Water Damage: Steps to Take Before a Restoration Crew Arrives
Here at Good Times Plumbing & Restoration we understand that having any type of damage to your house can be very stressful. By following these simple steps it will allow our team to get the job started as quickly as possible, so we can restore your home back to pre-loss conditions in a timely manner.
1. Stop the Source if Possible
As soon as you have come across any signs of water damage to your home you need to take steps to stop the damage from furthering. Insurance companies have the right to deny portions of your claim, on the grounds that you did not intervene ASAP. Depending on the source of your water damage you need to stop further water from coming into your home. If a pipe had burst in your walls, you need to find your water shut-off valve to your home, depending on your area it can usually be found in your front yard where your hose is connected (1/4 turn valve on the pipe coming up from the ground into your home as seen to the left). Other types of water damage may spring from: toilets, refrigerator, washing machines, dish washers, roof leaks, or storm damage. Mitigate toilet leaks by finding the 1/4 turn valve on the water supply line behind the toilet. If the leak is before the valve then you’ll have to turn the water off to your house using the image above from outside your home.
2. Don’t Wait, Call Good Times Plumbing & Restoration as soon as possible!
If your property has been damaged by a leak or a flood, the sooner the mitigation process begins the better. Waiting to deal with water damage will result in a greater loss and can lead to secondary damage. Here at Good Times Plumbing & Restoration fast response times is a priority, give us a call and our technicians will be on scene to start the job process within an hour! (In most cases)
3. Call a Plumber
It is important to contact a plumber so we can coordinate schedules and have them fix the source of the leak or flood.
4. Document loss
Taking pictures of the areas and contents affected will help us, and your insurance get a better understanding of the extent of the damage at the time of the initial discovery.
5. Remove Valuables From Affected Areas
Often times when a flood occurs personal contents are also affected. This usually results in our technicians having to relocate or even pack out contents from the affected areas. To avoid loss and misplacement of personal items we ask that you remove all valuables from affected areas. Picture documentation is then performed by our team before remaining contents are relocated. This will allow us to move forward with the demolition and water mitigation process , and at the completion of the job return the contents to their rightful place.
6. Start the Claim Process
If you plan to handle this water loss through insurance, call your insurance provider and begin the claims process. We will need the claim number, the names of your insurance agent and insurance adjuster, and their phone number and email address. This information will help us stay in contact with them to give constant updates on the scope of the job and the work being performed. Our main goal for our customers is to make the claims process as seamless as possible. This focus on communication will not only take stress off you, but it will also speed up the job process.
