Month: September 2018

When a disaster happens in your home or business, it gets really personal, really quick. Wanting it back to normal and done right the first time are a top of the priority listing along with choosing a trustable restoration company to take of it. When choosing a restoration company to clean up a disaster on your property, here are some things to look out for to make sure you are choosing a company that will take care of the job the first time.

First off, ask if the company is IICRC certified. IICRC stands for Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, and it demonstrates that the contractor has the skills and experience necessary to perform restorations correctly. Certification also means the company follows a specific set of guidelines and regulations to provide customers with important peace of mind about how the work will be performed. Always look for a restoration company that has this certification.

Next, check out their website. Going through the company’s website will help give you a better understanding of who the company is and what they do. In a day of first impressions meaning everything, their website is all you have to go off of until you talk to them over the phone or in person. If a company does not have a presentable website, it could tell a lot about a company.  Looking for a portfolio of previous work is also a good idea to see who they have worked with. A variety of services is also a key indicator of the professionalism of the company.

Along with going over the company’s website, go over their reviews/testimonials. Reading what other customers have said about the company you might be choosing can help you decide on which company to choose or help you ask questions. In the world of technology, a company cannot delete bad reviews, they have to find a way to work with their mistakes and learn from it and get better.

Call them and quiz them. Professional workers know what they are talking about; they know the history and services their company provides, and they know how to solve simple restorations even when they are on the other line. By going through their site, you too are able to ask the right questions; making it possible for you, and your chosen restoration contractor communicate clearly. If the job was done by unprofessional workers, it may do more harm than good to your property. Instead of fixing the problem, they could complicate the situation with sloppy work, and mess-ups; leaving you in a difficult dilemma.

Finally, make sure they have an upfront timeline for work. Getting an exact timeline over the phone will be hard but getting an estimate scheduled as soon as possible can help. This gives you the opportunity to meet somebody from the company and they get to look at what the damages are.  This can give them a pretty good timeline on how long it will take and when they can start. There are many benefits of talking to them and getting the right questions answered. At the end of the day, it is your property that is damaged and nobody wants to go through the hassle of having it done twice, especially if it was made worst after trying to fix it the first time.  It will always help to do your research and ask the right questions. Let Blue River Restoration be the company that gets it right the first time.

 

Hurricane Florence has hit land and as of now is a tropical depression in Kentucky. When Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas Friday, Sept 14th as a category 1 hurricane, this storm was moving at 90 mph and had given those areas over 25 inches of rainfall. As a part of DKI Services, Blue River Restoration sent team 1 to the Wilmington, NC. With the amount of damage done in those areas, our team 1 will be working with other DKI members to restore commercial properties.

Any form of water damage requires immediate attention especially on this high of a level. The country has seen this before with Harvey and Irma in 2o17 and Katrina in 2005. It’s this fast response time, combined with our proven water damage mitigation techniques and cutting-edge equipment that help result in lower repair costs and a speedy recovery to get your life back to normal.

When arriving on the scene, Blue River Restoration will access the damage, start removing the water and bring the building back to its pre-loss condition. Swansboro, North Carolina  (near Wilmington) where Hurricane Florence first made landfall has been hit by 34 inches of rain. Along with the amount of damage, there are still conditions for flash floods and tornadoes.

Blue River Restoration uses leading industry water mitigation and drying techniques and equipment to efficiently remove moisture from even the hardest-to-reach areas of your property damaged by Hurricane Florence. Our restoration contractors are continually trained and certified. With our immediate response, proven techniques and cutting-edge equipment, you can rest assured you will receive the best quality service at a lower cost. Count on Blue River Restoration and DKI to quickly and efficiently work with you and your insurance company to develop a seamless, quick and cost-effective plan to repair your property.

Water can be devasting to any part of your property. Let alone what you cannot physically see, the aftermath of a water leak can damage the foundation. Once the water is cleaned up and the drying process begins, removing moisture from drywall properly can be tricky. The first step in drying any drywall is to remove all objects hanging on the wall, such as posters or framed photos. If the walls are wallpapered, you need to remove this as well. Then remove baseboards, crown molding, and window and door trim to dry out areas where moisture likes to hide. If these have been soaked with contaminated water, replace them. To speed up drying and increase the chances of saving your drywall, consider cutting out a 4 to 12-inch high section from the bottom and top of each water-logged wall. This creates a chimney effect that moves air behind the wall to dry it faster. Use the tip of a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade for the job. Watch out for pipes, wiring, and ductwork as you cut. Once the drying process starts, getting the moisture out is the goal. If the damage was caused by a frozen pipe that burst and flooded your home, shut off the water immediately. The pipe will need to be repaired by a plumber before you can use it again or if the damage was caused by a storm, you may need to hose down any mud or debris from the walls. Then, pump any standing water out as soon as possible. Remove any waterlogged furnishings as well. You can increase ventilation in the area with box fans. It may be wise to rent high-volume fans to increase airflow. Running a portable dehumidifier to aid in the drying-out process when outdoor humidity levels are high outside. If possible, rent a commercial unit, which removes three to four times more water than residential dehumidifiers.

Each part of the house is different, especially when removing moisture from drywall (Walls, ceilings, floors, basements, attics, etc.). Once they are dried, being able to access the foundation and assess the interior damages is the next step. Seeing what is salvageable and still in place can help solve future problems. Spending a little bit of money to repair the drywall once broken down to see what is happening behind can be a big money saver. This way it is possible to see what needs repaired, replaced and what can be recovered. Consider your time and budget as you make any decisions.  For example, if hardwood floors are damaged beyond repair, you may want to forego the cost of replacement and instead cover them with carpeting, vinyl or linoleum. Or you might lay a new floor over the old, rather than replace it.

Mildew can also occur when drywall gets wet. To remove surface mildew on walls or ceilings, use a mildew surface cleaner (available at paint stores) or: scrub the mildew with household detergent, then scrub with a solution of one-quarter cup bleach to 1-quart water. Rinse well with clean water. Once fully dry, apply a coat of paint containing an anti-mildew agent.

Let Blue River Restoration take the headache of figuring the logistics out of the situation. We are the experts and we can get your home back to its pre-loss condition.  When the stakes are high, the job should only be done once.