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)

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What Is the Difference Between a Flood Damage and a Water Damage?

Flooding refers to a large deposit of water around a home or building, or when the ground can't support the excess amount of water. At this point, the water will enter into a home or building and create damage. This is referred to as flood damage.

On the other hand, water damage is usually caused by internal issues in a home or building, including, but not limited to toilet over-flows, burst pipes, water heater leaks, broken sprinkler heads, etc.

The difference between flood and water damage to home and business owners', is who is responsible - financially and legally.

Financially, your damage will potentially fall under your insurance company or the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA).

FEMA covers homes and buildings in states that are in a "flood zone," or if the flood is in an area that is under a State of Emergency. However, you should always contact FEMA directly and never assume a damage will be covered; as with all government programs, the rules can change based on particular circumstances and policies differ from state to state.

Insurance companies have a policy, which is basically a contract, with the home or business owner stating what will and will not be covered. Generally, insurance companies cover water damages, where the home or business owner could not prevent the hazard.

Unfortunately, many policyholders are shocked when they learn that their claim has been denied when they sustain flood damage. They discover that the insurance company deemed the damage was the result of a "maintenance issue" (what the homeowner could control). Most home and business owners do not even know that there are maintenance issues required of them under their policy. According to the insurance industry, home and building owners are supposed to inspect basements and windows to determine potential leak and flood liabilities!

The most important thing you can do is to carefully review your insurance policy so that you are not caught by surprise for any type of damage that may occur! As well, if you discover any type of water in your home or business, contact a restoration company immediately! The quicker the water is removed, the less damage and expense you will incur.

As you have read, flood damage and water damage are actually two different situations. They make look the same or seem the same, but depending on who is paying are actually worlds apart in definition. If you have water issues in your home or business make sure you understand the situation before you begin.

Jeffrey Cohn
SI Restoration
Water Damage Company
IICRC certified
Stericlean Certified Hoarding Specialist
1-800-356-0484
410-458-5371 ( cell )

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Having Insurance for Water Damage

The First Question Should Be is My Water Damage Loss Covered

The variations of water damage to dwellings can be many and many times homeowners are shocked to learn that their specific policy does not cover a particular type of water loss. Being stuck with a high repair out-of-pocket expense can be disheartening to any owner and should be avoided. Steps can be taken to insure this does not happen. First before disaster strikes policies should be reviewed and questions should be asked the home insurance company. Particular insurance policies should be understood and defined to outline the basic water damage coverage. For instance most policies cover damage that occurs from rain that enters through a hole in the roof caused by winds but not water that rises above slab heights and floods carpets and wood floors. There is no insignificant question that can be asked when so much is at stake. A clear understanding is crucial.

Next Question Asked Is My Property Located in a Flood Zone

Flood zones are identified as a Special Flood Hazard Area or SFHA by the Federal Emergency Management Agency otherwise known as FEMA. These areas are identified on a flood map as high risk because of factors such as close proximity to rivers, coastlines receiving storm surges, consistent weather patterns of heavy rainfall and places of development and erosion. FEMA provides online guides to decide where communities are located within the Flood Map and what the exact individual's risks are. FEMA also provides an enormous amount of information from projected risk scenarios to cost of flooding charts. This information again is critical to decide adequate insurance coverage for a homeowner's water damage loss. Insurance agents can help give this information also.

My House is Flooded I Have Insurance in Place What Do I Do Now

The adage "Time is of the Essence" rings true in this situation. Water damage increases exponentially as the clock ticks. Flooding will travel along the path of least resistance indoors soaking into drywall, carpet, flooring and sub-flooring compromising the integrity of the structure. Emergency water removal will lessen the damage and cost that's required for complete restoration. A water mitigation company should be called immediately. They operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week and should be equipped with water extraction equipment, dehumidifiers and air movers to start the process of completely eliminating all humidity and moisture content from the dwelling. The next step should be contacting the claims department with the insurance carrier to file a claim and start the process. A claim adjuster will be able to answer any questions particular to an individual's policy and issue claim numbers after filing.

Todd Snyder owner and operator of Flood Kings a local Water Damage Restoration Company servicing the Dallas Fort Worth area. Our offices in both Dallas             (972) 816-6487       and Fort Worth             (817) 312-5478       enable us to offer a 30 minute response time to any flood damage or water damage emergency in the metroplex. IICRC trained & certified our technicians are ready to respond 24/7 with a complete line of water removal and water extraction equipment.

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