Hidden Water Damage

Hidden Water Damage

What is hidden water damage? Hidden water damage is damage that created in your house by likely a slow water source that is hidden by or within something. It could be hidden by a piece of furniture or other items, or it could be damage that is inside a wall. There are several things that can cause this hidden water damage. It could be caused by a slow drip in a pressurized water line or a drip from a drain line. It could also be caused by water intrusion through an exterior wall or through your roof.

Many times, this type of water damage is not discovered until you decide to perform some sort of repair work or do a remodel to your house. Once you discover this hidden water damage, what do you do next? Many people might get panicked as hidden water damage can also create a situation with some pretty bad mold/microbial growth.

What do you do after you have found it?

As I mentioned earlier, most of the time hidden water damage is discovered when you are doing home repair work or doing a remodel to your house. If you discover hidden water damage during a repair or remodel, you discontinue that repair or remodel immediately. Secondly, you should try to identify what is causing water damage. If it appears to be a plumbing leak, call a plumber to come to repair the leak.

If the area that is damaged appears to have some significant microbial growth you will want to be more cautious. There are some types of mold and/or microbial growth that can be dangerous and cause some serious health issues. If you suspect that the mold/microbial growth can be hazardous, discontinue anyone using that room or rooms and call a mold remediation company.

Is it covered?

You’ve found hidden water damage and it seems to be pretty extensive. The next question you might ask yourself “is this covered by my homeowners insurance?” The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no. It all depends on your policy an what your specific policy covers. In general, if you do not have a specific exclusion for hidden damage or something like overflow or backup then you will likely be covered for the hidden damages.

Many policies now have different exclusions that either limit or completely exclude coverage for various types of water leaks or damages. Policies may limit or exclude backups or overflows which might apply to a drain line leak. A policy may also include an exclusion if the damage was caused by a leakage or seepage over a specific period of time.

Many policies also include a separate coverage for mold/fungi/wood-rot. This coverage often has a specific limit on it of $10,000 or $25,000. The separate mold coverage can be tricky to interpret because it may vary from policy to policy. Often for this coverage to be triggered there needs to be something that the policy covers that caused the mold. For example, the mold was caused by a pipe break that was covered by the policy.

In conclusion

There are so many different types of homeowners insurance policies out there. Insurance companies are constantly adding new limitations and even exclusions to their policies that might severely limit you on how much you can recover if you have a situation with hidden water damage. If you have a situation with hidden water damage or would like to be prepared in case you ever do have this issue, contact a claims professional to help explain what your policy covers.