How Behnam Rugs Helps Settle Insurance Claims
Behnam Rugs helps rug owners settle insurance claims when their rugs get damaged. Insurance companies also reach out to us to confirm proper professional evaluation of rugs that are filed as a loss on insurance claims. Our job is to assess the value of the rug before and after the damage that resulted in an insurance claim.What you might not know, is that there are typically three values we provide.
The 3 Values We Provide to Your Insurance
- The value of the rug if it had no damage and was in perfect condition before the incident
- The actual value of the rug before the incident if it had any kind of unrelated prior damage (the preexisting condition of the rug)
- The value of the rug after the damaging incident
Yes, our Rug Master CAN tell when a rug has damage that existed before the incident that caused the owner to file a claim. A great example of this would be a water-damaged rug that has threadbare patches from moth activity. Flooding, fires, and other natural disasters all damage rugs in specific and recognizable ways. Since our Rug Master knows the type of incident that caused the claim damage, other damage that existed before the incident is apparent to him upon visual inspection. This is how he comes up with the preexisting value of the rug (Value 2).
Possible Preexisting Conditions
1. Improper care and maintenance in the past– not regularly washed, vacuumed with the beater brush, heavy traffic, obvious wear and tear
2. Animal abuse– pet stains, evidence of chewing or digging
3. Pest damage- moth damage, mice damage, or carpet beetle damage
4. Improper washing techniques– color bleeding, texture change
5. Manufacturing defects– weaving mistakes, non-symmetrical pattern, poor quality dyes, inconsistent or uneven borders, sun fading, abrash
What is Abrash?
Abrash comes from the Arabic word for mottled and is used to describe inconsistent coloring in handmade rugs. These color changes are often striated and affect certain areas of the rug, resulting in a mottled appearance. Time and use will increase how noticeable abrash is. It generally appears in a straight line across the width of the rug.
Why Do Some Rugs Have Abrash?
The dyeing process for fine handmade rugs uses hand-mixed vegetable dyes. It is possible for batches of the same color not to match perfectly. In addition, the wool used to weave fine rugs comes from multiple sheep, and some of the wool may be sheared from different parts of these sheep. The softest wool from a sheep’s chest will absorb color differently from the toughest wool taken from a sheep’s back. The characteristics and quality of the wool affect the way the color is absorbed and how it looks.
Another factor that can result in abrash is the weaving style. Large rugs are typically woven by multiple people. When a different weaver takes over an area that someone else has worked on, they may comb the knots down more firmly, or less firmly, and affect the way the colors look. Some rugs have abrash from the start, but it was camouflaged by the manufacturer using “makeup.” These rugs will show abrash quite early on when that makeup wears off from normal use. The rug below has a combination of abrash and color fading. Abrash shows on the backside as well as the front of the rug.
What Happens After the Rug Master Inspects My Damaged Rug?
The Rug Master documents any and all preexisting conditions of the rug being evaluated for an insurance claim. It is quite rare for rugs to be in perfect condition before the damaging incident. We give these values to the insurance company and the rug owner is typically compensated depending on their insurance coverage and the extent of the damage. They may receive replacement value or lost value. Replacement value is the cost to replace the rug with a comparable one. Lost value is the amount of value the rug lost due to damage. If a rug isn’t a total loss, the customer is typically given lost value instead of replacement value.
Our Recommendations
We recommend appraising and insuring your fine rugs so that you are covered in the event of damage outside your control. Check your homeowner’s insurance and make sure it extends to your rugs and their full value. Insurance coverage typically has a value limit. Make sure that your value limit is high enough to cover the value of your fine rugs. If your coverage has lapsed, or you do not have personal property insurance, you should start researching insurance coverage options here.
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