Animal Damage Restoration
YOUR HOME HAS BEEN INVADED BY CRITTERS. Now what?(Note – In IL/WI we do work as Newnam Restoration Services)
Danger of pests in the home
You may not be aware of just how dangerous it is to have wild animals such as raccoons, opossums, and bats in your house and/or attic. Not only do they make an unsightly mess, but they may also leave behind toxic parasites and a smell that attracts even more animals.
Our experts know how to treat all of this and deal with insurance companies to reduce the financial impact on you. SafeGuard Restoration can help!
Why Restoration is Needed
Repairing the damage done by animals and restoring your home to its original condition is highly specialized work – work that must be done by experts in this field. Only experts know how to deal with the microscopic parasites left behind by many animals – parasites that can endanger your family!
You may not be aware of just how dangerous it is to have animals such as raccoons and bats in your house. Not only do they make an unsightly mess, but they may also leave behind dangerous parasites. Information on the risks associated with raccoons are explained here by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); more information on bats can be found here from the CDC. When animals have invaded your home, you want to repair the damage quickly and thoroughly, removing any threats to your family. You also want to make sure they won’t come back again, and you want to get the maximum coverage from your insurance company. All of this requires a company that deals specifically with this kind of situation, as well as being experienced in working with insurance companies. Note – in Illinois, we do animal restoration as Newnam Restoration Services – more information on this can be found here.
- Diseases and parasites left behind by the animals can cause illnesses in humans
- Smell left behind by animals – many times something humans cannot smell this, but it will attract more animals and cause them to actively try to break in to the attic again
- Damage to insulation $ feces will be observed by a home inspector when you go to sell your house – and the new buyer will insist that this get repaired
Don’t just take our word for it. These facts are listed out by the CDC. Read for yourself the dangers of having wild animals in your home.
Working with Insurance Companies
Restoring your home after an animal invasion is not cheap, but fortunately for you most home insurance companies cover the cost. Even with that good news, we know that working with insurance companies can be a pain. The good news is that Safeguard Restoration is here to work with home insurance companies for you as your advocate. We personally know most all insurance adjusters in the areas that we cover including Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and will work with them to get everything covered.
Here is how this works: We will assess the damage to figure out everything that needs to be included, enter all the data into our software, and get an estimate based on that data. The insurance adjuster will do the same, and then we work with them to make sure we end up on the same page and nothing is left out. For example, if the insurance company suggests only 6-inches of insulation being put in your attic, but local codes say it should be 13 inches, we will make sure you are covered for all 13 inches.
Animal Damage Restoration Process
- Permanent repair of entry point
- Removal of affected insulation
- Antimicrobial Spray applied
- Primer application
- Insulation re-installed
First thing we do is to make sure that more animals are not able to get into your home. If it has happened once it most certainly will happen again. When an Animal Control Specialist goes on site, he/she make sure there is no raccoon in the attic by either capturing it or isolating the attic. The specialist will then install a temporary repair to prevent further invasion in the short run – usual chicken wire, plywood or something similar. So our first objective is to replace this with a permanent solution that looks great. If the problem is bats, all the possible entry points will be closed off except one (everything 1/2″ or larger) and an excluder (a one way valve) will be put on the remaining opening. The bats can fly out, but not back in. After some time, we know the bats are all gone and this last opening is closed off also.
When the animals are gone, we can get to work on the attic itself. We know the integrity of the insulation is compromised – even if the insulation was not particularly damaged by the animal, bats fly over the entire attic (defecating as they fly), and raccoons will immediately walk throughout the entire attic looking for predators, urinating and defecating as they go. So – the insulation has to be removed to get rid of any potential parasites or toxins that may have found its way into it. But don’t worry, we’ll replace it all.
It’s time to kill all those parasites, germs, and toxins that the critters left behind. Just read the section “Why Restoration is Needed” to find out why these things are not something you want lingering in your home. We use EPA certified vital oxide biocide – the same stuff that’s used in hospitals – applied with an electrostatic applicator to make sure there is full coverage. Kills the germs – but it totally safe for you family!
Raccoons can leave behind a particular scent that will attract other raccoons to your home, tagging it as a proven raccoon hotel to any nearby raccoon that is tired of sleeping outside. Laying down our own special “SaniCloud” primer will take your home off of the “Raccoon Sanctuary” listing.
Lucky you, you get your old insulation replaced with top-of-the-line Owens Corning L77 grade insulation, formaldehyde free. We’ll replace the previously removed insulation and reinstall to CURRENT code, and it’s under warranty to boot!
Restoration Services
This is what we do. We don’t deal with insects. We don’t do general construction or remodeling. We make homes safe after wild animals have invaded them. And that’s what you want – someone who is an EXPERT in doing that.
1
Damage restoration
Once the animal is trapped and removed, that is when our main work starts. We begin with replacing the temporary barriers put in by the animal control specialists with permanent fixes to prevent future entry. We then remove affected insulation, sanitize the area, remove lingering raccoon odors (read why this is important), and install new top-grade insulation to current and local building code.
2
Insurance damage negotiation
Working with insurance companies is not something most people would put on their “fun” list. With Safeguard Restoration, you won’t have to worry about that. We work with your home insurance company to make sure everything is covered that needs to be covered. Our company has over 20 years of insurance damage negotiation experience and are so used to working with insurance companies on your behalf that we personally know most of them. We will work as your advocate while keeping you copied on everything so that you are not in the dark.
3
Animal damage prevention (ADP)
We do more that just fixing the immediate situation. Our work also involves a comprehensive screening of your home for vulnerabilities and assessing the physical barriers that are set up to prevent animal entry. We’ll also train you on what you can do to prevent future invasions. After it’s all said and done, we even come back and check on our work a year later to ensure lasting quality.
4
Animal removal coordination
Although Restoration is our main focus, we’ll help you find a good animal control specialist in your area. We will then coordinate with the specialist to make sure the transition between removing the animal and repairing the damage is a smooth one.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'M HEARING SOMETHING IN MY ATTIC? WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Sounds from your attic could be many things – ranging from no problem at all (the sound actually being something on the roof itself), to annoying but not dangerous (mice or squirrels in the attic) to actually dangerous for your family (raccoons or bats in your attic). The best thing is to call us and talk through what you’re hearing. That could lead to us doing a FREE inspection.
WHY DO I CARE ABOUT AN ANIMAL BEING IN PART OF MY HOME I NEVER GO INTO?
You care about bats and raccoons being in your attic for lots of reasons:
- The feces they leave behind is toxic. Look on our web site for links to information from the Center For Disease Control.
- The problem will just get worse. A colony of bats will continue to grow from year to year, and with raccoons, the smell they leave in your attic will simply attract more raccoons.
- Someday, you will go to sell your house. You will have a buyer all lined up, being feeling really good, and… wham! The buyers home inspection will show that there is bat or raccoon feces in your attic. The buyer will require that this gets taken care of. And when you call your insurance company, and tell them you noticed this a few years ago and did not get it taken care of, they will tell you it’s not covered – you waited to long.
WHY DID RACCOONS CHOOSE MY HOUSE?
Raccoons are always looking for a nice cozy home, and attics are perfect for them. Why your attic? Many times it’s because they saw an opportunity – maybe a bird had poked a small hole in your soffit. Maybe a squirrel had scratched an opening. Raccoons are smart, and when they see this, they will enlarge that hole and get it.
I HAD RACCOONS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE TAKEN CARE OF. WHY ARE THEY BACK?
Removing a few raccoons does not take care of the problem. Even if you have raccoons removed and the insulation removed, that will not take care of the problem. Raccoons leave behind a smell that must be dealt with by professionals who specialize in this field. If that smell is not taken care of – they will come back.
HOW BAD IS THE HEALTH RISK?
It’s not good – but don’t take our word for it. Read more from the Center for Disease Control about raccoon related diseases here, and about bat related health issues here.
QUESTIONS REGARDING WARRANTY?
Raccoons
SafeGuard Restoration stands behind all of the work we do. Because of that, we offer a limited lifetime warranty and a two-year animal re-entry warranty on our work. The limited lifetime warranty covers any kind of workmanship issue related to the insulation install. The only thing not covered is normal wear and tear – for example, as a building ages and shifts, cracks may develop in the dry wall we repaired. This is beyond our control, and understandably would not be covered under our warranty. The two year animal re-entry warranty covers animals re-entering the same spot they entered originally. This warranty is valid as long as all recommended reinforcing or exclusion work was completed by Newnam Restorations Services, and covers all Newnam Restoration Services labor and materials (trapper’s fees are excluded).
Bats
Safeguard Restoration stands behind all of the work we do. Because of that, we offer a limited lifetime warranty and a one-year bat re-entry warranty on our work. The limited lifetime warranty covers any kind of workmanship issue related to the insulation install. The one year bat re-entry warranty covers bats re-entering the attic, assuming that raccoons, squirrels, exterior construction, gutters, siding, roofing, severe storms, etc., did not create an opening for bat reentry*. This warranty is valid as long as all recommended reinforcing or exclusion work was completed by Newnam Restorations Services, and covers all Newnam Restoration Services labor and materials. Should the warranty be evoked, it is the homeowners responsibility to do a bat watch to determine where the bats are entering the building.
