How to Reduce Water Damage Restoration Costs
Water damage is among the leading causes of destruction of home valuables. Not only does it weaken your home’s foundation, but it has the potential of reducing your home’s overall sale value. Water damage negatively affects your house’s core strength resulting in severe structural damage. It leads to damp wood which invites carpenter ants and termites. Additionally, it causes mildew and molds.
- Signs of Water Damage.
So, what are the signs of water damage in your home? If you observe cracks in your foundation, electrical shorts, rusted pipes, peeling wood surface and mosquitoes, it is likely that your house has water damage. Other signs that show your home is suffering the effects of water damage include algae and mold formation, increase in humidity and stains or dampness in ceilings or walls.
The above signs are red flags indicating that your house needs a revamp or water mitigation to prevent further damage. If this is not done on time, you may incur more losses that will take a toll on your finances. Timely water mitigation is vital for your safety as well as the safety of your property. It should be done as soon as possible for the avoidance of breaking the bank; an unnecessary process that would have been avoided.
- Steps to Take In Case There is Water Damage to Your Property.
If you are having a hard time deciding if you should stay or evacuate your premises in case water damage, you should consider how grave the situation is. If the situation is brutal, it is vital to evacuate as soon as you can considering the severe occupational hazard. Living in a flooded home not only exposes you to severe health hazards, but it also exposes you to other dangers like electrocution as well as other electrical hazards.
If the damage is not severe or life-threatening, you can stay at your home. Keep in mind the importance of calling or asking for assistance when there is water damage, regardless of how small you consider it. Although the damage caused may seem minimal, if it is unchecked, it may lead to more significant problems that may cause severe damages to your property and put your life and that of your loved ones at risk. In case of water damage at your residence, the prudent step to take is contacting professionals for their services. The advantage of seeking professional help or the services of water damage firms is that they have professionals with years of experience tied under their belt and they make use of the most recent equipment for their work. Employing professionals for their services ensures your home is in safe hands.
The moment you spot some signs of water damage in your home, contact Water Damage Miami for immediate water damage restoration to avoid property loss and potential exposure. For quotations and inquiries, reach us through our emergency number, (786) 540-4735 or send us an email.
- Water Mitigation Costs: Raking Up High Bills Tactics.
We completely understand and avidly believe that transparency and integrity should be a rule of thumb in this industry. For this reason, we have put together a comprehensive list of billing tactics restoration firms do not want you to know. When you get to know everything about these tips, you have the power to significantly reduce water mitigation costs whenever you are dealing with water damage restoration companies. Buckle up, sit back tight and relax as we sail you through a sea of information regarding costs reduction when dealing with water restoration firms.
i) Use of Extra Equipment That Is Not Necessary.
It is a common practice of all restoration companies to bill their clients per piece of equipment used. To rack up higher bills, some restoration companies have the habit of claiming that you need more equipment for water mitigation than the task requires. So, how exactly will you know if they are using too many tools and equipment? Let’s find out.
There is a formula used by experts in our industry to determine or give you a clue of what kind of equipment you need. For every 9-13 Ft of a wall, in every offset, you must have at least a single air mover. Another recommended formula that works every time when used is to place an air mover every 60-150 sq. Ft. When you realize that you or someone else trips over the equipment every time they walk into spaces, this is an indication of use of too much equipment than necessary. As discussed in the next subtopic, you will find that the dehumidification formula is more complicated than air movers’ formula.
The size of equipment matters a lot because bigger equipment means you will have to part away with more money to cover the cost of purchasing them. You may find that you are billed for larger dehumidifiers when all you require is a standard size dehumidifier. For you to understand better about this concept, extra-large dehumidifiers are ideal for large areas or lobbies, not for rooms in apartments. We have come across many water mitigation firms that bill extra-large dehumidifiers for use in small bedrooms and bathroom; this is an unbecoming behavior that is entirely unnecessary. If you are not careful and you fail to detect such trends, you may incur extraordinary costs when you receive the water mitigation bill.
The Dehumidification formula.
Calculating the exact or correct number of dehumidifiers for water loss can be complicated and simple at the same time. To make it simple, following the formula below will ease your work to great extents. A competent person can quickly determine the best and most reliable drying options in consideration to performance of the equipment, load, and continuous monitoring of drying envelops by making use of a psychrometric chart. Using thermal hygrometers gives readings of relative humidity and temperature in Celsius that allow easy calculation of specific humidity. After that, total moisture load can be calculated by using the following equation.
When you know of the total cubic capacity of the place or area that requires drying, the following calculations are necessary.
Total cubic capacity x specific humidity (in kg/kg) = total or full moisture load (kg)
Divide the total moisture load by 24 to determine the airborne moisture that should be removed every hour. To know the exact number of dehumidifiers you require to do the job, divide the above answer by the collection rate of every different class of dehumidifier.
–Water Damage Restoration Calculation Requirements.
Water damage restoration applications require 2-5 air changes every hour. (ACH)
a) Calculate the structure’s volume in cu. Ft (L x W x H)
b) Calculate SCFM for a single air change (vol/ 60)
c) Calculate the required dehumidification capacity required (SCFM x ACH)
The above capacity can be provided using three (3) 5,000- CFM dehumidifiers or a single 15,000-CFM dehumidifier. In buildings, use the same formula to calculate the required capacity for different dehumidification applications. To do so, simply change the ACH value.
ii) Always Make Sure You Double Check Water Mitigation Prices.
Some water mitigation firms claim that their pricing or estimate is the best while in fact, this is far from the case. For instance, some firms claim to use Xactimate which is a standard industry pricing tool for calculating property claims, for generating estimates to make sure that they give their clients the very best price available in the market. The truth of the matter is, Xactimate is there only to suggest the amount you should charge under current market trends. It never forces you to pass the same estimate to clients. In other words, what this simply means is that the original pricing generated can be increased by water restoration firms without clients noticing. In fact, some water restoring firms will look you in the eye without blinking and hand you an altered or inflated quote and claim that it is what Xactimate has originally estimated.
Our advice? Do your homework. Go out and ask around. Request price lists from different trusted and reputable companies to get a rough idea of what you should be charged. The Water Damage Miami firm will be glad to assist you in reviewing water mitigation projects to make sure there is no foul play. We make use of the exact Xactimate pricing.
iii) More than the Required Demolition.
For revamping, demolition is inevitable. It is a must requirement to restore things to order for normal functioning. It is at this point that most managers and property owners are misguided. Your goal is successful restoration at a minimal cost. A blind quest for restoration without solid plans is a fool’s errand. As such, inquire if demolitions are really necessary. If you don’t, you will be in trouble before the next Game of Thrones episode is out. So, how exactly can you be sure if demolitions are necessary? Let’s paint a picture that will put everything in black and white for easy decision making by managers and homeowners.
Assuming there is water damage in your bathroom and you contact a water restoration firm. Upon their inspection, the restoration firm suggests that they will need to bring down your tiled bathroom wall for them to get to the root of the damage. The most logical thing to do is to consider what is behind the bathroom. It could be a room wall or a closet. It is cost effective and much easier to go around for the purpose of breaking through the drywall for drying out so as to remediate the damage than tearing down the tiled bathroom wall which will bring extra costs for reconstruction, more so if the tiles, toilets or sinks need to be detached or removed from their positions.
Drying Out Vs. Reconstruction.
When you do the math for the resources and time you will use for drying out spaces in your home or building; you soon realize that the whole process is extremely expensive. Take the example of the following scenario; when water damages your carpet padding, which is cheaper, drying it out or replacing it? You got it right! Replacing the carpet padding is way quicker and less expensive than drying it out because the latter requires rental equipment charged per diem and of course, there is the cost of labor.
The same applies to remediating and drying out bathroom mold. Never accept or permit restoration firms to go through walls that are tiled or walls where they would have to remove sinks or toilets if there are other options for tackling the situation. If possible, instruct them to go through different areas or seek alternatives that break through dry walls to get to areas that are damaged. Although the logic is quite apparent, you will be astonished by how frequently the practice is seen or done our line of business.
Other Measures You Should Take.
We have an obligation of getting to the root of your problem as well as protecting your home and properties. Our recommendation is that you appoint someone to spot check technicians throughout the project as well as during the initial inspection. You should also consider investing in a moisture meter to make sure that their findings are accurate.
Once the project commences, ensure you have a log. Every water mitigation technician should make sure he or she logs in and out whenever they are on site. Doing this enables you to know who is trustworthy and who needs to be purged. Never be bothered by how they feel about your rules, if the water restoration company is as honest as it claims to be, it will not be bothered by such measures.
It is our sincere hope that by this article sheds light on deceitful practices by water restoration firms. We encourage them to be honest in their work for the best interest of their customers. Fires and floods can be frightening and devastating for both owners and property managers alike. Considering how water mitigation bills are costly, there is absolutely no need of adding insult to the injury by claiming there is more damage which isn’t actually there.