It’s every vacationer’s nightmare: after a long, much needed stretch of rest and relaxation, you walk through the door of your house, only to find you are now wading or splashing through what used to be living space.
Water, water everywhere.
Water, while necessary for life, is also one of the most damaging forces of nature. A year ago, in April of 2013, West Michigan saw historic flooding when unrelenting rain quickly followed snow melt. Downtown Grand Rapids was nearly submerged, and many low lying areas were completely underwater. Water poured into the basement of Plaza Towers necessitating the complete evacuation of tenants from their condominiums, and everyday citizens came out in great numbers to sandbag the city’s assets including the water treatment facility. At least 10.6 million dollars in damage was done to Kent County properties.
This spring we saw speculation again that with the melting of the record snow Grand Rapids received, the Grand River might flood again. Thankfully, we had a dryer spring than expected and no flooding occurred.
While all of this was very distressing, inconvenient, and expensive, eventually Grand Rapids property owners managed to dry out their homes and businesses and use them again. How? Through the efforts of water restoration companies and experts (and, later, builders, plumbers, and electricians).
If your home has been damaged by water, you know what a mess it is, and how overwhelming it seems, but for those of us in water restoration, flooding is just a new challenge. We have the tools needed to dry out flooring, carpet, and upholstery, and restore them to pre-flood condition. And we can do it speedily, as soon as we get your call. First Choice is available on call 24/7 just for these emergencies. We have the equipment and the know how to get in and remove the water from your home or business before it can do more damage, so that you can stop mildew and damaging molds from forming and minimize the damage to drywall or carpets.
First Choice will arrive and immediately begin to assess the damage. You may not know what can be saved, but we do, and we will work with you to document the materials affected by water damage. We will also be able to assist you in valuing your losses so you can file a claim with your insurance company.
After assessment, we will begin our process of drying, sanitizing, and deodorizing the affected area, and not just cosmetically. We will make sure that the source of the problem is identified and that any structural damage is noted so it can be repaired. We will also monitor the drying out process to make sure no further damage occurs and, after this is finished, reassess the area to make certain every area affected has been thoroughly restored. This is our promise to you.
If you do experience water damage, do not panic. First Choice is here to help you recover your home and belongings so you can go back to your regularly scheduled life. Call us any time. We are always available to help.
By: Rachel Charlson