Top Water Loss Questions
Living in Northwest Indiana, thunderstorms and chances of heavy rains and flooded homes come with the changing of our seasons. We’ve got the answers to top water loss questions we’re asked when a water damage occurs.
Should I make a claim with my insurance company?
Deciding whether or not to make a claim with insurance company depends on two things:
1. Is the loss covered by the insurance company?
2. Your deductible amount. If the cost of the mitigation and repairs is less than your deductible, it might be in your best interest not to file a claim and pay out of pocket.
>>Learn More: I’ve Had A Water Damage, Now What?
How do I know if I’m covered?
Check with your insurance company if you have any endorsements or if this specific type of loss is covered under your current insurance policy.
>>Be In The Know: Should I Get Flood Insurance?
When can I expect your crews to arrive?
In the instance of a severe weather surge, our staff works diligently to keep our crews moving fast and to your home in a timely matter. Once a crew is available, we will call to let you know an estimated time of arrival.
What can I do to prevent further damage while I wait for your crews to arrive?
When there’s water in your home and you’re waiting for the water crews to arrive, there are a couple action items that you can do to prevent further damage and ultimately save yourself money.
- Move unaffected items to a dry area
- Place furniture on wood blocks to prevent warping or damage to the materials
- In summer months, run your AC
- If possible, extract as much water as possible using a wet/dry shop vac
- Repair the source (pipes or replace the sump pump)
>>Learn More: Save Your Belongings from Flooding
Who should I contact for necessary repairs?
Depending on the cause of the loss, it will vary who you should call for necessary repairs.
- Sewer drain – plumber
- Burst pipe, appliance leak, plumbing malfunction – plumber
- Foundation leak – foundation expert
AmeriClean is happy to refer an expert in your area for any of these contacts.
What safety concerns should I be aware of?
Anytime water enters a home, whether a small or large amount, there are certain safety concerns that homeowners need to be aware of.
- Electrical
- If water is ankle deep, it is important to be cautious of moving the waters and potentially causing water to reach electrical outlets.
- If water is knee deep, stay out of the area and turn the power to the area off.
- Falling ceilings
- If the water leak has come from upper level of the home, homeowners need to be ware of possible falling ceilings. If you notice any buckling of the ceilings, don’t enter the premise and wait for the professionals.
- Bacteria
- If your water loss is due to a sewer backup, stay out of the area unless you have rubber boots to wear. Make sure to remove boots before tracking into another area of the home in order to limit contamination of bacteria.
How do you get the water out of my carpet and pad?
When you have a water damage in your home and your carpet and pad are affected, we use a weighted extractor to compress the carpet and pad and apply suction at the same time. This allows to squeeze ever last drop of water out of your carpet and greatly reduce the drying time.
How do you know my walls are dry?
The first thing we do when we arrive at a water damaged property is complete an inspection to determine what areas are affected and determine what our drying standard is. After that, each day we will come back and monitor the drying progress. We’ll use a combination of penetrating and non-penetrating meters to determine the affected materials have reached our drying goal.
How long will it take to dry?
This is one of the most common questions we hear when a homeowner reports a water loss to our office. Depending on the severity of the water damage, what types of materials are involved, and how big of an area is affected; the standard drying time is between 3-5 days. The average residential water damage will be closer to three days.
>>AmeriClean Difference: Let AmeriClean Save Your Hardwood Floors
About AmeriClean, Inc.
AmeriClean, Inc was established in 1986 by Bob Eriks in a small warehouse as a provider of Fire Damage Restoration for Northwest Indiana. Fast forward to today and AmeriClean’s services include Carpet, Upholstery, Air Duct, Area Rug, Ceramic Tile Cleaning; as well as: Water Damage Restoration, Fire Damage Restoration and Mold Remediation. With 30 years of experience, AmeriClean, Inc. is now a leading name in water, fire and restoration services for both residential and commercial properties. For more information, visit our website or call 800.654.9101.
