Mold Busters FAQ

Mold Busters, as you know it now, officially opened in Ottawa in 2005. However, we have over 30 years of experience in this field. All of our technicians are trained, certified, and experienced inspectors and remediators. When a technician comes to your house, he knows mold from the inside out. We believe in education, and we are always upgrading our knowledge by regularly attending new training and certification courses to better serve our wonderful clientèle.

Yes, you can find Mold Busters on BBB with an A+ rating and 5-star customer reviews. As you can see from the BBB listing, we have zero customer complaints for the entire 14 years that we’ve been in business. Visit Our Team page to see all our certifications and qualifications.

From the very beginning, we understood the importance of discretion and anonymity when helping people deal with a mold problem. Unlike most of our competitors, we don’t have any marked, or decaled vehicles. We don’t have a moldmobile pulling up in your driveway for everyone to see. We respect you, and your privacy.

We also maintain this discretion while any remediation, removal, or disinfection projects are underway. We never wear our protective suits or brandish our equipment out in the open, and we are always mindful about your personal, or corporate identity

You can find detailed information about our credentials and qualifications on our website. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about our expertise and certifications there. This includes the training our team undergoes, the standards we adhere to, and the certifications we’ve earned to provide you with the best possible service.

To keep it simple, an air quality test can be a tool to test for mold in your indoor environment. There are multiple ways to conduct a mold test, whether it’s by taking a swab, tape lift, bulk, or air sample. The type of mold test we perform ultimately depends on the individual client needs, and the technician’s professional recommendation for the situation at hand.

We send every sample – mold, asbestos, lead, or other – to an independent laboratory for analysis. Having a third party involved in the analytical process removes any potential conflict of interest, since we also provide removal, remediation, and disinfection services. We also rarely accept samples collected from our clients for a number of reasons. It is always important to have a trained and certified technician collect the appropriate samples, and conduct an inspection of the affected area(s).

We believe in providing an unbiased inspection of any suspected, or visible mold concerns. Often, we have been called to provide an estimate for a problem that was misidentified! As such, we provide a comprehensive inspection at an affordable rate. If we find that there is a mold problem substantial enough to warrant our services, and an estimate is provided, we will reimburse the initial inspection fee as part of the proposal.

Along with SoW we can also provide a Virtual Assessment option for clients to connect directly with one of our certified inspectors through our app. Virtual Assessment service is free of charge and through there’s a high chance that we can provide you with a free estimate.

Our prices vary from area to area, and from service to service. We find that it’s more beneficial to listen to our customers, understand their concerns, and recommend the best possible service for them. We also like to give people deals over the phone, especially if they’re nice to us! (wink wink, nudge nudge).

This is our most frequently asked question, and the most difficult one to answer! Each individual mold problem will require an individual approach. There are many, many factors to consider, and unfortunately, it’s not a simple square footage calculation like other contractor services. We have guidelines in place which automatically place this type of work into a specialized category. Without providing an inspection to truly understand the extent of the contamination, we won’t be able to give you the cost of the solution. We need to factor in the affected building materials themselves, the type of equipment we’ll be able to bring within the affected environment, safety and containment protocols, etc. Over the phone, or through an email, these are exceptionally difficult to ascertain. There is no ‘average’ price since there is no ‘average’ mold problem; each one is unique!

Virtual Assessment (VA) is very accurate. Our certified inspectors use their professional judgment to assess your situation. If they think an in-person visit could help understand your issue better, they’ll recommend a free on-site follow-up. This is to make sure our estimates are as accurate as possible.

Yes, our reports include all the necessary information for insurance claims, court cases, and other official uses. They’re designed to meet the requirements for these situations.

We provide quotes and Virtual Assessment (VA) reports on the same day. This quick turnaround helps you make informed decisions faster.

Currently, we don’t use mold repellent paint in our treatments. However, we’re always looking to add new solutions to our services that can benefit our customers. Stay tuned for updates!

You will get the results in about 3 to 5 business days after testing. We wait for a third-party lab to send us the results. Right when we get them, we send you the results and the report.

After you schedule an appointment, we’ll send you a confirmation message with all the details. You can use our mold inspection app (available on both App Store and Google Play) for the virtual assessment. If you prefer, you can also connect through a browser link we’ll provide in the confirmation message.

Will mold make me sick? is, without a doubt, one of the most common questions we’re asked. And rightfully so; when your health and that of your family is at risk, you’re going to want as much information as possible.

Exposure to mold can lead to illness. However, your reaction depends on a few different factors, namely the extent of exposure and your degree of sensitivity.

Some people are especially susceptible to the adverse health effects of mold exposure, including children, the elderly and people whose immune systems are weak prior to exposure. So, even if you’re not exhibiting symptoms of exposure, pay attention to whether your child or grandmother is.

The following are common symptoms of mold exposure:

• Coughing, sneezing, wheezing and trouble breathing
• Eye, throat and nose irritation
• Fatigue
• Worsened asthma

Health Canada advises that all mold growing in your home, regardless of the amount and type, be removed. Thorough remediation helps ensure you and your family are protected against its negative effects, which become only worse with time.

This is a tricky question to answer. Let’s start with the easy part. First, not every ‘discolored building material’ is fungal in nature. Second, not every ‘black-colored mold’ is Stachybotrys Chartarum (the toxigenic species which most people are referring to when speaking about ‘black mold’).

Our philosophy is: It’s not mold until it’s tested. Simple and plain. By knowing exactly what is present in your property, we will better be able to educate you on the possible consequences. Having said that, we are not doctors, and more importantly, we are not your doctor. Every individual has a unique immune system that will react independently to mold exposure. In some cases, people can be living in an environment with a high concentration of toxigenic mold spores, and seem to be functioning normally. In other cases, moderate levels of ubiquitous mold spores can create devastating effects. It all boils down to the individual, along with their own personal medical history, and immuno-responses.

With this in mind, Mold Busters will always strive to provide you with accurate and relevant information about your indoor environmental concerns. We will always give you – and your family – the best possible recommendations.

You need to leave your house temporarily to keep you safe. This is a common rule in our industry. If you choose to stay, you can, but you will need to sign a waiver. This waiver says you know the risks and take responsibility for your safety.

Yes, it’s safer if pets are not in the house. But if they need to stay, please keep them in a safe room away from the work area. This keeps them safe and does not interrupt the work.

We use a safe, eco-friendly fungicide to get rid of mold. This means it’s kind to the environment and safe for you and your family.

Mold requires three key ingredients to grow: moisture, a food source and the right temperature.

Too often people assume mold grows in strictly dirty, unkempt homes. This, however, is not true: mold grows in even the cleanest, most orderly homes.

This is because every house, regardless of its size, location and tidiness, is prone to moisture intrusion. Basements flood, plumbing fails and structural cracks develop.

If moisture accumulates on or near cellulose-rich material (think drywall) while the relative humidity exceeds 30 to 50 per cent, it’s safe to assume mold will grow sooner or later.

While you can take preventative measures—ensuring proper ventilation, controlling moisture and keeping your eyes peeled—you cannot eliminate your home’s risk of developing mold, even when it’s spick and span.

Unless you are trained and equipped to remove mold, it’s neither effective nor safe that you try.

Perhaps you can’t see the extent of the problem, without an infrared camera, and you’ve scrubbed away only what you could see. In this case, mold may be still growing rapidly behind walls and underneath floors.

Perhaps you don’t have (or don’t know how to use) reliable mold removal equipment. Proper use of this equipment—sand blasting machines, dry ice blasting machines, etc— requires certification and experience. Unfortunately, many homeowners waste a great deal of their time and their energy, trying to remove mold.

What’s more, for anyone who’s not a certified remediation expert, cleaning mold can be dangerous. You risk helping spread spores to otherwise unaffected areas and increasing exposure.

There is a lot to learn about mold… too much to squeeze into one post. So, stay tuned as we continue to teach the ever-important facts about mold in the home. Again, awareness leads to prevention. And prevention is always the number one option.

We have prepared this ultimate guide on how to prevent mold in your home for you to read and educate yourself on how to prevent this ugly menace of ever showing up.

If you suspect there’s mold growing in your home, call us today.

Unfortunately, some companies, willingly or not, charge for a service they call ‘air quality testing’, which is, in fact, an ‘air particle count’, or a ‘particle scan’. We see this too often, and it’s a shame that people are taken advantage of. This is not an air quality test, or assessment. Basically, an air particle scan counts the amount of solid airborne particulates within a given space. This does not identify what those particles are. These particles can be anything from dust, pollen, debris, smoke, mold spores, and much more. A particle scan can be a good indicator of a potential problem, however, proper air quality samples ought to be collected for an independent laboratory to do the analysis.

We absolutely love to provide educational awareness seminars, and targeted training modules. To schedule us to speak at your next event, contact us.

The report gives you a summary of what the inspector saw and what they suggest you do next. It puts everything from the inspection into one easy-to-read document. This helps you understand the condition of your property and what steps to take.

We usually schedule bookings two weeks in advance, but sometimes we can accommodate earlier requests. It’s best to contact us as soon as possible to find a time that works for you.

Yes, we often offer discounts depending on the specific situation. It’s best to discuss your needs with us directly to see how we can provide value while working within your budget.

We’re currently developing testing kits and don’t sell them yet. We believe it’s important to not only offer these kits but also to teach you how to use them correctly on your own.