Dealing With Emergency Property Damage In The Home
Although building technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, it’s still not possible to make our homes completely impervious to the forces of nature.
Accidents do happen, and natural disasters also pose a significant threat to our property and our belongings. Since complete protection isn’t always possible, families have to be prepared to deal with the aftermath of major property damage emergencies like fires, floods, storms, and more.
Fortunately, there are productive ways to take action after your home has been through a disaster.
Dealing With Water Damage
Whether you’re subjected to water damage by natural forces or a plumbing problem, your worst enemy in the aftermath is going to be the same: time. When a pipe bursts in your walls or a flood brings in standing water, mold can start to grow in just a day’s time.
Even when floodwaters recede, they leave behind elevated moisture levels and damp materials in your floors, walls, and ceilings. These environments become fertile breeding grounds for mold, and that can turn into serious health problems for your family. Airborne mold spores can cause coughing, sneezing, headaches, inflamed eyes, and more significant respiratory problems. Do not try to solve a mold problem on your own! An incomplete or ineffective mold cleanup job can make conditions worse by spreading mold spores around, leading to more colonies and more airborne contaminants. There are even mold species that are resistant to ordinary household cleaning products.
To fix a serious mold infestation, experienced professional property damage remediation technicians are required. Just cleaning mold off of visible surfaces is not nearly enough to solve the problem. Professional cleaning products must be applied with skill and comprehensive care to ensure that the mold infestation is dealt with permanently. A recurring mold infestation is a homeowner headache that’s exceptionally tough to deal with.
Repairing Fire Damage
If it’s aggressive enough, a fire can completely level a typical home in under an hour. Even less extreme fires that leave significant portions of your home standing will still render it thoroughly uninhabitable. This is another type of damage that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. First, the building has to be secured against the elements to prevent weather damage. Next, the full extent of the fire damage needs to be assessed by a fire restoration expert. Most possessions that come through a fire intact can be brought back to like-new condition by professional restorers.
Dealing With Soot And Smoke Damage
Soot is left behind by virtually every home fire. The black, powdery carbon residue is a real challenge to get rid of. It stains a wide variety of surfaces and materials and spreads a distinctive, unpleasant odor. Soot is another type of damage that cannot be removed with ordinary household cleaners. Specialized techniques, products, and equipment are required to remove soot completely without causing further damage to your home’s surfaces and your possessions. Turning the job over to professional soot cleanup crew is usually the fastest and cheapest way to solve the problem. The costs of repainting and redecorating will generally be lower if you have soot removed professionally following a fire.
