

The question is a good one, and the answer is simple: to save money. If you live in the in an area that requires windstorm insurance, you are all too aware of the outrageous insurance premiums we must all pay just to live in our own homes. With the hurricanes that have battered the southern United States over the past few years, insurers have raised their prices to unbearable levels.
In order to mitigate this expense, you as a home owner have several options available to you. The most effective tactic for reducing your premium is to have a wind mitigation inspection. What that is exactly, is a close inspection of your home that may reduce your premiums by up to 45%. Obviously, this is a very useful service, and one that will pay for itself in a very short amount of time. The savings from reduced wind insurance payments can go towards paying off the home sooner, eliminating credit card or installment debt, or into your bank account, which is something, everyone likes. The simple fact of the matter is that we could all use more money, and saving some is like making more. Cutting cost on your wind insurance is a smart play during these trying times.
Windstorms are so damaging to a home for several reasons. The incredible strong winds assault your home using a number of forces. They simultaneously create uplifting, shearing and lateral forces that cause massive destruction to a home. Often times they will also destroy windows and doors, allowing water in which will cause severe damage to the interior of a home. The high winds can also blow debris onto and into the home, further destroying the property. Worst of all, in the event of a breach of the homes outer shell, the high powered winds can cause the roof to come up or even off as the combination of forces at play wreak havoc on an unprotected structure.
During a wind mitigation inspection, a certified expert inspector will come to your property and look for key features of your home that show that it will be less likely to be harmed or catastrophically damaged during a hurricane or strong wind storm. Features such as concrete block construction, the presence of gable end bracing, a hip roof, the presence of a single or double roof straps, the presence of a secondary water resistance barrier, or shutter and opening protection will all qualify a home for wind mitigation certification. This allows the inspector to give your home a certificate stating that it is better equipped to endure such an event than a home lacking these features and, therefore, should not have to pay as much for insurance coverage. Since these types of structures suffer less wind damage, the insurers are willing to lower their fees. If that were not enough, the state of Florida mandates that insurance companies reduce their rates for homes with certain wind mitigation features. So, with a wind mitigation certificate in hand, you are guaranteed to pay less money per month than a home owner who does not. You may even qualify for a refund check from your insurer once you have had your home inspected. That is money on the table, just waiting for you to take it.
Most existing houses already have features in place that will qualify them for wind loss mitigation certification. In Florida, homes built after 1994 in Broward or Miami-Dade counties and homes built after 2002 in the rest of Florida, typically have many wind mitigation features already built in. This means that the majority of homes that fall under this category will qualify for some discounts in their windstorm insurance payments.
There are some useful websites that will help to illustrate the points made here about Florida mitigation to a greater extent. http://mysafefloridahome.com, and http://www.fema.gov/ stipulate exactly what will and will not qualify. Also, look up Florida statute 626.0629 for literature on the Florida state laws that guarantee home owners discounts for wind mitigating construction features in their property. This legislation came into effect on March 1, 2002 as a part of the new statewide building code. This legislation stated that homes proven to show construction features that made the property more wind resistant must be given a discount by their insurance carrier. These new, adjusted rates were required to be submitted by February 28, 20003. These discounts apply to both newer homes built in compliance with the FBC (Florida Building Code) and older homes that either have or have added wind resistant features. These new rates came into effect in Florida in 2003 and are now available for all home owners to take advantage of.
Wind mitigation inspection fees are very reasonable, and quickly recouped by the monthly savings. They typically only cost $150 dollars and take no more than 20 minutes. The typical savings realized by the home owner after having an inspection are 10% to 45%. The courteous inspector that will come to your home looks only for features outlined as qualifying for a payment reduction according to your insurance carrier. They will not report anything else to the insurance company. A quick visit search on this website will let you instantly locate a friendly professional to set an appointment. Make the choice to have your home inspected by a certified wind mitigation inspector today so that you too can begin enjoying lower insurance payments month in and month out. There is simply no reason for you to pay the incredibly high insurance premiums when the chances are, you do not have to. One phone call today can save you money for the rest of the life of your home.
Mold is a type of fungus. Mold spores are found in both the indoor and outdoor air, but they will only grow if they find the right conditions. Mold requires three simple elements to grow:
Mold can start to grow on interior building surfaces and furnishings if there is too much moisture. Eventually, the mold will damage the materials it is growing on and may cause health effects for occupants.
Health effects from mold can vary greatly from person to person. Common symptoms can include coughing, runny nose, wheezing and sore throat. People with asthma or allergies may notice their symptoms worsen.
All molds are a potential health hazard
Many molds are capable of producing substances that can be harmful to your health. Molds can produce allergens and irritants that can cause illness. For this reason, all indoor mold growth should be removed promptly, regardless of the type of mold present.
Some people may have more severe reactions
Anyone with concerns about health effects from a moldy environment should contact their medical provider.
The most practical way to find a mold problem is to simply use your eyes and nose to find signs of excess moisture and mold growth. If you see or smell mold, you should assume that a problem exists.
Look for signs of moisture or mold
Look for signs of water damage or excess moisture
Search behind and underneath furnishings, stored items, and building materials (For example, under carpet and pad, wallpaper, vinyl flooring, sink cabinets, or dry wall)
Mold and water can show up in many places
Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves and dead trees. But indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air.
Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.
Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants and, in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis).
Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing.
This article provides a brief overview; it does not describe all potential health effects related to mold exposure. For more detailed information, consult a health professional. You may also wish to consult your state or local health department.
It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors. Some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. Mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem. If you clean up the mold but don’t fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will recur.
This depends on a number of factors. One consideration is the size of the mold problem. If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3-foot by 3-foot patch), in most cases, you can handle the job yourself, following the guidelines below.
The tips and techniques presented in this section will help you clean up your mold problem. Professional cleaners or remediators may use methods not covered here. Please note that mold may cause staining and cosmetic damage. It may not be possible to clean an item so that its original appearance is restored.
You must have completely fixed the water or moisture problem before the cleanup or remediation can be considered finished, based on the following guidelines:
Is sampling for mold needed? In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building’s compliance with federal mold standards.
Surface sampling may be useful to determine if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated. Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals who have specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods, and interpreting results.
Sample analysis should follow analytical methods recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), or other professional organizations.
You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems. Mold may be hidden in places such as the backside of dry wall, wallpaper or paneling, the top-side of ceiling tiles, or the underside of carpets and pads, etc.
Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes (with leaking or condensing pipes), the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation).
Investigating hidden mold problems may be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth. For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper. If you believe that you may have a hidden mold problem, consider hiring an experienced professional.
Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain, and these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved.
If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.
Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold; it must also be removed.
Ten Things You Should Know About Mold