Consumer protection and renovation experts are warning flood victims not to fall prey to disaster profiteers.
Some flood victims are reporting that people are going door-to-door in neighborhoods that are cleaning up after being hit by serious flooding, claiming to be contractors offering renovation services
Walter Assi, the owner of Renovco, which specializes in fire and flood restoration, says hiring the wrong people to help gut and dry your basement can do more harm than good — and, he's already seen rookies do some real damage.
He says a client of his hired a team who came to their door offering to gut their basement.
"They did not know what they were doing," Assi says. "They were roofers".
Worse still, he says there was mold in the house, but instead of containing it, they spread it throughout the house.
"They were just demolishing a basement...it was full of mold. The spores was everywhere. The door from downstairs was open, so all the spores were actually cross-contaminating the whole house. The contractor doing the work had no idea."
Assi says when considering someone to do cleanup services, there are ways protect yourself.
"The basic thing you have to look for would be a licensed, insured contractor," Assi says. He also advises potential clients to make sure a contract is drawn up, and not to pay in cash.
He says you should also make sure the contractors act fast — there's a 24 to 48 hour period before mold starts to set into wet drywall.