Emergency Restoration Checklist

Here is a helpful checklist to minimize damage to your property following a fire, flood, storm or other disaster event.

• Alert your insurance company immediately. Your insurance agent is your partner during this stressful time. He/she will guide you through the claims and clean-up process.
• Take photos of the damage prior to the property being cleaned-up, boarded-up or demolished. Having photographic documentation of the damage could be helpful for insurance purposes.
• Determine whether your house or place of business is structurally safe. If not, you will need to evacuate the facility and make alternate arrangements.
• Shut down the electrical and water supply and close the main gas valve, after the threat of physical danger has passed. These steps will help you avoid further damage, so it is important to know in advance where these important systems are located.
• Protect and secure property assets and/or personal belongings.
  • Relocate all valuables to a safe and dry place.
  • If there is standing water, try to remove as much of it to the outdoors as possible and run the air conditioning, a dehumidifier or a fan to help dry out the area. WARNING: Standing water will begin to produce dangerous mold within 48 hours, making it imperative to remove all standing water.
  • If conditions allow, cover broken windows and doors as well as damaged walls and roof areas with plywood or plastic sheeting to prevent additional moisture entry and to protect the property from the elements.
• Inspect the property thoroughly. Your observations and comments will help speed up the restoration process when professional help arrives.
• Determine if there are roof shingles missing or if there is any damage to your home's exterior, including to the gutters, windows, siding, chimneys, etc.
  • Inspect the property for any signs of water infiltration.
  • Determine if the insulation is wet or damaged. Be sure to check the insulation around your windows and doors and in your attic, crawl spaces and walls.
  • Look closely to verify that your foundation walls are intact.

In most cases your insurance agent will make clean-up/restoration contractor recommendations. However, in some situations, you may be advised to hire a restoration company of your own choosing. The following are tips for hiring the best professional restoration company:

• Look for a professional restoration company that specializes in working with property owners after a fire, flood, storm or other disaster. These companies are a better choice than general contracting companies that may offer restoration services.
• Be sure that the company you choose is licensed, bonded and insured in the state where the work will be performed.
• Do not sign a contract unless the job is described in detail including what will be done, a price estimate and what materials/tools will be used.
• Ask for a list of references. Also, look at before and after pictures of the company's work.
• Do not hire a company that requires a larger than normal deposit in order to start work.

The most effective way to recover from a fire, flood, storm or other disastrous event is to take action quickly Carefully following the Emergency Restoration checklist will help the disaster relief experts restore your home and property to normal as quickly as possible.

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Why You Should Hire Professional Fire and Water Restoration Services

A fire can have a devastating effect on a family, causing several losses. We sincerely hope that the fire you might have experienced in your house did not have any casualties and it was only property that was damaged. Though even property loss can be pretty frustrating and disheartening, you should know that most fire damaged houses can be restored to their old self. Your best bet to tackle damage caused by fire and water would be to hire the services of a professional fire and water restoration company. A professional fire and water restoration contractor will have the know how that will help them assess the damage to your property and take the most appropriate steps necessary to restore it.

Unless the damage was very minimal, it is highly recommended that you seek the services of a professional fire and water restoration contractor for the following reasons.

Damage caused by fire can be made much worse by home owners who attempt to restore the damaged area without the proper knowledge. Your insurance company will also recommend that you choose a fire and water restoration contractor to carry out the repairs and no do it yourself.

The cost of services of a professional restoration company might be steep at first glance but you have to understand that they will have the best knowledge to save you money with the whole restoration process. Fixing things up on your own might seem much more economical although you will quickly blow your budget as you discover more and more problems that you have to deal with. Even if it means forking over a decent sum of money, it is highly recommended that you hire the services of an expert fire and water restoration company to carry out your restoration.

If water was used to put out the fire, you will have to be worried about water damage in addition to the damage caused by the fire. Fire and water restoration contractors deal with both types of damage on an everyday basis and will quickly begin work to minimize and restore properties affected by both types of damage.

Restoration companies will advice you on what is salvageable and what can be restored. If you didn't consult with experts, you could be throwing away furniture and furnishings that can be easily restored at a fraction of the cost that it would take to replace them.

The odors from a fire can easily penetrate the structure of the house and only a professional fire and water Restoration contractor will be able to use deodorizers and ozone to completely remove the odor of fire and smoke from a property.

Last but not the least, a professional restoration company will allow you to carry on with your life without having to leave your job or business unattended which is exactly what you would have to do if you were trying to restore your house on your own.

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Water Damage Restoration - A Brief Preview

 

By Amrit Jana  |   

It is the process of repairing a house or property to its pre loss condition. Damage to the property could be because of an overflow, flood or any other water damage event. The water damage restoration process involves several key procedures like loss assessment, categorization based on the water contamination levels, decontaminating and drying the structure, monitoring of the process and completion of the process. There are two large certifying bodies, namely the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and the RIA (Restoration Industry Association) that recommends standards for water damage restoration. The S500 damage due to water guide is the benchmark tool that is used by companies that specialize in restoration of water damage.

Loss Assessment and Categorization

Loss evaluation is the first and the most important step in water damage restoration. The assessment has to be correct so that an appropriate response can be taken. In restorating the damage caused by water, technicians and the insurance companies must work together and understand what is damaged and how to go about restoring the damage. Identifying the source of the damage, documentation of damage, and accurate estimates are mandatory for a proper water damage restoration. Categorization is based on the contamination levels of the water source. The categories are listed below

Category 1 - This is water from clean sources like pipes, sinks and toilets without faeces or urine.

Category 2 - This is water that has some contaminants like water from a dishwasher, washing machine or toilet with urine.

Category 3 - This is water that is highly unsanitary and is capable of causing illness or death if ingested. Sewage water, water from toilet with faeces, standing water with microbial growth and floodwater are some examples.

Decontamination and Drying

After the evaluation is complete, the process of drying and decontaminating begins at the site. Based on the extent of damage, damage caused due to water can be classified into 4 types. Class 1 Damage- When loss is restricted to a small area and less water has been absorbed by materials. This results in slow evaporation rate. Class 2 Damage - When the damage is to the entire room and carpet area. Class 3 Damage - When the entire area is saturated with water and Class 4 Damage - when there are many deep saturation pockets. Decontamination and drying is a key stage in Water damage restoration and equipments like blowers, dehumidifiers, scrubbers and subfloor drying equipments have to be used. Decontamination has to be done if contamination has been detected in the area. Decontamination may be done for the entire area or in specific pockets where contamination has been detected.

Monitoring and Completion

Monitoring the restoration process of damage caused due to damage is critical to achieve the desired results. One has to be proactive during the monitoring process. Checking if the drying equipment is setup properly, assessing if the personnel involved are qualified for the job and checking if the equipments are in working order are all part of the monitoring process. Necessary steps are to be taken if anything wrong is spotted during the monitoring process. The entire process of water damage restoration would be classified as complete only once the humidity, temperature and the moisture content is as per industry standards. Upon completion of the water damage restoration process, the drying equipment can be removed.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Amrit_Jana/1519186

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.

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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.

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