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.

 

[krsto]

@johnredeemed103 Sounds good, I look forward to that when I talk to ServPro, cause Servicemaster clearly wasnt it (preferred company recommended by the insurance probably had something to do it)

 

[johnredeemed103]

@krsto Yeah Servpro is one of the most commonly used by insurance companies. Personally I find that they overbill but that is not your problem lol. They aren’t preferred with my company right now for that reason. I like Paul Davis Restoration best. Rainbow International is also great. Every location is different though.

 

[mrscruz]

@johnredeemed103 Servpro was recommended by my insurance company, and they have been out and I'm waiting for a final estimate from them and also getting an estimate from Clothes Call for the textiles. I asked for an estimate as I have read a lot of reviews where the final bill is a lot more then the estimate and that would be on me if it's more then my contents coverage.

Unfortunately I changed homeowners insurance two years ago after being with the same company 20 years, I changed to get a lower premium amount, but I did not realize or notice that they lowered my contents coverage from $350 K to $100 K. Lesson learned.

My first estimate from ServPro was about $50 K for the pack out, cleaning etc., but they missed a lot - about 1/2 the house - so they came back out and are working on a final estimate now. I am pretty confident it will go over my contents coverage. Especially if Clothes Call also cleans all of my clothes etc.

Question what will happen in that scenario? Can I choose not to do a pack out? Maybe just move some stuff to a pod in my driveway, discard a lot of stuff (mattresses, couches, clothes etc., instead of them charging to move it, clean it and store it? I'd hire someone to help me clean the furniture and belongings myself before moving them back in - likely with the help.

I do know that most of my stuff needs to be out so they can clean the dwelling - or that's what they have told me.

The fire was relatively small and the damage to the dwelling that will need to be removed and restored is not that extensive, but it will also probably go faster if the house is mostly empty. Most of the damage is from smoke but not that visible to the naked eye in many areas, but on warmer days I can smell it.

 

[johnredeemed103]

@mrscruz If you have limits concerns I would fire them and use a cheaper company. I doubt it would be possible to find anyone more expensive. Tell them you’re concerned about the cost and they will try to keep it reasonable.