Household mold is a common area of home insurance that can leave homeowners with little or no coverage. Solar attic fans can help give your home the protection an insurance policy may not.
In many parts of North America, homeowner insurance policies may offer coverage for mold that stems from certain acts of nature. These may include events like rainwater penetrating a home’s roof if it was damaged by a particularly violent storm, or flash flooding (if floods are a covered peril).
However, if mold growth happens due to inadequate or overlooked maintenance, homeowners may be out of luck. Their home insurance policy will not cover the cost of mold removal.
If no remediation is done, toxic mold growth in a home can have serious effects on the health of occupants. Authorities may even end up condemning entire homes. Even large, institutional and corporate buildings can fall victim to expensive and disruptive problems with mold. What’s worse is that in some areas, local governments have allowed insurance companies specifically to exclude mold as a covered peril altogether from home insurance policies.
HOW CAN MOLD INFESTATIONS START?
For homes in colder climates, a typical culprit of mold growth are ice dams. These are caused when falling snow melts upon contact with a home’s warm, poorly ventilated roof. When the runoff reaches the eaves, it will typically refreeze. This causes a hazardous blockade of ice to form that prevents further runoff from draining. Water then ends up seeping into the home’s attic underneath the shingles. If undetected, the trapped moisture in the attic then becomes a petri dish for uncontrolled mold growth.
Similar problems are faced by homes in warmer climates with hot, humid air. Although most modern homes come with built-in ventilation systems, these are often not enough to achieve sufficient airflow. Most homes rely on passive vents, which use differences in air pressure between a home’s interior and exterior to push out warm and moisture-laden air. While these non-mechanical systems are enough to satisfy local building codes, they are often not enough to adequately keep a home’s roof dry and mold free.
HOW A SOLAR ATTIC FAN CAN PROTECT YOUR HOME, WHERE INSURANCE CAN’T
Solar attic fans, like iSolar Solutions’ bestselling 20W106-FLEX model, protect your home from mold by providing your home’s existing ventilation systems with a boost when needed. Powered solely by the sun’s rays, solar attic fans automatically switch on when there is insufficient airflow. By constantly pushing out warm, moisture-laden air, your home’s attic stays dry and inhospitable for mold growth.
In as little as 15 minutes, you can have a solar attic fan installed in your roof’s existing vent holes, giving you added protection against hefty insurance premiums and claims arising from mold. Because they lack complicated wiring, there is no need to hire an electrician. Most home maintenance contractors can do the job.
For added peace of mind, iSolar Solutions also maintains a network of trusted installation professionals. All iSolar Solutions products come with a limited 20-year manufacturer’s warranty.
For more information on the best ventilation solutions for your home, please contact one of our knowledgeable professionals.
