Update: The IICRC has extended the contest deadline until December 5.

Do you have any impressive before-and-after photos of a mold remediation or flood cleanup project? How about a particularly challenging inspection, carpet cleaning or fire/smoke damage cleanup? Starting today, the IICRC will host its first photo contest to further illustrate the important work of the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries.

All submissions must be received by Nov. 14, 2014.

“After a natural disaster hits, people can have a difficult time facing the damage to their homes or businesses,” said IICRC Chairman Tony Wheelwright. “We're hoping that by using these photos to educate consumers, they will see what trained, certified professionals can accomplish in restoring their property from many different kinds of damage."

Submitted photos will be credited and used along with articles and blog posts on the IICRC website, with the winners of each category receiving a $25 gift certificate to Amazon. The five categories include:

• Mold Remediation
• Fire and/or Smoke Damage Cleanup
• Most Challenging Inspection
• Flood Cleanup
• Carpet Cleaning

Photos of exceptional quality will also eligible to appear in the IICRC’s new technical journal, The Journal of Cleaning, Restoration & Inspection. If a photo is selected to appear in The Journal, the submitter will win a $100 Amazon gift card. To be eligible for this selection, photos must be at least 300 dpi at a final output of 5 x 7 inches.

The winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges consisting of representatives from the IICRC marketing committee and other Institute leaders. Photos may not be submitted to more than one category and must be original photography.

To submit your photos, please e-mail your photo with the appropriate category (Mold Remediation, Fire and/or Smoke Damage Cleanup, Most Challenging Inspection, Flood Cleanup or Carpet Cleaning), a brief explanation of what is pictured in the photo and the scope of the project, your name, company and contact details to communications@iicrc.org by Nov. 14, 2014.

Winners will be announced on Dec. 1, 2014 and will appear in an upcoming issue of the IICRCToday eNewsletter, as well as promoted through the IICRC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

For more information, please visit www.iicrc.org