Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Mold From Water Damage?

This is a sad situation if there is mold in your house. This substance grows quickly deteriorating all around including walls, basement, slabs, roof etc. There is no need to say that mold is hazardous for a human as it causes heavy issues of allergy and even lung diseases.

In most cases, mold appears in the house due to water leaks or a flood.

Well, we have already spoken about cases of water leaks that can be compensated by the homeowner's insurance policy. What can we say about mold? Since it is not just a consequence of leakage but also a cause for lots of future problems, there is also a chance to claim mold from water damage in the insurance company. Let we consider in detail how that can be done.

Mold From Water Damage: What Is It?

Even a small leak can lead to big problems:

• A leaking roof can collapse and moisture seeps down onto walls and ceilings.
• A leak in the kitchen is fraught with damage to kitchen furniture and electrical equipment.
• The deluge in the basement is difficult to drain, even with the help of special equipment.

In any case, stagnant moisture can lead to the formation of mold. There are many types of fungal microorganisms, and they all do not benefit your home. Mold quickly infects and destroys walls, ceilings and floor coverings.. It corrodes wood, and with prolonged contact can even destroy concrete and stone. Therefore, mold damage caused by water can be very severe and costly.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Mold Damages?

The answer to this question is rather complicated. The fact is that each case is unique, and there can be no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of whether a homeowner's insurance policy covers mold damage.

Let us start with the main thing. Each insurance company carefully reviews claims. Not all damages and incidents are covered by your homeowner's insurance. In the case of mold, it is even more difficult: it often takes time for it to germinate and become visible. At the same time, the mold spores themselves can peacefully exist on the walls and covering of your house for years, but the trigger for its growth is necessarily water. If there is also insufficient insulation in the house, the mold will grow faster.

If the mold takes time to grow, it is fundamentally against the compensation principles of the homeowner's insurance policy. Its compensation is due only if the catastrophe was quick, not obvious and sudden. Agree that in the case of leaks or a flood, you will want to eliminate all the consequences much faster, and not wait until the excess moisture provokes the growth of mold.

At the same time, you do not despair. There are also successful cases of compensation for an insurance company due to mold. They are associated with non-obvious events that led to its formation. These events are next:

• There is a leak in the pipes built into the wall in your house. Gradually, moisture seeped to the surface, and the wall was mold. If the leak was small, you might simply not notice it, because it did not affect the general water supply.
• The same can be applied to leaking pipes and utilities installed in the floor, on the ceiling, in the basement.
• Snow drifts on the roof due to which there is a leak in the roof and, as a result, mold, can be considered as an insured event. If the roof is leaking due to rain and for a long time, the insurance company will most likely refuse such a stigma.
• If mold appeared in the house after a natural disaster - such a case may well count on compensation. Especially if access to premises for leak detection, water drainage and damage repair services was blocked for natural reasons.

In general, if you want to claim compensation for mold in your home, it is worth considering your arguments carefully and making sure your insurance company considers the reasons as an excuse to pay compensation.

How to Become Successfully Compensated in Case of Mold Water Damage?

We have a few tips on how to get compensation from the insurance company if your home has mold due to water damage.

• Thoroughly inspect the site of a possible leak, document everything, take a photo of the leak to prove that it was accidental and not provoked by poor maintenance. If you involve a service that can detect a water leak, ask the supervisor to make a detailed report indicating the causes of the leak and its sudden nature.
• Immediately contact the insurance company, do not wait for the mold to grow. The faster you react, the better it will be for you.
• If you are not sure that your arguments will work, hire a public adjuster. This specialist will be able to convince the insurance company of the relevance of your claim and will knock out the maximum compensation for you.

Mold is an unpleasant phenomenon. Dealing with it is difficult and expensive. Therefore, getting compensation from your insurance company will not be superfluous in the fight against mold caused by water damage.