Wolgast Restoration Blog Page

If you’ve been unfortunate to witness what a tornado can do to a school, you know it’s the most awful thing in the world.  As a parent, sibling, aunt, uncle or grandparent you assume that your loved one is safe each day they’re at school.  Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that when bad weather hits it will pass over a school with no damage.  We’re coming into the stormy season:  Is your District prepared?

We’re pretty lucky in Michigan since we don’t need much concern for hurricanes and major flooding.  Of course, floods do happen, but not as much as a chance for straight line winds or tornadoes in Michigan.  In fact, the average number of Tornado’s touching down in Michigan is 15-21 per year.  That number was down in 2012, but history shows there really isn’t a predictor out there to say if 2013 will have more or less activity.  Michigan’s tornado season starts in April and runs through August (but has seen tornados outside these months).  Our peak season is May, June and July, thankfully, when classes aren’t typically in session.

Do you know what would be the first thing you would or should do, once the children and staff are safe and sheltered?  Facing any damage to your buildings would be easier and on target if you teamed with a professional and experienced restoration company like Wolgast Restoration.  By developing a relationship and strategy before you have an emergency would ensure the most effective, strategic, efficient way to make the decisions your District will face. 

Once you develop a Disaster Response Plan, which Wolgast Restoration can assist you with, it must be in place and managed at all times.  Some situations require immediate critical response, so having these documents ready is important for cost containment and proposed techniques in advance of implementation.  Time is always critical when a disaster strikes and having an agreed-upon course of action will alleviate potential problems.  Resources could already be in place to meet most of the demands of the situation, such as; knowledge and contact information of officials (fire marshal, school board, local building inspectors, etc.). 

Wolgast Restoration is familiar with how schools operate and insurance claims, and would work well with your insurance adjuster.  With the team formed (Wolgast Restoration, Superintendent, the District’s facilities and operations staff, local government officials, school board members, etc.), the level of communication established and all detailed documents in place YOU ARE NOW READY to handle a disaster should it happen. 

BE PREPARED AND LET WOLGAST RESTORATION HELP YOU.

“It happened so fast.  Thank goodness no one was hurt.”

The storm has passed.  No one was hurt.  However, the house wasn’t so lucky.  “Now what do we do?” 

First:  GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.  While your home may seem secure, in reality it may be in very unstable condition.  Carefully leave, go to a neighbor's house or safe area before making any phone calls. DO NOT try to assess any damages yourself.

Second:  Assess whether everyone who was in the home is safe and unharmed and then move forward with your next steps.  Did you follow your safety drill?  Meet up at a designated area?  Do you have a safety drill and have you practiced with your family to prepare for a disaster?  The following web site will assist you in creating a Family Emergency Plan if you don’t already have one: www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

Third:  Contact your insurance agent as soon as possible to alert them to the damage and to start the recovery process.  They will call a restoration company, such as Wolgast Restoration, to come to your home and assess the damage and provide emergency services.  Your insurance agent will most likely either come themselves or send an adjuster to meet with you and your restoration company.

Fourth:  If you find you must leave your home, do not try and recover any necessary items if you feel your home is too unstable to safely enter.  Your homeowner’s policy should cover temporary shelter for you and your family.  (The American Red Cross, or other organizations, can be contacted to assist you with basic necessities and temporary shelter if you have no insurance.

Keep in mind that most homeowner policies have a required time frame for reporting home damages.  It is a good idea to have an itemized list of the contents in your home stored in a fire-proof box.  Even better would be video taping your household belongings.  This will help when it comes time to replace your personal belongings by identifying each specific item in detail.  Under duress, you may not be able to remember everything that was in a specific room and what may or may not have been lost.

Storms will and do happen.  Being prepared for potential disasters is the best way to alleviate the stress that comes with it. 

At Wolgast Restoration, when mayhem strikes, we strike back!

Are you prepared for the potential storms that accompany it?

In the spring, we turn our clocks ahead one hour and our thoughts to warmer weather and the activities we love.  We plan barbecues, picnics, ballgames, camping and a wide variety of other outdoor activities.

No one likes to cancel outdoor activities, but when severe weather threatens, we need to prepare for the possibility of damages occurring not only to ourselves, but also to our home and business.  Thunderstorms, hail, rain and tornadoes cause varying degrees of damage.  

Some valuable things to remember when faced with potential severe weather:

*Check the local weather report for your area or your destination (weatherchannel.com or local news or radio station) to see if there is a chance of severe weather.  You may need to change your plans, or at least wait until the threat of severe weather has passed before heading out.

*Remember that storms can develop quickly and without a lot of advanced warning.  Having an emergency kit in your home and vehicle can provide you with much-needed necessities if caught without power or you are stranded.

**Flashlights and extra batteries, candles, matches, disposable lighters

**Battery-powered radios, cell phones

**Water/non-perishable food for at least 3 days for each person

**Blankets, pillows, extra clothing

**Moistened towelettes, garbage bags

**Tool kit

**Books and/or games

Remember that disaster can strike at any time, and most people are not prepared for it, even though they may think they are.  Being prepared for any emergency will help to alleviate stress when disaster does strike. 

At Wolgast Restoration, when mayhem strikes, we strike back!”

Basement Flooding Safety & Preparedness

(Part II of II)

HOW SERIOUS IS BASEMENT FLOODING:

There are a lot of hazards associated with wet or high moisture basements.  There are increased respiratory problems, harmful mold, long-term damage to the structure and equipment, personal property damage and possible decrease in house value.  Not to mention the inconvenience and hard work to fix the problems.  The number one inconvenience for most is the cost, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUES DURING A FLOOD:

Do not stand in water and reach for any electrical items.  If possible, wear rubber boots and if you have to touch any electrical parts use a wood or plastic item – better still, call an electrician.  Safety should always be number one in your mind with water and electricity.

Mold can set within 48 hours with standing water.  There may also be sewage contamination that would also have to be considered.  The faster you can remove the water and get the structure dry the less severe your loss will be.  Don’t wait for approval from your insurance provider to remove the water, do what you must to remove it quickly.  Take photographs and put dates and descriptions on them for your insurance company.

If the job is too big for you, please call a reputable restoration company to help get you dry and explain what must be done to protect you from further problems such as mold.  Always explain what coverage you have with the restoration company as sometimes they’ll do more work than you have coverage, leaving you with a huge bill you can’t pay.  Again, please discuss fully with your agent for proper coverage amounts.  This will help when you have a loss and you know what you are able to pay yourself.

PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL ITMES:

Put your personal belongings on shelves to keep out of water’s reach.  Furniture with legs will help keep the water out of the material, but raise and pin the skirt if it has one.  If your basement has high moisture, run a dehumidifier, especially in the summer when outside moisture is high. 

INSURANCE COVERAGE:

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that you are required to buy additional coverage for any water back-ups that occur in the basement and sometimes under estimate the coverage that they purchase.  Roughly 22% of all residential insurance claims are from sump pump overflows and burst pipes.  It’s in your best interest to thoroughly discuss this coverage with your insurance agent in determining the right coverage and discuss what may not be covered as well.

Be safe and dry in your own home.  Your home is your castle – treat it that way and it will pay you back.

Part I - Don't Be Caught with a Flooded Basement This Spring

Don’t Be Caught with a Flooded Basement This Spring

(Part I of II)

Just because the snow is gone doesn’t mean you’re past the danger of a flooded basement.  The ground is still frozen and in the process of thawing when the spring rains come, therefore, the ground is too saturated and/or frozen to absorb the water.  The water then flows down the easiest path which is usually to your foundation wall and into your basement.

The Biggest Causes of Basement Flooding

Sump pumps can help filter water out of your basement when they’re working properly; however, there are many things that can go wrong with a sump pump at the wrong time.  For instance, it can fail due to age, continuous use can burn up the motor, debris in the basin can block flow, the “check” valve fails, or the weep hole or filter can get clogged.

Other problems that can lead to flooding are from municipal infrastructure malfunctions.  A sanitary sewer pipe is designed to remove wastewater from your home (i.e. toilets, sinks, floor drains, and can include your weep tiles around your foundation, etc).  If excess storm water enters the sanitary sewer system, it can overload the system and send it back into your house (usually if the fixtures or drains are below the surcharge level).  The same thing can happen with a storm sewer that’s usually larger than the sanitary sewer, but designed to carry larger amounts of flow.

Your landscaping can also contribute to a flooded basement.  When the ground around your foundation slopes toward the house, the rainwater naturally flows in the sloped direction.  In most cases, your weeping tiles will carry the water away without issue, but at some point the water could overload the system and find its way into the foundation walls.  The same goes for window wells, so slope away from them, too.

Another cause could be your eaves troughs and downspouts.  Do your downspouts extend at least 6’ away from your foundation wall?  If not, the water could overload your weeping tiles.  Are they still plugged from fall with pine needles or leaves?  Do you see water over flowing from the gutter in the center of your house?

Solutions to These Problems:

When you have an unexplained flooding problem, start first at the eaves troughs and downspouts, and then look at your landscaping and foundation drainage, then to sewer/sanitary drains and finally, the interior plumbing.

1)      Keep the gutters and downspouts clean of debris, check for cracks (especially at the connections).  Have the downspouts out 6’ from your foundation.  If they still spill over in heavy rains replace them with a larger size.

2)      The ground around your home settles and can slope towards your foundation, fill it in and grade the lot so it slopes away from the house at least 6’.

3)      It’s difficult to determine whether you have weeping tile problems, but if the source of the water can’t be found it’s probably time to hire a company with a camera to snake the drains and see if you have a crushed tile or plug.  This would also determine if this is in the sanitary or storm drain.  (Usually if water or sewer is coming up through your drains in the floor or through a basement shower drain this is external backup).

4)      Last, but not least, the Sump Pump.  Make sure the discharge pipe is free of debris and discharged out into your property where it can be absorbed, such as your lawn or garden.  Next, make sure the pit is cleaned each year as the weeping tiles can carry small amounts of sand or debris into the pit.  Check and test your pump each spring (can check by pouring water into the pit until the pump kicks on).  Remove and clean the pump once a year.  Always disconnect the power source before working on the pump.  Check once a month for debris in the pit.

A good back up for the sump pump is a battery backup that will kick on when you lose power from a storm.  There are a variety of backups and some that have an audible alarm or can call your phone to notify you of a power outage.  There is also a backwater valve that prevents sewage from backing up into your basement, ask a plumbing company.

Part II - Flooding Saftey & Preparedness