Just a normal Saturday… you go down to the basement to throw in a load of laundry and you notice… mold. On the wall… in the corner. Not good. Ok no panicking… here is some ideas of what to and not to do when you find mold in your basement or establishment.

Mold can spread throughout a property in as little as 48-72 hours, and can produce allergens and irritants that have the potential to cause other health effects.* This being said, you have a couple days to start the process and dry things out.

One mistake some have done is leave it alone until the insurance company comes and takes care of it. The problem with this- is that all insurance claims are paid on a case by case basis. So what happens if you file the claim, and it is not approved? You may have wasted all of that valuable time that you could have spent- preventing the mold from spreading.

So here is what we suggest to do in the event you find some mold.

  1. Evaluate your situation and have an estimate done for the clean-up of the mold.
  2. Take pictures. This will help tell the story if you do decide to file a claim.
  3. Put fans out and turn them on. Get some rags and old towels to sop up any water if you needed.
  4. Next contact your insurance company to evaluate if actually filing a claim is in your best interest. Depending on the damage done and how much your deductible is, it might not be worth it to turn in the claim.
    1. If you DO decide to file the claim follow instructions carefully as they are given. Keep all receipts and log all conversations with everyone involved in this claim.
  5. Keep an eye on this mold and make sure it doesn’t spread while you are in the process of cleaning up and awaiting any paperwork to be processed.

 

Some things to think about…

How did it start? Finding the source of how the mold started in the first place can help you prevent future mold from appearing or reappearing.

Next, Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.* This can also help to prevent any mold from appearing.

Hope this helps!

Please keep in mind I am not a claims representative or an attorney. These are just some tips that I have found to be helpful as we have sometimes questions about mold here in the office. If you are curious about your homeowners policy and if it covers mold please contact your insurance representative.

If you would like a quote on a home or business property please contact us at 269-381-9442 or click here for an instant auto or home quote.

*ServePro website