Top Tips for Flood Protection

Flood damage can be extensive and expensive. It is not always covered by home insurance policies so it is advisable for homes and businesses to take some simple but effective precautions to minimise the risk to their premises and keep costs to a minimum.

Businesses must also have an effective plan to remain operational if disaster strikes, otherwise outgoing costs will sky rocket and incoming payments will cease. In an average year, DEFRA and the Environment Agency (EA) calculate that the cost incurred per flooded English business ranges from £75,000 to £112,000.

Here are some Top Tips to help ensure minimal distress in case of flooding in your property.

Minimising Risk

1. Know your situation - If you don't know whether or not you are at risk of flooding, find out. People always say, "I never thought this type of thing would happen to me". Investigate the risk, if there is a chance it could happen to you, be prepared for it. The Environment Agency monitors the UK for flood risk and issues warnings to areas in danger of flooding. Register with the EA Floodline to receive warnings of flood.

2. Plan - If you don't have physical flood protection, you may need to evacuate and this will need to be safely monitored and organised. Businesses could modify an existing fire exit strategy. Ensure you have a flood emergency response plan and an emergency response team. Appoint a Flood Warden to show staff where the plan is kept along with a list of key contact numbers. Consider preparing a flood kit that can be stored where staff members can easily get to it if the property is flooded.

3. It is a wise idea for businesses to have a continuity plan to facilitate continued operational effectiveness. Modern technology makes it easy to have a portable company. You can relocate to another property (perhaps a room in the business owner's home), or at least have a scaled-down operation functioning for the duration of the flood. Homeowners can modify these guidelines to make sure they are able to effectively look after their families if they find themselves caught in floods.

4. Have a plan of action in case of flooding: have sandbags or a flood barrier to help keep the water out, know who is in charge of doors, windows, drains and air vents, who will be responsible for tracking the status of the flood, have an exit strategy, and a list of contacts where you could stay in a worst-case scenario, as well as your local support telephone numbers. Also keep a family flood kit, which contains a few essentials, particularly for any children, and make sure you grab your laptop and mobile phone since these could prove essential for learning more about the extreme weather conditions and staying in touch with people who could help. For both businesses and homes, it is vital to ensure that someone is appointed to turn off all the gas and electricity.

5. Are you protected? - Check insurance policies to see if you are covered for flood damage. Only a small percentage of people in high flood risk areas know if their insurance covers water damage. If you can keep the water out, this is better than fixing the damage. Look at simple preventative steps you can take such as portable flood barriers.

Reducing Flood Damage

1. Switch Off and Relocate - Relocate high-value items, critical records and electronic equipment to upper floors. If it is safe to do so, move essential vehicles to higher ground. Disconnect all electrical appliances and shut off the gas supply to reduce the risk of fire.

2. Hold Back Hazardous Water - Flood waters are often contaminated with biohazards (sewage, medical waste, animal waste and carcasses) or other hazardous materials (fuels, asbestos, farm chemicals, etc.). Flood-damaged buildings may also have damp areas where moulds, mildews, and other organisms thrive. Close hand-operated valves on drain piping to prevent backflow through floor drains or plumbing fixtures. Check roof, floor or yard drains are clear.

3. Document Any Damage - Take pictures of the damage, both to the property and its contents for insurance claims. Notify insurers of the damage and schedule restorative works.

To find out more about how you can protect your home or business, visit Floodgate

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How Do You Make A Water Damage Or Flood Clean Up Claim To Your Insurance Company?

As a water damage restoration clean up professional for over 22 years, getting use to how a claim is made by a homeowner when they have water damage is easy. But most homeowners have no idea how or who to call when they have a water damage or flood damage issue.

When a call comes in for a water damage or flood damage most homeowners will ask the obvious question "how much do you charge for your services"

Any contractor that gives any answer is fooling the customer do to the fact that every water damage or flood situation is different.

The first question that will usually come out of the mouths of experienced and qualified water damage restoration companies (notice I didn't say carpet cleaners who also do water damage clean up) do you have insurance. Most homeowners will say yes, but I am not sure if the company will cover the damage.

Here are some steps and tips on how to proceed in finding out first if the insurance company will pay for your damage.

Look for your insurance papers (documents) that you received from your insurance agent and look for the phone number that contacts the claims office of your insurance company. Sometimes even the agents themselves have trouble digging through the paper work to find the claims phone number. The best suggestion is to look on the internet for your insurance companies claim number. It's usually easy to find on the first page of the site.

Before calling understand the insurance language. The insurance company person on the phone that you will discuss your possible water damage claim is called an adjuster. Your damage is referred to as a claim,peril or a loss. I know loss sounds strange but that's the language that is used. There maybe someone who will come to your house from the insurance company and that person is also called an adjuster. The documents or paper work that was given to you originally by your agent is called a policy. The policy is your contract and in most cases clearly spells out what is covered and what is not. That leads us to the word covered that I just mentioned. The word covered is used when the insurance company accepts responsibility to pay the costs of the damage of the items that were damages by the water damage and the clean up costs and repair costs of home items like drywall, carpet.

When talking to the adjuster on the phone don't talk to much. Just keep it simple with just the facts. As honest as you are, insurance company adjusters are not out to deny every claim as everyone thinks. There are state and federal laws that the insurance companies must follow, so the insurance companies work on proof.To keep it easy get proof of why the water damage happened like a bill or written statement from a plumber or the city or county of why something happened. Pictures are great and your dishwasher or washer machine appliance repairman will be your best friend to prove to the insurance company your damage is a "covered loss."

These days insurance companies will suggest a water damage restoration company to come out and mitigate the damage. Mitigate is the term that is used to clean up and stop further damage from happening. Most insureds (that's you the homeowner) believe that the water damage clean up work will be guaranteed because the company mentioned their name. Actually the company only suggests and will not back up any companies work. Remember that you the homeowner has the legal right to use anyone you want to.

Contacting the insurance company to make a claim can be nerve racking to some homeowners. Just remember to be calm and relay the facts.

Jeffrey Cohn
SI Restoration
IICRC certified
http://www.si-restoration.com
Stericlean Certified Hoarding Specialist
            1-800-356-0484      
            410-458-5371       (cell)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Cohn

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