FAQ

A: While every effort is made to secure your home following a significant loss we recommend that you remove any personal or valuable items such as cash, checkbooks, medications, personal documents, valuable collections, jewelry, and weapons.

Depending on the extent of damage, valuable painting or artwork can be sent to a restoration specialist to restore the item.

A: Once your home is safe to enter; our staff will work with to sort through your clothing. We will take the items that you will immediately need for the next few days and bring them to our state of the art facility to be cleaned. We will return these items to you with 24 hours. Your remaining clothing and soft goods will be inventoried, packed up, cleaned. JP Maguire will then deliver these items to you when you are settled in your temporary residence.

A: Depending on the type of loss and the extent of damage it may require that all the contents of your home to be inventoried, packed, and safely transported to our secure, climate-controlled location for cleaning, deodorization, restoration, and storage until any structural restoration is complete.

In some situations items cannot be cleaned. These items will be inventoried and placed on a non-salvageable list so your insurance company can reimburse your for their loss. Nothing is thrown away or discarded until we have permission to do so, nor will we remove or attempt to clean something that cannot be cleaned.

A: Most homeowner insurance policies cover the cost of cleaning the structure and the contents within. This is not a process that is recommended without the proper training or experience. Soot on your hands could permeate upholstery, walls, and woodworking causing more damage. Even a light coating of soot can be permanently embedded in items if professional restoration techniques are not used. Sending garments to an ordinary dry cleaner or attempting to clean them in a residential grade washer may set in smoke smells.

A: You don’t need just a general contractor; you need one who specializes in fire and smoke damage. JP Maguire is a full service property damage cleanup and reconstruction company with both a cleaning and reconstruction division. Our construction division consists of estimators, projector managers, carpenters, painters and members of several other trades. Our estimators will work with your insurance adjuster to determine the scope of work making sure nothing is left out and our project managers will ensure the work is completed on time and to your complete satisfaction. Our staff members are experts in the insurance claims process and will work with your claims professionals and adjusters to return you to a pre-loss condition.

A: No, this is actually and industry myth. There is nothing in your policy that says you need to get quotes for work done on your property. Reconstruction after an insurance loss is not the same as looking for a contractor to remodel your kitchen. You do not need to get several estimates nor do you have to use a contractor that your insurance company suggests. It is your choice as the property owner to decide who fixes the damage. Price is not the factor; rather quality, experience and most of all your trust in the company you select is most important.

A: Mold is a type of fungi and while there are many types of fungi that are used to make food or medicine, there are other types of mold that are harmful to our health. There are hundreds of types of mold found indoors and outdoors. Mold grows in damp, dim-lit areas and can be found in attics, basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms. It is common to find mold if there is a leaky roof or window, leaky pipes or seasonal flooding. Mold likes 60-80 degrees, a Humidity over 60% and an organic food source and little to no air movement.

A:

• You smell a musty odor in the home (a musty odor is almost always caused by some sort of mold).

• Your home has recently been flooded (mold frequently begins to grow after a home has been flooded).

• You discover mold in one area of the home (mold spreads quickly and easily throughout a home, so if you have mold in one part of the home, we recommend testing the rest of the home in case the mold has spread).

• You or another member of your household have symptoms of mold-related health problems, such as chronic sinus infections, chronic sore throats, frequent headaches, coughing, wheezing, unexplained rashes or hives, or unexplained fatigue.

• You may also want to have your home tested for mold if you or another member of your household has a health condition that can be made worse by exposure to mold, such as asthma, severe environmental allergies, respiratory disorders, or immune system disorders.

• You suspect there is hidden mold in your home that you can’t find

A: The most common mold symptoms are similar to symptoms of exposure to other environmental allergens, and include things like:

• A runny nose

• Sinus congestion

• Sneezing

• Coughing

• Red, itchy, watery eyes

• Headaches, migraines

• Sore throat

• Shortness of breath

• Wheezing

• Feeling of tightness in the chest

• Asthma attacks.

• These symptoms may begin within hours of being in a home with mold, depending on how much mold is there and what type of mold is present. Symptoms will usually get worse over time.

Mold can affect your pets as well.

A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends calling in a professional like JP Maguire if mold covers an area greater than three feet by three feet, if the area was flooded by contaminated water, or if you think there might be mold in your HVAC ducts. Attempting to remove mold on your own is no easy task. Non-commercial grade cleaners and home remedies don’t really work or only work on certain types of mold. Failing to remove all the mold will result in a full-blown mold problem on your hands again.

A: Coverage really varies from policy to policy, so the only way to know for sure if your policy will cover mold removal is to read your policy carefully. Some insurance policies contain exclusions, specifically saying what they will and will not cover. In many cases, insurance coverage depends on the cause of the mold problem. Many different things can lead to the growth of mold in the home. If mold results due to a sudden and accidental issue, like a burst pipe, insurance is more likely to cover mold removal than if the mold is a result of neglected home maintenance. Don’t wait until you have a mold problem to ensure that you have adequate coverage.

If you feel that you have mold in your home or you or your family members are suffering from any of the common health symptoms associated with mold, do not hesitate to call JP Maguire. We will conduct a free evaluation of your property. We are prepared to work with your insurance company if you have mold coverage and can assist you even if you do not.

Helpful Links:

A: Go to Enhancify