Boston Home Improvement Blog

Homeowners insurance, mold, and Massachusetts

How's the mold coverage on your homeowner's insurance policy? Environmental mold in homes comes from various sources, such as a water leak, poor drainage around the foundation, gutter problems, and so forth. The water seeps in to wood, sheetrock, carpets and padding, and other porous surfaces, and mold grows. And grows.

It's caused a Connecticut library to throw away 20,000 books. Forced a Milton, Vermont elementary school to close for a year. It's even an issue for home stagers, who work to help homeowners stage their homes for sale.

So back to that homeowner's policy:

Massachusetts is one of 46 states as of October 2006 that have adopted an insurance industry standard to limit mold coverage from homeowners insurance policies, according to the Insurance Information Institute in New York.

The limitation allows insurers to exclude coverage for losses caused by mold and wet and/or dry rot unless the condition results from a "covered peril," the institute says.

For example, the costs of cleaning up mold caused by water from a burst pipe or roof damage are "covered peril" under your insurance policy. Mold caused by excessive humidity, leaks, condensation or flooding is a maintenance issue for property owners to cover on their own, according to the institute.

Massachusetts gets hit with high winter precipitation, has a wet thaw in the spring, and by July and August is a mold spore's dream: humid, humid, and more humid. In one family's case,

In Natick, Gary Zinck and family are now asking The Hanover Insurance Group of Worcester for $300,000 to demolish their mold-infested home on Appleton Drive and start fresh. The insurance company wants to give them $127,000 to clean up the existing home.

With homeowner's insurance excluding coverage for many mold situations, what can you do if you discover mold under your bathroom sheet rock, eating up a corner of your basement family room, or surrounding the insulation in an attached garage?

1. Check your insurance policy immediately. Was the mold caused by a burst pipe? Roof damage? Other non-maintenance issue?

2. Take pictures. LOTS of pictures, especially pictures of the source of the water that may have led to mold conditions.

3. Call your insurance company and ask for an inspection or a claims specialist to examine the issue.

4. Call a mold removal specialist. Do not attempt to remove large amounts of invasive mold from your home. Severe respiratory and systemic health issues can result from improper mold removal.

To prevent mold from establishing a stronghold in your home, check mold-prone areas such as bathrooms, kitchen sinks (and cupboards beneath), and basements frequently. Remove any water or condensation. Run dehumidifiers or place moisture-absorbing gel packs in damp closets or areas.

In addition, check house ventilation. Whole house fans can help to reduce mold-prone conditions and can reduce cooling bills in the summer. Consider running fans from the basement to outside. If you have a basement bulkhead, be certain it's dry after rains. Read more on mold prevention in The Mold Survival Guide.

Posted by Melanie Zoltan
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