Mold Damage Pittsburgh

In the past, home insurance policies covered most mold damage claims when it resulted from a covered peril, such as a sudden plumbing leak resulting in water damage, fire control, or storm.

Concerns have increased due to public and scientific knowledge about mold and the health-related severe hazards carried with it. The clean-up, removal, and remediation are costly and hazardous to the person completing them. In response to public concerns, insurance carriers started removing such coverage from their policy forms regardless of covered peril results. In many instances, the insurance companies now are offering a limited coverage for mold/fungus/rot for additional premiums.

Sustaining mold damage to your property is very common in Western Pennsylvania. The weather in Greater Pittsburgh area plays a huge role in creating mold on your property. Excessive mold may exist on your property due to the amount of rain, the humid summers, and the lack of continuous dry periods in the area, and can lead to damages and losses to your property, and can affect your health. Mold thrives on moisture.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mold exists everywhere, but weather conditions like in Western Pennsylvania, help them grow at an exponential rate. If you encounter mold damage on your property, contact a public adjuster today. We will make things right and help you in receiving the maximum compensation for your damages and losses with your struggle against the insurance company.

According to the CDC, molds are fungi that are found both indoors and outdoors. No one knows how many species of fungi exist but estimates range from tens of thousands to perhaps three hundred thousand or more. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, spreading and reproducing by making spores. Mold spores can survive harsh environmental conditions, such as dry conditions, that do not support normal mold growth.

You probably know that having black mold in your home or building could be costly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You may recognize that flooding is a primary cause of mold and that you should call a mold cleanup crew if you suspect you have a moisture problem in your home or business.

Whenever you find mold, maybe in an attic or basement, it may have a wet like appearance or might be dry. It is always best not to disrupt any mold you find in your home, but instead, contact a professional to go through this damage with you to make sure it gets handled.

Presence of mold is clear when you can see the actual mold, but you cannot always see mold infestation. Mold can grow within walls, air units, and in many other locations around your home. You may notice a foul stench and decide to turn to a deodorizer to mask the awful smell. The problem with a foul odor and deodorizer is it just masks the smell and is the fix that doesn’t help. The odor becomes less obvious thanks to an air freshener or such other things, but the problem will not go away. Using deodorizer to make your home smell better is not the answer. Mold requires complete removal.

Presence of mold is familiar in almost every part of the world. Many different types of mold can live in almost any site. Mold in small amounts poses fewer health risks and is found in even the cleanest of homes. It is when mold begins to grow or cover large areas of your home, or disrupted by wind or irritating the mold, that the mold can spread and begin to grow in other areas. Mold is nearly impossible to remove, although, mold could be subsided and reduced and or removed in some cases.

Mold tends to derive from moisture which could be associated with leaks from your property. Having mold on your property may not only damage it, but it can also damage your health. Some people are more sensitive to the effects of mold than others. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, having mold can heighten your symptoms, and can cause you to suffer asthma attacks.

Mold could be found almost anywhere, dry locations, as well as moist locations. It is in the wetter, humid areas where mold can grow efficiently but mold in dry areas only needs to receive moisture before they can evolve and send their spores. Cleaning mold when found requires many precautions to keep from spreading the mold around your home. Cleaning mold in a home should only be done by yourself if the area is small and should never be done with bleach. Bleach only changes the mold colors, leaving you to think the mold is gone. The mold spores are still alive, and still present.

Mold can also attribute to throat irritations, skin irritations, eye irritations, excessive coughing, and wheezing, and even nasal stuffiness. Some people do not experience any symptoms at all and this is in part because some people get affected by it, and others do not.

Coverage On Mold Damage

Home insurance will likely not cover mold or mildew damage unless the caused is a “covered peril.”  They also don’t pay for maintenance because they believe that the homeowner could have prevented the damage. Unfortunately, some insurance companies are tired of mold so they go as far as not even telling you that they don’t cover it. It is important to always check your policy.

Insurance Claim Tips for Mold Damage

Places mold can grow in your home:

Mold can commonly grow in places like your bathtub, sink, shower, even in your toilet and the floor. Mold thrives and lives for warm and wet environments thus; this area is mold prone. The shower and bathtub are damp most of the time, so this gives mold room to grow even around shampoo bottles, wash cloths, shower curtain/heads, and faucets. The sink and toilet may have mold in them if these areas are not clean and dried often. Most importantly, pay attention to water leaks coming from the walls or floors because mold can grow in these environments quickly.

2. Kitchen

They always say that the kitchen should be the cleanest place in the house because it is where you make meals. Unfortunately, mold can exist in the kitchen too! Areas like the kitchen sink, pantry, microwave, refrigerator, wooden cutting boards, around the stove, and even your window are prominent for mold growth.

It is important to never leave dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. If left for too long, fungus-es start to form and collect different bacteria in wet sponges, and garbage disposals that sit in the sink leading to mold growth. Also, for safety check for leaky pipes under the sink!

3. Bedroom

We may not always know it but it is always important to look for mold in window and window sills, air conditioning and heating vents. It is horrifying to say mold can exist in the bedroom if the ventilation or humidity isn’t properly controlled.

Your mattress is cool and dry, but mold can sometimes be seen on your mattress due to how humid your house gets. Window and window sills collect condensation over time which would not help with the prevention of mold growth. Moreover, it is also prominent for mold to grow in air ducts and heating vents.

As you’ve seen, mold grows everywhere and anywhere under the sun. The living room in this instance, is no exception. Mold grows in the couch and curtains, indoor plants, fireplace, and chimney to say the least. If you smell a musty scent in your couch or curtains, chances are mold or mold spores are present. In other cases, over-watering indoor plants gives mold the chance to grow.

5. Garage

Not everyone spends time in the garage, but it is important to note that the garage can also have mold in it, especially after flooding or even if you bring your car inside after a thunderstorm. Remember, mold grows in warm and humid environments and the garage is the perfect place for that. Prominent areas like your storage spaces, the garage doors and windows will have mold because that’s where water may have stood for an extended period.

Frequently Asked Questions about mold damage insurance coverage:

How long does it take for mold to grow on drywall?

It takes mold about 24-48 hours to grow.

How much does it cost to remove mold from your home?

Nationally, the average cost to remove mold is slightly above $7,500. Larger projects done by professionals cost about $10,000 or more.

What happens if you cannot remove the mold yourself

It is not a good idea to attempt to remove the mold yourself if:

• The mold covers more than three feet by three feet
• Mold forms after hazardous waste or sewage water contaminate flood waters.
• Mold is often found in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems of your home. Since most homeowners are not equipped to properly remove mold from HVAC systems.
• You’re not sure how to properly get the job done or the tools needed for the job.
• Molds exist on your wood that cannot be taken out and replaced
• You have a medical condition such as asthma, environmental allergies, or an immune system disorder
• Your household already has signs of mold-related illness, such as sneezing, coughing, runny nose, shortness of breath, wheezing, migraines, sore throat, or chronic sinus infections.

How to Identify Mold?

How to identify mold: Household mold is easy to identify and spot. It appears as a discoloration on the ceiling, wall or floor ranging from different colors such as: black, blue, orange, red, violet, white or yellow. Since, most discoloration aren’t molds, apply drops of bleach on the spot to see if it could be mold. If it changes colors or disappears completely, it could be mold.

How can mold spread through your home?

Everywhere, all year round people find mold. It starts as spores and gradually becomes grown throughout the home. According to Basement Systems, the Stack Effect is what happens when warm air rises inside the home and leave through the upper levels and attic. While this is happening, air from the lower levels draw upwards from the basement and crawl space creating a vacuum. This vacuum collects mold spores, humidity, dust mites, and odor which spreads throughout the main area of your home.

Where to look for mold?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mold exists everywhere. It existed even before you moved into your home. This means, mold exists in the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, living area, garage, and other places such as your ceilings, walls, carpeting, fabric, and upholstery, washing machines and even dryers.

Does flood insurance cover mold?

According to FEMA, mold and mildew damages caused by flooding are usually covered but evaluated case by case. However, mold and mildew damages that already existed before the flood, are not covered. Policyholder expectation requires you to take appropriate actions to diminish mold and mildew buildup after a flood.

At this point, we already know that mold grows everywhere. In some instances, they are harmless but as they grow it becomes harmful. So, the goal now is to figure out the 5 W’S of how a public adjuster can help you.