; the latter 20 plus years. Age did appear to make a difference in each case.

 

October 1, 2004

 

 

Indoor Environmental Quality (2000), Thad Godish Ph.D., C.I.H

Direct E-mail 00tjgodish@bsu.edu