5 Tips Every Triangle Home or Business Owner Should Know About Insurance

Late summer and early fall in North Carolina are the peak months for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which officially runs from June 1 to November 30. According to the National Weather Service, the second week of September has historically been the busiest part of the season, and North Carolina is on the “most likely” track for tropical storms in September and October. While the Triangle is about 130 miles from the Atlantic coast, we are still vulnerable to damaging wind, rain, and lightning from a major hurricane. With this in mind, it is a good time of year for home and business owners to become aware of the insurance coverages on their property, and to think about how they might cope if disaster hits a home or business.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex offers five important tips for home and business insurance:

• Make sure there is coverage for tropical storm events: Property owners should check the policy “declarations” page to verify what is and isn’t covered, and speak with an insurance agent at least once a year review coverages. While storm surges from hurricanes are typically not an issue in the Triangle; high winds, heavy rain, flooding, and falling trees certainly are factors.
• Assess and complete a contents inventory: The insured party (property owner) is ultimately responsible for proving losses. Detailed documentation is always the best approach, and could involve a written account, spreadsheets, photos and videos, or a combination of these. Don’t do it from memory after a disaster, or the insurance settlement will be compromised.
• Beware that claims adjusters can sometimes be inexperienced: While the property may be adequately insured in terms of the policy, the claim payments are coming from people involved in the process. Claims adjusters represent the insurance company, not the property owner, so it may be a consideration for the property owner to retain an independent claims adjuster.
• Pay attention to anything that indicates “release of liability” or “full settlement”: The insurance company may at times during the process provide payments or documents for the property owner to sign or acknowledge. Cashing checks or signing papers can sometimes constitute agreement with a partial settlement or accepting less than what is owed. Read all documents and settlement checks very carefully, or retain a professional who can provide expert advice on such matters.
• Investigate and evaluate remediation contractors before they are needed: As with any business, the possibility of receiving unsatisfactory work is ever present. Don’t just wait for the insurance company to recommend a contractor after the fact. Look for a certified contractor with a good reputation for customer service and experience with insurance adjusters.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex specializes in restoration from water damage, storm damage, and ensuing mold problems. We are certified by National organizations such as IICRC for all of these, and deliver outstanding customer service. We also know how insurance adjusters work, and can make the restoration process work as good as possible for our customers.

AdvantaClean of Cary and Apex  is the number one team of professionals in the Triangle to perform IICRC certified water damage restoration and mold remediation.  Contact us today in the unfortunate event a disaster affects a home or business.

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AdvantaClean of Cary and Apex is your environmental specialist in Wake and Johnston Counties. Our team of certified professionals is ready to address all your service needs.

Your air quality and restoration specialists

Call 919 434 7249

AdvantaClean

Photo: IMUSM

 

5 Reasons to Call AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex for Storm Damage Cleanup

Heat indexes over 100 on a regular basis. Humidity is in the discomfort range. Welcome to summer in Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and beyond. 2016 is turning into one of the hottest, most humid summers in North Carolina history. The heat brings almost a daily deluge of water from hot weather related thunderstorms. Virtually every late afternoon and evening the action and the light show begin. These July and August storms can bring heavy rain and lightning; neither of which are friends to Triangle home and business owners. As some Apex and Cary area home and building owners recently found out, flooding can come quickly when torrential downpours deliver three to five inches of rain within a short period of time.

In these recent storms, homes were also struck by lightning. Unfortunately, when these accidents happen, the water or fire damage has to be quickly cleaned up. Time is of the essence. Mold can grow and spread. Harmful microbes can remain if sewage is involved. And smoke residue can often cause permanent damage if not addressed.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex offers five important reasons to use our services:

• AdvantaClean is ready to respond at any time: Our team of experts is available whenever disaster strikes to help minimize storm or smoke damage. Call us anytime at 919-434-7249.
• We are experienced at mold and sewage cleanup: In the worst cases, floodwaters can cause sewage to come into a building. Also, elevated moisture levels after flooding can cause mold to quickly grow and spread. AdvantaClean uses the best techniques available to clean up these problems and prevent further damage and down time.
• AdvantaClean is IICRC Certified: AdvantaClean of Cary/ Apex brings in the best trained people to remediate water or fire damage and deal with any subsequent mold issues. As an IICRC certified contractor, we follow high standards of professionalism and client care, and use the latest well-researched and tested techniques. This expertise and care gets our customers back to normal.
• We help home and building owners prevent future problems: Flooding often causes water to seep into the walls, flooring, and wood framing of a building. Some of these areas are not normally visible, and may contain moisture long after damage is cleaned up, leading to mold growth. We look everywhere for lingering moisture in order to prevent future mold problems.
• AdvantaClean works with a wide variety of insurance adjusters: The people who represent insurance companies in the claims process follow certain practices and procedures. AdvantaClean is familiar with this part of the cleanup and remediation process, and works with insurance adjusters to make everything go smoothly for our customers.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex is trained and certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) in water and fire damage restoration. We are also similarly certified at mold detection and remediation, and work hard to make sure summer storm damage doesn’t turn into a mold problem. Finally, AdvantaClean is experienced with the insurance claims process, which should eliminate a few more headaches when it comes to recovery from storm damage.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex is the number one team of professionals in the Triangle to perform IICRC certified flood damage restoration.  Contact us today in the unfortunate event you experience flood or water damage.

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AdvantaClean of Cary and Apex is the environmental specialist in Wake and Johnston Counties. Our team of certified professionals is ready to address all your service needs.

Your air quality and restoration specialists

Call 919 434 7249

AdvantaClean

Photo: prozac1, freedigitalphotos.net

5 Important Tips for Efficient Air Conditioning

July is usually the hottest month of the year in the Triangle, and that means air conditioning systems in homes and businesses are working extra hard to keep the indoors cool. It’s important from both a reliability and cost perspective to keep a building’s HVAC system operating at the peak efficiency. Since roughly 10 percent of all household energy use in North Carolina is air conditioning, it makes sense to keep HVAC systems running as smoothly as possible. There are a few simple tips home and business owners can do, in addition to having HVAC systems checked out by a trained and qualified technician once a year. AdvantaClean of Cary / Apex also offers a few services to help maintain HVAC system efficiency.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex offers five important tips for efficient air conditioning system operation:

• Replace the filters: Every HVAC system has filters that remove dust, debris, and small particles from the air flowing through the system. Over time, the filters become full of dust and particles, and air flow through them becomes restricted, making the HVAC system work harder. Changing filters at the proper interval, which varies by type of filter, prevents this from happening.
• Keep the air ducts clean: Large volumes air move through an HVAC system, whether heating or cooling is underway. While every system has a filter to trap dust and particles, a significant amount still accumulates in the air ducts. AdvantaClean is certified by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) to clean HVAC air ducts to maintain HVAC operating efficiency.
• Minimize internal sources of heat: Certain activities such as running the clothes dryer or turning the oven on can generate large amounts of heat, causing the air conditioning system to work harder; this is very important during hours of peak outdoor heat. Limiting these activities to morning and evening hours will reduce the peak cooling load on the AC system, reducing energy use.
• Keep the air conditioner evaporator coils clean: These coils are located in the air handler or blower unit, typically located in the attic. They cool the air and can also accumulate dust and debris over time, reducing their efficiency. AdvantaClean performs expert cleaning of residential and commercial air conditioning coils to maximize cooling system efficiency.
• Keep the condenser unit clear from obstructions: This is the outdoor unit that takes heat out of the air conditioning system, or removes heat from the home. It won’t function properly if obstructed by trees, shrubs, or anything else on the sides and top. Remove any obstructions so air can flow freely around the condenser.
  

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex is a local Triangle company offering an array of services to help home and business owners maintain HVAC efficiency, maintain and improve indoor air quality, and recover from disasters. Along with regular inspection and maintenance from a qualified HVAC technician, our air duct cleaning and air conditioner coil cleaning services contribute to keeping people cool and healthy at home or work.

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AdvantaClean of Cary and Apex is your environmental specialist in Wake and Johnston Counties. Our team of certified professionals is ready to address all your service needs.

Your air quality and restoration specialists

Call 919 434 7249

AdvantaClean

Photo: winnond, freedigitalphotos.net

4 Important Reasons to Call AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex for Fire and Smoke Damage

Washer and dryer pulled from the site of a house fire

July in the Triangle can be an active one for a home or business owner. It starts with the 4^th of July, which, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is the biggest day for fires. On this holiday, almost one-half of all fires are caused by fireworks; it’s a surprising statistic. Another fire hazard that peaks in July, especially in North Carolina is lightning. The NFPA reports that lightning-related fires during the peak months of June, July, and August are most common in the late afternoon and evening.  Barbecuing and grilling are another significant cause of home fires in the United States. If accidental fire does affect a home or business, a quick and expert response is necessary to minimize further damage and recover from the disaster.

Here are four very important reasons to call AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex for fire and smoke damage recovery:

• AdvantaClean is both qualified and knowledgeable: Our team is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the widely-recognized national authority on cleaning and restoration, to clean up fire and smoke damage. We use the latest techniques and follow the very highest standards of customer care.
• AdvantaClean is always available, even on holidays: The AdvantaClean professionals are always trained and ready whenever problems happen, including holiday weekends. The soot, ash, and smoke residues from a fire start discoloring and etching various materials immediately in most cases. Water and moisture from fighting the fire can cause mold to grow and spread within 48 hours. We get right to work on those issues so they don’t become huge problems later.
• AdvantaClean knows how insurance claims adjusters work: We are very familiar with industry  processes and practices, and we will work with them to make the disaster recovery process go as trouble-free as possible for our customers. We also work for our customers to ensure that they are getting the best advice and the best remediation work for the return to normalcy. .
• AdvantaClean is an expert at eliminating mold: Too often, less experienced or less qualified restoration contractors overlook the potential for mold problems during and after cleaning up the aftermath of a fire. The water used to extinguish a fire can get into walls and crevices; this   can lead to mold growth that stays around long after the cleanup. We know where to look and what to do so future mold problems are not a lingering consequence of fire. Our experience saves time and money.
  

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex is the best Triangle restoration contractor to choose for cleaning up fire and smoke damage, and also the water damage that often comes after a fire. Smoke residue, odors, and moisture are issues requiring immediate attention, as they get worse and become permanent with time. We know exactly what to do in terms of recovering from a fire, and we offer great customer service too.

AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex is the number one team in the Triangle to perform IICRC certified fire and water damage restoration.  Contact us today in the unfortunate event you experience a fire in a home or business.

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AdvantaClean of Cary and Apex is your environmental specialist in Wake and Johnston Counties. Our team of certified professionals is ready to address all your service needs.

Your air quality and restoration specialists

Call 919 434 7249

AdvantaClean

Photo: AdvantaClean