The Importance of Certified Technicians in Residential Damage Restoration
As a homeowner, you are always at risk of encountering various forms of home damage. Whether this residential damage includes storm damage, mold growth, or water damage, the reality is that you will be facing insurance claims, costly repairs, and a lot of work ahead, no matter what. Thankfully, when you hire an experienced, certified technician, you don’t have to handle these significant repairs alone.
Hiring a certified technician offers several benefits. This blog will explore the importance of hiring certified technicians in residential damage restoration, including how doing so can give you peace of mind that your home is restored correctly.
Industry Standards and Regulations
If you go into the hospital for surgery, you want to know that your surgeon upholds a standard of care. Well, think of residential damage restoration as surgery for your house: the same idea applies.
Simply put, by hiring a certified technician to conduct residential damage restoration, you’re ensuring that the mold issue you have will be addressed the same way in Phoenix, Arizona, as it would be if you resided in Tampa, Florida, or Trenton, New Jersey.
Adhering to industry standards is crucial because otherwise, contractors could tackle repair projects any way they wanted that: 1.) may not be appropriate and 2.) don’t consider health or insurance requirements, putting you at health and financial risk.
Fortunately, certification covers these bases. While there are too many industry standards and regulations to list in this blog, here are the top three industry associations to look for when hiring a certified restoration technician:
IICRC
The IICRC, or Institute for Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, is one of the country’s most notable industry associations for residential damage restoration. Since 1972, they have issued the following certifications:
- Carpet Cleaning Technician
- Applied Microbial Remediation Technician
- Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technician
- Mold Remediation Specialist
- Water Damage Restoration Technician
These certifications can be useful when hiring a technician for water, mold, or fire damage restoration. To become certified, each technician must take a class and pass an extensive exam.
IAQA
The IAQA stands for Indoor Air Quality Association and is made up of a team of remediators, inspectors, and other contractors who share advice, techniques, and new practices regarding the promotion of quality indoor air. Each expert involved in the IAQA has extensive industry experience not limited to those with backgrounds in mold, improper ventilation, water damage, and moisture.
Certification through the IAQA helps contractors conduct examinations and indoor air sampling, which is vital with fire damage restoration to ensure it’s safe for you and your family to re-enter the home.
Haag Education
Switching gears, let’s turn to the Haag Certified Roofing Inspector certification available through another top industry association, Haag Education.
Technicians with a Residential Roof Inspector Certification through Haag are trained to deal with residential roofs damaged by strong winds and hail. This training also extends to a variety of different roof styles, including, but not limited to, tile, metal, fiber cement, asphalt, and wood.
In cases of severe hurricane or tornado damage, Haag Education certifications can give you peace of mind that you’re receiving the best quality and certified roofing contractors.
Efficient and Effective Restoration
Contractors who obtain certifications through the associations mentioned above receive comprehensive training in residential damage restoration.
For you, the customer, these certifications give you peace of mind that the technician you’re hiring has undergone the necessary training to develop the skills needed to get rid of mold and repair your asphalt-shingle roof after severe wind damage.
Though the responsibilities may vary based on the type of job at hand, certified restoration technicians can perform, at minimum, the following functions:
- Assess smoke, wind, water, and mold damage
- Remove debris caused by storm damage
- Replace drywall, roofs, floorboards, and other damaged materials
- Inspect for household damage
- Thoroughly sanitize areas affected by smoke, mold, and contaminated water
- Get rid of odors caused by water and mold damage
- Demolition
- Extract water after a flood
- Perform quality control to ensure the safety of the premises after the restoration process is complete
Not only can a technician get to your property fast in a restoration emergency, but because they are certified, they can perform these functions efficiently and effectively so you can get back to day-to-day living. Furthermore, these certifications reinforce their commitment to comply with OSHA, the EPA, and whatever else is outlined by the industry association in your local area.
At the end of the day, proper, in-depth training makes any restoration job more efficient!
Advanced Equipment and Technology
Do you own a 3D camera? What about a sump pump or an air scrubber? If you’re like most homeowners in the United States, the answer is no. After all, these aren’t items you’ll likely use regularly, if ever!
Though possessing the necessary equipment to complete restoration jobs is one significant benefit of hiring an experienced restoration technician, it’s not the only one. By hiring someone certified, you’re not just getting someone who has access to advanced equipment and technology but also knows how to use them properly.
For example, to map out a fire or water restoration plan, your certified tech may use a 3D camera to do a walkthrough. Though 3D cameras have been around since the 1960s, they’ve increased in popularity within the restoration industry over the past couple of years for their ability to speed up the restoration process and provide an accurate estimate for customers so they know what to expect in terms of cost.
It’s important to remember that, along with these certifications, is training and insight into new restoration technologies, which is why 3D imaging has suddenly become the norm in many residential damage restoration projects across the U.S.
Other forms of advanced equipment and technology your restoration technician may use on account of their certifications include moisture meters, advanced software programs, and LiDAR, which uses lasers to gain measurements.
Health and Safety Considerations
Another reason to hire a certified technician in residential damage restoration is that trying to treat and remove hazards like mold or contaminated water could be dangerous to your health.
For example, the mold that develops after a flood or storm damage could trigger asthma and worsen existing respiratory issues, but it could also lead to brand new symptoms such as skin rashes, headaches, and insomnia. Even exposure to contaminated flood waters could lead to mild symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea because of the toxins and airborne bacteria they contain.
Simply put, exposing yourself to any sort of prolonged mold, water damage, or even smoke damage can lead to unnecessary symptoms. To be certified, restoration technicians are made aware of these hazards and how to mitigate them. One example is the use of PPE or personal protective equipment. This includes masks, goggles, and in some cases, hazmat suits, depending on the situation.
In addition to protecting your health, there’s another reason why you should hire a certified restoration technician: your safety. Let’s say you get sick from trying to treat a significant mold infestation and, as a result, develop a respiratory condition that puts you out of work for a few weeks. Or, let’s say you attempted to fix your roof but accidentally fell off the ladder and broke your leg. Your insurance company may deny your claim since you didn’t hire a professional and unnecessarily exposed yourself to something knowingly hazardous. It’s a what-if scenario your certified restoration tech can, thankfully, mitigate.
Insurance Compliance
Last but not least, one of the biggest reasons to hire a certified home damage restoration technician is insurance compliance.
In the same vein as protecting your health and safety, certified technicians are trained to handle restoration properly, so you reduce your chances of getting a denial on your homeowners’ insurance claim. If you get a denial, companies that employ certified techs know how to work with these insurance companies to help you obtain the coverage you need. Furthermore, though there are no set standards regarding insurance compliance from a federal level, each state may require that technicians be licensed when the restoration project begins and adhere to several standards. These rules vary from area to area, but you can trust that these bases are covered when hiring someone certified.
Plus, if your technician gets hurt on the job, their insurance policy will cover workers’ compensation, not yours. Simply put, being certified gives them a leg up regarding how the insurance system works and exists to protect them, you, and your home, in the event of any accidents. Consider insurance compliance a safety net!
Find Your Certified Residential Damage Restoration Technician At BluSky!
BluSky is the leading residential damage restoration company in the country. Each of our locations has a team of certified technicians who can help with mold damage, storm damage, and everything in between.
Contact us today at 800-266-5677 to find a location near you. In the interim, we welcome you to check out our blog to learn more about our services and how quality, customer service, and certification make a difference in every restoration project.
