by Core24 Services | Nov 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
It can be stressful when something happens to your home. Whether it has been damaged due to a fire, flood or mold, repairs need to be done. This is when a restoration company comes in. As the name suggests, a restoration company works to restore your property back to how it was. There are many types of restoration services that a full service restoration company offers, such as:
- Water Damage Restoration, or Flood Damage Restoration
- Mold Removal & Mold Remediation Services (especially after water or flood damage)
- Fire Damage Restoration & Smoke Damage Restoration
- Sewage Cleanup
- Carpet Cleaning
When Does a Restoration Company Come In?
A restoration company should be contacted once you make an insurance claim. The restoration company can help give an accurate scope of the damage. However, it is important to clarify that the company will work with insurance companies while working directly for an insurer.
One way to make the process easier is to identify issues that the restorers need to address. You should also work on anything that you can sort out yourself (for example temporary stay if needed and not covered). Also, any items that have not been damaged should be removed from any affected areas.
It is also recommended that you take pictures of any affected areas and items so that you have evidence of what has happened. By keeping in close contact with the insurer and the restorer it becomes easier to look at what needs to be done.
During an extreme scenario (for example a flood) it is worth remembering that flood restoration companies may be stretched thin as they would have a number of properties whose needs have to be addressed.
Prevention
There is an old saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’, and this is also the case with restoration issues. For instance, knowing where your shut off valve is means you can shut off the water supply and minimize water damage in the event of a leak. It is also recommended that if you are away from your home for more than three days then you should consider shutting off your water.
Another way to reduce the risk of water damage is to ensure that downspouts are positioned away from your home. While turning off your water while you are away is important, be wary of turning off heat as this could result in leaking water becoming ice and further damaging your home.
How Do Restoration Companies Work With Insurance?
It is also worth remembering what is and isn’t covered under your insurance policy. There may be certain exclusions and this is why it is important to know this. This is why you should be wary of low cost insurance deals as they may not give you the coverage you need and include restoration services.
In short, it is worth being prepared before any emergency occurs and you have to make a claim. If you need to make a claim, then it is worth protecting what you can, as well as documenting everything via photos and videos.
With the right approach you will be able to get the coverage you need, process the claim as quickly as possible, and help the restoration company do their job in the most efficient way.
Who Can You Call For Restoration Services in Delaware or Maryland?
If you need restoration services in the DelMarVa area, give Core24 Services a call! With two convenient locations in Delaware and Maryland, we can come straight to you for any of the following services:
CALL NOW!
833-267-3247
by Core24 Services | Mar 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
No one wants to think about experiencing a fire in their home. However, house fires occur all the time. Just because it hasn’t happened to you doesn’t mean it never will, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you don’t need a home evacuation plan, just in case.
Here’s what you need to know to design a plan that will work for you and your family.
Assign Everyone a Role in Your House Fire Plan
Every person, or at least every adult, should have a role in your house fire plan. These roles can vary based on the person’s age, where they sleep (since many house fires occur at night), and their gifts.
For instance, you might task one person with rousing the children and shepherding them outside the home, another with grabbing a cache of important documents, and another with ensuring the safety of the family pet.
Make sure that everyone knows their job in your home evacuation plan, but also be sure they know that their safety is paramount. If they can’t complete their task safely, they should simply leave the home as soon as possible.
Educate Everyone
There are a few things everyone in your home should know. Ensuring they have this knowledge could save their lives in a fire.
- Check doors for heat before opening them and exiting
- Find kids and stay with them while exiting the building. Remember, kids can sleep through fire alarms!
- Crouch down low to stay away from the worst smoke
- Never go back in the house
- Don’t call 911 until you are safely outside
Specifics For Your Home Evacuation Plan
Every house fire plan needs to have a few key pieces. In addition to giving everyone a role, designate an outdoor meeting place that is well away from the home. Everyone should meet here so you can make sure they are out of the home and uninjured.
Keep important documents together and in a place that is easy to access on the way out of the house. You may want to include birth certificates, identification like passports, Social Security cards, and insurance paperwork. This gives you the best possible chance of being able to grab these even if you’re fleeing from a fire.
You may want to practice your home evacuation plan. Of course, you don’t want to scare any children in your home, but you do want to make sure everyone knows what to do and has done it at least once before.
A house fire plan can help you feel more secure in your home. Once you have one in place, you’ll know that your family has the best possible chance of escaping this kind of catastrophe unphased.
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833-267-3247
by Core24 Services | Mar 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
Most homes these days have smoke detectors, because these have been required by law for years. However, many homeowners don’t know that they need to test their smoke detectors and change the batteries at least once a year.
Here’s what you need to know about your smoke detectors to keep you and your family safe, no matter what happens in your home.
Our Smoke Detector Recommendations
We recommend having interconnected smoke detectors. This means that, if one smoke detector goes off, they go off throughout your entire home.
This kind of system gives people in the house more time to get out. On average, it takes people two minutes to exit a house once a detector goes off. This includes the time it takes to realize what is going on, to check the door for heat before leaving, and to grab a few key items to take with them.
Interconnected alarms can mean the difference between getting trapped in a house where there’s a fire and getting out in time.
How to Check Smoke Detector Batteries
Make sure your smoke detectors go off if there’s a fire by checking the batteries regularly. Most alarms will chirp if the battery power goes too low, but no one wants to wake in the middle of the night to that. You can just change the batteries routinely every year, or test the power.
Many alarms have a button that allows you to do this, but some require you to test the alarm. If it works, the battery is currently ok. If it doesn’t, you need to change it.
How to Change Smoke Detector Batteries
Different alarms have different batteries and ask you to change them in different ways. If you aren’t sure how to change yours, call us and we’ll help you figure it out.
On most alarms, you can twist off the bell part of the alarm or open a battery door in the side. Just swap out the battery, twist the bell back on or close the door, and your alarm should be ready to go.
Test Your Smoke Detectors in Georgetown, DE
On many systems, testing a smoke detector is as easy as pressing a button on the side. However, some systems have an app that lets you test it, while others have other mechanisms.
At Core24 Services, we would be happy to help you test your smoke detectors in Georgetown, DE. We’ll make sure your system is working, fix any problems we find, and only leave when we can assure that your alarms are in good shape and will do their job if you need them.
CALL NOW!
833-267-3247
by Core24 Services | Mar 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
If you’re lucky enough to have a vacation home, you’ve probably wondered about the recommended temperature for an empty house. You may even have asked about what temperature to leave an empty house in the winter.
Other people don’t wonder about this at all. Instead, they assume that they can and should leave the thermostat warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter, since no one needs to be comfortable when no one is staying there.
However, the opposite might actually be true. Higher temperatures in the summer can trap moisture in the house, leading to warping, mold and mildew, and more. Lower indoor temperatures in the winter can lead to frozen pipes as well as condensation problems that result in moisture damage.
Here’s what you need to know about the recommended temperature for an empty house so you can decide where to set your thermostat before you leave your vacation home.
Check With Your Insurance Company
Before you do anything else, check your insurance policy. Many of these now require people to keep their vacation homes between certain temperatures in order to offer coverage. If you don’t set the thermostat correctly, any resulting damage will not be covered under your policy!
If you can’t find this information in your policy but you want to make sure you comply with all rules, call the company directly. They should know what is stipulated in their policies and should be able to tell you what temperature to leave an empty house in the winter and the summer.
Never Go Below 55!
When it comes to home temperatures in the winter, a good rule of thumb is to never set your thermostat below 55 degrees. This ensures that, as long as the heat is working, your pipes won’t get cold enough to freeze and your home won’t suffer from condensation buildup.
Note that a few experts disagree on this and say you can set the thermostat at 50 degrees. However, we have seen damage result from setting it this low, so we don’t recommend doing so.
If your vacation home does suffer damage while you’re not in it, whether it is from an incorrect temperature setting or for another reason, call us at Core24 Services. We can help you with water damage restoration and other services that will get your house back to normal fast!
CALL NOW!
833-267-3247
by Core24 Services | Feb 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
When you call us at Core24 Services, we’ll always show up with the best water damage restoration equipment. After all, we offer some of the best water damage restoration services in Georgetown, DE.
One piece of equipment we use that many don’t know much about is the desiccant dehumidifier. These help us remove water from hardwood floors, plaster walls, and more.
How Does a Desiccant Dehumidifier Work?
Desiccant dehumidification systems work by absorbing moisture out of air that gets sucked into the machine. They have a desiccant material inside of them, something like the silica gel in packets that gets placed in packaging for everything from vitamins to toys.
A desiccant dehumidifier will suck in air, absorb moisture, and emit that air back where it came from. It will also need to vent humid air, which we will remove from your home with a temporary ducting system.
When Do We Use Desiccant Dehumidifiers?
We use desiccant dehumidification systems when we need to dry out areas quickly. We especially use them when there are very dense materials (like hardwoods) that need to be dried out, because they can lower the humidity levels beyond what other dehumidifiers can do.
What are the Benefits of a Desiccant Dehumidifier System?
A desiccant system removes more moisture from the air than other dehumidifiers can. This allows them to increase drying speed and aid in drying things out deeply, rather than only on the surface.
They also come in a wide variety of sizes, so we can use them for all sorts of jobs. They can absorb moisture from a tiny crawl space or from the main area of a large, open-floor plan home.
When we need to dry out an area, desiccant dehumidifiers are often among the water damage restoration equipment we choose to use.
Reach Out Now for Water Damage Restoration Services in Georgetown, DE
When you need water damage restoration services in Georgetown, DE, you don’t have time to waste. You don’t want to let that water sit any longer than it absolutely has to. So call us at Core24 Services right away to get help fast.
We’ll send out a water damage expert as soon as possible. They will assess your needs, then bring in the equipment and the manpower that they need so they can dry and restore your space quickly. Get back to normal fast when you call us today!
CALL NOW!
833-267-3247
