The Fire Insurance Claim Process

Fire victims dealing with filing a claim with their insurance company are often faced with many questions. The following is a tip sheet offered by the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade group, on what you need to know if your house has been damaged by fire:

If my house burns down, will my insurance company pay to have it rebuilt?
The typical homeowner’s policy covers damage due to wind, fire and lightning. So if your home has been completely destroyed by a fire or if the roof has been burned, your insurance company will pay to have your home rebuilt or to have the roof replaced. It will also pay if flames and smoke have damaged any other part of your home. (more…)

5 Ways to Protect Your Property from Winter Fires

With winter, we think snow and cold temperatures, which would be a fire deterrent, right? Well, unfortunately because of the colder temperatures and conditions, people use methods to heat up their homes which increase home fire occurrences. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 49% of all home heat related fires happen December, January and February! As such, we have assembled a helpful guide so that we can prevent you and us to not be apart of that statistic.

So here are 5 ways to protect your property from winter fires:

• Keep Distance – Make sure that all heaters have a safe distance of at least 3 feet away from any combustible materials (clothes, paper, furniture, curtains, etc.).

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Winter Roof Leaks? Don’t Dam Your Roof

Although ice damming can result from the sun’s heat melting the snow on the roof, the more common way ice dams are formed is due to irregular temperatures in your attic or roof’s undersides.

“When your roof reaches 32° and above, snow starts to melt. If the resulting water from that snow melt reaches a lower portion of the roof which is below 32°, freezing often occurs. This is the start of the ice dam formation,” according to Jeremy Hall, HAAG certified roof inspector. “As this begins to build up receiving continued runoff of melting snow from the uppermost portion of the roof, water intrusion becomes a hazard as the ice expands and goes in between the roof materials.”

You may be prone to ice damming if:

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Don’t Be a Winterization Victim

With the first Colorado freeze warning issued as early as October 17th this year, many homeowners were caught off guard, scrambling to get their homes ready for winter. Every cold snap puts homeowners at the risk of suffering property damage and expenses caused by frozen pipes. Irrigation systems are especially susceptible due to their proximity – outdoors!

NuBilt has received a record number of calls this season due to sprinkler system freezes which might have been avoided with proper winterization and having the system blown out in time. Many residents who have migrated to Colorado from warmer climates never think to perform this step before temperatures fall into the low 30 degree level. Upon reaching this temperature is when water expands, increasing in volume to one-eleventh, sufficient enough to cause pipes and fittings to burst, valves to crack. Just keep in mind, if you ever need to shovel snow, then you are in a climate which requires steps to protect your pipes from freezing. (more…)

Warning: The Problem with Mold (Part 2)

The Mold Controversy: Affecting Managers, Insurers, Remediators and the Community

In Part 1 of this exploration into the problems and controversy surrounding mold, the history behind the recent mold phenomenon, detection methods and health effects were outlined (Warning: The Problem with Mold (Part 1)). With Part 2, the eradication process, or mold remediation as it is known to those in the industry, and why the associated costs are what they are will be outlined. Additionally, the question over the levels of responsibility to address the presence of mold within a structure and why there exists a reluctance within the property manager, insurance and restoration world, to speak definitively on the subject. This is especially timely as we enter the fall season, when mold spore counts traditionally reach their highest level of the year. (more…)

Warning: The Problem with Mold (Part 1)

The Mold Controversy… Affecting Managers, Insurers, Remediators and the Community

Mold has created some real controversy in the past few decades and interestingly enough, there are no solid legal statutes to guide consumers on their rights once exposed, measurements to gauge what acceptable or unacceptable levels of exposure are for humans, true definitions for insurers to recognize or cover costs for mold affected structures, government oversight for the restoration industry on removal/treatments to eradicate mold, nor definitive studies linking mold to health problems. In fact grumblings over the absence of perspicuity on the topic has created a conspiratorial atmosphere linked to lobbying by those monetarily interested, leaving many in the industry reluctant to speak definitively about it. In this Part 1 series on the topic, the history behind the recent mold phenomenon, detection methods and health affects will be explored. (more…)

5 Surefire Ways of Finding Roof Leaks

Roof repair is something that people dread, but realize sooner or later they will need to have theirs repaired. So, if you’re going to have it done, you need to think of ways that you can save on the costs. It can be a major investment, and therefore, should only be handled by experienced professionals. Actually, roof repair is one of the most expensive home maintenance projects that you can get involved with. Once you locate a leak or damaged section of your roof, it should be fixed at once, to prevent further roof and structural damages. (more…)

Tips on How to Avoid Flooding Gutters

When it comes to the best flood cleanup Denver companies, you need to depend on fast and professional service. This is especially true when it concerns flooding gutters.

How Do Gutters Get Flooded?

Have you heard of the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind?” This could be one way of describing how people view their gutters.

When it’s raining, people are making a mad dash to their house, and never wonder if their gutters are working properly, or not. When it’s not raining, unless there is something growing or sticking out of them, no one would ever know they need cleaning. (more…)

What You Must Do after a House Fire

Fire damage restoration is a laborious skill that can only be performed by professionals. It’s a carefully planned task that needs days or even weeks to complete.

The possibility of having a major fire in your house is not something that crosses the mind of most people. Yet, every year, young and old, the rich and poor are affected, and the results can be mentally and physically devastating. (more…)