[GSBN] A question about mold and insurance

[Bill Christensen]

I received a similar plea today.  Perhaps the additional details will 
help frame an acceptable (to the insurance folks) answer.

Help! I am finally nearing completion of my post and beam SB house in 
Spokane Wa. I have been with Country Insurance Farm Bureau) for 4 
years and they have underwritten the construction of this house until 
now. As we were planning to convert to a homeowner/residence phase of 
the policy. The underwritter has suddenly stated that she will not 
cover the house due to mold! We live in a relatively dry climate and 
have worked hard to place only dry mold free bales in the house. It 
now has 21 tons of stucco on it and all have assured me that mold can 
not grow in this dry alkali enviornemt of a closed stucco encased 
wall. The sweeping statement of denial is that all strawbale houses 
mold and they do not cover them. I am having difficult time finding 
the source of this vicious rumor. Can you help? Are there hard 
science studie s to support either they mold and are unreliable 
construction or that they do not mold. I can sight mult stories of 
homes over 100 years old that still have bright and dry straw in the 
walls, and know they are being built in the san juan islands without 
difficulty and also in Ireland.

At 6:53 PM -0400 10/2/09, strawnet at aol.com wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>This came to us at DCAT and I wanted to share it here to see if 
>anyone has information that might help resolve this issue. Obviously 
>the insurance underwriter has the opinion that sb houses are prone 
>to mold, so one question is, based on what evidence or documentation 
>or studies? Of course they are in the driver's seat on this - they 
>can make unsubstantiated claims and the burden is then on us to 
>disprove them if we can. It would be good to hear from John Straube 
>on this, as well as anyone else with information that could help.
>
>I have told her about the GSBN archives but will try to pass along 
>your responses to her as well. And I have also copied my reply to 
>her, asking if it was OK with her that I post this here, to Joyce at 
>The Last Straw. Thanks for sharing what you all know...
>David
>
>------------------
>Question: Have you or do you know of anyone who has researched mold 
>in strawbale houses. I have just been denied insurance because the 
>underwriter states that sb houses are prone to mold. All my research 
>over the past 10 years and during the building process is quite the 
>oppisite, but i need facts to persuade the ignorant. Also my motgage 
>co would love to cancel my loan if the insurance does not come thru. 
>We have been with this company for 4 years and 3 of it during the 
>building process. Are you able to help?
>Thank you Wendy
>------------------
>
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-- 
Bill Christensen
billc at greenbuilder.com

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