Better Business Bureau on hiring a mold remediation company

September is Mold Awareness Month. If you can see or smell mold in your house, there is a good chance you have a mold problem.

Mold can be bad for your health causing problems, such as itchy eyes, stuffy nose and wheezing.

Better Business Bureau offers these tips to choose a mold remediation company:

Ask friends and family for recommendations of reputable businesses in your area.

Contact insurance company to see who it would recommend. Also, determine what your insurance policy covers and process for filing a claim.

Don’t feel pressured to sign with a door-to-door company using scare tactics to remove mold from your home.

Consider reputation and years in service.

Get three or more estimates. Make sure all parties are bidding on the same work. Make sure the contractor comes to the job site rather than giving a telephone estimate.

Ask for names of the contractor’s customers and contact them to see if they would hire the contractor again.

Confirm contractor is properly licensed, bonded, insured and/or registered for the scope of work to be completed.

Be wary if a contractor asks you to spend money to pretest mold. In most cases, visible mold is all you need to diagnose there is a mold problem.

Get a written report of your home’s inspection. Make sure it includes the cause of the mold, how they intend to take care of it and other results.

Be wary of contractors who claim they can make a building “mold free,” which isn’t possible.

Ask what the company does with the mold they remove. They should either double bag it and remove it or if you intend to litigate the situation you may be advised to keep and store damaged items.

Look for a company that wears proper safety gear when dealing with mold. If they don’t wear such items, it should be a red flag.

But, one of the first steps is often to have your home inspected. Qualified inspectors should have completed industry-approved coursework in mold investigation, preferably from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the American Council for Accredited Certification. They should have industry credentials, such as CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) or CIEC (Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant). They should also work independently of a mold remediation company and shouldn’t sell mold-related products.