When we think of home, we think of safety and comfort. No matter what is happening in the world outside, inside of our houses, we can breathe easy.
But in some cases, our homes could be harming us.
Mold is everywhere, indoors and out. And while being in contact with mold spores for short periods is often harmless, prolonged exposure can have destructive effects on your health. Chronic nasal stuffiness, sore throat, persistent coughing, eye irritation and rashes are some of the less severe symptoms people can have. For those with mold allergies or preexisting respiratory illnesses, however, the result can be considerably worse—in rare instances, sometimes death.
“We want to spread awareness and let people know what’s really going on,” said Marty Katz, founder of Miami Mold Specialist. “We have a lot of clients who are very unfamiliar with mold and the process of treating it. They know they have a smell. They know they’re having symptoms. When they call us, we bring them a one-stop shop in which we provide the best, most affordable and quickest results possible.”
A trailblazer in the mold assessment, removal and remediation industry, Katz has been at the forefront of the business for close to three decades. For 25 years, he owned and operated Five Boro Mold Specialist in New York City, during which time he opened several franchises.
However, his unique purview has done more than superficially distinguish him from his peers. His award-winning mold remediation reporting framework and software system, available to clients, has been used in numerous court cases. He has lobbied for reform to address extreme weather-related mold conditions and donated time and resources in the aftermath of natural disasters including Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy.
But it was his do-it-yourself mold treatment e-book, which sold disproportionately well in the Sunshine State, that inspired him five year ago to sell his New York business and relocate to the tropical sprawl of South Florida.
“We were selling thousands of e-books a month in Florida, and it intrigued me that there was such a problem in this state, that so many people couldn’t afford to fix it,” he said. “New York is a five-month industry for mold. In South Florida, there is work year-round. By moving down here, we can help more people and are always in demand.”
And business has been booming. In the last six months, Katz and his team have served more than 800 residential, commercial and marine clients using his meticulous 10-step mold inspection process that combines state-of-the-art equipment, eco-friendly materials and time-tested methodologies to provide the fastest, most efficient and affordable mold solutions available throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County.
As of this writing, Miami Mold Specialist has 153 5-star customer ratings on Google—an almost unheard-of designation.
Katz partially attributes the rave reviews to the financially ethical, expedient and effective services he and his team provide, from detection and assessment to treatment recommendations, removal guaranteed for two years (complete with an official clearance certificate) and a conclusive follow-up by either a project manager or direct office administrator.
“Within a day or two of our assessment, we present clients with a full, detailed report explaining our findings and what treatments are recommended,” said Abby Klein, Miami Mold Specialist administrative manager. “We then give clients the option to perform the remediation on-site, at the time of the assessment. Our clients often want the problem solved immediately, and we send out a full crew during our assessment phase to facilitate that service.”
Though Miami Mold Specialist offers prices sometimes $10 thousand less than competitors, no expenses are spared in manpower or technology. Just a few of the advanced tools used include fiber-optic snake cameras that go through vents to find out-of-reach mold growth, infrared thermographic imagers that find moisture and condensation buildup behind walls and ceilings, laser thermometers that detect cold spots around windows and appliances and on-site air particle counters that provide readouts of air contamination.
“People have an incorrect perception that by hiring a remediation company with a full crew that are all licensed and use state-of-the-art technology that it will cost them tens of thousands of dollars,” said Katz. “We keep our costs low, so that people who previously believed they were priced out of treatment have the opportunity to affordably alleviate their mold problems.
“We’re hard-working people who are really trying to make a difference and help the community. That’s how we operate—on referrals, on public knowledge—and we pride ourselves on being a real company offering an affordable service with strong ethics.”
Miami Mold Specialist is located at 1000 West Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida. For more information, visit www.MiamiMoldSpecialist.com or call 305-763-8070.
