Don't Trust Most Mold Remediation Contractors

Q. Jan. 31, 2012. I will be receiving enough money to purchase all necessary materials in about a week, at which time I will purchase the borate and ozone generator.  Would you recommend Tim-bor over borate, or will do they work equally effective?  I am aware that Tim-bor contains borate, I just don’t know the difference.  Also, the house has a very strong smell, so strong that we can still smell it on our comforters/pillows that we took from the house, and we smell it in the car where we have held this stuff.  Does this indicate toxicity, or just indicate a major mold issue?  The smell is indescribable, almost twinges the nose.  Very odd odor.  I am entertaining having a company do the work for me, but I am cautious as to whom I pay thousands of dollars to.  I do not trust contractors.  Do you know of anyone in my immediate area that I could hire that would receive your recommendation?  I am avoiding mold removal companies such as Servpro, etc., because I do not trust them.---Homeowner in Newport News, Virginia.

A. The primary differences between boric acid powder and Tim-Bor are: (1) boric acid powder is easy to buy but Tim-Bor is not so easy to buy unless you have a pesticide control operator license from your state; (2) boric is less expensive; and (3) boric does not contain an insecticide to kill termites and carpenter ants, whereas Tim-Bor does contain an insecticide, and therefore the need for a pesticide license. As for the large mold smell in your house and car, you will get rid of the mold smell in both with the use of the Bio3Blaster ozone generator. Use the ozone generator's hose attachment to fill your car interior with a half hour inward flow of ozone gas. The strong mold smell tells you that you have water intrusion and mold problems that need to be found and fixed as part of your mold remediation. Living in elevated levels of mold infestation is very dangerous to you and your family. Read all about mold health. You are very wise to be wary of expensive mold contractors because of their usually outrageous prices and because most mold remediation companies usually do a poor job of mold remediation because of: (1) not finding and getting rid of mold in ALL hidden mold locations in your home (such as inside walls, ceilings, floors, heating/air conditioning equipment and ducts, crawl space, basement, and attic); (2) poorly trained and supervised mold remediation workers; and (3) shortcuts taken to speed up the mold job and to make more profit. Whether you do the mold remediation yourself, or hire it done, please be sure to follow the guidelines and steps explained in my mold advice ebook Do It Best Yourself Mold Inspection, Testing, Remediation, and Prevention, only $15 from Mold Mart. I don't know of any trustworthy mold contractors in Newport News, Virginia, but there might be one---I just don't personally know of any in your area.

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