If you have mold in your home—you’re not alone. Sources estimate that a whopping 70% of homes harbor one or more species of mold.
Depending on the species, mold can trigger allergy symptoms, respiratory issues, and immune conditions, and has been linked to 96% of the chronic sinus infections in the US in a study by Mayo Clinic.
The bottom line? If you have mold in your home, you need to get a mold removal service in asap. However, you also need to make sure that you are getting the right mold removal service.
To ensure that your home does in fact become mold-free, and stay that way, you need to hire a contractor that specialized in mold treatments, who knows what they are doing, and who employs effective and professional analysis and removal methods.
…And the way to that is to ask the right questions. If you want to be able to pick a mold removal contractor with confidence, read on as we share with you the top ten most important questions to ask before you hire.
1. Will You Get A Remediation Plan?
Because mold is a tough fungus to eradicate (especially with our wet Portland winters), removal is not a matter of simply spraying some mold killer and calling it a day.
To successfully remove all mold from your home, your mold removal professional should come up with a tailored remediation plan. This should be customized to your home, the type of mold, and the extent of the mold growth.
If a mold removal contractor does not draw up written remediation plans for their clients this is not a good sign.
2. How Long Has the Mold Removal Service Been in Business?
When talking to Portland mold removal contractors, another question you may want to ask is how long they have been in business.
Hiring a new mold removal company is not necessarily a bad idea. However, if a company is new, you should establish whether or not their team members have pre-existing experience with mold removal.
You’ll also want to pay close attention to their other answers to your questions to gauge whether they are a professional service, or simply a contractor that thinks mold removal is easy money.
3. Will You Get a Written Estimate?
When gathering quotes for mold removal, it’s imperative that you get written, itemized estimates. This way you can sit down and compare each estimate to weigh up what the different companies’ mold removal fees are and what is included in their service.
If a mold removal service in Portland does not supply written estimates, this is a red flag.
4. Can They Put You In Contact With Previous Clients?
One of the best ways to vet out a reliable mold removal service is to look into their references and reviews. So, when talking to contractors, ask them if they can put you in touch with previous clients they have served in Portland.
Besides this also be sure to investigate any online reviews the company might have. You can start with Google Reviews, and also check out their Yelp page, or any other directors they might be on.
5. Does the Mold Removal Service Have a License and Insurance?
Another question to ask when talking to contractors is whether they have a license and liability insurance.
All businesses operating in Portland are required to register for a City of Portland Business License within 60 days. If a contractor has not registered themselves as a business, they are flouting this law and are lacking in professionalism.
Besides a business license, a good mold removal service will also likely have some sort of certification within their industry. We, for example, are accredited by the IICRC
6. Do They Use Air Scrubbers?
When mold removal takes place, this can dislodge mold spores into the air. Airborne mold spores are the root of most mold triggered health issues. Therefore it is essential that the mold removal service you choose has a plan for detecting and managing any airborne mold spores.
Air scrubbers are the industry standard for removing airborne mold. If a mold removal contractor does not use air scrubbers, this is a clear indication that they are not equipped for effective mold removal.
7. Will They Test All Areas of Your Home?
Whether you are suffering from mold-related health issues or not, it’s imperative that you get all areas of your home tested for mold.
The reason for this is that mold is not always visible detectable. You may have mold growing in out of the way areas that you can’t see. You may also have mold growth that has not yet “bloomed” and become visibly noticeable.
Because of this, it’s important that the contractor you hire does a thorough inspection of your home and tests all areas of it for mold. There’s no point in eradicating mold in one room. While the room next door is a mold health hazard waiting to happen.
8. How Do They Deal with Cross-Contamination?
When treating mold growth, there is always a risk of cross-contamination between areas. Any spores that are dislodged and which become airborne pose a contamination danger. If they make their way into other areas of your house, you could be faced with a worse problem later on than when you started.
To prevent this, it is essential that the mold removal service you hire has methods in place to prevent cross-contamination. Ask potential contractors, what their methods are for this? Do they have containment walls?
9. Do They Work With Insurers?
If your home owner’s policy covers mold removal, you’ll need to liaise between your insurance carrier and your mold removal contractor. Unless… The contractor is set up to handle this!
Choosing a contractor that is happy to work with your insurance company on your behalf means you don’t have to be the go-between and waste time on insurance admin. Therefore, be sure to ask all potential mold removal contractors whether they work with their client’s insurers or not.
10. Does the Mold Removal Service Offer a Guarantee?
Mold is so tenacious and hard to eradicate. You need to ensure that you have some kind of guarantee from the mold removal service you work with.
If you ask them what kind of guarantee they offer, and they say none—steer clear. The last thing you want is to spend good money on mold removal, only to have it sprouting up again a few months down the line.
Are You Looking for a Top-Notch Mold Removal Service in Portland?
Now that you know what questions to ask potential contractors, you are ready to start hunting down the best mold removal service in the city.
Before you go, we have one last hot tip.
Start the hunt with us. Our company provides licensed and accredited Portland mold removal service, who not only treats mold—but prevents is as well. We are so confident in the effectiveness of our services that we offer a 36-month guarantee on our treatments.
We are also easy to contact with a 24/7 response line, and love working with your insurance carriers.
Get in touch any time of day or night and we will be ready to assist you.
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