Finding Help to Treat Mold

The Wall StreetJournal

If you're considering getting help to combat a moldproblem, there's no shortage of companies ready toassist. According to an article in , there are now between 10,000 and 20,000mold-removal companies operating across the country.The problem, however, is that there are no federal orstate regulations and mold companies are not requiredto be licensed or certified.

According to the article, Mold Relief Inc (www.moldrelief.org), a nonprofit organization offering assistanceto families affected by indoor mold, has receiveddozens of complaints about improper inspections orcleanup jobs. As a result, there are a few steps youshould take to make sure you find a reliable company:

• Check a firm's complaint record with local consumeraffairs agencies and the Better Business Bureau.
• Ask for examples of removal experience andcheck a company's references.
• To avoid conflicts of interest, do not hire the samecompany to do both the inspection and the cleanup.
• Keep in mind that since most major insurersexclude mold from standard homeowner's policies,you may have to foot the cost of the cleanup yourself.