Calling in the Mold Clean-Up Pros

Sometimes you will encounter a mold problem that is simply too much for you to handle and you’ll need to seek out a specialist – Mold Professionals who know exactly what they’re doing. There are trained professionals and companies out there who have experience detecting and removing mold properly, and who GUARANTEE their work.

It’s refreshing to know you can call someone, have them fix your problem and be done with it. It is often well worth the money when you consider the time, energy and STRESS that goes along with trying to clean up a problem yourself – with no guarantee that you will even solve the problem.

We’ve all been in the position where we need a professional, no matter how “do it yourself” or self sufficient you try to be, sometimes you just get in way over your head (think of the last time your car or truck broke down and you couldn’t figure out where to start).  At times like these, you’ll need to consider getting a professional – but what do you look for in good service? What will they do that you can’t?

Here is a quick guide to answer some of your questions, so you can ensure you’ll hire the best help for your money.

Checklist for Hiring Mold Removal Company:

Guarantee

First, you need to know what kind of guarantee the pro you’re hiring offers (if any!). If you pay someone to come into your home, detect mold and remove it, you want to be assured that the mold doesn’t just come back in a matter of weeks or months. Which leads to the next question…

Prevention

If the problem was as simple as cleaning up a stained wall… you probably wouldn’t be reading this guide. What you want is someone to correct whatever the CAUSE of your mold was, as well as removing whatever mold you currently have. Both parts of the job are critical, so you need to be sure whoever you hire is prepared and capable of doing both.

Procedure

The procedures that a professional uses is also of utmost importance, both for mold prevention and removal. For removal, you have to clean up all the mold, and then ensure that the mold spores are safely evacuated from your home – otherwise they will spread and can start growing in other areas of the house. To do this, the company should secure the area they are clearing with plastic, and use a negative air machine to redirect the spores outside.

As for preventing mold from returning, this is where you need to beware. The only way to properly protect your home from mold is to ensure that you’ve eliminated any and all forms of excessive moisture. As mentioned in our “Understanding Mold: The Basics” article, mold starts when spores find a moist surface to grow on.

Mold spores are never going to go away completely, they are part of any natural environment – the key is to eliminate the moisture that allows mold spores to reproduce.  Now – what you need to beware of are products that some pros will try to sell you that will only slow the process of mold growth. Some will try to sell you expensive ultraviolet lights or spray-on “mold protector,” but these products are simply unnecessary – granted they’ve done the job correctly.

Surface and Structure Repair

As we mentioned in “Mold Clean Up and Removal”, intense scrubbing with biocides can cause damage to painted surfaces, and mold itself can cause structural damage to your home. Some mold removal companies ignore this altogether, leaving the repair up to you, or will hire overpriced repair men to come in.  This is something to be aware of and to discuss with the company before you hire them. If they aren’t going to repair any damage as part of the job, you may want to do the painting yourself rather than pay someone an outrageous fee to do it for you. A quality full service mold removal company, however, will consider this part of their job and do it for a fair cost – it’s always important to address this in your initial consultation.

Certification and Memberships

Finally, you should ask around and find out what type of certification the company you are hiring has (if any!). Frankly, most states don’t require mold removal companies to be licensed or go through any special training, so you should look for those companies who have sought out the training for themselves. Certifications in mold removal are offered by IICRC or IAQA.  Also, as far as the business goes, ask around to find out what type of reputation they have. How long have they been in business, are they part of the Better Business Bureau, are there outstanding complaints about them?

If you address all of these areas, you’ll be able to hire someone to remove the mold from your house, and ensure that it’s gone for good. Due diligence is the name of the game! For any further questions, give us a call at (941) 378-0700.

Frequently Asked Questions