A & B CARPET & RUG CLEANING / Mildew and Mold Remediation


                          


Water Damage, Mold and House Insurance

You’ve had water damage in your house due to a burst pipe, a roof leak or a heavy summer storm. You hope that your insurance will cover the damage. What to do? First, read about mold below. You may not know the implications of water and mold damage.

What Is Mold, and Why Should You Care?

Molds are part of a group of micro-organisms called fungi that also includes mushrooms and yeasts. Molds are familiar to most people as food spoilers on items such as bread or fruit. Molds are nature’s decomposers in the food chain. Mold requires the following conditions to grow:

Mold spores (which are always present indoors and outdoors);
the right temperature range, from 2 to 40 °C; a food supply, which means anything organic such as books, carpets, clothing, wood, drywall, etc.; and, a source of moisture.

The last condition, moisture, is the only practical factor to control in most houses. If allowed to grow inside your house, mold can be a problem because:

It can damage your possessions it can cause health problems, for example:

Mold can cause allergic reactions such as asthma or allergic rhinitis, non-allergic reactions such as headaches, and other symptoms [including] lung and breathing infections” ( Health Report, 2003 ) if not treated right away.

Dry Quickly to Avoid Mold
First, contact an A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning agent and report the water damage. You can expect to discuss these questions and issues:

1. How did the water damage occur?
2. Are you reporting the water damage promptly (within 24 hours) to allow quick drying and repairs?

Hire A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning to clean up the water and make repairs as needed to your house. A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning will be I touch with your insurance adjuster (if necessary) to follow up on the best possible procedures to look after your concerns.

A thorough and fast cleanup will help avoid mold growth; we at A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning can solve that problem. If you wait too long and mold growth starts, cleanup costs will increase significantly.:

Speed
Mold grows quickly; you should have A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning in your house promptly

Knowledge
A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning is certified and trained in water damage restoration and mold remediation.

Competence
A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning follows basic, good clean up practices after your water damage. Here are some things we look for:

The moisture source is stopped.
Wet items that can’t be salvaged are removed.
What can’t be removed is dried quickly.
Ideally, drying is done within 48 hours (to minimize mold growth).
No refinishing is done until the area is thoroughly dried.
Confirm that the contractor checks thoroughly to make sure all wet areas are completely dry. Be sure all cavities, such as crawl spaces, are dry.
Make sure all repairs and cleaning have been done properly before you tell your adjuster you are satisfied.

You’ve Got Mold
If you already have extensive mold because, for example, you’ve had water damage while you’ve been away for two weeks, or there was a long delay between the water damage and the arrival of a A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning then you and your adjuster will have to discuss the following:

Drying the damaged area. In addition, your adjuster will ask you about pre-existing mold and discuss minor or hidden water damage with you. See boxes for more information.
Removing the mold safely. To protect the workers and you and your family from exposure to mold, the contractor must follow certain procedures. Here are some things to look for:

1. The affected area should be sealed off from the rest of your house.
2. The workers should be wearing protective gear.
3. There will need to be an exhaust fan removing air from the affected area to the outdoors.
4. No chemical disinfectants, such as bleach, should be used during clean up, only fragrance-free detergent.
5. Moldy materials should be sealed in plastic, if transported through your house.

Confirm that the contractor checks thoroughly to make sure there is no remaining mold in your house.

This means inspecting:

All areas adjacent to the mold growth, behind wallpaper, in areas where water may have seeped, such as wall cavities, basement subfloors, crawl spaces, etc. and under wall-to-wall carpeting.

Make sure the repairs and cleaning have been done properly and check for the possible spread of the mold before you tell your adjuster you are satisfied. This is what you should ask yourself:

1. Do you smell mold?
2. Do you see mold?
3. Have all affected items been either properly cleaned and dried or discarded if cleaning is not effective?
4. Are you or your family experiencing health problems that could be mold-related?

Call Toll Free: 1-800-743-0034
Serving the Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Riverdale, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas

Pre-existing Mold
Typically, most insurance policies cover mold damage if it is directly related to a "covered peril" or insured loss. This means that the direct cause of the water damage, and consequently the mold growth, can be identified. Your adjuster will want to determine whether the mold you are reporting is pre-existing. In other words, was mold in your house prior to the water damage? The adjuster may make a visit to your house to assess the cause of the mold.

If you have a damp basement already full of moldy furniture and stored items, for example, and a water pipe bursts, you cannot claim for the material that was damaged prior to the water damage caused by the burst pipe. A good inspector should be able to tell the difference between pre-existing mold and recently developed mold.

The adjuster may determine that the mold is the result of some factor other than the water damage (the burst pipe) you reported, such as lack of maintenance or poor house design. If the mold was not the result of a specific occurrence that is covered by your insurance policy, the mold damage is unlikely to be covered by your policy.

Mold From Ongoing Minor or Hidden Water Damage

Minor or hidden water damage means that you had a leak for a long time before you became aware of it. The water leakage may be, for example, from a water pipe, hot water heater, or a window seal. You almost certainly have mold along with the leak and water damage. A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning will need to deal with both issues, the water damage and the mold. Again, the cause of the leak will determine what costs your house insurance will cover. Discuss with your adjuster whether the cause of the minor or hidden water damage is covered by your policy and whether the mold was pre-existing.

Thank you for visiting,
Please call if you have any questions.

Call to speak to our Highly Trained Water Damage Restoration Service Reps Today:

Call Toll Free: 1-800-743-0034
Serving the Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Riverdale, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas

Completely Safe & Non-Toxic Cleaning Agents Used
We treat each case individually with special care to ensure your satisfaction with best results. Our cleaning solutions contain only safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally safe cleaning fluids.

A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning thanks you for choosing us as your rug and carpet cleaners for the last two decades. We recommend every household to view our selection of news regarding keeping your home clean and family healthy.

At A&B Carpet & Rug Cleaning we are a family owned company with over two decades of experience in the Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Riverdale, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas; because of this we give personal attention to every job and do not affiliate with any other company with similar name or services in order to maintain the highest of standards.