Mold is a common problem affecting thousands of homes across Canada. It’s a good thing that there are many companies offering different types of mold removal services in Toronto to help property owners treat and remove this pesky and potentially destructive problem.
While small areas of mold growth can be cleaned and removed using ordinary household cleaning products and some protective gear, larger areas of infestation often require the help of a professional. Consumers often rely on mold removal services in order to detect, assess and treat mold problems in their homes and businesses.
How do you choose the best company to do the job right? How do you know if the services you wish to avail are charged at a fair rate?
There are some things to know as a consumer before hiring a mold removal service.
Mold removal services will vary from company to company. There are some who focus on providing just one type of service, while others provide a full-range of services that include restoration work. According to the Office of Consumer Affairs, the agency tasked by the Canadian government for consumer protection and promotion, mold remediation companies in general provide the following services:
Consultation
Professional technicians will come to your home to do an assessment of the mold damage and provide you with a written proposal of their recommendations of the best procedures to address the mold problem. They will also identify sources of excessive moisture that led to the growth of mold and provide recommendations for repairing the moisture problems. Also included in the report are suggestions on possible steps you can take on how to prevent mold in the future.
Mold testing
Some companies only offer home mold testing and are often hired by mold remediation companies that do not offer this service to provide third party assessments for customers who may require it. Mold testing services include obtaining air samples and swab samples of various surfaces to confirm if the substance found is mold or some other matter and to determine how much and what types of mold are present in the area. Laboratory results of the samples are explained in a written report to the homeowners. Mold testing can also be performed after the actual mold removal process has been completed to check that all mold has been removed from surface areas and that air quality is at normal levels.
Mold removal and restoration
Depending on the extent of mold damage, the scope of service may include mold removal procedures and repair works. The actual process of mold removal will involve the cleaning and removal of mold from various surfaces, cleaning and disposing of moldy materials, repairing any aesthetic and structural mold damage, and fixing any sources of moisture problems that led to the growth of mold in the home. The work is always done by certified specialists who have obtained the proper training and experience to perform complex technical procedures using specialized equipment. For example, if there is mold in your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, an HVAC specialist is called in to be part of the remediation process. Every service should be guaranteed for a specified number of days and include post-remediation testing where technicians return and check if any mold has started growing again in areas that were cleaned.
With so many companies offering mold removal services in Toronto, it’s hard to know who to trust to give dependable and effective work. If you as a consumer know what type of service you need or want done to your home then you’ll always be assured that you paid for the right service and have not been scammed into paying a lot of money to have mold tested, cleaned and removed from your home environment.
