Florida Water Extraction

Water Damage Outline and Main Guidelines

Upon arrival to a property, it is imperative that you speak to the property owner or person of authority before performing any service in a residence/commercial structure/dwelling.  Work authorization must be provided before entering any equipment or entering the premises. It is permissible to assist the owner with moving personal effects as long as a signed authorization form is obtained first.

It is important to find the source of the leak first. No attempt to clean or remove personal items should be made without written authorization. If a problem seems to be more involved than usual and water keeps intruding into the property, recommend to the owner to call a plumber or an expert and wait until the leak is discovered and repaired.  There are different types of leaks. One, is caused by “Mother Nature” (flooding). Obviously, with this scenario the culprit of the water intrusion is evident and does not need to be investigated.

The second type of leak may be caused by pipe bursts, overflow, sewer back up and any other items of this nature. General Guidelines For When Work Begins.  Again, a signed authorization from the owner needs to be in place in efforts to protect the company’s interests.  There are several key pieces of equipment that need to be carried with you at ALL times:

1) Moisture Meter ­ A moisture meter is the cornerstone of the process and as the name implies, this device measures moisture levels.

2) Digital Camera – A digital camera is used for documentation purposes and evidencing the damage. A perfect example would be to take a picture before taking down the baseboard and where the carpet starts.

3) Miscellaneous Equipment ­ Includes tools such a utility knife, hammer and screwdriver

Use of Equipment Equipment Order of Use:

Moisture Meter – the moisture meter should indicate the level of moisture and should indicate the severity of the moisture level. Start to take measurement from the drywall below, then move to the baseboard, then to the surface area where the baseboard meets the floor. If the moisture gauge indicates that there is 15% moisture and above, then this signifies that the area has suffered damage.  Camera ­ the use of a camera is to secure evidence and proof of loss for the area you are attempting to dry.

Pictures taken should start with a general view or overview of the room, followed by the wet area and finally, a picture of the moisture gauge measurement of the impacted areas. It is imperative to take as many pictures as possible in order to justify the work done.  Tools ­ a utility knife, hammer, and screwdriver are required in the event that a baseboard has to be removed or piece of drywall has to be taken out. Learn how to use them prior to taking a job.

When taking pictures start from large to small (it will help you remember the sequence of events and rooms). For example, start from the kitchen, master bedroom, children’s room, guest room, etc. Make sure to take a picture of EVERY room.

Work in Progress

As mentioned before, take pictures of the overview of a room, showing the damaged area as well as the reading on the moisture meter.  Take additional pictures of water that has reached the baseboard and above the baseboard, as well as, the moisture meter reading. Exact procedure for this, should be, to take picture of the affected area, and then remove the baseboard, gently exposing the drywall in efforts to show the dry area.  o If the affected area involves a second floor and water is dripping from the ceiling, puncture a hole using a utility knife in the wet area (take the picture first) and let the water run down.

By doing so, you are preventing mold growth. Keep in mind that water always run to the lowest point on any surface. o If water has reached the floor surface, remove the carpet and carpet pad only. Do NOT attempt to remove hard wood flooring, tiles, or marble.  Extract water using a heavy duty suction devise.  After removal and extraction of water, you must place a dehumidifier as well as blowers. Take care NOT to over load a room with the dehumidifiers since it will cause short circuiting. Have extension chords available in efforts to accommodate several pieces of equipment in an area. A DU is a piece of equipment that dries an area while absorbing moisture. The DU should be placed in a tub or sink as it will release water upon absorbing moisture.

Use fair judgment when placing DUs. Depending on the damaged area, use one dehumidifier per room (8×10). For each dehumidifier, 2 blowers should be placed in the room, on average.  Before leaving a property take pictures of each room showing the equipment already in place. This will be helpful for billing purposes as well as evidencing the use of equipment.  It is mandatory practice to count all equipment before leaving the premises and have the client sign the “Equipment Storage Form”.  Pictures should be downloaded to a disc no later than the next day. Each job should be marked with an order number as well as an address. Also confirm that the office has a copy of all documentation.

Collection stage

It is the responsibility of the office to follow up with a client the next day in efforts to insure proper customer service: 1) Inquiries about our service 2) Answers to pending questions 3) Billing discussion 4) Confirmation of pick up date for the equipment (normally 3-5 days later).

Two methods of billing apply to customers

1. Direct billing via credit card (form attached to the bottom of the work authorization).

2. Billing through an insurance company. Customers must be advised of both options. Method number 2 is the most common since water extraction jobs tend to be extensive in nature, therefore, more expensive. If 2 is selected, request the insurance declaration page of their insurance policy. Allow the insured to call and report the claim to the insurance company or if there is a Public Adjuster involved, advise him/her so that they may do the same on behalf of the customer.

Not all customers will spend “x” amount of money, out of pocket, especially when they have homeowners insurance coverage. Water Extraction Companies are allowed to charge insurance companies directly. This is called an incurred cost. The idea behind charging the insurance instead of credit card is to simplify the payment process. By doing so, one does not have to deal with credit card limits. In addition, the billing process for the most part, tends to be less tedious when dealing directly with the insurance company.

Why use a public adjuster?

When is the proper time to recommend one?

1) When personal property has been damaged.

2) When there is extensive amount of work to be done and a lot of equipment has been placed. More than likely the homeowner will need help since he/she does not have the knowledge of the insurance/reimbursement process. In addition, the homeowner may not have the patience for the process.

3) Public Adjuster’s involvement can help expedite and secure the payment due to the insured. Moreover, the services of a Public Adjuster will put a customer at ease when confronting an insurance company their expertise is the coverage rights of the insured, thus, minimizing the risk of being misled by the insurance company.

4) The after work disaster that has left behind damage Water extraction and Public Adjusting work hand in hand, they both help the homeowner recover from unexpected disaster. A Water Extraction Company’s job is to mitigate the damage and the Public Adjuster’s job is to assess the damages.

Water Extraction On Wood Floors

If you ever had water damage on wood floors, you probably know how tedious and complex the process can be.  You see, when water damage occurs on wood floors, the water becomes trapped under and between planks aggravating the situation.

So, what is the process to clean up this mess?

First and foremost, water on top of the wood floors need to be removed with a light squeegee wand….this is the easy part of the process.  The water below the wood floors has to be extracted by specialty drying equipment.  The most common system is the mat system combined with the use of a water separator

The mat system consists of having drying mats that suction themselves to the floor with the help of suctions units.  Water and moisture is drawn up through the mats into hoses.  Any remaining moisture is ultimately removed by dehumidifiers and water is caught in separators.

Water Extraction for Carpets

If you thought restoring wet carpets back to health after water damage, was a cinch……… you are very misguided.  Water Intrusion can be a homeowner’s and business owner’s worse nightmare.  The first item in order is to determine if the damage was caused by sanitary, unsanitary, or black water.

Most owners automatically feel that they need to replace the carpeting after a flood situation when in fact the carpet can be salvaged and returned to its original condition.  If the cause was sanitary then all that is needed, is to keep traffic on the wet carpet to a minimum until it is completely dry.  All sources of water need to be shut off as well as, punch small holes in the drywall to release any standing water.  Logically, all furniture must be removed as it may cause stains on the carpet.  Water extraction procedures should begin immediately.  By following these simple steps, a homeowner will prevent fungi and bacteria to start growing internally.

Now, water damage caused by unsanitary water is a different story.   It would behoove the owner to use a disinfecting process with this type of scenario.  Unsanitary water is caused by overflow from a dishwasher, toilet, and punctured waterbeds to name a few.  All cause biopollutant contamination.  If the carpet is retained, a disinfectant must be used in order to avoid a health hazard.  Protective gear must be used during this process in case someone has an open sore that may come in contact with the affected area.  In most cases, throwing away the carpet is recommended.

Finally, there is black water which is synonymous with raw sewage.  In this case, the carpet needs to be done away with and the surface needs to be evaluated…especially if it’s a porous surface.