Advantaclean of Greater Hartford, CT

My experience with AdvantaClean of Greater Hartford and its owner, Peter Sheldon, was quite unsatisfactory. I had called their appointment setting service to arrange for a mold inspection of a ranch style home I was looking to purchase after observing wetness and what appeared to be mold on the bedroom ceiling during a walk-through. I was quoted $100 for a visual inspection, no air sampling. I clearly explained the situation and my desire for the attic space to be inspected. Mr. Sheldon arrived approximately 15 minutes late without calling, no big deal. He did not have any means to gain access to the attic - no ladder. I brought a ladder as a back-up, so brought it inside. A visual review of the bedroom was informative as Mr. Sheldon demonstrated knowledge of his business. I then set up the ladder for him to gain access to the attic. This is where things started to go South. Mr. Sheldon barely moved the access cut-out cover and then refused to go any further. He could see from the bottom lip where the access cover rests that the attic insulation was not fiberglass and immediately stated the insulation possibly contained asbestos, or ACM as he said - Absestos Containing Material - likely vermiculite. He then talked extensively about his sensitivity to asbestos and the need for having his blood checked annually. At that point, I put on my respirator, pushed the attic cover out of the way and looked in the attic any signs of mold. Mr. Sheldon did not arrive with a respirator, or even a simple dust mask. Odd considering his stated sensitivities and my specific request to enter the attic. As I was putting the access cover back in place, a small piece of insulation fell to the floor which sent Mr. Sheldon double-timing it down the hallway. After leaving the home, I was opposed to paying Mr. Sheldon the full $100 as he was not willing to even poke his head in the attic. He never got a good look at the attic insulation, never-mind actually inspecting the attic for mold. He felt otherwise, explaining he considered the insulation to be PACM, or Presumed Asbestos Containing Material, and that it should not be disturbed. He even suggested that me poking my head in the attic, though never touching or stepping on the insulation, may have been unethical and could have caused the homeowner a problem. When I stated it seemed clear Mr. Sheldon had health concerns/issues as the reason for his unwillingness to fully perform the services for which he was hired, he about lost it. He got extremely agitated and accused me of lying in front of the real estate agent in attendance and trying to damage his business. I tried walking away to calm the situation but he kept coming forward while making further accusations and attempting to justify his actions. When I tried to speak, he'd talk over me. At one point, I must have said, "Can I speak now?", 5 or 6 times, but he would not stop. Then when I got 3 words out, he'd talk over me again. No composure, could not control himself. Quite a scene in the middle of the street. He clearly felt I should respect his approach and decision not to enter since he's the licensed inspector, that I should be deferential. He even stated that the problem was I was "immature". My feeling was a professional would have come prepared to enter the attic, including a ladder and a quality respirator, especially given Mr. Sheldon's stated sensitivity to asbestos. I went back the following day to gather a sample of the insulation to bring to a laboratory for testing. The lab confirmed the material was cellulose, completely non-hazardous. I'm sure if Mr. Sheldon had gotten a full view of the material, he would have recognized it to be blown-in cellulose. A week later, I hired another inspector who entered the attic and quickly found the cause of the mold problem - leaking water lines coming off the air handler, soaking the sheetrock, etc. Perhaps AdvantaClean of Greater Hartford is professional in other scenarios, but if you need a company to enter the attic, you may be better off elsewhere.

They are timely, clean, efficient, and knowledgeable.

Work that was done was experienced and well planned. Great team..good company and excellent work

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