Mold Scam
# 1:
“Duct Cleaners” using a “Field Test Kit” or “Instant Mold
Test”
Many Duct Cleaning companies are owned and
operated by honest and reliable owners and they offer a
valuable service. However, some “Duct Cleaners” or other
untrained mold inspection service providers have perfected
this scam. They offer a very low “Duct Cleaning” service to
get their foot in your door. When they show up to clean your
ducts they offer you a free mold test OR they claim to find
hidden mold in the duct work. They basically scare you into
a very expensive “spray treatment” and sign you up for a
regular “treatment service”. This is a very bogus and risky
proposition.
How To Avoid It:
The best way to avoid this scam is to avoid using a
service provider that uses “Instant Mold Tests” to
conclusively determine if you have a mold problem or not.
The manufacturers of these field test kits specifically state
in their literature that a positive test result should be
followed up with laboratory testing. Furthermore the EPA
specifically recommends AGAINST using a biocide as the sole
source of remediation. The biocide used by these scam
artists may be much more dangerous than the mold that it is
being used to control. The EPA recommends “physical removal”
of any mold or mold damaged building materials. Another
interesting note is that many modern homes use a vinyl or
plastic “flex duct” that will not even support mold growth,
but can also be damaged by improper duct cleaning. If you
are going to use a firm to clean your ducts make sure that
they are a National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA)
member and verify this yourself online – don’t take their
word for it. We have had reports from consumers that these
con-men always seems like the nicest and most believable guys in the
industry.
Mold Scam
# 2: Off-Site Sampling
Off-site sampling is the most blatant form of
deliberate mold fraud. It is a scam often perpetuated by
mold inspectors who are either in the remediation business
themselves or receive referral fees from remediation
contractors. It works like this: The inspector has a private
shed where he stores construction materials such as drywall.
The materials are periodically sprayed with water and left
inside the shed where mold is allowed to grow rampant.
Before coming to your property, the inspector collects
samples from the shed that are sure to have very high counts
of dangerous molds and then passes them off as your samples.
After frightening you with the alarming results, he then
urges you to take immediate action, which of course includes
remediation, either by him or a contractor he is in cahoots
with. The result is tens of thousands of dollars in mold
remediation that never needed to be done.
How To Avoid It:
The best way to avoid this scam is to always check
licensing, customer references, trade references, Better
Business Bureau, and Certifying Bodies that contractors
claim to be certified by. Another
safeguard against off-site sampling is to ask your inspector
to show you the sampling media he uses at your property. Air
sampling media such as spore traps have a unique serial
number printed on the by the manufacturer to identify the
location from where the sample was collected. The location
and corresponding serial number should be written on a Chain of
Custody form and sent to an AIHA EMLAP accredited
laboratory* for analysis. Ask you inspector to show you the
sampling media serial numbers and confirm that the same
numbers are written on the chain of custody. When you get
you lab results from the lab, make sure the same serial
numbers on the documents match the numbers on the sampling
media and the chain of custody. Most inspectors do not
supply the client with a copy of the chain of custody, so
you may have to write the serial numbers down yourself, but
a little bit of writing is worth the peace of mind. Some
sampling media, such as tape, swabs and dust collectors, are
not marked with serial numbers, which is fine, but make sure
your inspector writes an identifying mark on the media and
that the same mark is written on the Chain of Custody to
identify its origin.
*AIHA's EMLAP accredited laboratories specialize in analysis
of microorganisms commonly detected in air, fluids and bulk
samples, as part of IAQ investigations. The AIHA
accreditation program is a rigorous, thorough and lengthy
process involving all operations and personnel of the
accredited site.
Mold Scam # 3:
Using Heat to Remediate Mold
Some contractors claim that applying heat to a
structure is an effective way to remediate mold. This is an
unsubstantiated claim. While mold can be killed by heat, as
can every other living organism, there is no evidence to
support the notion that heat treating a house will kill the
entire mold amplification sites. Short of burning down your
home, heat will not destroy all of the allergens,
mycotoxins, and irritants that may be associated with mold
growth.
Killing Mold Is Not the Same as Remediating Mold:
The goal of remediation is not to "kill" mold, it is to
remove it. If mold is not removed, it has not been
remediated - it is still in your house. The only good news
about dead mold is that it stops “eating” the construction
materials in your home. But mold spores, whether viable or
non-viable (alive or dead) still have the same harmful
effects on humans and animals.
Even if killing mold was the goal of remediation (and it is
not), but even it was, there is no documentation available
that supports any claim that whole-house heat treatments
actually kills hidden mold. In fact, some studies indicate
that hidden growth inside walls is still culturable (alive)
after heat treatment.
Traditional Drying Methods Are Best:
Heat treatment technologies can help dry out a structure
and slow mold growth, provided sufficient ventilation is
factored into the process into remove the water vapor
resulting from the heat. However, in the final analysis,
traditional methods of drying, such as dehumidifiers and
fans, will also dry out a building without subjecting the
entire structure to the thermal stress that heat treatments
cause.
How To Avoid It:
If you want to avoid exposure to molds that can affect
your health, you must physically remove all mold growth
(dead or alive) inside your building. If mold is not
removed, it has not been remediated, and could return if
moisture from humidity or water intrusion ever reoccurs. The
best way to avoid this scam is with a standard remediation
protocol that involves the actual removal of mold growth.
Mold Scam
# 4: “FREE” Mold Inspection & Mold Testing
When it comes to mold, the general public knows
little to nothing other than what they read on the internet
or hear from someone who makes money selling mold-related
products or services. Most people who call a mold inspector
or mold removal contractor are not really sure if they have
a mold problem or not. Maybe they smell something, maybe
they had a toilet back up in the past, or had a flood.
Perhaps they’re experiencing some unexplained health
condition that they believe might be caused by mold growing
in their home. It's one thing to know for certain that you
have a mold problem, but quite another to not know for sure.
And between the ‘not knowing’ and all the hype and scare
tactics that are used to sell mold services (both
inspections and remediation), it’s only natural for people
to be somewhat ‘fearful’ when they call a mold removal
company.
Fear is a powerful motivator and many unscrupulous mold
contractors are masters at playing the fear card to create a
sense of urgency in order to motivate you sign a contract
right away. That is not to say that all mold remediation
contractors are unscrupulous. There are many excellent
contractors out there. But in these slow economic times, it
is wise to beware of anyone using words like; “FREE MOLD
INSPECTION”, “FREE CONSULTATION”, “FREE TESTING”, and “FREE
SAMPLES” in their pitch. More often than not, free comes
with a hefty price that ends up costing far more than you
thought it would and never has that been more true than in
the mold business.
How To Avoid It:
The safest thing consumers can do whenever the word
“FREE” is used to sell a mold remediation job is to avoid
that contractor all together. Think about it. No one is in
business to do anything for free. Anyone offering something
for free is doing so to sell you something else. While that
may be fine when it comes to "buy one - get one free" deals
offered on TV infomercials, in the mold business a free
inspections and testing can end up costing you thousands of
dollars for remediation work that may be grossly exaggerated
or in some cases doesn’t need to be done at all.
Mold Scam
# 5: “FREE” Post-Remediation Clearance Testing
The final step in the mold removal process is a
post-remediation survey done to verify and document that the
remediation was in fact successful. The survey should be
done before any re-construction work begins so the inspector
can visually see that there is no mold left on the
remediated materials. Many mold remediation contractors
offer "FREE" post-remediation clearance testing. Clearance
testing is vital to the mold remediation process. Insurance
companies, mortgage lenders and prospective buyers of your
property in the future will want to see written confirmation
that the mold issue was resolved. Post-remediation clearance
testing should never be performed by a mold removal
contractor waiting to get paid for his work. With thousands
of dollars on the line, it is highly unlikely that a
contractor will fail his own work.
How To Avoid It:
Have your post-remediation survey and clearance test
performed by a Certified Mold Inspector who does not work
for your remediation contractor.
Mold Scam
# 6: Encapsulating Fungal Growth
Encapsulation is a trade term used by some mold
remediation contractors. The goal of encapsulation is to
essentially glue any remaining mold in place to prevent the
release of spores. This is possible to do and may even be
the preferred (or the only realistic or economic) method of
choice is some cases. However, if you have fixed the water
problem, dried the remediated materials and removed all of
the mold growth, encapsulation should not be necessary. As a
rule, encapsulation is not an acceptable stand-alone
solution for a successful remediation project. For
prevention purposes, there are now proven treatment products
that work to prevent the return of mold to the newly
installed building materials – these are not encapsulants as
they are not designed to cover the mold.
Deciding To Encapsulate:
In the remediation process, contractors will scrape,
sand, grind, and wire brush as much mold as they can from
salvageable construction materials such as studs, ceiling
and floor joists. At some point they determine that they
have removed as much mold growth as possible for the amount
of money they are charging you. At that point, if your
contractor is confident in his work, he will inform you that
your project is ready for a post-remediation survey and
clearance test. If they are not completely confident that
the job will pass a post-remediation air test, often times
they will spray a sealant (or encapsulate) over the
construction materials inside the containment area. There
are four reasons and one scam reason why contractors decide
to encapsulate:
The Legitimate Reasons:
• He suspects that there may still be traces of mold
left in areas that cannot be accessed without major
demolition and encapsulating those areas will inhibit spore
release.
• He suspects there is a possibility that moisture is still
a factor in or around the remediated area and, as a
precautionary measure, he wants to apply a water seal
treatment to the salvaged materials to protect them from
that moisture.
• There are contractors who process their work to exemplary
levels and then apply ‘shields’ for future prevention
purposes – these contractors will allow for testing at the
client’s discretion as they normally pass whether at the end
of remediation or after applying their final step products.
The Scam Reason:
His work is sub-standard. He simply did a bad job of
remediation the mold and to hide his poor workmanship, he
uses encapsulation (usually a solid color) to "paint over"
it.
How To Tell the Difference:
When encapsulation is done properly by a responsible
remediation contractor, the encapsulant product preferably
should be clear so that a third-party Inspector can visually
see the remediated materials in this post-remediation survey
and confirm that no mold growth remains. When encapsulation
is done to cover up a bad job, the contractor will use a
solid color encapsulant product to hide whatever mold they
left behind, making it impossible for the Inspector to
verify that all mold has been removed. Some actually use
regular paint which insidiously provides additional moisture
in support of the underlying mold issue – worsening an
already costly situation.
How To Avoid It:
Before your remediation contractor begins, ask him if he
intends to use an encapsulant and, if so, insist that
whatever product he uses must dry clear. No solid color
encapsulates. Secondly, before your contractor applies an
encapsulant, ask him to take you into the containment area
(the work area) and explain to you why he believes
encapsulation is necessary. This is different than a
professional contractor who has performed the necessary
remediation and then applies a preventive shield – ask about
their warranty coverage to uncover any suspect disclaimers
or restrictive limits of liability.
Tips on Encapsulation:
Before encapsulation can be considered:
• Whatever water problem that occurred which led to mold
growth must be corrected so that it is unlikely to occur again. Mold
will grow on encapsulating materials if the get wet.
• All mold growth has been removed from surfaces where it is
possible to remove it. Encapsulating is not an alternative
to mold removal.
• The substrate or surfaces to be encapsulated must be
completely dry. Otherwise mold will grow right through the
encapsulant.
• Encapsulating mold growth may not be safe or an adequate
safeguard where immunocompromised people live.
• Encapsulating should be considerably less expensive than
actually removing all of the mold contaminated materials.
Encapsulation is not a permanent fix. Completely removing
all of the contaminated material is always best.
• Encapsulants are very limited in their effectiveness and
should not be confused with anti-microbial bonding agents
that work specifically to deny mold spores the ability to
grow by separating them from their food sources.
Encapsulants, by their nature and design, leave mold spores
in place on their food sources and are not effective in
inhibiting future growth and damage.
Mold Scam
# 7: Ozone Generators Being Provided Directly to Consumers
There are many legitimate uses and professional
users of Ozone; however, some distributors of ozone
generators have jumped on the mold bandwagon and are selling
their products DIRECTLY to untrained consumers.
Resellers and dealers of ozone generators may make false
statements about the ability of ozone air purifiers to kill
mold, this may be true, but Ozone is as harmful to you as it
is to the mold. False advertisements of ozone devices often
use misleading terms such as "energized oxygen" and "pure
air" suggesting that ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. The
fact is, ozone is a toxic gas with vastly different chemical
and toxicological properties from oxygen. Claims that ozone
generators sold as air purifiers are effective at
controlling indoor air pollution are simply not true.
Companies that provide ozone treatments as part of their
service usually are well trained in the application and do
not allow pets, people, or your priceless oil paintings to
be in the area during ozone application
Several federal agencies have established health standards
or recommendations to limit human exposure to ozone. The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established an
ozone level of .05 ppm (parts per million) as the maximum
level allowable in an enclosed spaces. Relatively low
amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness
of breath, and, throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen
chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise
the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections.
Exercise during exposure to ozone causes a greater amount of
ozone to be inhaled, and increases the risk of harmful
respiratory effects (US EPA, 1996a, 1996b).
Some manufacturers and resellers of Ozone Generators sold as
air purifiers claim that these products help to control
mold. According to the Environmental Protection Agency,
however, (EPA) these products may very well add to indoor
air pollution.
In fact, results from controlled studies show that some
ozone generators produce unsafe concentrations of ozone even
when a user follows the manufacturer’s operating
instructions.
Buyer Beware:
Beware of misleading advertising claims stating of
implying that a particular brand of ozone generator is "EPA
APPROVED". Several brands of ozone generators have EPA
establishment numbers on their packaging. This number helps
EPA identify the specific facility that produces the
product.
THE DISPLAY
OF THIS NUMBER DOES NOT IMPLY EPA ENDORSEMENT OR SUGGEST IN
ANY WAY THAT EPA HAS FOUND THE PRODUCT TO BE EITHER SAFE OR
EFFECTIVE.
The EPA does not certify air cleaning devices, recommend air
cleaning devices or endorse manufacturers of air cleaning
devices. For more information from the EPA regarding the use
or effectiveness of ozone generators, please visit their web
site at:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
Mold Scam
# 8: Insurance Scams
It's hard to imagine insurance companies doing
anything improper or unethical. But like any company in
business to make money, what is proper or improper, ethical
or unethical, right or wrong, is not defined by moral
absolutes or standards. It is defined by legal
technicalities. Fairness, integrity, and conscience are nice
words to flaunt. But the bottom line is always comes down to
profit margins, not nice words.
Here are some profit-driven business practices of insurance
companies to look out for. (DISCLAIMER: Not ALL insurances
companies)
1. Hiring only "preferred" inspectors and remediators who
are loyal to the insurance companies (not the insured) and
who will not look too hard for mold.
2. Requiring preferred testers to restrict the air flow of
their sampling pump to purposely lower the spore count in
air samples.
3. Requiring the inspector to inspect only, and not sample.
How To Avoid It:
The best way to avoid getting one-sided mold information
is to hire your own professionals. More unbiased reporting,
hire a mold inspector board certified by the American
Council for Accredited Certifications (ACAC). For proper
mold removal, hire a mold remediation contractor trained by
the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration
Certification (IICRC) or ACAC Certified. For reconstructing
your project after remediation, hire a professional licensed
by the Contractors State License Board.
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