Residential Property Claims Guide

7 Never ignore indications of an obvious water problem in your home. Homeowners should immediately attempt to find and stop leaks at the source. When water leaks into your property, moisture can collect, allowing mold to develop. Mold can cause further damage to your property and can potentially cause health problems. The adverse health effects from mold exposure can range from runny noses, coughs, nosebleeds, congestion, and sinusitis tomore serious upper respiratory ailments such as asthma or bronchitis. You should immediately report any water damage claim to your agent or company representative. They can discuss the type of water or mold damage that may be covered under your policy. If sudden water damage occurs to your property, it is important to dry all wet areas, providing proper air circulation to aid in the drying process. Drying wet areas and dehumidifying can help minimize the possibility that mold will accompany water damage. Delay in cleanup can result in the growth of mold. However, if you notice water damage indicating leakage over a period of time, mold may have already developed. In this case, attempting to clean up the mold may spread the mold spores, causing greater property damage or health problems. Because mold can be dangerous to your health, it is important that mold testing and cleanup be conducted as soon as mold is detected. If you suspect the presence of mold after a water leakage, you should contact your claims adjuster immediately. • Building Code Upgrades/Ordinance or Law Building codes periodically change to conform to ever-rising safety and environmental standards. The codes have probably changed in your community to some extent since your home was built. Unless there is language in your policy covering additional costs associated with those changes, you may incur non-reimbursable expenses to rebuild in compliance with present codes. Such coverage appears as an “endorsement” – that is, as an option for “ordinance or law” coverage – for an additional premium.