Smoke/Soot Claim Sanity check

[krsto]

Hey all,

Homeowner here. Earlier this week we had an oil furnace puffback which is a covered event under our policy, and unfortunately there's a fine coating of soot all over the whole house that came through the forced air system. We tried our best to clean it ourselves, but its beyond our capabilities in time/tools/skills, so we filed a claim.

Unfortunately this is the second time in my life that this has happened to me, and I didnt know what I was doing this time, and a lot went un-remedied such that I was still finding soot and cleaning things years later. I want to do better this time.

I'm taking the great advice in this post from the past about providing the maximum amount of details on items:

https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/43iyip/_/cziljy3

And thankfully, the damage isn't as severe as that claim, but I could use some advice to make sure I am covering my bases and have all the broad categories of items that will need addressing covered. Any other advice is also greatly appreciated.

1. Surface Remediation
   1. Windows and doors
   2. Floors
   3. Walls
      1. Raw wood wainscoting in 2 rooms, special case
   4. Ceilings
   5. Carpets
   6. Ceiling fans
2. Soft and hard surfaces
   1. Furniture
   2. Drapes/curtains
   3. Picture frames/wall hangings
   4. Kitchen items (plates, etc)
3. Appliances
   1. Heat pump water heater which is internally coated with soot
   2. Fridge that was directly next to a vent and soot buildup on coils
   3. Vent hood, ducting
   4. Whole house humidifier (Aprilaire 500)
4. Electronics
   1. Multiple computers
   2. Television
   3. Printer
5. Ductwork
   1. Flex duct replacement
   2. Rigid duct cleaning
6. Items
   1. Clothing cleaning or replacement
   2. Bedding/sheets/comforter
   3. Artificial christmas tree that was right over a vent
7. Other
   1. Painting
      1. Trim
      2. Ceilings
      3. Walls
   2. Air filtration during cleaning process

 

[johnredeemed103]

@krsto Your should have a fire mitigation company do the job. They will clean everything from electronics to walls to the hvac ducts. They will run machines to clean the air. In some cases a coat of paint is required on the heaviest hit rooms. It may run 5 or 10 thousand but insurance should cover it. Make sure it is a reputable company not a handyman or something.

 

[krsto]

@johnredeemed103 Absolutely. Thats the first step, ServPro, Servicemaster, etc.

I've had servicemaster out already, and they said they only clean hard surfaces. Thats obviously not what I need, so im getting more mitigation companies out.

 

[johnredeemed103]

@krsto I believe ServPro can do everything at most of their locations. I’ve dealt with them before for smoke and water mitigation. The bill will be shocking but let insurance handle it haha

Did you have any other questions?

 

[krsto]

@johnredeemed103 Firstoff, thank you so much for asking if I had additional questions.

Largely was just looking for a sanity check of things I need to make sure get cleaned/repaired/replaced-if-needed. Wanted to make sure I didnt miss anything when I'm making a punch list

 

[johnredeemed103]

@krsto If the company you get to do the job is experienced in fire/smoke remediation they should be able to help you make sure you get everything done that you need. Why, after all, would they hesitate to offer more work or services when they know insurance will pay? Servpro, for example, is not shy about racking up a massive bill but they are usually thorough.