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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived Blog Posts

How to File a Storm Damage Insurance Claim

12/1/2022 (Permalink)

Ceiling collapsed in a living room of a house Storm damaged house in Marina del Rey, CA.

What Steps To Take When Filing a Claim After a Storm?

The aftermath of a storm can be devastating. Not only do you have to deal with the damage to your property, but also any other losses that might come from it. Luckily, homeowners’ insurance can help cover many of these costs and get you back on your feet. But you need to know exactly what steps to take when filing a claim after a storm — and how to do it right away. Here are some tips…

Confirm Your Deductible

It’s important to know your deductible amount before you file a claim. If you haven’t already, confirm this with your insurance company.

The deductible is the amount of money that you must pay before the insurance company pays for storm damage repairs. Typically, deductibles are expressed as a percentage of the total value of damaged property or as a flat fee. You will have to pay this amount before they start making payments on your behalf to cover costs associated with cleaning up from and repairing storm damage caused by high winds, hail, lightning strikes, etc.

Find Out If The Damage Is Covered By Insurance

You can do this by calling your agent or company representative and reviewing the policy. If it's not covered, you may have to pay for the damage yourself.

If you can file a claim, start by reporting any storm-related damages as soon as possible. Your insurer will likely ask that you submit photos or videos of the damage and make a list of what happened so they can assess its extent.

Document The Damage

With your insurance agent in tow, take photos of the damage and write down an itemized list of damaged items. If possible, don't move any furniture or appliances until you have a repair estimate from a contractor or repairman.

When you have estimates for repairs and replacements, be sure to make copies with the name and contact information for the contractor or repairman in case you need to get more work done at a later date.

Take Pictures

The next thing you need to do is take pictures of the damage. This will help you prove your claims and avoid disputes with the insurance company. Take photos of the entire building, including any parts that are or were damaged during the storm. You should also take photos of everything inside your home at this time (and keep them for reference).

You should also take photos of any personal belongings that were damaged or destroyed, as well as any other property damage caused by the storm (such as cracks in walls or floors). If there is no visible evidence of damage on a piece of furniture or electronics item, but it still seems like something is wrong with it.

Notify Your Mortgage Company

It's important to notify your mortgage company of any storm damage. If the damage is severe enough, they might foreclose on your home if you don't tell them about it—even if you've already filed a claim with an insurance company. You may also need to pay for repairs yourself and then get reimbursed by your insurance company. If that happens, wait until all the repairs have been made before submitting another claim with your property insurer so that both are covered by the same policy at once.

Call Your Agent or Company Representative Immediately

If you have a claim, call your agent or company representative immediately. Tell them what happened and ask them what to do next. If they are not available, leave a message on their voicemail or send an e-mail with the following information:

  • The date, time, and location of the damage
  • A brief description of the damage
  • Information about any people or pets involved in this loss

If you’ve suffered storm damage, it’s important to file a claim as soon as possible. This will help you get the money you need to repair your home and property in Marina del Rey, CA.

How to Avoid Water Damage While on Vacation

11/7/2022 (Permalink)

Are You Going on Vacation and Worried About Water Damage?

This article is here to help! Here are some top tips for how to avoid water damage while away from home.

Check for Leaks Before You Leave

1. Check for leaks in the basement. Make sure that all pipes are disconnected and that there's no water pooling in any area of your home. If you're leaving a property manager or landlord to take care of it, make sure they know about any problems so that they can fix them before your return date.

2. Check for leaks in the garage. 

3. Check for leaks in the attic. As with basements and garages, check behind storage boxes and furniture to ensure there aren't any hidden sources of moisture (which could lead to mold). 

Don't Forget To Turn Off the Water

You should also make sure you shut off the water at the main valve. It might be a good idea to use some tape or a marker to mark this valve, so you don't forget where it is when you leave, or if someone else is helping with your vacation preparations. The last thing you want is for someone in your home while on vacation to turn on the faucet in their bathroom and get into trouble because there's no running water!

Don't forget about your hot water heater either — the last thing anyone wants is for their water heater to malfunction while they're away from home.

Know Where Your Water Shut-off Valves Are

If you're not sure where the water shut-off valve is, call a plumber. If it's not available on your property, you can look at an online map of your home to find out where it might be.

If there are children or pets in the house, make sure that someone stays with them and monitors their behavior for any signs of illness following a flood situation.

Turn Off and Disconnect the Dishwasher and Washing Machine Hoses

The first step is to turn off and disconnect the dishwasher and washing machine hoses. To do this, you'll need to locate their water supply valves (usually underneath them) and turn them off. You can also just turn off their main water supply valve if they're connected to one.

Next, there are two ways to disconnect: by sliding the hose out of its housing or by unscrewing it with a wrench (or both). If you opt for the latter method, remember that you'll need a large enough wrench that will fit around your hoses' connections—you don't want them falling apart on you.

Finally, remember that even though these appliances have been unplugged from regular power sources for days now, turning off their water supplies does not mean they are "off." They still contain residual energy in their motors and pumps which could cause damage if not properly stored away from other objects or people.

The last thing you want when on vacation is to come home to a water-logged house. To avoid this from happening, be sure to check for leaks before leaving and make sure that all hoses are disconnected from the washer and dishwasher. Also remember not to forget about your drains! It may seem like common sense, but if left unattended these problems can drain your wallet as well as your home's foundation.

Fire and Water Damage

10/13/2022 (Permalink)

Fire Damage and Water Damage

The damage caused by fire can often be more than just the smoke and soot that is noticed in your business after a fire. The water used for fighting the fire may have damaged walls, roofs, and other surfaces, causing leaks and flooding. These problems should be cleaned up quickly by professional restoration companies. Our team at SERVPRO of Marina Del Rey/Westchester/El Segundo has the equipment and experience to handle any mess caused by water damage or flooding.

If a fire occurs in your business, you will also likely have water damage from the firefighting efforts.

The second reason to hire a professional remediation company is that the water damage from firefighting efforts can lead to mold and mildew growth, which will cause further damage. If you've ever seen mold growing on your walls, you know that it's not something anyone wants to deal with. Additionally, water damage can cause rot, warping and rust in furniture and other items if they're not properly dried out. This can also be costly to fix later if the problem isn't addressed immediately after the fire occurs.

It's important to hire professionals who are trained in working with various types of fires because they know how best to handle each situation without causing additional damage or making matters worse than they already are (which would end up costing you more money). You should also make sure that you hire a company that can guarantee their work.

The fire may have damaged your walls and roof, causing leaking and flooding.

Water damage can cause mold to grow, which is dangerous and expensive to remove. The best way to avoid water damage is by preventing it in the first place.

SERVPRO has years of experience cleaning up messes caused by fire, smoke, flood, and other natural disasters. We have a team of trained professionals who will be able to clean up any kind of mess your property may have after a disaster like this one.

You may need fire damage and water damage repair services.

Fire damage repair services include removing smoke and soot from walls and ceilings. Water damage repair services include drying out the building, removing water from the building, and making sure that no mold grows inside of your home.

Professional cleanup is always recommended after a flood or leak.

Most of the water damage is caused by a lack of maintenance. When water leaks or floods, it can destroy the structure of your property and cause expensive repairs. If you've experienced flooding, we recommend hiring a professional mold remediation company to help you properly clean up and repair your business.

Mold remediation requires expert techniques to remove all traces of the fungus from your building. Mold growth usually takes place within 24 hours after an area has been exposed to moisture, making it important that any affected areas are dealt with before mold grows out of control and into unseen places throughout your space. The longer you wait, the more damage will be done!

SERVPRO of Marina Del Rey/Westchester/El Segundo has the equipment to clean up any mess caused by the fire.

Our team of specialists is trained to clean up fire and water damage, and we have the expertise to get your home back to normal as quickly as possible. When you contact us after a fire, we’ll work with you to figure out the extent of damage done to your property so that we can develop a plan that will restore it back to its pre-fire condition in no time.

SERVPRO of Marina Del Rey/Westchester/El Segundo can also help you get back to business as soon as possible with our water damage repair services. If you need help, contact us today!