Okay, here's the details I promised to give you. The company we used is called Envirocure. They are based in Atlanta, about 4 hours away from us by car. They arrived at our house on Tuesday morning a week ago. They noticed things I hadn't seen when they were only two feet inside the front door! Still, we took them on a tour of the house and showed them all the water damage from the roof leaking. We also showed them the new water damage we had from a pipe which ruptured in the master bath the night before they came. That one opened a seam through the livingroom ceiling and was doing a fast drip on the LR floor! Thankfully, the water had stopped flowing, but the damage was done. I was so glad it happened BEFORE they came! The first thing they did after looking at all the water damage was bring a an industrial-size HEPA air purifier and turn it on. They also opened up the doors and windows to get fresh air flowing through the house. It ran the entire time they were working. Then they assessed the work to be done and got on it right away. The first day they focused on the upstairs since that is where most of the damage was. They cut out the sheetrock of every place that had water damage, and found mold on the back of everything they cut out. They took out any insulation that had mold growing on it and sprayed inside each hole with an enzyme that eats mold and bacteria. Then they taped plastic over each hole. They also went to the HVAC unit in the attic (our house has two; the one for the upstairs is in the attic, and the one for the downstairs is in a little closet just of the livingroom) and found it covered with mold. The downstairs unit looked even worse, and had white mold growing in the condensation pan. They cleaned and treated both units; cleaned and treated the ductwork connected with each unit; cleaned and treated all the registers and ceiling fans; vacuumed and treated all the carpet; took up the vinyl flooring in both upstairs bathrooms (there was mold growing underneath and we could see it through the floor), inspected, scrubbed and treated the subflooring; took down and disposed of all wallpaper that had mold growing on it; vacuumed and treated all the mattresses; cut out the cabinet floor under the kitchen sink because there was mold growing there; took samples of all the mold and took pictures of everything. All this took three men and two and a half days. They said the carpet should come up later, but that we would be fine to leave it alone for now. That would have been another whole day's work, but they left it because they felt sure we would not be in jeopardy by doing so, and because they were trying to stay within our budget. They did tell us that when the time came to get rid of it, they would come back and do it. They didn't want us (or any one else) to attempt it because they were afraid someone doing it improperly would only serve to undo everything else they had done. I may be leaving something out here; if so, I'll come back and modify the post. This is all I can think of for right now.
It was not cheap, but I am convinced we would have spent that money sooner or later on doctors and medical tests and treatments had we not done this. As it is, I have NO PAIN AT ALL now. The pain in my back and lungs disappeared the first day they were here, and my ankles were back to normal before they got back to Atlanta. They recommended we buy a HEPA air filter, and we did. Even the sinus infection that wouldn't seem to quite go away disappeared! I have had no relapses at all and feel like I have had my health restored to me. Praise God!!!
During the whole process they seemed very concerned for our safety and comfort. Since they left I have talked to them once on the phone (telling them thank you, and asking what we need to do to avoid problems from yet another upstairs bathroom pipe leak into the livingroom ceiling). They told me that they were in the process of preparing a letter with their analysis and detailing their treatment along with the pictures they took for the insurance company. They also told me that they had meant to leave a spray bottle of the enzyme they used so we could treat anything new that came up, but they didn't because they used every last bit of it while they were working here. They said they would send it to us.
In all, four men came to our house: Mr. Larry Foster, founder of the company; Mr. Larry Williams, Mr. Foster's right hand man; and two Hispanic gentlemen, whom I never heard speak a word of English, and whose names I don't recall ever having heard. They seemed to prefer to keep some distance, so I did not pursue a conversation with them. Several times, however, I made a point of catching their eyes and telling them "thank-you"---they did an incredible job! Mr. Williams told me they had been with the company for years, and that they were reliable, hard workers, and never complained nor shirked. I had no problem believing that after a couple of days watching them. I intend to ask for their names so I can mention them specifically when I write a thank-you to the company.
Mr. Foster is retired from the company now, but they still rely on his input and expertise. We were blessed to have him come to our home, especially since he does not usually do that anymore. He and Mr. Williams are both Christians, and I got the impression that they view what they do as a ministry given to them by God. They were very thorough in all that they did, and always courteous and considerate of our family's needs. Mr. Williams was in charge of the work being done, and he worked just as hard as the other men. He is quiet, but very knowledgable, and always ready to answer questions.
I'm sure I sound like a commercial, but DH and I were very pleased with the company, the people, the work, and especially the RESULTS. If any of you are considering this, I do not hesitate to recommend Envirocure to you. I am convinced they are the best!
