The mold inspection and removal industry is booming in the Greater Toronto Area GTA). The public is becoming more and more educated about the danger mold poses and the average home or business owner has become more proactive about spotting it and hiring a company to eliminate it.
Unfortunately, since the mold industry remains unregulated, there are plenty of scams out there. Here are a few to watch out for.
Bleachers
Instead of killing mold, some companies will simply bleach it, changing its color but not actually killing it. If any mold inspector mentions bleach as a solution, run away.
Door-to-door salespeople
These folks will knock on your door selling you an expensive air purifying unit. They’ll test your home with a Petri dish, show you how much mold and bacteria grow on it and justify the result as a reason for you to fork out major cash. What they don’t tell you is that mold and bacteria grow everywhere. Inside or outside, with or without a filter, mold can appear.
House saboteurs
These guys are sneaky. While performing an inspection, they’ll close your windows, crank your showers, and do everything possible to create a humid, mold-fostering environment. That way, they’ll have more detectable mold to show you in test results and try to use that as justification for mold remediation.
Moldy home owners
Make sure you thoroughly inspect a home for mold or, better yet, hire an environmental consulting firm to do so before you buy! Many home owners with flooded, moldy basements will try to mask the problems with air fresheners or by painting over the damage.
Ozone scammers
This is a particularly nasty one. These con artists use ozone gas to kill mold – but ozone doesn’t penetrate walls and hard surfaces. It won’t kill any mold that isn’t exposed. Also, killing the mold isn’t enough. It can hurt you, dead or alive. Lastly, as you probably know, ozone isn’t good for you.
Particle counters
Particle counting tools test indoor air quality not just by accounting for mold spores, but also by testing for pollen, dust, dander and so on. The results are inaccurate as there are too many variables. They can’t prove anything about the presence of mold.
Test fraud artists
These folks use a simple but effective method. They’ll simply show you phony mold test results and trick you into thinking you have a mold problem.
If you’re looking to hire a mold removal company, make sure you check its qualifications. If it isn’t certified by organizations such as the American Indoor Air Quality Council or the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration in Microbial Remediation, it could be a scam operation. Choose a company with a trusted reputation.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation.You’ll be glad you did!