Controlled Environmental Systems Inc

We purchased a house earlier this year in NW Philadelphia. To make a long story short, we ended up with high lead dust test results. With two little ones, I was in a complete panic. I called a number of companies, and I was getting told all sorts of levels to which I was going to need to take in order to have my house safe for my children. I ended up calling CES and speaking with Mike Fox, the owner. From the first conversation, he helped ease my mind. He talked me through the process, he repeated the information as many times as I needed to hear it, he was calm and knowledgeable. What I appreciated most, is that he didn't take advantage of a scared parent. When it came time to have his team come in and clean, Mike did not call the job complete until everything tested under the levels so my family could move into the house and be safe, but also FEEL safe. Mike has my trust and I will absolutely use his company in the future and refer him to anyone looking for this type of service.

There are few times that I use a company and know, without any doubt, that I made the perfect choice. This certainly is the case with CES. I got 7 estimates and researched companies thoroughly before settling on CES. From the time Mike came to assess the job and give an estimate through the final testing to insure that the mold remediation was effective, Mike provided professional, expert information and service. He walked me through each step to make sure I understood what was happening and why. He and his team are calm, accommodating and will do what is needed to get the job done the right way. His pricing was very reasonable and, at no time, did he start suggesting add-ons. It turned out that when we opened a wall there was extensive damage to the frame, etc. that no one anticipated. Mike was able to get a carpenter out there the same day. They provided a reasonable bid and began work the next day. CES is one of the few companies that is large enough to have those kind of resources. Had I gone with one of the other companies, chances are I would have needed to find a contractor on my own, which would have delayed the mold remediation and inflated the price. He also was one of only two companies that could include restoring the rooms after remediation whereas most companies leave you to find your own painter, etc. In the end, after extensive carpentry and mold remediation, the areas he worked on look as good, or better, than before we started. Remarkable. I very rarely write reviews. I am so grateful to CES for what they did and how they did it that I wanted to demonstrate my gratitude and share the information with those of you who need to deal with the stress and mess of mold remediation.

I contacted Mike Fox to get information on testing and removal of asbestos in my basement due to removal of tile that contained asbestos. He gave me a price to do the testing, but then when discussing the issue with him, he advised that it wasn't necessary and suggested other remedies for the situation. I appreciate his honestly and integrity in not trying to sell me services that weren't necessary.

Perfectly.

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Children had increased lead levels, so city came out to inspect, identified sources of lead, and required remediation within 30 days. City gave us a list of certified lead remediation contractors and called at least 10 places without getting responses. Ended up getting referred to Mike Fox by someone on the list who was an inspector and didn't do the remediation work. Mike was very responsive and showed up as promised to provide a quote. No one likes to receive a quote for $5500 but after researching what the average homeowner ends up paying to fix a lead problem, this turned out to be lower than expected. Though I was always working when Mike and his team did the work, my wife was home and had nothing but good things to say about the crew. Very polite, attentive to detail, and very clean - which I suppose is important given the circumstances. Really worked with us to make sure we had access to the house as much as possible. Were originally looking at being displace for a week or two but were only out of the upstairs for a few days. Mike assured me he knew how to work with the city to make things go smoothly as possible. Showed up when the inspector came in case anything was caught during re-inspection but everything passed. I would definitely recommend Mike and his team for lead remediation. I got the feeling that hiring someone else could have been disastrous.

CES was amazing. They scheduled with us on a rush time frame. They explained everything. Their crews worked both quickly and thoroughly, and according to the neighbors, they put in very long hours to meet our deadlines. The work was very well done. Much of what they do is to remove portions of home components like doors that have regular impact, e.g., replacing parts of door frames and shaving down the part of the door face that strikes the frame. CES did all this work per EPA regs and the doors look 'normal' and function as well or better that before (home is 90+ years old). The independent retest showed lead levels substantially below the new EPA minimum standards. We were thrilled by that. Michael Fox of CES also gave us guidance on how to keep the place lead clean without going crazy. He gave us guidance on how to deal with incidents of chipped paint that we know has lead in the bottom layers, also being very helpful while reducing paranoia (which the process of lead testing & removal can induce!!).