Talk about a crazy night last night

[SMKR]

So im sitting in the atlanta airport waiting to board when smith Thompson calls and says my alarm is going off and they have dispatched the fire department. I call the police dept and they confirm two engines are en route after a neighbor walking by reported smoke and my alarms going off. Couldn't get ahold of the wife, had 2 dogs inside and was getting on the plane. That was the longest 1.5 of my life I'll say.

Landed and found out no real damage from fire, just some smoke ( haze) but firemen couldn't find any source. Good news is family and dogs were safe, but ow I'm a bit concerned with what caused that- guess it's time to get an electrician and hvac person out here.

Bad news is, fire dept used the battering ram on our front door and took out our metal front door and our door frame. Insurance deductible is $2000. My question is (I haven't made any calls for estimates yet) would a new door, door frame, installation and paint/drywall repair exceed $2000 to warrant a claim or not in your opinion?

[SMKR]

Oh and thanks to whoever suggested Smith Thompson for a security system, worth every penny and worked flawless.

[UserX]

Good news is family and dogs were safe

That is great news!

[SMKR]

That is great news!

Yea, wife and kids were out running errands and props to the fire dept, they said they got the dogs out within 60 seconds of taking the front entrance out.

[UserX]

IMO the repairs will be REALLY close to that dedcutible... if it were me I prolly would not file a claim. Or at least wait until you find the root cause of the smoke, because that could be another claim. Take lots of pics.

[talisman]

Glad everyone was okay. Front doors can range from cheap to ridiculously expensive. The smoke damage and probable repainting that will be necessary will probably be worth filing a claim, depending on how extensive it was. It is hard to get that smell out of furniture like sofas and beds, and they should be professionally cleaned.

[SMKR]

Yea good news was it was minimal smoke in the 2nd story. Firemen opened windows upstairs and ventilated it well. When I got home I could barely smell anything so getting that resolved shouldn't be too extensive- I hope. From the sound of it im wondering if it's electrical or something with the central heat/air up in the attic but we shall see.

Im just glad i purchased that fire proof gun safe and had out everything inside it last week, talk about good timing.

[talisman]

Yea good news was it was minimal smoke in the 2nd story. Firemen opened windows upstairs and ventilated it well. When I got home I could barely smell anything so getting that resolved shouldn't be too extensive- I hope. From the sound of it im wondering if it's electrical or something with the central heat/air up in the attic but we shall see.

Im just glad i purchased that fire proof gun safe and had out everything inside it last week, talk about good timing.

Shouldn't be too expensive then, depending on your taste in doors. Post some pictures.

[SVT Lurch]

I would avoid filing a claim if it's at or close to your deductible. I've got a client right now who is paying $145/month instead of $85 on his new house because he had a fire claim on his insurance on a rental property (and some people wouldn't even insure him). Granted his was nearly a total loss/rebuild and I'm sure there's varying degrees of claims but if it's $2,200 to repair everything I'd be willing to bet you'll pay more than $200 "extra" in premium next year if you claim it for that amount.

Glad everyone is OK and hopefully it's not near the deductible so it's not even an issue.

[Treasure Chest]

Before you call your ins to open a claim, have a contractor come in for an estimate. Depending on your insurance co, you may lose discounts AND have your premium raised for even opening a claim. Whether they pay it or not.

I'm glad everyone was ok, and hope the source isn't something major.

[ARIX]

Oh and thanks to whoever suggested Smith Thompson for a security system, worth every penny and worked flawless.

X2 I have been really happy with them. Glad your place did not burn to the ground.

[CJ-95GT]

I'll have to check out Smith Thompson. I've had ADT formerly Brinks for years, but I would be willing to switch if the price is better.

[95DRGT]

Good time to beef up the door frame-glad your family was safe and no major damage

[FastFord19]

I bet his door/door frame was already heavy duty