Mold
Is Mold covered by my Insurance?
No it is not covered. Check you’re with your insurance to see what you are covered for.
How can mold affect me?
Sensitive people who have touched or inhaled mold or mold spores may have allergic reactions such as a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, skin rash and itching (dermatitis). Molds can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic to molds, causing wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
Can mold affect people with asthma?
Molds can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic to molds, causing wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
How can I tell if remediation (cleaning) has been effective?
- You must have completely fixed the water or moisture problem.
- You should complete mold removal. Use professional judgment to determine if the cleanup is sufficient. Visible mold, mold-damaged materials, and moldy odors should not be present.
- If you have sampled, the kinds and concentrations of mold and mold spores in the building should be similar to those found outside, once cleanup activities have been completed.
- You should revisit the site(s) shortly after remediation, and it should show no signs of water damage or mold growth.
- People should be able to occupy or re-occupy the space without health complaints or physical symptoms.
- Ultimately, this is a judgment call; there is no easy answer.
Why are outdoor mold counts important?
Outdoor and indoor mold counts should be very close to each other in numbers.
Who is qualified to do mold work?
Anyone who is license by the IICRC or 3rd party certification organizations
What causes mold to develop?
Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture
Does mold affect everyone the same way?
No, some people are more sensitive to mold then others
Should I use bleach to get rid of mold?
No, this is a myth. Thus, chlorine bleach should not be used in mold remediation as confirmed by OSHA’s and EPA’s updated recommendations and suggested guidelines. The use of bleach as a mold disinfectant is best left to kitchen and bathroom countertops, tubs and shower glass, and other places that mold cannot feed on.
Who can test for mold?
Industrial Hygienists
Do we need to test for mold?
Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. We recommend only testing if the property is being sold, rented, schools, and any building that has children and elderly people that are more likely to getting sick.
What are the health effects of mold exposure?
Mold can cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, or, in some cases, skin irritation. In rare causes mold can also cause brain damage, memory loss, and death.
Water
How should I handle carpet, drywall and other porous materials that got wet?
When porous items such as drywall and carpet get wet, they should be dried within 48 hours or discarded.
What type of water damage would my insurance cover?
Every insurance is different so please talk to them about your coverage.
Easy rule of thumb is if it is from the outside (like flood) they will not, if it is from inside (like pipe leek) they will.
What is the IICRC?
The IICRC is a certification and Standards Developing Organization (SDO) non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries.
Is your company certified?
Yes Drying Tech of PWC is certified with the IICRC
When do I pay my Deductible?
The day we start work
Can I turn off the Equipment at night?
No, it is important the equipment stay running. The equipment is strategically placed to encourage optimal drying. Turning off the equipment will only increase our drying time, the threat to mold growth and secondary damage.
How does the dry-out process work?
The time to completely dry a structure depends on many variables such as temperature, humidity, how quickly emergency services begin, amount of saturation and the types of materials affected. Through consistent monitoring and evaluation of the drying process, we can determine when drying is complete. While there are no rules to determine how long your property will take to dry, we can tell you that on average a typical water loss will dry out in three days but can be longer.
The equipment you have running is making the air feel muggy; can I open a window or door to let in fresh air?
Our equipment is increasing the rate of evaporation causing the air to feel wetter. Part of our monitoring process includes checking both the conditions indoors and out. If our technicians instruct you to open some windows than yes otherwise keep the windows shut to make sure the process is done right.
What is going to happen with my damaged furniture and/or contents?
We will do our best to restore your contents to a pre-loss condition. If we are not able to restore any items we will set them aside to be itemized and turned in to your insurance adjuster. Your Adjuster will determine coverage according to your policy.
What is the difference between you and a contractor?
We have spent thousands of dollars on specialized training and equipment, dealing specifically with water damage. Our main objective is to minimize the impact on your day to day living. If you hire a general contractor, often they do not understand the concept of saving verses replacing. Just an example: 90% of the time we are able to save drywall with 3 days of drying, without putting any holes in it. If someone comes in and removes all of the drywall, you have turned a 3-day job into about a week and a half process.
What is antimicrobial, and why do you apply this product?
Antimicrobial is designed to inhibit, destroy, or prevent the development of microorganisms. Many times we will use this product as a precautionary step. Your health is our main concern.
Are any of the chemicals used harmful to my pets?
You should always avoid contact with chemicals. We advise you to keep any pets away from the affected area.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes, we guarantee our work for 1 year. Before we complete your job you will need to sign a form of work completion and satisfaction.
What causes a water damage?
Water damage can originate by different sources such as: broken dishwasher hose, washing machine overflow, dishwasher leakage, broken pipes, clogged toilet, leaking roof, moisture behind walls, foundation cracks, plumbing leaks, slab leaks and bad weather (snow, rain, floods).
Fire
What are some common causes of fires in the home?
Cooking, Kids playing with fire, smoking, heating, electrical, candles, dryers, flammables within the home, and Christmas trees
How long does it take to cleanup a Fire Damage?
It can take from a day to a week to do a cleanup. It depends on how bad the damage is
Can I stay in my home after a fire?
This would depend on what the fire affected and how the smoke traveled through your home. Insurance adjusters will make this determination usually by seeing the damage but common sense can sometimes tell you to stay elsewhere.
Can we clean the fire damage or smoke damage ourselves?
The answer is yes and no. Most people think fire restoration can be cleaned easily but there are actually strict standards for fire restoration held by the IICRC (The Clean Trust) which professional fire restoration companies should follow to make sure your home is properly restored. When a homeowner takes a fire cleanup into their own hands they are essentially taking all responsibility for future hazards and problems that may occur because of an improper restoration.
- A major challenge is when you have a fire damage with more than one type of residue that burns. The understanding of how to clean these situations and having the proper equipment to clean it up is not typical for the average home/property owner. You can attempt to restore your home, but buyer beware.
- Your home may look clean but it could still smell like smoke. The size of a smoke particle is .004 micros in size which makes it very hard for the human eye to see it unless they use a microscope. These smoke damage particles which are small microscopic particles inside your walls, cabinets, behind wood trim, wall base, underneath the carpet, etc can make your life a nightmare. Even if you are the best cleaner, there are so many places you may not be able to get too for a proper cleaning. Make sure to hire a professional who has the right equipment to find these particles and rid your home of them so you can live in a healthy environment.
What will happen to a building if fire restoration services are not immediate?
Ash is highly acidic and prone to dispersing through the air when it is disturbed, which is can be as easy as simply breathing on it. When swept up into the air, the building’s climate control system will pick it up and blanket entire rooms, making it much more difficult to get rid of. Because it is acidic, it will eat away at a number of materials if it sits for long, especially glass, metal and drywall.
Within a couple days, ash can permanently etch glass, including windows, weakening them considerably and forcing replacement. During this time, any drywall covered in ash can permanently discolor, turning to a sickly yellow and becoming a major eyesore. After a couple weeks, ash will corrode metals, which can result in water leaks or other expensive problems.
And ash is not just a risk to the building. It can also irritate lungs, throats and eyes, resulting in breathing difficulty, coughing, sneezing and general discomfort. This is particularly troublesome for children with asthma, as the ash can trigger an attack.
Sewage Back-up
What are the hazards with sewer backups?
According to the IICRC S500 Standard 3rd Edition, there are over 120 different viruses that can be excreted in human feces and urine and find their way into sewage. These can include Rotavirus, causing severe and sometimes life-threatening diarrhea in children, Adenoviruses, causing respiratory and eye infections, and Norovirus, a significant cause of gastric flu or stomach flu. There are highly infectious parasitic agents like Giardia and Cryptosporidium that can cause chronic and severe intestinal diseases in both children and adults. Bacterial pathogens in sewage can include Salmonella, Shigella and Escherichia coli. These gram-negative organisms contain endotoxins that are released at the time of cell death and destruction. Endotoxins can cause respiratory inflammation, airway restriction, create the potential allergic and infectious disease responses and when inhaled they may adversely influence the central nervous system.
Can I just clean up a sewer backup myself?
Improper remediation activities to clean and restore property can cause more and bigger problems. It is possible to spread the contaminated sewer problem from one room to other rooms very easily
What can I keep after a sewer backup?
Generally, anything that came in contact or possibly came in contact with sewer water that can absorb is usually disposed of. Hard surface items that don’t absorb can be cleaned and restored. Due to all the health hazards of sewer backups we like to operate on the premise “If in doubt, do without!” Is keeping that item worth your health and / or your family’s health?
Who will cover this?
The property owner is going to have to pay for the work. For this reason one must always make certain your homeowner’s insurance policy covers sewer backups