Flood damage control procedures & checklist: if your building has been flooded, this article series provides an easy to understand guide for flood damage assessment, setting priorities of action, safety, and we provide special information about avoiding or minimizing mold damage.
This Building Flood Response Checklist sets priorities for what to do to protect your building from mold contamination after flooding from a burst pipe or from rising waters and area flooding. These are quick, simple steps to minimize mold damage in a flooded building.
This is the first in our series of building flood damage articles on steps to take to safely enter and repair homes or other buildings after area flooding due to hurricanes, rising floodwaters, burst pipes, or other water flooding.
We discuss safety for people entering flooded buildings, steps to preserve and protect the building from further damage after it has been flooded, how to get mechanical systems up and running again, evaluating for the need for structural repairs, demolition, and cleaning, and avoid mold in a flooded building.
How Hydroxyl Generators Are Used In Restoration A hydroxyl generator is a device that uses ultraviolet light to produce hydroxyl radicals, which are highly reactive molecules that can break down pollutants and odors in the air. These generators are becoming increasingly popular in the home restoration industry as a way to remove pollutants and odors from homes and buildings that have been affected by smoke, mold, and other contaminants. One of the main advantages of hydroxyl generators is that they are safe and effective for use in occupied spaces. Unlike ozone generators, which can be harmful to people and animals if used in high concentrations, hydroxyl generators produce hydroxyl radicals at safe levels that can be used in homes and buildings without the need to vacate the premises. Trusted Professional Fire Damage Restoration Company When a hydroxyl generator is used in the home restoration industry, it is typically placed in the affected area and turned on. The ...
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What to consider when choosing a fire and damage restoration company
Certified experts
It is imperative to make certain that the company in question has all the required state and local certifications to complete the restoration job. These certifications should also be up-to-date.
• Certification: Look for credentials from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, also known as the IICRC, for well-trained fire and water damage experts.
• Sub-certifications: The IICRC has additional specializations such as mold remediation or structural and commercial Drying. Ask the company for details about their sub-certifications.
• Restoration vs. reconstruction: Note that the IICRC refers to restoration, not reconstruction. If the damage is to severe that contractors are required to partially or completely rebuild/reconstruct properties, make sure that they have all the proper local licenses and certifications necessary.
Experience
Every disaster is unique and requires the utmost care. If a company begins operating from the wrong starting assumptions, it can prolong or completely derail the restoration project unnecessarily.
• Relevant experience: Make sure that the company providing restoration has dealt with many previous situations that are similar to the current task at hand. For example, standing water from a flood could become contaminated with chemicals or substances that make it a biohazard. Make sure the company knows what they are dealing with before they come out to avoid added confusion that slows down the job.
• Comprehensive evaluations: Don't hold back any information. Even details that don't seem to be significant initially can greatly impact the company's professional evaluation of the restoration requirements or the extent of structural damage.
Asset protection
Different kinds of materials - such as furniture, computers, floors, etc. - require different treatments under very specific timetables.
• High-priority assets: Decide which assets have the highest priority and then look for the company that specializes in that particular area.
• Practicality: Replacing property or recreating data may be less expensive than restoration. Don't compromise your practicality.
• Pre-inspection reports: Some types of leases require a pre-inspection report by qualified restoration personnel to establish insurability levels.
Time to recovery
Hours, and sometimes minutes, can make all the difference in what is recoverable. Make sure the company will be ready the moment disaster strikes.
• Rapid response: The first few hours after a disaster can make all the difference in terms of what is recoverable. Look for rapid response times. Also critical, is advice on what to do immediately and what needs attention within the first 24 hours.
• Schedules: Look for a company that can give a full, detailed schedule of steps that they will need to perform before an estimated completion date.
• Variable costs: Be prepared for costs to vary greatly based on factors that aren't obvious at first, such as structural damage and the extent of smoke damage.
Storage facilities
Some restoration companies offer storage facilities. Find out how much space the company has to house your undamaged assets and what their storage rates are.
• Storage conditions: Make sure that storage facilities are nearby and adequate in terms of factors like temperature control and security.
• Packing services: Ask if they provide packing services, which means that they can thoroughly clean property before packing it up and putting it into the company's storage facility.
• Record keeping: Make sure to take photographic records of the condition of your property before it goes into storage.
Referrals
Ask for names of commercial or governmental agencies that the company has worked for and look for referrals.
• Referral limitations: Don't discount a company just because its referrals aren't perfect. Some items simply aren't restorable, and that fact creates disappointment.