Offers a primer on toxic mold and its removal, warning against ignorant or unethical mold remediation companies and offering five considerations (checking references, considering the big picture, sampling more than the air, considering release, and considering the source) when hiring such services. (EV)

Details the process of reengineering Miami-Dade Community College's maintenance department to lower costs while increasing services. Changes included work flow, communications, purchasing, staffing, and technology methods. (EV)

Discusses the benefits of a new approach to school and campus lighting, in which lighting is considered its own maintenance category and is often outsourced to companies that can handle planning, design, and maintenance, as well as offer buying discounts and inventory control. (EV)

Describes the effects of improperly insulated chilled water distribution systems on mold and mildew in occupied buildings, its health risks, prevention, economic impact, and solution. (EV)

Explains that due to the complexity of today's custodial work, extensive education and training is required. This includes basic commercial/industrial cleaning techniques; hygiene procedures; asbestos awareness; management, scheduling, and budgeting; chemical usage; and calculating operations efficiency. Details the in-depth custodial training of…

Describes steps schools can take to provide cleaner and safer washrooms. Emphasizes hand-washing to battle germs and asserts that creating a comfortable and user-friendly washroom is a critical and often overlooked aspect for encouraging better hygiene habits. (EV)

Offers tips for fighting mold in schools, asserting that it can contribute significantly to poor indoor air quality and sick building syndrome. Offers an overview on mold and discusses the steps of: humidity control, building inspections, condensation control or removal, and floor and carpet cleaning. (EV)

Provides guidelines that maintenance staff can use to help make sporting grandstands safe through preventive measures and paying attention to all exposed areas. Recommends using maintenance-and-inspection checklists that also have comments sections. Explores inspections of guardrails, areas beneath grandstands, concession stands, and exit routes.…

Examines six steps to maintaining hard wood and resilient floors in educational facilities that can provides a high level of appearance, safety, sanitation, and prevention of damage. Specific cleaning techniques accompany each step. (GR)

Examines specific steps in athletic-field maintenance to assure a high-quality baseball playing field. Areas examined are the pitcher's mound, hitting areas, baselines and base areas, the skinned areas or bad-hop zones, edging techniques, and infield turf repair. (GR)

Examines the myths of swimming-pool maintenance as applied to commercial pool use. Myths concerning backwashing filters, their run time and operational costs, and the necessity of pool covers for indoor pools are examined. (GR)

Examines the planning issues when replacing telescoping bleacher units and for analyzing seating options. Adresses the importance of complying with local building codes and the considerations on maintenance following installation. (GR)

Provides tips for restroom maintenance operations that can enhance a school's image as well as that of the effectiveness of the management program itself. Advice is also provided on keeping restrooms disinfected and deodorized as are ways of reducing cleaning costs while increasing maintenance efficiency. (GR)

Explains that schools must be maintained to ensure children have a good environment in which to learn and explores the following three components affecting a learning environment: site improvements; building shell; and interior spaces and systems. A building assessment form is included. (GR)

Discusses the issues to be considered when replacing an old gymnasium floor with a new. Issues involving aesthetics, safety, maintenance, and costs are addressed. (GR)