Water is both the friend and the enemy of homes and commercial properties. It’s the friend, because we all need water for our kitchens, bathroom, showers, etc. But water damage is the great enemy of your property. In and around Weston, Florida, and all of Broward County, we often think “hurricane” or “flood” when we think water damage claim. However, we see all types of water damage not only in Weston but in nearby cities such as Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, etc.

Before thinking about plumbing leaks, burst pipes, and water damage, most people think of home insurance claims, hurricanes, tornados, hailstorms and fire comes to mind. Actually water claims represent about 30% of claims filed nationally. So, what do we mean by water claims and why are are they so prevalent?

All homes, condos and buildings have water traveling to them (under pressure) and away from them (not under pressure). When the pipes or joints in the pipes fail, the result is almost always water damage. For example, a copper pipe behind the sheetrock in your home has a very tiny hole in it as the result of a sheetrock nail or screw piercing it. Although the water traveling through the pipe is under pressure, it may take months or even a year before you notice the damage it can cause. The very fine mist of water coming from the pipe eventually soaks the studs, wall, and the carpet on the floor. Now if this leaking pipe is in the very back of a walk-in closet stuffed with clothes, how long do you think it would take to notice the resulting damage? Suddenly you have a water damage claim, call your insurance company and may quickly realize that a public adjuster can help represent your interests vis-a-vis the insurance company.

Fires happen and, ironically, it is often the water damage that is the problem afterwards. Our licensed, professional public adjusters have seen every possibly type of fire or water claim and fought for the rights of homeowners, commercial property owners, and even HOAs (condo associations) against insurance companies. It is important to realize that even a small kitchen fire can create a large amount of damage. Unlike, smoke flows throughout a building penetrating almost any kind of structure causing hidden damage and odor. The deodorization, soot removal and smoke removal are key components of the post fire repair process. That tedious and expensive recovery shouldn’t be paid by the policyholder, the insurance company has to, if it is covered by the policy, put the property in the same condition it was before the fire damage, the smoke damage , and any kind of property damage created by fire, even if it is an insignificant fire originated in the room of the house used for food preparation and cooking, that left behind some burnt corners on the kitchen cabinets.