3 Disaster Remediation Steps You Can’t Afford To Skip Or Delay

In the aftermath of a disaster, priority No. 1 is to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for. Once that is accomplished, the goal shifts to rebuilding lost or damaged homes and businesses. Disaster remediation isn’t only about restoring structures — it’s also about restabilizing lives and rebuilding communities. But cosmetic repairs are only half of it. Restoration specialists also must address lurking threats that may incur long-term costs. A tropical storm, for instance, might cause obvious wind and storm damage, such as missing roofing shingles or building siding. But the extent of water damage isn’t always apparent, at least not right away. Whether it’s from hurricane flooding or a water heating leaking, moisture damage can lead to structural threats and mold growth.

In the humid climate of North Central Florida, mold can proliferate in as few as 24 hours after a disaster, but it also likes to hide under floors, behind walls, and in other hard-to-see places where moisture wouldn’t usually accumulate, but for flooding. Considering the risks present after a disaster, waiting is the worst decision anyone can make. Many cases of post-disaster mold remediation in Gainesville, FL, for example, wind up being more extensive and costly than they otherwise would have been had the property owners called a restoration specialist earlier.

At Maven Construction Group, our goal is to restore people’s lives — and their structures — as quickly and safely as possible. Whether or not you see any damage, if a natural or human-made disaster occurs where you live, complete these three critical steps for property remediation.

1. Water Damage Inspection

After a disaster, you could see visible water damage on materials vulnerable to moisture, such as sheetrock, wood building materials, or paper-based products. But the most dangerous risks are often those you either can’t see or don’t anticipate. Flood waters have to go somewhere to leave the landscape. A portion of the water evaporates or drains into nearby bodies of water, but the rest seeps into and saturates the soil, causing cracks in cement foundations, washing away critical soil layers, and threatening the structural integrity of buildings. In light of the structural risks from water damage, it’s imperative that you hire restoration experts immediately to perform a moisture inspection and, if necessary, emergency water removal.

The reasons for the urgency of a water damage inspection are twofold. First, you want to have a critical assessment of the building’s foundation so you know whether it’s safe to inhabit. Second, you want to inspect for any continuing sources of water damage, such as a burst water heater, leaking roof (usually the result of wind damage), or poorly sealed windows. Catching sources of moisture intrusion early prevents costly water damage remediation down the road. For professional leak detection in Gainesville, FL, call Maven Construction Group.

2. Mold Remediation

Any moisture inspection after a disaster should also coincide with mold testing and, if necessary, mold removal. Generally, where there’s water damage in Gainesville, mold growth isn’t far behind. While some mold is harmless, other types are serious health hazards — but all mold is unpleasant to see. The main reason mold remediation should be performed promptly following a disaster is the mold’s boundless potential for spreading. Lightweight spores can hitch a ride on clothes or pets or travel through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and be distributed building-wide and even inhaled.

In terms of who needs professional remediation, the answer is everyone. Over-the-counter mold killers are usually loaded with toxic chemicals that can degrade indoor air quality as much as the mold itself. Besides, mold tends to hide in hard-to-reach places that only restoration specialists would think to look based on their knowledge of how mold grows.

3. Construction & Repairs

The word “disaster” indicates a high degree of severity because it tends to inflict a wide range of damage at once. However, the idea of an extensive restoration is unsettling to many property owners, that instead prefer to repair one or two areas of their homes or businesses at a time. But piecemeal restorations often lead to additional problems, including the risk that remediated areas will again be damaged by unrepaired areas — you wouldn’t want to replace the floors, for instance, if the roof is leaking. The best approach to disaster remediation is dealing with everything simultaneously. But if hiring several construction companies to do various repairs is too overwhelming, the good news is Maven Construction Group can take care of the entire project.

Our general contractors in Gainesville, FL, are trained for all manners of restoration, remediation, and construction services. That’s how we’re able to do water damage inspections and mold remediation at the same time as we clean debris and do roof repairs. We also help with insurance claims and property damage inspections. So, when the next tropical storm or disaster strikes, first keep yourself and your loved ones safe, then call Maven Construction Group to remediate damage to your property and restore your life right away.

Feel free to view our previous restoration work or request a free quote today!