Water/Fire Damage FAQs in Southern Idaho

What is the Difference Between Mitigation and Restoration?

Mitigation prevents further damage and losses. Restoration is the process of replacing the damage. Both are major components of returning your property to its pre-loss condition. Learn more about restoration services from CTR.

Do I Need to Be Home During the Restoration Process?

For all restoration work, we will do our best to ensure you can go about your daily routine with little interference from us. As long as we can access it when you are gone (via key or lockbox), you don’t need to be present. You may want to move out of your property during the process if there are safety concerns, if the damage is bad enough, or if the noise from the restoration process disrupts you.

Do My Belongings Need to Be Removed?

It depends on the scope of the work being done. If your belongings don’t need to be cleaned, we’ll take appropriate measures to protect them. Any construction-related dust will be cleaned post-construction. If your belongings need to be removed, we will let you know ahead of time and they will be stored safely in one of our secured and climate-controlled warehouses.

How Long Does Fire and Water Restoration Take?

There are many factors that come into play when restoring fire or water damage, which makes it difficult to predict how long it will take to complete. Your CTR technician will be able to provide you with an estimate and different phases of your restoration project.

Who is Responsible for Paying for Any Restoration Service?

Ultimately you, the property owner, are responsible for payment and will need to sign a form authorizing payment for the restoration services. If this is an insurance claim, CTR generally collects only the deductible (co-payment) amount from you and bills the balance to your insurance provider as a service to you. If you have a large loss, your mortgage company may be included as a payee on the payment from your insurance company, and you may need to obtain a signature from them as well. If your claim is not covered by insurance or you decide not to file a claim, you will be expected to pay in full.

Are You Bonded/Licensed/Insured?

All of our restoration technicians are licensed, bonded and insured. You can trust that anyone entering your home from our team will be trained, trustworthy, courteous and compassionate.

What Does Pre-Loss Condition Mean?

When we say we will return your property to its pre-loss condition, that means we are responsible for returning your property to how it was before the damage occurred. Any damage that existed prior to your loss will not be included in our repairs. If you would like any additional renovations done, we can provide you with an estimate for any additional projects, or non-insured work, at your request.

What Work is Not Covered By Insurance?

Any additional renovation project not related to the scope of your loss is called non-insured work, and will not be covered by insurance. We can provide an estimate for non-insured work, and if we take on the project will require separate authorization and payment. Any non-insured work that delays the completion of insured work must be discussed with your insurance adjuster and your CTR Project Manager.

Do I Need a Permit?

If a permit is required for any reconstruction work, your CTR Project Manager will take out the appropriate permit(s) on your behalf. In this case, permit fees are included in your estimate and may be covered by your insurance company.

When Are You Available to Help With an Emergency?

In addition to providing emergency services during regular daytime business hours, CTR can help with an emergency 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Do You Do Graffiti Removal?

Yes, we can secure and repair your property and completely remove graffiti vandalism with no damage to your property. The CTR team has the tools and technology to clean and restore your property to its original state.

How Do I Know When My Property is Completely Dry?

Proper testing with our specialized equipment is how we determine if things are completely dry. Touch alone may be a false indicator.

Will Turning Up the Heat Help Dry Things Out?

Not necessarily. We will adjust the temperature to its optimum setting for the proper drying conditions. Please do not change the setting or shut off the HVAC system; doing so may prolong the drying process.

Can I Walk on the Area During the Drying Process?

We strongly suggested that you keep the traffic in the affected area to a minimum.

Can My Carpet be Restored or Will it Have to be Replaced?

A few reasons your carpet may not be salvageable:

• Delamination (occurs when the backing separates from the carpet fiber)
• Loss of adhesion (may be caused by prolonged exposure to water or the age of the carpet)
• Permanent Stains
• The condition of flooring under the carpet (if carpet covers wood flooring, it may need to be removed to salvage the wood flooring)
• Sewage contamination

What about My Wet Area Rugs?

Rugs are taken to our facility for special care. They need to be dried carefully to minimize bleeding of colors and discoloration. Your rugs will be dried, cleaned and returned.

Who is Responsible for Monitoring the Drying Equipment?

Our water damage mitigation specialists will place and monitor equipment to achieve optimal results in the shortest amount of time. Please make sure no one turns the equipment off or moves it. Please notify our office immediately if the power goes off or if the equipment turns off.

What Will it Cost to Run the Equipment?

Based on average electrical rates, it may cost about $1 per day per piece of drying equipment to operate. Actual costs can vary depending on current rates from your local electricity provider.

What about Sewage Contamination?

Hard, nonporous-surfaces can be cleaned and sanitized. Affected items that cannot be sanitized require disposal. Porous materials, such as drywall, ceiling tiles, insulation, particleboard, paneling, etc., that have been directly affected should be removed during the emergency service visit.

Can I Turn on My Heating and Air Conditioning Unit?

We recommend that you not turn on your furnace or air conditioning unit without clearance from the HVAC contractor.

What About Special Items? Artwork, China, Heirlooms, Electronics, Computers, etc

Some high-value items require restoration by a specialist. Working with your insurance claims representative, we can help you identify these and locate a qualified restorer.

Some Molds Have the Reputation of Being More Dangerous than Others. Is Identifying the Mold Important?

Sometimes you will hear terms like “toxic mold” and “black mold” used to refer to molds. While identifying the type of fungus or mold may be interesting, it doesn’t affect the course of action. If mold is present, the CDC has strongly recommended that it be removed, no matter the type*.

Will I Have to be Home All the Time?

No, we will do our best to make sure you may go about your daily routine. For site access, you can provide a key to your Project Manager or opt for a lockbox on the property.