Advantaclean Environmental of Durham

The quality control is simply not there. Entire sections of both polyethylene vapor barrier and insulation were not installed. Dave Cotton did respond and addressed the issue, but only after we sent the photos. In addition, one portion of the crawl (separate entrance) appeared to have not been remediated at all. The polyethylene vapor barrier sheets overlapped, resulting in moisture getting trapped between them and exacerbating the problem. We were told that the we could stay in the house during the remediation - an unsound practice for anyone with health issues as they will be exposed to EPA registered (not EPA approved) biocides. That exposure is compounded by not sealing any electrical or plumbing line penetrations into the crawl. Regarding the cleaning of the ducts, no amount of duct cleaning is going to solve your problem if your air handler is mold-prone (which they did not check) and would require a HVAC license to work on (also missing - but typical for most remediation companies ). To complicate matters, most HVAC companies want nothing to do with mold because of any liability issues. Three years later, we brought in a full service company doing HVAC, Electrical, and Remediation, Mead Environmental, recommended to us by Dr. Donald Dennis ( a noted ENT specializing in mold disorders). The scope of work included sealing the crawl space and replacing the compromised HVAC systems with systems integrated with dehumidifiers and air purifiers. No biocides are ever used. The crawl space was treated with enzyme using an electrostatic application system. Their approach includes sealing and insulating the air handlers (not done by most manufacturers) to prevent degradation done by the climate in the moisture-laden Southeast and using semi-permeable heavy mill tarpaulins so that moisture is not trapped. That is the difference between a full service company and one that is not.

Very thorough with testing and explanation of how it all works, plus the type of work that needs to be done. Haven't received data from test results.

unknown

Excellent experience! Fast, efficient, professional and knowledgeable staff. They found and fixed the damage, and worked with us and insurance company to resolve the issues.

Dave Cotton provided excellent service and advice. He is very knowledgeable about mold and mold growth, as well as proper clean-up. We needed someone certified in air duct cleaning and Dave had all the credentials. We were stressed out to learn we had mold and he was very reassuring. He educated us on the issues and had a careful, detailed plan to correct the problem. His crew arrived as promised (and we allowed them access to our home while we weren't there). They were very careful to ensure the job was done to rigorous standards, they cleaned up upon completion, and left our home in excellent shape. Dave was always available by cell phone whenever we had a question or an issue. I had been told that he was the best in town for mold remediation and I believe it. They also came out several times in the weeks following our remediation to ensure that everything was still ok. They were lifesavers for us!

unknown

All I can say is, wow. The difference is night and day. Dave Cotton and his associates are friendly, knowledgeable, and honest. The work was done exactly as they said it would be and the price didn't change. My wife is very sensitive and had a lot of breathing problems before we got the mold cleaned. She felt better immediately after the work was done. What impressed us the most was how patient Dave was with all of our questions!

We had a mold outbreak in August of 2013.  AdvantaClean responded quickly and did an excellent job removing the mold from our house.  The owner took the time to clearly explain everything about the process and was sensitive to the difficulty of experiencing mold outbreak in your home.  AdvantaClean was so thorough that they even cleaned my 2-year-old's stuffed Elmo doll.  Soon after the mold remediation, we had to have our kitchen cabinets replaced.  We were worried that there was mold behind the cabinets.  When we told the owner about the kitchen cabinets, he made sure to send out a powerful air scrubber, free of charge, to use as the cabinets were removed, just in case there was any mold hiding behind the cabinets.  They did such a thorough job that the scrubber was not necessary.
AdvantClean went above and beyond what was expected.

They did a very nice job.  I chose them because of their price and availability.  They came out and provided a bid after they looked at the space and what needed to be done.  They were very professional.

This was a horrible situation, but this company made the process about as pleasant as it could possible have been. We had to vacate the house for 3 weeks because the mold was so pervasive, and was at dangerous levels in the air and on the furniture. Dave Cotton, the owner of Advantaclean, dealt with me directly, and walked me through the process, providing me with hypotheses about why the mold problem had happened, as well as with information about why each remediation step needed to be taken. He was accessible by cell phone almost all of the time, and he even responded on weekends.  His crew began work promply upon receiving the remediation plan from the certified industrial hygienist. He worked with me on price because the cost of full-house remediation is astronomical. He worked well with the other professionals who were involved in the process (i.e. insurance adjuster, crawlspace encapsulation people, etc.).
It seems from my experience that there are a lot of people in Durham area who are in the mold remediation business because people are scared and desperate when they are besieged by mold, and can therefore easily be taken advantage of.  Dave Cotton and Advantaclean were a welcome exception to this. I hope I never have to use these services again, but if I did, I would go back to Advantaclean Environmental of Durham.

The owner, Dave, and his workers were especially fantastic. They were very thorough, knowledgable, and prompt. We are fully satisfied with their services.

The work was done quickly.  He worked with another service provider (Crawlspace Doctor) to make sure that the mold remediation was completed in a timely manner so that the next part of the project (crawlspace encapsulation) could be scheduled immediately.

They sent someone out the next day after I called. It took him probably less than a minute of looking at the heat pump to diagnose the problem. He had a new capacitor in his truck so he was able to make the repair right away and it only took 20 minutes. Heat pump has worked fine since then.

I had mold and fungal growth in my crawlspace due to a foundation water leak. I had decided to have the crawlspace encapsulated and conditioned by Crawlspace Doctor. Brad Dehring, owner of Crawlspace Doctor recommended Dave Cotten, owner of AdvantaClean to do the mold and fungus remediation. Dave called me promptly and emailed an estimate based on Brad's inspection and the crawlspace square footage. Dave and his crew arrived when they told me they would, removed the insulation, placed the crawlspace under negative pressure to prevent anything from penetrating into the living area of the house and began cleaning the mold and fungus from the joists and subfloor. After removal, all surfaces were wiped down and sprayed to kill and prevent future growth.  
Dave and his crew were very professional and did a great job. I highly recommend them.

Thank goodness for AdvantaClean of Durham and especially, Dave Cotton. 

Prior to meeting Dave at Advantaclean, several prominent and highly rated HVAC service providers visited my home, tried to clean the evaporator coils and tried to remove the moldy dirty sock smell.  After their attempts failed, these other providers offered to fix the problem for as little as $6000 (by replacing the unit).

After meeting Dave at Advantaclean: He visited my home, opened up the HVAC unit, found the visible mold and offered to attempt a thorough cleaning for $125.  He was reticent about offering a guarantee since so many other companies failed,  but was confident he could help.  I trusted his knowledge and integrity.  He performed the work, and fixed the problem!  I struggled with a foul odor in my home for months.  Dave fixed the problem in less than an hour.

Fantastic from start to finish.  Dave's team was ultra professional, talented, clean, and paid extreme attention to detail.  When dealing with a mold problem, I wouldn't want it done any other way.  Then, to provide the ceiling repair too, was icing on the cake!! I recommend Dave Cotton and Advantaclean without hesitation.