Did a pipe burst and flood your home? You’ve got more to worry about than ruined carpet.
If you have a fire in your home, you call the fire department. Once the fire is extinguished, you have time to take care of insurance assessment and renovation. But water damage—that’s a different story. If you incur water damage of any sort or source, you should be aware of several precautions recommended by restoration professionals and insurance companies. Here’s PDR’s top five tips if you experience a water-damage emergency in your home or business:
Take action quickly. Even if the source of the water has been eliminated, the residual water will continue to penetrate and damage more parts of your home. The water will be absorbed into the insulation, the wiring, under cabinetry, and if on the second floor, into the first floor! If ignored weeks or even months the second damaging blow will be mold. Getting restoration cleanup started quickly will limit damage from the water and prevent your home from becoming a petri dish for future mold problems.
Be cautious. Urgency can lead to making foolish and expensive mistakes. You may be surprised that a restoration company may arrive on or before the emergency vehicles. Many firms employ “look outs” that give them the edge in being at the scene first. They may be legitimate, but check credentials.
Call your insurance company immediately. Contact your insurance company before signing any restoration contract. Have an insurance investigator visit the scene and give you direction for actions to be taken. They will be able to advise you regarding the credentials of approved restoration companies, not just the one parked in your driveway.
Contact your Homeowner’s Association. If you have one, they also should be notified immediately. The HOA will have experience working with on other such disasters in the community and will help with the recovery process. Also, the HOA has a blanket insurance policy, which often can be used to rectify some of the charges you will begin to amass.
Review all documents before proceeding. Estimates for water damage will usually be broken into two segments—water removal and then repair. Study your insurance company’s estimates and compare them with the renovation company estimates. Understand what charges you may be liable for in the process. Be surprised early rather than when everything is finished!
Experience offered 24/7 is just one part of our restoration and renovation services. Call us for help in water damage assessment or any other types of damages to your home. A call to (877) 732-8471 will get you started on the right path to recovery. Our professionals are here to help.