Why the name Umpire?

Cause we love baseball? Nope, soccer is our game! Two reasons:

First, baseball reminds us of the phrase as American as baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie. The feeling of opportunity for all. We even had a catchy slogan at one point, "Making mitigation fair."

Second, if you look up the definition, you will find: um·pire - an official who watches a game or match closely to enforce the rules. Making sure everything is done right is a big part of what we do.

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How to choose a water damage cleanup professional

Dealing with cleanup after water damage is stressful for most homeowners. Most of us never think about having to call a water damage mitigation company, and if we ever do, we’re not sure who to use. Many questions float through your mind: Will insurance pay for it? Is mold growing? What do I do?

Good news, you aren’t in this alone. We’ve created this short guide to help you choose a flood mitigation company and get your home and life back in order.

Before you choose a flood mitigation company to work on your home, ask…

How long have they been in business? Are they local?
We see it all the time after a populated area experiences a natural disaster like a flood or microburst of rain, contractors from all over and out of state migrate to the area to offer their services. That’s not necessarily a bad thing when there’s a lot of work to be done. Unfortunately, some of these contractors are brand-new to the business and just capitalizing on an opportunity. That doesn’t mean they will do shoddy work, but choosing a provider with a history of business and good references is a safer bet, especially if they aren’t local and would be leaving after the work is completed.

Are they certified?
Above all else, choose a certified restoration professional. We are specially trained and use techniques and practices that help us to secure and protect your home and property before and during the mitigation process. Certification also means we’re held to a standard that requires us to restore your home to pre-loss condition.

Do they have positive reviews from previous clients?
In this day and age, it’s hard to find a company that’s been around for a while and doesn’t have any reviews or references. If you can’t readily find customer reviews, ask the mitigation company to share contact info for previous clients so you can check on their quality of work and operating practices. Knowing how they behave after they win the business and secure a job is very important. Pre-restoration is the honeymoon stage.

How quickly do they respond to questions?
You should get an idea of how the company or contractor operates by reading reviews or talking to past clients. One of the things you’ll want to look for is; how responsive are they when customers ask a question? Do they make it a point to reply within 1 hour? Do they point their clients to the correct information, so they feel confident and secure throughout the cleanup and restoration process? Are they slow to reply and short with their answers?

Will they work with your insurance company?
A crucial question for every potential water damage company you interview. Can they work with your insurance directly, and will they. At Umpire, we have created an extraordinarily straightforward and streamlined process that homeowners and insurance companies appreciate. Our team understands this is a stressful time for you and that you just want your home or business restored quickly. We coordinate with your insurance agent and adjuster throughout the process and make sure you have as stress-free an experience as possible.

Contact Umpire anytime to learn more about fire, water, and mold mitigation, as well as industry news and tips for keeping your home safe and protected.

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Repairing flood damage yourself can cost you later

Facing water damage in your home can be overwhelming and scary. Dollar signs start flashing in your mind, and you imagine the worst possible scenario. It can be tempting to save a few dollars by trying to repair water damage yourself. But be warned, that can cost you later.

The average person doesn’t realize how extensive water damage can be. You may see discoloration, staining, and standing water on the surface. Nine times out of ten, unless your home is made of some impermeable material, the water has traveled deeper and further than you’d probably expect. Getting it out without causing more problems takes skill and the right equipment.

Lack of Proper Equipment
You may think you can get that water up and out of your floor with a carpet cleaner or a few fans set on high, but if the water sat for any length of time, it probably wouldn’t be enough. Subfloor material can suck up moisture and hold it; most subfloors are plyboard, after all. And if you happen to have particleboard, lookout. That stuff is a sponge! Let’s hope you don’t. Regardless of what your subfloors are made of, our equipment is designed to get the moisture out as quickly and thoroughly as possible. And it’s much more potent than the typical household fan. Combine our specialized equipment and seasoned expertise, and you’re looking at a much more streamlined and effective cleanup and restoration. Plus, we can help you save time and money by telling you what can be saved and what (if anything) can’t be.

Warm Air = Fungus
Sometimes we see well-meaning people trying to use a bit of heat with their fans to try and get the moisture out. The logic probably goes something like blow dryer = dry hair. Warm air blowing around = dry floor. Unfortunately for those folks, warm air combined with moisture can encourage condensation and fungus. Nobody wants to create a mold problem in their home. Yuck!
The professional equipment and process we use don’t encourage mold growth. Instead, the combo of tools and technique allow us to rid your home of excess moisture quickly and with no ‘collateral damage’ like fungus or mildew.

No Liability
L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y… not a word you want to be on the wrong end of. If you “clean” and restore your water damaged home yourself, no one is on the hook if something goes wrong. Except you. That means if you inadvertently create a mold or mildew problem, you get to deal with it at your own expense. We do our job right the first time; it’s part of our commitment to service. We like to think all other mitigators do too. If you work with a professional mitigation company, they should be liable in the case of an incorrect or incomplete cleanup and restoration. That’s peace of mind you just don’t get doing it yourself.

Want to learn more about flood, fire, and mold mitigation? Contact Umpire for more articles like this and to read up on home safety, disaster prep, and more.

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3 things you can do today to reduce your fire damage risk

No one wants to imagine that there’s danger lurking throughout their home, but often there is. And while many of us will never have to deal with the worst-case-scenarios, that doesn’t mean the risk isn’t real. To help you protect your home and family, we’ve compiled a list of three common fire safety issues in the typical American household and how you can correct them.

3 Surprising Fire Hazards That Are Probably in Your Home
Clothes Dryer Lint Traps and Vents
Old Smoke Alarms
Cluttered Kitchen Counters

Clothes Dryer Lint Trap and Vents
It might be strange to think about, but dryers present a genuine fire hazard. For example, the little vent that is responsible for collecting lint from clothes as they tumble dry can quickly become overburdened. Little bits and pieces of fluff float down and around the screen and out of sight. Worse than even free-floating lint is a sheet of the fluffy stuff quickly accumulating on the screen itself, which is happening if you’re one of the many people who only cleans the screen periodically. But we’re not here to point fingers. Believe it or not, that lint can act like fluffy kindling and ignite under the right conditions. You can easily prevent this from happening by cleaning the dryer screen and the area around it after every load. It’s also a good idea to check your external dryer vent for lint. What isn’t trapped within the machine clogs up the exhaust and can be just as dangerous.

Old Smoke Alarms
Do you know when your smoke detectors were installed? When was the last time you checked the batteries in each unit? Some of us are lucky; we’re masters at burning toast and know without a doubt that our smoke alarms work. Others go on with their busy lives and disregard these quiet little safety controls operating in the background. But this is a massive mistake. Smoke detectors aren’t meant to be forgotten. The average life expectancy for a smoke alarm is only 8-10 years. Take a moment after you read this article to test all the smoke alarms in your house. Even if they’re newer. Once you’ve established that they work (or that they don’t), go to your calendar and choose a day next month that you’re going to test them again. Repeat indefinitely, replace it as needed.

Cluttered Kitchen Counters
There’s a classic fire scene that plays out in cinema year after year – the dreaded rag catching fire on the stove. It seems so silly and far-fetched, but it happens more than you’d think. It’s not always a rag; sometimes, it’s a paper towel or a magazine or a food wrapper. Anything that’s dry (or can dry out when exposed to heat) and ends up near your stove, hot plate, or any other kitchen appliance that heats up, is a potential fire starter. Even dry noodles and plastic can catch fire. It’s a jungle out there. Avoid kitchen fires by keeping your counters free of unnecessary clutter and small appliances. It may seem harmless, but the less space you have to work, the more likely it is that you’ll set something in a less than ideal place. While you’re cooking, it’s also a good practice to periodically pause and scan the counters for anything flammable that’s close to a heat source.

Contact Umpire for more tips and tricks to help you keep your home safe and efficient.

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5 things you need to understand about mold

Three words you never want to hear from an inspector: You’ve got mold. Those three short words can strike fear into the heart of any homeowner and send you into a tailspin of worry if you don’t know what you’re up against. That ends today.

5 Things You Need to Know

#1 Mold is literally everywhere.
Yuck. You read that right! Spores are everywhere. Inside outside, on your clothes, on your dog. The spores are microscopic and float in the air until they land on something and stick.
Sometimes they get into your home from outside via an open window or your AC unit. Other times, they grow and thrive inside your home in places where moisture accumulates. This is a little uncomfortable to think about, but it’s also normal. Mold is a fact of life, and it doesn’t always equal trouble.

#2 Mold can produce a strong odor. But not always.
Many of us think we’d know if we have a mold issue because we’d smell it. That’s partially true. Mold can produce a pretty intense odor, but that’s usually once the problem is more significant. Since mold is attracted to moisture, bathrooms tend to be a magnet for it. However, there are a lot of other scents in the bathroom, and sometimes, if you aren’t very sensitive, you can miss it. Shower soaps, body washes, perfume, and air fresheners can all mask the musky odor of mold.

#3 If you don’t address moisture, mold will hang around.
If you find mold and try to eradicate it (for example, by washing with bleach), but you don’t address the moisture problem that allowed it to colonize in the first place, chances are the mold will return. Mold and moisture are like two peas in a pod. If you have water droplets in the air and not enough ventilation, eventually, you’re going to get mold.

#4 Too much humidity inside can encourage mold.
Your bathroom isn’t the only place in your home that has the potential. Anywhere in your home can become a hotspot if the humidity in your air is too high. But you also don’t want it too dry, that’s not good either. Generally, the experts say you should keep the humidity between 30-50% in the warm months and between 30-40% in the winter to avoid condensation.

#5 Mold can cause big problems.
Mold can do more than bring allergens and irritants into your home. It can also damage furniture, building materials, and, in extreme cases, even the structure of your house. This is because as it grows, it’s digesting particles of whatever it’s growing on. Whether that’s your favorite wicker chair or your bathroom ceiling. All the more reason to watch for signs, treat any you find right away, and control moisture levels in your home.

Contact Umpire to learn more about common household hazards and how you can prevent them, preparing for natural disasters, and things you didn’t know about flood, fire, and mold mitigation.

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