Category: Blog

When any kind of disaster hits your home, it’s easy to feel uprooted and unsound. Our houses are meant to be a safe place, so when something threatens that safety, we’re likely to feel threatened ourselves. Thankfully, disaster cleanup services are available to help get our homes back to pre-loss conditions. Knowing what kinds of damages your home suffered after a disaster can help you sort through the cleanup and restoration process. A home inspection can help find these damages so your home can be restored.

Storm Damages

Storms are particularly dangerous to homes, as their size, intensity, and path can change in an instant. Storms have lots of damage potential, and this damage can take many forms. Your home could suffer from:

–      Broken Windows

–      Collapsed Roofs

–      Floods and Water Damage

–      Electrical Outages and Shortages

–      Broken Siding

Storms create damage that weakens the structural integrity of your home. Sometimes, a storm can leave your home uninhabitable during the restoration process. Thankfully, many insurance companies cover the costs associated with storm restoration. It’s also easier now than ever to predict when a storm is coming through and prepare your home to try and lessen the damages.

Fire Damages

A fire in your home leads to disastrous damages. The flames themselves can leave scorch marks on your walls, damage your home’s structure, and destroy valuables. But fires leave behind even more damage than that. Smoke and soot can stick to your floors and walls, leaving behind a mess and negatively impacting your home’s air quality. Even if a fire is small and easily contained, you may need to temporarily stay somewhere else during repairs to avoid breathing in lingering smoke. There’s no way to predict a fire, but there are safety measures you can take to help protect your home if one occurs.

Mold Damages

Mold is a stubborn side effect of water damage that can cause even more trouble for your house. Mold negatively affects your health, and it weakens the structural integrity of your home further. If left untreated, mold can also begin to attract pests and insects to your home. Because it grows in dark and damp places, mold can be hard to spot and even harder to get rid of. If your home suffers any kind of disaster, especially one that involves water damage, it’s best to have an inspection for mold to avoid further damage.

When your home suffers a disaster, you want a team on your side that can help you feel at ease during the restoration process. Insight Restoration provides top-quality disaster cleanup services to homes in the Northern Idaho area. We cover damages from storms to fires and everything in between. Our phone lines are open 24/7 to quickly respond to any disaster situation. Call us today at (208) 427-2962 to get your home back to its pre-loss condition.

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.

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 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.

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.

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. 

Homes in Northern Idaho can be susceptible to damage caused by the state’s temperamental weather. In late spring and early summer, thunderstorms sweep through the area. With strong winds and heavy rains, floods, broken windows, and falling trees pose a threat to your safety. Hot, dry summers can also yield lightning storms that can quickly cause wildfires. If you want to avoid having to pay the time and money for disaster cleanup services, then you’ll want to take extra measures now to help protect your home from disasters.

Protection from Floods

There are many ways to keep your home and valuables safe during flood conditions. Several disaster relief organizations and home improvement shops can provide you with sandbags. Place them around your doors, windows, and other points of entry. They can stop both water and loosened soil from getting into your home. You can also call a home restoration company to add extra sealants to these areas and check for any weak points in your home’s structure that could possibly lead to flooding.

Prevention of water in your home is ideal, but if you can’t stop the water from getting in, there are some steps you can take to minimize the impact of the water damage. You can install or upgrade a sub-pump in your basement to help redirect water as soon as it gets in. To protect your valuables, be sure to store items in plastic bins and keep them as high off the ground as possible. If your home is prone to flooding, you may want to consider storing your valuables in another part of the house altogether.

Protection from High Winds

Floods can be frustrating to deal with but aren’t necessarily as dangerous or harmful as high winds. Not only can trees near your house fall, but any loose debris can be swept against your house, breaking windows, doors, roofs, and sidings. If you know a strong storm is going to be passing your home, consider taping and boarding up your doors and windows. You’ll still have to deal with the broken glass after, but this can prevent things getting into your home in the meantime.

Protection from Fire

Unfortunately, there’s not as much that can be done to protect your home against fires. The best way to protect your home is to stay aware of the conditions. Also, store any valuables in fire safety boxes, and listen to the advice of local authorities. Fire situations can change and grow quickly, so being aware is key.

If you want to protect your North Idaho home from disasters (or need disaster cleanup services after a storm or fire), then call Insight Restoration at (208) 427-2825. Our team can help with disaster prevention and cleanup. We are available 24/7 to respond to any emergency situation at any time.

Mold is one of the most frustrating and concerning finds in your house. Finding mold usually means there’s another issue, such as a leaky pipe or improper ventilation. Mold can be dangerous if left untreated. It can also lead to health problems for you and your family down the road. Proper mold identification helps you better understand the threat your home faces and can help you find a qualified mold removal technician to deal with the problem. Here are some of the common house molds you may find and how to identify them.

Acremonium

Acremonium is a highly toxic mold that usually turns into a pink, grey, orange, or white powder. It thrives in moist areas such as drain pans, humidifiers, and even window sealants. Acremonium is commonly found alongside black mold and other toxic molds, so be on the lookout for other hazards.

Alternaria

Alternaria is an allergenic mold that causes coughing, runny noses, and watery eyes. It’s a common bathroom mold in bathtubs or showers and usually indicates water damage. It spreads quickly and has a velvety texture. Alternaria also sprouts dark green or sometimes brown hairs on its surface.

Aspergillus

Like Alternaria, Aspergillus is a common allergenic mold. However, it carries more of a toxic threat than Alternaria. There are over 185 variants of Aspergillus, but you can usually identify it by the spores, which are long and shaped like flasks.

Aureobasidium

Another allergy-causing mold, aureobasidium starts as either pink or brown but turns darker over time. It’s often found on wooden surfaces and can lead to infection if it comes in direct contact with skin.

Chaetomium

Chaetomium has a cotton-like texture and thrives in areas with severe water damage. This mold has a noticeable musty odor and turns from white or grey to black as it ages. Chaetomium can also lead to infection if touched.

Cladosporium

A suede-textured mold, cladosporium often causes severe allergic reactions such as respiratory issues and is most often discovered in home fabrics and carpets. It is typically olive green or brown.

Fusarium

Fusarium grows on food and can spread quickly. Pink, white, or red in color, fusarium can cause severe damage to the nervous system if ingested.

Mucor

Mucor grows in thick, white patches. It often grows in air conditioning units or damp carpeted areas. Mucor has the threat of fungal infection if not dealt with swiftly.

Penicillium

Like alternaria, penicillium has a velvety texture, but it usually appears in a blue-green color. The spores of penicillium can quickly travel through the air in your home and cause allergy or asthma-like reactions. You can commonly find it in wallpaper and mattresses.

Stachybotrys

Also known as black mold, stachybotrys is a slimy, dark green or black mold with highly toxic qualities. It grows in damp and humid areas.

Trichoderma

Trichoderma is a white mold that commonly has green patches with wooly textures. It typically grows in areas with built-up condensation, like air conditioning filters or wallpapers.

Whenever you discover mold, it’s important not to disturb it or try to remove it without professional help. Call Insight Restoration at (208) 427-3042 to have a professional mold removal specialist identify and remove your home’s mold.

Water can cause a lot of damage to your home if not taken care of quickly. Discovering flood damage in your home can cause chaos in your life, but taking care of it as soon as possible can save you time and money later on. Taking care of your house after a flood requires a few steps on your end before a restoration company gets there. Although it can be a lot to handle, taking the time to clean up after a flood is vital to keeping your home secure.

Water Extraction

Depending on the scale of the flood, extracting the water from the area is usually the first step. If there’s too much water in the room, any other kind of cleaning or restoration is nearly impossible to accomplish. Chances are, if your room floods, there’s already an issue with drainage, so it can take a while for the water to subside.

Most restoration companies offer water extraction as part of their flood clean-up packages. There are some tools you can purchase if you want to remove the water yourself. Installing a sump pump in your basement is also an excellent way to help remove water after a flood.

Flood Damage Identification

After the area is clear of water, the next thing you’ll want to do is go through and identify what was damaged in the flood. Most homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers flood damage in their policies. In order to get reimbursement, you’ll need to know exactly what was damaged and how much it will cost to replace.

Take stock of valuables that were damaged in the flood. You’ll also want to have an inspection done to see if there was any structural damage to your home. Most insurance policies will cover the cost of repairs as long as the damage can be linked to the flood. Keep any receipts from water extraction or repairs as well.

Restoration Preparation

After you’ve made note of what’s been damaged, it’s time to get the area ready for restoration. Airing out the room, if possible, and running fans can help dry out excess water and prepare the space for repair. Keeping the room quarantined from the rest of the house will stop any damage from spreading to other areas.

Cleaning the room out can also help the restoration process. Move furniture and boxes to another area (or let them sit outside if it’s not raining). This is especially important if you have carpets. Carpets need to have the space to dry out properly. Giving your restoration company more room to work ensures the work goes quickly and effectively.

When your home floods, you need to act fast to prevent further damage. Removing water from the area and cleaning out the room can help restoration go smoothly. Insight Restoration’s certified technicians are ready to help you 24/7. If your home recently experienced flood damage, call us today at 208-427-3042. We’ll get your home back in perfect condition quickly and efficiently.

If water damage in your home is not taken care of immediately, excess water can wreak havoc on your home. It can promote electrical hazards, cause expensive damage to your home’s structure and furnishings, and can even lead to the growth of hazardous mold.

Within minutes water damage can spread to other areas of your home. Within hours pressed wood swells and disintegrates and bacterial odor spreads throughout your home. Within days, water can cause severe complications and secondary damages resulting in disruptive, costly repairs.

Water damage within minutes

• Water contamination spreads, rapidly increasing claim costs.
• Moisture-sensitive furniture finishes begin to turn white.
• Furniture standing on saturated carpets will begin to leach and stain the carpeting.

Water damage within hours

• Furniture in direct contact with water begins to delaminate and swell.
• Normal household odors, amplified by humidity, become glaringly apparent.
• Dyes from non-colorfast fabrics begin to bleed.

Water damage within days

• Fungi appear, along with their characteristic musty odors.
• Severe warping and cupping of wood become apparent. Wood floors may become unsalvageable.
• Paint blisters and wallpaper adhesives release and start to peel away.
• Wood structural members begin to swell, warp and split apart.

Water damage within weeks

• Mold sinks roots into organic materials and destroys their integrity.
• Occupants must be evacuated due to health hazards.
• Allergen sensitivity may arise from microbial growth.
• A complete gutting of the structure may be necessary, which will drive the claim up astronomically and displace the occupants.

How Insight Restoration Can Help

Water damage from a flood or other source can quickly go from bad to irreparable. Damage from water and bacteria growth can begin within hours. Call us for professional help 24/7 at 208-427-2825. Our certified technicians use advanced technology and equipment in our water damage restoration services. This technology removes moisture and promotes effective drying. Drying time can be dependent on the location, duration and source of water damage, building materials and weather. To learn more visit www.insightrestoration247.com/water-damage-restoration.