Home Insurance and Pipes that Go 'Pop' in the Night

This is a guest post by Suzanne Clemenz, who writes for Insure.com. Suzanne designed her passive solar home and remodeled two others. She worked with architects and contractors on floor plans, electrical work, painting, windows, flooring installations, flood prevention walls and stonework, major drainage issues, an irrigation system, and landscaping.

It's alarming to be awakened by the distant, mysterious sound of running water. But on Sunday, November 6, 2011, that's what happened to me.

Two steps out of bed my toes sank into cold, soggy carpet. I quickly discovered that my laundry room, kitchen, and about one-third of the living area were an inch deep in expanding water.

The recessed hose bibs behind the clothes washer were dry. So was the hot water tank. A river ran from the laundry room to the garage door and driveway. The drainage swale that crosses my front and side yards was spilling water into my backyard's natural arroyo.

Dressing hastily, I turned off the outside whole-house water supply. Then, knowing most people wouldn't respond until Monday, I did the following:

I spent two more hours vacuuming water - 22 gallons total. My kitchen counter tops were stacked high with belongings, so at 2 p.m. I headed for a nearby cafe, keeping my receipt for insurance reimbursement since my kitchen was not usable.

The contractor called late in the afternoon with the comforting words I'll be there in the morning. He said to keep the house at 70 degrees and set up fans aimed at the master bedroom and closet carpet. I moved survival gear to my guest bedroom and bathroom. The only livable places were my home office and guest bedroom.

Flood remediation The contractor and crew arrived early Monday and moved heavy furniture to unaffected areas. Some of the equipment they used included the following:

All the machinery howled like a pack of wolves 24/7 for the next five days, after which only one small area needed more drying.

In my dry Arizona climate it takes five to eight days for mold to form if not immediately mitigated. In humid climates there's only a day or two. But the seams of the laminate flooring were buckling. There was concern that mold could form under the floating vinyl floor in the kitchen and laundry room. The adjuster said, New floors. No question. Eight days after the flood I had a check from State Farm Insurance covering the contractor's remediation services.

Originally posted here:
Home Insurance and Pipes that Go 'Pop' in the Night