“With Foreclosures on the Rise, Need for Mold Remediation Increases”

By Russell J. Moore

April 23, 2009

READY TO CLEAN: Chris Sanford (left), who owns PuroClean, poses with Chris Bajakian, the company’s project manager prior to heading out to a job.

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Warwick businessman Chris Sanford doesn’t like to see anyone lose his or her home to foreclosure.

But he sure doesn’t mind the fact that the foreclosure crisis has increased the need for his mold remediation business.

“Former owners often leave foreclosed homes in a hurry,” said Chris Sanford owner of PuroClean Disaster Restoration Services in Warwick, specialists in restoring properties damaged by water, fire, mold, and biohazards.

“We’ve found food in cupboards, faucets dripping and even used dishes on counters. When conditions like that go unattended for several weeks, or when any property —foreclosed or otherwise—is left unattended for prolonged periods, it’s at risk.”

Sanford, during a recent interview, noted that while many think of foreclosed properties as being boarded up houses in South Providence, he said houses across the state have been infested by mold due to lack of maintenance.

“The banks that become the owners of these houses are not property managers, which has led to many of these houses being neglected,” said Sanford.

“We’re being called into properties throughout the state—from triple-deckers in Providence to suburban homes in towns like Warwick, Cranston, and North Kingstown. Many of these properties look pristine from the outside, but when they’ve been left in dirty or poorly ventilated condition, or they’ve suffered from storm, flood, or vandal damage that has gone unattended, these properties are likely to have mold infestations.”

So when an inspector views the home prior to a short sale or auction and finds a mold infestation problem, Sanford and the folks at PuroClean are called in to rectify the problem. The process has caused a significant up-tick in his business.

Sanford, a 31-year-old Navy Veteran and Toll Gate graduate from Warwick, said he’s been in the business since 2001, but bought into the PuroClean franchise in 2007.

“Three inches of water on a ship was really no big deal,” said Sanford during a recent interview while reminiscing of his Navy days.

“But three inches in a basement is a very big deal.”

The cost to remedy a mold problem varies according to how serious it is. “Unfortunately there are no easy fixes, so it’s a lot of manual labor. It takes a lot of elbow grease,” said Sanford.

Sanford said the company often uses a Hepa air scrubber, a machine to filter the air prior to scraping away the mold.

Sanford also cautioned people who buy foreclosed houses to make sure they’re not buying a house that needs tens of thousands of dollars in work.

“People sometimes think they’re getting a great deal when they buy a house for $100,000, but they often don’t realize that they’ve still another $75,000 in renovation costs,” said Sanford.

“It doesn’t like such a great deal at that point.”

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Immediate Response Makes a Difference in Fire, Flood, MRSA Contamination and Mold mitigation—Rhode Island

When fire, flood, mold or MRSA contamination cause damage to your Rhode Island home or business, calling PuroClean right away can save precious property, and offer a timely, less expensive restoration. PuroClean provides emergency service to communities throughout Rhode Island, with a promise to respond to disasters within one to two hours for immediate damage mitigation.

For Woonsocket fire damage, quick mitigation can make a big difference in both your expense and the success of home or business restoration. Fast professional response can protect many of your possessions against fire residue corrosion and you and your family against smoke and soot related health hazards. PuroClean offers state-of-the-art techniques and cleaning solutions to lesson Providence fire damage and ease restoration. Our team of licensed fire damage Rhode Island professionals are certified in handling the effects of smoke, fire and heat and will be there for you when you need them to aid in your restoration.

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Though emergency response is important in disaster mitigation and restoration, calling the right company for the job is also essential. Proper training, products and techniques can make all the difference in the success of your property restoration, which is why PuroClean sticks by their strict standards for the people and techniques they use. Rhode Island’s PuroClean teams are fully licensed and insured. Striving for the utmost in client satisfaction, PuroClean offers competent emergency disaster mitigation and restoration services to the people of Rhode Island.

For more information on emergency fire, flood, MRSA contamination or mold remediation—Rhode Island, contact us online or call 866-787-6474.

Serving the following Rhode Island cities:
Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket, Cranston, East Providence, East Grenwich, North Providence, West Warwick