Q: What is Water Damage?

A: Water damage is one of the most common homeowner’s insurance claims in the country. Most are caused due to burst pipes, leaky appliances and flooded basements. These occurrences often lead people to discover the details of their home insurance policies.

Water that came from outside usually consider as Flood and in most cases are not covered by typical Home Owner Insurance and need Flood insurance cover .

It is hazardous to health and dangerous for any home or business, therefore time is of the essence when it occurs. If treated quickly, you can minimize the deterioration, reduce restoration costs and prevent the growth of mold, and other contaminants.

There are three different categories:

• Clean – Does not contain harmful contaminants. It is most commonly caused from rainwater or pipe bursts.
• Gray – Has some level of contamination in the water. It is usually caused from flooding of household appliances such as dishwasher, refrigerator, empty toilet, etc.
• Black – Contains contaminants that are harmful if they come in contact with skin or are consumed. It occurs from floods by natural disasters, sewer backups, toilet overflows, etc.

Prompt action is important following a water-related disaster or accident. The speed with which you take action will determine how much can be salvaged. Unwelcome moisture not only ruins carpeting and stains floors, ceilings and walls, but if left uncorrected can diminish the value of the property, which drastically affects financial status.

One of the biggest problems caused is molding. Molds are part of a group of micro-organisms called fungi that also include mushrooms and yeasts. Mold formation is the greatest setback most people face.

Molding can spoil possessions and can cause health problems. Some health problems triggered by exposure to mold include allergic reactions such as asthma, non-allergic reactions such as headaches, as well as lung and breathing infections.

However, water damage restoration is easily available. Restoration can take place in several ways including water extraction, sewage clean-ups, crawl space drying, structural drying, basement drying, dehumidification, odor control, sanitization, disinfecting, carpet cleaning, debris removal, emergency board-ups and mold remediation.

Calling in professional help is always preferable to attempting do-it-yourself methods. These do-it-yourself methods can be tedious, and the task on hand may not be completed thoroughly. Calling in experts will help you to document and account the situation, which helps when trying to get compensation through insurance claim.

Q: How can I prevent it?

A: It can happen anytime water goes somewhere it shouldn’t—like when a pipe breaks, or a bathtub overflows, or the sewer drain fills with rainwater.

Once water seeps into the floor or walls, it can cause unseen structural destruction that quickly becomes expensive to repair and can even cause health problems.

One of the keys to avoiding this trouble is doing everything you can to make sure water never gets the chance to go where it shouldn’t. Here are some steps you can take to do that:²

• When building or renovating your home, be sure to follow all building codes.
• Keep up with home maintenance, which will help you discover problems as soon as they start.
• Keep a journal of problems so you can see when they recur and work to eliminate them.
• Keep an eye on typical trouble spots: the roof and chimney that could leak, window frames, the washing machine, and plumbing fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom.
• When you spot a problem, deal with it immediately by calling a professional water remediator.
• Shut off the water main when you leave for vacation. This can help reduce the chance of flooding from a washing machine hose or frozen pipe break.
• Let faucets continuously drip during extremely cold weather to prevent pipes from bursting.
• Clean your downspouts and gutters every year to prevent overflowing water from damaging your roof.
• At least once a year, inspect and replace worn fittings or loose hose connections on household appliances that use water.

Q: What should I do In case of disaster?

A: Safety first, don’t panic document, call 1-866-637-9669, call your insurance company

Q: Should I clean it Myself?

A: I greatly admire your ambitions to remediate your own home! Most people would have immediately called local restoration company and had them complete the work. That said, please be aware that I must state that you should seek the guidance and advise of an IICRC professionally certified restoration service. Their superior knowledge and expertise is necessary in this situation. It is not worth your health, well-being, and peace of mind to save a couple extra bucks and having mold down the road.

Q: Am I covered By My Insurance Company?

A: many polices cavering water damage that come as ..I don’t know what you were trying to say here. Suggestion: Many homeowner policies cover repair, They may not cover the repair for the cause. Read your policy and consult with your agent. Flood policies specifically cover water intrusion from storms or natural causes. Better Life Restoration can assist you within 45 minutes with an on-site, no obligation consultation. Call (add phone number here) for prompt, courteous service.

Q: I required to use the vendor my insurance company sends?

A: NO. Some insurance companies push “preferred vendor” programs involving franchises which offer the carrier incentives in return for referrals. You are not required to use these vendors and should look at your own interests to insure the work done is the quality you deserve. You are responsible for your home.

Q: Why you use direct heat drying?

A: Here’s another way to think about it. When you get out of the shower, you can dry your hair with a hair dryer (by applying heat and air movement directly to the wet surface)
OR
You can step into a specialized drying chamber that moves air around the whole chamber and uses a dehumidifier to dry out the air in the chamber.
Which one sounds easier?
Which sounds faster?
Which do you think costs less?
Which one would you prefer?

OK, I’ll stop asking questions now.
Seriously though, it sounds silly, but it does work alot like that. We use a hair dryer because it’s better, faster, cheaper and easier. And a hair dryer works on the same principal that direct heat drying does.

Q: Why you offer green products? Are they as effective as chemicals?

A: We choose products that are environmentally friendly for many reasons. Our experience is that ‘green’ products available today are equally effective compared to chemicals used in the past. ‘ Green’ is more than a fad and as you consider your family, pets and home it becomes a clear choice. Think about your home and how you want it treated.