By Sue Baldani

After being in the contracting business for over 30 years, Mike Liberato expanded his business to include even more services. “I went back to school two years ago to get my mold inspection and mold remediation license,” he says. “In the past, if we were demolishing a house and discovered mold, we would have to stop, and the homeowners would have to call someone licensed. Now, we can take care of it for them.”

As the name denotes, Topnotch Mold Inspection and Remediation in Florham Park, which has a 5-star rating with HomeAdvisor, can do it all from start to finish. While some homeowners know they have mold, others do not. There are several different types and some can be extremely dangerous and cause various medical problems, especially upper respiratory issues.

“We're working in a house in Westfield, and the homeowners’ son, who has autism, has been severely affected and had trouble breathing,” says Mike. After he and his crew went in and remediated the mold, the parents said their son slept better than he had in a long time.

In homes, mold often forms where there’s a water leak, so the first thing that must be done is to identify where the leak originated. “We have to fix that right away, and then we do air and surface sampling to find out what type of mold, if any, is present,” he says. “We can also use thermal imaging to see any moisture behind walls.”

If mold is present, a containment wall is put up immediately to protect the residents. Commercial dehumidifiers are brought in, along with machines called air scrubbers, which have HEPA filters and UV lights that kill the mold and purify the air.

The remediation area is then sealed with a paint-like solution to prevent any additional mold from growing. “So, we not only kill all the mold, but we also help prevent it from recurring,” says Mike. All of their solutions, he adds, are environmentally friendly.

His partner in the business, Tim Lutke, was one of his former wrestling students (Mike was a head wrestling coach in Chatham for many years) who later went into construction. “I do all the inspections, and Tim and I do the remediation together. He also handles all the rebuilds.”

During the renovation or rebuild phase, the team collaborates with homeowners to update the look and style of their rooms. “While we’re rebuilding what was existing, it's all brand new and clean.”

Topnotch has also been waterproofing basements for over 30 years and can install French drains, weep holes, and vapor barriers. “Not having water come in through the basement is huge because you have less chance of any mold developing.”

Since many insurance companies cover the cost of remediation and rebuilding, the company also assists the homeowners with these claims. If you have or suspect you have mold, contact Topnotch Mold Inspection and Remediation at 973-549-8882 or 888-327-8379 for a free consultation.