How Do You Know for Sure You Don’t Have a Hidden Water Damage and/or Mold Problem?
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families that have been greatly impacted by Hurricane Florence. Our team has been involved in helping to move people out of their homes that have been even moderately damaged. In some cases, the initial inspection revealed only minor damage. We have been doing our due diligence and our years of experience in looking and finding hidden moisture behind baseboards, window and door casings, and insulation. We are discovering microbial growth due to wind-driven rain.
The longer you wait to inspect your home or property after you have received water damage to the exposed surfaces of the drywall, it will often dry out. Does this mean the insulation and the wood is also dry? Absolutely not! The inside of the wall cavities is not exposed to air. The moist conditions are perfect breeding grounds for mold development and wood rot.
What if this is not discovered at the time of your inspection with your insurance adjuster? You only claim the obvious damage that you and the adjuster can see. Remember, the adjusters are expecting YOU to point out any damage. They are not going to open up walls, remove baseboards, crown moldings, hardwood flooring, etc. Why is this? For one, your adjuster already has an overloaded schedule due to all the claims being handled. This is the reason you need to have a restoration company with the expertise to know how to look for and find hidden damage working on your behalf now.
I often advise my clients that water damage plays hide and seek. Another example is there is always dumb water and smart water after storm damage. You will clearly see the dumb water. Where is the smart water? It’s hiding behind cabinets, under flooring, behind baseboards, in the insulation, etc. How much effort did you and your adjuster make to find and identify hidden damage? I advise my clients to be proactive and submit your concerns to your insurance company and adjuster,
There are many experienced and knowledgeable insurance adjusters who do a great job and want to go above and beyond to help their insureds. They are seasoned veterans and often have experience in construction. They understand there may be hidden damage and want to make sure the restoration company that has been hired by the insured can properly document the damage. We have seen a large number of claims that have been denied by FEMA due to the property owner failing to act to prevent further damage such as putting a tarp on the roof.
If you already had a restoration company out to your property, does this mean they discovered all the damage? That depends on how much experience the company and technician have. I have been called to inspect homes and businesses that were already dried out by other restoration contractors. The property owners were having health issues, had musty odors, and elevated humidity. Obviously, more work needed to be done. Don’t risk your family’s health or additional property damage by not getting your inspection by experienced, professional experts!
