It happens. Fire. Flood. Disaster. Hopefully, you have insurance. And, even if your insurance pays the claim, you still have to select a contents restoration firm to clean restore your personal property? How do you choose? What factors should you look for when making your selection?
Some Thoughts on Selecting a Contents Restoration Firm:
Secure the services of a licensed and reputable restoration company. You don’t want to hire a cleaning service. They’re great for small jobs, but they lack the skills and knowledge to handle a larger disaster. Don’t hire a family member who happens to be handy, or even the original contractor who built your business or home. Again, they may not have the expertise of a firm that works with disaster recovery on a regular basis.
Look for a business with a strong set of certifications
There are many possible certifications. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification is one of the most respected and well-known organizations, offering certification courses for practitioners who do everything from drying water damage to building cabinets and installing flooring for restorative purposes. Specifically, look for a company that has attended an accredited contents restoration certification course.
Make sure the firm you choose is insurance-savvy
The restoration company you choose needs to know how to effectively deal with insurance companies–making claims and filing paperwork correctly, fighting for you and so on. Your contractor needs to adhere to the strict insurance industry requirements and use estimating software accepted by your insurance company–if the estimate format doesn’t meet insurance standards, it may be rejected.
Your restoration firm needs to respond immediately
You can’t sit around waiting for a call-back when you have a disaster situation and need help immediately. Certain types of fire and water damage can be mitigated or prevented by an immediate response within the first 24 hours after occurrence. Make sure you choose a restoration business with administrative staff and field technicians available 24/7. Ask them about their company’s average response time from first call to arrival on the scene.
Make sure the contents restoration firm uses the proper equipment
Every type of disaster requires its own specific equipment, and necessitates extensive and expert knowledge on the part of the recovery firm. For example, the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) categorizes water damage restoration sites according to several categories, each needing specific levels of protective gear and cleanup equipment.
Equipment for disaster recovery can range from air movers (industrial strength fans and blowers) to infrared moisture meters for water damage to ultrasonic cleaners for cleaning smoke and soot-damaged household items after a fire.
Like much of the high-tech modern equipment now used by reputable restoration firms, ultrasonic cleaners can clean and restore items which would have been unsalvageable in years past. They work by immersing items in a specific liquid solution (one designed to clean soot from surfaces, for example) and then bathing them in ultrasonic waves, which create cavitation bubbles against the surface, thoroughly and deeply cleaning beyond what ordinary applications can accomplish.
Interested in knowing more about ultrasonic cleaners? Call Omegasonics at 888-989-5560 or email us at
