Chris Sligh Online

Everyone who has been in a house fire is likely to be eager to get back into their home and figure out just how much damage might have been done, but unfortunately if you are too eager to get this done, you might be putting yourself in danger if you do not make sure that your fire marshal says that you can re-enter the home.  He or she will tell you if it is safe to go back in the home yet and you should never ignore this advice. 

The next thing that you need to do is call your insurance company in order to file a claim.  Give your insurance adjuster time to get there and take a look at the damage before you try to repair or move anything in the home.  The electricity to your home should also be turned completely off in case there is standing water there from the fire trucks spraying it into the home.  Electrocution is possible if the power to your home is not turned off.

Hiring a professional fire damage restoration company is recommended, since they can give you all kinds of advice as to what items in your home can be salvaged and they know how to go about repairing damage to the floors and walls.  Their services might run on the expensive side, but using them instead of trying to fix your furniture and floors on your own will probably save you money in the long run. 

Anything in your home that got wet from the fire hoses should be dried out as soon as you can and any standing water swept out of the home.  Any other water should be soaked up with towels.  Sometimes carpets can be saved if you take the time to treat them properly, but it is best not to walk on wet carpet that has soot and ash all over it.  This will set them further into the fibers and make it extremely difficult to get out.

Since water damage to your floors is a serious issue depending on how much water was pumped into your home, you should do your best to dry out the carpet as soon as possible.  Mold will set in after a couple of days of being wet and once carpet gets moldy, it is better to throw it away most of the time than to try and clean it.  Molded carpet padding must always be thrown away.  It cannot be cleaned.

On Basement Flooding Emergency

Under most home insurance policies, mold is one of the few things (along with rust, rot, and fungi) that are generally uncovered unless it is the result of something that is covered by the home’s insurance policy, such as flood damage and the water caused by a burst pipe. However, mold that has been caused by leaks, condensation, or flooding (in the case where the homeowner does not have flood insurance) is not covered.

Even though mold has been around for thousands of years and will continue to be for thousands more, the amount of mold claims that have been submitted to insurance companies have increased significantly. Insurers are beginning to insert some language into their policies that is very specific as to what is covered and what is not. Some companies may soon decide to offer to cover damages caused by mold and will raise the price of the policy and others may choose to continue to completely exclude mold from the homeowner’s insurance policy. In order to guard against the failings of your homeowner’s insurance, removing mold and preventing it from returning is essential if you wish to retain the value of your home and your health.

Anyone who owns or rents property should be aware that mold should be cleaned up as soon as it is discovered and that mold cannot grow without a decent access to moisture. Repairing water damage, the cause of excess humidity, and other leaks should be done immediately in order to minimize the amount of mold that will grow in that area of the property. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people take measures to safeguard not only their properties, but also their health by making swift work of the mold growing where they live and/or work and taking appropriate measures to make sure it does not return.

Your home should not be completely air tight and a home that is cannot breathe. Homes that air cannot flow freely through are breeding grounds for mold because the air is allowed to become stagnant. You should have vents installed in the bathrooms, laundry room, and kitchen in your home.

Wood and other cellulose-based debris should not be placed in any crawl spaces or against the side of the home because mold eats these and any other organic-based material.

Carpet shouldn’t be installed anywhere in the home where moisture should be a problem such as the bathroom where toilets or bath tubs can overflow or in the laundry room where the washer could leak out into the floor.

Article By Mold and Your Insurance - Connecticut Document Drying