Owning a home is a dream many people look forward to someday. However, home ownership means keeping every part of your home safe and maintained on your own. Luckily, homeowners insurance is here to help. There are things home insurance covers and things it doesn’t. For now, you may wonder if mold removal is one of those things.
The Importance of Homeowners Insurance
Homeowners insurance may not be an optional investment for many home buyers. Even if you aren’t required to purchase insurance on your home, it can be a great benefit in the long run. Homeowners insurance protects both the home itself and the personal property inside. A homeowners insurance policy can be bundled with other insurance policies, such as car or pet insurance, and can cover many things.
Most policies cover theft or damage from natural disasters. When a qualifying event happens, your insurance policy is there to help cover some or all of the costs to repair or replace the damage to your home or personal effects. Some events may contribute to mold, or the mold can appear in the home on its own. It is normal for homeowners to wonder if that same policy covers mold damage as well as other problems around the house.
How Mold Can Grow in Your Home
Mold thrives in areas with high moisture. Leaks, floods, or high humidity are all potential scenarios where mold could live and grow. Homeowners may find mold hiding under floorboards, walls, or insulation. It may also find its way into ventilation or other systems. Mold can grow well on paper products such as wallpaper, cardboard from boxes, or ceiling tiles. Carpet or other fabrics are also perfect breeding grounds for mold.
Mold can enter your home through doorways, windows, or even your heating and air conditioning system when the spores travel through the air, looking for a place to stick. It can also be carried indoors from outside air, and once it gets inside, it latches to that moisture and starts to grow.
The Dangers of Having Mold in Your Home
Leaving mold growing in your home can lead to a variety of issues, particularly health issues. When mold is left to grow, it eventually starts emitting spores and cells that contaminate the air you breathe. As the mold grows, you will notice new allergens or irritants making you and your family uncomfortable. Some signs you may have mold growing in your home include:
- A damp or musty smell
- Spots on clothing or walls
- Warped walls
- Newly developed respiratory issues
Leaving mold to fester in your home can ultimately lead to irreparable damage not only to the house but to your health. Memory loss, asthma attacks, and even lung damage are things that can happen for over-exposure to mold. People with pre-existing allergies or immune suppression may be at higher risk of developing a long-lasting or debilitating illness from being exposed to mold for long periods.
People with chronic respiratory diseases may see their illness worsening when they’re around mold, leading to difficulty breathing. If you think you have a problem with mold in your home, it is important to contact a professional for an inspection as soon as possible.
How You Can Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home
Prevention is key in keeping extreme mold issues in your home at bay. There are many ways to prevent mold from growing and building up around the house. Start by maintaining a very low level of humidity in your home at all times. The Centers for Disease Control recommends humidity levels under 50% to combat mold growth.
Proper ventilation can also help keep mold from sprouting in your home. Make sure that air can flow freely throughout the home, and use a dehumidifier if necessary. This can be a big concern in wet rooms such as bathrooms, so it is important to pay special attention here and keep the space cool and dry as much as possible.
If you come across any leaks or flooding, take care of them right away to prevent any more moisture from getting into the home. Water damage is one of the biggest culprits in mold cases. Taking care of leaks right away can stop moisture from making a new home for mold to grow into with damaged walls or flooring.
Eliminating materials or other potential homes for mold can also be a good idea. While some things such as insulation and paint on the walls cannot be helped, removing old furniture or cardboard boxes can help provide fewer places and opportunities for mold to grow.
Will Homeowners Insurance Cover Mold Removal?
While mold itself may not be a part of your policy, homeowners insurance will usually cover your claim if the mold is caused by something sudden or accidental and is hidden from your view. This includes mold in the walls, under the floor, or trapped in the insulation around the house, so you can’t immediately see it there. There are a few ways this kind of growth could happen:
- Fluid from a fire being extinguished
- A broken pipe or leaky sink
- An overflowing toilet
- A crack in your home’s foundation
Floods, window leaks from the rain, or other water damage such as that may be covered as an act of nature, so the mold would not be covered on its own. While your homeowner insurance policy may cover mold in certain situations, it will probably be covered up to a limited amount. Typically this amount does not exceed $10,000, so it’s best to try and get it taken care of as soon as possible to prevent even greater damage than your policy can cover. If there is more damage or mold removal costs more than your policy allows, you would be responsible for the remaining costs. So, contact the professionals at Pur360 as soon as you see it to prevent further growth and more damage.
Trust the Professionals
If you have a problem with mold in your home, now is the time to get help from a professional. Pur360 serves multiple states with effective and professional mold removal. Our team is here to help with all of your concerns when it comes to eradicating dangerous mold spores in your home. We offer testing and removal services, remediating and sanitizing your space. Go back to living comfortably and safely in your home when you get help from Pur360 for your mold issues.
Contact Us Today
Serving multiple states all over the country with an office in Chicago, IL, Pur360 is a company you can trust for your mold, odor, and sanitization services. We offer mold testing, mold removal, and odor abatement, and our Florida locations offer hurricane services as well. Our services and technicians have won multiple awards for our quality and efficiency. Our patented process makes it possible for you to live in an environment with 100% pure air quality conveniently and economically. Contact Pur360 today to learn more about our services or schedule a visit from one of our professional technicians.
