So your house has had water damage caused by a burst pipe, a roof leak or by torrential rains. You are hoping that your homeowners’ insurance policy will cover the damage. Usually, the way you describe the damage to your insurance adjuster will determine the outcome of your claim. It is therefore important to know more about mold and water damage first and their implications to insurance policies.

Mold

Molds are microscopic organisms belonging to the fungi group. They are considered as natural decomposers and require moisture to grow and survive. Molds, if allowed to grow inside the home, can damage your possessions and can cause a number of health problems for you and your family.

Health problems that are associated with mold growth may include skin allergies, allergic reactions to the respiratory system such as asthma or allergic rhinitis.

Mold and Your Insurance Policy

If your home is affected by water damage, you must dry it out immediately to prevent the growth of mold. Gold Coast Flood Restorations is equiped to help you do just that. It is likely that the insurance adjuster will want to find out what caused the water crisis, and would assess if the water damage is covered by your homeowners’ insurance policy.

Insurance companies typically cover mold and water damage to homes if it is directly related to an insured loss. The direct cause of the water damage should be properly identified. Insurance companies will also send out an insurance adjuster to confirm your reports and to assess if the damaged areas or the mold growth is pre-existing.

If the insurance adjuster determines that the damage and mold growth in your home is pre-existing, then the insurance company will not cover the damage and your claim will be declined. Furthermore, the insurance adjuster may assess that the mold growth is caused by other factors besides the one that you reported. Other factors of mold growth may be caused by lack of maintenance or poor ventilation. If this is the case, the insurance company will not cover the cost of mold remediation.

Insurance policies are also designed to cover only the cost of cleaning up the water damage and restoring the wet items to their original, pre-loss condition. Homeowners’ insurance policy may or may not pay for the cost of repairing the cause of the water leak depending on different factors.

For example, if the attic was soaked by water because of a roof leak, the insurance company will cover the cost of drying the attic and the items inside it. It will not however cover the cost of repairing the roof leak since this is considered to be a maintenance cost that should be shouldered by the homeowner.

If the water damage is covered by your insurance policy, hire a contractor to clean up your home and make repairs as needed. Make sure that the contractor you choose is properly trained and equipped to handle water damage and mold remediation.

Call us today for an evaluation.

Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing. This brochure provides a brief overview; it does not describe all potential health effects related to mold exposure. For more detailed information consult a health professional.

Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

Water damage to a house can occur in many ways. Even the most solidly built and well-maintained home can be damaged by a violent force of nature, such as a flood, hurricane, tornado, or wildfire. In other situations, a water pipe may burst, or your hot water tank may break while you’re away on vacation and do serious water damage to your home and possessions. There’s no way to predict exactly how a water-related emergency might occur. But, it’s a constant possibility and fact-of-life for homeowners.

At Gold Coast Flood Restorations we are here to help you with water damage. Please visit our website at www.GoldCoastFlood.com or call us today at 888-373-9243.

Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain – these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.

Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.