There are many types of home damage that a homeowner can experience. However, one of the most devastating is water damage. If water damage occurs to your home, your homeowner’s insurance can help. But it may not solve all your problems. Find out what your insurance can and can’t do for you.

What Can Homeowner’s Insurance Do for You?

1. Damage From Frozen Pipes

When temperatures get too low, your pipes become vulnerable to freezing. And frozen pipes can have some serious consequences. When the water freezes, the pipes can burst. As a result, the water leaks into your home and causes water damage. Fortunately, your homeowner’s insurance covers frozen pipes.

2. Tree Damage to Your Pool

While swimming pool leaks aren’t usually covered by insurance, there is one situation that can get you coverage. If a falling tree lands on your pool and causes a leak, you likely have coverage.

3. Unpreventable Appliance Leaks

A broken appliance can be a disaster. For example, a damaged washing machine could leak water all over your home. As a result, you could have extensive water damage. As long as the appliance wasn’t a victim of user negligence, your homeowner’s insurance could keep you covered.

4. Roof Leaks

Although this coverage depends on your specific insurance policy, damage from roof leaks might get coverage. Usually, it only covers the damage to your personal property. And it only applies if you maintained your roof according to general standards.

What Won’t It Cover?

1. Negligence

While your homeowner’s insurance can cover many different scenarios, negligence is not one of them. For example, most insurance covers frozen pipes. But it does not cover frozen pipes that occurred because your home wasn’t attended and had no heat.

The same is true of your appliances. If you have an appliance that you fail to maintain, the damage from a leak is your responsibility. Your failure to maintain it is negligence, so you need to pay for the damage. For this reason, it’s critical to make sure you always practice proper maintenance. Read the manuals so that you know how to care for all your appliances properly. This is particularly true for those that have the potential to leak water.

Another example is your roof. If you don’t maintain your roof, roof leaks are 100% your responsibility. You might have great insurance, but it doesn’t matter if your roof is poorly-maintained.

2. Damage to Your Lawn

Your insurance covers damage to your personal property and your basement. However, it does not cover damage to your lawn. While water damage can tear up your lawn and be quite costly, your insurance doesn’t cover the cost.

3. Swimming Pool Leaks

Most insurance policies don’t cover you for swimming pool leaks. No matter how bad the damage may be, your pool leak is your responsibility. The cost of the clean-up comes out of your pocket.

4. Sewer Backups

Unless you have special endorsements added onto your insurance policy, sewer backups are not covered. By paying extra for sewer and drain backups, you can make sure that your insurance pays for the water damage that results from backups.

5. Flooding

While flood insurance is available, it’s usually not included in standard insurance policies. If a natural disaster causes a flood, you need another insurance policy. This protects your home if a hurricane, storm, or other natural event causes water damage in your home.

Why Does It Matter?

Water damage is a serious issue. It doesn’t only affect your personal items. In fact, it affects much more than that – it puts your home at risk. When you have severe water damage, you may have issues with the structural integrity of your home. It can also cause mold to grow.

Mold doesn’t only grow in a moist environment – it thrives. When your home experiences water damage, the mold can take off. It can make its way into your foundation and into your walls. To remove it, you need a specialist. That’s because mold removal can be a health risk and requires an experienced hand. If you attempt to do it yourself, you could become ill. Or, you could leave some mold remaining in your home. The problem will continue to grow and spread.

If you fail to remove the mold in your home, there are many consequences. The side effects of mold are not pleasant. In extreme situations, they can result in hospitalization. But there are also many minor effects that could make your life difficult. Instead of putting your health at risk, you need to consider mold removal. And if you have good homeowner’s insurance, that means that the cost isn’t from your pocket.

Your insurance can make a big difference in your life. Understand how your insurance works and prepare yourself for the worst. Learn how to avoid doing things that could jeopardize your insurance, and you may find yourself covered for most water damage.