By Hibu Websites
•
19 May, 2022
Greetings! Minnesota winters are legendary in severity and length, and all of that intensity makes spring one of the most welcome seasons of the year. As lifelong Minnesota residents, we love spring, but as third generation disaster restoration contractors, we also view spring through a different lens than most. For our team, spring in Minnesota typically comes with a large amount of water damage in homes, commercial buildings, and large residential properties. There are several factors that lead to this: Sump pump failures: Your sump pump was probably dormant over much of the winter. Have you checked that it is working properly and ready to handle the thawing wet ground? Listening can be key: If you can’t hear your sump pump working, you have a problem. Frozen pipes: Fluctuating spring weather can still bring freezing temperatures that put outdoor or otherwise unprotected pipes at risk. Melting snow: Keep the area around your building or home clear of snow, or a sudden melt can lead to a flood. Groundwater seepage: Melting snow and spring rains can raise the groundwater level enough that it may start seeping into basements, crawl spaces, and other low-level parts of your property. Mold growth: All of the previously mentioned issues can eventually lead to mold growth, if the water problems are not stopped - or if the damage left behind is not correctly restored. How Loyear Handles Water Damage Claims Whether you are an insurance agent, property manager, or property owner, everyone wants to avoid property damage, and to get the insurance coverage they need for any damage that does occur. This process can feel complicated and stressful, but Loyear has the experience and knowledge to make it as simple as possible for everyone involved. Here are the details on how we can help with water damage claims. The Rules We Follow Loyear follows the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards for water mitigation processes. These state of the art standards cover both the concepts and procedures needed to ensure thorough, high-quality, water damage restoration. The Tools We Use: Buildertrend, MICA and Xactimate In addition to the equipment we use on the actual water damage, we also have project management tools that make the claims process much easier: Buildertrend, MICA and Xactimate. Buildertrend is a communication technology system that allows us to easily send information to insurance carriers, agents, adjusters, and our clients. This gives everyone access to a single source for our notes, photos, readings, and progress to the job. It ensures transparency for all involved, and facilitates easy, frequent communication. MICA helps track our drying records and works in conjunction with Xactimate. Xactimate helps with the financial details, making all estimates and costs clear. 3 Tips for Ensuring Good Coverage for Water Damage Claims Now that we have explained the foundation of our water damage restoration process, it’s time to share a few specific tips. These are three potentially costly and messy issues that we have seen clients encounter, plus how to avoid them. Tip One: Know Your Policy Property owners, managers, and insurance agents should all have a good understanding of the water damage coverage that is included in an individual policy. If you have questions about what is or is not covered, check your policy carefully and consider meeting with your agent for clarification. Tip Two: Avoid Storm Chasers “Storm chasers” is a term used for contractors who travel from area to area, usually in the wake of severe weather. They can appear after a big flood, or weather changes like a storm. They should be avoided as their work quality may not be good, and they may make promises about repairs being covered by insurance that actually are not. This can result in situations that upset both the insurance agents/adjusters and the property owners. Avoid this expensive, dangerous problem by working with established, local contractors that your insurance agent knows and trusts. Tip Three: Understand Groundwater Seepage Coverage Most insurance policies do not cover groundwater, flooding from heavy rains or sump pump failures. Insurance policyholders must request additional coverage or an endorsement for these types of water damage. If you live in an area where groundwater damage is a risk, make sure you know your coverage options and have a policy that protects you. Spring Forward and Put Water Damage Behind You While you are enjoying the spring weather, make sure that you don’t forget the planning and precautions that will help you avoid problems with water damage claims, for both your own properties and for your policyholders. If you do encounter a soggy spring, contact Loyear Restoration, and we will put our 75 years of experience to work helping you and your clients. Our advanced water damage detection and restoration processes can solve even the biggest problems, and our team of professionals will respond quickly to any call, guiding you through repairs, restoration, and the claims process.
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