Canadian insurance companies usually provide replacement cost coverage, which means that if you replace the item that was damaged with like kind and quality, the insurer will pay for it. It has to be similar though, cannot replace a dollar store mixer with a Kitchenaid stand mixer. If you do not replace the item, then they will depreciate the item and pay you the actual cash value. Meaning if it's not new, they'll likely try to pay you 50% or less of the value. Arguing the value is probably the hardest part, so the easiest thing to do is to replace everything. Even if you don't need/want it anymore, replace it. You can sell it after as new, that's not shady at all because you paid insurance to cover your stuff, and if it gets destroyed, you're entitled to have it replaced.
Ideally you want to be methodical and list everything. Create a spreadsheet and list everything you can think of that was damaged, and label it as damaged or destroyed. If it's repairable, they should fix it and give it back to you. If you don't want it back, you can try to claim the repair cost, but not the value of the item.
You should make your own list, don't rely on the insurer to do it, they won't do it right. List the item description, brand, color, make, model, what year you bought it, original purchase price and the current replacement cost price. I know that seems like a lot, but the more comprehensive this list, the better. I've worked on Schedule of Loss forms that were thousands of items long.
One more thing to be aware of, is a Proof of Loss form that they will ask you to sign. Do not sign it until you're 100% sure you've finalized your claim. You can get interim payments from them to help you buy the things you need to replace, but ask them for an Interim Proof of Loss form to sign, which allows you to submit as many as you want within the statute of limitations until you're ready to submit the Final Proof of Loss. This isn't always black and white, I've seen insurance companies still accept more proofs of loss even after a Proof of Loss form has been signed and submitted, but I don't think it's worth the risk.
And yes, feel free to reach out to me for valuations of your tables. The replacement cost isn't the cost of the materials that you spent building anything, it's the cost to replace it with something similar.
