At Clean Earth Restorations we are busy this week with a lot of flood relief to San Diego County, with the El Nino storms that have been blasting through. We wanted to offer a few tips for our readers about floods, insurance claims, and reconstruction.
photo: Fox 5 news (see “El Nino storms” link above)
Floods and Water Damage
Besides the immediate safety issue of a possible drowning, floods and water damage bring other less obvious dangers such as the possibility of mold onset and the structural weakening of saturated structures, both indoor and outdoor.
Possible outdoor problems include: weakend retaining walls, hillsides vulnerable to mudslides, tree or branch falls due to water-logged foliage or loosened soil around roots.
Indoor problems include: mold growth, weakened structures such as walls and ceilings (from ground water or roof leakages), electrical issues, and the health contamination that comes with sewage back-flows.
There are many things to take into consideration when dealing with a flooded property and often it’s hard to just get past the sense of emergency. For a list of basic things to remember when dealing with a flood, read the water damage section of this article, and/or download our free tips sheet:
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Insurance Claims
Many flood victims will be disheartened to discover that, if they haven’t specifically requested coverage, their homeowners insurance policy does not cover flooding caused by storm water that invades their home.
For a more detailed discussion about flood and water damage insurance, read our blog posts:
Water Damage vs Flood Insurance
Water Damage Not Covered by Insurance
We are highly experienced in both accomplishing work for insurance entities and helping water damage victims navigate insurance claims. Please contact us through the form below for a free estimate and your questions about insurance claims:
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Repair and Renovation
Repair and renovation cannot be started until flooded structures are completely dried. We cannot stress enough how important it is to dry out flooded materials in order to avoid mold. Untreated mold can be as, or more, destructive than water damage. If you are working with a restoration company, they will have instruments to measure humidity levels, even in spaces you cannot see with the naked eye (behind drywall for instance).
An indoor flood remediation project will necessarily involve the following steps before any repair takes place: water extraction, moving/blocking furniture, application of a disinfectant (to inhibit bacterial growth), drying, monitoring of the drying process (Clean Earth Restorations uses thermal imaging cameras), and processing of insurance paperwork (if insurance is applicable to the flood).
Here are a few detailed articles about specific materials and water damage as well as a free tip sheet on hiring a restoration contractor:
Replace or Keep Flooded Wood Floor?
How Important is Drywall Water Damage Repair?
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Lastly we would like to remind our readers about the advantages of working with a restoration company that also holds a general contracting license: when working with Clean Earth Restorations for both flood remediation and repair/renovation, a customer is ensured consistent and quality communication, coordination and knowledge to expedite the project, and cost and time savings, for an overall experience of excellence.
Contact us today for a free estimate or to answer questions:
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For information about things you can do to prepare for El Nino and possibly avoid water damage, see our 4-part series, starting with Water Damage, San Diego and El Nino Preparation Tips, Part 1.