FAQ
We get asked a ton of questions with each job here at One Of A Kind Restoration. So we thought we could document some of the most common ones here. Remember, these are just guideline answers and may not always apply to every situation. We highly recommend you consult a water damage restoration company each time you want complete answers for your unique emergency situation. Not all information written here is guaranteed to work for you.
Does Insurance Cover Water Damage?
This is arguably the most common question we receive at our One of a kind Restoration company. We go into more detail about this topic over on our Insurance page, but here’s a quick response. And remember, we are NOT insurance experts. This is just general advice and should always be double checked with your individual insurance provider.
Often, water damage that is caused by an unavoidable accident can be covered by most insurance policies. Here’s an example: a bad storm knocked a tree limb onto your roof which caused a hole. That hole let water into your house and caused damage. This is a pretty easy case where most insurance policies would cover it.
What is not usually covered is anything falling under the umbrella of “general maintenance.” This can be quite broad, but a good example is a slow leaking pipe in your kitchen. You see the leak and know it’s there but don’t get it fixed for weeks. Then, you discover that water leak caused damage to the floor and sub-floor below it. There’s a good chance insurance won’t cover the floor repair costs because you had plenty of time to fix the leak before it became a problem.
It’s difficult to give a specific answer to each unique emergency situation on an article here. That’s why we always recommend getting in touch with a professional like us. Our team can review your water damage and help with the insurance aspect.
What Should You Do Immediately After Water Damage?
There’s a few things you can do when facing a water damage emergency situation. Remember to ALWAYS keep your safety as the top priority. Never put yourself or anyone at risk just to save property or items. Assuming everyone is safe, acting quickly with a clear plan can help minimize the damage. Here’s what you should do:
Step 1: Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Then Your Possessions
Water damage can cause quite the safety hazard for everyone involved. As we mentioned, safety should the top priority for everyone first. Then, you can focus on saving items and belongings.
- Turn off the electricity anywhere near the water. Also unplug any items you can safely reach to prevent electric shock.
- If flooding is a real possibility, evacuate to higher ground until proper authorities arrive.
- Whenever you are in the property with water damage, wear protective gear like rubber/waterproof boots, rubber gloves and protective clothing.
- Focus on important documents and items first – things that hold the most value to you. The rest can wait.
Step 2: Stop The Water From Continuing To Do Damage
Can you identify the source of the water? Is it something you can shut off to prevent more water from entering the property? If so, do that immediately. Prevention is the best way to stop further damage.
Search around for a busted pipe, HVAC leak, or toilet running. Locate the shut-off valve if possible for that location. If nothing else, turn the water off for the entire property.
If there’s flooding, can you do anything preventative like sandbags? If not, just move to higher ground for safety.
If it’s a ceiling leak, consult with an expert quickly to locate the leak and get it fixed fast.
Step 3: Contact Your Insurance Provider
The next step is to get the insurance company involved. They know your policy best and can help guide you to know which aspects are covered and which might not be. Here’s how you can position yourself the best with the insurance company:
- Call as quickly as possible to file a claim and understand the next steps your insurance company requires
- Schedule a claim adjuster to come on site as soon as possible so you can get a estimates and repairs done quickly.
- Take photos/videos of the damage including any valuable items that were affected.
- Keep detailed records and receipts of anything done for repairs.
Step 4: Dry Out Your Property & Items
The goal here is to prevent mold and mildew growth. Mold remediation is not a fun project to add on to water damage so we highly recommend getting started drying things out as quickly as possible. Mold can begin growing within 24 hours.
- Remove any wet furniture if possible. If not, find a way to raise them above any standing water to dry.
- Prevent carpet stains in the wet carpet by placing aluminum foil underneath each leg.
- Remove and hang dry any rugs
- Use fans and dehumidifiers continuously in the space that’s wet.
- Turn on your A/C (even if it’s colder) to help dehumidify the space. The process of air conditioning automatically helps remove moisture from the air.
- Use a ShopVac to remove standing water if needed (rent professional grade equipment if necessary)
- Contact a water restoration company if more drying is needed. They have higher quality equipment that can help.
Step 5: Clean, Repair and Restore Your Property
This is often when you want to contact a water remediation expert to help. Keep these things in mind:
- Discard anything that is beyond salvageable. Save what you can.
- You may need to have drywall, carpet, insulation or flooring removed to prevent mold and mildew growth.
- Moisture can sneak into places you can’t see after water damage. Hiring professionals is the best thing here because they can use moisture detectors, hygrometers, and remote cameras to locate any hidden water.
- If you have important documents that were damaged, you can seek professional document preservation and restoration services. Many documents can actually be recovered if minimal damage was done.
