During the pandemic, spores grew in the HVAC system at the Senior Nutrition Program of the East Harlem Council for Human Services — a big problem for the local seniors who go there for free lunch and activities. (Mold in an HVAC system can cause respiratory issues for anyone in a building, no matter how far they are from the ducts.)
As a city-funded organization, the program is required to get quotes from three companies, and according to program director Wendy Martinez, Indoor Remediation Services’ proposal was by far the best (so thorough it was “like a book,” she says). The company happens to specialize in HVAC cleaning, including decontaminating moldy air handlers, air conditioners, and duct systems. (It’s also adept when it comes to small projects — it will just as happily take on regular remediation jobs in studio apartments.) Owner Gustavo Lezama came in and promptly got to work, clearing debris from the basement and cleaning the pantry air handler and ducts.
Although the building has an extensive ventilation system, the whole job took only half a morning and services were not disrupted. “His guys were ready to go — they came in quick and on time.” says Martinez. And the place felt so thoroughly clean afterward that Martinez says she wanted to hire Indoor Remediation to come to her house, too. “You could just immediately smell the difference.”