What To Do If You Have Mold Damage
Mold is one of the major reasons why all water damage situations should be cleaned up immediately and effectively. If water damage is not taken care of properly when it first occurs, mold will begin to form and if not treated, can present some serious health hazards.
Some mold is very obvious and can be seen on surfaces such as furniture, walls, floors, etc. But not all mold is as easy to detect as visible mold. There are situations where mold will begin to form in the walls of your home or property and can only be detected through strong musty odors wafting through your home or property. Mold can also grow in excessively humid temperatures. It is important to keep the humidity level in your home or on your property as low as possible.
The most important thing to keep in mind if you have found mold or detect the musty odor of mold in your home or on your property is to not be alarmed. While mold can potentially be a health hazard, it is a naturally occurring microorganism that can be treated. The staff here at St Cloud Water Damage Specialist 24/7, St Cloud MN Mold Removal Service, has years of experience treating and remedying mold growth in homes and businesses. If you’ve found mold in your home or on your property, call St Cloud Water Damage Specialist 24/7 as soon as possible to have your situation assessed.
What Is Mold?
Mold is a naturally occurring microorganism that grows on organic matter, such as food, wood, drywall, etc. in a moist and warm environment. Mildew, also a type of mold, grows on fabrics such as upholstery and clothing.
Mold can reproduce, with air movement, by spreading microscopic spores from one surface to another. If the spore lands on dry material, it will in turn die. However, if a mold spore lands on a moist surface that is in a damp environment, it will begin to feed on the organic material and begin growing. This colony of mold will also reproduce itself by releasing additional spores into the air and the cycle begins all over again. If a surface remains moist or wet for more than 24-hours, it becomes susceptible to mold growth.
What Are the Health Risks?
The health risks of mold in a home or business will vary from person to person. Each immune system will react to the mold differently. The amount of mold in a home or business will also determine the health risks at hand.
The most common health risks are asthma and allergy related. Millions of people are allergic to several different varieties of mold and in most cases, those with allergies also have asthma related health issues. Mold spores irritate the tissues in your nasal cavity as well as in your lungs, causing cold or flu-like symptoms in those that are allergic to mold and restricted breathing in asthma prone individuals.
In the average individual, mold can cause an number of reactions from headaches, fatigue, sneezing, red eyes, congestion, throat irritation and much more. For the elderly, mold can severely affect their current state of health due to a already suffering immune system. In children, mold can cause allergy and asthma related symptoms to become active that may have otherwise been dormant.
Does My Insurance Cover Mold?
Due to a rise of $3 billion in mold claims in 2002, insurance companies have since excluded mold coverage from homeowner and commercial property owner insurance policies. Unfortunately this is not to your benefit, but to theirs only. Mold coverage must now be specifically requested, in order for a homeowner or property owner to receive coverage in the case of mold contamination.
There is good news though! Mold is only not covered in an insurance claim if it is not a direct result of a very recent “sudden and accidental” water damage claim. If you contact St Cloud Water Damage Specialist 24/7 of MN within 72-hours of your water damage instance, any mold that forms in that period of time, is covered as a result of your water damage. The insurance company is required to cover it, if it is a direct result of your recent loss.
Mold that is not part of a recent water damage claim, can present a difficult situation with the insurance company and does go on a case by case basis. Most insurance companies, due to mold claim fraud in and before 2002, claim “homeowner’s neglect” if mold is found in a home or on a property that is not relating to a water damage claim within the last 24-72 hours.
Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation!
Here at St Cloud Water Damage Specialist 24/7, St Cloud MN Mold Removal Service, we understand that this is not always the case and we want to work with you to get your home restored back to its pre-mold condition. Our trained technicians can work with you in your unique situation to make sure your home or property is a healthy place to live again. No matter what your mold situation, we will work with you to get you restored. Please do not wait to call, contact us today and save your home or property!