When you live in Nashville, you are no stranger to water. It’s not unusual to find yourself in a saturation situation between the Cumberland River and countless lakes, streams, and ponds. Fortunately, even heavy rain doesn’t typically enter our homes. But we aren’t immune to “accidental” water damage caused by broken pipes or other household mishaps. 

Do you know how to file a homeowner insurance claim if you experience water intrusion outside of a natural disaster?

In today’s quick post, Nashville-based Rytech water damage restoration experts walk us through the steps.

Slow The Damage

Before you ever pick up the phone, your top priority is to stop the water at the source. For example, if you’ve had a water main break, turn off your home’s main water supply. This may be located inside a utility closet or toward the road underneath a metal grate. If you can’t figure out where the water is coming from, contact a plumber for immediate help. Keep in mind here that water damage is not your only concern. Make sure that you are fully aware of electrical outlets and devices, and steer clear of these to avoid electrical shock.

Call Your Agent

Once the immediate danger has passed, contact your insurance agent or your homeowner insurance’s 24/7 emergency hotline. Let them know the situation, and ask them to give you more information about your policy’s water damage coverage. Your insurance advisor will likely suggest taking photographs of each affected space. Do this as soon as possible, and make sure to document items damaged during the intrusion event. You can take your photos with your phone’s camera and compose a document or spreadsheet with an inventory of your personal belongings damaged. This might include guitars, clothing, computers, furniture, and prescription medication.

Understand Limitations

While all policies are different, most insurance companies only cover water damage caused by accidental or sudden events, such as an overhead water pipe bursting. Acts of God, including flooding caused by torrential rains, may not be covered – for this, you will need a flood insurance policy administered by FEMA. Your insurance is unlikely to pay for damage caused by negligent home maintenance. For example, if your bathroom pipes leak into a wall over the course of several months, your insurance company may deny the claim.

Dealing with water damage isn’t fun for anyone. Fortunately, with expedient service from a trusted and experienced disaster recovery firm, you can lessen the extent of the damage and get your house back to normal.

Water damage may quickly lead to mold, depending on the time of year. Nashville weather is mild to warm from spring through the end of fall, so the sooner you have an expert restoration service onsite, the less chance you’ll run of having significant mold growth.

Rytech Nashville is ready to help after your personal disaster. Our mold remediation and water damage experts in Nashville will take care of everything; all you have to do is call (615) 640-4417 for a 24-hour emergency response.

A mold-contaminated home will have hordes of microscopic mold spores lurking within the immediate vicinity of the contamination. If not done properly, efforts to remove the mold can result in cross-contamination, dispersing the mold spores to areas that were not previously overrun with mold. It’s best to leave mold remediation tasks to mold remediation professionals.

Mold remediation experts like Rytech Nashville utilize methods that have been proven to be effective in preventing cross-contamination. Some of these measures include:

Preliminary air sampling

This helps mold remediation professionals identify mold-contaminated areas. These target areas can then be isolated to prevent spores from spreading to locations that remain mold-free.

Air sealing

If the contaminated area is more than 30 square feet, it will be air sealed with 6 mil plastic barriers to isolate it from the rest of the house. HVAC vents in the affected area will also be sealed.

Applying negative air pressure

To be able to prevent airborne spores from spreading to mold-free areas, a negative air machine will be installed; this reduces the air pressure in the contaminated site. The device comes with a highly efficient HEPA filtration system, which helps contain the spores.

Access restrictions

Only trained mold remediation professionals who are equipped with professional protective equipment are allowed within the contaminated area while mold remediation operations are ongoing.

Vacuuming

After all active mold growth and any infected materials have been removed, the entire area is vacuumed with HEPA-filtered equipment.  It will then be unsealed, with all surfaces inside the area wiped down with an antimicrobial cleaner. 

Post mold remediation air sampling

Air samples will be taken throughout the home, to ensure that mold has been removed and all the other parts of the house remain uncontaminated.

Rytech Nashville has been providing quick and effective mold remediation solutions to Middle Tennessee residents since 1995. The team’s IICRC-certified technicians will discuss the types of mold found and suggest an immediate and efficient plan of action to remove the mold and detect the moisture causing it. Schedule an appointment today and see how they can help.

Rytech Nashville has become a leader in the water damage restoration and mold remediation industry. From its humble beginnings in one location, the company has reached exponential growth and currently provides service to 49 major markets across 25 states. Call (615) 751-8445 for more information.