1.6K views
New Reviewer
3 comments

Due to an improperly installed AC unit (thanks Sears), I had to contact water mitigation companies. I selected ServPro to provide the estimate. I was told I indeed have mold under the carpet, in the walls and in the ducts. The estimator said he'll send me the report of his findings and an estimate via email the next day. Three weeks later, after several unreturned phone calls and complaints, I final got the estimate (no report, no explanation) for mold remediation $2300. On top of the three week delay they would not schedule an appointment to clean the mold until the estimate was complete and authorized by the insurance company. So another 2 weeks go by without any action towards removal of the mold and with ServPro blaming my insurance company for the delay. My insurance company denied the remediation - come to find out ServPro lied and said I had all this damage due to Hurricane Irene!

I had a different company come out this morning for an estimate (free of charge) and all he found was mold in the duct and around the AC coil (source of the water leak). There was some dried mold under the carpet which he would've treated with some sort of microbial (sp) application, but said it was not necessary because the area was dry and the mold was dead (for lack of a better word). A remediation he said (tearing down the walls and carpet and stuff) was probably never needed. Further, had it been needed his company would've also rebuilt the wall and installed carpet - a service ServPro did not offer nor indicate in our discussion or the estimate as something seprate I would have to do.

So in the end, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me and only cost $250, but others may not be so lucky. Please beware and just find another company. ServPro cannot be trusted as clearly evident with their horrible customer service.

Location: Artesia, New Mexico

Do You Have Something To Say ?
Write a review

Comments

chat-icon

Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content

You will be automatically registered on our site. Username and password will be sent to you via email.
Post Comment
Guest

The mold scare: Medical facts versus dubious myths

Gailen D. Marshall Jr

Gailen D. Marshall Jr. is director of the Allergy & Clinical Immunology Division at The University of Texas Medical School-Houston.

What do the following things have in common: Wine, penicillin, cheese, beer and mushrooms?

Can't guess? Here's a big hint: It's also the latest dubious health scare, costing Texas consumers millions of dollars in higher insurance premiums and needless home "health" testing, and it's being used as a get-rich-quick scheme for some personal injury lawyers.

Ah, now you know -- it's called mold.

So how did this very common type of fungus, present in all sorts of good things we use on a daily basis and ever-present in our environment, grow into the major consumer crises that it has become today? The answer may surprise you.

As a board certified allergist-immunologist, I have taught, done research and seen patients with a variety of immune-based medical conditions for the past 14 years. In the last several years, my clinical office has become increasingly populated by very frightened, sometimes angry individuals. They believe, or have been told, that they have "toxic mold disease." But do they really?

Let's examine some facts about mold. There are many different kinds -- at least 10,000 common types. Mold is everywhere, because it simply requires a source of water, sugar and oxygen along with a friendly surface to thrive and grow.

In places where lots of water is actually in the air itself (i.e. high-humidity environments like Texas), mold easily finds comfortable growth sites and is especially prosperous.

Molds are not new -- they have always been around us and always will be. It is not possible to "get rid of mold," nor would we even want to.

Is mold harmful to people? Can molds cause memory loss, fatigue, or brain damage? For most people, the answer is a resounding, and hopefully reassuring, "No!"

The world is filled with mold spores -- we breath it in our air, we eat it in our foods, and we drink it in our water every day with no ill effects. Some people do develop allergies and experience symptoms of asthma or hay fever when exposed to certain mold spores. There are also a few mold-related diseases that can be serious, but these are extremely rare.

But what about the "experts" who claim to diagnose all sorts of mold related illnesses such as memory loss or learning disabilities? There is absolutely no proof to support these claims.

And what about the dreaded "toxic mold?" The term itself seems to have been manufactured to arouse panic and fear among otherwise normal people. Some molds do produce "mycotoxins," but these are mostly of concern in the agriculture and food industries.

Still, even though health risks may be vastly exaggerated, most people would rather not have excess, visible mold in their homes. If there is a lot of mold, it looks bad and has an unpleasant odor.

Mold removal, however, is relatively simple to accomplish. If you have mold, you have excess moisture and this source needs to be eliminated, whether it is a roof leak, a shower leak, condensation, or from some other source. Often, the mold can simply be cleaned off, and will not return if the moisture is removed.

Should you pay for a "mold test?" No. The nation's most reputable experts, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the reigning mold expert from Harvard's School of Public Health, do not support most home mold testing.

Remember, in a place with high humidity like the entire Gulf Coast, you will find at least some mold in virtually 100 percent of homes more than a couple of years old. If you see or smell mold in your home, clean it up and stop the source of water. It's that simple.

Should you find someone to blame? The mere presence of mold in a home or office does not automatically mean that someone has done something wrong.

Unfortunately, our society today seems to be about everyone suing everyone else for things that used to be considered part of life.

Should you panic? To me, this is the most important issue of all. You need to react to mold based on the facts, not on the hysteria and hype you may have recently heard or read.

The mold scare is already having a demonstrable and troubling effect on the Texas economy and on individual lives. Texas insurance rates are already more than double the national average and are continuing to rise based in large part on mold-related claims.

Many people can no longer afford homeowner's insurance, assuming they can even get coverage in the first place. Home sales are not going through because of mold concerns.

At the same time, home sellers, lenders, Realtors, title companies and a host of other industries are being damaged, which will begin to show up as real job losses for real Texans.

Moreover, individuals and families are being moved out of their homes by testers and remediators and having their lives disrupted -- most for no legitimate reason whatsoever.

If you think the major concern is really about your health, ask yourself this question: Do the apartments and hotels into which these people are being relocated have higher or lower mold content than the homes from which they have been removed for weeks or months while expensive renovations are completed?

Or how about the outside air that we are exposed to every day -- are the same molds inside the home found in the air outside?

The bottom line is this: If you are ill, see a physician. If he or she thinks you may have mold allergies, ask to be tested by a reputable specialist who has the credentials to provide calm, reliable medical information -- then follow your doctor's direction for treatment.

Check the physician's credentials to determine their expertise claim in the diagnosis and management of mold-related allergic diseases.

Don't be afraid to discuss with your doctor why he or she thinks mold is causing your problems. If you see or smell mold in your home, simply clean it up and plug the water leak. If you need an expert to help, find a reputable person or company trained in moisture issue management to find and fix the water source.

And, perhaps most importantly of all, if someone comes to you to try and assess blame for the mold "exposure," ask yourself whether you want the aggravation, expense and frustration associated with trying to get compensated for the everyday risks associated with living on our planet.

Is the stress, anxiety and guilty conscience really worth it? You be the judge.

Shauna Ust

Working for Servpro if there is mold involved and you would want to see what kind of mold you are dealing your best bet would be to get an Industrial Hygentist to come out and take samples of the areas of concern and that report will tell you what kind of mold is present as well as a protocol of what needs to take place. I havent heard about dead mold as Chris stated.

Mold is mold and needs to be cut away. Also with re-construction no most servpros dont do that inhouse but just like our company we do work with a vendor that can do re-construction right after we are finished. Unfortunatly some insurance companies do not allow us to recommend a vendor because they have there own they like to use. If there does happen to be a next time regarding mold I would suggest you google the problems that can come when constantly inhaling mold spores.

Also please remember to never let anyone tell you to just but bleach on it. FYI it does not make it go away it only bleachs it but the spores will still be there.

Guest

Whoa! I work for an environmental testing co.

There is no such thing as "dead mold." Dry mold is often much much worse than damp mold. Dry mold ends up in the air. You breath it in and if it's toxic mold you can get very very ill. There have been cases of brain damage.

If you have mold demo it all. Get rid of the drywall, insulation, carpet, padding, etc. Please.

For your health and safety. :)

Servpro Reviews

  1. 82 reviews
  2. 8 reviews
  3. 3 reviews
  4. 0 reviews
  5. 5 reviews
Servpro reviews