It's Homeowner's Insurance, Not a Home Warranty

In the disaster restoration business we see this all the time: A homeowner with a damaged home is upset with their insurance company because their policy doesn't cover something that they think should be covered. "Why do I pay premiums every month if I can't use my insurance when I need it?" they often say. Nine times out of ten, they're referring to a roof problem, old damage resulting from neglect, or mechanical system breakdown.

While we agree that insurance should be there for you when you need it, there is a difference between what insurance policies are supposed to cover, and what is simply a maintenance issue that would be covered by something like a home warranty, or else paid for out of pocket by the homeowner who has saved money in preparation for what they should know is the cost of home maintenance.

Most insurance policies specify that in order to be a covered claim, the damage must be the result of a "sudden and catastrophic" incident. Asking your insurance company to replace your twenty year old roof because it is leaking is not "sudden and catastrophic;" it's the inevitable result of what happens when your roof gets old and needs to be replaced.

For instance: If your washing machine malfunctions and overflows during the rinse cycle, that is sudden and catastrophic. The resulting damage likely will be covered by your policy under normal circumstances. However, the repairs to your washing machine (or replacement of it) will not be covered by your insurance. Why? Well, for the same reason a transmission repair isn't covered by your auto insurance; it's a maintenance cost resulting from the fact that if something gets old enough, it breaks down.

The good news is that there are warranties to cover those things that homeowner's insurance doesn't cover. Good roofers offer warranties. Home warranty companies offer warranties on a home's mechanical systems and appliances, over and above the existing warranties offered by the manufacturers.

The purpose of insurance is to cover us for damage that is so costly we could not afford to pay for it out of pocket without it ruining us financially. It's simply to protect our financial security in the event of disaster - not as a convenience to save us from having to dip into our vacation funds. That's why deductibles exist. They give us a relatively small financial stake in the claim in order to discourage frivolous claims being filed.

Here's another example: You have a leak in your shower pan or tub area, and later discover water damage to your floors in the surrounding area. The adjuster notices that the edges around your shower pan or tub area are missing grout or caulking, which is intended to seal the water in and prevent leaks. Your claim is denied.

Cracks in tile grout

I have seen a few homeowners get very upset about the previous scenario. They argue that they didn't know there was a leak until they saw the floors buckling or the carpet wet in an adjacent room. What they seem unable to comprehend (or admit) is that they had a responsibility to replace the missing grout or caulk around the shower/tub area in order to prevent a leak. The problem was a direct result of negligence on their part, which resulted in a slow buildup of water under the walls and floors, not a "sudden and catastrophic" flood.

We each have the responsibility to keep our homes reasonably well-maintained in order to prevent damage. That means that if there are tree limbs brushing against the roof, we have them cut back; If our rain gutters are clogged, we clean them out; If we notice a slow leak in an appliance, we disconnect it or discontinue its use until it is repaired so that it will not cause serious damage.

So save that insurance claim for something serious. Maintain your home and pay close attention to anything unusual happening in your house in order to prevent serious damage. And finally, get a warranty to cover your roof and mechanical systems, or start a savings account specifically for home maintenance.

How Many Restoration Companies Can Do All of This?

When there are four other ServiceMaster Restore franchises (and many other restoration companies) in your market, the challenge becomes standing out from the crowd. 

Even though locally-based ServiceMaster is a familiar brand in Memphis, getting people to remember the “Cornerstone” part of our name isn’t easy.

With dozens of restoration companies competing for business here, it’s no wonder that people can barely remember who is who and which ones do what.

In an emergency, most people just want one source that can handle everything, and that’s what makes ServiceMaster by Cornerstone unique in our market.

What do we mean by “handle everything”? Well, when you have a flood or fire, not only does the building structure need to be restored, but so do all the salvageable belongings within it. Cornerstone can handle all of that for you…. and we can do almost all of it right here at our own facility.

So, in addition to the standard water and smoke mitigation, what makes us stand out?

Professional Pack Out, Storage, and Tracking

We can have all affected belongings packed up and moved by professional movers, and brought back to our secure facility where each piece will be cleaned and restored using the most advanced technology in our industry. Also, each item is carefully documented and inventoried using our ContentsTrack system.

Storage Vaults in Our Secure Storage Facility

In-House Textile Cleaning

Using our Esporta Wash System, we can clean clothing and leather goods in house, even items that traditional restoration dry cleaners often won’t even attempt to clean; and we can restore them to food-grade clean or better. Clothing items that are urgently needed can be cleaned and returned to the customer within 24 to 48 hours, depending on what time of day we receive them.

Esporta Wash System for textiles

Hard Contents Cleaning

We can clean and deodorize furniture, electronics, jewelry, and random items of every shape and size, right here in our facility. Our ultrasonic Fireline system will clean every nook and cranny of even the most hard to clean items; and we can do it far quicker and more thoroughly than most other restoration companies, many of whom still clean all hard contents by hand. 

Fireline Ultrasonic Cleaner

Deodorization and Mold Remediation

Have you ever smelled a room that is completely absent of any scent at all? It's like a blank canvas for your nose . Using a unique chlorine dioxide product, we can completely deodorize and sanitize any space without leaving a chemical residue. Besides that, it also kills mold and mold spores. Best of all, the process typically takes only three or four hours.

Putting It All Back Together

Last of all, we can repair or rebuild all structural damage because we have licensed general contractors on staff who are dedicated project managers. That means you have the option of dealing with one company that is responsible for every phase of recovery, from beginning to end. That’s much easier than juggling multiple businesses for different phases.

We even have a complete flooring showroom right here in our building for our customer’s convenience.

In-house flooring showroom

Whether it’s a large commercial building or a small home, ServiceMaster by Cornerstone can restore it. It’s what we do!

When Is Water Damage Too Big, Too Complicated, or Too Disgusting To Clean Up Yourself?

When people ask us what we do at ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, we often tell them that we “clean up messes that are too big, too complicated, or too disgusting to clean up yourself.” When it comes to water damage, that obviously applies to things like burst pipes or a major roof leak in a downpour;  but what about those times when you have water damage that isn’t very big? How do you know if it's too big to handle yourself?

Our advice is to always call us for a moisture check if you suspect that water went under your floors or behind your walls. Often what appears to be minimal damage on the surface is actually much bigger behind the scenes, and water will spread faster and further than you might realize. Sometimes an area looks unaffected at first, but later shows signs of damage. Usually that’s the result of wet insulation slowly releasing the water, or your flooring being wet underneath.
 
One thing is for sure: You don’t want to leave water lingering in walls, ceilings and floors where it could take a long time to dry. If it stays wet long enough, you risk damage from wood rot to the structure of your home or building. Just as concerning is the likelihood of mold, which can spread quickly, creating unpleasant odors and perhaps even health risks for those with respiratory conditions and severe allergies.

You want to be sure an affected area is dry, and Cornerstone has special instruments that help us monitor not only areas behind walls and floors, but even the humidity levels in the air, which is something that most people don’t realize can cause additional damage if it isn’t brought down to normal indoor levels.

The phrases “too big” and “too complicated” usually apply to any significant plumbing leak since they almost always result in water finding its way behind walls, into ceilings or under flooring; and it’s almost always more than a little water, no matter how quickly you react to stop the flow. That water is under a lot of pressure, and when a pipe or water supply line bursts, you usually can’t get to the shut off valve quickly enough to prevent the water from spreading into the structure.

The “too disgusting” part applies to things like sewage and drain backups, toilet overflows, or outside ground water that enters your house during a flood. Those situations call for extra precautions and expertise because of concerns about bacteria or chemicals that are likely to be present in the affected area. Exposing yourself to those things is a huge health risk, and it’s just not necessary when well-trained, properly equipped professionals are available to thoroughly clean it up.

If you have a small spill or leak and you're able to react before it spreads much, then cleaning it up yourself with some towels should be a breeze. If it’s more serious than that, call the experts at Cornerstone; it’s what we do.