New York State Mold Assessment and Removal Law!
First Call Restoration has been serving residents for more than 20 years.
We have been receiving calls for mold remediation and clients are surprised to hear they need to hire a mold assessor. They tell us, “the other company never mentioned it” or “well the other company said they can do both, the assessment and the remediation job”.
In the state of New York, if you require mold from an area larger than 10 square feet, you need to take TWO important actions.
First, you need to contact and hire a mold assessor.
Second, you need to hire a professional to remove the mold.
The mold assessor can not also be the one removing the mold. In fact, this is against the law. If the area of mold is greater then 10SF and you are hiring a company, you will need a mold assessor’s remediation plan in order to have any mold remediation done.
The purpose of this article is to outline why you need to hire BOTH a mold assessor and removal company to address your mold issue in your home or business. This article also explains what professional mold companies do to ensure that the mold is removed safely and effectively from your home or business.
Experts at mold remediation from your home or office
Contact us today
(845) 442-6714
Why You Must Hire A Mold Assessor!
In January 2016, New York State created a new law regarding mold. It’s called, New York State Mold Law, Article 32.
So what does this mean for you?
The law says:
“However, if you decide to have someone assess and remediate an area of mold that is larger than 10 square feet of mold, you must use a licensed professional to do the work. You must first have a Mold Assessor do an inspection and complete a Mold Remediation Plan. You will then hire a Mold Remediation Contractor to do the work outlined in the plan.”
A Mold Assessor is an INDEPENDENT 3rd party. He/she does the inspection and completes a Mold Remediation Plan. This plan then goes to the Mold Remediation Contractor, like First Call Restoration. We will do a FREE estimate using the mold remediation plan and a visual inspection of the affected area(s). Only then can we give an accurate estimate.
Once the work has been completed the mold assessor returns to do a “final clearance test”. This will tell you if the remediation has been successful. Clearance testing needs to be done by the independent 3rd party Mold Assessor.
As our founder, Mike Hogan, states in the video above, it is illegal to get mold removed without first hiring a mold assessor. If a company is telling you that you don’t need an assessor they are working illegally. What does that say about them?
***WHAT OTHER SHORT CUTS ARE THEY GOING TO TAKE?***
If you still have mold assessor questions, please review this summary on our website, or give us a call. We are happy to explain!
In fact, one of the goals of First Call Restoration is to educate our customers about mold and that is why we have posted so many articles on our website about mold:
- Mold: 4 Frequently Asked Questions!
- How To Select A Mold Contractor?
- What Is Black Mold?
- Is There Mold Hidden In Your Home?
- Ten Things You Should Know about Mold!
- Mold Spores: A Tough To Avoid Asthma Trigger!
- Chronic Sinus Problems Can Be Caused by Mold!
- If Your Basement Smells Bad, You Could Have A Mold Problem!
- Mold In Schools!
- Why Does Mold Grow In My Attic?
- 3 Reasons Not To Use Bleach To Get Rid of Mold!
- Mold Genes: The Facts!
- Mold Inspection: The Facts
Now that you understand why you must hire a mold assessor, we will explain why you should hire a reputable company to remove the mold from your home or business!
Always Hire A Professional To Remove Mold From Your Home or Business!
Because of the potential expense that mold poses, the human tendency is to try to find the best deal. However, be wary of contractors or friends that offer to remove your mold, particularly if they have no training or experience.
Do not fall for the sales pitch or claims that mold can be remediated with ozone or other types of machines that kill mold.
Another potential claim made by some removal companies is that they can just fog your home or spray a bunch of chemicals and the mold will magically disappear.
Contractors that offer these types of solutions are not professionals because they are just trying to kill the mold, which as we explained in a previous article, is not a proper method for long term removal.
Learn About Mold!
Moisture Is The Key!
Before addressing any mold problem, the most important concern is to first find the moisture problem that is causing the mold to grow in the first place.
Mold needs three ingredients.
First, a food source. Most homes present an ample food source for mold because they are made of dead material that mold loves to eat: high cellulose materials such as paper and wood, drywall, wallpaper, carpet, ceiling tiles, dust, and dirt.
Second, the right climate: mold flourishes when the temperature ranges from 41 degrees Fahrenheit up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Third, and most importantly, a moisture source. Without moisture, mold can not thrive and grow. If you smell or see mold, then you have a problem because there is a moisture source in your home. Moisture is usually caused by leaks in pipes and/or the roof, sewer backups, flooding, condensation, etc.
There Is No Easy Fix For Mold!
Any contractor that says there is an easy fix for mold, does not understand the biology of mold and does not realize that mold is designed to consume dead organic material and is an active part of our eco-system.
Unfortunately, the good that mold does by recycling dead material in our environment can cause significant harm when it grows indoors. First, mold can make you sick, causing asthma, sinusitis, and other health conditions. Second, as the mold eats away at your property, it will cause the wood to rot and eventually lead to structural integrity issues, ultimately reducing the value of the home.
When you encounter mold in your home, do not hire contractors that just want to tear out the contaminated materials and spray chemicals, particularly if their whole procedure involves killing the mold. It is not just about killing mold because dead mold spores can be just as harmful as live ones.
Mold is everywhere because it is a living fungi. The survival mechanism of mold is to disperse spores and find more areas to grow on and populate itself. When you have mold inside of your home, understand that the number one concern of mold remediation professionals is to prevent the mold from spreading, ie. to contain it and prevent cross-contamination. Then, once the containment is set up, the process of addressing the mold problem can begin.
Get YES Answers To These Questions Before Hiring A Contractor!
Before you hire any contractor to remediate the mold in your property, be sure to consider the following questions:
- Is the contractor prepared to give you a written contract/change order?
- Is the contractor prepared to provide you with a remediation plan?
- Is the contractor prepared to provide you with a post-remediation report?
- Is the contractor prepared to recommend independent indoor environmental professionals that can provide you with a post-remediation verification report? This is very important because this report determines whether or not the remediation has been successful.
- Does the contractor carry insurance?
- Are the contractor’s employees trained and certified?
- Does the contractor set up containment to prevent cross contamination?
- Does the contractor use negative air machines and air scrubbers to clean the air?
- Is the contractor willing to provide you with referrals and their contact details?
- Does the contractor use DOP (Dispersed Oil Particulate) tested equipment which is a process that tests the integrity of the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters used?
If you get NO answers to any of the above questions, then re-consider hiring this contractor.
Mold Remediation Professionals Are Building Doctors!
When you are sick, you go to a Doctor because you want the best treatment possible to get healthy.
Similarly, if you have mold, hire a mold remediation professional because they are Building Doctors, whose objective is to cure the property of toxic mold so you can live a better, healthier life.
Like health care professionals, mold remediation specialists take specialized courses and training to ensure that they can properly eliminate the mold problems of their customers.
To ensure a long term fix hire a mold remediation professional that uses the following 8 Step Mold Remediation Process.
The 8 Steps Required To Remediate Mold Professionally!
Step 1: Assess The Cause of The Contamination
During the mold inspection, the professional consultant will identify the source of the water infiltration that is causing the mold contamination.
During this step, the consultant will also identify the extent of the mold growth to ensure that all areas of growth can be addressed.
The next step is to create a work plan, also known as a scope of work.
It is important that a Third Party should be hired to do post-remediation verification, which is step 8 in the process.
Step 2: Identify the Species of the Mold
During the mold inspection, samples of the mold will be taken using swab or tape samples. Air quality tests may also be done. The samples are then sent to an accredited laboratory which will provide a report outlining what species of mold are present.
This report is important for three key reasons:
- This report is important because it helps the mold remediation professional determine the hazard level. Some mold species, like stachybotrys, pose greater hazards and may require additional safety procedures to protect the occupants of the property.
- Identifying the species also helps determine the most cost effective method to resolve the mold problem.
- Identifying the species can also help health care professionals determine if health concerns may be related to the mold contamination.
Step 3: Scope of Work
Once the investigation is complete, the remediation plan / scope of work can be completed.
This step is important because it addresses what caused the mold and all of the safety protocols required for the remediation to be successful.
Step 4: Containment, Decontamination Chambers & Negative Air
The area is contained and negative air pressures are set and regularly monitored to prevent cross-contamination of mold spores and mycotoxins to other areas of the home.
During the mold remediation process, mold spores become disrupted meaning spore counts can increase 10 to 100 times.
Proper procedures, containment and HEPA filtration equipment are required to prevent cross-contamination.
Without these controls, the situation can become much worse than the original issue.
Step 5: Removal of the Mold
Once the containment and decontamination chamber is set up, and required negative air pressure levels are achieved the mold is removed.
Mold damaged materials such as drywall, carpet, underlay, and other porous materials are removed and disposed.
Non-porous and some semi-porous materials can be cleaned and decontaminated.
Damaged or moldy materials that are removed are then bagged or sealed with plastic sheathing before removal from the containment to prevent cross contamination.
Step 6: Odor Removal
Mold contamination can create offensive odors such as a musty basement smell.
Carbon filters are utilized to assist in the elimination of odors from the area during the remediation process.
Specialized treatments and air cleaners may be required to ensure odors do not return in the future.
Step 7: Cleaning, HEPA Vacuuming & Air Scrubbing
Once the mold contaminated materials are removed, the area must be thoroughly cleaned using antimicrobial treatments on hard surfaces and HEPA vacuuming on the porous surfaces to remove the residual mold spores.
The air must also be scrubbed and purified to remove mold spores and mycotoxins using approved DOP tested HEPA air scrubbing equipment.
Step 8: Post Remediation Verification
Post remediation verification must be conducted by an approved third party to ensure that the environment has been brought back to a normal fungal ecology suitable for occupancy.
The final clearance investigation must include a visual inspection using specialized instrumentation and a full range of air quality and surface sampling.
Got Mold Questions?
Questions? Need help? First Call Restoration are mold experts. We will make sure that your mold concerns are dealt with effectively! Call (845) 442-6714 or send us an e-mail. The team at First Call Restoration looks forward to serving you!
Get More For Your Money – Indoor air quality is so important especially if there is mold in the home. Depending on where the mold is contained it can enter the HVAC /air handler spreading spores to other unaffected areas of the home. We are Offering Our Healthy Home Program to any Mold Remediation work for the month of April and May. We will include a FREE application of a disinfectant to a client’s HVAC system, wipe down the air handlers exterior and interior coils. Clients don’t even have to get on a ladder and struggle through the attic. Just give us the filter and we’ll change it.
Experts at mold remediation from your home or office
Contact us today
(845) 442-6714
