Water Damage? Let's Talk Contents!

4/17/2018 (Permalink)

Move contents to a safe and dry place.

When dealing with property damage to your home one of the challenging tasks is trying to save all of your possessions.

It may be a disappointing and daunting task to itemize, photograph and list every single item for insurance reimbursement but SERVPRO of Northeast Bergen County will be there to help give some guidance as well as lend a hand with the removal of any unsalvageable items. 

Here are some tips to help you figure out how to categorize your items.

Let's start with discussing what types of contents cannot be saved from water damage.

Items like food, cosmetics, medicines, medical supplies, carpet padding, stuffed animals and baby toys should never be tried to salvage. Mainly due to the risk of contamination and potential health hazards.

There are also some types of contents that can usually be saved but depending on the extent of the damage.

These are items like mattresses, pillows, large carpets, area rugs, upholstered couches & chairs, books, paper products, solid wood/metal/plastic furniture, metal utensils, pots and pans. 

Now that you have an idea of what types of items can be saved it is important that you move FAST! Make sure everything you want to save is moved to a safe dry place to prevent further damage. Time is of the essence to decrease the chances of further damage.

The things you don't want to save should be left outside to dry until your claims adjuster arrives. Sometimes your adjuster may not be able to get out for a couple of days. In the case that some of these items are things like food that will spoil or may attract rodents; make a separate pile to have discarded as soon as possible after contacting your adjuster. 

Be sure to have EVERYTHING documented as well as photographed for your adjuster to confirm all of your losses. 

We hope this provides you some help and insight when dealing with your personal items.