The Worst Advice We've Heard in the Restoration Industry

1/31/2016 (Permalink)

The Internet is a great thing. Without it we wouldn't have Facebook or Netflix and I wouldn't know how to waste 80% of my time. On the other hand we've all seen the Abraham Lincoln quote, "Don't believe everything you see on the Internet" and the State Farm French model commercial. Most of this stuff is just silly and not doing any damage other than dumbing down a small percentage of our society. It's 2016 and just last week there was a Twitter feud between B.O.B. and Neil deGrasse Tyson over the earth being flat. (Dope tracks were dropped and everything. It was a mess.)  

 But what happens when you have water damage in your home and go to the Internet for advice? There's too many websites and YouTube channels claiming to be professionals that aren't. If you follow bad remediation advice it could lead to secondary damage, cost thousands of dollars to properly fix, and result in your insurance claim being denied.  

Here's some advice we've heard that you should avoid:

Yes, do. You will want to know what your insurance policy covers and what your options are. If it's not covered under your policy, they can at least give you a list of trusted vendors they've worked with before. If it is covered, you will want to see if it's in your best interest to file a claim. Depending on the total cost of remediation and mitigation, specifically how close it is to your deductible, your agent might advise against it.

While on the surface this seems like it would work, it doesn't. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air. The heat is going to make the water evaporate, but without ventilation the moisture will stay in the air. Mold needs moisture and warm temperature to grow, so doing this makes a perfect breeding ground.

Trust me, if this were true, we could save a lot of money going to the dollar store to buy box fans instead of our air movers and blowers. While we do use fans in the drying process, our's are much more powerful. Household fans are not equipped to remove enough moisture or deliver enough air movement to help prevent further damage.

This sentence just wasn't finished. Bleach kills mold it comes in contact with. If you have mold in your bathtub, on the tile, or another non-porous surface, bleach is the way to go. On drywall or wood, not so much. Bleach cannot penetrate these materials, so only the mold growing on the surface is killed.

Surprisingly enough, we heard this from an adjuster we were working for. It simply isn't true. Fires are extremely complex to clean up after and many factors go into how you should do it. What kind of smoke residue is left behind is determined by what was burning and the oxygen content of the fire. The residue and surface you are cleaning determines the chemicals that are used to remove the damage. While soap and water can be used, unless it is a very small fire, it is almost never enough to thoroughly clean.

Don't be that guy. After a water damage, it takes 48-72 hours for mold to grow. It takes only minutes for permanent discoloration after soot settles. Water, fire and mold damages shouldn't be treated like a DIY project. Hiring a professional can save you time and lots of money in the end. And we won't have to change our slogan to "We Repair what Your Husband Fixed."