Answers to Common Questions About a House Flood

As a homeowner, it’s not uncommon to make the occasional call to a local plumber, electrician, or handyman for a few small projects or issues around your house. However, when it’s time to call a restoration company, you know there’s likely a bigger problem present. At Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc., we realize many people don’t even know what a restoration company is until they need our help – but the good news is, we can help with a lot of problems, and answer a lot of your questions about the whole process.

When someone calls us about a flood in their Goshen home, our goal is to instill a sense in you quickly that we understand the problem and can get you quickly on the path to fixing it. We are happy to answer your questions, and understand the better you understand this restoration and insurance claim process, the better you’ll be able to cope and recover from the flood itself.

So here are three of the most common questions we’re asked after a house flood.

1. Am I covered?

It’s probably no surprise that homeowner’s almost immediately want to know if the water loss will be covered. Unfortunately, we don’t have a straight answer for that question, but based on trends we can offer you a pretty good idea of whether or not it will be. To put it simply, there are two categories: flood damage and water damage. Flood damage is when water comes in from outside your home, and generally, in instances where that flooding is due to a swollen river or lake, that won’t be covered by a standard homeowner insurance policy. This type of damage requires actual flood insurance. On the flip side, if a pipe bursts in your home and your basement is flooded, it’s probably covered. That is considered water damage.

If you aren’t sure what exactly is on your insurance policy, we certainly suggest speaking with your insurance agent about your coverage sooner than later.

And, if you’re calling us once the water loss has happened, rest assured that we also will work with your insurance company to see what is covered and what is not so you understand what you’re dealing with right off the bat.

2. Who do I call for help?

When there is a fire in your house, you automatically know to call 911. But what if there’s a flood or water damage? Calling a restoration company, like Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc., is a very good first step to be sure the drying and restoration process gets started quickly. The sooner the drying begins, the less extensive the damage to your home will be and the quicker the entire restoration process will go.

It’s also wise to put in a call to your insurance agent or company to talk through what has happened and get the claim opened. This could also help ease any worries you might have about your policy covering, or not covering, the damage.

If the event is severe and you need help beyond a restoration company, you can consider calling the Red Cross or a local shelter. Those are options mostly for after a natural disaster but are great resources year-round when families suffer a disaster of any kind.

3. How much will this cost?

This goes hand-in-hand with the question about coverage, and unfortunately, it’s not something we can answer. Every situation is unique. However, you’ll see as the restoration process gets underway, we communicate often about as much as we can so you will understand the costs from start to finish of the project so there are no gray areas, and hopefully no surprises.

A high-quality water damage restoration company like Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc. in Goshen will be able to answer all of your questions and meet all of your needs. Contact a professional in any water emergency situation.

Common Reasons for Water Damage and How to Prevent It

After finding water damage in their home, most people’s first reaction will be to ask how this happened, and how to prevent it from happening again. If you aren’t sure how the water damage in your home was caused, start looking at the three most common causes of water damage.

Flat Roof

It’s pretty obvious that flat roofs are a lot harder to drain than pitched roofs. Even though most flat roofs are slanted slightly to allow water to exit the roof through drainage points towards the edges, these can easily become clogged. If this happens or if the roof is not angled correctly, water can collect on the roof and begin to seep through and into the house over time. If you have a flat roof, it is important that you check to make sure there isn’t any water buildup after heavy snow or rainfall.

Gutters

If you have a pitched roof, gutters are vital to making sure rainwater is not only drained off of your roof, but also directed far enough away from your home that it doesn’t over saturate the ground and cause flooding on the ground level. Gutters can also be easily clogged with leaves, mud, sticks, etc. Because of this, it is important to clean out your gutters regularly. If they are clogged or even broken, it won’t be able to carry water away from your home. Instead, water can spill through cracks and breaks, or overflow and land right next to your house and eventually make its way inside, causing an even bigger, more expensive problem.

Leaky Pipes

If you turn on water from any source and you notice water coming out of anywhere other than the faucet, under your sink perhaps, you’ve got a leaky pipe. Pipes have tons of connections on their road from the supply to your faucets and older connections can start to leak after a few years. Then there’s the nightmare scenario of a burst pipe. Pipes usually burst because the water inside them freezes, causing the metal pipe to rupture and once it thaws and the water is turned on, you are going to have a huge mess. If this disaster strikes, cut off the water supply and call Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc. to ensure the mess is properly and completely cleaned up.

Though these are a few of the most common reasons for water damage, they are far from the only reasons. A lot of the time, spotting water damage from any water source can be difficult. Here are some signs to look out for:

• Faulty Paint

If your paint begins to bubble, peel, chip, or show any evidence of discoloration, that’s one of the easier signs of water damage to identify

• Cracked Caulk

Deteriorating caulk around the base of your sink faucet or windows is another sneaky sign of water damage.

• Damp Doors

If you’re noticing that your doors (or windows, for that matter) are becoming increasingly difficult to open or close, that could be a result of them taking on water like a sponge. Wood windows and doors are clearly the most susceptible to this sneaky sign of water damage.

• Damaged Foundation

A cracked foundation could be a result of water seeping in. This could likely be a result of improper drainage from gutters and downspouts, among other sources.

• Funky Odors

Eventually, water damage will start to emit a musty, mildewy smell. Listen to your nose, it is on your side.

If you are experiencing any type of water damage in Goshen, contact a trusted, certified professional water restoration team like Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc..

How Clogged Gutters Create Water Damage

Spring is (finally) in the air! And that means that homeowners across the country and in Goshen are creating their “To Do” lists for their annual spring cleaning routine. The last thing you want is another item to add to your list, but there is one item of spring cleaning that shouldn’t be skipped. It’s gutter cleaning.

You may think that clogged gutters are just an ugly nuisance; however, they are much, much more than that. Clogged, malfunctioning and broken gutters can cause both minor and extensive water damage this spring. If you’re not convinced, take a look at these four water damage problems caused by rain gutters.

1. Roof Damage

If your gutters are clogged with water after a storm, the water will have no choice but to stay put. The standing water will result in a soggy roof. The edge of your roof surface and the underlying materials (usually wood sheeting) can be damaged by prolonged contact with water. After time, the materials weaken and need to be replaced. Water damage in your roof can also lead to water damage ceilings. If the water is left to drip or leak for an extended amount of the time  the damage can reach as far as your ceiling and even walls. Having a water damaged ceiling is not something any homeowner wants to deal with.

2. Damaged Exteriors

Gutters are designed to pull water away from the home. However, if gutters are plugged with leaves, forgotten baseballs, and dirt, the water will begin to spill over the edge. It will fall onto exterior walls, windows, doors, and other structures. Since these features aren’t designed to undergo excessive water contact, they will begin to rot, warp, and weaken.

3. Weakened Foundation

Since the foundation of your home supports everything on top, it may be one of the most valuable structures. If your rain gutters aren’t working properly, countless gallons of water may seep into the foundation of your home and ruin it. This can cause your foundation to leak, shift, crack, or even sink in extreme cases. You’ll be left with a massive water damage restoration project that could have been easily prevented.

4. Slippery Surfaces

Again, with clogged gutters, water is falling in places you don’t expect it to. Your visiting friends and family may be subject to a slippery walkway if your rain gutters aren’t in great condition. Usually, homeowners are primarily concerned with ice (rightfully so), but excessive water is surprisingly slippery and unsafe. Prevent any potential accidents by making sure your gutters are in great working condition.

Cleaning Gutters

Since dirty gutters can create a host of water damage problems, take a look at these simple tips to ensure clean gutters and a damage-free spring.

• Pre-Clean Gutters. Carefully climb a ladder and simply scoop the leaves, dirt, and other materials out.
• Check gutter spikes. To confirm that your rain gutters are properly attached, check that all the spikes properly attach into the fascia board and into the rafter behind it. If necessary, invest in new spikes.
• Check for leaks. Leaks are an obvious contributor to spring water damage. If found, remove the old caulking, dry the area, and apply fresh bead silicon sealing.
• Ensure rivets are properly attached. During this procedure, check the rivets on the downspout. Use a rivet gun to reattach if they are loose or completely missing.
• Use a pressure washer. Assuming your gutters have no debris and are properly attached to the house, pressure washing will not hurt them. Following the pressure washing instructions exactly for maximum cleanliness.

Hopefully, now you recognize the importance of clean rain gutters. Varying degrees of water damage can occur if rain gutters are clogged of malfunctioning. However, if you do incur water damage from rain or any other source, Advanced Disaster Recovery Inc. in Goshen is your place! We are familiar will all types of water damage and will help you on the road to recovery.