How to File a Claim for Water Damage with Your Insurance Company, Step by Step

A water damage disaster can be devastating already, and it is instantly made worse by the complication of having to file an insurance claim or worse, have your insurance claim be rejected or negotiated.

Understanding Water Damage Insurance Claims

Water damage insurance claims can be complex, and the process can be overwhelming for many people. The first step in filing a claim is to review your insurance policy and determine if water damage is covered. Most homeowner’s insurance policies cover water damage caused by sudden and accidental events, such as burst pipes or storms. However, some policies may not cover damage caused by floods or sewer backups, which require separate insurance coverage.

Documenting the Water Damage

Once you’ve determined that your insurance policy covers the water damage, the next step is to document the damage. Take photos and videos of the affected areas, and make a list of damaged items. It’s important to document all damage, even if it doesn’t seem significant at first. This documentation will be essential when filing your claim and negotiating with your insurance company.

Contacting Your Insurance Company

After documenting the damage, the next step is to contact your insurance company. Be sure to provide them with all the necessary information, including your policy number, the date and time of the water damage, and a description of the damage. Your insurance company will likely send an adjuster to assess the damage and determine the amount of compensation you’re eligible to receive.

Negotiating Your Claim

Negotiating with your insurance company can be challenging, but it’s essential to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Be prepared to provide additional documentation or evidence to support your claim, and don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion or consult with an attorney if necessary.

And…Preventing Future Water Damage

Preventing future water damage is crucial to avoid future insurance claims and protect your property. Regular maintenance, such as fixing leaks and cleaning gutters, can prevent water damage from occurring in the first place. Additionally, consider investing in water detection systems or other preventative measures to protect your property from future water damage.

Filing a water damage insurance claim can be a complicated process, but understanding the steps involved can help you navigate the process with confidence.

Drymore is committed to helping our customers recover from water damage and get the compensation they deserve. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can take the first step towards getting your life back on track after a water damage catastrophe.

Water damage, the last thing you want to deal with, is a headache that can be incredibly stressful, frustrating, and downright confusing. And, to boot, it can be challenging to understand the process of water damage restoration. To assist you, let’s start by dissecting the different categories of water damage, and what you can expect from each:

Category 1: Clean Water – The first classification of water damage is clean water, which stems from a pure source, such as a broken water supply line. Although it is not hazardous to your health, it still necessitates prompt attention to prevent further harm and destruction.

Category 2: Grey Water – Grey water, on the other hand, is slightly contaminated, and it comes from sources like washing machines or dishwashers. If ingested, it can cause sickness, making it crucial to handle it as quickly as possible.

Category 3: Black Water – The final category is black water, which is severely contaminated, such as sewage water or flood water. It can be fatal if ingested, and it requires professional assistance immediately.

But what happens if you don’t attend to water damage in a timely fashion? Things can spiral out of control. Structural damage, mold growth, electrical damage, and damage to your personal belongings are all possibilities. That’s why it’s crucial to take swift action.

Although the water damage restoration process can appear intimidating, it is not as intricate as you might think. Here are the essential steps involved:

Assessment: We’ll evaluate the damage, determine the water category, and devise a plan of action.

Water removal: We’ll leverage cutting-edge equipment to extract standing water and initiate drying out the affected area.

Cleaning and sanitizing: We’ll cleanse and sanitize all the affected surfaces to prevent mold growth and ensure the area is safe to inhabit.

Restoration: The final step entails restoring your property to its pre-damage condition. Repairs or replacements may be necessary, but we do everything possible to minimize the disruption to your life.

Why should you choose us for water damage restoration? The answer is simple – we’re the best. Our team is highly trained, experienced, and equipped with the latest technology. Plus, we offer 24/7 emergency services, so you can rely on us, no matter what time it is.

Water damage is a pain in the rear, but we’re here to help. If you’re grappling with water damage, don’t think twice about calling us. We’ll have your property back to normal in no time, leaving you with one less thing to worry about.

WET CARPET DRYING, the Latest Techniques

With today’s drying technology it is possible in many instances to dry wet carpet in place while saving the pad. The key to saving the carpet and pad is advanced weighted water extraction devices and the proper use of dehumidification and air moving fans. And the proof of the validity of this approach is that water restoration companies are reporting successful results using this technique even in high humidity areas of the Texas gulf coast, like Houston. Wet carpet drying using this technique saves the property owner and their insurance company the expense of replacing the carpet pad, and relaying and restretching the carpet. And the proper use of dehumidifiers and air movers also eliminates the need to remove baseboards to effectively dry the walls and wall cavities, which saves additional money by also eliminating the need to reinstall and paint the baseboards.

Before the advanced technology of these new extraction machines, water was extracted from carpet using a typical carpet cleaning wand. No matter how powerful the vacuum was, there was not sufficient pressure to force the water out of the carpet and pad. The next advance was simple weighted tools that did squeeze more of the water out of the pad and up through the carpet, but once on the surface some of it was vacuumed up and the rest ran off and back into the carpet adjacent to the vacuum head. The new weighted water extraction devices are also designed to literally squeeze the water out of the pad and wet carpet and force it to the surface, but once there it is trapped and immediately channeled directly to the vacuum intake. The clear sections of vacuum tubes allow the operator to see when the water flow from the area the machine is over has stopped, indicating that all excess water has been removed. Only then does the operator move the machine forward. The machines are typically self-propelled across the wet carpet at a slow speed dictated by how long it takes to remove the excess water. In areas like closets and stairs, smaller manually operated machines are used. This new equipment removes so much of the water from the wet carpet and pad that the remainder can be evaporated through the use of the appropriate drying equipment.

While these new extraction devices are key to in place carpet drying, the proper use of the right dehumidifiers and air movers are critical. The use of dehumidifiers with low grain refrigerant (lgr) technology, and high volume air movers, is extremely important for thoroughly drying the carpet, pad, and the structure including walls and wall cavities. Lgr dehumidifiers remove much more moisture from the air than older models. The dryer air they produce speeds up the evaporation of the moisture in the carpet, pad, and structure. High volume air movers also increase the rate of evaporation compared to the older lower volume models. The combination of the two makes it possible to dry the structure without costly invasive actions like removing and replacing baseboards, drywall, and insulation. And when used with the new weighted vacuum devices, they also make it possible to perform carpet drying in place without removing and replacing the pad. These advances in drying procedures are saving property owners and their insurance companies much of the headache and cost of drying water damaged structures.

Ozone has gotten a bad name as an air pollutant in some areas of the country including here in Houston. Odor removal using ozone generators would seem to be oxymoronic. But in fact ozone is the most effective way to remove odors, especially organic odors (odors caused by carbon compounds such as decaying organisms and smoke to name a few) due to water damage problems. Unbeknownst to most people is the fact that odors in public facilities like grocery stores and large dumpster areas are often controlled by the ozone produced by continuously running ozone generators. The low levels of ozone these machines continuously give off keep the smell of spoiled or spilled food under control. Supermarket operators know that customers won’t stay in a store that smells of spoiled food any longer than they absolutely have to. However shoppers will shop leisurely (and spend more money) in a fresh smelling store. So you can see that ozone odor elimination already affects you more than you know and is being used in environments you frequent to help maintain a pleasant atmosphere.

Problem odors come in all shapes and sizes. Smoke, strong smelling cooking spices like curry, pets and pet waste, rotting food, decaying organisms, and mustiness are just a few of the problems where ozone can be used very successfully in odor removal. Houston also has a very humid climate that tends to exacerbate odor problems. Things that are damp tend to give off more odor. Think of a wet dog. But, removing the source of the odor and treating the area with heavy concentrations of ozone can eliminate even the most stubborn odors.

So what is ozone? Ozone is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. The oxygen molecules we breathe every day are made up of two oxygen atoms, so ozone is like super charged oxygen. It is unstable compared to oxygen and more readily interacts with other molecules. This is the same reason why it can be a respiratory irritant in too high of concentrations.  And just as oxygen oxidizes or “burns up” carbon products such as coal or oil, ozone oxidizes or “burns up” the carbon based odor molecules causing the problem. So as you can see, ozone treatments result in odor elimination, not just odor masking. And the beauty of it is that because it is so unstable it breaks down quickly after the ozone generator is turned off, reverting back to simple oxygen molecules, making the area habitable again within a few hours. You can experience this process at work for yourself.  Ever wonder why the air smells so clean and fresh when you walk outside after a thunderstorm? Lightening is nature’s ozone generator. The vast amount of ozone it produces in the atmosphere oxidizes the odors caused by everyday human activity and leaves the air smelling fresh and clean. And that pleasant familiar “after the storm smell” is actually the smell of the ozone produced during the storm. Treating odors with ozone produced from ozone generators does the same thing on a smaller scale.

Ozone is very effective, but the first thing that needs to be done when removing odors is to eliminate the source of the odor. Otherwise, you will eliminate the odor that has already been produced, but if the source is still present it will continue to produce more odors. For example if there is rotting food in a refrigerator that has been turned off for some time, the food must be removed and any seepage from the food cleaned up. That will eliminate the source of the odor but the refrigerator will still reek of rotten food smell. That is where the ozone generator comes in. It is the best option for removing the odors that are still present after the source has been eliminated. Houston odor removal may be a little more challenging than in some dryer climates, but removing the source of the odor and treating the residual odors with ozone has proven to be the best method of odor elimination. Drymore is a Water damage restoration and Fire Damage Cleanup Houston TX company.

 Hurricane season begins June 1^st and brings with it the threat of floods and water damage in the Houston area. As we know from our recent experience with Hurricane Ike, water damage can occur from water entering structures breached by wind damage and fallen trees, or by rising flood waters from the torrential rains associated with the storm. And if that weren’t scary enough, on average there are over 1,000 water damage incidents a month in a metro area the size of Houston from other causes, such as broken water pipes, malfunctioning appliances and water heaters, and sewage backups.

While you can’t prevent must incidents of water damage, you can prepare for it and help to limit the damage once it does happen.

1. Prepare by taking 30 minutes to review your insurance policy to make sure you understand your coverage, and don’t hesitate to call your agent if you’re not sure. You don’t want to make the costly mistake of thinking you are covered for something only to find out that you’re not, when you actually need it. One thing to consider is do you have Flood Insurance which covers you for damage from rising water, but which is not part of a typical property policy. If you don’t have flood insurance and it can’t be distinguished whether the damage to your property was caused by wind (which is covered in most policies) or rising water, insurance companies have been arguing that they can deny coverage if they can show that the water caused the loss, even if wind damage had also occurred. You don’t want to be caught in the middle of litigation battles when you are trying to recover from a catastrophic loss.

2. Limit the damage by turning off the electrical breakers to any areas that got wet before entering those areas or touching anything electrical. Move or place styrofoam blocks under items on the floor in wet areas or areas the water is still moving towards. You can purchase styrofoam blocks at janitorial supply houses or on line. They are very cheap and can prevent a lot of damage.

3. Don’t wait.  Most insurance policies require that the policy holder take actions to mitigate further damage. Experts agree that the first hours are critical in preventing the growth of mold and other microbes that can lead to an unhealthy environment and the need for for more extesive structural repairs. Call a professional water damage restoration company to remove the water and begin the drying The proper dehumidification equipment will dry the structure and contents  and prevent secondary damage by eliminating the moisture in the air caused by the evaporating water.

DryMore is a A+ BBB rated water damage restoration and fire damage restoration company in Houston, TX. DryMore provides emergency services 24/7 and answers their own phones day or night to respond to customers needs immediately. For providing customers with immediate response and taking care of  them through a difficult time, the BBB has named DryMore a 2010 winner of their Awards for Excellence.