How does one protect a Home Owner from Mold Assessment Technicians who take their samples (for several hundred dollars) . . . . and then give estimates of what it will take to remediate these terrible conditions, which only they are now intimately familiar with and uniquely qualified to resolve (for several thousand dollars) ?

The Sample Taker (now remediation specialist) will guarantee his work because he will include the same battery of tests that were taken in the original assessment, and before getting the contract to correct the problem, after doing the work.

In the instance I'm currently working, the question of mold resulted in the performance of some tests being conducted for $825, and now the estimate for alleviating the problem is at $35,000 to $40,000 . . . . and the property has now been irreversibly tarnished - or even stigmatized - with the description of being contaminated with mold when the laboratory results are barely interpretable by anyone other than the Tester rendering the report.

Other Contractors, who might perform remediation for less, are hesitant to offer the same guarantee because they didn't have control over that initial set of tests which their work will now be compared against. It's a Catch-22.

Hello Vermont –

I realize this is an older thread, but you question remained unanswered, and the topic is still timely.

For a start, a legitimate Industrial Hygienist or other professional legitimately capable of performing a mould assessment, won’t give a price for remediation since a legitimate inspector won’t know – it’s not their job.

Secondly, about 90% of the “mould remediation” projects I have seen (and I have seen about 600 mould projects), were unnecessary. In many of the “mould remediation projects” I’ve seen, there wasn’t even a mould problem. Usually some knucklehead “Certified Mould Inspector” (or other meaningless title) has collected meaningless and bogus samples (or performed some other bogus “mould test”) and the test is “positive” and recommend mould remediation.

Considering the fact that virtually any mould test will always be “positive” this is a remediator’s dream come true, and it is also why a legitimate mould inspector will virtually NEVER collect samples – samples and “tests” are the bailiwick of the mould scam artist, not a legitimate inspector.

If you are interested in learning the truth of “mould remediation” take a look at this: http://www.forensic-applications.com/moulds/remediation.html

Most “mould remediation” can be done by a handy-man, or regular general contractor, or DIY kind of guy. The moon suits, respirators, negative pressure enclosures, biocides and the lot are just a gimmick and virtually never needed.

Caoimhín P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
www.forensic-applications.com

(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)

AMDG