How to Hire a Mold Remediation Contractor

If you are reading this article, you know you have a mold problem that needs to be fixed. First thing, go to the website of the Indoor Air Quality Association. Their website address will be at the end of this article. Look upon their list of Certified Mold Remediation Contractors and find one near you. Look up the names of three of them and call them to get a bid. Remember, the lowest price is not always the best price for the job. Ask for references from satisfied clients. Hiring a certified remediation contractor is not required but when it comes time to sell your home, you are required by law to disclose any mold incidences in your home including floods. If the work was done by a licensed certified Remediator, they should require a mold clearance test for the area. This gives your buyer proof that the work was done by a competent licensed remediator. If you decide to hire one, it is generally safer and more effective than a "do-it-yourself" approach because they use special equipment. In either case, always follow safety precautions to reduce exposure to mold by using protective clothing, a respirator, and eye protection. rnI have seen lots of stuff on the Internet regarding what and what not should be required by the remediator. Just reading half of the posts shows me that these individuals have never done any form of remediation work. A remediation job can be very complicated or simple. The New York City Guidelines for Mold Remediation can be helpful. A protocol can be written by a Certified Microbial Consultant but can be expensive due to the time and costs to do a proper inspection. The last job we did was a simple A/C water overflow job. Very little visible mold, minimum water stains on drywall, the mold was approximately 1 square foot. Sounds simple, doesn't it. Well, after we got into the job, this simple job starting expanding. This A/C had been leaking off and on for a long time. The job expanded to include the adjoining bathroom. After we opened up the wall, you could see where the water had run under the adjoining wall into the Guest Bathroom. rnThe mortgage holder was distraught, The homeowner was not happy, a simple job can get expensive when you add in granite topped 10-foot Bathroom cabinets. Had the homeowner hired a Handyman to do the job, they would have left the rest of the damage still hidden. Remember, always remove two additional feet on each side of the damaged area till it is clean. The sad part is that the Insurance Company denied the claim due to failure to maintain their A/C properly. The positive outcome of that job was, the daughter no longer suffered from Allergies while in the house. The little girl had been suffering since the family moved into the house two years prior. The mother took the little girl from Doctor to Doctor with no help. They told her she would outgrow her Asthma. In conclusion, mold removal can be simple or complicated. Trying to save money using Handyman Services is not the answer. They are not trained and certified Mold Remediators. Always check with the Indoor Air Quality Association for a Certified Mold Remediator before hiring a contractor to remove the mold.