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Avoid flood damage repair by protecting your home today

How You Can Protect Your Home From Floods

Floods are a terrifying natural disaster that can cause huge amounts of damage to your home and health. Protecting your home against a flood can help you avoid the headaches and costs associated with flood damage repair. The best offense is, after all, a good defense. Thankfully, with modern technology, many floods can be predicted. But even if you don’t have the time to prepare, there are still methods you can employ to keep your home safe from a sudden flood.

Drainage

Water left behind by floods can cause a lot of the damage associated with flooding. Water wears away at surfaces, creates mold, and can seriously affect your home’s supports and electrical systems. The best way to keep your home secure from a flood is to ensure there is a proper drainage system.

Drainage should be considered for both around and inside your home. Depending on the location of your house, you may need to install draining systems in your yard to help divert the water away from your house in the first place. As for the water that manages to get in, you can employ drains and sump pumps in your basement to help remove the water as soon as it enters.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing your home will help prevent rainwater and smaller floods from getting in. In most cases, floods occur because there is a part of your house that isn’t able to repel it. You should have your windows and doors checked to ensure their seals are tight. It’s also possible that the cause is a more signficant issue, such as a crack or other damage in your foundation. Getting your home inspected, repaired, and properly waterproofed can help you prevent flood damage.

Protect Valuables

Sometimes, no number of proactive steps will be able to keep a flood out of your home. For this reason, it’s best to ensure that your valuables are stored in watertight containers and placed on shelves above the floor. Basements are the main storage area in most homes and the first location to flood. If you use your basement as an additional living area, consider placing furniture on blocks or removing the furniture if you know a flood could be possible. The less there is in your basement for the floodwaters to impact, the less damage you’ll have to worry about.

Floods are a force to be reckoned with. With the help of Insight Restoration, you can protect your home and save yourself time and money on flood damage repairs. Our team of highly trained and certified technicians is fully equipped to provide a variety of flood-prevention services. We’ll inspect your home for weak points, repair and restore any damages found, waterproof your doors and windows, and even install drainage systems as needed. Don’t let a possible flood ruin your home. Call us today at (208) 427-2962 to see how we can help you protect your home from a flood.

Your water damage restoration team will help your home

What to Expect from Your Water Damage Restoration Team

When your home suffers water damage, you need an experienced water damage restoration team to help fix it up. But getting water damage restored can be a complicated process. You may not always know what to expect. When you hire a water restoration team, you are inviting strangers into your home to do work you don’t know much about. By knowing about the restoration process itself, you can feel more confident in the work they’re doing on your house.

Water Extraction

The first step in many water damage restoration cases is to extract the water. This may not always be necessary if the damage is small, such as a leaky pipe. But in the instance of floods or burst pipes, your team will need to extract the water in order to fully evaluate the damages and begin repairs.

Your team will use industry-standard tools, including pumps, drains, and hoses to remove the standing water from your home. Then, they’ll use high-powered fans and dehumidifiers to remove the excess water from the air and any furnishings, carpets, or upholstery. In some cases, it’s impossible to accurately assess the damages without fully extracting the water.

Inspections

Once your team has removed the water, a qualified home water damage inspector will assess the area. Your inspector will check for any telltale signs of water damage. These include mold, structural damage, and even electrical concerns. Depending on where the water damage is in your home and how large of an area it impacts, it can cause a lot more problems. It’s important to have your home inspected after it suffers water damage. You need to ensure that there are no hidden problems left behind.

Restoration

Now that your team has removed the water and discovered the damages, they can begin the restoration work. This will depend mainly on the types of damages your home sustained. Restoration can involve replacing sections of your floors or walls that became damaged or discolored, removing mold, replacing electrical outlets or wiring, and repairing damages to your home’s supports.

Before any work is started, your inspector will provide you with a report detailing the damages they found and the estimated time and money cost to repair them. With this list in hand, you can confidently contact your home insurance company to see what your policy will cover. Many policies include protection from floods and burst pipes. They may not cover damages from leaky pipes and other smaller sources.

Experiencing a flood, leaky pipe, or other water damage in your home can be stressful. Insight Restoration is here to help alleviate that stress. Our phone lines are open 24/7 at (208) 427-3042 to respond to any emergency water damage situation. Our team of highly trained water damage restoration specialists is standing by.

Carpet cleaning services keep your home and family healthy

Why It’s Important to Keep Your Carpets Clean

Your carpets are an integral part of your home. They can make any room feel comfy and cozy. They are also a great way to add some of your own unique styles to rooms or entire floors of your house. However, carpets can be fickle when it comes to cleaning. It’s important to use professional carpet cleaning services regularly to help maintain the health and integrity of your carpets. Without keeping them clean, carpets can degrade and even cause health problems for you and your family.

Wear and Tear

Over time, your carpets are naturally going to wear down with use. This is especially true for carpets in rooms that see a lot of foot traffic. How quickly your carpets degrade can be determined by how clean you keep them. A dirty carpet is going to show signs of wear much faster than a clean carpet.

Carpet fibers have many layers to them. It’s possible that your carpets can look clean on the surface while hiding dirt and dust in lower levels. Simply vacuuming and spot cleaning your carpets isn’t enough to reach the embedded dirt below. Each time someone steps on the carpet, the fibers rub together from the motion. Dirt and other debris create an abrasive surface. When the fibers rub against that surface, it damages their integrity. Carpets can lose their luster and strength if not kept clean.

Health Problems

Dirt and allergens cause issues for your family’s health as well as the health of your carpets. Because carpet fibers trap dirt and dust, not everything is cleared away by a vacuum or spot cleaner. The allergens can then become dislodged with movement, such as when you walk along your carpets. The particles of dust, dirt, and other debris join your home’s atmosphere. You and your loved ones can then breathe the particles in. Even those who aren’t commonly allergic to dust and dirt can experience allergic reactions. In order to keep your family healthy, you need to have regular, professional carpet cleaning services in your home.

Protection

An added benefit of utilizing a professional carpet cleaning service is the option to provide protection for your carpets. Many companies offer protective products that will help keep your carpets cleaner for longer. You can prevent dirt and dust from ingraining in your fibers, as well as making food and drink cleanup a breeze. By hiring a carpet cleaning company today, you help save your carpets, and your wallet, in the future.

Insight Restoration has been keeping homes clean and healthy in North Idaho for years. Our phone lines are open 24/7 at (208) 427-2962 to respond to any cleaning or restoration emergency. Our team of trained carpet cleaning technicians is ready to jump into action and help. We offer a wide range of carpet cleaning services, including pet mess cleaning, to cover any needs you may have. Call us today to clean, restore, and protect your carpets.

Residential Water Damage caused by floods can be hazardous

How to Protect Your Home From a Flood

Floods are dangerous disasters that can damage both people and property. Residential water damage caused by floods is often difficult and costly to repair and restore. As a result, in areas that experience heavy rainfall, shifting tides, or flooding riverbeds, it’s necessary to protect your home against flooding. And even if floods are not a regular occurrence where you live, knowing that a strong storm is coming should encourage you to shore up your home’s defenses. Generally, properly preparing for a possible flood is the best way to keep your home and your goods safe from water damage.

Insulation and Sealants

Water can find its way into your home through the smallest of cracks. This means even a small leak during a flood or heavy rain can cause severe water damage. If your home floods or you suspect a flood could happen, then contact a water damage company to inspect the foundation of your home. They can locate any cracks or damages that are allowing water to enter your house. These technicians can then offer you services to fix these issues. As a result, when your home is secured, floods are less likely to cause damage.

Exterior Protection

There are always going to be a few places that can’t be completely sealed off. These are mostly around doors and some windows. For these areas, it’s best to use some external protection. Sandbags are a great way to defend exposed areas. They also help redirect water away from your home. You can get them at many local hardware or home repair stores. Certain places may also offer them if a strong storm is on the way. Make sure your yard is free of debris and loose objects are stored/tied down. This can help prevent broken windows that let floodwaters in.

Minimizing Damage

In some cases, no amount of protection will defend your home from floodwaters. Your home’s location, the materials used, and what kind of flood you’re expecting can all play a factor in how protected your home is. If your home is going to flood, you can take steps to minimize the amount of damage it can cause. For example, if the flooding takes place primarily in your basement, you can install a sub-pump to help remove the water as soon as it flows in. Also, ask your home repair company what options you have to minimize residential water damage in the event of a flood.

Experiencing a flood in your home can be exhausting and frustrating to deal with. The best way to defend your home from residential water damage is to ensure the foundation is secure and the outside is prepared. Insight Restoration’s trained and certified flood specialists can help you protect your home from flood damages. Call us today at (208) 427-2825 to discuss your home’s needs. Our phone lines are also open 24/7 to respond to any emergency flood situation.

Quick thinking can help flood damage restoration go smoothly

First Steps After a Flood

When your house floods, you’re often left to deal with a lot of aftermath. Any kind of disaster in your home can make you feel panicked, which makes the clean-up and restoration more difficult. When you’re facing the task of flood damage restoration, time is of the essence to make your home safe and healthy again. Keeping a clear head and handling tasks in the proper order can help you stay calm during the process. Here are the steps you need to take when your home experiences a flood.

Water Extraction

Removing the water from your home is the first and most important step in flood restoration. The longer water sits in your home, the more damage it can cause. Floodwaters can cause mold, structural damages, electrical issues, and disease or illness. It’s imperative that you call a flood damage restoration company as soon as possible to begin the water extraction process. The company will drain the water out of the flooded area and start drying out the room. Acting quickly can help you avoid further damages and repair costs.

Take Stock

While the flooded area is drying out, it’s time to take stock of your belongings and the damages sustained. Your flood damage restoration company can provide you with an inspection of the area. They’ll give you a detailed list of what was damaged. It’s also a good idea to go through the furniture and stored items that were in the room to see if anything of value was damaged.

Many insurance policies will cover flood damage repairs up to a certain point. After you get the quote from your inspector for the cost and duration of the repairs, call your insurance company. Having a list available of what else was damaged will help you get the most from your insurance and replace anything that was affected.

Prevention

Once you have dried out the area and repaired the damages, it’s a good idea to work on preventing future floods. Many home repair companies offer such services. The inspector who determined the damages will likely be able to tell you where and why the water came in. You can have your home restoration company add additional insulation and sealants around any cracks, windows, or doors to keep floodwaters out. If you are unable to prevent the water from getting in, you can install a sub-pump. This will help drain the water as soon as it comes in.

If your home experiences a flood or other disaster, you want the best in flood damage restoration. Call Insight Restoration at (208) 427-2825. Our phone lines are open 24/7, ready to respond to any emergency flood situation. Our trained and certified flood damage technicians can remove the water from your home, restore any damages, and help prevent future floods from happening. Time is of the essence, so don’t wait to call us if your home floods.

Mold damages can seriously affect your home and health

How Mold Affects Your Home and Health

Mold is a hazardous household growth that can cause serious damage to your home and health. Mold damages are among the top concerns whenever there is water damage in a home. Because mold thrives in a moist environment, anywhere there is a leak or flood could be host to any number of mold spores. Mold comes in a variety of species, and many can be dangerous. When you discover mold in your home, you need to act fast to have it removed, lest your home and your health be at risk.

Structural Damages

One of the dangers mold poses to your home is structural damage. Leaky or burst pipes and flooded basements are the most common causes of mold growth. This means that when mold grows, it is often growing on your home’s foundation. Not only will the initial water damage cause your home’s structure to weaken, but the mold itself can eat away at wooden supports. Mold also invites a host of pests and vermin into the environment. Many of the animals attracted by mold will also weaken your house’s foundation and cause further damage.

Allergic Reactions

Mold can be a serious health concern, even if you don’t directly touch it. While many molds will cause skin irritation and infection, nearly every mold can cause health issues simply by being in the air. Mold spores tend to be microscopic and can circulate in your home’s ventilation system without you even knowing about the problem. Mold spores carry an old, musty scent with them, and once you breathe them in, you’re opening your respiratory system up to serious danger. Breathing in mold can cause anyone to have allergic reactions, even if they don’t have allergies. Reactions include:

-Stuffy or runny nose

-Dry throat

-Coughing

-Dry, itchy eyes

-Difficulties breathing

The longer the mold is allowed to affect your body, the more damage it can do. Given enough time, mold could cause serious, irreversible damages to your health.

Visual Discrepancies

The look of your home affects the way it feels, and mold can disrupt both. Mold comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and patterns, all of which tend to be displeasing in visual appearance. Mold can cause your walls and floors to become discolored. It can even cause bubbling wallpaper or warped floorboards under the right circumstances. As a homeowner, you want to feel proud of the way your home looks, and mold can cause visible issues.

Mold is a serious threat to your home and health and should never be left to grow. If you or your home are experiencing mold damages, call Insight Restoration today at (208) 427-2962. Our phone lines are open 24/7, and we never leave a voicemail unanswered. Our technicians are trained and certified to remove mold and repair the damages it has caused safely and efficiently. We also provide services to help prevent future mold growth, keeping you, your home, and your family safe from further harm.

There are a lot of water restoration companies to choose from

How to Find the Right Water Restoration Company

When you find water damage in your home, you need the right people to help restore your home to pre-loss conditions. There are a lot of water restoration companies out there, so how do you know which is the right one for you? When you hire a restoration company, you’re inviting strangers into your home. You want to make sure they’re the best people for the job. Feeling safe and knowing that the company you hired will do the job properly is the most important aspect of any restoration job.

Trust Yourself

You know what’s right for you, your family, and your home. Nearly every good restoration company will come out to do an inspection of the damages and provide you with a quote. This is an excellent time to get to know the company and the technicians working on your home. Most of the time, the technician who will be performing the job will be the one doing the inspection. If not, you can ask the inspector to provide you with the contact information for the technician so you can meet them.

During the inspection or first meeting, trust yourself to know whether or not this is a good fit. Not only are you keeping an eye out for how the company and technician work professionally, but how they are personally, too. You’re welcoming a stranger into your home, so make sure you feel comfortable with them being there. If you like a company, but don’t feel comfortable with the technician you met, ask their offices if there is another technician you can work with instead.

Check Reviews

Other people’s experiences can often provide a great source of intel on a company. Before hiring a company, check their online reviews, such as their Google reviews or social media pages. Many reviewers of water restoration companies provide their own before and after photos so you can get a good look at the kind of work being done. They’ll also likely provide details on how their overall experience was with certain technicians.

Ask for Recommendations

Word of mouth is still a powerful marketing tool. Whenever someone finds a company they like, they’re usually more than happy to share the information with friends and family. After all, we want our loved ones to experience the same quality work we do. If you’re looking for a company to hire, start by asking your friends, family, and neighbors if there’s anyone they would – or wouldn’t – recommend.

Looking through all the water restoration companies available can feel overwhelming at times. And the longer it takes to pick one, the more damage the water can cause to your home. If you need a quality water restoration company that you can trust and feel comfortable with, call Insight Restoration at (208) 427-2534. Our phone lines are open 24/7, and we never leave a message unanswered. Let our certified water damage restoration specialists take care of your home.

Water cleanup services can help save your home

Types of Water Damage

Water damage is a serious issue that most homes will face at least once. Whether a flood, a leaky faucet, or simple human error causes it, water damage has the capacity to cause severe damage and even health issues. However, not all water damage is the same. The type of water damage your home sustained can reveal a lot about the source of the water, the concerns it causes, and how a restoration company will handle the water cleanup. Here are the three main types of water damage and what to expect from each kind.

Whitewater Damage

Whitewater damage is the best-case scenario. Although any kind of water damage is not good, whitewater damage carries the least amount of threat and is typically the easiest to clean up. Whitewater damage is usually clear and clean, and you can generally handle it without needing any special equipment. Whitewater damage is often caused by a leak, a burst pipe, or a faucet that was left running. Although it doesn’t carry the same hazards as other kinds of water damage, whitewater can still damage your home’s structural integrity, cause electrical issues, and create an environment for mold to grow.

Graywater Damage

Graywater damage can either be as harmless as whitewater damage or as hazardous as blackwater damage. This water damage is caused by leaks, bursts, or breaks in toilets and sewage systems. Even if the water is clear, it’s still graywater damage. You should exercise caution when cleaning up the area. If there is visible waste, specialty equipment and training may be required to safely remedy the problem. Graywater can cause the same kinds of damage as whitewater, with the added hazards of health problems caused by waste.

Blackwater Damage

Blackwater damage is the most serious type of damage. We strongly caution homeowners against trying to clean it up on their own. This kind of water damage is often caused by heavy storms and floods that bring more than just water into your home. Most often found in basements, blackwater is murky and visually contaminated. It carries a host of germs and bacteria from the outside world. If not handled safely, blackwater can cause severe health concerns and even further damage to the home’s structural integrity. Always call a professional water cleanup team if you discover blackwater in your home.

If you discover water damage in your home, call Insight Restoration to clean it up for you. Our phone lines are open 24/7 at (208) 427-2534, and we never leave a voicemail unanswered. Our team of trained and certified water cleanup experts is standing by, ready to respond to any emergency water damage your home may have. We can handle all the different types of water damage safely and effectively. We will get your home back to pre-loss conditions as soon as possible.

A pipe restoration company can easily fix a leaky pipe

What to Do When You Discover a Leaky Pipe

When things don’t work properly in your home, it’s easy to feel frustrated and stressed. Leaky pipes are a common household concern that are often discovered. At the same time, leaky pipes can go undiscovered long enough for them to cause serious damage. When you do discover a leaky pipe in your home, you’ll likely need a pipe restoration company to help get your home back to perfect condition. If left untreated, or treated poorly, the damages sustained from a leaky pipe could be severe.

How to Detect a Leaky Pipe

Piping in your house runs everywhere, not just in places that are easily visible. For exposed pipes, such as those under sinks, you’ll easily be able to notice a leak by seeing the water dripping. However, if the leak is in a pipe that’s hidden behind a wall, it can be harder to notice right away.

Telltale signs of a leaky pipe behind a wall include:

–  Visible discoloration on walls

–  Bubbling of wallpaper

–  Noticeable dripping sound

–  Increased water bill without an increased use in water

If you notice any of these or see a leak in a visible pipe, you’ll need to act fast to get it repaired.

Dangers of a Leaky Pipe

Without quick action, a leaky pipe could lead to hazardous dangers in your home. Water can seriously damage your house’s structural integrity, especially if you have wooden supports near the source of the leak. Not only will the water naturally weaken the wood, but it can also attract a host of pests and insects that will eat away at the wood, further weakening the structure.

Pests and insects aren’t the only things that a watery environment can attract. Mold thrives in a moist environment and can easily grow and spread past the leaky pipe. Mold poses serious health threats to your family, even if it’s not visible. Mold spores can travel in the air and cause allergic reactions and infections.

Water can also pose a threat to your home’s electrical wiring. Pipes and wires both run behind your walls. If your pipe is leaky, the water could easily drip down onto the wires. If this happens, you run the risk of electrical shock or damage any time you use an electrical appliance. Acting fast when you discover a leaky pipe is the only way to ensure that your family and home are safe and structurally sound.

Discovering a leaky pipe in your home is never easy, but acting fast can be the difference between a quick fix with minimal damages and a larger restoration project. With a qualified pipe restoration company, you can restore your home and protect your family’s health. Insight Restoration has a team of trained and certified pipe restoration specialists that can fix your leaky pipe and any damages it may have caused. Our phone lines are open 24/7 at (208) 427-2825.

A professional carpet cleaning is the only way to ensure your carpets are clean

Are Your Carpets Really Clean?

Having a clean home is vital to your family’s health. However, a house that looks clean isn’t always totally clean. The truth is, cleaning your carpets with a vacuum or even a home steam cleaner doesn’t give it the deep clean it needs. Even if your carpets look clean to you, they could be hiding hazardous germs and allergens that are putting your family’s health at risk. To really get your carpets clean, you need a professional carpet cleaning. 

Spots and Stains

When you spill food or drinks on your carpet, you’re creating more of a problem than what’s simply visible. Cleaning up a spot still leaves behind a deep-seated stain, even if everything seems to be cleaned up quickly. When a spill occurs, the mess soaks into the carpet, staining several layers at once and even possibly reaching the flooring beneath your carpets. When you vacuum or spot clean your carpet, you’re only cleaning the first few layers. Only a professional carpet cleaning can remove the deep stains and leave your carpet truly clean and healthy. 

Mold

When spills and stains occur, it’s likely that moisture has made its way down to the flooring beneath your carpets. The hardwood or wooden supports underneath then become a hotbed for mold activity. Mold thrives in moist places and can survive in any kind of temperature. So even though you’ve cleaned the spill from the top layer, if it had the time to reach the bottom layer of your carpet, it can attract and spread mold. 

Once mold starts to develop under your carpet, it’s a hassle to get rid of it. Often the removal process includes removing portions of the carpet and then installing new. In some cases, the carpet may need to be fully replaced. The faster you have a professional carpet cleaning in your home, the less time and money you’ll have to spend in the future on repairs and restoration.

Other Hazards

Other things can become trapped in your carpet without you knowing. Dust and allergens can become stuck in carpet fibers, especially if you have thicker fiber carpets. When particles become trapped in your carpet, a vacuum alone can’t remove them. Only the heat and power of a professional steam cleaning can loosen the dirt and remove the hazards from your home.

Your carpets can look clean but hide hazards under the surface. Home cleanings only clean the first few layers of a carpet. It takes a professional carpet cleaning to reach all layers of the carpet and truly clean them. Insight Restoration can provide the peace of mind your family needs of having a clean and healthy home. You can call us 24/7 at (208) 427-2962 to schedule your carpet cleaning consultation today. No matter the day of the week or time of the day, we’re standing by to help clean your home. 

 

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