Berry*
This historic home in Tryon, NC, was barely saved.
The homeowner's subscription to ADT allowed a 911 call to reach
the local fire department in time to keep the bare bones of the
structure intact. After the cause & origin investigator ascertained
the fire was electrical and cleared the structure for demolition,
our work began.
All of the interior finishes were removed, including
floors, walls, ceilings, all interior trim, cabinetry, lighting,
and appliances; our work even extended as far as faucets, door hardware,
closet shelving, along with windows and doors. This home would be
almost brand new when our work was finished.
Extensive research was needed before replacing any of the fixtures
as each piece needed to be the same quality and design as its preexisting
counterpart. In this particular case the homeowner was willing to
be an active participant throughout the selection stage; she was
instrumental in keeping the new selections in line with the authenticity
of the home. As illustrated by the photos below, our efforts to
restore the interior finishes to their previous condition, while
keeping in mind the historical significance of the home, were successful.
Long*
A strong wind storm came through the area causing
a large enough claim volume to categorize this loss as part of a
catastrophe; on its own this home’s damage was severe.
The photos show the true extent of the destruction
best. The home’s entire sunroom was crushed by the fallen
tree –extensive rock work was needed to make the structure
stable again, the roof structure was damaged –a crane had
to be used to replace broken trusses, and many interior walls and
ceilings cracked from the stress of the home shifting –drywall
replacement and repair was needed throughout.
This project serves as an example of how successful
our restoration process can be for even long-distance homeowners.
The homeowner lives year-round in Florida and uses this house as
a vacation home near relatives; her family served as local representatives
who were able to check our progress in person. Meanwhile, the homeowner
was able to make selections from her home in Florida and communicate
those to us here seamlessly.
THE BILTMORE Condominiums*
Luxury hotels are not the place you expect to
be vacationing and feel rain inside your room; however, disasters
can happen anywhere and at anytime. A local luxury hotel, comprised
of one bedroom condominiums, was nearing completion of its final
phase of construction when the sprinkler system burst in one unit
and caused damage to many.
At the time of the loss, some of the units had
already been purchased and rented out, so a top priority for our
staff was to remain as discrete as possible. Many precautions are
taken on a normal basis not to disturb home or business owners while
our work progresses; however, extra steps were taken in this case.
Only one vehicle was parked where it would be visible to guests,
work was completed with the unit doors closed to cut down on volume,
and hours of work were restricted for guests’ comfort.
Working with the restrictions outlined above does
tend to slow the job’s completion but guarantees that the
situation isn’t made any worse by our presence. Numerous dump
truck loads were hauled away daily, and our crew’s hard work
combined with their technical knowledge has made certain that this
luxury hotel is dry and safe for its next guests.
Smith*
Residential emergency drying jobs are the most
frequent type of work we do. Homeowners calling within minutes,
hours or a few days of their loss see how rapid our response truly
is. Most homes are not destroyed by a water loss but do have damage
to numerous rooms or floors; both structural elements and personal
contents are usually affected. We assess the damage before any work
is scheduled to begin and special needs such as on-site storage
containers, dry cleaning services, or inventorying destroyed items
are addressed immediately. A typical drying job is comprised of
drying equipment, such as dehumidifiers and air movers, being left
on-site for a few days once our initial work is complete. We check
the equipment and take readings to chart drying progress daily.
In circumstances where a large area needs to be dried we usually
use desiccant dehumidifiers as pictured below. The desiccant dehumidifiers
can be small enough to fit in confined areas like crawlspaces or
large enough to dry an unfinished basement; we have and are able
to use both types of desiccants as the affected area dictates. All
of our technicians have been trained on how to properly set up and
monitor these specialized pieces of equipment.
*All names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
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