LEARN MORE ABOUT MOLD. Check these websites to get started:
A MOLD PROBLEM IS A MOISTURE PROBLEM: Mold spores are everywhere. If mold has grown somewhere in your home or building, it is a sign of excess moisture. IF YOU DO NOT FIX YOUR MOISTURE PROBLEM, YOUR MOLD PROBLEM WILL RETURN. To identify and fix your moisture problem, you may need an expert in one or more of the following areas: plumbing, HVAC, construction, drainage, etc.
AN INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL (OR IEP) CAN HELP YOU determine what problems lead to mold in your building. Many experts recommend consulting an independent IEP prior to mold remediation, especially if there are health concerns, if immune compromised individuals are present, or if the source of mold or moisture is unknown. To learn more about IEPs, check out "Read This About Indoor Environmental Professionals Before You Sign A Contract" (Form MRC-2), available from our Business Registration Forms page.
OCCUPANTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED: Ask your mold remediation company what methods will be used to protect the occupants of the structure. Often, a containment system will be required to make sure that mold particles are not spread throughout the structure as materials are removed and decontaminated.
SOME MOLD PROBLEMS CAN BE CLEANED UP BY HOMEOWNERS THEMSELVES: See the websites shown above for more information.
A REPUTABLE MOLD REMEDIATION COMPANY SHOULD CARRY INSURANCE: Ask your mold remediation company if it carries insurance. Reliable remediation companies should have general business liability and pollution insurance to protect you in case of a claim later.
A REPUTABLE MOLD REMEDIATION COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TRAINING: There are no state administrative regulations providing for certification of mold remediation companies, so choose your mold remediation company carefully. Ask your mold remediation company for information about the training, education, and experience of its owners and employees to perform mold remediation in a professional and workmanlike manner.
MOLD SHOULD BE REMOVED AT ITS SOURCE, rather than merely painted or sealed over or killed with bleach or other chemicals.
CHECK OUT THE MOLD REMEDIATION COMPANY: Ask for references, research the company, and check for complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, and the Kentucky Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection.
CONTACT LOCAL AGENCIES: If you have concerns regarding mold, contact code enforcement in your county to see if there are local guidelines regarding testing or air quality levels. State and local housing codes are enforced by local housing departments or other government agencies that handle code enforcement. These local agencies usually have the authority to inspect rental properties to make sure they meet the standards in the housing code. When a violation is found, the code enforcement agency can take action to make sure the property owner corrects the problem. Depending on the violation and the owner's response, these enforcement actions may involve orders, citations, fines, administrative hearings, or court cases. Otherwise, you may wish to consult with a mold remediation company.
The Attorney General's Office does not have enforcement authority to force a landlord or property owner to remediate mold. To view additional mold resources, visit Mold - Cabinet for Health and Family Services (ky.gov) or the Environmental Protection Agency's page on mold, Mold | US EPA.
MOLD REMEDIATION COMPANY COMPLAINT: If you have a complaint regarding the services of a mold remediation company, please visit our consumer complaint page for additional information about filing a consumer complaint against a business.
Summary of Mold Remediation Regulation, 40 KAR 2:330
Written Contract / Change Order — A written contract is required before work begins. The customer must sign a change order if there is an additional cost or a substantive or material change to the mold assessment and remediation plan.
Inform Customers in Writing — A mold remediation company shall provide written information to customers including:
- Mold and its potential health risks, using an EPA brochure and a required form to be signed by the customer before entering into a contract.
- Areas to be vacated.
- Measures customers should use to protect tenants and occupants, such as avoiding work areas.
- Indoor environmental professionals, using a required form to be signed by the customer before entering into a contract.
Mold Assessment and Remediation Plan — To be provided before entering into a contract, including:
- A price estimate.
- Scope of work, extent of the mold problem, areas to be remediated, and tasks to be performed.
- Containment and removal techniques to be used.
- A plan to remedy or manage the source of moisture, or a statement that it has not been identified using a required form to be signed by the customer.
- How the work will be evaluated.
For commercial or institutional customers, if due to the size and scope of the work it is not practicable to provide a plan and the customer requests in writing that work begin before receiving the plan, a mold remediation company shall provide:
- A price list that includes the amounts charged for labor and equipment.
- A required information form for the customer.
- Updates about the work.
Postremediation Report — At the conclusion of the work, a mold remediation company shall provide the customer with a report including:
- Whether visible mold, debris, and unrestorable materials have been removed.
- Whether mold odors have been eliminated.
- Whether surfaces are free of dust.
- Unexpected conditions or events that arose during the work that may impact health or safety or interfere with an appropriate postremediation condition.
- Whether salvable structures, systems, and contents have been dried to an appropriate moisture content.
- A list of independent indoor environmental professionals if the contract requires sampling or testing to verify the mold remediation.
Postremediation Verification — Any postremediation verification shall be performed by an indoor environmental professional paid directly by and reporting directly to the customer.
Training, Education, and Experience — A mold remediation company shall ensure that its principals and employees have training, education, and experience to perform the tasks and to use equipment, tools, and materials that will be used on the project or are required by this regulation. The training shall at least include safety and health, engineering controls, containment methods, and work practices.
Mold Removal — A mold remediation company shall physically remove mold contamination to return the remediated area to a normal fungal ecology, and return remediated area to a clean condition.
Protective Equipment — A mold remediation company shall ensure that workers use appropriate protective equipment if mold will be disturbed.
Containment — A mold remediation company shall
- Use engineering controls and work practices to prevent exposure to mold.
- Determine the type of containment to use during mold remediation and inform the customer.
- Control mold contamination as close as practical to its source in order to prevent the spread of mold or mold spores or particles, and minimize dust generation.
Records Retention — A mold remediation company shall maintain a copy[copies] of documents required by this administrative regulation for three years after completing the work.
The statutes governing mold remediation are KRS 367.83801–.83807.