Faq
Frequently Asked Questions
No Doubt There Are A Lot Of Questions About This Process. Many Of Them Can Be Answered Below
Even with the information in this packet, there are still generally a lot more questions about water, fire and mold
restoration that are still to be asked and answered. These next few pages will outline some of our most frequently asked questions and the answers to those questions.
What are the categories of water?
What Should I Expect With Each Type Of Category?
Category 1
Category one water is known as clear or clean water. It originates
from a fresh water source such as a water supply line to a fridge,
toilet, faucet or water heater. Category one water is only considered clean so long as the water has only been in the affected area
for less than 24 hours and has not come in contact with another
source that could contaminate it.
What To Expect With Category 1
Drying Materials In Place
In a Category one water loss the insurance company expects and requires
that we try and salvage as much of the building materials as possible and
where possible. Materials are only removed if they are deemed non
salvageable. Otherwise, the materials will be dried in place.
- What Cannot Be Dried In Place?
- Vinyl/Linoleum
- Ceramic Tile (except in rare cases)
- Wood Floors (except in rare cases)
- Laminate/Pergo
- Cabinets/Vanities
- Insulation
- MDF Baseboards/Trim
- “Pet” carpet pad
How Much Equipment?
In a Category one water loss you can expect the most amount of equipment. This is because the more equipment that is on the water loss, the faster it will dry and the less likely it will be that materials have to be removed. This also means it will be noisy and it will be hot inside the home. Hotel arrangements may need to be made in order to make sleeping more comfortable. Turning off the equipment will only prolong the drying process and will ensure the likelihood of materials becoming non-salvageable.
Category 2
Category two water is known as grey or dirty water. It contains some contaminates that can make some people and animals sick. Category
two water originates from a source such as a drain line to a bathroom sink, water from a toilet bowl where the water originated from before
the “trap” of the toilet. Category one water can mutate into Category two water in as little as 24 hours. Category two water is only considered dirty water so long as the water has only been in the affected
are for less than 48 hours and has not come in contact with another source that could contaminate it further.
What To Expect With Category 2
Drying Materials In Place
In a Category two water loss the insurance company expects
and requires that we try and salvage as much of the building materials as possible and where possible. Materials are only removed if they are deemed non-salvageable. Otherwise, the materials will be dried in place.
- What Cannot Be Dried in Place?
- Vinyl/Linoleum
- Ceramic Tile (except in rare cases)
- Wood Floors (except in rare cases)
- Cabinets/Vanities
- Insulation
- MDF Baseboards/Trim
- Carpet Pad
How Much Equipment?
In a Category two water loss, the more equipment that is on the water loss, the faster it will dry and the less likely it will be that materials will have to be removed. This also means it will be noisy and it will be hot inside the home.
Hotel arrangements may need to be made in order to make sleeping more comfortable. Turning off the equipment will only prolong the drying process and will ensure the likelihood of materials becoming non-salvageable.
Category 3
Category three water is known as black or grossly contaminated
water. It contains various kinds of pathogens and bacteria that can
make people and animals very sick, especially the elderly and young
children. It contains pathogens such as E.coli, salmonella and various
others. Category three water originates from a source such as a sewer
line, drain line from a kitchen sink/garbage disposal, a toilet overflow
where the water originated from beyond the “trap” of the toilet. Category one water can mutate into Category three water in as little as
72 hours. Category two water can mutate into Category three water
in as little as 48 hours.
What to expect with category 3
No Drying in Place Except for Structural Materials
– In a Category three water loss the industry standards require that we remove everything that came in contact with the water. No building materials are salvageable in a Category 3 water loss, except for the structural framing of the building, the concrete foundation or tile on concrete. All other building materials must be removed!
Cleaning Contents
Hard surface contents such as plastic, glass and metal can be sanitized with an antimicrobial agent by our technicians while they are onsite.
Soft goods and fabrics can be picked up by one of our Certified Esporta Operators, cleaned at our facility and brought back to your home.
How Much Equipment?
In a Category three water loss, the more equipment that is
on the water loss, the faster it will dry. This also means it
will be noisy and it will be hot inside the home. Hotel arrangements may need to be made in order to make sleeping more comfortable. Turning off the equipment will only
prolong the drying process and may result in microbial
growth.
Why do you not provide an estimate?
Don’t most contractors provide estimates before beginning work?
Price list
As a restoration contractor that has agreed to work with
insurance companies, we have agreed to invoice based off
an industry standard price list call Xactimate. Xactimate is
a price list generated and agreed upon by restoration and
insurance companies around the world. It is considered
a reasonable and customary price list for the restoration
industry
This is an emergency - like an ambulance ride
Water and fire mitigation work is generally considered an emergency. We are performing emergency services
on your home in order to ensure there is no further damage to the structure of your home. Just like you would
not ask an ambulance driver how much it is going to cost you before you get in the ambulance, the insurance
company also does not require an estimate from a mitigation contractor. The insurance company actually requires you, as a homeowner, to do everything within your power to mitigate the damages to your home whether
there is insurance coverage or not.
Can I still get an estimate?
Some homeowners still like to have an estimate prior to
work beginning. In these cases, we can provide an onsite
estimate that approximates the work that we foresee as
being necessary based on our initial findings. It is important to understand that these estimates are simply an approximation of damages and can change up to 20% of the
original estimated amount.
Insurance Agent Vs. Insurance Adjuster
Do I call my agent? What is an adjuster?
Your Insurance Agent
In a society where everyone is out for their own bottom dollar, your insurance agent is also looking out for his/her own bottom dollar. If you call your insurance
agent they will likely tell you to obtain up to 3 different bids before doing anything. What they are actually trying to do is get you to forego the claims process so that your claim does not go against the profit of their agency. They are not really looking out for your best interest, but rather their own
Who Do I Call Then?
The best place to start is by calling your insurance claim center where you will speak to a claim center representative. At minimum that representative will be able to get a claim started for you and get your claim assigned to an adjuster. They will not ask you for bids. They will not delay the mitigation process. They will simply help you make a claim.
Your Insurance Adjuster
The adjuster that gets assigned to your claim is the person that is the most knowledgeable about your insurance policy, coverages, coverage limitations, etc.
However, do not expect your adjuster to be an expert in the water, fire or mold mitigation process. They rely on restoration professionals for that.
Your adjuster is your point of contact for your insurance claim. He/she knows the most about your policy. He/she is whom our office will work with, on settling the amount of our final invoice, in a timely fashion. Your adjuster will also work with your contractor to make sure the funds that are needed for your project are released in a timely fashion.
Why Do You Test For Asbestos?
My Home Was Built After 1979, Why Do You Have To Test?
State Law Requires Testing
Yes, asbestos was banned from being imported in 1979, however, there are still some forms of asbestos in materials post 1979. We are required by Colorado State Law, even if your home was built yesterday, to test sheet vinyl, linoleum, vinyl tile, various types of mastic (for vinyl, paneling and cove base), textured
drywall/joint compound and even some forms of insulation.
Who Performs The Test?
One of our Colorado State Licensed Building Inspectors will perform your asbestos test. They are trained and
licensed yearly on how to safely and properly take asbestos samples.
Who Processes The Samples?
After the sample is taken, the Building Inspector will drop the samples off at a local laboratory that is licensed in processing and
analyzing asbestos samples. This lab provides All Pro Restoration with a written analysis of the sample’s asbestos containing results.
How Long Does It Take?
In general, the sampling process only takes 20-30 minutes for an average water loss. Some whole house floods
might take 1-2 hours. Once the Building Inspector drops the samples off to the lab, the lab will take anywhere from 2-4 hours to process the samples and send an email with the results (longer if there is an influx of water losses in the area).
Who Processes The Samples?
Ultimately, testing for asbestos keeps both your family and our employees safe from being accidentally exposed to a substance that can be harmful when disturbed. OSHA requires testing on all homes pre-1979. Colorado takes that one step further for safety.
My Home Has Asbestos
What Does That Mean For Me?
What Is An Abatement?
Abatement is a fancy way of describing the asbestos removal process. Abatements are performed by contractors
that are not only certified and licensed in Asbestos Abatement, but that also carry the appropriate insurances
for Asbestos Abatement.
Who Do I Call?
Our office will actually make the phone calls for you. We have contacts with several abatement contractors in the area. We will reach out to two of these contractors on your behalf, explain the materials that contain asbestos, provide them with a copy of the report and request a bid on your behalf. We also forward these two bids to the insurance company and follow up on approval from your insurance company on
your behalf.
Why Two Bids?
Most every insurance company requires that we obtain two
asbestos abatement bids. Since the asbestos abatement industry is not regulated by a price list like the restoration industry is, obtaining two bids ensures that the insurance company is getting the fairest price for the abatement. With the companies that we use, we can assure our customer’s
that a lower price, does not mean a lower quality of work. We only work with those asbestos abatement companies that have proven their quality of work to us with years of partnership experience.
How Long Does It Take?
An average abatement can take anywhere from 1-4 days, depending on the size of the water or fire loss. You will be informed of the amount of time before the abatement process begins. The abatement contractor that is selected by your insurance company will schedule with you directly
Does All Pro Restoration Do Reconstruction?
I Only Want A One-stop-shop
The Flaw With One-stop-shops
The saying goes that you can either be a master of one or a master of none. This is very true in the restoration industry. There are two very
distinct parts to your claim – the mitigation and the reconstruction. Both require very different skill levels and certifications. You do not actually want a one-stop-shop because they generally do not understand the mitigation industry standards as well as they should. We specialize in water, fire and mold mitigation/remediation. We take it very seriously. Our expertise in the reconstruction side of restoration was not as strong as our mitigation side, so we decided to master what we were good at – mitigation.
Who Do I Call Then?
We actually make this phone call for you! While we may not be a one-stop-shop, we do try and still make the entire process as seamless as possible. With your verbal permission, we forward your contact and insurance information on to our industry partner, All Phase Restoration. We have been working with All Phase Restoration for multiple years and have generally received very positive feedback on their services and their team. You are in good hands!
How Long Does Reconstruction Take?
It is typical for a restoration project to take a minimum of 45 days to complete. While the mitigation process generally does not exceed 5-7 days, the reconstruction process can take longer due to the estimate approval process, material availability, sub-contractor availability, etc. Projects that encompass more than 2-3 rooms can generally take 60-90 days to complete.
