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Mold standards will be renewed
News
The Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) is holding a public consultation on the draft for the standard for mold in residential buildings. Although CORPIQ withdrew from the committee because it did not agree with certain decisions, it nevertheless encourages its members to read the standard and send their comments to the institution.
For the first time in Quebec, all good practices surrounding the investigation and decontamination of mold will be listed in a standard guide that must be respected by all who will adopt it. Funded in part by the cities, this project will serve as a roadmap for decontamination companies, insurers, municipal inspection services, etc.
Although CORPIQ welcomes this initiative, it regrets that the faintest presence of mold in a dwelling is labeled as "contamination". This term, which is very strong in public perception, should indeed have been reserved for cases that are truly dangerous for the public’s health, and is therefore not appropriate for the specific context of residential buildings that the norm is intended to aim at.
For example, the standard defines "contamination" as the presence of mold on an isolated area of less than 1 m2, such as the tile of a bathroom ceiling, for example. This definition opens the door to diversion by certain users who may exploit it for purposes other than protecting public health.
Taking into account the cause of these molds, often due to a lack of vigilance in the use of the dwelling rather than disrepair, CORPIQ believes that property owners will be particularly vulnerable to this new standard, especially since they will ultimately be the only payers.
CORPIQ could not support this decision, therefore it withdrew from the committee. However, it encourages its members to participate in the public consultation in order to express their opinion.
To access it, click on the following link and add the document to the cart on «Contamination des habitations par les moisissures – Investigation et réhabilitation du bâtiment » (available in French only). Then go to your cart, accept the terms and conditions and enter your details: the report will be available for download.