The time has come to cleanup the mess that Superstorm Sandy left. But there is a great deal of confusion about who to hire for what. Here is some helpful advice:

• There are three types of companies. Those that only test, those that only remediate, and those that do both testing and remediation.
• Companies that offer to test and then remediate may offer mold testing on the cheap, but then conveniently offer their own remediation services to fix the problem. This is a clear conflict-of-interest, with the result that the problem is not often remediated – if it exists at all. The consumer may be paying thousands of dollars for bloated repair estimates or an improper and ineffective remediation.
• An independent, certified testing company, like RTK Environmental, does not do remediation, and, therefore, offers consumers an unbiased opinion about any contamination.

• Reliable remediation companies will use a report and remediation plan from an independent testing company to perform the work.

• Be sure that the company you hire provides you with comprehensive and accurate documentation of the work or testing performed, as well as the results.

• Make sure a company is certified, licensed and insured.

• Check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure the company is trusted.

The most important step in recovering from Hurricane Sandy is properly addressing indoor mold contamination. Be sure to have it done right the first time.