Mold Inspection Sciences Texas Warns Consumers Against Unlicensed Remediation Efforts Amid Disaster Cleanup
AUSTIN, Texas, March 1, 2021 — On February 12, 2021, Texas Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration following the severe winter storm that caused damage statewide. Mold Inspection Sciences Texas recommends that consumers pay close attention to this announcement as it allows out-of-state and unlicensed mold assessment and remediation contractors to obtain temporary registration and to perform mold remediation and material removal on storm-damaged properties.
“Repairs and cleanup have just begun,” says Mold Inspection Sciences Texas Chief Operating Officer Brandon Apple. “Texans need to be aware that you don’t want just anyone addressing a potential mold issue. You must seek out someone who is licensed and qualified.
“We’ve seen this happen before. Six, eight, twelve months down the road, state-licensed mold assessors and remediators come back to find ‘fixed’ properties worse off than they were from the initial damage. Our team specifically is still addressing the same type of issues from Hurricane Harvey in 2017!”
To help keep consumers safe, Mold Inspection Sciences Texas recommends that consumers:
- Start drying out their properties as soon as possible and get in touch with qualified water mitigation professionals if needed.
- If mold is suspected, find a licensed assessment company. Consumers who do not use licensed mold professionals will not be able to receive a protocol for next steps to solve a mold issue. Nor will they be able to obtain a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation proving their property has been deemed safe.
- Utilize the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation to confirm the license status of potential contractors by visiting https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/licensesearch/.
Mold and water damage are issues Texans continue to face, given our state’s recent history with devastation from Mother Nature, and people are being taken advantage of.
Brandon Apple
