In order to mitigate damage, maintain structural integrity, and more, be sure to contact us for the many benefits of water damage restoration services.

This article will take a look at three reasons why you need to have the number of quality water damage restoration services saved into your phone.

Learn all about what causes the need for water damage restoration services so that you can know when to call your local restoration professionals.

Fire damage restoration is a process that involves multiple stages of repair and rebuilding. Read on to learn more about this essential job!

Greetings! Minnesota winters are legendary in severity and length, and all of that intensity makes spring one of the most welcome seasons of the year. As lifelong Minnesota residents, we love spring, but as third generation disaster restoration contractors, we also view spring through a different lens than most. For our team, spring in Minnesota typically comes with a large amount of water damage in homes, commercial buildings, and large residential properties. There are several factors that lead to this: Sump pump failures: Your sump pump was probably dormant over much of the winter. Have you checked that it is working properly and ready to handle the thawing wet ground? Listening can be key: If you can’t hear your sump pump working, you have a problem. Frozen pipes: Fluctuating spring weather can still bring freezing temperatures that put outdoor or otherwise unprotected pipes at risk. Melting snow: Keep the area around your building or home clear of snow, or a sudden melt can lead to a flood. Groundwater seepage: Melting snow and spring rains can raise the groundwater level enough that it may start seeping into basements, crawl spaces, and other low-level parts of your property. Mold growth: All of the previously mentioned issues can eventually lead to mold growth, if the water problems are not stopped - or if the damage left behind is not correctly restored. How Loyear Handles Water Damage Claims Whether you are an insurance agent, property manager, or property owner, everyone wants to avoid property damage, and to get the insurance coverage they need for any damage that does occur. This process can feel complicated and stressful, but Loyear has the experience and knowledge to make it as simple as possible for everyone involved. Here are the details on how we can help with water damage claims. The Rules We Follow Loyear follows the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards for water mitigation processes. These state of the art standards cover both the concepts and procedures needed to ensure thorough, high-quality, water damage restoration. The Tools We Use: Buildertrend, MICA and Xactimate In addition to the equipment we use on the actual water damage, we also have project management tools that make the claims process much easier: Buildertrend, MICA and Xactimate. Buildertrend is a communication technology system that allows us to easily send information to insurance carriers, agents, adjusters, and our clients. This gives everyone access to a single source for our notes, photos, readings, and progress to the job. It ensures transparency for all involved, and facilitates easy, frequent communication. MICA helps track our drying records and works in conjunction with Xactimate. Xactimate helps with the financial details, making all estimates and costs clear. 3 Tips for Ensuring Good Coverage for Water Damage Claims Now that we have explained the foundation of our water damage restoration process, it’s time to share a few specific tips. These are three potentially costly and messy issues that we have seen clients encounter, plus how to avoid them. Tip One: Know Your Policy Property owners, managers, and insurance agents should all have a good understanding of the water damage coverage that is included in an individual policy. If you have questions about what is or is not covered, check your policy carefully and consider meeting with your agent for clarification. Tip Two: Avoid Storm Chasers “Storm chasers” is a term used for contractors who travel from area to area, usually in the wake of severe weather. They can appear after a big flood, or weather changes like a storm. They should be avoided as their work quality may not be good, and they may make promises about repairs being covered by insurance that actually are not. This can result in situations that upset both the insurance agents/adjusters and the property owners. Avoid this expensive, dangerous problem by working with established, local contractors that your insurance agent knows and trusts. Tip Three: Understand Groundwater Seepage Coverage Most insurance policies do not cover groundwater, flooding from heavy rains or sump pump failures. Insurance policyholders must request additional coverage or an endorsement for these types of water damage. If you live in an area where groundwater damage is a risk, make sure you know your coverage options and have a policy that protects you. Spring Forward and Put Water Damage Behind You While you are enjoying the spring weather, make sure that you don’t forget the planning and precautions that will help you avoid problems with water damage claims, for both your own properties and for your policyholders. If you do encounter a soggy spring, contact Loyear Restoration, and we will put our 75 years of experience to work helping you and your clients. Our advanced water damage detection and restoration processes can solve even the biggest problems, and our team of professionals will respond quickly to any call, guiding you through repairs, restoration, and the claims process.

When you are faced with an upset resident, there are two possible paths you can take: The situation can escalate and get out of control, or you can de-escalate it and find a mutually satisfactory solution. All property managers would prefer the latter but getting there can sometimes feel overwhelming. In the first part of this three-part series, we explained how to de-escalate an upset resident over the phone, and the second part covered the best methods you can use to defuse and resolve a conflict in your office. When you have an upset resident, meeting in your office is usually the best choice, but you may need to occasionally have these meetings at your resident’s homes. Here are the best ways you can keep everyone safe and calm in these situations. Review the First Two Parts in this Series From sample phrases to personal mental health tips, the first two parts in our de-escalation series offer numerous actionable ways that you can improve the verbal discussion and negotiation portions of this interaction. Gather Information Before the Meeting Collect any relevant background information on the resident or their needs before your meeting. This will help you prepare solutions in advance and might indicate whether your resident has a history of unreasonable or dangerous behavior. Share Your Plans and Ask for Help Always ensure that someone on your team knows your schedule for the day, from your office staff to maintenance workers who may be on-site. If you have a security team and concerns about an interaction, you can always have them join you for a meeting - sometimes the presence of a third person can help keep everyone calm. (In my experience, this does not add to the calm, maybe have someone in the office working on something else nearby) You can even ask anyone on your team to check in with you at a designated time, and if you don’t reply or return, they will know how to locate you. Also, share with the resident that you have another appointment that begins one hour from now: This will indicate that your job is important to you, and that time during your meeting should be used productively. Be Mindful of Personal and Physical Space Whenever possible, stand at least six feet away from a resident who is escalating. Allowing personal space can decrease anxiety and helps everyone remain calm. It is also a good COVID protocol if the issue is brought up, most everyone will understand. In addition, pay attention to the physical space you are in. Avoid going into tight or hard-to-exit spaces like basements and small rooms. Open the door to a room or property and allow your residents to go first as you follow them behind. If you have cameras or other surveillance equipment in the building, consider having your discussions in an area that has good coverage. Take A Few Simple Safety Precautions Don’t make a tough situation worse due to poor planning. Here are five quick ways you can increase your personal safety while visiting a resident at home: ● Don’t park in the driveway or any other area you can be blocked in ● Always keep your car keys and cell phone with you ● Make sure your cell phone is fully charged before the meeting ● Lock your bags, purse, laptop, or anything else you don’t need in the trunk of your car ● Wear flat shoes, and a name badge or other required identification Set Limits and Explain Them in Simple Terms When a resident is upset, it’s important to offer them respectful, simple, and reasonable limits. Give them straightforward choices, and consequences for each choice. An agitated resident may not be very focused, so it’s important to be clear, speak simply, and offer the most positive choice first. Offer Time for Decision Making As we just mentioned, a resident in an escalated situation may not be thinking clearly in the moment. Whenever you can, give them time to decide, whether it is a few moments or overnight. Feeling rushed can increase their stress and anxiety and offering time can help them feel much calmer. Follow All Laws and Document Your Interaction Before you go into a potentially difficult situation, make sure you know the rights and responsibilities of both your resident and your company as delineated by the lease, bylaws, and laws in your area. Ensure that all issues are resolved legally, without any workarounds or other illegal actions. After the meeting, make sure that you get confirmation in writing, whether it is via a follow up email, or a signed summary or agreement document. Dealing with upset residents can be intimidating and upsetting even to seasoned professionals.

Home is a special place where you should feel calm, secure and relaxed. We depend on our homes in many ways, so it’s easy to see why your residents can become upset when they are faced with issues. Regardless of how or what the issues are, your goal in these types of situations should always be to get the situation to a calm, productive place. In the first part of this series, we explained how to de-escalate an upset resident over the phone. Today, we will be sharing the best methods you can use to defuse and resolve a situation in your office. One: Respect personal space When you communicate in-person, you need to be aware of your body language. Consider your position, posture, and proximity when dealing with an angry resident. Try to make things as comfortable and equal as possible. One good way to put this into practice is to consider sitting versus standing: If you are seated behind a desk, offer them a seat. Sitting together as equals at a small conversation table is the best choice, as it is more intimate than talking over a desk. If they refuse to sit, make sure you stand as well. Two: Keep your “lizard brain” in check Your lizard brain, also known as the limbic system, is in charge of the most primitive functions of your brain. It sets off your fight, flight, or freeze responses. It’s powerful and can drive inappropriate, unprofessional responses if you don’t keep it in check. You can’t control what happens, but you can control how you respond to it. Repeating positive thoughts like “I can handle this” will help you remain calm so you can then help others. Three: Observe and repeat the facts As you begin to understand your resident’s problem, repeat back your understanding to them. As we mentioned in the first part of this series, this is a great way to show that you are listening and have empathy for the resident’s situation. Four: Confirm their feelings Once you’ve reiterated the facts, quickly make a compassionate guess on what your resident is feeling. For example, “are you feeling angry because you feel that our response time has been slow?” Whether the resident confirms or contradicts that feeling will give you an idea of how to resolve the issue. Five: Ignore challenges, but not the person If a resident has difficult demands such as an immediate need to talk with the owner, redirect the residents attention to the issue at hand and how it can be resolved. It’s important that you show your ability to solve their problems: If you allow them to challenge your authority, you may lose the respect you need for future challenges with this resident and others. Six: Set limits and plan your exits If the resident starts to become threatening in their verbal or body language, respectfully cut off the interaction by offering them time. An example would be to ask the resident if you can research the issue and call them back with a response. If they agree, start walking towards the door as you tell them exactly when you will get back to them. Thank them for bringing it to your attention, using the word regret rather than sorry: “I regret that this issue is happening, and I will do what I can to resolve this as soon as I can.” Seven: Make a request Closing out your interaction by requesting something from the resident can help them feel more like a respected partner in the problem-solving process: “I regret this issue is happening, and I will do what I can to resolve this as soon as I can. How does this sound to you?” Having an upset resident in your office can be stressful for even the most seasoned property manager. If you focus on being thoughtful, prepared and supportive (and seek support for yourself), you will be successful at moving from escalation to de-escalation. You don’t have to fix everything at once to have a successful interaction: The goal isn’t correction, it’s connection.

7 Tips To De-escalate Angry Residents Over The Phone One of the best things about property management is the opportunity for human connection. Providing a safe, pleasant home life to those who appreciate your efforts can be incredibly enjoyable and affirming. Unfortunately, many of the toughest situations that property managers are faced with also involve human behavior, such as dealing with upset and even angry residents. When you are dealing with an angry resident, your first priority should always be to de-escalate the situation. De-escalation is a set of techniques and behaviors that are used to keep a situation from getting worse, and move it towards conflict resolution. At Loyear Restoration , we often help people through some of the scariest and most difficult situations they will ever encounter. In the first of this three part series, we will share seven experience-based tips for verbally de-escalating an angry resident over the phone. One: Show Empathy Showing empathy may sound like you need to agree with your resident's complaint, but it’s actually about showing that you're listening to what they have to say. Feeling heard and understood can quickly calm them and will result in an easier conversation. If you are struggling to summon empathy, one easy way to put this tip into action is to verbally repeat back what the resident is telling you in your own words. This gives them the chance to feel heard, and correct any misunderstandings. Empathy is about showing that you understand their frustrations, even if you can’t control the cause of their frustration. Two: Make Requests, Not Demands Requests are specific, objective, and actionable, while demands use fear, guilt, and can be manipulative. Knowing the difference can help your phone conversations stay more relaxed. Here’s an example of a request and a demand that cover the same issue: Request: “Would you be willing to hear the reasons why we need our maintenance team to handle these repairs?” Demand: “If you don’t let the maintenance team in for those repairs, we’re getting you out of here - you are ruining the whole building for everyone.” Three: Keep Things Positive Always look for the most positive way to discuss issues with your residents. Put positivity into practice on phone calls by avoiding the use of negative words, like no, won’t, don’t, and can’t. Instead, tell your resident what you can do for them, and offer suggestions for solutions they can try themselves. Four: Name and Tame the Behavior Often, the escalating factors in a situation have nothing to do with the topic of discussion. If you can point out and curtail those factors, the situation will become calmer. Examples include asking a resident to lower their voice, stop cursing, or to take a pause to allow you to respond. If a resident refuses to stop cursing or exhibiting other verbally abusive behavior, it may be right to let them know you are ending the current call and then do so. Five: Be A Broken Record If many of the other techniques above have failed, you can sometimes decrease the anger in a situation by repeating the same phrase over and over again. For example: “I can let you add a second garage space after you pay the second space fee.” Six: Follow Up and Document After the difficult conversation is over, check in with your resident. Showing that you care about the resolution of their needs can lead to a stronger relationship with fewer stressful interactions in the future. In addition, document the results of the interaction. Agreements are good outcomes from a difficult conversation. Make sure any agreements or next steps are documented for your records and shared with the resident as well. Seven: Take A Moment For Yourself What you do during the phone call is important, but what you do after is also critical. Don’t pass workplace stress or anger on to anyone else - including yourself. It’s important to take care of yourself: Talk it out with a colleague, take a break, or even just a few deep breaths before moving on. De-escalating a situation isn’t about proving that you are right, or proving the other person wrong: The goal should always be to decrease the tension and anxiety in the situation, and get to a place of productive problem solving. We hope that these seven tips can help you keep the peace and reconnect with the enjoyable parts of property management. Watch for the next two parts in this series: How to de-escalate an angry resident in your office, and how to de-escalate an angry resident in their home.

What is Mold? Molds, members of the fungus family, are microscopic living organisms that are found virtually everywhere in our environment. To grow, molds need a food source, a certain temperature range, oxygen and moisture. When and where the proper conditions are present, mold spores (think of them as seeds) can germinate and form colonies. Spores can germinate in as little as 12 hours and grow into mold colonies in just 24 to 48 hours. Commercial buildings offer an ample food supply for mold – with drywall, wood, insulation, wallpaper, ceiling tiles, carpeting, dust and debris all present. When these materials become damp or wet from floods, structural water leaks, plumbing leaks, condensation or excess humidity in the air – mold spores in the environment begin growing into mold colonies. Four Main Causes of Mold Growth: - Foundation (or Basement) Water Infiltration - Roof/Building Envelope Leaks - Plumbing Leaks - Uncontrolled Humidity The presence of mold within retail spaces, office buildings, multi-family units, homes, and other commercial buildings can have serious impacts on the health of its occupants. Prolonged exposure to certain types of mold can cause several health issues like throat irritation, nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, coughing, wheezing and more. When you have the presence of mold within your structure, controlling excess moisture is the key to preventing and stopping further spore growth. In general, its recommended to have your roof inspected at least 2 times per year. You can do a visual self-check on a shingled roof to see if there is anything you notice in addition to hiring a professional to check it out for you if you are concerned. Once during the spring and once during the fall are perfect times to have this done. It is recommended flat roofs be professionally inspected every two to three years. Mold Prevention Tips: While Loyear Disaster Restoration can help you with any mold remediation issues you may have - we’d like to give you some helpful tips that you can implement into your daily life to ensure you don’t ever need to call us. Here are 3 quick tips to ensure mold doesn’t become an issue in your building: 1) Make Sure Water is Directed Away from Your Structure - Fix plumbing leaks as soon as possible. Visually inspect shingled roofs twice a year and have flat roofs professionally inspected every 2 to 3 years. Annually do a visual inspection of ceilings on the top floor, areas below windows, near plumbing fixtures and foundation walls. 2) Maintain Humidity Levels Below 50% - Paying particular attention to lower levels where humidity is more likely to be an issue. Run your HVAC system to heat and cool spaces even when unoccupied to avoid high humidity levels and condensation. Install bath fans that automatically turn on with lights and are on a timer to evacuate humid air. Make sure heating appliances and dryers are vented properly. 3) Keep Surfaces Clean Mold requires organic material to feed on and grow. Be aware of guests and building occupants' habits. Many people prefer humid environments, but it often doesn’t take long before there’s condensation and mold on exterior walls particularly in cold Climates. Loyear Can Help with Remediation: At Loyear Disaster Restoration, we understand that the presence of mold can be a serious health risk to your family, residents, clients, employees and even yourself. A quick response is necessary to limit mold spread and damage that can lead to costly repairs or replacements. We work quickly to contain the spread of mold and remove any contaminants to ensure you can get your home or business back to normal as quickly as possible. During the remediation process, we use state of the art equipment to clean and dry your property to ensure mold does not return. Our emergency response team is on call and prepared 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - even on holidays to handle water damage emergencies. We are by your side in 60 minutes or less; walking you through the restoration process. Contact Loyear Disaster Restoration Services, LLC for the mold remediation services that you can count on!