Fires, floods, severe storms, earthquakes and more are some of the most devastating forces that homeowners may contend with during their years in a home. Depending on where your home is located, you may be more susceptible to experiencing damage from one specific type of event than others, but all can wreak havoc on your home.
They can disrupt your family life or even displace you entirely for several months or more. They can also cause tremendously expensive damage and can impair your home’s property value. Understandably, you want to return to life as usual without delay. More than that, you want to restore your home’s property condition and value so that you do not suffer financially from the impact of the event. With a few steps, you can more easily move past this issue.
Address the Immediate Concerns First
There are a few immediate concerns that you must think about before restoring the home to its former condition. For example, you need to make plans to provide for the daily sustenance and shelter of your loved ones. Consider staying with friends or family if possible, or stay in a shelter if a community-wide event has damaged your home. If you plan to stay in the home, ensure that it is well-protected from the elements. Seal doors and windows that have been damaged, and patch the roof with a temporary covering. These steps will help you to prevent even more damage from developing. You may need to take other steps to protect your home from additional damage. For example, if a plumbing issue caused your home’s first floor to flood, you may need to turn off the main water valve to your home. If you are concerned about the possibility of a gas leak, turn off the gas line. These steps should be done immediately to prevent additional damage from developing.
Make the Call for Help
There are several people you need to call for help after a major event damaged your home. You may have already called family and friends to tell them you are fine or to ask for help with living needs. After making these calls, call a plumber, roofer or other specialist to make specialized repairs to features that have caused the damage, if possible. You likely also need to contact your home insurance provider to begin the claims process. Some insurance companies can immediately forward money to you so that you can make arrangements for an alternate home, replace clothing and to otherwise provide for your family. You also need to call a home restoration company for assistance. Some offer a full range of services for fires, floods, earthquakes and more. Others offer specialized services. Therefore, carefully choose the right company to assist with the restoration process.
Walk Through the Home Restoration Process
Home restoration can be a lengthy, complicated process that requires many steps. If you have standing water in the home, the water may need to be extracted, and the home may need to be dried out through de-humidification processes as initial steps. A thorough tile and grout cleaning could be necessary if there was standing water or ash causing stains or buildup. You may not want to steam clean carpet in the home if a flood has taken place. Steam cleaning may leave behind too much water and result in further mold or mildew damage. Some surfaces may need to be replaced, such as wood floors, cabinets and other items. You may be replacing damaged or lost furnishings as well. The entire process may take a few weeks or longer to complete, depending on the severity of the damage. While disaster recovery companies may not be very common, you should be able to find local providers of each of the services you need.
You have a significant amount of money invested in your home, and you may be most concerned about restoring the home’s value so that you do not suffer long-term financial loss as a result of the issue. However, you also want to return to life as usual without delay for the comfort of your loved ones. By focusing on these critical steps, you can walk through the restoration process with ease.
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