Does insurance cover mold inside walls or the attic?

Attic mold in Georgia homes

Humid summers and mild, damp winters make attics a common place for mold. The usual causes are not leaks at all:

• Bathroom exhaust fans that dump moist air into the attic instead of venting outside.
• Soffit vents blocked by insulation, so the attic cannot breathe.
• Mixed exhaust vents, such as a ridge vent plus gable vents or a power fan, that pull humid air from the house.
• Sweating HVAC ducts or an air handler drain pan in the attic.

This kind of mold usually shows up as widespread dark staining on the underside of the decking, often heavier on the cooler side of the roof. A roof leak, by contrast, leaves a localized stain with a clear path from a nail, vent or flashing.

Mold inside walls

Hidden mold in walls usually comes from plumbing, window flashing, or a roof leak running down framing. If a pipe burst suddenly, the mold that followed may be covered. If water seeped for months, it usually is not, though some policy forms make an exception for leaks hidden inside walls that nobody knew about.

What to do

1. Find the moisture source before anything else.
2. If the source is a covered event, report it and document the timeline.
3. If it is ventilation, fix the ventilation, then clean or treat the decking.

See interior water damage coverage and the Georgia Roof Guide's roof ventilation basics.