Fixing flooded buildings and basements: Managing customer and homeowners

This Section considers the issues involved in the communications between the professional team and the homeowner (who is usually the policyholder) or occupant.

Communication is an essential part of the process of dealing with claims and rehabilitation of a damaged building. Good communication manages expectation throughout the life of the event, regardless of the uncertainties that inevitably arise in damage of this nature.

One important issue is that of health and safety. In most cases, floodwater is 'dirty ' by its very nature. The homeowner needs to be reassured that by adopting a correct approach to drying and repairs, damage to health and safety will be reduced or hopefully removed in its entirety.

Once drying is complete, repairs can commence but historically there have always been issues as to when a property is suitably dry. This Section seeks to identify when that stage is reached. It is noted that there is no need for a building to be absolutely 'bone dry ' to allow the permanent works to start.

Equally, the customer should recognize that due to this uncertainty, residual issues can emerge. These latent problems may not be taken as any sign of negligence on the part of the professional team, all of whom will usually act in good faith. They normally will seek to identify a balance between adequate dryness and the degree of inconvenience of permanent repairs being further delayed. This is not a precise science, and will differ from property to property.

Only where there has been gross disregard for the most basic of criteria should professional judgment be called into question, and independent assessment called for.

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Describing the various parties involved in providing or using insurance services, and ancillary services, can be complicated.

As a general rule of thumb, the customer is the person or organization that buys equipment or products from a manufacturer or supplier, or a service from a tradesman.

The client is usually the customer of an insurance or finance provider.

The policyholder is a client of an insurer (or insurance company).

The homeowner owns their property and may also be a customer, client or policyholder as defined above.

Other terms may also be used such as tenant , landlord and householder who can be described by some of the above.

Organizations involved in providing insurance services and in the remediation processes following flooding are described on the next page.

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Insurance company and insurer are terms for the same type of organization.

An assistance company is often engaged by insurers to help a policyholder in mitigating and reducing damage, and providing emergency support.

A loss adjuster investigates claims and determines the validity and value of individual claims.

A damage management company assists insurers and policyholders in establishing what needs to be done to rectify damage by an insured event (e.g. flooding of property) and to liaise with policyholders and with contractors that repair damage.

A contractor is usually a large building firm (which might also call itself a builder) that undertakes work to repair property, particularly buildings. It may delegate work to specialist subcontractors "trades" or tradesmen.

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ESSENTIAL CLAIMS INFORMATION

Name of the claimant Address of the damaged property Is the property being lived in? If the property is uninhabitable, the temporary address of the claimant Telephone numbers of the claimant

As many as possible, including contact numbers at temporary accommodation

Preferred method of communication with the claimant

For example, telephone, SMS text messaging or e-mail

Insurance cover information

+ Policy number

+ Commencement date

+ Expiration date

+ Types of cover

For example, buildings or contents or both; standard or extra

+ Excess on policy

How much is it and how will it be collected?

+ Claim reference number Date of flooding event Special circumstances of the claimants

For example, elderly, young, sick or disabled occupants;

language difficulties; asthma sufferers; allergic responses to chemicals

Is there still standing water in the property and , if so, how deep is it?

If the water if more than 6 inches deep, it will need pumping out by the fire brigade or waiting until it subsides

Is there any power in the property?

Is the power isolated at the main or outside the property? Does the adjacent property have power. Could there be risks of electrical shock from a neighboring property?

If the building's electrics have been affected, has an electrician been called?

Who will appoint an electrician - policyholder, insurance company, loss adjuster or damage management company.

If an electrician has already visited, was he qualified and has he left a report or lock-out certificate?

What type of property is it?

House, bungalow or flat; detached, semi-detached or terraced

What rooms have been affected?

To provide a general understanding of the scope of the damage

What has been affected in the rooms?

To provide a general understanding of the scope of the damage

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Policyholder contact - a staged approach

Communication with the policyholder throughout the life of a flood claim is an essential part of the claims process, and is ideally delivered as the key stages described below.

Stage 1 - Incoming claim from policyholder

This is the first key stage and involves the timely and accurate collection of information. Information that's essential for processing a claim is shown in a specimen form on the page opposite.

Information and advice for the policyholder to be given by the insurance company or assistance company

+ Advice about whether a third party is being appointed to assist them with the claim. If so, the name of the company, a contact (where possible) and telephone number should be given

+ Providing the policyholder with a telephone number for the insurance company in case they have a query regarding their claim

+ A brief explanation of the role of the damage management company

+ The claim should be checked for validity under the policy

+ Explaining that the policyholder does have a choice about the contractor used but costs must be agreed with the insurers before proceeding

+ Providing any other information reasonably requested by the policyholder, and details of any loss adjuster appointed by the insurance company, and of the company's representatives.

Advice to the policyholder on what they can do to help

+ Windows to be opened if the weather is fine

+ Electric sockets and fittings should not be used if they are affected by water, always remembering that water is a highly efficient conductor of electricity; and water in electrical equipment, circuits and appliances is often not evident. Appliances connected to an electrical supply should not be assumed to have effective earth protection or double-insulation.

When touching or moving mains electrical equipment and appliances, they should first be disconnect them from the electrical supply. If working on any part of an electrical system, only tools that are insulated must be used If in doubt, a qualified electrician should be consulted.

+ If standing water is deep but outside water levels have subsided, it should be pumped out - if necessary by the fire brigade

+ As many undamaged items as possible should be moved to higher levels or to upper storey’s away from the floodwater.

Stage 2 - Communicating with the policyholder by a third party assigned to the claim (for example, by a loss adjuster, assistance company or damage management organization)

+ The third party should introduce themselves - preferably in person, otherwise by telephone - to the policyholder and advise him or her of their role in the claim process

+ Where possible the policyholder should be given a named contact in each organization that has a role in dealing with the claim and told who is responsible for appointing these named contacts

+ The policyholder also should be given a telephone number and claim reference number for each of these contacts

+ The third party should confirm the details of the policyholder - postal address details (in case they are in temporary accommodation), and landline and mobile telephone numbers for daytime, evenings and weekends

+ If it's not possible to make contact with the policyholder within 24 hours of receiving the claim, a contact card should be posted to them.

Other possibilities may also be considered: that the occupant may have moved out, the card may be posted onto a wet floor, or that telephones may have been disconnected.

Stage 3 - The initial visit to the policyholder (for example, by a loss adjuster or damage management company)

+ Is the event covered under the terms of the insurance policy? If so, the claim can be validated

+ Fraudulent behavior may be considered and any indicators checked

+ The policyholder should be reassured that things will get better and their problems treated sympathetically

+ The process for handling the policyholder’s claim should be explained

+ The reasons for the processes used to dry the property should also be explained (e.g. removing wallpaper, plaster, and flooring to aid drying).

+ The policyholder's expectations of repair work should be established from the outset, including giving an indication of how long the process is likely to take

+ The policyholder's questions need to be answered clearly, without using jargon

+ An information leaflet should be left with the policyholder, with contact numbers clearly shown

+ They should be given a wallet or file that can be used to keep together all the documentation relating to the claim and repair processes, including information provided by all parties involved in these processes, and especially a quick-reference list of contact numbers.

Stage 4 - Keeping the policyholder updated (for example, by a loss adjuster, claims handler, contractor or damage management organization)

Maintaining regular contact will be appreciated by the policyholder. This should be done on a weekly basis by visiting, or by telephone, to confirm progress with the claim and with repair work, and to update them on estimated completion dates.

Stage 5 - Completion of work by contractors

Contractors and others involved in rehabilitation of the property should advise the policyholder when their work has been completed. This can be done by phone or in person but needs to be reinforced in writing.

Agreement should be sought by the contractor that the policyholder is satisfied with the work undertaken and there are no outstanding issues relating to the work they have undertaken. Acceptance of the repair work by the policyholder verbally or in writing should not preclude additional work in the event of unforeseen problems arising later.

Stage 6 - Completion of the claim by the insurance company

A final call should be made to the policyholder to confirm completion of the claim and that they are satisfied with the outcome. The policyholder should be asked if there are any outstanding problems or issues that need to be resolved. A process will normally be in place to deal with any outstanding concerns or the dissatisfaction of policyholder.

Stage 7 - Feedback

After completion of building work and the claims process a customer satisfaction survey should be sent to the policyholder. The survey should relate to all parties involved with the claim; that's :

+ the insurance company

+ the assistance company, if any

+ the loss adjuster

+ the repairers; that's , any damage management company, contractor, specialist restorer, carpet supplier, replacement goods supplier etc involved in the remediation program.

The survey should cover all aspects of the claim (i.e. communication - verbal and written - quality of work undertaken and overall impression) in respect of each service provider. Only one survey should be carried out covering all these aspects to avoid the customer being bombarded with separate forms from each party.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I just go and hire some heaters to dry my property?

Heat alone will not dry out the fabric of a property and its contents. A hot or warm atmosphere absorbs moisture from the walls, floors, furnishings etc of a room (raising the relative humidity),but, until the air and its moisture is carried away from the room, it will be retained there until it condenses on colder surfaces or is reabsorbed into the walls, floors and furnishings. Ventilation - opening windows, for example - is a more significant factor in removing water and moisture from a room, but even that can take time, particularly in windless conditions. Arguably a combination of good ventilation with heat will produce the best results, but for the small extra drying effect produced by the heat it's doubtful that it could be said to be an economical measure.

Heat, moreover, if maintained at high levels for long spells can have deleterious effects on materials used in buildings and furniture. Drying out materials to very low moisture levels causes cracking; and while some materials can tolerate embrittlement, cracking or loss of water content and still recover (e.g. timber),others can't without the detrimental effect being potentially permanent (e.g. new cement or plaster).

Should I turn my radiators on to dry the property?

The same applies with radiators as was explained in the answer to the previous question: they may have a small beneficial effect by themselves, but more so when combined with ventilation.

The reduction in moisture content of wood to a natural and sustainable level of 20 to 22%within three weeks of saturation is an important step in preventing rot taking hold. Effective ventilation is a very important measure in drying out a building in a satisfactory time.

Is my property dry, because the screed floor looks nice and white?

Within the first few hours of drying a certain amount of evaporation takes place from the surface whatever the degree of saturation within the material. This gives the appearance of the material being dry which is deceptive since decisions made regarding reinstatement (e.g. applying a new floor covering)could be taken before the screed and substrate have dried out properly. The ultimate result of precipitate action could be failure of any new flooring material.

Will the flood affect the insulation in my cavity?

This depends on the depth of floodwater in the cavity and the type of construction. The cavity should be inspected as part of the drying survey.

If the insulation has degraded it might have to be removed, or dried in situ.

The depth of standing water in a property may not be a good guide to the level or height of moisture intrusion in the fabric.

How long will it take for mould to start to grow in my house after a flood?

Mould spores will be found in most homes with no harmful effect. Mould only becomes a problem when conditions within the property become out of balance (e.g. following flooding) and in the corners of rooms where damp, stale air can't circulate.

Mould growth normally commences 2 to 3 days after the building becomes wet. Where an efficient and effective drying program has been installed the potential for mould growth is greatly reduced. If the moisture is removed quickly, mold growth will not occur as the contributory factor in its growth has been removed.

I have underfloor heating. Will the floodwater affect it?

As soon as the water has subsided, an investigation will be made to identify the level of damage within the floor. A decision can then be made about the best method of remediation. In some cases, depending on the level of damage, the underfloor can be successfully dried in situ.