In this, our 20th public service article, we looked back and asked ourselves the best and most basic question of all, who cares? How does the intra-industry information we have shared with the public benefit the public and why would someone take time from their busy schedule to read what we have freely presented? The answer, of course, is self interest. In this "ah-ha" moment we realized that we are missing a key component in our article database... the health risks and financial dangers posed by and created by exposure to water damage.
So then, why is water damage a concern to me and why should I care about it?
1. Water damage can destroy the structural integrity of your structure rendering it unusable and inhospitable. Even a small amount of water damage can wreak havoc with your drywall, flooring, and infrastructure as it penetrates and is absorbed into the structure.
2. Such penetration and absorption can easily become an ideal environment for health risks and financial challenges associated with the unconstrained growth of mold, bacteria, and structural degradation.
3. Water conditions can quickly degrade into Category 2 or Category 3 water conditions. Category 2 water, also referred to as "Grey Water", is known to carry microorganisms and can be caused by reasons as common as a sump pump failure or a compromised dishwasher. Category 3 water, or "Black Water", poses serious human health risks and can carry a wide range of life threatening fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other microbes.
4. Any category of water that is not removed properly and by a trained professional can penetrate and poison or infect local sources of clean water.
5. Water damage that is not cleaned professionally can have devastating long term health and financial consequences. Unless the structure owner is a trained water damage restoration professional, the admirable and laudable American original Do-it-Yourself attitude should not be used in this situation and at no time should any one cut corners to cut costs.
Only a professional water damage restoration company is equipped and trained well enough to remove the water, restore your structure to its preloss condition, and dry the structure to a level that adheres to the structure's normal dry level, thereby, circumventing all of the issues we have outlined.
While any one can easily suck the top layer of water off a floor using a simple grocery store rented wet/dry vacuum cleaner, for example, this can, and will, miss the water that has penetrated the inner layers of the structure including the subflooring and inside the wall cavities. This is the real threat of water damage and is the reason you should only use an independent water damage restoration company to handle all of your water damage restoration needs.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Water Damage Restoration 101 What about my memories?
Water damage is uncompromising and can be devastating. The stress incurred by loss of the use of your property is bad enough but the loss of irreplaceable pictures and family heirlooms can be a tremendous strain. This article will outline some steps you can use to prevent loss to such items.
- Prevention is the key -
Per the adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of Cure," the best way to prevent loss of irreplaceable pictures and family heirlooms is by eliminating or severely reducing the ability to lose said items. Preventing the ability to lose or damage such items is the key to enjoying the maximum pleasure and benefit such items convey for the longest amount of time.
- Image all irreplaceable documents and pictures to your PC -
Most people have some form of scanning device in their home or place of business but for those who do not, and for those who do not have the time, interest, or technological ability to do it themselves, there are low cost services that will image these items for a nominal cost.
- Synchronize your iDevices, cameras, and other electronic devices to your PC -
iPhones, iPads, touch devices, and other similar items that allow the user to take pictures, download personal items, or otherwise express themselves creatively, are lost, stolen, and damaged every day so all of the personal data contained on such device is forever lost. For most people, synchronizing such device is as simple as plugging their device into their PC. More advanced users may have turned off the autostart process but can reactivate the service by simply running the original application.
- Regularly backup your PC -
People seem to forget one basic tenant of computer law... computers are machines... it is not if they will break down but when. Many times computers break down at the most inconvenient times and unless the user has backed up their PC to some external source - i.e. flash drive, file server, Internet backup, etc., all of the files, documents, pictures, etc. on such PC are lost until such time their PC is fixed or their data is retrieved. The entire nightmare scenario can be avoided by simply backing up the PC.
- Keep all original and PC backups in a safe storage area off the premises -
This should go without saying but many people keep the backup directly next to the source. While this may not matter in the scenario of a computer crash, should the user experience fire or water damage, then it is reasonable to assume that something that killed the source can kill the backup. It is a best practice to keep the backup in a safe place separate from the source.
- Use only copies or electronic images -
Now that all irreplaceable pictures and family heirlooms are safely backed up and stored away, the enjoyment of such items should not be lost in the attempt to protect such items. The electronic reproduction of such items will afford the utility such items provide with the peace of mind knowing that the originals are secure from loss or damage. Truly a win-win scenario.
Unfortunately, these words of wisdom may come too late for your needs. Should this be the case, then a professional water damage restoration company may be able to refer your electronic devices to a qualified recovery center for possible repair or data recovery. Any paper or non-electronic items, however, may be lost depending on the conditions of the loss. It is clear that the best key to recovery is prevention.
- Prevention is the key -
Per the adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of Cure," the best way to prevent loss of irreplaceable pictures and family heirlooms is by eliminating or severely reducing the ability to lose said items. Preventing the ability to lose or damage such items is the key to enjoying the maximum pleasure and benefit such items convey for the longest amount of time.
- Image all irreplaceable documents and pictures to your PC -
Most people have some form of scanning device in their home or place of business but for those who do not, and for those who do not have the time, interest, or technological ability to do it themselves, there are low cost services that will image these items for a nominal cost.
- Synchronize your iDevices, cameras, and other electronic devices to your PC -
iPhones, iPads, touch devices, and other similar items that allow the user to take pictures, download personal items, or otherwise express themselves creatively, are lost, stolen, and damaged every day so all of the personal data contained on such device is forever lost. For most people, synchronizing such device is as simple as plugging their device into their PC. More advanced users may have turned off the autostart process but can reactivate the service by simply running the original application.
- Regularly backup your PC -
People seem to forget one basic tenant of computer law... computers are machines... it is not if they will break down but when. Many times computers break down at the most inconvenient times and unless the user has backed up their PC to some external source - i.e. flash drive, file server, Internet backup, etc., all of the files, documents, pictures, etc. on such PC are lost until such time their PC is fixed or their data is retrieved. The entire nightmare scenario can be avoided by simply backing up the PC.
- Keep all original and PC backups in a safe storage area off the premises -
This should go without saying but many people keep the backup directly next to the source. While this may not matter in the scenario of a computer crash, should the user experience fire or water damage, then it is reasonable to assume that something that killed the source can kill the backup. It is a best practice to keep the backup in a safe place separate from the source.
- Use only copies or electronic images -
Now that all irreplaceable pictures and family heirlooms are safely backed up and stored away, the enjoyment of such items should not be lost in the attempt to protect such items. The electronic reproduction of such items will afford the utility such items provide with the peace of mind knowing that the originals are secure from loss or damage. Truly a win-win scenario.
Unfortunately, these words of wisdom may come too late for your needs. Should this be the case, then a professional water damage restoration company may be able to refer your electronic devices to a qualified recovery center for possible repair or data recovery. Any paper or non-electronic items, however, may be lost depending on the conditions of the loss. It is clear that the best key to recovery is prevention.
| This article is composed by and offered as a public service by Jimmy K. Jimmy K is the Independent Owner and Operator of Emergency Response Restoration (http://www.emergencyresponserestoration.com/), 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118. Jimmy K is a true consumer advocate who is not afraid to battle the insurance company to ensure the proper restoration of the consumer's water damaged home office or asset. |
Water Damage Restoration 101 Why use a Water Damage Restoration Company?
While in the midst of a recent job, the insurance adjuster came out and asked why we are continuing to dry when the floor looked dry upon the adjuster's visual inspection. An insurance adjuster, presumedly, is better qualified and has more experience in water damage restoration than a homeowner who is dealing with an emergency remediation service for the first, and hopefully final, time. The sincere question of said adjuster prompted this article as if someone who is supposed to be professionally educated and experienced in this arena does not understand what dry means, then it stands to reason that the in duress homeowner does not know and can reasonably question the time and effort we expend in doing a professional water damage remediation.
Let's face it, money is always a consideration. Any person, in a purely fiduciary and cost accounting point of view, could make the reasonable determination that removing water from a structure can be accomplished by simply using a store rented machine, a shop wet vacuum, or by any carpet cleaning service found in the phone book. This reasonable and cost controlling assumption that any of the water removal methodologies just outlined is correct as any of the aforementioned water removal methods should be able to remove the top layer of water but NONE of those water removal methods can remove the water that has penetrated the flooring, base boards, or drywall. Unfortunately, the moisture not removed by these methods is, often times, the underlying catalyst for costly structural damage and can create the optimal conditions for mold growth. While this approach to save money is understood and appreciated, this approach is unnecessary as, in many cases, a professional water damage remediation company can handle such work for little to no out-of-pocket cost to the homeowner.
In addition to the cost savings the professional water damage remediation company may afford the homeowner, a professionally trained and intra-industry certified company will know the industry established dry standard for the region they serve and will ensure that the moisture content of the affected area will be dried to the established drying standard and not to a level that looks, feels, and otherwise appears dry upon a casual inspection. The benefit of this is simple... the potential for structural damage is abated and the potential for mold growth is minimized thus saving the homeowner untold expenses in home repair and medical costs.
So what does dry mean? When is something dry? Dry does not mean a moisture content of zero as even in the desert there is moisture - if you know where to look and how to extract it. Dry, in the context of water damage remediation, refers to a point in the intra-industry drying standard at which the moisture content is stated to be dry. Each region, by virtue of its unique ecology, has its own established drying standard. The outline of each region is beyond the scope of this article but any interested party can easily find the established drying standard for their region online. It is to this point that a professional water damage remediation company will dry to, or beyond, to ensure your home indemnified to its preloss condition. Then, and only then, is your affected home / structure able to be deemed as dry.
As outlined in this article, there really is a lot that goes into a water damage remediation service... far more then is apparent at first glance. Now that you have a reasonable understanding of the time, money, and risk you can offset via the contracting a professional water damage restoration company, you now know that your fiduciary responsibility and cost saving intent is BEST served by using a professional water damage remediation company whenever water damage occurs.
Let's face it, money is always a consideration. Any person, in a purely fiduciary and cost accounting point of view, could make the reasonable determination that removing water from a structure can be accomplished by simply using a store rented machine, a shop wet vacuum, or by any carpet cleaning service found in the phone book. This reasonable and cost controlling assumption that any of the water removal methodologies just outlined is correct as any of the aforementioned water removal methods should be able to remove the top layer of water but NONE of those water removal methods can remove the water that has penetrated the flooring, base boards, or drywall. Unfortunately, the moisture not removed by these methods is, often times, the underlying catalyst for costly structural damage and can create the optimal conditions for mold growth. While this approach to save money is understood and appreciated, this approach is unnecessary as, in many cases, a professional water damage remediation company can handle such work for little to no out-of-pocket cost to the homeowner.
In addition to the cost savings the professional water damage remediation company may afford the homeowner, a professionally trained and intra-industry certified company will know the industry established dry standard for the region they serve and will ensure that the moisture content of the affected area will be dried to the established drying standard and not to a level that looks, feels, and otherwise appears dry upon a casual inspection. The benefit of this is simple... the potential for structural damage is abated and the potential for mold growth is minimized thus saving the homeowner untold expenses in home repair and medical costs.
So what does dry mean? When is something dry? Dry does not mean a moisture content of zero as even in the desert there is moisture - if you know where to look and how to extract it. Dry, in the context of water damage remediation, refers to a point in the intra-industry drying standard at which the moisture content is stated to be dry. Each region, by virtue of its unique ecology, has its own established drying standard. The outline of each region is beyond the scope of this article but any interested party can easily find the established drying standard for their region online. It is to this point that a professional water damage remediation company will dry to, or beyond, to ensure your home indemnified to its preloss condition. Then, and only then, is your affected home / structure able to be deemed as dry.
As outlined in this article, there really is a lot that goes into a water damage remediation service... far more then is apparent at first glance. Now that you have a reasonable understanding of the time, money, and risk you can offset via the contracting a professional water damage restoration company, you now know that your fiduciary responsibility and cost saving intent is BEST served by using a professional water damage remediation company whenever water damage occurs.
| This article is composed by and offered as a public service by Jimmy K. Jimmy K is the Independent Owner and Operator of Emergency Response Restoration (http://www.emergencyresponserestoration.com/), 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118. Jimmy K is a true consumer advocate who is not afraid to battle the insurance company to ensure the proper restoration of the consumer's water damaged home office or asset. |
Psychologically Surviving the Storm Recovery
While Tropical Storm Emily seems to be lessening in strength and may not effect Florida in any way, the existence of Tropical Storm Emily shows that hurricane season is here and by all estimates, this hurricane season is expected to be active. There are a bevy of available guides that outline hurricane preparedness and what to do before the storm hits but few of these guides outline how to psychologically survive the environmental and financial effects of being hit. The loss of property, personal heirlooms, and independence that stems from surviving a hurricane is devastating enough but they, unfortunately, can be the tip of the iceberg. Many of these stressors outlined in this article are not considered until the situation arises. It is our hope that someone may read this article and find some solace in the guidelines presented.
1. Bored, frightened, and hungry children
In this era of seemingly endless multimedia distractions, many the kids of today are ill equipped for the harsh conditions of the mundane outside world. For the parent who just witnessed the irreversible destruction of their home, personal possessions, and other fruits of their lifelong investment, the inane banter of children whining about being bored can add immense unnecessary stress to an already unbelievably stressful situation. The best solution to this problem is a deck of cards. While Uno, Crazy Eights, and other specialized card games exist, in this reality, space is everything so a simple pack of playing cards can be employed for long term entertainment. The versatility of a standard deck of playing cards is unmatched by any specialized cards and can bring a much needed escape from the harsh post storm conditions.
2. Pets
The financial burden of caring for a pet in a devastated economy can wreak psychological havoc amongst pet owners when they find themselves competing for the same food and water resources as their pet. The pet owners surely has the best intention for the well being of the pet but when the worst has happened and the owner is forced to choose between self preservation and pet preservation, often times it is the pet who suffers. The best solution is to prevent this scenario from happening. Find a pet shelter, find a pet boarding facility, or make arrangements to move the pet to a friend or family member's home - in an unaffected area - before the storm hits. The immeasurable psychological damage of this scenario is easy to stave off with simple prevention.
3. Looting
If you are in an affected area, you need to move to a shelter, friend or relative's house, or to a hotel room where available. While the macho concept of protecting the homestead is honorable and appreciated, the lack of food, clean water, and the constant image of loss is too much on even the toughest psyche. Nothing adds insult to injury better than hunger pains and communicable diseases obtained in a disaster. The need or desire to protect your nonfunctioning and completely unusable 60" HD LCD TV is foolish, it can be replaced... pick up and move on. The best defense against loss is photographic or video evidence. BEFORE the approaching storms hits, photo catalog all of your possessions, heirlooms, expensive electronics, and vehicles; scan all sensitive documents and pictures to your PC; and make a text file of all your Internet usernames and password and then burn all this evidence to a robust medium like DVD. The contents of said DVD can be used for insurance claims, restoration or recreation of lost heirlooms, and is small enough to be easily protected and transported. While other backup methods, including remote backup exist and are reasonable, recovery from these methods can fail when there is no Internet activity, no electricity, no working computers, and your overly stressed mind cannot recall your name let alone Internet passwords. This DVD can put your mind at ease.
4. Money
In a time of disaster the adage of "Cash is king" is never more apparent. All of the modern luxuries of credit cards, debit cards, and electronic bill payment fail when there is no electricity and no ability to withdraw money from an ATM. The solution is cash. You should maintain a cash reserve in your home for emergencies. This reserve does not need to be large, in fact, too much cash would make you a target so a small coin collection or paper currency reserve should be enough to help you get to an unaffected area in order to regroup and survive.
Surviving a disaster is trying enough. The strategies outlined in this article are presented in the hope that this information helps someone who suffers such challenge survive and recover with as little displacement, loss, and psychological scarring as possible.
1. Bored, frightened, and hungry children
In this era of seemingly endless multimedia distractions, many the kids of today are ill equipped for the harsh conditions of the mundane outside world. For the parent who just witnessed the irreversible destruction of their home, personal possessions, and other fruits of their lifelong investment, the inane banter of children whining about being bored can add immense unnecessary stress to an already unbelievably stressful situation. The best solution to this problem is a deck of cards. While Uno, Crazy Eights, and other specialized card games exist, in this reality, space is everything so a simple pack of playing cards can be employed for long term entertainment. The versatility of a standard deck of playing cards is unmatched by any specialized cards and can bring a much needed escape from the harsh post storm conditions.
2. Pets
The financial burden of caring for a pet in a devastated economy can wreak psychological havoc amongst pet owners when they find themselves competing for the same food and water resources as their pet. The pet owners surely has the best intention for the well being of the pet but when the worst has happened and the owner is forced to choose between self preservation and pet preservation, often times it is the pet who suffers. The best solution is to prevent this scenario from happening. Find a pet shelter, find a pet boarding facility, or make arrangements to move the pet to a friend or family member's home - in an unaffected area - before the storm hits. The immeasurable psychological damage of this scenario is easy to stave off with simple prevention.
3. Looting
If you are in an affected area, you need to move to a shelter, friend or relative's house, or to a hotel room where available. While the macho concept of protecting the homestead is honorable and appreciated, the lack of food, clean water, and the constant image of loss is too much on even the toughest psyche. Nothing adds insult to injury better than hunger pains and communicable diseases obtained in a disaster. The need or desire to protect your nonfunctioning and completely unusable 60" HD LCD TV is foolish, it can be replaced... pick up and move on. The best defense against loss is photographic or video evidence. BEFORE the approaching storms hits, photo catalog all of your possessions, heirlooms, expensive electronics, and vehicles; scan all sensitive documents and pictures to your PC; and make a text file of all your Internet usernames and password and then burn all this evidence to a robust medium like DVD. The contents of said DVD can be used for insurance claims, restoration or recreation of lost heirlooms, and is small enough to be easily protected and transported. While other backup methods, including remote backup exist and are reasonable, recovery from these methods can fail when there is no Internet activity, no electricity, no working computers, and your overly stressed mind cannot recall your name let alone Internet passwords. This DVD can put your mind at ease.
4. Money
In a time of disaster the adage of "Cash is king" is never more apparent. All of the modern luxuries of credit cards, debit cards, and electronic bill payment fail when there is no electricity and no ability to withdraw money from an ATM. The solution is cash. You should maintain a cash reserve in your home for emergencies. This reserve does not need to be large, in fact, too much cash would make you a target so a small coin collection or paper currency reserve should be enough to help you get to an unaffected area in order to regroup and survive.
Surviving a disaster is trying enough. The strategies outlined in this article are presented in the hope that this information helps someone who suffers such challenge survive and recover with as little displacement, loss, and psychological scarring as possible.
| This article is composed by and offered as a public service by Jimmy K. Jimmy K is the Independent Owner and Operator of Emergency Response Restoration (http://www.emergencyresponserestoration.com/), 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118. Jimmy K is a true consumer advocate who is not afraid to battle the insurance company to ensure the proper restoration of the consumer's water damaged home office or asset. |
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Frequently Asked Questions: Water Damage Remediation
You come home and you find your floor is full of water. You identify the source and stop the leak. Then you grab your wet/dry vacuum cleaner and suck up all the excess water. There are still a few damp area and it smells kind of musty so you open the window and will nature take its course. In your mind your Do-it-Yourself attitude just saved you a ton of money. Case closed.
The Do-it-Yourself attitude is admirable and the laudable hallmark of American culture but such attitude can prove to be, as in this case, misguided and have potential long term health and financial consequences.
Issue1: Using a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to extract the water
Problem1: This extraction usually does not extract all the moisture from the affected area
Why this matters to you1: The remaining water can promote structural decay and be a catalyst for mold.
Issue2: Opening widow to dry naturally
Problem2: In hot, humid regions, such as FL, the sweltering heat can actually prevent evaporation
Why this matters to you2: This prevents drying and is an IDEAL condition for accelerated mold growth.
Issue3: Employing Do-it-Yourself to save money
Problem3: In many cases, the honorable and honest Do-it-Yourself attempt ends up costing more money
Why this matters to you3: Losing money is bad no matter how you look at it. The potential savings can be offset by having to redo the work and the need for special equipment that is used one time.
Why should I care about Mold?
It is well established that exposure to certain types of mold are well known to have serious health effects in humans. It is certainly not in the interest of anyone to be exposed to mold.
OK, so I'll hire a carpet cleaning company to get rid of my water.
This is a logical step as the typical carpet cleaner will have access to better commercial vacuum equipment than the homeowner but this logic fails in two main areas, cost and ability. Trying to save money by hiring a carpet cleaner can have negative budgetary impact depending on the company used and time involved. While many carpet cleaners are exceptional at their trade and are, usually, worth every penny, carpet cleaners do not know how to remove water from walls, monitor and control ambient moisture, and other such concerns of a professional water damage remediation company.
So how can I get rid of this water and save money?
The best way of getting rid of water damage, preventing or eliminating exposure to mold, and saving money is by hiring a professional water damage restoration company. An independent, professional water damage restoration company is professionally trained and intra-industry certified to thoroughly and professionally handle all aspects of structural drying, odor control, mold handling and removal, and other relevant water damage restoration considerations. More importantly, in many cases, such services can be done at NO or little cost to the property owner using methods including direct insurance billing.
So why pay out of pocket and do the work yourself when the professionals can do the work for you at little to no cost? It's a no brainer.
The Do-it-Yourself attitude is admirable and the laudable hallmark of American culture but such attitude can prove to be, as in this case, misguided and have potential long term health and financial consequences.
Issue1: Using a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to extract the water
Problem1: This extraction usually does not extract all the moisture from the affected area
Why this matters to you1: The remaining water can promote structural decay and be a catalyst for mold.
Issue2: Opening widow to dry naturally
Problem2: In hot, humid regions, such as FL, the sweltering heat can actually prevent evaporation
Why this matters to you2: This prevents drying and is an IDEAL condition for accelerated mold growth.
Issue3: Employing Do-it-Yourself to save money
Problem3: In many cases, the honorable and honest Do-it-Yourself attempt ends up costing more money
Why this matters to you3: Losing money is bad no matter how you look at it. The potential savings can be offset by having to redo the work and the need for special equipment that is used one time.
Why should I care about Mold?
It is well established that exposure to certain types of mold are well known to have serious health effects in humans. It is certainly not in the interest of anyone to be exposed to mold.
OK, so I'll hire a carpet cleaning company to get rid of my water.
This is a logical step as the typical carpet cleaner will have access to better commercial vacuum equipment than the homeowner but this logic fails in two main areas, cost and ability. Trying to save money by hiring a carpet cleaner can have negative budgetary impact depending on the company used and time involved. While many carpet cleaners are exceptional at their trade and are, usually, worth every penny, carpet cleaners do not know how to remove water from walls, monitor and control ambient moisture, and other such concerns of a professional water damage remediation company.
So how can I get rid of this water and save money?
The best way of getting rid of water damage, preventing or eliminating exposure to mold, and saving money is by hiring a professional water damage restoration company. An independent, professional water damage restoration company is professionally trained and intra-industry certified to thoroughly and professionally handle all aspects of structural drying, odor control, mold handling and removal, and other relevant water damage restoration considerations. More importantly, in many cases, such services can be done at NO or little cost to the property owner using methods including direct insurance billing.
So why pay out of pocket and do the work yourself when the professionals can do the work for you at little to no cost? It's a no brainer.
| This article is composed by and offered as a public service by Jimmy K. Jimmy K is the Independent Owner and Operator of Emergency Response Restoration (http://www.emergencyresponserestoration.com/), 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118. Jimmy K is a true consumer advocate who is not afraid to battle the insurance company to ensure the proper restoration of the consumer's water damaged home office or asset. |
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Top Four Reasons to use an Independent Restoration Company for Mold Removal
We recently reviewed a mold remediation (professional removal and control) article that was written by a company that ranked well in a major search engine search. To be fair it needs to be stated that this company is a carpet cleaning company NOT a water damage remediation company so they may have presented their misguided and potentially tortious information in good faith with the purest intent; unfortunately, however, the information they provided could make a bad situation MUCH worse.
The advice the carpet cleaning company suggested was to open your windows in order to combat the mold.
This advice is dead wrong.
Mold is a decomposer meaning that it's scientific function is to break down waste material into its basic elements. As such, mold is always in the air but its normal airborne concentration is negligible in effect to most people. It is only when mold starts to congeal and grow upon a host that the concentration becomes an issue. There are legally binding and enforced control methods and procedures that MUST be adhered to in order to stave off any liability any time a professional remediation company handles mold and opening the window is NOT one.
In consideration of this grievous error, we present, the " Top Four Reasons to use an Independent Restoration Company for Mold Removal".
1. A less qualified company can make serious errors
As presented in the opening of this document, the company in question, most likely, was presenting the erroneous information in good faith. They may actually believe that their advice is sound and they may employ their advice in the field which, assumedly unwittingly, exacerbates and compounds the problem by, in this case, spreading mold spores. Rather than professionally containing the situation, as is professionally expected and legally required, opening the window spreads mold spores throughout the area which can, easily, get into the air conditioning system and infect the entire structure opposed to a smaller contained area which is much easier to control and remediate. This mistake can have grave effects on health and the eventual remediation costs.
2. A less qualified company may not have the correct equipment or use their equipment effectively
Without professional certification and continuing education a less qualified company may not have made the necessary financial investment in professional equipment for reasons as simple as they do not know they need the equipment. The less qualified company may, for example, have a basic understanding of the required process and make valiant efforts to employ their existing infrastructure but such infrastructure may neglect a strategic filter that effectively traps mold resulting in the less qualified company unintentionally spreading mold.
3. A less qualified company may underestimate the situation
Without the proper equipment and education a less qualified company can easily misstate the problem simply because they cannot adequately assess the true scope of the issue. It is common for a less qualified company to assess and "control" surface mold - mold that is easy to see with the naked eye - because they lack wall penetrating equipment, for example, and the expertise to use such equipment. The lack of such equipment and expertise can result in a less qualified company cleaning the tip of the iceberg but never seeing or knowing the true depth of the iceberg. Such underestimation can easily lead to future service calls for a much more severe problem.
4. A less qualified company may not adhere to current standards
Unless the less qualified company takes it upon themselves to learn and maintain currency with professional standards and legal requirements, the working knowledge they have, is likely to be dated and could have a detrimental aggregate effect. The professional water damage industry is constantly introducing new and improved techniques and technology to assist the in-field professional and is constantly being subjected to new and emerging government regulations to maintain quality. Such advancements are likely to be unknown to a less qualified company which could entail significant issues down the road for the less qualified company and the property owner.
Using an Independent Restoration Company for Mold Removal protects the interests of the structure owner. There is no guarantee that using an less qualified company can save the structure owner any money but using an Independent Restoration Company does guarantee that the job is done to all industry and governmental standards as efficiently as possible with the assurance that the Independent Restoration Company is using the latest and greatest technology and techniques.
Now you know.
It's your money.
It's your choice.
Choose Wisely
Choose a customer focused, independent emergency restoration company.
| This article is composed by and offered as a public service by Jimmy K. Jimmy K is the Independent Owner and Operator of Emergency Response Restoration (http://www.emergencyresponserestoration.com/), 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118. Jimmy K is a true consumer advocate who is not afraid to battle the insurance company to ensure the proper restoration of the consumer's water damaged home office or asset. |
Monday, May 2, 2011
Unreasonable Water Damage Insurance Claim Denials
This article is written to illustrate what bad faith insurance practices look like in the real world and to offer victims of such unfair practices some avenues for correction or remedy. We are certified water damage restoration experts not attorneys or public adjustors. As such, no part of this article will offer any type of advice or instruction so the reader should consider and hold all information herein as being presented for informational purposes only.
- A customer had a hot water heater break while on vacation which caused a lot of damage to the floor. The claim was denied because the insurance adjustor stated it water damage was not controlled in a reasonable amount of time despite the customer calling immediately upon discovery and taking all reasonably possible and layman known measures to stem further damage. The customer pursued the claim which promoted the adjustor to send the customer a form demanding an insane amount of information covering a period of several years which had little to do with the water damage incident and was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to trap the customer into making any possible error or omission to further deny the claim.
- A customer went through their adjustor preferred and recommended water damage restoration company to remediate damage caused by an appliance malfunction. The customer was not pleased with the performance or quality of the service and sought out an independent water damage restoration company to review the work of the adjustor preferred and recommended company only to find that the adjustor preferred water damage restoration company failed to dry many areas to professional water damage restoration industry specification. The customer presented the independent review to the insurance adjustor and found the claim was denied as the adjustor stated the second company's interference exacerbated the situation which caused further damage despite the second company coming in after the adjustor preferred and recommended company pulled out.
- A customer noticed the flooring looked unusual and was surprised to find it saturated when the customer stepped on it to see what was happening. A plumber found a hidden leak that the customer had no knowledge of until the flooring reacted as it did. The water damage required the customer rip up the affected flooring and drywall for repair. The insurance company denied the claim citing the policy required a sudden and accidental break for coverage which they verified was not the case by the amount of mold growing in the affected area.
It is unfortunate but cases such as these are more common than not as it is the insurance company's standard operating procedure to make every effort to deny the claim thereby frustrating the customer which ultimately negates or severally reduces the ultimate payout when the claim denial is appealed. This unscrupulous and predatory methodology is unfair and sadistic and should not be leveraged against an in-duress customer who has paid all bills honorably and on time and is simply looking to have their elected insurance company adhere to its contractually obligated commitment by restoring their asset to its preloss condition.
The insurance claim battle is purposely designed to be a long, daunting, and harrowing task but a task that a professional independent water damage restoration company ("PIWDRC") can assist with. Such a PIWDRC will have the industry longevity and experience necessary to help its customer successfully navigate the insurance minefield. Each of the cases presented herein, for example, were successfully remediated to professional water damage restoration industry standards and closed with such PIWDRC assistance.
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| This article is composed by and offered as a public service by Jimmy K. Jimmy K is the Independent Owner and Operator of Emergency Response Restoration (http://www.emergencyresponserestoration.com/), 2665 N Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118. Jimmy K is a true consumer advocate who is not afraid to battle the insurance company to ensure the proper restoration of the consumer's water damaged home office or asset. |
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