Call insurance or no?

[seww]

I figured most of you guys/gals on here knows more than me, but we found an issue in our bathroom.
It was "remodeled" when we moved in almost 3 years ago, tiles on the wall, bath tub, some weird mat on the plywood floor.
We discovered a soft corner right by the tub, ripped the mat up and found some mold. We're suspecting it's leaking from the shower pipes behind the tile.
There's no way to know for sure without tearing down the tile/wall to inspect.

We haven't started yet but have documented the mold with pictures and then washed it away with bleach.
Should we call our insurance company or just deal with it ourselves?
We can demolish it, but not re-build so we had a contractor come and look and he said the same thing, gotta open up to see where the water came from and then fix it.

Is there any reason to not call the insurance company?

 

[KHNC]

It is a legitimate claim to file, however, mold is paid on a limited basis. Also, I have heard that bleach is not the cure for mold. I would file the claim, but there is still a possibility it could be denied based on the determination of how long the problem has been present. I have been an agent for 32 years, but i am not a claims adjuster.

 

[Yoder]

Last year I just finished re-modeling my basement. About two months after it was done, my dishwasher crapped out and leaked. It went through the floor and ruined the ceiling in the basement. I was going to fix it myself. My dad is a contractor and he told me to call the insurance company. After I called, they had a crew out that day. They ripped out the ceiling and pulled up the vinyl plank floor in my kitchen and put in heaters and fans to dry everything. They paid for the ceiling and to replace ALL of the flooring in the upstairs of my house, since it was continuous throughout the house. The only thing I didn't get paid for was the dishwasher. I wound up cutting the floor in two places and putting in two pieces of trim which allowed me to fix the floor for $100. I fixed the ceiling myself and installed a new dishwasher. Total repair cost was about $500, a $500 deductible and I had to buy a new dishwasher. They paid $8k for the damage.

Call the insurance company.

 

[seww]

It is a legitimate claim to file, however, mold is paid on a limited basis. Also, I have heard that bleach is not the cure for mold. I would file the claim, but there is still a possibility it could be denied based on the determination of how long the problem has been present. I have been an agent for 32 years, but i am not a claims adjuster.

Thanks for your input.
I did read that bleach can help with the surface mold and I scrubbed it gone so we could use the bathroom while we figure out what to do. Obviously we don't spend a lot of time in there.

I'll reach out to the insurance company and see what they say.

 

[seww]

Last year I just finished re-modeling my basement. About two months after it was done, my dishwasher crapped out and leaked. It went through the floor and ruined the ceiling in the basement. I was going to fix it myself. My dad is a contractor and he told me to call the insurance company. After I called, they had a crew out that day. They ripped out the ceiling and pulled up the vinyl plank floor in my kitchen and put in heaters and fans to dry everything. They paid for the ceiling and to replace ALL of the flooring in the upstairs of my house, since it was continuous throughout the house. The only thing I didn't get paid for was the dishwasher. I wound up cutting the floor in two places and putting in two pieces of trim which allowed me to fix the floor for $100. I fixed the ceiling myself and installed a new dishwasher. Total repair cost was about $500, a $500 deductible and I had to buy a new dishwasher. They paid $8k for the damage.

Call the insurance company.

Damn, good for you guys!
Yeah, my neighbor told me to not call the insurance company and I couldn't understand why. I pay for it every year, I should use it because this is what it is meant for.

Will definitely call them today.

 

[TaperPin]

Using insurance will likely increase your premiums - that’s usually why many don’t use it unless it’s something really big. Not all insurance companies increase premiums the same, but I’d look for information specifically on yours, and decide if it makes sense. I’ve heard of gigantic increases. I’ve also had neighbors with a buddy who manages their insurance policy and they abuse things like minor wind damage to replace an entire roof with no increase. My impression is the buddy knows what triggers policy increases and what doesn’t.

My career has been in remodeling and mold is not good, but it literally will go away when the source of excess moisture is eliminated. Spray all the chemicals in the world, and unless moisture is dealt with mold will come back.

When a remediation crew shows up to rip everything out and dry the area, they are not cheap, which is why they can justify showing up on a moments notice, and that money comes out of the insurance payout. I’ve had clients that insisted on a larger amount of remediation than is normal, but they end up paying out of pocket in the end. Same for he quality of something like a shower. Insurance is paying to replace the old crappy shower with a new crappy shower - more expensive tile, a top tile setter, fancy glass doors, better or larger new shower design and that’s on you.

 

[CorbLand]

You can always call them and see how the process works, what they suggest, etc.

We had a tree branch fall on our car and the damage was borderline of dealing with it out of pocket versus insurance. I called my agent and we talked through a couple different options and ended up filing a claim.

 

[seww]

Using insurance will likely increase your premiums - that’s usually why many don’t use it unless it’s something really big. Not all insurance companies increase premiums the same, but I’d look for information specifically on yours, and decide if it makes sense. I’ve heard of gigantic increases. I’ve also had neighbors with a buddy who manages their insurance policy and they abuse things like minor wind damage to replace an entire roof with no increase. My impression is the buddy knows what triggers policy increases and what doesn’t.

My career has been in remodeling and mold is not good, but it literally will go away when the source of excess moisture is eliminated. Spray all the chemicals in the world, and unless moisture is dealt with mold will come back.

I bet that's why my neighbor suggested not to call them, to avoid premium increases. We'll see, gonna give them a call in a bit.

Yeah the mold most likely came due to water under the mat and couldn't dry. I bet that when the wall opens we will find the culprit. The woman did lots of her own remodeling during covid, not great stuff really...

 

[seww]

You can always call them and see how the process works, what they suggest, etc.

We had a tree branch fall on our car and the damage was borderline of dealing with it out of pocket versus insurance. I called my agent and we talked through a couple different options and ended up filing a claim.

Thanks, gonna call and check.
We've got a $1,000 deductible and I don't think you can get a new bathroom for that kind of money...

 

[Ross]

Was a property adjuster for two decades plus. Always best to call before demo done. That being said can still file claim and document with good photos. If short term plumbing leak, meaning no long term indicators, NO Rot, No Heavy deterioration and limited mold and all reflective of water damage that is less than two weeks Most Home policies will cover it. If covered as noted no coverage for the actual leak. As to the premium change Many Variables go into the premium determination for us all, one being claims history. It is up to the individual homeowner to determine if worth filing. Also as noted, Mold coverage is a separate limit for Covered losses and Not just for Mold it has to be a Covered loss. Good luck

Also, your agent is your resource, if you have one. Call them to discuss Guidance for the individual carrier you are insured with.

 

[WCB]

Can you open it up enough to see what is going on? Might be quicker and less expensive to just handle it your self. Also are you sure it is coming from inside the wall and not due to water from the shower/bath itself? or someone steps out soaking wet and that water drains onto the mat then gathers in that corner?

I would assume the contractor you had would have found it but make sure you don't have an access point to the piping before you o tearing it all apart.

 

[packer58]

Good advice above, personally I don't trust insurance companies. Before you file a claim make damn sure your premiums won't jump through the roof, you could easily overpay the cost of the repairs through increased premiums over the long term.

 

[deltadukman]

Those type claims are 50/50 on if they get paid or not. Truthfully, you're looking at more of a construction defect that whoever remodeled 3 years ago messed up. Good luck trying to get them on the phone or who their GL insurance is with. The terms in insurance are "sudden & accidental" and "continuous and repetitive". The 50/50 I mentioned is that by letter of the policy, that's not typically a covered loss, however I have seen it paid by adjusters being cool and just paying it. The water damage is what is covered, the broken pipe, fitting, etc isn't covered. Call your agent and see what he says. In my part of the world, the property market is nuts right now and if you can pay it out of pocket, do so at this moment. a few years ago I would say file and see what happens.

 

[Bubblehide]

If possible, the wall could be opened up on the other side, depending what is there. Doing that may allow for a proper inspection that identifies the ussue. In some cases, it allows for repairbof pipes, but nay not allow proper mold eradication.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

Don't go tearing everything up yet. Get a cheap endoscope off Amazon and drill 1/2" holes in the drywall where you want to investigate. A pinless moisture meter is also a great tool for any home owner.

 

[TaperPin]

It could be a leaking pipe in the wall, but my prediction is the moisture is coming from improper water proofing behind the tile or an improper shower pan. Moisture in any tile job wicks between tiles and into the mortar holding the tile. With gravity moisture slowly flows downhill and normally out the gap between tub and lowest tile, or into the pan if it’s a shower without tub.

Homeowners and crappy tile installers love to caulk the lowest tile to the tub, moisture builds up in the mortar and has to go somewhere so it often goes over the tub flange and drops behind the tub (properly waterproofed walls overlap the tub flange, but are not sealed to the tub).

DIY shower pans are improperly done more often than not - Red Guard liquid membrane should be out of business by now - it’s caused more leaky showers than any other product and anyone who uses it is asking for trouble. In the tile setting community only blow and go guys use it. It’s cheap, but $150/gal good quality liquid membrane is much cheaper than water damage and replacing a shower. Few DIY plumbers know how to seal and use a proper shower drain.

As a short term fix I suggest clients thoroughly clean all grout, rub color match caulk made for tile into any hairline cracks, and reseal it with an acrylic tile sealer (or concrete sealer - same thing). This thicker sealer closes cracks better than no build fancy 50 year sealer and keeps most of the moisture from getting behind the tile, but it’s only a temporary solution.

When showing up for an initial visit, one crooked tile contractor purposefully caulks the gap between tub and bottom row on old tile installs that leak telling them maybe that will fix it. He knows that only makes it worse, but clients feel like he is willing to do more than other guys and hire him to replace the tile.

Inexpensive tile installers, even some expensive ones, do a poor job of waterproofing. Cheap jobs will leak within a few years, like you discovered, and many expensive ones only last 10 years.

 

[seww]

Thanks everybody for your input! Highly appreciated!

I just got off the phone with the insurance company and I did file a claim. The woman wasn't the greatest to talk to, really didn't answer my questions...
But she gave me the number to the other team that will be handling my claim, so I'll be giving them a call.

When it comes to bathrooms, I do not want to deal with it myself and need a pro. Hopefully this will work out for us and I doubt we can do it for any cheaper than $1,000 since that's our deductible. I don't have the tools or knowledge to investigate it any further and I'm not sure I want to until the insurance company clears it.

 

[3Esski]

You can get a cheap camera from amazon to look inside the wall cavity. Pull the plate off at the mixing valve and stick camera there. Thats the stud bay the water comes in anyways so you'll know pretty quick.

 

[Hackleback]

As mentioned above, check the mixing valve- access is fairly easy- I've had two go bad in my current home.

 

[Madstop14]

FlexSeal.....lots and lots of FlexSeal