RESTORING YOUR HOME AFTER A DISASTER

Nobody is really prepared for a disaster. Almost instantly a fire can spread through your home.

Within one evening, a thunderstorm could produce massive flash flooding.

Even something relatively small like a leak on the roof or a broken sewer line can cause serious water damage to your house.

As if living through the incident isn't hard enough, you will also have to contend with restoring your home after the extensive water or fire damage is done.

Carpeting

Depending on the circumstances, this might be an easy or difficult assignment, one for a professional or one for your own hands. First of all, let's consider carpeting. After a flood, your carpet will probably be soaked. This is not water that can be easily vacuumed. Floodwaters actually come from the same place as broken sewer line water comes from.

It is contaminated water that has been everywhere, from sewer and septic systems to farms and ranches. At this point, many people decide to throw their carpet away, especially if the entire carpet has been soaked in soiled water. However, others may decide to salvage the carpet and simply replace the padding.

A great deal of disinfecting, cleaning and drying are involved in restoring a carpet; this is why many choose to hire a restoration service rather than take a risk cleaning a carpet themselves.





Upholstery

Upholstery is even more difficult to clean than carpets, since types of mold spores can settle into the spaces and crevices of the material, making a full cleaning almost impossible. Likewise, after a flood many items of furniture are discarded.

Consulting a professional on a piece of upholstered furniture is a good idea. They can let you know if the piece is salvageable or if it's best to let it go. Many services even provide safe furniture removal. Some services specialize in upholstery cleaning and guarantee to clean your furniture by way of preconditioning the fabric to loosen the soil.

Collectibles

Nobody wants to part with collectibles if they don't have to, even if they have been soaked by rain or floodwater. Collectibles might also include paper documents. Paper documents can be rinsed and dried (or frozen) long enough to photocopy and discard. However, some sentimental objects are simply too precious to discard.

Therefore special equipment and care is required in removing the soil and cleaning the item so that it does not become susceptible to mold.

Restoring your house after fire or water damage is a matter of intense cleaning. Whether you hire a professional or attempt to clean up by yourself, know that most items and furnishings can be saved from recycling.