A Small Refrigerator Water Line Creates Big Problems in Denver Home

Water from a leaking water supply line to a refrigerator caused damage to the main level of the house in the kitchen and bedroom, and to the basement areas under the kitchen area. The laundry room, storage room and closet in the basement were all affected by the water. NuBilt was able to restore the property back to pre-loss condition and received some nice customer feedback when it was all done!

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Customer Testimonial

Emergency Water Mitigation to Dry Three Levels

There was a newly installed shower valve on the second level of the dwelling that broke inside the wall. The water affected the second floor, main floor and basement. We performed emergency afterhours mitigation work to dry the structure. Working with the owner during reconstruction, we made upgrades to the finishes he wanted in two of the bathrooms. We installed new tile and did minor remodeling in the second level bathroom. There was wood flooring, tile flooring, drywall and trim work affected. The dwelling has been returned to a better than pre-loss condition.

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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…)

Homeowners Come Home to 11-Day Flooded Mess

This was a flood from the freeze on 2/3/11. The homeowners were out of town since late January and it was not until the Castle Rock Water Dept was reading water meters and noticed theirs was going too fast on 2/14/11 that they shut it off at the street and left a note on the door. The neighbors saw the note and called the homeowner who called us. I was the first on scene and the water had been running at open flow in three areas for 11 days. Nearly the entire main level was wet and the entire lower level was flooded. There were ceilings and walls collapsed from the water and the damage is visible in the pictures. Nearly the entire lower level was gutted and reconstructed. The entire demolition and rebuilding process took 6 weeks.

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5 Tips against Flood Damage from Rain

Every year, flood damage from rain causes property destruction to thousands of residents across the entire United States, as well as around the world. Many people also face further insult, because they don’t have the proper insurance, or because they don’t have insurance at all.

Flooding caused by hurricanes alone, adds up to over 5 billion dollars of property damage each year, and kills an average of 20 people. (more…)

Water Damage Vs. Flood Damage Coverage

It Pays To Know The Difference

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop should be there. With dismay, you discover that your home is filled with damaging water. Will your insurance policy cover this loss? That depends on the type of insurance you chose to purchase and how the water entered your house.

There basically are two insurance policies that deal with a homeowner’s damage due to water — a flood insurance policy and a homeowners insurance policy. Losses not covered by one of these policies may be covered by the other. Knowing the losses to which your home could be exposed will help you decide whether to buy one or both of these insurance coverage. (more…)

Water Heater Break in Arvada, CO

This incident took place in a townhouse in Arvada. The water heater broke in the middle of the night which flooded a part of the upstairs and leaked through to the kitchen ceiling below. There was drywall, texture, painting, and carpet repair and cleaning to be done. This flood happened on 9-20-10 and was completely dried, rebuilt, painted and cleaned by 9-30-10.

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TESTIMONIAL

Get The Facts About Flood Insurance

Flood Damage from Rain

Popular yet incorrect notions about the National Flood Insurance Program can lead homeowners and businesses to pass up this easy and important safeguard. Here are some truths about flood insurance that can help residents.

Myth: Homeowners’ insurance policies cover floods.
Fact: No, most standard multi-peril home and business insurance policies do not cover flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the only way a homeowner, business owner or renter can limit the cost of damages from flooding. Homes, businesses, personal property and business inventory contents are covered for flood by the NFIP. Policies may be purchased through private insurance companies or directly from an NFIP Agent.

Myth: You cannot buy flood insurance if you do not live in a high flood-risk area or if your home or business was flooded in the past.
Fact: You can buy flood insurance no matter where you live, provided your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. You are still eligible to purchase flood insurance even if your home, apartment or business has experienced a flood. Even if your area is not considered a high flood-risk, all areas are susceptible to flood. Nearly 25 percent of all NFIP claims are from outside high flood-risk areas.

Myth: Flood insurance does not cover flood damage to anything in the basement.
Fact: Yes, it does. The NFIP defines a basement as any area with a floor below ground level on all sides. In a basement, the NFIP covers essential home equipment connected to an electrical source such as sump-pumps, furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, circuit breakers, etc. The NFIP also covers structural components in the basement such as staircases, elevators, dumbwaiters, unpainted drywall walls, ceilings and fiberglass insulation. If the resident or business owner chose to insure the basement “contents” with the policy, NFIP would cover clothes washers and dryers, as well as food freezers located in the basement and the food inside.

The NFIP does not insure “finished” basements. The NFIP will not cover improved basement walls, ceilings, and furniture or entertainment electronics in a finished basement.

Myth: You cannot buy flood insurance immediately before or after a flood.
Fact: You can buy flood insurance anytime, but there is a 30-day waiting period after the first premium payment before the policy becomes effective. There are exceptions: There is no waiting period when making, increasing, extending, or renewing a loan. The waiting period is reduced to one day during the first 13 months after a change to the local flood insurance rate map (FIRM). If the building or home was recently revised by the FIRM to be a high flood-risk area, an NFIP policy takes effect one day after the first premium payment.

To learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program, visit its Web site at www.floodsmart.gov. On the Web site, you can learn if your community participates in the NFIP and where to locate an insurance agent who sells flood insurance near you. The interactive portion of the site offers specific information on flood risk to your home or business and can estimate your flood insurance premium. For more questions about NFIP and the Flood smart program, call 888-379-9531.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

About the Author:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The primary mission of the FEMA is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. This article was reproduced from FEMA’s website.

Basements May Flood if Drainage Is Poor

Flooded Basement

No matter where your house is located, your basement could flood during heavy rainfalls if drainage is poor, says Charles Schwab, Iowa State University Extension professor, Ag and Biosystems Engineering.

“If your house is in a floodplain, use dikes, block outlets that might back-up into the basement, waterproof the walls and block windows and doors with sandbags,” said Schwab.

During extreme flooding, water pressure can collapse foundation walls. In some cases it might be preferable to allow the basement to flood and equalize water pressure. Contact local authorities to determine the possibility of basement collapse, Schwab said.

To avoid flood problems in the future, home owners can take several steps to improve drainage around the house.

• Build small diversions or ditches to channel water away from your lot. Various regulations concerning water flow will apply and you must not change the flow in a way that adversely affects your neighbor. Before beginning a project, check with your neighbors and local officials.
• Use surface inlets to carry water to a surface drain. The drain outlet can empty into street gutters or storm sewers if permitted by local building codes.
• Grade your yard so that surface water drains away from the house. Often the fill used around a house settles and leaves a low area. This low spot must be filled so water runs away from the house. In the first 10 feet away from the house, the soil should drop a minimum of 6 inches. A minimum grade of 1 foot in 1000 feet generally is adequate after the first 10 feet.
• To prevent wood rot, there must be at least eight inches between the soil and the wood siding, Schwab says. The soil directly around the house should be of slow permeability so water does not penetrate near the house. Rock and gravel should not be used on the surface, since they will serve as a conduit for water into the ground. “Many lots are poorly graded and large amounts of earth will need to be moved. Get professional advice before starting a major grading project,” Schwab says.
• Install roof gutters and downspouts to carry water away from the house. Thousands of gallons of water will fall on the roof during a heavy rain and must be removed quickly from the area around the house. Downspouts can empty into a subsurface drain or be discharged over a grassy area.

Excessive Rainfall Causing House Floods

“Don’t use the same subsurface drain for perimeter tile around the foundation and for the downspout. If the drain capacity is insufficient, excess water will be dumped around the basement footings,” Schwab says.

Water from downspouts that empty onto the lawn must be dumped and spread far enough from the house so the water does not enter the basement. On steeply sloping well-drained lawns with no basement water problems, a simple splash block usually will be sufficient. For houses with basement water problems, the water should be dumped at least 5 to 10 feet from the house, Schwab says.

About the Author:
Dr. Schwab serves on several multi-state and interdisciplinary teams,
committees, boards, and organizations that promote injury prevention and foster
emergency preparedness.

This article was reproduced with permission from Charles Schwab of Ag & Biosystems Engineering; Iowa State University.