Property Damage Insurance for Columbus Water Damage Water damage property damage claims have quickly become the number one made claim for insurance coverage over any other insurable loss. Carriers have reported total claim amounts exceeding a billion dollars a year with flooring being the highest cost in replacement. It’s against the law for the restoration contractor to make coverage determinations, advise as to potential coverage, advise in “bad faith” determination or act in any manner of an adjuster or public adjuster. Unfortunately, the downside to this law is that the home or business owner loses the ability to have an experienced, ethical contractor as an advocate in their claim. The adjusters assigned by the insurance carriers are not experts in water damage, building construction, current building code or mold prevention or removal and typically work with the best interest of the insurance carrier in mind.

What the Restoration Contractor Can Do Despite the law, an experienced, ethical water damage restoration contractor is still able to help a great deal. We are able to speak of our experience and give guidance in the proper procedures involved in the restoration of your home or business. In using that experience, we can provide a well-documented line estimate for both the emergency water damage services and any water damage repair that may be needed. Any estimate given to you should be line itemed, specific to your property damage and include detailed notes to explain any detail that may be needed in special or unusual building material line items. Pro-Tip: As the policy holder, you are still required to mitigate your loss. Doing nothing may risk any applicable coverage available. You’re Not Expected to Be an Expert in Insurance Coverage The UPPA laws and insurance carriers were not created in attempt to force you, the policy holder to go about figuring out the Columbus water damage claim process on your own. They were written in effort to protect you from unethical contractors and vendors taking advantage of your insurance policy. Here are a few good tips to get you started on a path of successful restoration: Contact a restoration company to initiate water damage restoration services right away. Doing so will mitigate and reduce the severity of the loss.

For your protection, keep conversations, advice and contracts in writing . Verbal statements seldom stand up in court or overrule a written and signed document.

. Verbal statements seldom stand up in court or overrule a written and signed document. Take pictures of any and all damaged items and do not discard of any damaged personal property until reviewed and accepted by the carrier and adjuster.

Mitigation services such as water extraction, removal of saturated carpet and padding and the removal of water damaged drywall and insulation may start right; any building repair services cannot begin until your carrier has had the opportunity to review the damaged property.

until your carrier has had the opportunity to review the damaged property. For your protection, verify the restoration company is licensed, is insured properly and has workers compensation coverage. Any injury in your home or business may be your financial responsibility if the restoration contractor is not properly insured and covered by workers compensation insurance. For water damage prevention information and quick tips, please visit our water damage prevention page. If you find yourself at odds with your insurance carrier or adjuster, you have the right to contact the Ohio Department of Insurance and file a grievance as well as to contact a licensed public adjuster. A licensed public adjuster has the legal authority to act as your advocate in the insurance claims process for your property damage though should be used as a last resort after all communication attempts with your carrier and/or adjuster have failed. For your convenience, links to each are listed here. Ohio Department of Insurance Ohio Department of Insurance Licensed Public Adjusters

Sewer Backup / Sewer Damage Cleanup in Columbus Widely considered the most serious category in water damage and is often referred to as “Black Water”. Sewer water is grossly contaminated, containing potential pathogens, microbes, virus and disease and should never be entered by inexperienced or untrained contractors or vendors. The cleanup of sewage water is extensive and often means removal of most of the building materials and personal property affected. Porous and semi-porous materials must be discarded as sanitizing and deodorization of these items will often exceed value or be impossible to verify effectiveness. Non-porous building materials and personal property should be cleaned, sanitized thoroughly and removed, if possible from the area during the restoration process. Take caution as inexperienced restoration contractors will often use primers and sealants on wood surfaces such as sill plates and framing. This practice will hide ineffective cleaning procedures and may lead to secondary issues such as mold growth and contamination. Do not allow this practice without verification of cleaning such as ATP meter results and documentation. Water Damage Cleanup in Columbus The restoration of the water damage cleanup in your home or business will only be as successful as the experience of and the procedures followed by the restoration contractor. An unethical contractor will not utilize the necessary tools or ensure that the affected building materials have reached their dry standard. Take caution when selecting a restoration contractor. You’re giving the responsibility and safety of your home or business to someone that may not have the experience and training to taking the precautions that should be. There have been hundreds of reports of chemical induced illness and property damage due to the products they’ve used, most often without your knowledge. Pro-Tip: It’s the law that you are made aware of any product or chemical used in your home or business. An MSDS sheet must be given to you upon demand and you should ask for it. Our teams take the environment and your health and safety seriously and as a primary focus in every service we provide. In water damage restoration, we only use environmentally friendly products such as Benefect®, an all-natural plant based antimicrobial and disinfectant in your Columbus home or business.