Smoke, Soot and Puffback Insurance Claims
The Restoration industry defines Smoke as the airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases produced when a material undergoes partial combustion.
SMOKE DAMAGE can be caused by things other than a fire and can be from external sources. Below are some sources for smoke damage:
1. Naturally a fire at the loss location can cause smoke damage.
2. Wildfire Smoke – Can travel many miles, contacting and contaminating everything that it contacts.
3. Chemical reactions could release smoke.
4. Puffbacks – These are commonly associated with a malfunctioning furnace, woodstove or fireplace that releases smoke into the structure in which it is contained as opposed to discharging it out the flue or chimney as it normally should.
A small fire can produce a large amount of smoke / soot. Knowing how smoke / soot acts, how to determine its presence and how it must be properly dealt with can have a major effect on your health, quality of life, insurance claim and what your insurance company will compensate you for. We at Insurance Claims Specialist, LLC specialize in handling these situations for you.
If you need insurance claim help, we’re here for you…
Insurance Claims Specialist, LLC. has the necessary knowledge, skills, certifications and experience to fully and properly asses your damages. By doing so we make sure our clients receive every benefit and dollar that their insurance company owes them for their loss.
We at Insurance Claims Specialist, LLC are experts in this field and are available to help. We can handle everything for you, below are some of the things we do:
1. Thoroughly review your insurance policy to see what coverage applies to your claim.
2. All the dwelling / structure damages are properly documented, estimated and accounted for.
3. All of your personal property damage is properly documented, estimated and accounted for.
4. All paperwork is properly filled out and submitted.
5. All benefits for Additional Living Expenses are accounted for and submitted if applicable.
6. All benefits for Loss of Use, Loss of Rents or Business Interruption that are applicable are accounted for and submitted for payment.
7. We handle all the meetings with the Insurance Company’s Adjusters, Representatives and Vendors. Plus much….much more.
Smoke particulates typically range in size from .1 – 4 microns. A micron is 1 millionth of a meter. To put this in context a cross section of a single human hair on average is 75 microns.
Typically, the smallest particle visible to the human eye is about 50 microns. Soot residue itself is odorless, but because of its high carbon makeup it absorbs highly odorous materials, typically as the result of incomplete combustion. This is what peoples olfactory senses (sense of smell) are detecting.
Often insurance company adjusters and their “Preferred Vendors” will state that they don’t see or smell smoke. As you can see from the information above that just because smoke / soot can not be seen or smelled is by no means a reliable method to determine its presence.
Having said this, in large enough accumulations it can be seen and possibly smelled. There are various methods that Insurance Claims Specialist, LLC. employs to determine if smoke, soot, carbon black, char etc… are present or not. Smoke can be extremely pervasive, working it way into wall cavities, ceilings, attics, basements, building voids, building materials, furniture, contents, equipment and clothing etc…
Special cleaning, restoration and mitigation procedures should be followed when working with smoke / soot contaminated materials and structures as smoke / soot can be an irritant, is corrosive and can be carcinogenic (cause cancer). Knowing what can be cleaned and what must be disposed of and replaced can have an affect on your quality of life and mean thousands of dollars to you, the insured.
Whatever the loss, Insurance Claims Specialist, LLC. is here to help. We’re State Licensed Advocates that work exclusively for you, the Home / Business Owner (the Insured), to ensure that you receive the fullest benefit possible from your insurance company based on your policy, thus maximizing your settlement so you may properly Rebuild, Repair, Replace and / or Clean your property. Our knowledge and expertise makes your life much easier.
Recent Comments