Restoration FAQs for Alaska Homes and Businesses

Does Taylored Restoration provide 24/7 emergency service?

Yes, for emergencies like burst pipes, water damage, fires, and storm damage. We answer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including nights and weekends, and help you limit the damage while we send a crew. Mold removal, rebuilds, remodeling, and cleaning are planned work, so we schedule those visits with you.

How fast can you get to my property?

Typically in about 60 minutes for an emergency. We send the nearest crew from our Anchorage, Palmer, or Fairbanks office, and we’ll give you an arrival estimate when you call.

What restoration services does Taylored Restoration provide?

We handle water, fire, and mold damage, frozen pipes and ice dams, reconstruction, contents cleaning and storage, trauma and biohazard cleanup, board-up and structural repair, remodeling, and carpet and other cleaning for homes and businesses.

What areas of Alaska do you serve?

We serve Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, and Girdwood from our Anchorage office. Our Mat-Su office covers Palmer, Wasilla, and the rest of the Mat-Su Valley, and our Fairbanks office covers Fairbanks, North Pole, and nearby communities. Each office’s number is on our contact page.

Is Taylored Restoration licensed, insured, and certified?

Yes. We’re licensed, bonded, and insured, an IICRC-certified firm, and EPA Lead-Safe certified for work in older homes. You can read more about our company and its history.

Do you work on commercial properties?

Yes. Along with homes, we restore and repair offices, rentals, and other commercial buildings in every area our three offices serve.

Can we stay in our home while you work?

Often, yes. We close off the work area to contain dust, odor, or mold, so you can usually keep using the rest of the house. After a large fire or flood, or when your kitchen or only bathroom is out of service, staying elsewhere for part of the job may be easier, and we’ll tell you up front.

Does homeowners insurance cover water and fire damage?

Usually, for sudden and accidental damage like a burst pipe, an appliance leak, or a house fire. Most policies don’t cover flooding from rising water without a separate flood policy, and they usually exclude long-term wear and damage from a lack of maintenance. Coverage always depends on your policy, so check your deductible and exclusions with your insurer.

Do you work with my insurance company?

Yes. We work with insurance companies, document the damage with photos and moisture readings, and write estimates in the format adjusters use. Before cleanup starts, take photos and videos of the damage, note the date and cause, and let your insurer know you’ve chosen Taylored Restoration.

Should I call you or my insurance company first?

Call us first if the damage is still spreading, since stopping it protects your property and your claim. Then call your insurer to open the claim. We photograph the damage and record moisture readings from the start, so your adjuster has the records they need.

Do I have to use the contractor my insurance company recommends?

Usually not. Most policies let you choose your own contractor, even when the insurer has a preferred list. If you choose us, we coordinate with your adjuster and send them our estimate and photos.

What should I do right after water damage in my home?

If it’s safe, shut off the water source, and turn off power to wet areas only if you can reach the breaker panel without walking through water. Move valuables and furniture away from standing water, and don’t use a household vacuum on water. Then call us at (866) 604-8697. We answer 24/7 and start water extraction, drying, and restoration before the damage spreads.

How long does it take to dry out a property?

Usually several days. A leak that only wet drywall dries sooner than one that soaked carpet, subflooring, and insulation. We check moisture every day and tell you when the structure is dry enough to start repairs.

Is sewage or floodwater harder to clean up than a clean-water leak?

Yes. Water from a sewer backup or outside flooding can carry bacteria and other contaminants, so we remove more of the soaked materials and clean and disinfect the area before drying it.

Can you save floors, drywall, and insulation after water damage?

Often, if we reach them quickly. We dry what we can in place and replace only what won’t dry out or what contaminated water reached, like soaked carpet pad or matted insulation.

What is included in fire damage restoration?

Usually board-up, tearing out and rebuilding what burned, drying out the water used to put out the fire, and cleaning soot and smoke odor from the rooms and belongings it reached. Smoke can travel to rooms the flames never touched, so we start as soon as it’s safe to go back in.

Why does the whole house smell like smoke when the fire was in one room?

Because smoke carries fine soot through the air and the heating system, and the soot settles on surfaces and fabrics in rooms far from the fire. That’s why we clean every room the smoke reached, not just the one that burned.

Can you get the smoke smell out for good?

In most cases, yes. The odor comes from soot trapped in porous materials, so we clean or replace those materials rather than masking the smell.

Can you save my belongings after a fire?

Often, yes. We take what the fire and smoke reached to our facility, clean and deodorize it there, and hold it until your repairs are done, and we’ll tell you which items aren’t worth saving.

Can water damage lead to mold growth?

Yes. Mold can start to grow within 24 to 48 hours in anything that stays wet, so we dry the structure with professional equipment and check moisture as we go. If mold is already present, we contain the area, run HEPA air scrubbers under negative air pressure, and track down the moisture source so it’s less likely to come back.

Should I clean up mold myself?

Not if it covers a large area, keeps coming back, or grew after a sewage backup or flood. Cleaning or scraping mold without protective equipment and containment can spread spores to other rooms. Don’t repaint over mold until all of it is gone and the wall is dry.

Do I need mold testing before you remove it?

Not usually. If you can see the mold, we can plan the removal from what we find. When you smell mold but can’t find it, or you’d like lab results, we may recommend air testing by a certified mold hygienist.

Will the mold come back once you’ve removed it?

It’s much less likely once the moisture problem is solved. We remove the growth inside a closed-off work area and find where the moisture is coming from, and in a home that stays sealed up all winter, keeping humidity down helps too.

How do I prevent frozen pipes during an Alaska winter?

Insulate exposed plumbing, keep the heat on and steady, seal drafts, and let faucets drip during extreme cold. Check pipes in crawl spaces and along exterior walls, winterize unused areas, and know where your main water shutoff is in case a pipe bursts.

What are ice dams, and can they damage my home?

Ice dams form when heat escaping through the attic melts roof snow, which then refreezes at the colder eaves. Water backs up behind the ice and can leak under shingles into ceilings and walls, causing water damage and mold. Proper attic insulation and ventilation help prevent them, and if one leaks, we dry and repair the damage.

Do you fix the burst pipe, or do I need a plumber?

You’ll need a plumber for the pipe itself. We handle the water it released, extracting it, drying the structure, and repairing the walls, ceilings, and floors it soaked, and we can connect you with a plumber if you need one.

Do you handle repairs and rebuilding, or just cleanup?

Both. Once the cleanup is done, we handle structural repairs and full reconstruction after water, fire, or mold damage, so one company sees your project through. Taylored Restoration started as a remodeling company in 1972 and added restoration in 1986.

What happens if you find more damage once the walls are open?

We stop, show you what we found, and add it to the repair plan. If you’re filing a claim, we send the photos and the updated scope to your adjuster before that work begins.

Can I make upgrades while you repair my home?

Yes. Repairs are a good time to change a layout, flooring, or cabinets. Your policy usually covers restoring what you had, so we’ll point out which upgrades would cost you extra, and we can take the project further through our remodeling and repairs service if you’d like.

What happens to my belongings while you make repairs?

They stay with us. We pack them out, clean what we can save, and hold everything in heated, secured storage until the work is done. We inventory each item as it leaves, so you have a record of what we’re holding, and we bring it all back when your property is ready.

What should I do with wet photos and important papers?

Move them somewhere cool and dry, and if you can’t dry them within about 48 hours, put them in open bags or boxes and freeze them until you can. Don’t use heat, an iron, or direct sun to dry them, since that can make the damage worse.

What should I do with electronics that got wet or sooty?

Leave them unplugged and off. Powering them up before they’ve been cleaned and checked can cause more damage or start a fire, so point them out to us during the pack-out.