What To Do if You Find Mold in Your Rental Home

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

Black barrier mold

How to Handle Mold in a Rental Property

Mold spores are everywhere and are harmless when they're floating around, but the trouble comes when they take up residence in your apartment or rental home in  Gardere, LA. Whether it's in your bathroom or around your windows, mold can pop up wherever moisture is. As a tenant, here are some things to do when you discover mold contamination in your home.

1. Appraise the Situation
Before you do anything, take a closer look to make sure the substance you're seeing is actually mold and not dirt or mildew. If it's mildew, which looks fluffy or powdery and is usually gray, white or yellow, it is easy to clean off. If you determine that the substance is mold, try to find the source of the moisture it's feeding on. If it's around your shower or windows, that's a pretty obvious reason why it might be there, but if it's on your walls, there might be a pipe leaking, requiring some more intense water and mold cleanup.

2. Contact Your Landlord
If you've determined that there needs to be some action taken, call your landlord. Send them pictures of the mold and explain what's happening. Since mold is usually tied to a water problem, they'll want to respond quickly. When you do this, though, don't assume that they'll automatically take care of the cost of the mold cleanup. If the source is a leaky pipe that is outside of your control, it's usually their responsibility, but if you caused a flood or haven't been ventilating the bathroom properly when you shower, it's often your job to cover the expenses. If you think the mold contamination may be your fault, talk with your renter's insurance about what they'll cover and what they won't.
Mold is a common issue in homes, but it's important that you respond quickly if you think you've found some in yours. This keeps the mold cleanup process from becoming bigger and more costly than it needs to be.

How To File a Fire Claim for Your Business

7/13/2022 (Permalink)

Contact a restoration company if you would like further clarification on the claims.

Four Steps To File a Fire Claim

A fire is about the worst thing any business owner can experience. However, the important thing after any disaster is staying calm and restoring your business. In order to get back to business as usual, you may need to hire a fire restoration company in Gardere, LA, but before you do that, you will need to file a fire claim with your insurance company, which typically involves four steps:

1. Call Your Insurer
Before getting your fire restoration underway, call your insurer and report the disaster. While you may have millions of things going through your head after the disaster, contacting your insurance agent is crucial to getting the recovery process started.

2. Mitigate Further Loss
If you want your fire claim to be approved, then make sure you take efforts to mitigate any further loss. An insurer may cover the damage caused by the fire, but if any preventable damage occurs after the fire, then you are responsible.

3. Gather Proof of Loss
You can help move the recovery process along if you document any fire damage. An insurance adjuster will want evidence of lost or damaged property, so by photographing everything and labeling it, you can help the adjuster with a proof of loss statement.

4. Collect Receipts
Receipts help your insurance company determine the value of the claim. You want to prove the financial loss. If you have receipts from equipment purchases and repairs you made, make sure that those are organized and with the rest of the claim forms for review.
A fire claim is like any other insurance claim, but the process can feel a little direr depending on the level of devastation. By organizing receipts and documenting the scene, you can help move the claims process along. You can also contact a restoration company if you would like further clarification on the claims and recovery processes.

How Does SERVPRO's Electronic Claims Service Help?

3/10/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's electronic claims service offers more security than paper records stored in an office.

SERVPRO's Electronic Claims Service

When your Arlington, LA, client files an insurance claim on their damaged property, it's critical to get the process under way as quickly as possible. Over the years, SERVPRO has become a trusted leader in the damage mitigation and restoration industry.
SERVPRO's electronic claims service provides several benefits:

1. Easier Collaboration

When information passes through the hands of insurance agents, adjusters and damage restoration professionals, it helps to have all the data in one location. Unlike paper documents, electronic files provide everyone access, allowing for collaboration without the risk of data loss. An insurance agent can prepare a claim by reviewing the electronic claims system. Damage information and photos are just a couple of parts of the electronic claims service, along with access to nationwide comparisons.

2. More Security

SERVPRO's electronic claims service offers more security than paper records stored in an office filing cabinet. Security teams back up and monitor the digital files. Not only is the information protected from being physically destroyed (e.g., by fire), but its confidentiality is also more secure.

3. More Accessibility

Data related to the insurance claim can be easily viewed and inputted from the office or in the field by everyone involved. The insurance agent, adjuster and remediation specialists can access it via smartphone, tablet or computer.

4. Less Risk of Errors

Everyone engaged in the claims process sees updates online through the electronic claims service. This ensures that all remain on the same page, reducing the chance of mistakes. Fewer mistakes mean a more accurate compensation value so the restoration can be completed as quickly as possible.

5. Quicker Resolution

When restoration professionals submit detailed data regarding damage and the cost estimates, the agent and adjuster can also view it. This real-time exchange makes for a much faster resolution than the traditional claims process, in which information is typically distributed through the mail.
The longer the insurance claim process, the more damage can affect the property. The SERVPRO electronic claims service ensures that it's handled quickly and efficiently.

The Importance of a Claims Inventory Service

2/23/2022 (Permalink)

With highly-trained professionals that are always available in many locations across the country, SERVPRO is an obvious choice.

What A Claims Inventory Service Is And Why It's Important

Making an insurance claim is an important step for homeowners to take after their home in Baton Rouge, LA, is affected by flooding, fires or storms. However, the claims process can be overwhelming. Working with a restoration company that has a claims inventory service can improve the process in a variety of ways.

1. Organizes Documentation

Insurance companies often require a myriad of information, including photographs, receipts and forms after a disaster occurs. Keeping track of various documents can be difficult for homeowners whose households are damaged. However, working with SERVPRO, a restoration company that uses a claims inventory service, ensures that adjusters and homeowners can clearly see what has been documented.

2. Access to Information

Sometimes, an insurance agent or a homeowner needs access to information quickly. However, it can be easy to misplace important documents that are related to the insurance claim. A restoration and cleanup company that has a claim inventory service will allow everyone involved to view relevant information as needed. Homeowners and agents can use the information found on the claims inventory service to make the best decisions throughout the restoration.

3. Quicken the Claims Process

If making a claim takes a long period of time, it’s possible that more damage may occur to a home. In addition to adding to the stress of adjusters and homeowners, a long claims process can ultimately increase the cost of the claim and can prolong the restoration procedure. A claims inventory service that keeps all documents organized and accessible increases the chances of a quick claims progression and can make the restoration run more smoothly.

Making and managing an insurance claim doesn’t have to be complicated. SERVPRO uses the latest technology and helps insurance agents and their clients with a claims inventory service that keeps documents organized, is easily accessible and can ultimately quicken the process of making a claim.

4 Types of Mold You May See in Your Home

1/30/2022 (Permalink)

Water can lead to mold growth.

Mold Growth In Your Property

There are thousands of types of mold in the world, and many of them can find their way into your home. If you notice mold growth on your walls, floors or ceiling, you should call your local mold remediation company immediately. These certified professionals can identify the type of mold and use that information to formulate the best plan for getting rid of it.

1. Stachybotrys

More commonly known as black mold, this fungus is attracted to damp areas, particularly those that have water damage that has gone unnoticed or untreated for several weeks. You may notice black mold on walls or near air vents where condensation has collected. It may also infest cardboard, paper or wood.

2. Ulocladium

This type of mold is particularly attracted to areas that tend to have high humidity due to extensive and frequent water usage, such as kitchens and bathrooms. This mold growth may appear alone or beside other household molds.

3. Mucor

You are likely to see thick swatches of mucor near your HVAC unit. It thrives on the condensation that gathers around air conditioner coils and vents. Once it starts to grow, it can multiply very quickly. It is advisable to call mold specialists in Baton Rouge, LA, as soon as you see these greyish white patches.

4. Chaetomium

This fungus often remains out of sight. It shows up in areas that have ongoing water damage. Attics and basements where leaks have occurred may start to take on a musty smell. This is a sign that you have a mold problem that needs to be mitigated.

No matter what type of mold growth you find in your home, the best course of action is to call in the experts. These technicians are trained to assess and strategize ways to overcome mold, and they have the skills to clean your home and restore it to its original condition.