Water Damage Restoration Maple Grove MN
Maple Grove Minnesota Water Damage Repair When dealing with water damage, being thorough and being fast is the key. In order to avoid your property falling into decay and having to deal with much higher water damage repair expenses and the risk of mold and bacterial problems – which could cause severe reactions or disease – you should reach out to a water damage repair specialist who can take care of the problem quickly and effectively. If you don’t respond appropriately within the first 24 to 48 hours, you are likely to face much greater issues as your water damage problems compound. Your water damage repair expenses can increase by the thousands, while the probability of experiencing severe health issues also increases. Time Is Your Enemy Waiting is a bad idea when it comes to water damage cleanup. In as little as 48 hours, the probability that water damage will cause severe damage is increased by a factor of 10. This means that the expense of the water damage cleanup can also be increased by thousands of dollars. Responding to water damage quickly is extremely important, and is second only to preventing water damage. By responding in a timely manner – victims of water damage can reduce the amount of damage to their homes and wallets considerably. So don’t put it off – every minute is costing you money, and increasing the amount of time it will take to clean up your damage. Insurance Approved Water Damage Restoration What could make your watery situation even worse? Dealing with difficult insurance companies! The last thing you want or need is to have to deal with the insurance company and that entire process. Individuals who try to navigate their insurance alone can often find they have complicated the situation further, and are forced to wait much longer than necessary to see their insurance come through for them. Letting professionals who are experienced in these situations help you through the muck can not only save you a great deal of aggravation, they can help speed up the process! An expert in water damage restoration, water extraction, flooded basements, and sewer backup restoration can help you wade through those waters. They bring with them not only the expertise to restore your property – they come with years of dealing with insurance providers! One Call Does It All! Direct Insurance Billing | At Your Door in 1 Hour or Less | 24 Hour Service We work with all insurance companies and can help make this process a lot easier and less distracting for you. All you need to do is to call Done Right and we will guide you through the process. For the future: It is important that you ensure your insurance covers water damage to your property! Whether homeowners, renters, or business – contact your insurance provider and make sure that you are covered for water damage caused by: Floods Tornadoes Burst Pipes Sewage Backups Other natural disasters Other failure within your property You should also be sure of the following: You have liability insurance Your Business is covered What your Flood Insurance...
Read MoreWater Damage Edina MN | Water Damage Repair | Edina MN Water Damage
Water Damage Repair Edina MN | Water Damage Services Edina MN Mother Nature has proven year after year that havoc can occur at a split second. Tens of thousands of buildings and homes across the country have suffered moisture/water damage as a result of severe weather (acts of God) or just plain bad luck. Water damage to a structure can occur in many ways. Even the most solidly built and well-maintained building can be damaged by a violent force of nature, such as a flood, tornado, or wildfire. In other situations, a water pipe may burst, and air conditioning leak, moisture intrusion, backed up septic tank or sewer line, or a sump pump may malfunction while you’re away on vacation and do serious water damage to your home and possessions. Understanding the categories of moisture/water damage is the first step in getting your home or building back to normal conditions. Categorizing the level of contamination of water in a damaged structure is required to perform loss assessment and evaluation activities. The category of water contamination must be considered so the correct procedures can be established for processing water-damaged structures and materials. Water damage is divided into three general categories: 1) Category 1 – Clean Water 2) Category 2 – Gray Water 3) Category 3 – Black Water However, the category of water contamination should not be identified solely by the color of the water, but by the source, contents, history and characteristics of the water. Category 1– Clean water originates from a source that does not pose substantial harm to humans if the clean up is performed within 24 hours of occurrence. Clean water sources may include, but are not limited to, broken water supply lines, melting ice or snow, falling rainwater, broken toilet tanks and toilet bowls that do not contain contaminants or additives. Clean water that has contact with structural surfaces and content materials may deteriorate in cleanliness as it dissolves or mixes with soils and other contaminants, and as time elapses. Category 2– Gray water contains a significant level of contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if consumed by or exposed to humans. Gray water carries microorganisms and nutrients for microorganisms. Examples of gray water sources may include, but are not necessarily limited to, discharge from dishwashers or washing machines, overflows from washing machines, overflows from toilet bowls with some urine (no feces), sump pump failures, seepage due to hydrostatic pressure, broken aquariums and punctured water beds. Gray water may contain chemicals, bio-contaminants (fungal, bacterial, viral, algae) and other forms of contamination including physical hazards. Time and temperature aggravate Category 2 water contamination levels significantly. Gray water in flooded structures that remains untreated for longer those 48 hours may change to Category 3. Category 3– Black water contains pathogenic agents and is grossly unsanitary. Any persons with compromised immune systems, respiratory problems or allergies, or who are under 2 years of age or elderly must remain off the job site until the building is judged safe for occupancy. Black water includes sewage and other contaminated water sources entering or affecting the indoor environment. Toilet backflows that originate from beyond the toilet trap is considered black water contamination, regardless of visible content or color. Category 3 water includes all forms of flooding from seawater, ground surface water and rising water from rivers or streams. Such water sources carry silt and organic matter into structures that create black water conditions. The water is considered to be Category 3 water in situations where structural materials and/or contents have been contaminated with such contaminants as pesticides,...
Read MoreWater Damage – Will Your Home Insurance Policy Pay For Water Damage? Part 2
Is Your Home Insured Against Water Damage? Will My Insurance Cover It? Yes. No. Maybe. The single most confusing element related to water damage is what is and is not covered. Find out what you have, or don’t have, and learn what you need when it comes to water damage and your insurance. Continued from MN Water Damage – Will Your Home Insurance Policy Pay For Water Damage? Part 1 We will try to clarify some of these points in this blog. Common Water Damage Insurance Scenarios Here are some common causes of water damage. Find out if you are covered by your insurance policy if you face any one of these common scenarios. Scenario 1: If your water pipes froze due to the cold weather and burst, flooding your home with tap water. In this scenario, most homeowners insurance plans will cover you on a conditional basis. If the house was unoccupied when the incident happened and the pipes burst because you forgot to turn on the heat before leaving, some policies may not cover the damage. This is because the incident may have been easily prevented had it not been for your negligence. Scenario 2: Your washing machine or dishwasher overflows and floods your basement, laundry room, or kitchen. In this scenario, the decision depends on the reason what caused the water appliance involved to malfunction. If the damage was accidental or was due to some defect in the appliance, your policy may cover the water damage repair, but not the repair for your appliance. However, if the problem was caused by your lack of maintenance, your policy may not cover it. Scenario 3: Your sewage system backed up and flooded your basement. Basic home insurance policies do not cover basement floods caused by sewage water damage. Most companies frown upon sewer backups because the water involved is black water or is highly contaminated. In fact, several policies specifically list sewer backups under its exclusions. Thus, if you want to be protected from this, you will have to pay extra for special coverage. You can use the following list as a general guide to what is and isn’t covered or simply refer to the Summary of Coverage (PDF 108K) to help you better understand your policy and coverage. Scenario 4: Water seeps through your basement foundation and damages your home’s foundation and basement interior. Water seepage problems are not covered by homeowners insurance plans. This is because seepage only occurs if you failed to have foundation waterproofing installed before you had your house constructed. It is not considered as sudden and accidental. Scenario 5: Heavy raining caused a nearby river to overflow and the flood enters your living room. It also damages some of your furniture. This scenario is considered as flood water damage, and is excluded from regular home insurance policies. If you want coverage for flood damage, you have to purchase an additional flood insurance rider. You also have the option to avail of federally provided flood insurance plans, which are offered by the National Flood Insurance Programs to communities participating in its floodplain management project. You can determine if your property is eligible for flood insurance by checking the NFIP Community Status Book. For Minnesota PDF 49KB Scenario 6: Fire water damage Another water damage cause that almost all homeowners insurance companies frown upon is fire water damage. Such damage is excluded due to the high level of loss they often entail. Like with flood damage, fire damage will only be covered if you purchased of an additional fire insurance rider on top of your...
Read MoreHome Inspection – Disclosing Water Problems When Selling Your House
Buying or Selling A Home? Get An Inspection! The purchase of a home is one of the largest single investments you will ever make. You should know exactly what to expect — both indoors and out — in terms of needed and future repairs and maintenance. A fresh coat of paint could be hiding serious structural problems. Stains on the ceiling may indicate a chronic roof leakage problem or may be simply the result of a single incident. It can also be an indication of water and mold damage from basement flooding. Why Do I Need An Inspection? The inspector interprets these and other clues, and then presents a professional opinion as to the condition of the property so you can avoid unpleasant surprises afterward. Of course, an inspection will also point out the positive aspects of a building, as well as the type of maintenance needed to keep it in good shape. After the inspection, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property you are about to purchase, and be able to make your decision confidently. Truth-in-Housing Evaluations Truth-in-Housing Evaluations, which are also known as Time-of-Sale Evaluations in some cities, are required by city ordinance in a number of communities. Minneapolis, St. Paul, Maplewood, Bloomington, South St Paul and Hopkins all require that an independent evaluator, licensed by the city, perform the evaluation. The report is required to be on display at the house when it is shown for sale. The evaluation of the home is based on each city’s housing code. Most of the cities require that some repairs of hazardous items be made. What Is a “Truth-in-Housing” Report? Some Minnesota cities require a Truth-in-Housing Report that tells you the condition of the home based on the city’s housing code standards. The report is completed by a licensed evaluator. Some cities have limited requirements to meet, so don’t rely on this report alone. Minneapolis Truth-in-Sale Inspection | Home Inspection and Water Damage Most communities that have this ordinance do not require the seller to make repairs. The intent of the report is to provide prospective home buyers with thorough, accurate information to assist them in making a good decision about buying a home. When a Truth-in-Housing Report is required, the seller must provide the report to all prospective buyers at the time of the showing. If you have questions about a Truth-in-Housing Report for a particular home, contact the evaluator or the city in which the home is located. Disclosure Requirements Many states have laws about disclosing problems when selling your house. Usually these states have a standard disclosure form you can get from a real estate broker, your local library, or online. What a seller must disclose to potential buyers varies from state to state. The general rule, though, is you have to disclose any “material” or “serious” defects or problems you know about. That doesn’t mean you have to disclose every single minor problem, such as creaky floors, doors that stick, and minor cracks in the walls. Rather, if a particular problem would have a major impact on a buyer’s decision to buy or not, then you need to disclose it. Some examples of things you may see on a disclosure form include: Flooding in the basement Leaks in the roof Lead paint anywhere in the house. In fact, whether or not your state has a disclosure law, federal law requires you to follow the Lead Disclosure Rule if your home was built before 1978 Whether the home is located in a flood plane As a seller, if you have owned your home...
Read More