Stephanie Ciantro, Claims Manager, discusses the truth about mold.
The word alone can conjure up thoughts of health issues or property damage—but it doesn’t need to be so intimidating.
Mold is a type of fungus that thrives in moist environments and feeds off of organic material. There are many different types of mold, and they exist in the world around us all the time. When evaluating a mold exposure in an enclosed location, a mold hygienist will compare outside levels to those inside to determine if there are elevated levels which might pose a threat to health or property. The easiest way to control the development of mold is to keep your home or insured property dry. If you have a pipe burst or other exposure to water, get the area dried out as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Depending on the level of water damage, you may need to hire a water remediation company to assist. Time is of the essence with mold, and as long as the moisture is addressed in a timely fashion, you shouldn’t have a problem preventing a bigger issue. Coverage for mold remediation or third party lawsuits will almost always depend upon whether the cause of the mold stemmed from a covered cause of loss. It is important to discuss coverage with your broker, as some carriers impose sublimits and deductibles for mold related claims and some carrier exclude eliminate mold coverage entirely.
