Sorry for your loss. I know a fire can be destructive and very devastating. It will destroy things you never even considered possible. Hopefully, your insurance company will make it right with you.
I just lost HALF my tools!
- Thread starter fflintstone
- Start date
e-tek
Well-known member
Like you said - just stuff.....but we all know it's more than the stuff. Fires haunt us, loosing stuff, how it happened, could it happen again, seeing everything afterwards....like the other poster said - take a long time...
Must be good to be able to talk it out here tho....
Must be good to be able to talk it out here tho....
jethro29
Well-known member
man, that *****! i'm soooooooo sorry for your loss.
metalbasher
Member
Just found this forum today, and the first post I read was this one. I too am sorry to hear about your loss. We had a tornado go thru our neck of the woods back in Feb 2008 and over 100 homes where damaged or destroyed. Our home was one of the destroyed. We pretty much lost most of our belongings. What wasn't lost was beat to the point that it was not useable. We had ALFA as an insurance co. and they did us well. They wrote us a check for the house 2 days after the storm. As for the contents, they paid full value, just took several months to figger what all we had lost. The best part is that GOD brought us thru it and we recovered, just as He will get you thru it. Good luck with your rebuilding process.
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slip knot
Well-known member
Very sorry for your loss.
Tools can be pretty tough. My SO socket set was in my truck box when the truck burned 15yrs ago. Other than some bluing of the chrome they survived OK. Ratchet had a rebuild kit and its still going strong. These were saved because I grabbed to tool tray out of the box before the wrecker hauled the truck to the scrap yard. I wished I had went thru the whole box now. Don't be in a big rush to pitch the tools.
Tools can be pretty tough. My SO socket set was in my truck box when the truck burned 15yrs ago. Other than some bluing of the chrome they survived OK. Ratchet had a rebuild kit and its still going strong. These were saved because I grabbed to tool tray out of the box before the wrecker hauled the truck to the scrap yard. I wished I had went thru the whole box now. Don't be in a big rush to pitch the tools.
OP
fflintstone
Well-known member
As promised, pictures of the carnage. We started the claim today, and will here from someone tomorrow. I started to remember what was sitting on top of my toolboxes. I had two of the large black and read cordura HUSKY tool totes. Both were full of my former home inspection tools. I had a $350 moisture meter, a $250 ideal circuit tester that could test for false grounds, my fluke multimeter, an induction multimeter. My IR thermometer, along with 50’ of premium rubber hose. There is nothing on top of my toolboxes now. It fauwking vaporized!!! Thing was it was about 3’ away from where the acetylene and oxygen were going off.
Note how the locks on both toolboxes melted.
I had 2 40” boxes back to back on a hand made cart.
1st box a craftsman without ball bearing slides.
2nd box a newer Clarke with ball bearing slides.
Look at the vaporized head on the Quincy compressor.
This was a Lincoln Mig welder.
This Husqvarna chainsaw was on the floor; the 3 on the shelf were vaporized.
And this just makes me cry.
Sorry for the thumbnails, I am on my 3rd image host now. I hit my bandwidth limit at photobucket. I have virus problems when I use image shack. I couldn’t get on flickr with out pimping out all my facebook info to them.
Note how the locks on both toolboxes melted.
I had 2 40” boxes back to back on a hand made cart.
1st box a craftsman without ball bearing slides.
2nd box a newer Clarke with ball bearing slides.
Look at the vaporized head on the Quincy compressor.
This was a Lincoln Mig welder.
This Husqvarna chainsaw was on the floor; the 3 on the shelf were vaporized.
And this just makes me cry.
Sorry for the thumbnails, I am on my 3rd image host now. I hit my bandwidth limit at photobucket. I have virus problems when I use image shack. I couldn’t get on flickr with out pimping out all my facebook info to them.
Sorry to hear about your loss. I had a fire in 2003 and lost everything in my over sized shed..content's included:
2 Polaris Snowmobiles
Snowblower
Mowers
Leaf Blowers
Chain Saws
Kid's toys
and everything else you can think that you put in a shed.
It's quite amazing how quickly aluminum will melt and vaporize into nothing when it's hot enough.
Couple of before and after pic's
2 Polaris Snowmobiles
Snowblower
Mowers
Leaf Blowers
Chain Saws
Kid's toys
and everything else you can think that you put in a shed.
It's quite amazing how quickly aluminum will melt and vaporize into nothing when it's hot enough.
Couple of before and after pic's
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Im sorry for your misfortune but so glad no one was injured. Best of luck to you. Hopefully you get what you deserve from the insurance company. I'm sure there were somethings like your ratchets that money can't replace for sentimental reasons.
Ed
Ed
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
I feel bad for your loss, and for the headache(s) that are sure to follow. When it gets rough, console yourself with the thought that everyone is unhurt and you still have a roof over your heads. Your loss has given me the idea for a new thread to post: 'Horror stories / Lessons learned / Sage advice'.
ddawg16
Well-known member
There is a bright side......your wrenches are now heat treated..........
Sorry....couldn't resist injecting a bit of humor to lessen the stress.....
Sorry....couldn't resist injecting a bit of humor to lessen the stress.....
If you need to host pics for this thread, just let me know and I'll toss your pics up onto my SmugMug site. Good luck rebuilding, you're in my thoughts.
TheGrooveking
Well-known member
Sorry for your loss, I hope the insurance company is very good to you and your family. Glad to hear no one was hurt.
TheGrooveking
TheGrooveking
ZRX61
Well-known member
I had that happen, then found out a pro account is $26/year so I signed up for that. Seems reasonable.
digdug18
Well-known member
Will your next shed/outbuilding/garage have a sprinkler system? I knew a guy that installed a car fire extinguisher system into his outside shed aft he had a previous shed go up in flames.
OP
fflintstone
Well-known member
For a normal person with income $26 may be reasonable. I have been unemployed for 21 months now. to me $26 is a lot.
OP
fflintstone
Well-known member
After the fire I considered how I could install a system in my shop, but since I cant even afford cast iron pipe for an air system, I don’t think sprinklers are an option. I don’t know about fire suppression systems for a unheated building in a frozen climate.
The sad thing is, I have 5 fire extinguishers in the house, 4or 5 in the shop and 3 burned up in the shed.
metal1313
Well-known member
most home systems can be plumbed with pvc actually. the point being that if they melt they havent done their job.
how ever i would think about some of the large overhead mounted dry chem system. they are not cheap, but are cheaper than dealing with the loss.
how ever i would think about some of the large overhead mounted dry chem system. they are not cheap, but are cheaper than dealing with the loss.
D.J.
Well-known member
Talked to my insurance agent today and he said that your contence should be covered anywhere on your property. With replacement insurance they should be covered to 100% and the outbuilding should be covered to 10% of the insured value of your home, this is known as APS or auxiliary personal structure, unless you have them covered seprartely or with a ryder. The 10% contence I quoted was on parcels off site and other than your main residence.
jktruck150
Well-known member
Sorry to hear about the fire! I am glad no one was hurt.
milkovich
Well-known member
Sorry about the fire. That really stinks. Hopefully everything goes well with insurance.
I put additional coverage on the shop, sort of like a "mutually agreed value" for a classic car or bike but this is pretty sobering. I'll make sure to take a photo inventory of everything in there for posterity as the reciepts are long gone.
Another good point I just thought of, when I do manage to keep reciepts, I put them in the front cover of the instruction manual of the tool. I'm going to start keeping those in the house instead of the shop.
Again, good luck fflinstone!
I put additional coverage on the shop, sort of like a "mutually agreed value" for a classic car or bike but this is pretty sobering. I'll make sure to take a photo inventory of everything in there for posterity as the reciepts are long gone.
Another good point I just thought of, when I do manage to keep reciepts, I put them in the front cover of the instruction manual of the tool. I'm going to start keeping those in the house instead of the shop.
Again, good luck fflinstone!
OP
fflintstone
Well-known member
I want to say thank you to all who have offered to help me thru posting on this thread and from private messages. I do still have some tools and I will (had better!) be getting a settlement. When I get the some numbers I will know more what I can do. Once again thanks for all the offers of help. There really are some great people in this world!
How's the insurance company acting ?
OP
fflintstone
Well-known member
we will find out thursday.
sellersrodshop
Well-known member
you might want to make copies of the reciepts as the new ink they are using on reciepts will fade out in a quick hurry.
OP
fflintstone
Well-known member
That is true, and it is designed so people cannot make warranty claims.
It is actually photo reactive. If you left it on a sill of a south-facing window it would be white in two months. (or less)
blown 87
Active member
Sorry this happened, fire is a terrible thing.
You will come back from this even if it does not seem possible right now.
You will come back from this even if it does not seem possible right now.
Groovy
Well-known member
So very sorry and glad no one was hurt. I had kind of a fire like that but it was called a divorce and I lost half of all my stuff tools included. Bright side is everything I replaced was a huge upgrade not trying to be snarky here I really do feel for you and just looking at the bright side not there is one really..bummer. It is helpful that you posted as well because now I'll look around very close at fire hazards that I've been walking past like an idiot so thanks and again sorry for your loss.
1Garageman
Well-known member
Damn this is just super sad! Sorry for you loss.
It has me scared now about my garage and tools making me wonder.
Hope your insurance company doesn't bite you in the ***.
It has me scared now about my garage and tools making me wonder.
Hope your insurance company doesn't bite you in the ***.
mslisaj
Well-known member
As with everyone else here my heart felt condolences for the loss of your shop and contents. I helped a dear friend dig through the ashes of her home after it burned to the ground and the totality of the loss is so hard to stop thinking about. I would hate to experience this first hand...................... Best to you my friend.......................
After I saw the devastation a fire leaves behind I got out my own home owners insurance policy and redid it. I changed everything, including the house to replacement value coverage. Almost doubled my insurance premimum but at least the house and it's contents and the shop building are covered...................
BUT........................
My shop is a 3600 sqft building. I was in the auto repair business for 30 years and brought all that equipment to this home shop when I closed the business. I have three show cars and the company tow truck in there. All separately insured. Contents that are NOT tools are well insured but TOOLS, jacks, welders, compressors, machines, Lifts are all insured to just, get this $15,000. That's it. The only way I could possible insure the tools and equipment would be with a business policy. Mind you I am NOT running a business any more. The business policy would be three times more then my home owners policy. One can be insurance poor too. I have secured the building well from theft but fire as you have experienced is something else completely. So I just pray and am very careful.
I just hope you can get your life back together after this catastrophe.
Lisa
After I saw the devastation a fire leaves behind I got out my own home owners insurance policy and redid it. I changed everything, including the house to replacement value coverage. Almost doubled my insurance premimum but at least the house and it's contents and the shop building are covered...................
BUT........................
My shop is a 3600 sqft building. I was in the auto repair business for 30 years and brought all that equipment to this home shop when I closed the business. I have three show cars and the company tow truck in there. All separately insured. Contents that are NOT tools are well insured but TOOLS, jacks, welders, compressors, machines, Lifts are all insured to just, get this $15,000. That's it. The only way I could possible insure the tools and equipment would be with a business policy. Mind you I am NOT running a business any more. The business policy would be three times more then my home owners policy. One can be insurance poor too. I have secured the building well from theft but fire as you have experienced is something else completely. So I just pray and am very careful.
I just hope you can get your life back together after this catastrophe.
Lisa
Hopefully you get a fair and sympathetic adjuster.
peelman
Well-known member
Google's Picasa is free and i've never seen bandwidth limits on images hosted there..
HOTFR8
Banned
That is just Terrible.......I hope the insurance covers the replacement of everything lost in the fire.
redlinetoys
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
- Messages
- 69
Yikes! Crazy photo.
Fire scares me a lot. I think about it ALL the time when wiring in the shop or working on projects out there.
Sorry to hear of the loss.
Fire scares me a lot. I think about it ALL the time when wiring in the shop or working on projects out there.
Sorry to hear of the loss.
ZRX61
Well-known member
Might want to look at a different company, contents of my garage, including all tools etc are insured for about 6x what the contents of my house are.
g8rgrad98
Member
You might want to double check that. I've worked in homeowners and commercial insurance for the past 12 years and on almost every homeowners policy there is a separate "tools" sublimit.
Always read your policy. Agents can help, but even they miss things sometimes.
I'm by no means a defender of the insurance industry, but a lot of the "hate" that goes towards it in general is from the fly by night companies that are shady (if you can get your coverage in a minute, it's probably not worth having) and due to people not having a good awareness of what the policy they are buying covers.
Really sorry to see about the fire man, that is too sad!!!