Consumer Alerts

• Beware of "mold inspectors" and "toxic mold inspectors" and "black mold inspectors" who offer "Free Mold Inspections". Many of these inspections are to sell you remediation services based on their inspection. This is a definite conflict of interest for the consumer and is not recommended by industry leading air quality organizations.
  
• "Toxic Mold" is a media term. There is no such thing as toxic mold. There are species of molds that are referred to as toxigenic because they are capable of priducing toxins; this means that just because they exist, they are not necessarily producing toxins and there is no conclusive data or tables to quantify if a certain level can effect an individuals health.
  
• Beware of anyone who claims a spray or bleach can kill mold on porous surfaces.(sheet rock, raw lumber or plywood, etc.) All industry recognized documents (S520, EPA, NYC Guidelines) recommend physical removal of the mold and or materials that are supporting it's growth.
  
• There are "certifications" and there are Certifications; Check it out carefully. Is it a nonprofit organization recognized by professionals in the field? Is the website selling products or services, other than educational? Ask about their experience in environmental investigations and construction. They go hand in hand to resolve suspected "building related illnesses". What type of diagnostic tools do they bring to the site? Are they qualified to perform sampling and or provide an educated analysis of the laboratory reports? What is the methodology of their investigation? What is the quality of the report; is it good enough to support arbitration or litigation? Sometimes the problem is not mold; do they have experience and diagnostic tools to investigate other environmental factors that need to be assessed? (bacteria, CO, CO2, etc)
  
• Beware of those "professionals" that immediately suggest sampling, specifically air sampling. All industry recognized documents, in reference to environmental investigations, recommend the first step be an on-site inspection followed by other data acquisition to arrive at a methodology for sampling/testing. (if deemed necessary, then reasons for sampling/testing should then be able to be explained in layman's terms to the consumer)
  
• All mold problems are really symptoms of the real problem, MOISTURE. This problem has to be diagnosed, identified and resolved prior to any mold remediation commencing. Removing mold without resolving moisture is equal to throwing your money away. We have state of the art tools for moisture detection and analysis, in addition to strong construction backgrounds. ( a necessity for understanding and solving hidden moisture intrusions/losses without a lot of "destructive exploration")
  

• Beware of duct cleaning companies that do not also clean the coils and fan: if the coil and fan or interior of the unit have mold/bacteria/dirt on them, it can reenter the ductwork.
  
• Beware of remediation contractors who do not have the proper classification (A,B,C-based on dollar amount) to perform your scope of work.