When mold remediation needs to take place, many homeowners wonder if their insurance will cover it.
Mold remediation needs to take place when the mildew appears in your house. This problematic substance can appear on various structural components of your dwelling and is especially prevalent in dank,
dreary places such as the basement, crawl space, and attic. Molds may be black, green, or white in color and have telltale odors defining what type they are. They are natural systems that reproduce through spores, and in the great outdoors they are necessary. These systems break down decaying items like dead leaves, a limb that's crashed off a tree, or other decomposing materials. In a house, they can work their same destructive magic on wallpaper, lumber, and drywall. Moldiness can cause health troubles in the home's inhabitants such as breathing difficulties, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and allergic reactions. When it strikes in a person's house, he or she may see dollar signs flash before his or her eyes and wonder where the money will come from to fix the problem. Homeowner's insurance policies may be the answer.
The Cause of the Trouble
Many insurance policies will pay for mold remediation in certain circumstances. For one thing, the adjustors and claims department will want to know what caused this malady in the first place. Whatever the source is, it must be covered in your policy in order to have the remediation bill paid by them. One example is plumbing pipes that burst due to freezing or some other mishap. If plumbing pipes are covered, you're protected.
Neglected Maintenance
If a house has had a leaky roof for years that the homeowners simply placed buckets under to catch drips during storms, the claims department won't look kindly on your mold problem. They'll point the finger at the neglectful owner and say "no" to the claims submitted to clean up the fuzzy black and green stuff growing in your attic. If your sump pump hasn't been maintained, and water's been seeping into your basement since the 1970s, any spore clean up problems will be yours to deal with.
Natural Disasters
If moldiness has occurred because of flooding due to rainstorms, hurricanes or typhoons, your policy must have a separate coverage for floods. This may seem unfair, but remember that insurance companies are in the business to make money. If you're in a flood zone, you are a higher risk and must pay a higher premium in order to be protected.
Deductibles and Caps
If you are covered, you will still have to pay the deductible on the damage. For example, if your deductible is $1,000, you will have to come up with one thousand dollars in cash before your reimbursement will kick in. Many policies have caps on exactly how much they will pay. For example, there may be a maximum cap of $5,000 and the actual amount to repair your home may be more.
Mold remediation is necessary if this culprit is discovered in your home. Ignoring it won't work as it grows, leaving a path of destruction. Hopefully, your insurance company will pay to have it cleaned up.
