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The Mold Certificate Story
For anyone who wants the background: how a written mold certificate came about after Hurricane Katrina, with the original 2005 documents.
When Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, flooded homes and businesses across the New Orleans area were left with serious mold problems, and almost no one could prove a building had been properly treated.
Ken Sharp and his lifelong friend Brent Braud, who had known each other since grade school, were there from the start, working under Brent’s company, AquaSteam Systems, and later as AquaSteam Systems Catastrophe Division, LLC (formed in 2006).
That fall, a Metairie shopping center owner asked for something in writing he could show his tenants. Over lunch, Ken asked: if termite companies give a termite certificate, why can’t a mold company give a mold certificate? With the help of the owner’s attorney, Robert A. Caplan of Lewis-Caplan in Metairie, the first Mold Treatment Certification was written in the fall of 2005.
Other contractors told Ken there was no such thing as a mold certificate. He told them he was holding one in his hand. Ken believes he was the first mold remediation contractor in Louisiana to offer a mold certificate.
Today Ken owns ABS Restoration Services and signs every certificate as the licensed contractor. He and Brent, whose company AquaSteam Systems is still going strong, still team up whenever a hurricane hits.
For the record. Texas passed a mold law in June 2003 (House Bill 329) that calls for a state “Certificate of Mold Remediation,” and Louisiana’s mold remediation license law took effect in July 2004. Louisiana’s law does not require a certificate, so the certificates described here were offered voluntarily.
The documents below are copies of the originals. Customer names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses have been removed.
Exhibit 1
The original Mold Treatment Certification
The first version, dated Oct. 22, 2005, and the Nov. 13, 2005 version with the certifier’s credential logo added. The blanks were filled in for each property. Click an image to open it full size.
Exhibit 2
The attorney’s email
Email from attorney Robert A. Caplan, Nov. 13, 2005 (forwarding his Nov. 8, 2005 message). Text is shown as it was written. Email addresses and phone numbers have been left out.
FromBob Caplan [email address omitted]
To[email address omitted]
DateSun, 13 Nov 2005 19:58:36 -0600
SubjectFW: MOLD TREATMENT CERTIFICATION.doc
Ken, See attached. Thanks, Bob
Robert A. Caplan
[address, email, phone and fax omitted]
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Caplan
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 4:41 PM
To: [email address omitted]
Subject: MOLD TREATMENT CERTIFICATION.doc
Show the certification text in the Nov. 8 message
Aqua Steam Systems
“Catastrophe Division”
PO Box 2148 Prairieville, La 70769
[phone numbers omitted]
MOLD TREATMENT CERTIFICATION
I Brent Braud of Aqua Steam Systems do hereby certify that on the date of _________the property located at ________________________________________________________, and owned by, ________________________________________ was chemically treated for mold contamination that was a result of flood waters from hurricane Katrina. The above property was treated with several Anti-Microbial treatment chemicals including “Microban Disinfectant Spray Plus” lot # _____________________. The above property was treated with both a Wet and Fogging Application. In my opinion the above mentioned property is free of Harmful Toxic Mold Spores as of the date above. The property was fully stripped of materials that would prevent us from treating any areas of contamination before such treatment was applied.
As is true of any such treatment it is the Property Owners Responsibility to insure that the property will remain dry. If any situation should arise that would bring substantial moisture into the property after such treatment, then a “Certified Air Quality Control Professional” should be called to inspect the property for any further contamination that may arise. If proper moisture control is not maintained after this treatment then this certification should become null and void. Having said that, it is important to remember that if caught early enough a water intrusion problem can be corrected before mold can begin to grow. Therefore the property owner should monitor the property closely during and after rainy weather, or leakage in plumbing or pipes until he/she is certain that the property is protected from water intrusion problematic situations.
It is our highest goal at Aqua Steam Systems to insure the safety of our clients from any sickness that could arise from Mold Contamination. We believe that we have removed any and all Toxic Mold from the above property.
Certified Air Quality Control Professional ____________________________________
Brent P. Braud
Exhibit 3
The work invoice
Work invoice, Nov. 11, 2005, shopping center fogging treatment, 38,900 sq. ft. The customer’s name and address and all phone, fax and email details are blacked out.
Exhibit 4
Then and now
Every ABS mold remediation job still ends with a written mold certificate. Today’s certificate is printed on certificate stock with a gold-leaf border, and the wording has been updated since 2005.
