When your home gets flooded, whether it is from a natural disaster or because of a malfunction in the home itself chances are pretty good the event will be devastating no matter how major or minor. The most important thing to be done when home flooding happens is to get the water up as quickly as possible. The faster it is cleaned up and dried out, the less likely there will be permanent damage.
The longer that water is left standing, the greater risk there is for structural damage. Mold can begin to grow quickly as well. These are the most expensive problems to fix because of flooding. Floods caused by natural events such as a river rising, can cause a water level of a foot or more. This is the worst kind of flooding because it will affect more than just the floors. When these types of floods happen, in most cases a home owner has no choice except to wait until the water recedes before they can begin the drying out process.
No matter what a home flood is caused from, the clean up will be similar, even if not as extensive. With a natural disaster flood, there can be mud and toxic chemicals left behind because of sewer flooding, but this might not be true if a flood is due to faulty plumbing in a home such as a busted pipe. The clean up can be really different here. Floods leaving behind sewage and chemical damage must be cleaned up by professionals who know what they are doing. A home must be inspected for structural damage and for mold too when the water was there for long enough.
When you see that it is necessary to hire a professional water damage team, there are several things to be considered. First of all is where to find a good one. The internet is a good place to start these days. On the internet you can search through many businesses that service your area. It is important to find a business that has been around long enough to have a good established reputation. Their work record should be good with plenty of satisfied customers for references. The Better Business Bureau can also be helpful in getting the information you need before choosing who to hire. Never hire anyone who is not licensed and insured. Protect it by making sure you hire the right contractor.
Don Griffin of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, a trade association said that Water damage and homeowners policies can be a volatile issue in many ways and generally, the damage caused by water or by water damage will be covered, but whatever causes the damage - say, a leaking dishwasher hose - may not be. Therefore, although your insurer might pay to replace your damaged carpet by your dishwasher leak, you must pay to replace or repair the hose. If for example ,a sudden unforeseen problem such as your frozen pipe or hose leads to water damage, your homeowners insurance covers both the repairs to the broken pipe and to your home and your furnishings.
Here are some several common water damage scenarios you can look and as well as their insurance consequences.
Water damage scenario No. 1: your water pipes freeze and burst and your floor is now covered in 6 inches of water. Which was caused by the temperature drops to 10 below zero,
Are you covered then to insurance? Yes, you are covered then for water damage from your burst pipes, but most policies won't cover you if you have left your house unoccupied and without heat. Your claim could be denied if that's the case, because you have failed to perform the necessary upkeep that would prevent the accident caused by it.
Water Damage Scenario No. 2: your manicured lawn is ruined by water leaks from your backyard pool, and flooding your basement.
Are you covered then for insurance? Your basement and your personal property in it are covered, but not the damage to your lawn. For your lawn is a different story.
Water Damage Scenario No. 3: Your washing machine overflows and floods your basement.
Are you covered then for insurance? Yes, however, the extent to which you are covered depends on your insurer's view of the problem like did you fail to maintain the washer properly, or did sudden, unforeseen damage cause the flood?
Scenario No. 4: your basement has been flooded by a sewer backs up.
Are you covered then? The answer is no, you are not covered. The Standard policies do not cover it.
Scenario No. 5: When water seeps from your ground into your own basement, damaging your foundation and interior.
Are you covered then for insurance? No also because your seepage problem is considered your maintenance problem and not a "sudden and accidental" damage, and is excluded from your insurance coverage.
Scenario No. 6: water leaks through your roof during a heavy rainstorm. Your roof is damaged, as is furniture.
Are you covered then for insurance? Somewhat covered. Though you might not be reimbursed for roof repairs, because that is your house-maintenance issue, the water damage to your home is covered. It is likely covered if you have the standard H0-3 homeowners' policy, but not if you have the HO-1.
If for example something more drastic leads to the leak of your roof (your neighbor's tree falls on the roof, for example), the damage to your roof, home and belongings is covered then.
Both Rachel Yoshida & Ramona Weisly are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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