Whenever there occurs damage to any property like home, business building, etc., we need to limit the damage, repair it and restore the normal structure of the area. This damage can be a result of any natural disaster like earthquake, storm, flood, hurricane or fire. Or it can be due to discharging sewage, burst pipe or mold and mildew in the property, be it commercial or residential.
All the damage control, repair, and restoration cannot be done by the people that are living in that place or working there. This is partly because they are not professionally equipped with the skills to do so and also because of the emotional turmoil they go through due to the damage.
So, this should be done by professional restoration companies because they employ people who have the skills and experience required to deal with all this. They are professional and have the necessary equipment suitable according to the situation. They have a reputation to hold and a business to run so they know that client satisfaction is their first priority.
There are many companies that perform this task of repair and restoration. But they are of three main types, depending upon the services they provide. One type is the mitigation only company. Mitigation means alleviating or lessening the effect of the damage. Most restoration companies work this way like those for water and mold damage and sometimes, carpet or duct cleaning. But their annual revenue is not much.
In order to make more profit, many of such restoration companies have now taken the title of full-service providers. But they only play part in the construction process for restructuring of damaged buildings, be it commercial or residential. And the part they play is that of taking the work from the property owner and passing it on to the construction contractor. They introduce both parties and get paid for it.
The need to grow further has led many contractors to transform from mitigation-only and dabbling in construction; to a genuine full-service providing restoration company. In this way, they can also get their business in the insurance field.
The good restoration companies operate on an expanded fleet of restoration vehicles, have several operation locations across a country and these locations are licensed and insured. Their employees and technicians are well trained and certified.
They are usually the first responders after the damage or major events. They preserve and protect the existing damage and prevent further damage.
Restoration means re-establishing of property to its pre-loss state. The most common restoration services include water damage restoration in which, water is extracted and the area is dried; mold removal and correction and repairing of the origin of mold. Carpet cleaning involves removing dirt and stains from the carpets. Biohazard cleanup includes disinfecting the area and materials that are contaminated. Fire and smoke damage restoration includes cleaning up of smoke and soot stains and deodorizing the place. Then if required, reconstructing the place.
The restoration process includes immediate action to stop the cause, assessment and estimate on the restoration services and their cost, extraction of the hazard and cleanup, removal and disposal of the damaged things, deodorization and sanitization and last but not least, reconstruction.