First Comes Leaks, Then Comes Mold

"Unattended" has been used numerous times in this post regarding excessive damage. An easy fix to this: Attend. 

• Check the places that employees or residents don't often visit. Attics, basements, storage areas, crawlspaces. Look for water or a leak or even excessive condensation. If something seems insignificant, take a picture and check again after a month to see if there is any change.
• While inspecting for leaks, take note of the smell. A 'musty' or dank smell can be a sign of mold long before it is visible. An Air Quality Test is recommended. 
• Touch the sheetrock, the wall behind the water heater, the ceiling, the insullation... This is an easy and fast way to detect changes. 

This can not be stressed enough: DRY EVERYTHING ALL THE WAY. 

• This is the responsibility of the professional. But it is your home and you love more than anyone. So the recommendation is that you check behind every vendor and confirm that your home is the dryest it can possibly be. 
• You may decide to DIY, which is an understandable choice if you have a very small flood. if so, your #1 goal is to dry is complete within 72hrs. If you can not (or have not), call a professional.
• If you have any concern that an area has been left wet after a professional has completed the service,  you have the right ask for a water meter to be used to detect minute amiunts of water. 

Be honest and clear with the insurance company. We have a few tips to help with that conversation. 

• There is a limit to the amount of mold remediation an insurance company will cover - if they cover it at all. Microbial growth is considered neglegence by the majority. However, if you report a leak and mold is subsequently discovered, the allotment for remediation increases and is more likely to be covered. This is clear and honest, as mold doesn't just grow. It need water, warmth, and darkness. While warmth and darkness are in every home, water has to be intruduced. If you have mold, it came from water. It is best to start the conversation with the information about a possible leak before possible mold. 
• Water damage will be recorded as a part of the history of your property, and the drying will as well. Whether this is professionally done or DIY, how it is handled will affect the value of your property and the repsonsibility that the insurance company will take. Handling every event as effectively and completely as possile will allow for furture events to be covered, as you have proven that you always mitigate damages.
•  Your water damage or mold professional should be willing to assit in filing a claim and claim management with the insuance company. It is perfectly acceptable to initiate a conversation with the insurance company and relay the information to the vendor to take it from there.