Water Damage

Water damage… It always happens suddenly, and without warning … Toilets overflowing, household appliances malfunctioning, water pipes breaking, leaking roofs or windows, Spring flooding… And now you have to make a decision: “Do I submit a claim to my insurance company? If it’s not a covered loss, do I try to clean it up myself?” Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• DON’T WAIT. The longer the affected areas are wet, the greater the amount of damage. Water doesn’t just sit there … it spreads. If carpeting is involved, it doesn’t take long for it to seep into the pad, the subflooring, then up the walls or paneling. Once those are damp, the potential for mold and mildew growth is just hours away.
• DON’T EXPECT IT TO “Air-Dry.” One of the most common problems we encounter comes from the homeowner's decision to “see if it’ll just dry out by itself.” Yes, we do have a dry climate - outside – but not necessarily inside our homes. Usually we’re called in when the carpet is “starting to smell” which means mold and mildew has already started. Because of the potential health hazards, that usually means you will have to discard the carpet and pad, and replace it with new – An expensive proposition that could have been avoided! Even if it’s a “covered loss,” your insurance company may deny your claim because you waited too long.
• THINKING ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME IN THE FUTURE? Then keep in mind that you may have to disclose information on past water damage, and you will have to prove it was properly remediated. If a Home Inspection discovers mold is present, the potential buyer will insist that it is taken care of, and it could hold up the sale of your home.

• First, we’ll extract the affected areas, using high-powered extraction tools – Much more effective than any shop vac you might think about using.
• Next, we’ll apply a safe antimicrobial agent, if necessary, to retard potential microbial growth.
• We will block any furniture in the area, to prevent permanent staining on your carpeting.
• Using moisture-detecting equipment, we’ll determine the extent of the affected areas, checking adjoining rooms, ceilings and walls.
• Then, we will set up specialized drying equipment: High-powered drying fans to evaporate the water, Dehumidifiers to extract damaging humidity from the air – We even have floor and wall-drying equipment. When large areas are affected, we can use directed-heat drying equipment.
• We will return at regular intervals to monitor the drying process and adjust the drying equipment.
• When the drying process is complete, we will clean and deodorize any affected carpeting.
• If you’ve filed an insurance claim, we will send complete documentation and photos of our procedures to your insurance company.