Ice Maker Water Line Water Damage

It seems innocent enough and most homeowners do not give it a second thought until something happens… either there is no ice in the tray or there is water pooling on the floor from an unknown source but in both cases the culprit is a compromise in the water line leading to the ice maker.

Homeowners who have suffered water damage from an ice maker water line will attest to the veracity of this seemingly inconspicuous water damage source. One would think that the potential damage such a small water line can cause would be minuscule but the fact remains that there are two main types of compromise… a slow leak and a steady spray. Of the two, the former is the most concerning as the slow leak could have been leaking for some time converting your clean and sanitary kitchen in to a potential health hazard that is ideal for microbial growth while promoting catastrophic structural damage to its immediate area whereas the steady spray would be addressed, one would expect, much sooner as it is, generally, easier to see. Of course, should such a breach occur when the homeowner is gone for an extended period of time, the devastation realized from a steady spray can be formidable and systemic.

In either case, it is common for the well intentioned homeowner to underestimate the scope of the damage and the inherent health risks of removing potentially hazardous water and attempt to tackle the water damage cleanup themselves. Such honorable do-it-yourself (“DIY”) mentality is, undoubtedly, the bedrock of the American psyche but, in some cases, what you do not know can hurt you and water damage restoration is such a case. While almost anyone can go to an equipment rental place and get equipment to remove the water, it is likely the rental equipment is less than stellar in its upkeep and, even if maintained to specs, may not perform to the same level as a professional’s equipment even when the rental equipment was brand new. Further complicating the DIY’s success is the DIY homeowner most likely does not know the industry dry standard for their area so it is likely that they will end their DIY restoration when the area “feels dry” thus, unknowingly and innocently, leaving water trapped within their walls and creating potentially prime areas for microbial growth.

It is best to leave the water damage restoration to the professionals.

Only an independent water damage restoration company has the professional education and equipment to restore your asset to its preloss condition and to industry professional specifications and guidelines. Such specifications and guidelines are industry “Best Practices” that have been shown, when employed by a certified professional, to create a best-case restoration scenario which is in the best interest of the consumer’s health and the longevity and usability of the restored asset.

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

Hurricane Damage

The highly touted common wisdom that lightening does not strike the same place twice has officially been debunked by Hurricane Isaac as it hit New Orleans seven years to the day of Hurricane Katrina. While Isaac does not seem to be as thoroughly devastating as Katrina, the torrential flooding it has dumped on the still recovering area is something no fortune teller could have predicted.

One could almost argue that Isaac had a vendetta for New Orleans based on its path around Florida and then strengthening as soon as it put New Orleans in its sights. The reports of people being in neck deep water in the streets, small ponds being turned in to a virtual homage to the Great Lakes, and officials strategically breaching the infamous levees to reduce the load and limit the potential destruction is something no one should have to endure... especially not twice.

How then does one prepare to protect one's assets from an approaching hurricane?

• One of the best ways to protect your assets and your family from an approaching hurricane is to have an emergency plan. Make a plan and brief your family on what you want to take, where you will go, and with whom you will stay should you be required to evacuate. Likewise, you need to have a predetermined meeting location established should you and your loved one be separated for any reason.


• Cell phones can be helpful for staying in touch but will be of little value should the surrounding cell area be knocked out so it is wise and prudent to have inexpensive long range hand held radios on hand and charged. While these two way radios can have their 35 mile range compromised by radio traffic, topography, and atmospheric conditions, for $50, they may be your lifeline when all other forms of communication fail.


• While it may seem to be an ineffective and time wasting activity when compared to the ongoing flooding caused by Isaac, boarding your windows is still an effective means at protecting the contents of your home from be bombarded with shards of glass. While no current siding, hurricane shutters, or boarding will protect your asset from such flooding, it may be the only thing that protects your asset should you be spared the flood.


• Have a plan for your pets and animals. Plan ahead to have a place for your pets and animals to go as animal shelter space may be limited and temporary housing may not allow pets.

Our hearts go out to those souls whose lives are offset by Isaac. While these words may come too late for the residents of New Orleans, perhaps these words will be of value to the next community to face the relentless onslaught of a hurricane.

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.

Mold - Risks and Removal

First and foremost, the scope of this article will not be an exhaustive review of the types of mold, the risks from each type of mold, or include any discussion on the proper handling of mold. Rather this article will be a general overview of the common mold that grows as a result of water damage and it will briefly outline the potential threats and the proper remediation techniques to fully remove the mold and its contaminated structures professionally and in line with Florida's mold remediation laws and standards.

Mold runs the health effect gambit from benign through toxic causing reactions that range from nothing through any combination of anaphylaxis, cognitive debilitation, and death. The results you suffer from mold are contingent upon factors including the type of mold, your sensitivity to the mold, and the length of time that you are exposed to the mold. It is common for someone who is not initially affected by mold to develop sensitivities and allergies as their exposure increases in frequency and duration; however, even if you never suffer any sensitivity or debilitation from the mold that infiltrates and infests your structure, your asset does.

In nature, mold is a decomposer meaning it decomposes old material by consuming it. While your house, building, or other structure is new, beautiful, and extremely valuable to you, to nature such asset is nothing more than an aging skeleton that needs to be recycled... hence man's continued struggle against nature. Unfortunately for the occupants, inhabitants, and visitors to structures in which mold is already undertaking its natural course of action, mold can cause serious trouble to man and man's structures which prompts man to see mold as a threat and try to get rid of it.

While many people understand how serious mold is, many people severely and detrimentally underestimate the best method to remove mold. A common erroneous removal method is to simply spray or wipe the visible mold with an over-the-counter bleach product or disinfectant. While this may remove the visible layer of mold, this technique does nothing other than causing discoloration of the affected area and releasing mold spores into the air conditioning system thereby aerosolizing the spores throughout the structure. It is common, and unfortunate, to see such cost conscious persons repeatedly employing this technique as the mold "returns", ad-nauseum, until such time as the owner realizes that this treatment methodology is akin to putting a child's band-aid on an arterial shower and seeks more advanced removal. Unfortunately by this time the mold contamination, saturation, and penetration can be severe and systemic.

The best way to protect you, your family, and your asset from mold is by contacting a professional, independent water damage restoration company to professionally assess your mold and to provide a professional and effective mold remediation strategy. The State of Florida has specialized training and requirements for a company to function as a Mold Assessor or a Mold Remediation company so be sure to ask your company which license they have. Only such company has proven to the State of Florida that they have the education, equipment, and knowledge to accurately address your mold concerns within the expected standard of care. Mold can grow like cancer in a structure. You wouldn't use an over-the-counter panacea to "cure" your cancer so why would you use one to handle your structure's?

Do the job right the first time... use your local independent water damage 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.

8 Signs of Hidden Water Damage

The devastating and long lasting negative effects that sudden and accidental water damage can have upon the inhabitants of an affected structure are well known and well established. What is not realized by affected persons during such challenging times is the mixed blessing of the intruding water being ample enough that the structure's owner understands the immediate need to remediate the situation as quickly and as thoroughly as possible; unfortunately, such is NOT the case when it comes to hidden water damage.

The known and often discussed challenges and maladies that result from the onset of sudden and accidental water damage are often times magnified by hidden water damage as hidden water damage, as its name implies, may not be found until such time as extensive structural damage has occurred and/or potentially toxic and debilitating microbial activity is well underway. Pursuant to and in agreement with the ancient sagely adage... an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but how does one protect itself from hidden water damage? Here are some warning signs that, if observed, can indicate that you may be affected...

1. Your water bill is slowly increasing without visible cause or notice of rate increase
2. Your wallpaper or paint is peeling, boiling, or cracking
3. You notice strange discoloration of your walls, ceiling, or carpeting
4. You may hear a quiet dripping sound when trying to sleep
5. There is a moldy or musty foul odor that cannot be found
6. Your baseboards seem to be swelling or peeling away from the wall
7. One of your rooms seems to be cooler than the others
8. Finding unexpected or recurring moisture in areas NOT typically wet

The reasons for hidden water damage run the gambit of potential sources from intrawall pipe break through a breach in your roofing shingles/tiles. Regardless of the source, the longer hidden water damage remains unabated, the longer and more severe the consequences for the structure and the structure's inhabitants. Hopefully you are able to find and cure the problem yourself before the situation gets out of control, exponentially, but should the circumstances be beyond control, rest assured that an independent, water damage restoration company is willing and able to handle this scenario for you.

Only an independent water damage restoration company works for and in the customer's best interest as its survival and livelihood are contingent upon quality work and customer satisfaction. Such company has achieved its status through a significant investment in education, equipment, and ongoing certification to ensure its techniques are cutting edge in order to return its customer to its preloss condition as quickly and as invasively as possible.

Choose wisely... choose the best... choose to ONLY use your local independent water damage professional to address your water damaged asset.

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.

Dry Out Nightmare

~ WARNING ~
This article is not for the timid or those with low risk tolerance... you have been warned!
Recently we received a call from a customer who was complaining about mold. It seems this customer suffered water damage that penetrated at least two floors of his three story water-front asset that is located in a high profile historic district. The customer did "the right thing" and called in the claim to his insurance carrier who promptly dispatched their lapdog, ragtag restoration vendor to address the claim... and address it they did.

The dispatched restoration company, according to the customer, did succeed in drying the easy, top level water but did NOTHING to dry the structure's core. As soon as this restoration company achieved it's predetermined and insurance preferred level of dryness, they pulled out and told the customer that everything was fine. Unfortunately, for them, this customer was not your typical customer as he was an experienced home builder and knew that there was NO way that his structure was dry.

His home, by his own description, was an older home and he was very familiar with his home's layers of plaster, sheet rock, and insulation and knew that since water ran down the walls AND penetrated the substructure, that moisture was still trapped inside. He was, rightfully so, concerned about the real potential for microbial growth and hired a general contractor to check his walls for him... he was right... the affected area was FULL of mold. The general contractor reported, wisely and ethically, that the areas need to be gutted in order to rebuild to code which will cost a LOT of money. This is when the customer called us for help.

Unfortunately, the general contractor's initial visual inspection appears correct and the entire affected area does need intensive remediation before reconstruction can begin and, worse yet, since the insurance preferred lapdog company completed their remediation effort "satisfactorily"... it is a REAL possibility that ALL costs associated with this remediation process will be the burden of the customer.

He is the REAL terrifying conclusion of this true story... the dispatched water damage restoration company, despite its incompetence and lack of care, acted in accordance with the will and interest of its insurance company masters. The insurance company seeks only to limit expenditures, by all means necessary, while still demanding on-time receipt of ever increasing premiums. Such faithless penny pinching allow the insurance carrier to subrogate its costs and liabilities to such inexperienced and lapdog restoration companies to the ultimate detriment of the insured consumer.

Don't let this increasingly common scenario happen to you.

Only an independent water damage restoration company works in the interest of the customer independently of the insurance company's greed and improper, self-serving limitations. Such a company has made the large but necessary financial commitment to education and equipment so that they have the tools and knowledge to find the water that is bound within the structure's infrastructure so that your asset is THOROUGHLY dried so that such nightmare scenarios remain a story.

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.

Carpet Cleaning is NOT Restoration

It is reasonable and financially prudent for a consumer to want to spend the least amount of money possible to achieve the maximum benefit. In this regard it is understandable why savvy consumers would make the unintentional mistake of hiring a carpet cleaner to remove the water as neither the consumer nor the industrious carpet cleaner are aware of the subtle complexities and onerous detail a professional water damage restoration project demands.

Let's face it. Anyone can remove water. All you need is a wet/dry shop vacuum, on the high end, or a straw, on the low end, and viola... the water is removed! Although, admittedly, most carpet cleaners would have equipment that is better suited for water extraction than a residential wet/dry vacuum. A high level carpet cleaner may also have dehumidifiers and fans but simply having such equipment does not mean that the well intentioned carpet cleaner is proficient in the use of such equipment or knows how to optimize deployment. For example, anyone can set up a computer system and press the power switch. Such a deployment may be useable but such set up is prone to a gaggle of information technology related risks ranging from malware through data integrity. A more prudent installation would be completed by someone with specialized information technology training who is experienced and knows how to prevent obstacles that a less informed and educated professional would not be aware of or know how to combat upon manifestation. Likewise, a carpet cleaner does NOT have the specialized education or ability to balance the atmosphere, calculate the moisture load, design and deploy a negative air drying chamber, or manipulate vapor pressure - processes and procedures that are common, everyday measures employed by professional water damage restoration companies.

Water damage restoration professionals employ such exotic tactics in the best interest of the customer to ensure the core of the structure is dry, prevent or reduce mold from establishing itself or spreading throughout your structure, and create optimal drying conditions. These considerations are well beyond the scope, understanding, or ability of even the most well intended carpet cleaner but are considerations that can manifest a severe negative financial and, potentially, health challenges if not addressed. Mold horror stories are common and easily accessible in a simple internet search but mold is NOT the only microbial consideration or concern that is common in a water damaged structure. Unfortunately, that list is extensive.

Only a professional, independent water damage restoration company has the specialized training and education to protect your health and financial interests from the repercussions of water damage. Some such water damage professionals even charge your insurance company directly so there may be little, or no, out of pockets expenses. In that light, it is obvious that the optimal fiduciarial decision is to use an independent, professional water damage restoration company for your water damage as the alternative can cost more and expose you to long term heath and financial challenges. Make the prudent decision.

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 Causes:Bad Weather

Our last four articles explored four of the most common reasons a property owner could suffer water damage but what is the MOST likely reason for water damage? Bad weather.

Here in Florida, the lightening capital of the world, bad weather can be a daily event. Ask a local and they will confirm that summer in Florida means rain, storms, and hurricane season. There is no escape from the weather extremes. The days can be unreasonably hot and humid only to have it rain. Unfortunately, the rain does not last long and it serves only to turn the day into an unfair and unwanted sauna as the rain visibly evaporates from the ground and hangs in the air. This constant wet expansion with heated compression wreaks havoc with roofing materials - and that is a good day.

When hurricane season hits... all bets are off. Hurricane season can severely test your property's building codes with high winds, a LOT of rain, and constant battery from subsequent debris. While hurricanes CAN and DO spawn tornados... water spouts (tornados that occur over the ocean which usually dissipate when they reach land) are COMMON even in good weather. ANY such "weather anomalies" can damage your asset and create water damage.

The associated water damage does NOT need to be severe or extensive, in fact, a small breach in the roof is all the water intrusion necessary to begin devaluing your asset. Even a tiny pinprick can allow water to start destroying your attic and your walls. Unfortunately, such minute pinpricks may not be known until well after the devaluation and destruction of your asset has been in effect for some time which can be, arguably, much more devastating then immediate and extensive damage.

Prevention is the best way to save your asset from water damage. The next best is rapid response as the sooner the water source is identified and resolved, the less damage there is to restore. In the real world, however, the first two scenarios are rarely the norm. As such, the best way to return your property to the condition it was in before suffering water damage (its "preloss condition"), is to use a professional, independent water damage restoration company.

Only a professional, independent water damage restoration company has the education, experience, and equipment to completely restore your property to its preloss condition in a timely and customer focused manner. Simply removing the top level water is not enough to dry the core of the structure and may not enough to prevent future complications and microbial growth. You owe it to yourself to make sure your water damaged asset is handled by customer focused water damage professionals.

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.