Smoke Damage - Protect collectibles, heirlooms, family history – Discover 5 essential tips from 2 real life examples of art insurance claims.

1. Smoke Damage – Protect and Save Collectibles - Discover 5
Valuable Tips
I am a fine art conservator which is basically someone who
specializes in painting restoration. At present I am in Utah doing
some work for the LDS Church on some very important murals,
helping the International Pioneer Museum which belongs to the
Daughters of Utah Pioneers with some follow up from the month
before and meeting private art collectors.
On this visit, the air is thick in ash and smoke damage – Further
down in this article are 5 proven tips for getting help with your
artwork, collectibles, memorabilia, antiques and heirlooms
with valuable info on dealing with your insurance claims.
I’m also consulted and considered an expert on saving collections
and treasured memorabilia from disasters because of my book,
How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster. I’ve been in the
middle of 9 major disasters myself! While I am here, several
deadly fires have broken out burning down homes and destroying
valleys along the Wasatch Front.
Alpine Utah on fire! Other fires took place in Carbon County
which burned an entire development of homes and also in the
area of Park City but I am not sure where exactly.

2. As an art conservator I often deal with smoke damage in our
lab where we take care of the smoke deposits and smell on
artwork. (for a quick video tour Click Here). Because of this
specialization, I often consult for insurance companies who
handle contents claims and fine art insurance claims which
include memorabilia, heirlooms, keepsakes, antiques and
collectibles of value.
Here are two such examples of claims which will definitely help
you learn something. I hope it teaches you how to be well
prepared, particularly if you own nice collectibles, furnishings,
artwork and antiques which you have kept protected with a fine
arts policy. However, this piece of information is specially and
perhaps more important for heirlooms, family history etc. that
are irreplaceable but not insurable (little financial value but HUGE
emotional or historical value).
Is Smoke Damage Possible from a Distance of 40 Miles?
I was asked to evaluate a claim by Chubb Insurance Company
(now known as Chartis). They hired me to scrutinize a property in
Los Angeles city to find out smoke damage to sculptures, fine
art, frames, murals, decorated and gilt surfaces which were a
result of brush fires that took place 2 years back, 40 miles away!

3. In the entrance there were five arched ceilings same as this one,
with the exception of the crown moldings which were gold.
Clearly, more than the deposits from smoke there is dust from the
past 2 years. It may have been possible to examine the “dust”
with complicated analytical means to establish the difference
between smoke and dust but that option was rejected as it would
have cost us $1,000′s.
This gave rise to these two questions:
1. Are there any smoke deposits?
2. Do they cause any kind of damage?
As the option of analysis was rejected, it was not possible for me
to detect the presence of smoke deposits with naked eyes.
Therefore the first question is unanswerable. So in short, my visit
was about confirming and rejecting the claims of damage due to
smoke deposits.
I cautiously read the 10 pages of detailed objects which were
embodied in the claim worth $500,000.00 for repairs. I was
accompanied by the client throughout the property. He explained
to me what he saw as concerns and damages. He even showed
me some gilt finishes that according to him had changed in color
due to exposure to smoke.
In my opinion the “alterations” the client was pointing at are
actually different colors of actual finishes which perhaps he has
forgotten or was unaware of but has come into his notice now that
he is taking a closer look. And this is where many home owners
make a mistake while making claims: the situation wasn’t
documented properly (video, photos etc.), the damage took place
sometime ago, and there is no past historical record of value

4. (appraisals or receipts) or conditions so it comes down to the
belief of the insured versus the insurance company.
After my vigilant examination of all individual objects or items
(frames, paintings etc.) and finishes, I observed that there were
no changes therefore this owner did not get any support from me.
In this particular case, Chubb benefited from my visit as it them
saved them from paying $500,000.00 worth of fine arts claim. In
another case, I inspected a painting for Chubb once which was
claimed for $1/2 million and let me tell you they did pay this
amount as they wanted to sustain the client who had insured an
enormous collection, boats, houses and other toys etc. with them.
So ultimately what induces the business decision and in what way
an insurance company settles claim? Well the answer is simple -
“Business”.
Well, I am not concerned with any of those things. I am just an
advocate for artwork and regardless of whosoever is paying for
my bill, I tell it straightaway. This is what makes me a trustworthy
and genuine expert witness on art related matters as well as
legal testimony.
Here comes another Example… Allstate Insurance Company
As seen with all fires, they take one house here
and leave the other one next door through the
neighborhood. One such case was that of a
Mediterranean style home. The fire damaged the
house; the heat caused the cracking of patio
cement but “only” filled the house with ash and
smoke.
Allstate Insurance which was client’s insurance company was
excellent in managing the major damage. But the client’s

5. emotional issues kept them from dealing with the items which
belonged to the family history, keepsakes and collectibles
right away. For this very reason, claim was kept open. In fact,
they even postponed working with the company for the claim of
these objects for an entire year, though the presence of smell
was still there!
FACL, Inc. helped the insured and the insurance company to:
1. Motivate the client to complete their contents claim.
2. Provide a complete inventory list of collectibles and
keepsakes, along with photos.
3. Propose treatments which are suitable for delicate items
that must not be handled by harsh industrial cleaners (rare
books, artwork, drawings, photo albums, sculpture etc.)
4. On behalf of the insurance company it provided customer
service to keep the client satisfied and happy and helped in
concluding the claim process (which was being dragged
before we came aboard).

6. There were around 550 items in total ranging from different types
of paper items, books, paintings, photos, statues, antiques,
assorted dishes and furniture. All these objects were ingrained
with residue and strong smoke smell.
FACL, Inc. supplied the reports and evaluations to help move
the claim and then provided conservation work to remove the
smoke deposits and odor once the agreements were settled
between the insured and the insurance company.
(http://www.fineartconservationlab.com)
FACL Appraisals offered the contents/valuations and fine art
appraisals when it was needed by the insurance company.
(http://www.personalpropertyappraisal.com)
From our experience and knowledge in lots of smoke damage
claims, here are 5 important tips for you:
1. Make sure to keep an extra copy of your family records
such as owner slips, receipts, documents, certificates,
appraisals, historical info etc. in a different location
preferably another state. Another good idea is to store it
online but be certain about the safety of personal
information.
2. Try to take action as soon as you can. Smoke and Ash
decay metals (sculpture, furniture parts, frames)
3. Speak to your insurance agent in a timely manner.
4. Avoid commercial cleaners to handle your valuables,
collectibles, artwork, antiques etc. Instead make sure to get

7. a professional help.
5. Never assume that you “know” it if something is damaged
or destroyed. Let an expert guide you with the right info. I
often see people make BIG, sad and costly mistakes all the
time.
Here is a short video of a woman who was a victim of house fire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lCx-xg4BMY
For more examples of insurance claims, go to:
http://www.insurancepersonalpropertyassessments.com/
Have question? Call our Scott Haskins for free chat: 805 564
3438
For Art appraisal questions, Call Richard Holgate: 805 895
5121
The owner this heirloom painting was overjoyed when he saw
how cleaning brought it back to its original state after it had been
damaged because of smoke.

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For more interesting blogs go to
http://www.pioneerartrestoration.com
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For more information about my book, How To Save Your Stuff
From A Disaster, CLICK HERE