What to look out for when hiring "The Best" Mold Remediation Company For Your Home Or Business

Safe and effective mold remediation projects should ONLY be done by companies that have the appropriate knowledge, training, and ethics to protect both the structure and its occupants.   However, increasingly mold remediation companies who either do not know or do not want to do what the standards of care are designed to achieve are rapidly becoming an issue and customer are being taken for THOUSANDS of dollars and putting their health at risk. 

If you find any mold in your home,  it’s best to call in a professional, because it can be difficult to determine just how extensive the problem might be. By the time mold is obvious, what you can see is usually just a small part of the problem. It’s important to know "HOW TO CHOOSE A REMEDIATOR"

Before starting any mold remediation, it’s important for your remediator to contain the mold. During the removal process, the mold and its spores will become airborne. Without proper containment, the airborne mold spores are likely to settle on other surfaces, causing the problem to spread. The best containment uses negative air pressure.  Negative air pressure ensures airborne mold will not escape the containment area.  Air scrubbers "inside this containment area"  should be used to clean the air and remove airborne mold.

RULE #1:  NEVER NEVER NEVER CHOOSE A REMEDIATOR BECAUSE THEY OFFER GOOD PRICES, COUPONS, A GOOD DEAL, HAVE THE BEST RATES OR OFFER FREE OR DISCOUNTED MOLD ASSESSMENT

The most important checklist of choosing a mold remediation company are: 

1. Whether they fully understand what mycotoxin is
2. Do they know their mold species types:  Difference between toxigenic molds and allergenic molds.
3. Do they know "exactly" what the cause of the mold is
4. RED FLAG: Are they willing to remove mold and make repairs while there is still a moisture issue?  Stay away from these companies and make sure the remediator you choose "refuses" to work on a project with an active moisture or water problem.

From a customer's point of view, NOT understanding what makes one company better than another can make it extremely confusing, scary and  difficult to choose a reliable company to take care of your mold problem and at the same time try their best to do it in a safe manner.   All mold is damaging and you need to remove it "METHODICALLY" and "SAFELY"  to minimize the risk of more toxicity to occupants and further damage to the property itself.

Let's break down everything that should be involved in making a good choice when hiring a mold removal company.  Acting too quick or getting caught up in a company's "SALES PITCH" can result in someone getting very sick or more damage and financial loss in the future. 

Questions to ask them regarding their procedures

The following questions were provided by one of the top-rated "eco-friendly" and sought after remediation companies in the US - Nash Everrett.  

1. Do you use containment and negative air pressure to minimize cross contamination into the rest of the home?
2. Do you use air scrubbers inside the containment area?
3. Do you use toxic chemicals that might cause allergic reactions, increase symptoms of CIRS or cause lung irritation to humans or animals?
4. Do you carry insurance?
5. May I please see your certifications?
6. "NEVER" ask them if they follow the ANSI S520 IICRC protocol but ask them what protocol they follow and if it's not this protocol.....then do not hire them.   If you ask them if they follow this particular protocol they could lie to you and you'd never know the difference.  Get them to tell you the name of the protocol they follow and make sure it matches up to the IICRC protocol.
7. How many years have you been in business?
8. How many remediation projects have you performed?
9. Do you go into crawl spaces, attics, basements and other hard to reach areas?

Pay close attention and follow these tips on how to select the safest and most effective Remediation Company:

Reputation - Find out if the company has had complaints against them. You should contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area to check if there are any complaints lodged against the service provider, and if so, the reasons for it. Often you will also be able to tell how long the company has been in operation from perusing their website. Fly by night operators aren’t generally going to be in business for a sustained period.

Insurance  - You need to check if the mold remediation provider has liability insurance for their service. The policy must clearly show that they are covered for removal and safe handling of mold. It’s very important for you to know this.

Check their Certification - When searching for a mold remediation company that will remove mold from your home or business, having a proper certification matters.  When calling around looking for the best option, remember anyone can "LIE" to you about their certifiation with about $500 worth of equipment and not a single "REAL" certification.  They can put up a $20 a month website, register on Google and call themselves a “mold removal expert”.  If you get tricked and hire one of these companies or contractors who aren’t properly certified it can ultimately end up costing thousands more in the future because they weren't trained by the top certification companies.  It’s very important that you make sure the company you decide to hire has the proper certification and necessary expertise and experience to deal with the toxic mold inside your home. You also need to make sure the company is well trained on how to remove mold safely to prevent any potential health risks. The certification programs may includeThe National Association of Mold Professionals or Indoor Air Quality Association, and the IICRC.   If the company doesn’t have certification or have trouble producing the necessary proof like their license # or certification # then......walk away. Most , reputable remediation companies will be more than happy to do this for you.  You can also contact the associations directly and confirm if they passed their certifications. 
 

Ask for Service Guarantee - In some cases mold remediation companies will not guarantee their work, however the company should guarantee their work or offer a warranty, in some cases warranties can extend upward of 20 years.

Ask for References - One of the best ways to know whether a particular mold remediation company is reliable is through their customers, don’t rely on advertisements regardless of how clever the advertising is. Look over the companies website for references and if so inclined contact them directly and ask about their experience. You should also ask your family or friends for recommendations, ask them about their experience and whether they could recommend anyone to you. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter is great for this type of social endorsement. So put the question out there, you may be surprised how strongly some of your friends feel about particular companies, be sure to take negative comments with a grain of salt. In our experience those with a gripe will generally be the most vocal.

Check the details of ALL of the services they are offering you - Find out the full extent of the service. Some companies only deal with mold and mildew removal, but won’t fix cracks on walls that let in moisture.  If not, this means that there’s still a high chance of the mold returning. In most cases it is far more cost-effective for you to contract a company that specializes in water and mold damage as they usually provide complete water damage repair and mold removal services and can repair damage to your home.

Quotes and Comparisons - It’s wise to ask several different companies to provide you with an estimate. But be warned some companies will charge you for this service if you do not proceed with them, if in doubt ask them up front. If you do proceed with a free quote understand that in most instances you will be marketed heavily to.

In closing - You should exercise extreme caution when choosing a mold remediation company as a wrong decision can end up costing you significantly. Our best recommendation if in doubt is to ask friends and family or anyone you can trust. Be wary of advertising and companies that offer their services at far less than competitive rates.  (Example: free mold testing and inspection with any remediation services....or prices under $5000 are a red flag)  Mold removal requires experience and expertise to remove both safely and effectively and the equipment that "legit" companies use is very costly to do the job right. 

Mistakes made by Remediators that can cost you "THOUSANDS" of dollars and possible worsening of your health. 

You expect to hire a mold remediator to solve your mold issue because first and foremost you want to remove the source of exposure from a health perspective and secondly from an investment perspective regarding your home.  You hire them because obviously it's not something you have expertise in so you tend to fully trust remediators thinking they are all qualified to do the job you've hire them for.   You are spending a fair amount of money to protect your health and your home so you expect them to do a satisfactory job but sometimes (more often than not) they make critical mistakes that you as a homeowner need to know about before you hire them. 

Below we've listed some common mistakes remediators make and some additional information on how you can make sure they aren’t made at the expense of your health or your pocket book. 

• Companies that don't hire certified or qualified Mold Remediation Professionals as contractors or sub-contractors. 
  As a customer you would naturally think that the company you've hired to do your mold removal would be hiring trained and certified professionals.  Most companies care about their customers and make sure that they are hiring qualified workers but there is a percentage of what we call "fly by the night" remediation companies that make themselves look like credible choices and will sometimes lie to their customers.  Always ask for their certification numbers or to see their qualifications in person. Always ask if the individuals performing your work ALSO have these credentials and demans to see it. When selecting a mold remediation company, ask if employees are certified by an organization like the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, IICRC or the Mold Inspection Consulting and Remediation Organization (MICRO). Ask about other qualifications of employees and how much experience they have. You should also ask if they guarantee their work.  Always always ask..and never assume...this is a huge amount of money you are spending. 

• Workers that spread mold spores throughout the home during remediation

• Leaving mold behind after the job was supposed to be finished 

• Remediators that dont understand "Fogging" - Fogging does not kill mold, contrary to what your inexperienced remedistor tells you. Fogging is a technique used by highly trained remediators to saturate mold spores (with a liquid solution) to make them heavy and fall to the ground so they can be collected up with a commercial grade remediation HEPA vac then disposed of. Any person or company recommending fogging to kill mold or fogging to decontaminate or sanitized  "DOES NOT" know what they are doing" and should be fired or not hired immediately.  Fogging does not kill mold. Once the moisture from the "solution" evaporates the spores float back up into the air. Beware of remediators selling you this theory. Its a clear sign they are not properly trained in mold remediation. 
• Performing the mold testing themselves before and after the project. 
  Always Hire a mold tester that does NOT work for, and is not associated in any way, with the mold remediation company you hire. That way there is no conflict of interest. For a list of qualified mold testingg professionals in your area that we highly recommend just follow the link.