Thanks to Partner and Regional PCM Trainer Jennie Juran for submitting this post idea!
Mold. Just hearing the word can send an uneasy feeling through your body. Unless you are Partner and Director of Service Training, Paul Leber, that is.
In 2013, Paul began to notice a rise in requests for mold inspections among residents. “If you Google ‘How to get out of your lease,’ complaints of mold is one of the top results,” said Paul. Something needed to be done.
Paul wanted to have the ability to separate the residents who had a conscious concern for mold, versus residents with an end game of trying to get out of their lease. The decision was made to start doing inspections and remediation in-house as opposed to outsourcing.
The cost to do an in-house mold inspection is only $88. The cost for outsourcing a mold inspection can range from $350-$450. On average, around 4-5 inspections per month are completed company-wide, with the most coming in the summer. That racks up a savings of roughly $20,000 per year.
In 2015, Paul began rolling out IAQ Sampling Pumps (Like the one pictured). Now, in 2019, every market has one available to them. It is used to test possible infected areas inside of resident units. Samples of the air pulled from the potentially infected area are then sent to EMLab P&K, a third-party lab testing facility located in Naperville, IL.
With many inspectors having relations with mold remediation companies, Paul listed “etiquette” as one of the many advantages of doing inspections in-house. “It’s their job to find mold,” said Paul. “There could be a clean lab result, and they would still be pushing the mold piece to frighten the customer. These companies work in conjunction with each other.”
Typical mold remediation from a certified company can cost anywhere from $5,000 – $15,000. Fortunately, we can do the same job for $100 – $500. Since 2013, every Service Trainer is required to receive three levels of mold certification.
“If a resident is concerned, we want to ‘Do the Right Thing’ and take care of them,” said Paul. “Our goal is always for our residents to have a safe and healthy environment to live in.”
We checked with Paul to see if the sampling pump could be used to test food for mold, and the answer is yes! So if you ever come across a loaf of bread that you are not sure about and want to get it tested before eating, just give Paul a call.
Totally kidding. Throw it away immediately.