Joel Belmont IICRC Certified WRT, ASD, AMRT

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2 Dear Friend, Your home is one of your most valuable assets. That s why it s so important to know how to react when disaster strikes. The intrusion of water into your home can be devastating. Not only can your floors, walls and even ceilings be damaged, but so can your valuable items, paperwork and furniture. In these cases you need a company you can trust to get you back to a pre-loss condition as quickly as possible. The objective of any restoration company should be to get your home safe and dry by the quickest and most efficient means available. In situations like these, there is just no room for cutting corners or compromising on safety. An ethical, reputable restorer will be licensed and certified and be able to promptly supply you with references and testimonials regarding their work. This guide was written to help you better understand the restoration business so that you ll know exactly what to do and what not to do if you suffer a loss due to water damage. With this valuable information, you ll be able to develop an educated and informed plan of action for your home and family. Respectfully, Joel Belmont IICRC Certified WRT, ASD, AMRT 2013 Belmont Restore. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written permission from the publisher. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this book, neither the Authors nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a qualified professional should be sought. This book is not intended for use as a legal source or accounting advice. Any references to any persons or businesses, whether living or dead, existing or defunct, is purely coincidental.

3 When water damage occurs, time is of the utmost importance. How quickly you respond and take measures to mitigate the damage can be the difference between a quick and straight-forward drying of the affected items or having it turn into a costly reconstruction project. If it s safe and you are able, here are six immediate steps to take to help minimize damage: 1. Avoid Hazards!: Be extremely careful of the deadly combination of water and electricity. Water can end up in many unexpected locations when a flood occurs, so be sure to take all the necessary precautions when you suspect electricity may be present in a wet or flooded area or when using outlets or switches. Also be careful of slippery wet carpets and floors. Stay away from raw sewage back-ups, which can contain virulent bacteria and can be harmful to your health. 2. Stop the Source!: Locate and stop the source of water, if possible. However, keep rule #1 in mind at all times! If you cannot locate the source or cannot stop it, call (970) (24 hours a day) and we ll help you find it or get a plumber dispatched immediately to assist you. 3. Remove Furniture: Wood furniture may cause stains which cannot be removed. Rust stains from metal can be difficult to remove and can sometimes be permanent. 95% of water damage jobs are restorable and most of the 5% that are not could have been prevented by following this procedure. If furniture cannot be removed, place a protective surface under the legs/feet, such as plastic glides or tinfoil. Most restorers will also aid you in moving furniture from affected areas or elevating it off the wet surface.

4 4. Hang up draperies and pin up upholstery skirts to prevent water rings; allow leather items to dry at room temperature. Wash wet clothes and linens as soon as possible and hang cleanable fabrics up to dry. DO NOT store wet items in plastics bags! This will cut off airflow and encourage mold growth. 5. Increase Airflow: Open windows and doors if possible, or turn on the heat or air conditioning if it is safe to do so. Place fans circulating over affected areas. Open drawers, cupboards and closets to increase airflow to these areas. 6. Take Immediate Action by calling Belmont Restore 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will always be answered by a water damage expert. The difference between calling us right now, or waiting, can be the difference in whether or not we can save your carpet, padding, hardwood floors, drywall, etc, potentially saving you thousands of dollars! Also, the longer you wait, the greater the chance for mold growth. Call us right now, (970) We ll be there within 1 hour.

5 10 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Restoration Company The following 10 Questions are imperative to ask ANY restoration company before you hire them. Otherwise you could end up overpaying for poor quality work which can also result in very costly secondary water damage such as bacteria or mold growth. 1. Are the technicians actually performing the work IICRC Certified in water damage restoration and microbial remediation? 2. Are you licensed and insured? 3. How often are you able to save carpet, padding, drywall, hardwood and other sensitive materials? 4. Do you guarantee your work? 5. How many days does your average job take to dry? 6. Can you provide references and testimonials? 7. Are your cleaning and disinfecting products safe for my family? 8. Can I stay in my home while you complete the job? 9. Can you respond within 1 hour? 10. What do you suggest a homeowner do in case of an emergency?

6 Q: Do I need an estimate before you start the dry-out? A: Often the amount of the dry out is unknown, however our pricing is based on industry-standard pricing the same pricing your insurance company uses. While you do not need an estimate to start the dry-out process, we are happy to provide a free inspection and estimate. Q: What is restorative drying? A: A few years ago the standard procedure was to remove any wet materials, replacing with new. Sadly, many companies still use outdated technology and practices, so they can inflate their invoices. With our advanced equipment and training, our goal is to dry everything out as quickly as possible, and to save as much of the structure as possible. Q: How long will the dry out take? A: Typically the average water loss takes between 2 to 5 days. If materials have been exposed to water over a long period of time it may take longer. Q: What is the difference between you and a contractor? A: We have spent thousands of dollars on specialized training and equipment, dealing specifically with water damage. Our main objective is to minimize the impact on your day to day living. If you hire a general contractor, often they do not understand the concept of saving verses replacing. Just one example: 90% of the time we are able to save drywall with 3 days of drying. If someone comes in and removes all of the drywall, you have turned a 3-day job into a week and a half very costly process. Q: What is the difference between your locally owned company and a national franchise? A: Most restoration companies are large regional or national chains that, like fast food restaurants, have a low quality/low cost business model that allows them to make a profit. Also, these franchises have massive amounts of equipment/warehouse space/overhead each month which means they have to charge a lot more on each invoice to make money.

7 This results in high cost and low quality work. At Belmont Restore - you pay exactly what it costs and we can often save you money with quicker and more efficient drying. Plus we treat your home like our own giving you the highest level of local, personal service whenever you need it. Q: Do I have mold? A: This is a very big concern and we at Belmont Restore have spent a lot of time and money on education and equipment to become certified in effective water damage restoration as well as microbial remediation. In most cases if the drying process can be started fairly quickly, you generally do not need to be concerned with mold. If we do detect mold or feel that there is a possibility of risk associated with mold, we will notify you and make any necessary recommendations. Q: Can I turn the equipment off at night? A: Please do not turn off the equipment as this can greatly diminish its effectiveness, causing the dryout to take twice as long as should be needed and may increase the chance of mold growth. If you hear or smell anything which seems to not be normal, please unplug the equipment in question and call us immediately at (970) Q: The equipment you have running is making the air feel humid; can I open a window or door to let in fresh air? A: Our equipment is increasing the rate of evaporation causing the air to feel wetter. Part of our monitoring process includes checking both the conditions indoors and out. If our technicians instruct you to open some windows that may mean that the conditions outside will help in the drying process; otherwise, with the use of our highly effective dehumidifiers you will notice much dryer conditions in 24 to 48 hours. Q: How do you know if everything is dry? A: We use highly specialized and sensitive moisture meters designed to specifically check for proper moisture content. We will not repair or cover up any areas, which may be still wet. This is another advantage to calling us rather than a construction company. We are trained and certified in water damage assuring you of the best quality service and giving you the peace of mind that it will be dried out properly.

8 The DO'S and DON'Ts of Water Damage If Water Damage Occurs: DO Notify your insurance company! Take action right away - as the insured you have the responsibility and are required by your insurance company to take prudent action to minimize loss. Failure to do so may absolve the insurance company from liability. Tell your insurance company you want Belmont Restore to dry, clean, and restore your home. Take photos to document the damage. Remember Safety First! Eliminate the source of the water or call us and we ll dispatch a plumber. Put plastic under wood furniture legs to prevent staining. Remove personal belongings and furniture from the affected area and relocate to a safe dry location. Remove Area and Oriental Rugs to the garage or driveway so the color does not bleed onto the carpet. DON'T Do not disturb visible mold. Do not postpone professional help. The longer you wait, the more damage will occur. Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet. Do not enter rooms where ceilings are sagging from retained water, they could fall. Do not leave books, magazines or other colored items on wet carpets and floors. Do not store wet items in plastic bags. Do not allow children or pets to enter affected areas.

9 Experience Our Services A water damage loss can be an especially challenging and trying time. Hopefully this guide has been informative and helpful, so that if you ever do have such a misfortune, you will be well-prepared, saving yourself time, money and hassle. Since this guide is available across the country, I have no idea where you live. But, if you live within our service area encompassing the western slope of Colorado and would like to speak with me personally, please don t hesitate to call me for some free advice. I truly enjoy helping people! We ve been serving western colorado for over 17 years and have extensive experience in providing memorable client experiences through many other expert services, such as the healthy and thorough cleaning of Carpet, Furniture, Oriental Rugs, and Stone, Tile & Grout. We will be happy to provide you with our recommendations for any other service you might need, like plumbing, painting, electrical, heating and cooling, duct cleaning and more...we have developed solid relationships with the best service providers in the area and would be happy to steer you in the right direction. Year after year, many happy home owners have chosen Belmont Restore to service their homes and businesses because they appreciate our dedication to service and drive for excellence. We d like for you to join our family too. If there is ever anything we can do for you, please call. If we don t offer it ourselves, chances are we know a quality person who does. I hope you found this Emergency Guide to Minimizing Water Damage to be helpful. If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a free inspection and estimate, please call me at (970) We also have a cleaning division that specializes in healthy and thorough cleaning of Carpet, Furniture, Oriental Rugs, and Stone, Tile & Grout and I d be happy to answer any questions you may have about these services as well.