FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Dryfast is an integrated disaster recovery and property restoration service company. We are geographically positioned to respond to almost any disaster – large or small – in the New York Metropolitan within 1 hour. A proven track record of superior response and expertise has made Dryfast the contractor of choice for damages caused by fire, water, wind or other catastrophes.

Dryfast provides disaster restoration and reconstruction services to home and business owners in times of emergency. We will respond to contain any initial structural damage during the emergency mitigation phase and work to recover or restore your treasured contents, including photographs, documents, furniture, clothing and electronics. We offer homeowners and insurers the peace of mind that we’ll put things right – quickly and professionally.

DKI IS THE GOLD STANDARD
DKI handle over 500K restoration projects with system-wide revenues exceeding $1.8 billion per year, making us the largest in our industry.

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
DKI continues to remain at the forefront of both industry trends and technology.

NATIONAL COVERAGE MEANS WE WILL ALWAYS BE THERE
With over 500 service locations, DKI is North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY
DKI is North America’s First and Only Green Risk Certified Organization.

Disaster Restoration is the process of quickly and professionally mitigating, containing or reducing the effects of emergency events. These events could be caused naturally, accidentally or criminally and include:

-Storm, hurricane or tornado damage
-Fire and smoke damage
-Flooding or water intrusion, mould
-Wind, hail or snow damage
-Break-and-enter, vandalism, vehicle impacts
-Mishaps that may have an environmental impact

Feel free to call Dryfast directly. Our staff is fully trained to assist you in determining the best course of action for your situation. Our Emergency hotline (800-718-8122) is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Dryfast is a “Preferred Restoration Provider” for many national, regional and local insurance companies. Preferred Restoration Providers are companies that have been duly assessed and qualified by an insurance company or its agents as being able to:

-Consistently provide a high workmanship standard
-Quickly and professionally mitigate emergency losses
-Have the means to restore your property to pre-loss condition
-Have the means to restore affected content within your property

Absolutely! All policy holders retain the right to request a specific mitigation and/or restoration provider. Since Dryfast has national coverage and is a “Preferred Restoration Provider” for many national, regional and local insurance companies, feel free to tell your insurance company or adjuster of your Dryfast preference.

An experienced DryFast Mitigation Professional will contact you within 30 minutes once your claim is assigned to us. The Mitigation Professional will confirm the details of the situation with you and begin taking appropriate actions to deal with your loss. The Mitigation Professional will make arrangements to visit the site as quickly as possible after being assigned the claim, as well as initiate the dispatch and mobilization of appropriate mitigation personnel and equipment.

Once the Mitigation Professional arrives, he/she will:

-Provide you with a brochure that introduces you to Dryfast and share contact information.
-Confirm coverage and policy limits with the adjuster, if required.
-Ask you to sign a Work Authorization that permits Dryfast to immediately begin the loss mitigation process.
-Gather, prepare and take all required photographs, documentation and measurements required by the adjuster.
-Introduce you to the Mitigation Crew Leader who will manage the team working in your home.
-Provide you with a detailed explanation of what to expect over the coming hours or days.
-Remain with the Mitigation Crew at (or attend) your site until the cause(s) of your damages has/have been appropriately dealt with and the chances of further damage are minimized/eliminated.
-Arrange the careful handling or removal of contents affected by the loss or that would hinder or prohibit the mitigation and/or restoration process, if applicable.
-In the case of water-related losses, install drying and dehumidification equipment which will remain in place until it is determined, via daily moisture and humidity readings, that the environment has been dried/dehumidified to industry standards.

Air movers and dehumidifiers are not heaters and have been designed and maintained to run 24 hours a day while in use. The amount of dehumidification equipment and its placement is determined by testing humidity levels at various points within your home. We highly recommended you do not attempt to turn off or move equipment unless it is pre-arranged with one of our technicians.

We conduct frequent inspections of the drying process and relocate equipment as necessary to dry your home safely. Any interruption in the drying process due to shutting off equipment could result in increased costs and delays. If there is a power problem, please contact your Mitigation Crew Leader immediately.

Our technicians are professionals who have been carefully screened during the hiring process to ensure our team is comprised of intelligent and caring individuals. We take pride in the fact that our team members are multi-certified and highly trained in all areas of their work.

We do our best to establish a time frame in the first 24 hours, taking into consideration:

– Need for structural repairs
– Type and degree of loss
– Emergency situation

Generally, all affected and restorable contents are carefully removed and shipped to a secured facility for storage, restoration and/or further assessment. Once there, Dryfast will attempt to restore affected items to a pre-loss condition, using state-of-the-art equipment (such as Esporta Wash System® and Ultrasonic cleaning equipment) and/or other highly successful restoration processes.

An initial survey and testing procedure will help us make recommendations as to whether cleaning and/or restoration efforts will yield the best value. Technology is always improving, enabling us to restore a wide variety of contents. We take into consideration the sentimental value of an item, as well as its replacement cost, when making recommendations.

All restored goods will be returned to you at a convenient time. Any content that did not respond to DryFast’s restoration processes will be documented and photographed for further assessment by you and the adjuster.

Yes! With prompt, decisive actions, your electronics can be restored to pre-fire or pre-flood states.

There are, however, two exceptions that can cause fatal damage to equipment: exposure to high levels of moisture when powered up and excessive heat as evidenced by a deforming of the plastic cases and internal components. Your restoration contractor will provide a risk-free analysis.

Our job is to accurately identify and restore items to their pre-loss condition, or recommend replacement. Advanced technology allows us to safely restore a wide variety of different types of contents – from upholstered furniture to electronics.

We use “True Deodorization,” a process that removes the source of the odor as opposed to just masking it. In some cases, restorative cleaning techniques are followed by refinishing or repairs.

Returning your home to a safe environment is our main objective. Organizations like the IICRC (the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) have published standards for cleaning and restoration.

One of the criteria requires we provide testing and documentation throughout the restoration process. For example, when we remediate mould conditions, our post-remediation clearance testing is carried out by an indoor environmental professional. Your Mitigation Crew Leader will be happy to explain our methods during the restoration process.

Not much. A DryFast Mitigation Professional will have already created a document outlining the process and the costs attributed to returning your property to its pre-loss condition, referred to as a “Restoration” or “Rebuild” Estimate, for the adjuster.

Once the adjuster approves the Estimate, DryFast will:

-Immediately advise you of the approval
-Arrange to meet with you
-Provide you with a detailed Scope of Work
-Have you sign the necessary authorizations
-Create a mutually agreed-upon restoration schedule

For most insurance-related claims, all you need to pay are the “deductibles” outlined in your insurance policy.

You may also be responsible for “differential” costs: if you opt to have additional work done e.g., for items not related to the actual loss or an “upgrade” of any replacement items, like higher quality carpeting. Those costs would require a down payment of 50% prior to commencement of the restoration phase, with the remainder due upon completion of that phase.

Absolutely! Dryfast guarantees its workmanship for a minimum of two years.

We take pride in putting things right – the right way – each and every time.