GUIDELINES FOR HIRING A MOLD REMEDIATION CONTRACTOR
Hiring a Mold Remediation Contractor
recommends that consumers use the following minimum guidelines to qualify any contractors they hire:
Know your contractor (check references)
Check with the Better Business Bureau
Make sure the contractor is licensed, bonded and insured including professional liability
Obtain a copy of their license and insurance certificates. Make sure their liability/general liability covers mold.
Hire contractors certified by reputable trade organizations such as AEE, IAQA, IIRC, ASCR, AIHA, NADCA
Differentiate between a “Restoration contractor” and a “Remediation contractor.” Most restoration contractors are not knowledgeable in environmental remediation techniques and protocols.
For mold/bacteria damaged buildings, request pre-remediation (baseline study) and post-remediation environmental testing be performed.
Request a post remedial environmental clearance study. This is essential to assure good indoor air quality (health and safety) and may be required when you sell your home.
Request that the laboratory used for mold testing is accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP)
Contractors must work according to established industry standards and guidelines, including but not limited to:
– EPA Mold Remediation for Homeowners
– Department of Health – Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments
– EPA Mold Remediation for Schools and Commercial Buildings
– IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Water Damage Restoration, Guide for mold remediation
– NADCA ACR 2005, Assessment, Cleaning and Restoration of HVAC Systems
Specific Tips for Homeowners Having Restoration or Environmental Remediation Work:
Compare the amount of the insurance check with the estimate by the restoration and remediation contractors. They aren’t always the same but should be close to each other for the covered part of the loss.
Pay a minimal deposit, 10% (if any)
Pay a portion of the cost at halfway, typically 40%
Confirm quality of materials installed with those specified, inspect and verify satisfactory completion of work before paying the final 50%
Request a clearance study before final payment
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
Mold Basics
The key to mold control is moisture control.
If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem.
It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
Why is mold growing in my home?
Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.
Can mold cause health problems?
Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing. This brochure provides a brief overview; it does not describe all potential health effects related to mold exposure. For more detailed information consult a health professional. You may also wish to consult your state or local health department.
How do I get rid of mold?
It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. The mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem. If you clean up the mold, but don’t fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back.
Who should do the cleanup?
Who should do the cleanup depends on a number of factors. One consideration is the size of the mold problem. If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases, you can handle the job yourself
Tips for Proper Mold Remediation
WRITTEN DISCLOSURE: Remediation professionals must disclose, in writing, that they are deviating from the standard. This includes if they do both testing and remediation, as that is considered a conflict of interest. (What is their incentive to tell you that they did a bad job and the mold isn’t actually gone or worse?)
NO COATINGS IN LIEU OF MOLD REMOVAL: All testing must be done before any coatings are applied. Coatings do NOT provide a barrier to mold spores or their very toxic by-product, called ‘mycotoxins’.
NO FOGGING IN LIEU OF MOLD REMOVAL: Also, remediators should NOT mist or fog in an attempt to kill mold, in lieu of source removal.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE IN WRITING: Remediation and testing done by the same company presents a ‘complexity,’ which is required to be disclosed in writing per the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard. This is mentioned in the ANSI/IICRC webinar, as a ‘conflict of interest’. The person or company that does the testing should not be the same as the one who does the work, without proper disclosure. An unbiased confirmation of air quality status and successful remediation is always preferred and required by the ANSI, unless otherwise disclosed in writing.
The EPA recommends full containment is recommended for the cleanup of mold contaminated surface areas greater than 100 square feet or in any situation in which occupants have reported health symptoms and it appears likely that the occupant space would be further contaminated without full containment.
How to Clean or Remove Toxic Mold in buildings
This article describes how toxic or allergenic mold is removed from buildings – mold cleanup, or mold remediation. We discuss how to physically remove problem mold (don’t just spray over it), what cleaners can be used for mold removal, and use of bleach in mold cleanup and removal jobs.
We also list related mold cleanup or remediation articles that address special problems such as mold odors, mold removal from irregular surfaces, and stains or odors on roofs or in cars. The steps in this document will be sufficient for many building owners who want to do their own mold investigation, mold testing, mold cleanup, and mold prevention in their home or office. The photos at the top of this page show the results of media blasting moldy wood surfaces.
Protect the occupants and yourself from mold, demolition dust, debris, cleaning chemicals, etc. Where a large area of cleanup is involved (more than 30 sq.ft.) a professional is usually called to establish negative air in the work area and to install containment barriers of plastic or other material to protect cleaner areas of the building from cross-contamination during the cleanup.
If you used a building environmental specialist to inspect and define the scope of work, you should have baseline mold test samples of both the work area and other building areas which will permit you to state definitively, at the end of the cleanup, whether or not the cleanup has caused cross-contamination of other building areas. The spotless cleaning produced for the second photo above was obtained by using a professional who used
Clean or remove mold and moldy debris: The most succinct Mold Remediation or Mold Cleanup Guidelines one could state would be this: the objective is not to sterilize your environment or “kill” mold, steps which are ineffective anyway – the operative words are “clean” or “remove” problem mold and then to correct its cause.
Quick Guide Safety Gear Used During Mold Remediation
Calling a professional mold remediation team should be your first step. You may be tempted to take care of the issue yourself, but there are a lot of rules you need to follow. For example, you need to get rid of the entire problem and not just wipe away the surface mold. Experts in mold damage know exactly how to address fungus-related problems. Professionals also have access to the safety gear needed to tackle this big project
• Face Masks: Safety masks play a major role in mold cleanup. These devices help keep mold spores from entering a person’s lungs. Depending on the job at hand, remediation teams may use full-face or half-face respirators.
• Gloves: Mold can cling to the hands of those who touch it. Workers need to wear gloves to ensure they do not spread the spores to other areas of your home or other customer’s homes.
• Eye Protection: This protective equipment is only needed if the crew uses face masks that don’t cover the eyes. Goggles can protect the eyes from debris related to mold removal.
• Coveralls: Fungus can also cling to clothing, which is how it travels from location to location. Many professionals choose to use special coveralls that are washed after each job to limit the spread of mold.
• Shoe Coverings: Some coveralls may come with attached boots, but when this is not the case shoe coverings are needed. This equipment acts as a barrier between the workers and the rest of your home because they are removed before leaving the infested area.
Protective equipment, like face masks and body coverings, are used to not only protect the person handling the mold but also to protect the rest of your home. If you want mold removed removed properly, you need to work with a team that uses proper safety gear.