After discovering that a dangerous species of fungus could be tormenting your home, the next step for you should be to find a reliable and trustworthy mold removal company to get rid of mold for you. How many times have you heard of horror stories of mold removal scams? You must have heard or read a few from the Internet, and the thing is you might find yourself in a similar situation if you don’t do your due diligence and verify the credibility of the person or the company you are speaking to.
To help you pick out the best mold professional to solve your mold problem and restore your property in good shape, we have summarized six most important things that you should consider before hiring a professional.
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Have a list of options.
Don’t be afraid to ask other mold companies for quotations. The only way to know if the person or company you’re talking to is not exaggerating the price is by asking for other quotes. Doing this will help you get a better and more accurate idea of where your price point should be. Moreover, it would be useful for you to have a list of options which you can slowly narrow down as you go through this checklist.
Look for Reviews.
You can learn more about the contractor by looking up for reviews. Customer testimonials are helpful in providing you a more transparent review of what the contractor is really like and their past work experience. You can definitely learn more about their credibility by searching for past customer reviews on the Internet or by just asking friends or neighbors who have had the experience of hiring them or maybe they have some good referrals for you too. And of course, not all reviews online are true. The way you can validate it is by checking the consistency of positive reviews from various high-authority sites. In this way, you can now start to cross off companies with tainted reputation.
Make sure the company is insured.
Uninsured contractors will offer you cheaper services, but it might cause you more problems in the unfortunate case that an accident happens. Without insurance, the company is transferring the liability to the homeowner. Remember that these workers will be dealing with hazardous chemicals so ensure that your contractor has all its workers insured and licensed.
Check for Industry Certifications.
A certification is your assurance that the contractor is licensed, well-trained, and qualified to perform the job and follow industry standards.
Be sure that they have the necessary gear and equipment.
Ensure that your contractor has the right materials and industry-strength equipment necessary to perform a thorough and complete mold inspection and removal. Having a complete set of devices and equipment guarantees you that they’ll be able to fully eliminate the mold.
Read through the paperwork.
The paperwork can get a bit tricky so you need to always read through the contract and know all the terms and the coverage of the work. Making sure that you understand everything in the contract is also an added protection against fraudulent mold remediation companies.
To avoid getting duped by fraudulent companies or individuals, here are the tell-tale signs that will warn you whether you are actually falling prey to a mold scam.
- The offer is too good to be true
- Has no certification to prove expertise and work experience
- Has no credible references
- Not insured
- Refuses to perform a mold inspection to address sources of moisture
- Only perform a visual inspection of the property
- Suggests to do an HVAC cleaning without mold testing
- Uses a dark-colored sealant instead of a clear one in order to hide the remaining mold that they weren’t able to extract
- Has no debris to remove after a clean up even if there is evidence of structural damage
- Doesn’t possess a HEPA filter
- Doesn’t put everything into the contract
- They offer no guarantee
Like any other home maintenance service, hiring a mold removal expert is surely going to cost you money. Aside from that, a mold outbreak would endanger you and your family’s health hence, finding a reputable and qualified mold expert should be taken seriously so take the time to validate the company before agreeing to a contract.
On the other hand, if you’re a homeowner searching for a reliable and experience mold expert, you can definitely check out mold inspection VA Beach and give them a call.