Category Archives: Home Issues

Learn How to Get Rid of Mold Here!

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891489_abstract_headstones_1Mold can grow almost anywhere but do you know how to safely get rid of it? Read this article and then proceed with caution.

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From the article:

The following steps, which can be adapted to fit within your company’s policy, serve as a basic process for quickly remediating mold problems.

 

Step 1: Learn about moisture

Assessing mold growth involves more than just looking at what’s visibly growing on the walls or in a corner. Mold can be an invisible intruder, growing behind and around what you first see. Such devious behavior requires inquisitive thinking. First, understand that behind all mold growth is a water or moisture problem. Second, become a master of moisture ??? know where moisture comes from and how it gets into the home. The ultimate goal of these two steps is for warranty representatives to identify a moisture source and use its location to help locate all mold growth, not just what’s immediately visible.

 

Step 2: Document the mold problem and create a remediation plan

Before you begin remediation, document the mold situation with writing, photos and video. The warranty team supervisor will use the documentation to develop a remediation plan, which typically answers questions like when work is slated to begin, when that work is scheduled to be completed, who will be performing the remediation, any testing that should be done, and if homeowners will be temporarily relocated. In the longer term, the documentation can help manage liability for your company or point to larger trends in mold growth.

 

Step 3: Calculate the extent of the contamination

Mold may not always grow in one area, so you need to figure out how much contamination you’re really looking at. Calculating the extent of the contamination will impact how you approach mold removal and clean up. The goal of mold remediation is to clean up mold growing within the home, and to avoid exposing homeowners to large amounts of mold. The New York City Department of Health (NYC DOH) has developed guidelines for cleaning up mold contamination. These guidelines are widely used in the construction industry and recommend six levels of mold remediation based on the square footage of the mold and whether or not the mold is located within the home’s HVAC system. Following the NYC DOH’s guidelines, available online at??http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.shtml, calculate the remediation level needed.

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Need to file a claim with your insurance company for water damage? Not sure how they will respond? Checkout this article about how the insurance company will respond for homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.probuilder.com/five-steps-proper-mold-remediation

Learn How Your Insurance Company Will Respond to Your Water Damage Claim

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1353794_sidewalk_endsDo you have water damage? Learn how your insurance company will respond in seven different scenarios.

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From the article:

Water damage: Seven home insurance scenarios
Here are common water-damage scenarios and their insurance consequences.

Scenario No. 1: The temperature drops to 10 below zero, causing your water pipes to freeze and burst. Your floor is now covered in 6 inches of water.
Are you covered? Yes, you’re covered for water damage from burst pipes, but most policies won’t cover you if you’ve left the house unoccupied and without heat. If that’s the case, your claim could be denied because you’ve failed to perform the necessary upkeep that would prevent the accident.

Scenario No. 2: Water leaks from your backyard pool, ruining your manicured lawn and flooding your basement
Are you covered? The damage to your basement and your personal property are covered, but not the damage to your lawn. According to a sample policy, “We do not cover land, including land on which the dwelling is located.” However, your lawn is covered if it’s damaged by certain “named perils.” These include fire, explosion, riot, aircraft, vehicles not owned by you and vandalism. The amount of coverage for lawns and plants is small ??? usually only up to $500. Swimming-pool leaks are not a named peril. But if your leak was caused by a tree falling on the pool, it would be covered.

Scenario No. 3: Your washing machine overflows, flooding the basement.
Are you covered? Yes. But it depends on your home insurance company’s view of the problem: Did you fail to maintain the washer properly or did sudden, accidental damage cause the flood? Usually, water from a broken appliance will be covered.

Scenario No. 4: A sewer backs up, flooding your basement.
Are you covered? No. Standard home insurance policies don’t cover sewer backups, and many specifically exclude damage from sewer back-ups. Special endorsements are available, at added cost, for sewers and drains.

Tip
Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by reporting damage to your home insurance company that’s not covered by your policy. Your damage report may still go on your insurance record and look like a claim when you shop for new insurance in the future. Read how one five-minute call to your insurance company can dog you for seven years.

Scenario No. 5: Water seeps from the ground into your basement, damaging your foundation and interior.
Are you covered? No. Seepage is considered a maintenance problem, not “sudden and accidental” damage, and is excluded from home insurance coverage.

Scenario No. 6: During a heavy rainstorm, water leaks through your roof. The roof is damaged, as is furniture.
Are you covered? Somewhat. You’re unlikely to be reimbursed for roof repairs because that’s a house-maintenance issue. But the water damage to your home is covered. Damage to your furniture is also likely covered if you have a standard H0-3 home insurance policy, but not if you have a generic HO-1 policy (which many insurers don’t even sell anymore).
If your neighbor’s tree falls on your roof, the damage to your roof, home and belongings is covered. Your policy also reimburses you up to a certain amount, usually around $500, for the cost of removing the tree.

Scenario No. 7: A nearby lake or river overflows its banks, causing a flash flood in your living room.
Are you covered? No. Flood damage is not covered by home insurance. You must purchase flood insurance for that. You can purchase flood insurance as long as your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program.

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SIDENOTE: Have a mold problem? Checkout this article about how to get rid of mold for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.insure.com/home-insurance/water.html