Water Damage

Public adjusters understand that there are varying degrees of water damage that will impact your claim with your insurance carrier. What type of water damage you have, as well as the extent of the water damage, will determine how much you are entitled to receive from your insurance company. We will work for you, detailing all aspects of your water damage, in order to maximize your claim.

Water can be and usually is immediately destructive. Damage can be completely hidden and/or severely underestimated by the visual symptoms alone. Most water damage losses are like icebergs, where 25% of the problem is visible and 75% of the threat remains hidden. The following outlines some common examples of water losses:

• Plumbing Leak – This can be a leaking supply or drain line and includes plumbing leaks that originate from under your concrete slab. This water can cause extensive damage to walls, flooring and cabinetry. A minor amount of cabinet damage often results in complete replacement of all the cabinets given an inability to match. Water that leaks unnoticed will also result in mold growth. Mold can start in as little as 72 hours.
• Condensate Leak – Water can leak from the condensate line exiting the air handler. The air handler is inside part of your air conditioner. The condensate that is created through the cooling process can leak out or back up. The drain line for this condensate can become blocked or separate all together. Either way, the condensate water escapes and water damage ensues. With condensate leaks, anything within the leak proximity can be damaged. Items normally damaged are walls, flooring and cabinets. In addition, the cold air return platform is often damaged and almost always overlooked. Untreated, this platform and the interior duct board will start to mold. This mold is then carried through your HVAC system and spread over your entire home.
• Exterior Wall Seepage – Most often this is the result of water penetrating through stucco cracks or deteriorated sealant around windows and doors. The water that enters the home in this manner often goes undetected until the damage is severe. The damage usually presents itself as mold stained baseboard and/or flooring. This condition can also cause extensive damage to the framing, drywall and cabinetry along exterior walls.
• Roof Leak – Most roof leaks don’t allow a great deal of water to penetrate the roofing system. It usually starts as a small amount of water that leaks through causing damage to the wood framing, insulation and interior drywall. The repair of this damage is often times significantly underestimated by the insurance company. The damaged insulation and drywall needs to be replaced. By replacing these items, there are adjacent areas that need to be considered. The most common issue is the texture of the ceiling and/or wall. When the work is complete, the repair should not be noticeable. All continuous ceiling and wall areas need to be considered in order to properly repair this type of damage.