Minnesota Water Damage Restoration
Water Damage Restoration MN If there was a flood or major pinhole leak or broken water pipe in your home, it is likely that in addition to the water damage to the floors, the walls have been affected, too. There are instances when the water damage to the walls is apparent but oftentimes, the damage is unseen and cannot be easily detected by the average homeowner. If the flood or leak entered a room from the ground level, the floor including the carpeting, if there is any, will be covered by water which will then start to create vertical wicking in the walls. The degree of this reaction will rely on several factors such as the amount of water and how high the water level reached on the wall as well as the wall construction. Drywall is very absorbent because its core is made of gypsum and both of its sides are made of a type of paper similar to a cardboard. Because of its porosity, you can expect water to wick up on a drywall to more than two feet. Both sides of the drywall will be wet but the inside part will contain more water for the simple reason that water would not quickly evaporate from that side. Very often, signs of moisture from the inside of the wall are not visible. For a professional trained in water damage restoration, the process of restoring wet walls starts with finding out how badly the walls are damaged. There is a wide range of professional metering devices that can be used by a restoration expert to help assess water damage. Noninvasive devices are among those widely-used by experts such as a moisture meter that checks for moisture in the wall using radio waves and an infrared (IR) imaging camera that also detects moisture since a damp wall would be cooler than a dry wall. These devices are noninvasive because there is no need to create holes or do anything with the wall material. A professional water damage restoration contractor will select the structural drying equipment in a scientific method based on materials, size of the water damage area, and the class and category of the water damage. After the restoration expert has identified which walls have been water damaged, the drying process will begin aided by several types drying equipment. If the wall has no insulation, drying can be done without having to remove the baseboard or making holes in the wall. The restoration expert will use equipment called air movers to remove the molecules of water from the wall surface and allow the water to evaporate quickly. An air mover will be positioned along the wet wall for, approximately, every ten linear feet. During this process, more water is drawn to the surface of the wall as moisture evaporates from that particular surface. Another important and state-of-the art device used by water damage restoration professionals is a dehumidifier, which is installed to reduce the level of humidity in the walls and help stop the formation of mold. More than one dehumidifier may be used as necessary. A special drying system for the inner walls can also be used if the restoration expert sees it appropriate. This system involves directing air to enter the wall cavity above the sill plate by creating holes in this area. According to studies, this is the quickest and most effective way of drying water-damaged walls. In some instances, the inside or outside wall has some material or coating over it that acts like a barrier that restricts the movement of moisture in the...
Read MoreMinneapolis Water Damage Restoration MN | Flood Damage Repair MN
Flood Damage Repair MN | Water Damage Restoration MN The aftermath of a water damage problem is not the time to discover what is and is not covered in your homeowners’ insurance policy. Too many people wake up to a flood, call their providers, and are politely told that they are on their own. Insurance, as it applies to water damage, is a tricky situation. It becomes of utmost importance for homeowners to learn and understand their insurance plans, knowing what is covered, what isn’t, and making the appropriate adjustments. This is the only way to avoid being caught unawares when that upstairs pipe breaks or the local dam gives way. A Minnesota Water Damage Restoration Expert has both the skill and the experience that allows us to work directly with your homeowners’ insurance provider or claims adjuster. This not only spares you, the homeowner from the headaches that always seem to go along with handling insurance matters, but gives you the peace of mind knowing they have done it many times before and that they will do the legwork for you, submitting your claim, and doing whatever is necessary to make sure that claim is properly processed and resolved. Many homeowners mistakenly believe that flooding is covered by your homeowners’ policy. It isn’t. Flood coverage may be available for an additional premium, but it depends on the provider, whether or not your home is located in an area prone to flooding, and other factors. Many flood prone communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), established by the Federal government to provide flood insurance coverage, as well as working with communities in high risk areas to take the proper steps to protect their residents from the flooding threat. People often overlook the importance of flooding protection, believing that they will simply get Federal disaster relief if their home is damaged by flood waters. While this may be true, it is predicated on whether or not the community is declared a disaster area, and even then, disaster relief often comes in the form of low interest loans that must be paid back, along with whatever the current mortgage payment is on the property. By having adequate flood insurance coverage, you are simply responsible for the premium, and will not have to deal with the added burden of a substantial new monthly payment following the restoration of your home. In other cases of water damage, coverage may not exist, or may be denied if the damage can in any way be traced back to negligence on the part of the property owner. If your roof gets damaged in a storm, that may be covered, but if the roof was damaged in a storm because it was not properly maintained, then coverage will be denied. Coverage may also be denied if you wait too long to file your claim. Some companies will deny water damage coverage if the damage is more than 48 hours old. In every way, timing is important in the wake of water damage. Water Damage | Water Damage Insurance Water damage cleanup, repair and restoration can be a costly operation, and surely you’d want to receive financial help from your home insurance policy. In fact, water damage is one of the top reasons why most home insurance plan holders make claims. Unfortunately, home insurance tends to be tricky when it comes to water damage, which is why many people have had negative experiences when claiming insurance benefits for their water damaged house. The biggest challenge in making a water damage insurance claim lies in determining whether...
Read MoreCommercial Flood and Water Damage Restoration Minneapolis MN
Commercial Water Damage Restoration & Clean Up MN You know that any down time in work or production costs big money. Who has time for a flood? The confusion and questions of “what to do?”,“how did this happen?” and worries of how long you will be out of business loom large. Building Owners and Property Managers Don’t Let An Emergency Shut You Down! Don’t let an emergency shut you down! Whether you are a business owner or commercial property manager you do not question the possibility of a disaster, but rather ask yourself “what could happen, and when?” Time is NOT on Your Side! When a flood, storm or water related emergency has damaged your property, you need the help of an experienced Minnesota Water Damage Restoration Expert that can be dispatched at a moments notice to limit your damage and return your property to normal as quickly as possible. Flooded Warehouse in Brooklyn Center Minnesota The entire warehouse was flooded after a supply line burst. The buildings received varying degrees of water damage with some “severely damaged” by the flooding. The flood waters had various water levels standing in different parts of the building. Upon the initial inspection, the assessment team determined and informed them that spaces which had sustained water damage must undergo extensive work, including the removal of all furnishings and equipment, including computers. Furniture that could be salvaged was cleaned of any contaminates. We remained on site until buildings was secure. The building owner/manager and staff whose offices were in the water damaged building were assisted in relocating until the clean-up was completed. Drywall in affected areas was removed 2 to 4 feet high. The building and all structural components were dried and decontaminated with antimicrobial products and dehumidification processes and any wooden studs were treated with an antimicrobial product. We removed all water in the warehouse Standing Water in Office Removing wet drywall and insulation in warehouse Offices Were Flooded Hallway had standing water Standing Water In The Hallway EPA Lead Safe Certified Certified Water Damage Restoration Expert Brooklyn center water supply line burst flooding the entire warehouse. All of the offices were flooded as well. Flood Damage Is Traumatic. Done Right Is There When You Need Them! Insurance claim specialists are on staff to assist you with professional service and knowledgeable information 24 hr emergency service for: Board Up, Debris Removal, and Emergency Contracting Complete inspection of interior and exterior of property for all related damage, including possible hidden damage. Plus . . . We assist you with the Insurance claim process including: Initiate claim Claim paper work Detailed estimate Meet with adjuster Negotiate the scope and cost of repairs with insurance company Arrange proper payment from insurance company to property owner Your project manager will be in contact with you regularly throughout the project to provide status updates, answer questions and cover any other information that needs to be discussed. If you have any questions or concerns during the project you can contact our office at any time. We’ll be here for you whenever you call. “One Call Does It All 612-331-4454” Direct Insurance Billing | At Your Door in 1 Hour or Less | 24 Hour...
Read MoreMinneapolis Water and Flood Damage Restoration MN
Water Extraction, Structural Drying & Dehumidification MN Every homeowner should be aware or familiar with the classes of water losses and categories of water in order to understand the extent of losses and degree of damaged brought about by water into the household structure. Below are summarized descriptions on classes of water losses and categories of water: Category 1 – refers to clean water at source. Category 2 – starts with contamination and may cause sickness and other human discomforts once ingested. Category 3 – means highly unsanitary (since the source is from the sewage) and could cause illness or death once consumed by humans. *Water category 1 or 2 will eventually change to water category 2 or 3 when left unprocessed for a certain period of time. Class 1 – losses which are limited caught in the nick of time and contain few materials that are porous or absorbent. Class 2 – losses that involve high quantities or very absorbent materials like carpet and pads. Class 3 – involves water that comes from overhead, wall frames, ceilings, drywall, insulation and floor materials that are highly absorbent. Class 4 – is the special drying of materials in the form of concrete, stucco, hardwood, masonry, plaster and saturated ground soil. There are actually different techniques that are used for structural drying. One of these methods is the “in-place” drying technique which was used and taught in the early 1980’s. The “in-place” drying method during the past decades allows the drying of structural components without major taking away of furniture and fixtures. However, there were some limitations in the employment of equipment for extraction, evaporation and dehumidification. But in recent years, the “in-place” drying system has made great leaps and advances due in part to the better understanding of psychrometry; making the technique more practical and safer for everyone concerned. Principals Of Drying The use of ‘in-place” drying will depend on several factors that must be meticulously appraised should insufficient drying and secondary damages in the form of microbial growth are to be prevented from occurring. This includes but should not be limited to the following: 1. Qualification of the contractor or technicians who are hired to do the job. This would include experiences and academic training. 2. Availability of equipment that are technologically advanced. 3. The water damage contractor’s knowledge and implementation of the Four Principles of Drying, the Classes of Losses and Categories of Water. 4. Proper documentation of drying conditions and all activities therein, which should include illustrations of work progression. For a successful drying project and reduction of any probable microbial growth, a homeowner must be aware of the four significant principles of drying. which a water damage contractor will determine in the following order: What is Wet? How Wet is It? Are We Drying? Is it Dry? The four principles of this drying approach allows a water damage expert to perform its drying and dehumidification services as thoroughly and efficiently as possible, which greatly reduces the secondary damages of mold. 1. Excess Water Removal This pertains to draining, pumping, absorbing and vacuuming methods applied to remove the presence of visible water. It is said that the excess water removal principle is the most abused principle since some contractors are not willing to invest in proper equipment and time to extract surplus moisture sufficiently. In general, water removal could be done in minutes or seconds as compared to evaporation and dehumidification of the same water quantity that actually takes hours and days to finish. Proper water removal or extraction could cut down the Category 1, Class 2...
Read MoreFlood and Water Damage Restoration MN
Flood and Water Damage MN – Wondering About Your Insurance Coverage For Water & Flood Damage? The spring thaw may seem a long way off. But it’s not. It is often said about Minnesota that we have two seasons—winter and road construction! With spring rains and spring flooding just around the corner, and there are things people can be doing today to help ensure they’re as prepared as possible should flooding occur in their area. The first thing people should consider – even those in low-risk flood zones or areas which have never flooded before – is purchasing flood insurance. According to an interactive tool on NFIP’s website just 2 inches of water could cost you $7,800 in cleanup. And over the past 10 years, the average flood claim has amounted to over $33,000. Flood Safety Awareness Week is March 12-16 Learn more about flood risks and what steps you can take before, during and after a flood. You may figure that if you are in a serious flood that federal disaster assistance will pay for your damage, right? Wrong! Federal disaster assistance comes in the form of a low-interest loan, not a grant, and only if the President formally declares a disaster. You are eligible to purchase flood insurance as long as your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Check the Community Status Book to see if your community is already an NFIP partner. Consumers should be aware that flood insurance policies generally take 30 days to go into effect. For more information on flood insurance, and to find out your flood risk, visit www.floodsmart.gov. FLASH_Insurance_Guide Does Homeowners Insurance Cover a Flooded Basement? Here’s a question thousands of homeowners and renters will be asking now that Spring is just around the corner. Will insurance cover the water damage in my basement? Unfortunately for most the answer is “probably not.” Standard Homeowners’ insurance does not cover damage from flooding, so unless you have a specific flood insurance policy, you will have to foot the bill for any water damage from the recent rains. The Insurance Information Institute offers this rule of thumb: water that comes from top down (ice dams, for example) is generally covered, but when water comes from the bottom up, such as in flooding, it’s not covered. Homeowners Insurance Is Not Flood Insurance! Only Flood Insurance Will Cover Your Flood Losses If an individual relies on a homeowners insurance policy to cover whatever flood damage occurs, the result will not be favorable to the property owner. Only flood insurance will cover such losses. Because flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period, property owners should not let an imminent flooding force a decision to obtain this insurance. There are two basic insurance policies that deal with a homeowner’s damage due to water — a flood insurance policy and a homeowner’s insurance policy. Losses not covered by one of these policies may be covered by the another policy. Knowing the losses to which your home could be exposed will help you decide whether to buy one or both of these insurance coverages. While insurance policies may differ in the coverages provided, often there are basic features common to all policies. The homeowner should ask his or her insurance professional about the specifics of one’s specific insurance policy. In the meantime, the following general information is based on standard insurance policies. Flood Insurance As the name implies, a standard flood insurance policy, which is made available by the National Flood Insurance Program, provides coverage up to the policy limit for damage caused by flood. The dictionary defines...
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