This article concludes our four-part series on the pitfalls of homeowners insurance, but it covers an issue that Cindy Koegel, a Gillman Insurance Problem Solver, and homeowners insurance specialist, sees often in areas of North Georgia. We are talking about the unpleasant topics of mold and sewage backups.
Neither mold nor sewage backups are covered under typical homeowners policies, they must be added on as additional coverage.
Sewage Backup Insurance in Atlanta, Georgia is reasonably priced and can run you around $40-$50 per year. What could possibly cause a sewage back up? A number of things: an aging sewer system, combined pipelines for storm water and raw sewage, blockages due to tree roots, a blockage in the city sanitary main and basement flooding, to name a few. This unpleasant phenomenon can cause untold havoc should it get out of hand. For homes that are so severely damaged that they are uninhabitable, homeowners policies may provide Loss of Use Coverage, which may mitigate your damages even further. It is best to speak to an insurance agent to find the right policy for your needs.
Mold Insurance can protect against a huge threat to the safety of the occupants of your home. Within 48 hours of water coming into contact with drywall, dangerous black mold spores start to form. Getting rid of those spores requires expertise and caution to keep them from spreading. Mold removal and restoration can be quite expensive to ensure a safe living environment. This is not typically covered under a standard homeowner’s policy, and many people do not realize this until it is too late, and they are having to pay out of pocket for professional mold removal. In the past decade or two, homeowners have experienced huge problems with older stucco exteriors that, over time, create the perfect breeding ground for mold. If you live in a humid area (like Atlanta!) or if you live in an older home that was not built with mold resistant materials, you may be at risk, and mold insurance could be a worthwhile expense since the cost of removal is so high.
For more information on this and other issues, please contact Cindy Koegel, a Gillman Insurance Problem Solver who specializes in homeowners insurance policies in North Georgia at 678-297-7977, or you can request a free quote here.
This article has been part of a four-part series concerning the pitfalls of homeowners insurance, and how to avoid them. To read previous articles please check out our blog posts on Jewelry and Scheduled Personal Property Insurance, Replacement Cost Estimators, and Flood Insurance.
