Phoenix News 5 Investigates Mold Remediators

March 3, 2008

5 Investigates Mold Remediators

POSTED: 10:19 am MST February 26, 2008

PHOENIX -- Mold is more common in Arizona than in most states, and getting

rid of it can cost thousands of dollars. With very little government

regulation, how do consumers know which companies to trust?

A CBS 5 investigation uncovered several companies willing to charge

thousands to get rid of something that could have been cleaned up with a wet

cloth.....

CBS 5 found a number of complaints against remediation companies, so 5

Investigates tested a house to make sure it was mold-free, then applied mascara

to

a bathroom wall in a smudge that looked like mold.

Home inspector Dennis Nobley says diagnosing mold requires more than just

looking at black marks on a wall.

" Any type of water staining, a musky odor, a moldy odor would be an

indication that there might be a problem, " Nobley said.

...Most importantly, they should have tested the smudge.

....The first company, Dry Force, immediately quoted a price to remove the

drywall two feet in either direction of the mascara.

....Stine _had mold in her house and paid a remediation company to remove it;

instead, they spread the mold throughout her entire house.

" I had pieces here that are really old and I'll never see again, " Stine

said.

Consumers who think they may have mold should first have it tested. The test

usually costs between $100 and $400 and it takes a couple days to get the

results back.

_

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