A homeowner or commercial property owner needs to mitigate immediately water and mold damage at his or her own expense while waiting for the payment for the water and mold damage remediation from the insurance company or other third party payer. Montrose, MI, May 06, 2014 -- “If your home or commercial building has experienced water damage and/or resulting mold growth, take several key steps immediately to mitigate (minimize) the water and mold damage”, recommends mold expert Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist, Professional Industrial Hygienist, and webmaster since 1999 of the mold information website www.moldinspector.com, plus www.buildingmoldinspection.com and www.workplacemold.com. Most insurance policies contain a provision that specifically requires the insured to mitigate damages to the insurance covered property, such as insured home or commercial building. Such policy provisions usually require the insured to either take affirmative action to mitigate its damages or otherwise protect the property from further damage upon the occurrence of a covered loss. The first step is immediately notify by phone, certified mail, and email the home or building’s insurance company, or any other third party (such as a landlord or lender) from whom the mold victim expects payment for the expenses of water damage restoration and mold remediation. Take whatever steps are necessary to fully document and submit the water and mold damage claim for payment. Although the insurance company adjuster or other paying party will also do his or her own investigation as to the merits and sufficiency of your claim, the mold victim should immediately engage and pay for the professional services of: (a) appropriate, qualified contractors such as a licensed roofer or plumber to stop water from flowing into your home or building; (b) a Certified Environmental Hygienist or Professional Industrial Hygienist for the thorough mold and environmental inspection and testing of the damaged property, including the development of a detailed water damage and mold remediation protocol plan, to guide the mold victim and subsequently-hired mold removal company in doing what is necessary for effective building restoration. To find a qualified environmental or industrial hygienist, visit the hygienist directory website www.certifiedhygienists.com, as well as www.moldexpertconsultants.com. As a good, illustrative example of the very large building damages that a homeowner might suffer by failing to promptly take such damage-mitigating actions, consider what has happened to the owner of an expensive ($900,000) Los Angeles condominium that has had a significant roof water leak for over four years (since May, 2010). The condo owner refused to spend her own money to fix the leak, and instead, opted to conduct a long, drawn-out, expensive, and still unresolved lawsuit against the condo homeowner’s association (responsible for the common areas like the condo building roof) to try to make the condo association fix the roof. During those four intervening years, the continual water leak has caused a huge amount of ever-growing toxic mold infestation throughout her condo. The resulting mold health problems have seriously harmed the owner’s health, leading to her paying high medical bills for mold illness treatment and to her having to move out of the condo in 2013. Thus, the lady is paying double housing expenses ever since her move-out: (1) the condo mortgage payment; and (2) the rent on a temporary apartment. A much less expensive course of action would have been to fix the roof water leak at her initial expense immediately, and then rely on the in depth water damage and mold inspection report of a Professional Industrial Hygienist or Certified Environmental Hygienist, plus competitive bids from qualified contractors for the roof and mold damage repairs, to lay the factual foundation for a subsequent lawsuit against the recalcitrant condo association. Such a prompt roof leak repair would have minimized (mitigated) what now has developed into an immense, toxic mold infestation inside and on the ceilings, walls, heating/cooling equipment and ducts, and expensive furnishings of the lady’s condo. In addition, the lady would not have experienced the big mold health problems she is dealing with now, and she would have been able to remain living in her expensive residence that she has owned for over 25 years. Mold expert Phillip Fry offers a unique, nationwide USA, Canada, and Asia, “second opinion” service to re-evaluate and investigate water damage and mold infestation insurance claims and to provide his “second opinion” on the meaning and significance of mold inspection and testing reports and proposed water and mold damage remediation protocol plans to help his clients make the right decisions in dealing with perplexing and difficult water damage and toxic mold growth problems. To get Mr. Fry’s second opinion of your home or commercial building’s water and mold issues, email him at phil@moldinspector.com, or phone toll-free 1-866-300-1616 or cell phone 1-480-310-7970, or visit the EnviroFry website www.moldexpertconsultants.com. Contact: Phillip Fry, Co-Manager EnviroFry 10104 Sheridan Rd., Montrose, Michigan 48457 Phone Toll-Free 1-866-300-1616 Cell Phone 1-480-310-7970 phil@moldinspector.com http://www.moldexpertconsultants.com