Pipe Burst Insurance Claims Turning Into Mold Nightmares
When there is undetected water damage in your home or commercial building, you might end up facing destructive mold problems. A problem as toxic as such can cause life-threatening health issues for residents or employees.
You need to find a way to keep the people using your property safe from molds and the toxicity it brings.
DIY mold remediation can never be your go-to solution, especially when the damage is already significantly systemic or the health of your occupants is already compromised.
We strongly recommend that you do not fix mold situations without professional help, especially when the water damage is so isolated. If you tackle the problem with non-expert solutions, you most probably will make matters worse, in addition to exposing yourself to the toxins in the world.
Most people going for DIY solutions end up opening a wall without the correct containment protocols and tools, making things worse for everyone.
One challenge is that locating a qualified and reputable mold remediation company that thoroughly understands the hazards of improper solutions can be a hassle.
With plenty of low-quality mold remediation services out there, you might end up hiring the wrong person and facing riskier implications of your “literally growing” situation.
You must find someone who knows the implications of remediation mistakes and will do a professional job of fixing your problem as soon as possible.
You have to locate a mold remediation company that should completely understand the science behind molds and the health risks and diseases that are associated with mold growth.
How can you assure yourself that you will get a mold remediation company that will do the job?
Do not depend on the service sent by your insurance company.
More often than not, insurers send you people from ServPro as their default. While this is not a bad company, their work’s quality significantly depends on the person running the franchise in your locality.
Double-check their quality by yourself if you can and refuse them if you you are not comfortable with thier assessment.
Ask for recommendations from your friends, family, and neighbors.
The people who live around you, especially those who have been in your area for a long time, would have tried mold remediation company service.
They can tell you who is reputable and who will do a poor job for you.
Research on niche social media groups.
You can find recommendations that gauge the quality of services of a mold remediation company online.
You can find plenty of detailed information on places like Facebook groups dedicated to the topic “mold.”
We recommend that you should try joining these groups and ask for help from members who would gladly give you a trustworthy recommendation.
Compare online ratings and reviews of the mold remediation company.
Look in Yelp and Google reviews to see whether customers are clamoring about or praising a mold remediation company.
Reviews and ratings are most often given by real people who have had experience with the mold remediation company.
What they say will be reliable gauges for you to conclude whether the company is worth your call or not.
One tip you should do is compare reviews and ratings for different companies to choose the best service to solve your mold problem.
Ask for recommendations from local plumbers in your area.
Local plumbers have the most inside knowledge that can help you find a reputable mold remediation company.
Try calling them and asking who they know will do the job.
Build a list of companies from all the recommendations and call them all.
List down all the mold remediation companies that your family, friends, neighbors, social media group mates, reviews, and local plumbers have recommended.
Then, prepare questions that will allow you to vet their expertise in molds and their mold remediation services.
Call them, and don’t be afraid to interrogate them respectfully.
Q&A: What Answers You Should Hear From a Mold Remediation Company
Q: Is mold a potential health hazard?
A: YesRemember that the answer to this question should always be yes.
Also, a reputable mold remediation company should be able to tell the difference between mold allergies and illnesses from exposure to mold.
Q: What is mycotoxin?
A: Mycotoxin is a dangerous toxin produced by molds. Mycotoxin can cause disease and death for homeowners and their pets or company employees and their customers.Take note that if the mold remediation company you are talking to cannot give you any answer and detail about their knowledge of mycotoxin, they should not be in the remediation business.
Q: Do you do mold testing before you start remediation?
A: No.It is crucial for you to know and understand that testing happens only when the mold remediation company has done its job to check if you have more problems elsewhere in the property.
If you have to test for molds before remediation, the testing should be done by an environmental hygienist or a mold inspector.
If the company you are calling says yes to your question, they are most probably trying to give you unnecessary services to get more money.
Q: Is your work documented?
A: Yes.A reputable mold remediation company should always document their previous work in detail, complete with pictures and logs.
A company that doesn’t do this will not be able to give you your needed evidence when you are filing an insurance claim that relates to your mold problems.
To get the money you need, you have to show your insurer all of your evidence.
Q: What do you do to contain the area, and what are your safety protocols?
A: We implement the following to stop cross-contamination and protect the rest of your property and everyone during the process.
- Plastic sheeting and multiple layers of protection on air vents and other openings
- No gaps for air to escape and crucial entrances are zippered and taped.
- Strategically-placed double entrances - one on the problem area and another for a cleanroom between the mold site entrance and the rest of the property
- Plastic-secured floors and clean shoe covers
- HEPA-filtered NAMs or Negative Air Machines exhausted outside.
- Hazmat suits, gloves, safety glasses, and all protective gears for our expert remediators
These technicalities are significantly important and can mean losing more money to poor service or threatening a life because of unsafe remediation operations.
Learn as much as you can about standard protective procedures when working with molds and gauge how your mold remediation company abides by them.
Q: Are you licensed and insured?
A: Yes.
These requirements are 100% a must for a mold remediation company.
Q: How do you throw out the mold and moldy items?
A: Will there be litigation, or are you paying for the service yourself?
If you pay for the service, the mold remediation company should place all toxic materials in an industrial bag or use a double bag.
The service crew may or may not have to spray the inside of bags with fungicide, but you should be able to count on them to remove the materials from your property on the same day.
If your insurer has yet to come and see the damages to your property, your remediator might have to leave large items like furniture outside your property for them to inspect.
They should be able to quickly remove these items once the inspection has been confirmed.
If a lawyer needs items to remain as evidence of damage, you will have to rent an outdoor storage where you can keep the moldy furniture and other items away from your home or office as long as your lawyer requires you.
However, the mold remediation company cannot transport these additional requirements for you.
Q: Do you do a clean-up and wrap up your equipment before every assignment?
A: Always.
The mold remediation company should be able to promise you that they maintain their air scrubbers and dehumidifiers.
If not regularly and correctly cleaned, their equipment can cause cross-contamination from one property to another.
Q: Will you remove all molds from my property?
A: Yes, we will remove all of it.
If they respond with something unnecessarily complicated and explain that their service focuses on “normalizing mold levels,” stay away from that mold remediation company.
The company should guarantee you that they will remove all the molds from your property - non-negotiable.
Find a Reputable Mold Remediation Company Today!
The Voss Law Firm is your go-to for any problems with insurance claims and insurance litigations.
We have helped countless people get their pay from their insurers by assisting them when they file their claims or try to win their litigation.
When dealing with molds and trying to fight for your insurance claim, you need excellent mold removal services that include professional documentation that you will have to use as evidence.
One vital thing you must consider is that your mold remediation company should be familiar with what lawyers need when they are required in litigation.
We have worked with such reputable companies, and if you need to talk to one, you can contact us today.
