3 Insurance Rules After Disaster Hits Your Home

I. Avoiding Insurance Disaster.

It seems like whenever catastrophe strikes, insurance problems rear their ugly head. It might be your home isn't sufficiently covered to pay for repairing the damage. Or, you might be the victim of unfair adjusting practices, such as a carrier that would rather fight than pay its fair share.

In a disaster such as fire, flood or earthquake, you might not even know who your insurance company is, since your policies and other important documents may well be cold ash or soggy trash.

If you suffer a disaster and have to make a claim on your insurance, keep these three principles in mind:

II. Get a Copy of Your Policy and read It.

Insurance always begins with a written contract. So, the first thing that needs to be done when getting ready to make a claim is to get a copy of every policy that might possibly provide coverage for your damaged property and read them all from front to back.

If you don't have the policy forms because they were lost, destroyed or are otherwise unavailable, you'll have to get policy reconstructions from the insurance company. Requests can be made to your agent or directly to the insurance company's policy services department. If you don't remember who your insurance company is, you'll need to do a little detective work. Start with your checking account. A review of your banking records may well lead you to every insurer that might provide coverage for the damaged property.

III. Check your coverages.

Your insurance policy provides coverage for certain types of loss and excludes coverage for others. That's why it's important to get a copy of the contract right at the beginning.

One issue that frequently arises following a catastrophic loss is the damaged property was not adequately insured in the first place. Where an agent or broker provided you with professional advice on the appropriate coverage or bound coverage based upon their own professional expertise, there may be a claim for professional negligence where the property isn't properly protected.

IV. Watch out for Time Limits

Property insurance contracts generally have their own time limits, called "statute of limitations," built in, and the period in which to file suit to enforce the contract is generally less than the period that applies to a plain vanilla written contract.

When in doubt, consult a legal professional about what time limits will apply to your claim. Be proactive. Once you have a loss, there is a clock ticking somewhere that might limit your ability to recover policy benefits.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/586228

How to Work with a Contractor | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House host Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and HVAC expert Richard Trethewey, mason Mark McCullough, and carpenter Nathan Gilbert discuss the ways homeowners and contractors should communicate to set appropriate expectations for home improvement projects

Steps: 1. Before partnering with a contractor to work on your house, consider some of the unexpected disruptions or uncomfortable circumstances that could arise between you and the contractor during the project that are worth being prepared for and having appropriate conversations about. 2. Start by doing as much research as possible on the project to try and understand the scope of the work you’re asking for. Talk to neighbors who have done similar projects, go to the home center and look at the cost of desired materials, etc. The more knowledge you have going into the project, the better informed your questions will be for the contractor. 3. To avoid “sticker shock” from a contractor quote, consider all the work required by the contractor to complete the job while they aren’t at your house. They will need to purchase and transport materials, train employees, maintain the overhead cost of their business, etc. 4. Beware the “low bid”. Usually, the low bid is missing “behind-the-scenes” work that can result in long lasting errors in the project. 5. Be prepared for weather disruptions. Some work can’t happen in the rain, snow, etc., which can exponentially delay a project. 6. Have materials for the project in mind and consider having backup materials in mind as well. If there are delays in the delivery of the material, that can also slow down the project significantly and a runner-up could save a lot of that time.

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Light Paint Colors That Actually Have Personality (Sherwin Williams)

Light paint colors don’t have to be bland. in this video, I’m sharing *Sherwin Williams light paint colors that actually have personality* — colors with depth, undertones, and character that make your home feel calm and intentional. these aren’t your typical builder beiges. from airy mushroom neutrals to modern soft greens and powdery complex whites, each of these Sherwin Williams colors brings subtle warmth, balance, and emotion to your walls. I’ll explain why they work in different lighting conditions, how they compare to benjamin moore favorites, and how to choose the right light tone for your own space.

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How to Salvage Your Valuables After Serious Flooding

                      Saving family keepsakes after a storm can be painstaking, but it's worth it

Heavy rain and severe weather can upend your life. And if you're faced with mucking out your house and tearing out saturated drywall, recovering keepsakes and family treasures might seem like a task for a later day.

But saving your valuables can be a race against the clock—mold can form within 48 hours. To help, the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, cosponsored by FEMA and the Smithsonian Institution, has developed guidelines for how to salvage what you want and dispose of what can’t be saved.

The first step is to determine what type of water you’re dealing with—salty, dirty, or contaminated by sewage or chemicals. If your valuables have come in contact with toxic water during flooding, you might have to call a professional conservator because trying to clean them yourself can be a health risk. If the water was untainted, then take steps to reduce the humidity around your items as you work to clean and dry them. Here’s how from FEMA’s checklist:

Save Your Valuables

Prioritize. You may not be able to save everything after flooding, so focus on what’s most important to you, whether for sentimental or monetary reasons.

"We always hear about dollar-amount damages, but often the losses that affect us the most are the ones to which a dollar amount cannot be assigned," says Lori Foley, administrator of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force. "What do you own that you’d miss terribly if you lost it? Photographs of loved ones in frames, albums, or shoeboxes? Books and paintings passed down through generations? Grandma’s recipe box?"

Air-dry. Gentle air-drying indoors is best. Weather permitting, open your windows to increase indoor airflow. If it’s too hot and humid, use fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Avoid using hair dryers, irons, ovens, and prolonged exposure to sunlight, which can do irreversible damage.

Handle with care. Delicate items can be especially fragile when wet, so be careful when you handle them. Separate sodden materials by removing photographs from damp albums and taking paintings and prints out of their frames. Place white paper towels between every few pages of wet books.

Clean gently. Loosen dirt and debris on fragile objects carefully with soft cloths and brushes. Avoid rubbing, which can grind in dirt.

Salvage photos. Clean photographs by rinsing them carefully in clean water. Air-dry photos on a plastic screen or paper towel, or by hanging them by the corners with plastic clothespins. Don’t let the image come into contact with other surfaces as it dries.

Cold storage. Damp objects and items that cannot be dealt with immediately should be put in open, unsealed boxes or bags. If you can’t attend to items within 48 hours, you can put photos, papers, books, and textiles in the freezer and clean them later.

"In general, you can freeze many items that cannot be dried out in 48 hours – photos, books, documents, textiles," says Foley. "Freezing stops mold from growing, ink from running, and dyes from transferring. Freezing items allows you to buy some time to devote to other activities. When you are able, you can return to the frozen items and recover them on your own time."

Dispose of the Debris

Once the waters recede, residents will be able to go back into their homes and start cleaning up, and piles of ruined household belongings will be put on the curb. Cleanup can take months if not years.

Because mold creates a serious health risk, it’s important to remove wet items from your home as soon as possible. FEMA recommends not waiting for your insurance adjuster before cleaning up. Instead, document the flooding damage on your cell phone or camera. Before dragging debris to the curb, check with your municipality on how it wants you to separate items for the garbage haulers. FEMA recommends sorting items into the following six categories:

• Bagged household garbage such as food, packaging, and paper.
• Building materials and furniture, including drywall, carpeting, and mattresses.
• Vegetation debris such as tree branches, plants, and leaves.
• Hazardous household waste, including batteries, paints, and cleaning supplies.
• Large appliances such as refrigerators, water heaters, and air conditioners.
• Electronics such as TVs, computers, and stereo equipment.

For more information and resources, see FEMA’s After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures.

Article Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/how-to-salvage-valuables-after-flooding/

How To Repair Gutters | Ask This Old House

In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner solve a problem with leaky gutters over their patio.

Water-Related Disaster? Safety First

When it comes to emergency water removal, mold removal, and flood damage restoration, leave it to the pros. Your professional disaster restoration specialist has the industry knowledge, experience, and credentials to guide you and your family through the entire process. The appropriate treatment depends on the specific nature of the damage in your home and will be tailored to meet your specific needs.

But homeowners, often feeling helpless in these situations, may ask what they can do to help during this time. The answer is simple but important: safety. Taking measures to ensure the safety of your family and your home is advice to heed. Let's take a look at some safety do's and don'ts.

Is The Home Safe?

Determine whether the house is structurally safe to enter or live in; professionals may refer to the structural integrity of the home. If you're unsure, don't enter the house and make arrangements for shelter with the help of local agencies, neighbors, and friends. Contact your insurance company, too.

If it's determined that the home is safe to enter, turn off the power by disabling the main circuit breaker; turn off the main water supply as well. A flooded basement could damage your furnace if the water reaches a dangerously high level. If you have a natural gas supply line, turn that off also; better still, leave that for a professional.

Of course, keep children and pets away from flooded areas; you don't want accidents from slippery, wet floors.

Don't operate televisions, computers, vacuums or other electrical appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors, especially concrete surfaces.

Be sure your valuables are safe. If you will not be living in the house due to the unsafe conditions, remove your valuables including documents and treasured items such as photographs and other keepsakes; store them with a trusted friend or relative. If you are able to stay in your home, move valuables to a dry, safe location.

Is There Mold?

Mold growth is often one of the ensuing problems created by flood damage. The damp conditions in your home after a flood are an ideal breeding ground for these microscopic organisms that spread by producing airborne spores. Those mix with the air inside your house and can lead to health and safety concerns for you and your family. Typical symptoms resulting from mold exposure include everything from respiratory problems and nasal and sinus congestion, to skin, eye, nose and throat irritation.

(Be on the lookout for signs of mold. They vary considerably but may include a smelly odor, a white and thread-like growth, clusters of small black spots; mold can be grayish-brown, grayish-green or white in color.)

Do treat all flood water as contaminated. The water and water-impacted surfaces may not be contaminated but until determined by a professional, don't take chances. Don't track contaminated materials and items into undamaged areas. Do keep children and pets, who are especially vulnerable, out of suspect areas. Absorbent materials such as carpeting and drywall may be unsalvageable after contaminated.

Implementing these tips will put you into action mode versus feeling helpless. More importantly, it will ensure the safety of your family and your home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Felecia_Drake/1284157

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Tips on Hiring a Contractor After a Flood Disaster

What type of contractor do I need to repair my flooded home?

If your home has been damaged by a flood, you may need to hire the services of professionals to mitigate the damages, handle any damaged personal property, or perform repairs. Typically, contractors who specialize in flood mitigation and repair are most familiar with the techniques and processes that this type of work requires. Contractors who specialize in flood damage remediation or "flood restoration contractors" understand the proper procedures necessary to restore and/or dry out a home or building and its contents. Some of the specialized equipment they may include: truck mounted and portable vacuums or water extractors, high-velocity air movers, dehumidifiers, and moisture meters to monitor the drying process.

Residential home re-modelers or custom home builders may not have the experience that flood restoration contractors have in this field and may not have the expertise to properly mitigate the damage and/or prevent increased levels of microbial growth (mold). If mold becomes a concern, you may need to hire a certified industrial hygienist to test for mold and provide a restoration protocol or guidelines to mitigate any mold issues. Keep in mind that if you have insurance, your homeowners' insurance policy may have very little or no coverage for mold remediation, so contact your insurance company to find out if you have coverage and what your limits are. Mold remediation can be very expensive!

Usually, after a flood, the restoration process will have three main components:

1. The first is the structural drying phase. This is where the water and moisture are removed along with any materials that cannot be saved such as warped or damaged flooring, baseboard, wet drywall, etc.
2. The second component is the handling of any personal property. This may entail packing up all of the contents of the home including clothing, furniture, or other items and storing and/or restoring them offsite until the structural repairs are completed. This phase also may require the creation of an inventory to document or list any personal property that may have been damaged beyond repair and that needs to be replaced.
3. The third phase in the restoration project is the structural repair. This entails the restoration of building elements that need to be repaired or replaced, including insulation, drywall, baseboards, cabinetry, flooring, painting, etc. In some cases, a single restoration contractor may offer to perform all three phases or you may want to choose one company to handle the drying while other companies handle the contents and structural repair.

Before you sign a contract for flood remediation services, consider the following:
 

• Read every word of the contract and be sure you understand the terms and conditions.
• Review any fee schedule that details what the charges will be for labor and equipment.
• Get an estimate of what the drying process may cost before any work begins. Any costs or charges that your insurance company does not cover or pay for, you may be held personally responsible to pay.
• Obtain copies of certificates of general liability and workers compensation insurance and be sure the policies are current and in force.
• Obtain copies of any Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) if the contractor intends to use any chemicals, anti-microbial agents, or other substances in your home that could cause adverse health effects.
• Check references and affiliations with trade organizations and the Better Business Bureau.
• Photograph and document your home, its contents, and the extent of any damages prior to anything being done or moved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sean_Monroe_Scott/1290184

How to Paint like a Pro | Ask This Old House

In this video, Ask This Old House expert painter Mauro Henrique shows host Kevin O’Connor the tips and tricks to painting like a pro. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse. Kevin O'Connor meets expert painter Mauro Henrique to discuss painting techniques. Mauro begins by showing Kevin how a professional painter holds a paintbrush. Then, Mauro loads the brush with paint and shows Kevin how to properly paint a piece of baseboard. After purposely dabbing the wall with paint, Mauro shows Kevin how to wipe it up before discussing the merits of painter’s tape. It Starts With the Grip To paint like a pro, you have to hold the brush like a pro. Lay the handle of the brush flat over the back of your thumb while holding the ferrule (the metal part that holds the bristles together) between your index and middle finger. The point of a slanted brush should be on the finger side, not the thumb side. The Two-Finger Rule Next, you need to know how much paint to load the brush with. Mauro suggests dipping the brush into the paint can just far enough so there is two fingers’ width of paint on the end of the brush. Too much paint and the ferrule will become loaded, affecting the way the brush paints. Too little, and the paint job will take forever. Once loaded, wipe a bit of the excess paint off in the bucket. Start Low and Work Your Way to the Edge When painting baseboards, you don’t have to take the brush directly to the seam between the wall and molding. Instead, start lower on the baseboard until the paint is flowing. Then, slowly work toward the seam, dragging paint up to the joint. This prevents puddling at the seam, resulting in much sharper lines. If the paint pooled where you started, smooth it out with the brush. Clean Up Mistakes While They’re Wet If an errant brushstroke should touch down on the wall, don’t worry—wet paint is pretty easy to clean. If you keep a damp cloth nearby, you can stretch the fabric over a finger and wipe the wet paint off the wall. Just be sure to wad the excess cloth up in your palm to prevent it from touching the wet baseboard. Even Pros Use Painter’s Tape [https://amzn.to/30TA0ja]—Sometimes There are times when even the pros use painter’s tape. When they’re painting against finished surfaces like flooring and woodwork, they’ll often stretch tape across the surface to protect it. However, when it comes to painting walls and trim, they typically forego the tape in lieu of their skills and steady hands. Where to find it? Mauro demonstrated cutting techniques using a Picasso 2-½” angle cut brush [https://amzn.to/3nC7SK5], which is manufactured by Proform Technologies [https://www.proformtech.com/], and a Wooster [https://www.woosterbrush.com/] 3” flat brush [https://amzn.to/3DH2XNF]. Both of these brushes, among others, can be found at most home centers and paint supply stores. The paint Mauro used on the trim was Ultra Pure White [https://bit.ly/32qzpGk]—which is manufactured by Behr [https://www.behr.com/consumer/]. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/st... About Ask This Old House TV: From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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This Old House | Focus on Framing

Kevin O'Connor and Tom Silva frame an exterior wall on ground and raise it into place. Tom gives a personal history of framing tools. Kevin, Charlie Silva and Heath Eastman talk about different types of recessed lighting, installation of and layout. Electrical panels are discussed. An old ridge beam is replaced with three LVLS sandwiched together in place to support the addition.

This Old House

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This Old House | Tested and Approved (S45 E24) FULL EPISODE

This "This Old House" episode showcases a Victorian home restoration, focusing on meticulous detail. The team tackles complex baseboard installation and a blower door test reveals impressive airtightness improvements. Viewers will also learn about sustainable tree choices in the local community.

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