Animal Stains and Odors in Carpet, Upholstery, Draperies

—How to Restore; When to Replace— 

Homeowners with a serious animal stain or odor problem frequently believe their insurance policy should cover restoration or replacement of damaged materials. Whether such damage is actually covered by their insurance policy is another question entirely, because seldom is a urine contamination problem truly “sudden and accidental.” The contamination has usually been taking place for months or years before a claim is filed.

An even more confusing issue arises when carpet subjected to a covered loss, such as water or smoke damage, is not restorable primarily because of preexisting urine contamination. Water damage, especially, activates all the dried urine deposited over a period of months or years, creating a major odor problem and a (possibly significant) health risk. Whether an insurer is obligated to pay such a claim is left to the insurer’s or adjuster’s discretion. 

 “The biggest factor to consider when deciding whether to restore or replace property is determining whether restoration attempts are likely to be cost-effective.” When contamination is limited to small areas, cost-effective restoration is often possible. However, complete removal of severe urine odor and staining from carpet is difficult and expensive at best. How acceptable the end result will be cannot be predicted. A property owner is often well advised to apply any money available for restoration towards replacement instead.

Restoration

If you choose to have an item restored instead of replaced, make sure the following steps are completed by the restoring contractor: 

• Clean both the front and back of the carpet thoroughly, using specialized preconditioners and rinse agents.
• Do not attempt to restore a contaminated cushion. Replace it!
• Deodorize using EPA-registered disinfectants, enzyme digesters, and/or oxidizing agents.
• It may be necessary to seal the subfloor after cleaning.

 Long-term, heavy contamination may require far more aggressive procedures to eliminate odors, including:

• Replacement of affected tackstrip, drywall, baseboard, and subflooring material
• Special treatment of airspaces and HVAC systems
• Cleaning, sealing, and painting of all surfaces in affected rooms or even the entire structure

Recontamination

Procedures cannot be permanently effective unless all animals are removed from the areas treated. We all love our pets. However, once a home’s carpet, upholstery, or draperies have severe pet stains and odors, solving the problem may not be cheap, easy—or insured.

For more information about restoration alternatives, call Paul Davis Restoration, at 732-886-3001.

Paul Davis Restoration has been serving Monmouth & Ocean Counties with loss mitigation and emergency restoration services for over 15 years. Specializing in fire and water damage mitigation and restoration services.

This is the story of a 3 year old house with an attached garage.  An accidental fire started in the garage and the fire company was alerted.  There were not any nearby hydrants, so pumper trucks were needed.  The story goes on to detail what the outcome might have been without a sprinkler system versus the actual outcome.

Without a sprinkler system (estimated):

• Several dozen fire fighters would be needed
• 1-2 hours to control & extinguish the fire
• Might have spread to other parts of the house
• Damage could have been in the hundreds of thousands
• Residents may have to relocate during repairs

With a sprinkler system (actual):

• Sprinkler activated and fully extinguished the fire before the fire fighters arrival
• Only required one crew of 6 fire fighters
• Only suffered several thousand dollars of damage
• No injuries to home owners or fire fighters

This type of story makes me think every home should have a sprinkler system, so why don’t they? Here is a story from last year in our local New Jersey Business News from the builders perspective called “Mandatory home sprinklers raise cost issue”.  They raise some good points and definitely give me a reason to pause.

Finally, here is an article on Wikipedia on the subject of “Fire Sprinkler System”.  This article details the history, usage, operation and the various types of sprinkler systems available.  This answered many of the questions I had.  So what do you think, should a residential sprinkler system be mandatory in all new home construction?  What about additions and remodeling?  We would like to hear your opinion, go ahead leave us a message in the comments.

photo credit: Diacritical

For the past 10 years, Paul Davis Restoration of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, NJ have donated time and materials to the Alpha school in Jackson, NJ.

This year, we made over 250 individual wood projects for the students of the art program guided by Mrs. Mary Jo Mongalari.  Brian  Mullin of PDR and Rich Mongalari with the help of several elves cut, routed, sanded and assembled all of the projects in their annual labor of love.  The projects include:

• santa
• reindeer
• christmas tree
• snowman
• sleds
• stars

Each project is then hand painted by one of the students and entered into the annual holiday art auction.  All projects are then sold with all of the proceeds going back into the art program.

Lakewood, NJ – With the arrival of winter, the number of incidents of water damage as a result of pipes breaking due to sub-freezing temperatures increases. Paul Davis Restoration, Inc., a national franchise company and leading provider of fire and water damage clean up and restoration services for residential and commercial properties, offers the following advice and tips on how to prevent frozen pipes during this time of year.

According to Brian Mullin, Paul Davis Restoration office owner, frozen pipes cause millions of dollars in damage to homes and buildings each year.

“Any time the temperature drops below 32 degrees, there is the potential risk of pipes freezing, particularly indoor pipes located in poorly insulated areas such as the attics, crawl spaces and basements,” said Mullin “Significant water damage can occur if broken pipes are not caught quickly. This can be a potential problem, particularly when people are away from their homes during the winter season,” he said.

Frozen pipes can be prevented by following a few basic steps. Paul Davis Restoration has developed the following list of prevention measures used to advise customers during the winter months.

• Remove garden hoses from faucets.
• Let cold and hot water faucets drip during freezing weather.
• Cover exposed exterior pipes with foam rubber or fiberglass insulation and secure with tape.

If the property will be vacant for a long period of time, leave the thermostat at the same temperature both day and night, at least 55°F.

• Cover exterior faucets with insulation.
• Locate the main water shut off valve so you can find it in an emergency.

“Prevention is the key and is well worth it to avoid water damage due to a broken pipe,” said Mullin. “Damage from broken pipes typically goes undiscovered for long periods of time and repairs usually run into the thousands of dollars as a result,” he said.

For property owners that own vacation homes, rentals or lending institutions that might have several foreclosed properties, more complete “winterization” services to protect properties may be required. In general, winterization typically refers to sealing, draining, wrapping, and adding anti-freeze chemicals to prevent freezing of water, which ultimately causes breakage of pipes. Because of the specialized services required for this procedure, Mullin recommends that property owners hire a company that specializes in performing winterization services using full-time technicians who are certified by The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).

In the event of a broken pipe, it is critical to act quickly. Water from a broken pipe can add up to thousands of gallons in a very short time. It is likely that by the time the damage is discovered, entire rooms are flooded and walls are becoming wet.  Mullin recommends the following:

• Shut off the main water valve immediately.
• Call a licensed, professional water damage clean up company.
• Mop up standing water on flooring surfaces, if possible.
• If the burst pipe is overhead, drain ceiling cavities by punching “weep” holes.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to promote warm air circulation.
• Locate the frozen pipe and open a faucet.

“If you do experience water damage from a frozen pipe, time is truly of the essence. Delaying the start of emergency clean up and restoration procedures can result in a drastic increase in the cost and complexity of the water loss,” said Mullin, “Talk to a professional in the water damage restoration service industry as soon as possible.”

Ice dams are caused by the interaction of three factors:

• Ice and snow melt at 35°F. Liquid water freezes at 32°F. Minor temperature differentials can lead to major problems.
• Layered roof systems such as shakes or shingles do not keep out standing water. They require a continuous, uninterrupted slope to shed water.
• Attics are warmer than the outside air because heat leaks from the heated portion of the structure up into the attic. Heavy snow cover effectively insulates the attic from cold outside air, allowing the temperature to rise even higher.

Eventually, the temperature of the roof under the snowpack, usually near the ridge, rises above the melting point. Meltwater runs down the roof, refreezing when it reaches the edge of the insulating snow blanket at the eaves. They are still far below the freezing point since they are unheated by air from the structure interior. An ice dam forms. As layer after layer of meltwater refreezes, the ice dam grows, with liquid water pooling behind it under the snow. Soon, this water is deep enough to seep between shingles and into the attic or wall cavities. Ice dams are sometimes one to two feet thick. Secondary ice dams often form around vents and skylights.

Prevention: The Cold Roof

The best protection against ice dams is a properly designed “cold roof.” Minimizing heat gain in the attic while maximizing attic ventilation with outside air is the best way to reach this goal.

Attics gain heat in two main ways: conduction due to inadequate insulation; and convection caused by warm air leaking through gaps, usually around plumbing, wiring, ducts and vents.

Reduce conductive heat gain by increasing the insulation levels. Convective heat gain can be minimized by meticulously caulking and sealing even the smallest penetrations through the ceiling, as well as carefully gasketing around attic entrances. Although some heat gain is inevitable, when the attic ventilation is adequate the temperature will not reach levels that cause extensive melting. A cold roof is easy to achieve with properly designed new construction. Reaching the same goal in older homes may be both difficult and expensive.

Other preventive methods have been tried:

Correction

Once an ice dam forms, the only relief is to remove the ice and snow from the roof. This extremely dangerous work should be left to qualified professionals with the right tools and insurance. Improperly done, the roof can be severely damaged.

Damage: Obvious & Hidden

Ice dams cause millions of dollars of damage every year. Obvious, visible damage may include:

• sagging, ice-filled gutters
• delaminated or rotted roof decking
• stained, sagging wall or ceiling drywall
• damaged and/or dislodged shingles or shakes
• wet insulation (both temporary and permanent problems)

This damage is usually repaired when weather or funds permit.

Unfortunately, obvious damage may be just the tip of the iceberg. The worst effects of ice dams are often hidden, caused by moisture trapped inside walls or floors. This damage is seldom discovered until months after all the snow has melted. The insured seldom makes the connection between the damage found and their ice dam of the previous winter. Besides the cost of restoration, hidden damage can make future ice damming more severe, waste energy, and even create serious health risks for building occupants.

Hidden damage is entirely preventable. With proper instruments, equipment and training, trapped moisture in building materials can be detected and removed before it causes severe damage. An upcoming issue of The Leader will further discuss hidden damage from ice dams and how to deal with it.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year there are more than a hundred thousand residential structural fires in the month of December alone causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. By taking time out to do some planning and preparation you can ensure this holiday season is a safe one.

Brian Mullin, Paul Davis Restoration of Monmouth and Ocean County New Jersey owner, encourages everyone to make safety awareness a regular part of their holiday planning. “The holiday season is exciting, however decorative displays, cooking for large groups and other activities can also increase the risk of harm,” said Mullin. “An increase in indoor activities during the holidays combined with entertaining family and friends and shopping can cause many to forget some basic safety measures,” he said.

Paul Davis Restoration is committed to promoting safety in all communities where we work and live. Below are tips we all should include in our safety planning during the holiday season.

Holiday Decorations. Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Never use lighted candles on a tree, near other evergreens or other flammable materials. Consider reducing the number of candles used during the holidays or eliminating them all together – especially where children are present. Place candles where they will not be knocked down.

Lights. Check all tree lights before hanging them on your tree.  Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections. Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. Be sure not to overload electrical outlets with holiday lights.

Trees. When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness.  When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree and fill the stand with water to keep it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

Fire Escape Plan. The holidays are a good time to review your fire escape plan with your family. Make sure everyone understands the escape routes and where to meet once outside. Also, conduct a “fire drill” to practice your escape plan.

Smoke Alarms. Make sure your home smoke alarms are in proper working order by pushing the test button. Change the batteries at least once a year.

Fire Extinguishers. Make sure there is a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen, laundry room, and garage and that it is capable of putting out all three types of fires. If you don’t know how, learn how to use it.

Fireplace/Chimney. Be sure your fireplace and chimney have been inspected and cleaned by a professional chimney sweep. Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area.  Check to see that the flue is open. Do not burn gift wrapping paper, boxes, etc. in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as these items will ignite quickly and burn intensely.

According to Mullin, additional tips include keeping a list with all of the important phone numbers that you, your family, or a babysitter are likely to need in case of an emergency. Include the police and fire department, your pediatrician and the national poison help line. “Implementing the proper safety measures can help prevent personal injury and property damage. If you have questions, talk to a professional in the restoration and emergency mitigation service industry,” he said.

“In the unfortunate event that you experience property damage to your home or business due to fire, contact a licensed, professional fire damage clean up and restoration company as soon as possible. Delaying the start of this work, can result in additional cost and stress during the holidays,” said Mullin.

Paul Davis has been a leader in residential and commercial loss mitigation, reconstruction, and restoration services since 1966.  As a national full-service restoration expert, Paul Davis Restoration has franchise office locations throughout North America. Visit the website at www.pdrestoration.com .

• Keep the tree well watered
• Never locate the tree near a fireplace
• Secure from falling with a sturdy well balanced base
• Check your lights for any loose bulbs or frayed wires
• Always turn off lights when you are not home
• Avoid using candles near the tree

A Christmas tree fire can be devastating to your family and can happen in minutes.  Here is a an example of how a dry tree can do much more damage than a well watered one.

Everyone at Paul Davis Restoration wishes you a happy and safe holiday season.  If you have questions regarding tree safety, please feel free to leave them in comments here or contact your local fire department for other safety tips.

The document details the following topics:

• Mold Basics
• Mold Cleanup
• What to Wear When Cleaning Moldy Areas
• How Do I Know When the Remediation or Cleanup is Finished?
• Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips
• Hidden Mold

For more information on mold related issues including mold cleanup and moisture control/condensation/humidity issues, you can call the EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at (800) 438-4318. Or visit: www.epa.gov/mold

Of course, for professional repairs of any mold related problems, call Paul.

photo credit: dantekgeek

First they explain how wind can damage your home and things to consider regarding your roof.  Next they explore some solutions for protecting your windows and doors.  Then there is discussion of danger in your yard from trees, outdoor furniture and gardening tools.  Finally they recommend inspecting your garage doors to ensure they are strong enough to withstand high winds.

If you have a few minutes, I recommend clicking on the above link to read the full article.  One of the tips may help protect your home the next time high winds whip though your neighborhood.  Hopefully your home will never suffer any damage from high winds, but if it does happen to you, call Paul Davis Restoration.

photo credit: pixelnaiad

“I’ve never dealt with a company that made decisions so quickly,” said Floyd Brunning, a partner at Paul Davis Restoration, the company that put the building back together again.

It is nice to see that the company’s quick decisions led to an equally quick restoration.