A Case Study: Solving Mold and Insulation Challenges in a Prominent Hotel

When continuing complaints about musty odors started rolling in, the owner of a Hotel realized the problem was far more serious than the average guest complaint.

As a responsible owner, it became clear that taking a proactive approach to mold identification and prevention was essential – not only for protecting the property but, more importantly, for safeguarding the health and safety of both guests and staff.

Clearity Environmental worked with the hotel owner and an industry-leading remediation firm to identify and quantify mold concerns, then to tackle mold remediation and prevent long-term issues. Read on to see how we helped restore peace and health to the hotel and its owner.

The Issue

The first sign of trouble came from guest complaints stating rooms in the hotel had a distinct musty odor.  

Each time there was a complaint, the hotel would do its best to accommodate the guest and move them to another room. The hotel maintenance and custodial staff would carefully check and clean the room after complaints, then put the room back into service. 

Recognizing that there seemed to be more complaints than normal, the hotel’s general manager initiated a policy of tracking the rooms where complaints had been made. This policy made it crystal clear to the owner that there was a significant, undetected issue in these rooms if the same room had complaints from different guests. Without keeping track of complaints, the response might have stayed with, “go clean the room, make sure you don’t see any mold or moisture, spray the room with an air freshener and move on.” The tracking policy was further refined to add that if the same room received 3 complaints of a musty odor, then the room would be taken out of service to investigate more thoroughly what might be causing the odor. 

After so many guest complaints of musty odors, the pattern became undeniable. During the busy tourist season, the hotel came to face 30 rooms as “out of service”. This is the time that Clearity was called in to assist in determining what might be causing the musty odor in these rooms. Clearity worked with the hotel maintenance department to conduct a more thorough investigation. 

The first step was to remove wallpaper in these rooms, near the windows and the HVAC units to see if moisture had been trapped behind the thick vinyl wallcovering. When wallpaper was removed near the HVAC units in these rooms, the hotel owner received a gut punch they were not expecting: mold behind the wallpaper in all 30 rooms.

Upon inspecting the affected rooms, Clearity quickly identified the root of the issue being improperly installed insulation on the chilled water piping for the fan coil units. This poor installation led to condensation, which dripped onto the surrounding drywall, making it a perfect location for mold growth.

The owner realized if the insulation was improperly installed in these 30 rooms located randomly throughout the building, then the same conditions likely existed in every room of the hotel. Immediately, plans began to inspect every room in the hotel to see if the conditions were similar…and they were!

With the hotel facing such significant damage, it became clear a long-term solution was needed. Clearity began work with the hotel owner to develop a response that would keep guests and staff safe, but allow the hotel to continue in operation. Clearity also worked to identify a suitable mold remediation company.

The Solution

Collaboration was the key to success in the effort to address this significant and potentially devastating concern. 

In this case, the owner was completely committed to the health and safety of their guests and staff (whereas many hotels are notorious for having wide-spread mold problems that are not identified and corrected due to short-term stays of guests). 

First, Clearity assisted in helping the hotel contact C and C Complete Services, a qualified, capable reconstruction company, to remove moldy drywall and then quickly rebuild the room, replace wallpaper and get the room back into service. 

Then the owner, working with Clearity, the restoration firm, an HVAC contractor and an insulation contractor, began making plans for a systematic process of removing entire sections of rooms from service to address moldy drywall, improperly installed insulation, and an expedited rebuilding effort. The hotel owner also immediately engaged their insurance company in the effort, since that partnership was critical to the financial side of the owner’s concerns.

Numerous planning sessions were initiated, where all of the companies and trades involved in the effort could describe how they could complete their part of the work and how much time would be needed. 

The owner made it clear to everyone involved the intent of the project was to:

1. Take a specified block of rooms out of service.

2. Conduct the remediation, insulation and rebuilding effort in the block.

3. Get the rooms back into service as quickly as possible so the next block of rooms could be addressed. 

Eventually, it was determined that the entire process could be completed in a block of 12 rooms in one week, with weekends included.

Clearity’s Innovative & Time-Saving Approach

To expedite the remediation process and minimize disruptions, Clearity introduced an innovative approach to mold remediation in the hotel. 

Instead of following the “traditional” method of assessing each room individually to determine how much drywall needed removal, Clearity recommended a specified amount of drywall be removed around the HVAC units in every room as the first step. 

The insurance carrier, while skeptical at first, eventually agreed this approach would save time and money in the remediation process, even if more drywall was removed than might be necessary. 

Given the challenge of keeping the hotel operational during the remediation, Clearity also worked strategically around the building's HVAC system. 

In many rooms, mold contamination extended behind the fan coil units into the chase, where drywall replacement was required. Each block of rooms was part of a common "loop" of chilled water that could be shut down to shut down the water flow to the fan coil units in case they needed to be removed to access moldy drywall in the chase. This process avoided bothering guests or having to close the entire hotel during the time of the project.

The Outcome

Clearity’s initial remediation efforts focused on the first set of 30 rooms. Moldy drywall was removed, insulation was replaced, and rooms were rebuilt to meet health and safety standards. 

While the initial process was painfully slow (compared to the later “blitzkrieg” process), this learning curve proved a success. Based on experience with the first set of rooms, Clearity was able to specify, with a high degree of certainty, how much drywall should be removed. This strategic approach not only streamlined the process but also ensured that the hotel could remain open, minimizing guest disruptions while addressing the issues quickly and efficiently. 

Not only this, but Clearity’s efforts reassured that everything necessary had been done to prevent the mold from returning. Clearity’s efforts along with every other member of the team assured the hotel owner that they were not just putting a “bandaid” on the problem that might come back and instead gave them peace of mind that it has been mitigated for the long-term.

The collaborative effort between Clearity and other contractors demonstrated the power of teamwork in tackling complex, large-scale issues. 

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Keep Your Hotel Safe and Your People Safer

This hotel’s experience highlights the critical need for proactive mold prevention and swift remediation. Thanks to our strategic approach (and our ability to work alongside other experts with patience and communication), this hotel was able to quickly address the mold issue, ensuring minimal disruption and protecting both guest safety and business operations.

Don’t let mold jeopardize your hotel’s reputation or the safety of your people. Schedule a consultation today at 941.866.2355.