Posted by Robert D on 10/20/04

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Mold Prevention and the many companies offering products
have highten the attention to this industry. However, most
of these companies and the products that they offer make
illegal claims and they cannot back or verify any of their
own claims. Any ligitimate company should be able to
answer all of the following and if they can not, something
is wrong.

MOLD PREVENTION QUALIFICATIONS
Anyone can make false and misleading statements. Do not
take anyone at their word unless you have verified the
information for yourself. Check with the State or the EPA
to verify claims

1. What mold prevention product(s) do you use?
Is it a private label name or is the real product
name and the details of said product to verify with the EPA

2. Who manufacture’s the mold prevention product(s)?
To ensure the product is manufactured by recognized,
reputable manufacturer. How financially stable is the
manufacturer, how long have they been in business, who is
backing the product should it fail?

3. Is the product(s) EPA Registered? If so, provide
documentation.
Only EPA registered products have proven that they work as
described. If they are not EPA registered, who verifies
that they work and are safe to apply to the interior of a
home? The EPA ensures you of that.

4. Is the product(s) registered with the State in
which the product(s) will be used?
Products applied in most states require that they
are registered with the State. This ensures that the State
is aware of the product and has verified the safety and
efficacy of the product.

5. Provide MSDS and Technical Bulletin for each
product.
The MSDS shows you the safety of the product and
lists any dangerous ingredients or dangerous health effects
of the product. Does the MSDS show the active ingredients
or does the manufacture hide the ingredients? Many
manufactures hide their active ingredient because it is
dangerous. The technical bulletin explains exactly how the
product can be used as per manufactures specifications.

6. Does your company carry General Liability insurance
that covers mold?
Anyone can get G.L. insurance. However, not many
can get G.L. coverage that covers a mold claim. G.L.’s
policies state if they cover mold and/or Antimicrobials on
the insurance certificate.

7. What warranty comes with your product and service?
Provide Copy of Warranty.
Read and understand all warranties to verify what
is being covered and how much is being covered. A warranty
that states to repair “to appropriate condition” may not
cover anything. Verify that the warranty repairs the
structure to State building code.

8. Who guarantee’s your warranty? Provide
documentation.
The most important thing is WHO backs the
warranty. If the contractor or the manufacturer files
bankruptcy, who is backing your warranty.
Remember “H.O.W.” and the tens of thousands of customers
who received no warranty. A third party warranty is
heavily scrutinized by the Insurance industry and has very
specific guidelines to protect the consumer. Most States
have very specific laws to protect you.

9. What area of the structure do you treat and how do
you verify the treatment?
Do they treat the entire structure or just certain areas?
How can they verify proper application?

10. Are your applicators certified or trained to apply
the product?
Applicators should be trained and certified by the
manufacturer. Are they trained to identify potential mold
problems or structure issues? Do they receive continued
education?

11. How long has your product been on the market? List
references.
Products come and go. Lead paint and asbestos were
thought to be safe and turned out to be harmful. Just
because they say it works in a lab, does not mean that it
works in real world applications. Show independent
verification, not in house verification.

12. How long have you been in business?
Has the company been in business long enough to
show their ability to survive in a hostile market. Will
they be around long enough to stand behind their product?

13. What professional organizations do you belong to?
Many organizations require training, proof of
financial responsibility, continued education and mandate
ethical business practices.

mold prevention

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