Whether you suspect mold is a problem in your home or just want to make sure everything’s alright (if you’ve recently bought a used home, for example), finding a good professional is important. But nobody wants to spend any more time than they have to on this task. Here are some important ways to make sure you hire a professional and reputable outfit who offers honest advice on mold-related issues.
Look for companies who have been around
Experience is a huge deal when you’re talking about mold-related services. There are different protocols for testing, assessment, remediation, and the most important things of all: mold prevention. You might come across one or two contractors who are just starting out and may not have the requisite experience to perform mold-related services to a high professional standard. Some of these contractors may not even have the best equipment for the job.
What does all of this mean? Only that you should definitely err on the side of experience when considering mold remediation companies in your area. Booking an inexperienced company could result in unneeded remediation work — or even worse, lead you to believe the coast is clear when you actually do have a mold problem. Experienced contractors have seen so many different cases with varying levels of severity, and can rely on their knowledge to find the best solutions for every unique case.
Avoid alarmists
As with any professional industry, there are mold removal and mold testing companies out there who try to make money by essentially misleading clients. One of the main ways of doing this is convincing people they have a serious problem, when that’s not really the case. The tricky thing about mold spores is that they’re microscopic. Sometimes growth is visible and obvious, but in many cases, the real source of the mold is beneath the floors, between the walls, or in other hard-to-reach places. Dubious contractors will sometimes use this to their advantage. Reputable mold assessment teams will always give it to you straight. If there’s no problem, or only a very minor problem, that’s exactly what you’ll hear. And if some measure of mold remediation is necessary, the contractor will propose the appropriate measures — no more and no less.
Read customer reviews
Nothing says “professionalism” and “results” like a company with a lot of satisfied customers to its credit. Customer reviews are an asset when researching any kind of business or service, and mold remediation is no exception to that rule. If you find a lot of negative or neutral reviews, in which the client doesn’t seem convinced that the best results or solutions were achieved, this is a warning sign. You may want to focus your efforts on a contractor with a better track record on social review platforms like Facebook, Google, Yelp, Angie’s List and others.
Putting it all together
If you apply the criteria listed above in your search for quality mold-related services, you should have no problem finding a company who checks all the right boxes. Then you can get on with the business of preventing future mold infestations and enjoying greater peace of mind!