Tips On Finding A Mold Remediation Specialist

You can inspect your own home for mold using the sense of smell and sight. Homeowners usually are aware of a mold problem in their home but they may not be aware if the mold is toxic. If someone in your household is suffering from an unexplained illness or breathing problem and you have mold, you may want to have the mold professionally tested so that you can find out the extent of the problem.

Kevin Bristol owns his own mold remediation company called Advanced Mold Remediation. He is certified by the National Association of Mold professionals, International Association for Mold professionals, and the Environmental Protection Agency. When asked what to look for in a mold remediation company Kevin states, "As far as mold remediation, you have to be careful of fly by night companies that are not certified or just recently received their certification, but have no experience. There are a lot of companies that are entering the business to make a quick dollar and really don't know what they are doing." Kevin also emphasizes making sure the company you go with will show you their credentials and give you references you can check out. "You need a professional mold company to remove molds, not someone who does handyman work or something of that sort" states Bristol. A handyman may be needed to replace carpet or wall boarding or to fix a leaky pipe, but he will not know what type of mold or what is causing it to grow out of control. A mold remediation specialist will get to the bottom of the problem and be able to stop the mold from coming back.

If you have extensive mold contamination getting several opinions and price quotes is always a good idea. Ask to have an inspection report that includes the process they will use to clean up the mold and what they will due to prevent it from coming back. Never take an estimate over the phone, make sure the contractor comes and physically inspects the property. Most homes or buildings will have small amounts of mildew and may never be totally mold free and therefore do not trust a company that tells you that all molds will be removed forever. But do ask if they provide a warranty in case a severe mold problem comes back. Ask the company what they do to isolate the room where the mold is in, so the spores do not float throughout the house. Ask how many days it will take to remove the mold and clean up. Ask how many days you need to leave the residence, if at all. If the inspection company is sending air samples into a lab for testing make sure the lab is an independent company. The lab needs to be certified through a reputable licensing company.