Damage Control

For weeks after a catastrophe, the untreated effects of water and smoke can continue to wreak havoc on a house. Do-it-yourself cleanup attempts will only make matters worse. But the correct actions will limit the impact to your home and your pocketbook. Here’s what you need to know to preserve your property.

STORY BY: LESLIE JAY

Step 1: Call Your Insurer (and the police)

Your first move after any disaster should be to pick up the nearest phone. “Call your agent immediately and give an accurate description of the extent of the damage,” says Jean Salvatore, vice president of consumer affairs at the Insurance Information Institute in New York City. Your insurer will arrange for a claims adjustor to visit the site and assess the extent of your losses. Between the initial damage and its repair, your house may become uninhabitable. In that case, you’ll want to alert the police of your absence, so they can monitor the site. While you’re living elsewhere, what’s the best way to remain accessible to all the people who need to contact you? One alternative is to turn your cell phone into your primary line. Increase the number of minutes on your contract and arrange for calls to your land-lines to be forwarded for as long as necessary. If you don’t have a cell phone, think about getting one temporarily. While you’re at it, visit the local post office to make arrangements to collect your mail. Disasters generate lots of paperwork — you’ll want yours to reach you without interruption.

Step 2: Document Your Claims

To receive full reimbursement for your losses, you need to document them systematically. Don’t try to rely on your memory alone; with the disruption in your household and your life, you could easily overlook something important. Instead, equip yourself with a reporter’s tools: pens, paper, and some kind of camera. A video camera will allow you to record your comments as you walk around the site shooting film, but if you can’t borrow one, don’t worry. A spiralbound notepad and a few cheap disposable cameras will do the job just as well. Your mission, once emergency officials permit you to enter your home, is to do an inventory of every room. Jot down its contents, including any details that make the pieces distinctive. Then note their current condition. Save the ruined items “as is” — they provide evidence of what happened. Don’t forget about architectural features, such as tile or wood flooring, wainscoting, and decorative moldings. (This information may also be useful to contractors involved in repair work.) Finally, take pictures of everything you’ve described. Be sure to repeat the process for the exterior of the house and for any outdoor structures that have been affected. In addition to covering the damage to your home, your insurer may pay for certain costs related to a flood or fire, from housing and food bills to the purchase of replacement clothing. Other expenses may be tax deductible. So you’ll want to keep all receipts, and organize them by category.

Step 3: What Should You Do?

Before repairs begin, homeowners can take a few measures on their own to keep their property from deteriorating further. “After a flood, shut off the water source, if possible,” advises Jack White, vice president of technical services and training for Rainbow International Restoration and Cleaning, a company that is based in Waco, Texas, and has more than 400 franchises around the world. If you can access the breaker safely, turn it off and unplug or remove electrical devices. With the power off, chilled foods are at risk of rotting. Assuming that the kitchen itself isn’t flooded, you’ll want to empty the refrigerator and freezer, and prop open the doors to keep them odor-free. The process of making your house right can be time consuming. Therefore, it’s a good idea to find places to store furniture and other large items during the cleanup period. Carry fragile pieces and valuables into dry zones. To keep dampness from spreading, “put aluminum foil under legs of furniture that may be in contact with wet surfaces,” urges White. “Lift draperies off the carpet, place on coat hangers and hang on the rod. Pin up upholstery skirts. Get stuff like books and potted plants off the floor.” Look under beds and clear out closets in affected areas. Because water is used to douse flames, some of these issues may also come into play with a fire. If windows or doors were broken, the openings should be boarded up. Otherwise, homeowners’ biggest responsibility after a blaze may be to arrange short-term living quarters for pets, particularly feathered ones — the lingering fumes could be toxic to small creatures.

Step 4: ... And What You Shouldn’t

While the hazards of using electricity around water are well-known, they always bear repeating: Don’t turn on lights or operate electrical machinery after a flood because of the risk of shock. Since gas could be trapped inside the house, don’t use open flames either. Igniting a match or a cigarette lighter could set off an explosion. (If you smell gas, leave the premises immediately and call the gas company.) Flood waters may be contaminated by sewage, so all food products and medicines that got the slightest bit wet have to be discarded, even canned goods. Boil tap water before use until local authorities declare it drinkable. For complete guidelines, visit the Web site operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, fema.gov/. Similar rules apply after a fire. “Try not to turn on the heat or air conditioning, and don’t use any electrical appliances,” says White. The reason? Residues from smoke and fire can eat away at exposed cords and cables, making devices dangerous to use. Don’t eat canned foods that have been exposed; the metal could be corroded, even though it looks intact to the naked eye. Finally, don’t take your clothes to an ordinary dry cleaner unless a restoration expert recommends it — you could end up with a permanently smoked wardrobe.

Step 5: Calling for Help

In the meantime, you’ll have to make some more calls to find a professional restoration firm. Look for a company that can handle all the surfaces in your house — from floors to walls — as well as carpeting and textiles. If you had a flood, you need experts in water remediation; if you had a fire, you need technicians skilled in that specialty. In any case, you’ll have to act quickly because damage from water, fire, and smoke is progressive. Moisture will be absorbed by furniture and walls and seep into mechanicals, causing mold that may be impossible to eradicate. Fire and smoke are just as bad because they generate acid residues that accumulate in layers on hard surfaces, searing and pitting them. Porous materials can be stained almost instantly. Your insurance agent may be able to direct you to expert help. Another excellent resource is the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. An international organization established in 1972, the IICRC has established recognized standards for the restoration industry; more than 3,500 firms and 33,000 technicians are certified members, including most Rainbow International franchises. For referrals to IICRC-approved companies and individuals operating in your area, go to the institute’s Web site, iicrc.org, click on the button for “Consumers,” and scroll down to “Locate a pro.” When your restoration expert arrives, ask to see their IICRC Certification Card showing their certification.

Step 6: Get An Estimate

Don’t let the need for speed prevent you from doing your research: Ask company representatives how long the business has been in operation, and request proof that it carries the appropriate insurance. Ask for references too. If you don’t like the answers you get, call someone else. As with any home improvement project, you should receive a written estimate for the cost of the work, and a written contract outlining its scope. You’re also entitled to know the qualifications of the people who will actually perform the restoration, and how they will be supervised. Since the cleanup may begin before the claims adjustor arrives, make sure the contract obliges technicians to photograph the conditions they’re correcting; otherwise, your insurer may minimize your losses and your settlement. For additional protection, investigate the firm with the local Better Business Bureau.

Step 7: Leave It to the Experts

When you hire a restoration team, you’re giving a big messy job to the people who have been trained to handle it. As difficult as it seems, once you’ve followed Step 3, your best move is to stay out of the way. Specifically, after a flood, resist the temptation to sop up water with newspaper — the ink will smear everywhere. Try not to walk on carpeting, and don’t attempt to remove the water with a home vacuum cleaner, which isn’t designed for this purpose. Although ordinary shop vacs are built to handle wet and dry, they won’t be strong enough for the volume of water in a typical flood. After smoke or fire damage, you may want to wash floors, walls, and ceilings. Once again, the advice is: Don’t do it! You’ll only succeed in spreading soot around. These surfaces will need to be neutralized. The residue’s chemical signature may vary, depending on what material burned or melted. A knowledgeable technician will be able to analyze the soot and select the right agents to counteract its acid as well as its tell-tale odor. Of course, no one wants to experience a disaster. But if the worst should happen, take comfort in the fact that restoration specialists can make your home as good as — or better than — new.

Queens, New York–based freelance writer Leslie Jay has written for Martha Stewart Living, Ladies Home Journal, Period Home, and other magazines.