Q. I had a broken pipe which filled the basement with water when we were on vacation. I had a contractor bid using xactimate insurance bid program. the insurance company wrote a check for partial payment. the restoration was then done. can the insurance company pay me less if I did the work (even though I have built homes for 20 years as an owner builder) rather than the contractor. can the insurance company pay me only for my material costs receipts, Or are they required to still pay me the insurance standard rates, but minus profit and overhead? Thanks for any insight into this.

A. If you do not hold a contractor's license or insurance for such, they do NOT pay you the GC overhead and insurance part of that claim, which is built into the quote. They would pay you a reasonable labor rate, with no profit & overhead. You would have to TRACK the hours you put into fixing the damage.

Q. I had water damage in my basement and have become allergic to the product the restoration company sprayed with. There is a strong odour of cement coming up from the basement and I would like to seal the basement floor as this odour also could be contributing to my allergies. I have been told not to use a synthetic sealant in the event I have a reaction to it and it would be difficult to remove. If anyone has any advice on non-irritating sealants for cement floors, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

A. They only "natural" one I can think of is tar. Get some fans and go to an allergist.

Q. So we moved into a rented house in August.. Our landlord just bought the house. It's winter in Canada, and we got about 2 feet of snow at the beginning of December, and it melted.. The water is pooled up at the bottom of the basement stairs (carpeted, entrance to one girls room).. We called the landlord, and he said he'd do something, and then never called or came over... we called again at least twice a week and he never picked up so we left messages. Everything froze up again, and then we got more snow and today its 9 degrees out so it's melted again.. Before the floors were just damp,.. now they are SOAKED.. from the outer wall to the stairs (about 8 feet) and about 6 feet out into the room.. And it's like an inch of water. It's so much we can't keep up with trying to dry it up, and it's like a cold pool whenever my roommate goes to her room or someone goes downstairs.... We called the landlord again and he doesn't seem to care. It's destroyed 3 walls of drywall that will likely have to be replaced, and the carpet is brand new, i wouldn't be surprised if it has to be replaced. The walls are BROWN and mold is starting to go. I know it must be a leak in the foundation, and it's definetly something I'd want to do something about if it was my house. My roommates things are getting wrecked as the water is moving further into her room and she has nowhere else to go... What can we do? Is this something we can call damage restoration for? How long do we have to wait before we can get it done and send him the bill? the tenant board isn't open until after new years

A. If you have to pay to get it fixed, by law he has to deduct the money from the rent. keep track of all receipts, when you call him, and take pictures of the mold growth in case you have to go to court.

Q. Basement flooded where wall meets slab, slow leak but soaked the carpet pretty good. Thinking about using Servicemaster to have it taken care of, does anyone know the cost for this, or rough estimate for what it would take to get it cleaned up? thank you!

A. Service Master franchises are good, They have to maintain certain standards or the franchise could be pulled. They can be pricey though . There are lots of general contractors that do the same restoration work like cleaning up water damage from a fire.Service Master does have proprietory chemical treatments to prevent mold that are well proven.

Q. We have been in the market looking to purchase a home and found an interesting house that was being rehabbed. After speaking with the selling agent and doing some added research we found that the house had a fire in the coldest of winter (February in the Chicago area). So we found that the house had a fire in the 2nd floor master bedroom (two story house) during February. The fire department axed a hole into the roof and attic to let the smoke out, broke all the windows on the second floor, and eventually hosed the fire off. Secondly, the fire caused a copper water pip to burst in the master bath. What we found out was that the water went all the way down to the basement. The home-owners insurance hired a restoration company to clean up the mess, we were told all the drywall was ripped out and the house was brought down to the studs. A special spray was used to prevent any mold growth. All new floors and carpet are being put in, all new bathrooms, kitchen, etc. The house is primarily made of wood, with only a brick face on the front and only for the first level. My concerns are since this happened in February and we were told the restoration process started two days after the issues, the water had to have froze all over the place and gotten into cracks and crevices and I am curious to how this was even able to cleaned out during that time, especially when the house had no heat because the furnace was replaced as well. Can someone tell me of the risks of purchasing such a home, it's not really priced for a great deal, pretty fair, but the appealing part is all new kitchen, baths, new roof, and new siding as well. Thanks!

A. The cost of having your own home inspector go through the property for you is well worth the price. I would hire one. Let that individual know all you do about the home prior to the inspection. The home inspector we hired to look at the home I now compose this in was not the best and he missed a few details. You will need to be prepared for that. If you already live in the Chicago area, ask around for some names of home inspectors - especially among good friends who have bought homes within the past four years. Find out from them if they have had issues the inspector missed. If so, press them when they are looking at those parts of the home. In our case, one was the chimney (I had enough experience on my own to know we would be replacing the furnace sooner than he thought). Hope you find this of some help.

Q. Can anyone recommend a good contractor in Middlesex County (Massachusetts) that does concrete flooring? I would like to have a 700 sq. ft. section of my basement floors done. I currently have old linoleum tiles which have to be remove because of water damage. I would like concrete flooring because I need something durable and easy to clean. Can you recommend anyone who has reasonable prices and does great work. Thanks! There is concrete under the lenolium tiles & it is not smooth. There are a few cracks and pumpy areas.

A. So what you need is someone to overlay that floor with a thin layer of cement to make it smooth. After that if you wanted to get fancy you can stain and seal it. I Know this because i just had it done to my basement last year and I also live in ma. I can e-mail you the guys name and number if interested...

Q. Bathroom sink pipe sprung a major leak, 15 minutes worth of tap water soaked hardwood flooring, plaster walls and ceilings and ran into some duct work...also we are concerned about the electrical wiring behind ceiling and walls, what are some good characteristics to look for in hiring a contractor who specializes in this type of work? Also, is it typical for the homeowner's insurance to cover the plumbing work? So far, the adjuster says only work to repair damage is covered but not the plumbing that caused the problem...sound right?

A. Your adjuster is correct. Your insurance policy owes for access to get to the plumbing leak and to repair it but NOT for the part itself. Start by making sure your house is dried out properly by a certified water damage restoration company (i.e. ServiceMaster). They will find out where the water damage starts and ends, take moisture reading of your flooring and walls & may place fans/dehumidifiers to dry out your home. After the place is dried out, then address rebuild. If you need paint, drywall, flooring or baseboards...ask your adjuster if they have a "preferred" general contractor that is on the company's preferred program. Go with one of them if they do. Good luck.

Q. I want to get my earnest money back, and I want ALL OF IT !! I made an offer on a house with the intentions of living in it not rehabbing it. The offer was accepted, and we had the home inspected. There are a lot of things wrong with the house. It costs more money to repair these things than I can afford, and besides I'd rather buy something worth the money I would have to spend, rrather than put money into the house for major things. The house needs new windows, tuckpointing all around and a new roof. Here is a letter I wrote to the seller, tell me what u think. HELP !!!! All these problems need to be remedied before this transaction can go any further. If the issues are not addressed we will continue on our search for a home. FURNACE The furnace/central air needs to be properly and completely installed and functioning. The furnace needs a shut off valve, and a plastic exhaust pipe. Debris in the "clean out" area at the base of the chimney should be removed as part of system service. PLUMBING The old steel piping is subject to corrosion on the interior of the pipe. As corrosion builds up, the inside diameter of the pipe becomes constricted, resulting in a loss of water pressure. This piping is typically replaced when the loss of pressure can no longer be tolerated. ELECTRICAL Extension cords should not be used as permanent wiring. This wiring should be removed through out the house. Poor connections between newer wiring and the old-knob-and-tube wiring were observed. All connections of this type should be performed within junction boxes, fitted with cover plates. The installation of a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is required in the kitchen and bathroom. GFCI offers increased protection from shock or electrocution. STRUCTURE Evidence of termite damage was observed and there is risk of additional hidden damage since termites can do a substantial amount of damage. If the property hasn't already been treated, a licensed pest control specialist should be engaged to eliminate further termite activity within the home. All damaged wood should be repaired or replaced. ROOFING The downspout should discharge water at least 5 feet from the house. Storm water should be encouraged to flow away from the building at the point of discharged. Install downspout at left rear section of house. Stairs leading to basement need hand rails. Drop ceiling in same area needs to be repaired. The fireplace needs a damper. All appliances must stay.

A. Well did you make your offer based on it passing inspection or your obtaining financing? Those are two very common terms when putting down earnest money. Did you understand what Earnest Money was? The earnest money is an amount of money that the buyer puts up to show he or she is serious about purchasing the property. The money represents the buyer's commitment to buy and acts as an unofficial option on the property. After receiving an earnest money check, the seller will usually stop showing the property, and wait to see if the buyer can get a mortgage. Earnest money is important to the transaction because it shows the seller that the buyer is operating in good faith (hence the name, "earnest"). The bigger the deposit, the more reassuring it is to the seller, who thinks, "This buyer is serious.'' It also ties the buyer to the property and keeps him or her from looking for additional properties. When Do I Get The Earnest Money Back? If the sale goes through, the earnest money is used as part of the cash down payment and is paid to the seller. If the sale does not go through because of a reason covered by a contingency in the contract (if, for example, the buyer could not get a mortgage), the seller should sign a release of escrow and the earnest money will be refunded to the buyer. The earnest money should also be refunded to the buyer if the sale does not go through because of a problem on the seller's side. If, however, the buyer backs out of the deal for no reason at all, or for a reason that is not covered by a contingency, return of the earnest money may go to the seller. FSBO (For Sale By Owner) Earnest Money If negotiating directly with the seller without the assistance of a Realtor®, never give the earnest money directly to the seller. If you are dealing with a for-sale-by-owner seller who insists upon earnest money before a contract can be executed, write the check to their lawyer or closing attorney or your lawyer or closing attorney, and write fiduciary agent after the lawyers name. This money will then go into a trust, or escrow, account until the negotiations are completed, the contract signed, and all contingencies met. If the deal falls apart, you'll get it back. But if you give the earnest money directly to the seller, you may never see it again, or you may have to go to court to get it back. Good Luck to you.