Insurance claims are very delicate. Hidden clauses that could affect your compensation. When taking out a policy against fire, you need to look at the potential damage from multiple angles, including those caused by smoke damage. Seeing your property going up in flames can be traumatic, but with a comprehensive insurance policy, you can pick up the pieces quickly.

It’s worth noting that most people focus on fire damage, forgetting about smoke damage. However, this damage can significantly impact your fire damage insurance claim. Below are a few elements of smoke damage you should understand before filing fire damage claims in Georgia.

Identifying Smoke Damage

Most homeowners focus on the visible signs of smoke damage to measure the degree of damage. These include soot, bad odors, and discoloration of fabric, walls, and other surfaces. However, smoke is made of airborne articles that are likely to spread throughout the house, including areas not affected by the fire.

Due to the nature of smoke, it’s likely to creep into air vents, insulations, furnishings, and electrical sockets, making it difficult for some public adjusters in Georgia to identify the smoke damage and propose accurate settlement figures. Georgia Fire Claims is experienced in determining accurate damage amounts.

Repairing Smoke Damage

Insurance policies are designed to restore you to your original state. This means repairing the house and replacing furniture to the exact amount quoted in the claim. However, the invasive nature of smoke damage makes it difficult to repair fully.

It is also necessary to contract a professional cleaning service to help deodorize the entire house. Some of these services may not be covered in your fire damage claim in GA.

Smoke Damage Insurance Coverage

Insurance policies vary from one client to another. Some insurance policies will cover your home’s interior and exterior smoke damage. Smoke damage policies are often intertwined with fire damage policies and come in one package. However, reviewing your policy to ascertain your coverage and avoid future inconveniences is advisable.

When reviewing your policy, be sure to check if the policy includes Additional Leaving Expenses (ALE). With ALE, you can pay for extra expenses incurred while repairing or restoring your home. Due to the complex nature of fires, here are a few pointers to check when adjusting your insurance policy.

Inspections

Smoke damage can be difficult to identify and, in most cases, requires a professional. This can be expensive, making insurance companies reluctant to pay for proper inspections.

Repair or Replace

Insurance claims are meant to restore you to your old status. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean an exact match. The insurance company can repair your property or replace it completely if the home is deemed a total loss.

Homeowners have little to no experience negotiating with insurance adjusters, especially if they can’t access a complete analysis of the smoke damage. This can cause the adjuster to ask misleading questions that will likely lower the insurance company’s liability. Contact Georgia Fire Claims, to help prove your case and get the full compensation owed. At GA Fire Claim, we work hard as public adjusters in Georgia to help you get the compensation you deserve.