Being part of a disaster is devastating. Getting back on your feet is hard and takes time, but there’s no other way but to move forward. We need to do everything we can to restore our home if it was part of an accident, natural disaster, or a human error. See more about what falls in this category here.
When there was a fire, flood, tornado, or earthquake, your home can be destroyed. Even though it may look like everything’s lost, there are still many items inside that were perfectly preserved. Even fires that seem to destroy everything leave some items almost intact.
Getting back these items is something everyone would appreciate. When you lose so much, even the smallest things are a matter of appreciation. Instead of calling in the wrecking ball to tear ever down, it’s best to call a professional company that will take what can be found.
It’s crucial not to do it yourself, as you are emotionally attached to the place and you might not notice that something’s wrong and you’ll risk your life over getting an item. You won’t notice that a beam is hanging loose and it will fall on you while digging through the rubbish.
At the same time, it’s highly dangerous to go through the debris. If there was a fire or a flood, everything’s contaminated and dangerous to breathe. You need to stay outside or wear a mask when you’re digging through what was left.
Before you start everything anew, here are some of the things you can and should do. Remember that it’s best to let the pros handle the problem.
1. Taking out valuable and restored items
The first thing that must be done is someone skilled and equipped to get inside and go through the debris. They need to find if there’s something worth restoring. Under the pile of destroyed items, there will surely be something kept and worth saving.
If you call someone to just take the trash in the garbage, some of the things that could’ve been saved will also be destroyed. This way, trained professionals will go through the stuff and find valuable objects.
Think about pictures of the past, your favorite watch stored in a drawer that was preserved, and many other things. All these items might not have a huge value in money, but they have emotional and sentimental value that can not be replaced.
Throwing everything out is simply madness. Why not save these things if you could. After all, having a ruined home can’t be taken back, but these little things will be the only thing that will make you remember those good times. See some examples of items with emotional value here: https://www.quora.com/What-is-something-you-have-that-is-of-sentimental-value.
2. Throwing out the debris
When the items were preserved, and there’s nothing else to be taken out, it’s time to take everything out and take it to a secured place like a dump hole. Burned cabinets are useless and they can only be thrown out. If there’s something that can be reused, it was picked by the previous team.
When the house is cleaned from debris and items that are destroyed, and only the walls are left, another team should move in. It’s crucial to have experts here to determine if the object is safe enough to continue with the restoration. If this isn’t fixable, then it’s better to tear down the entire place.
3. Moving in with cleaning solutions
If the experts say that it’s safe to go in and clean the place to live inside again, then that’s what you should do. This is another moment in which you can use the help of professionals. Aside from companies providing thorough contents restoration services, some provide cleaning services.
Hire some of them and ask them to restore the object. Make it look like it was when you first moved in. This is not an easy job, and although some people try to handle the problem alone, you should know that this is a job for the pros.
4. Letting the place air
When everything’s finished, one final step is needed, and that’s to let it stay for a while with all windows opened. The air should clean the place from bad smells, paint, solutions, and everything else that was worked inside. When all of this is done, it’s time to get back inside. Move-in and continue your life.
Conclusion
These few points tell you what the most crucial moves that you must do to solve the problem after a disaster are. If it was minor damage, then you might handle the problem yourself, but if it was something bigger, then professional help is a must.
Follow these steps, and find a perfect company to help you clean it up. Move-in only when the place is ready and safe.