Wolgast Restoration Blog Page

Having a Restoration Company and a General Contractor on the Same Team

Posted by Rich Droste on Tue, Apr 09, 2019 @ 10:47 AM

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Having a Restoration Company and a General Contractor on the Same Team

The team of  Wolgast Corporation and Wolgast Restoration was created to be a high level provider of full-service restoration services to deal with all of your challenges when mayhem strikes your building.  Wolgast Restoration specializes in residential and commercial restoration when it comes to structural damage from water, fire, wind, or other mishaps.  And Wolgast Corporation is a commercial contractor who has specialized in buildings of all shapes and sizes since 1948.

So, what are the benefits of having your restoration company on the same team as a general contractor?  The communication and actions to start planning the reconstruction portion of your project (if it’s needed) flows fluidly through the company as the experts in charge of your building talk freely and regularly.  Also the strength and resources that Wolgast Corporation has developed over the past 70+ years provides a solid foundation for Wolgast Restoration to handle projects of any size. 

During the clean-up portion of a project, project technicians can assess the situation and keep the construction staff informed of what’s needed and the construction staff can be estimating budgets, planning for materials, obtaining permits and organizing team coverage.  All this is done without much effort on your part, because when you have endured mayhem, the last thing you want is to be burdened with is making phone calls and searching for an unknown company to preserve your building.

Wolgast Restoration is providing its services through the same systemized approach that Wolgast Corporation uses to provide its construction services.  We find that having this systemized approach allows us to provide the most uniform and quality service for each unique job.  It helps us move quickly to the next task rather than pause to determine what to do next, all to the benefit of our clients through time savings.

We have offices in Saginaw and Kalamazoo areas.  If mayhem strikes you, please don’t hesitate to strike back with Wolgast Restoration.  Call 855.965.4278 to take immediate action.  In the meantime, if you have questions, please visit www.wolgastrestoration.com or call 989-790-9120 when it isn't an emergency.

 

water damagefire damagewind damage

Topics: Water Damage, residential, wind damage, Wolgast Restoration, structural damage, commercial, fire damage

How to Make a Family Disaster Plan

Posted by Cory Anderson on Thu, Apr 04, 2013 @ 09:45 AM

Escape

Making sure you and your family are properly prepared for a natural disaster, such as severe weather, lightening storm, flood, or a fire in your home, is a great way to assure that you’re able to “weather the storm” and safely evacuate your home.  FEMA has a website designed to assist you in preparing a Family Emergency Plan:  www.disasterassistance.gov, which guides you and your family to safely and quickly evacuate your home in an emergency.

The first step is to put together an escape route (www.ready.gov/make-a-plan) from your home and make sure to practice this frequently so everyone is familiar with it.  Create a floor plan of your home, making sure to show escape routes from each room; and keep a copy of this floor plan in each room at your children’s eye level.  If you have upper floors, make sure each room has an escape ladder and everyone knows how to use it.   

The second step is to plan where you and your family will meet after evacuating your home.  Part of preparing the Family Emergency Plan is to decide on a location BEFORE disaster strikes.  You may want to discuss having an alternate meeting location if the first location is not available. 

The third step is:  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.  Practicing your escape plan is vital to making sure that everyone does indeed get out of the home safely and quickly.  It’s recommended that you should practice once per month so everyone is familiar with the plan and knows exactly what they need to do and how to do it.

The fourth step in to prepare an Emergency Kit of supplies and decide where you’re going to keep it.  Having more than one kit and keeping them in different locations will also help if you’re unable to reach one of them.  You’ll also need to decide what to put in your Emergency Kits.  You’ll want to anticipate what you may need for different situations and pack the kit accordingly.  In addition to the more common items, such as flashlights, food, water, blankets, clothing, games/books, you may want to consider the following items to add in case of a longer stay away from your home:

  • Moist towelettes
  • garbage bags
  • can openers for canned foods
  • whistle to signal for help
  • battery-powered radio
  • tools
  • prescription medications & eye wear
  • infant food
  • diapers
  • pet food
  • money
  • paper plates
  • napkins & silverware
  • sleeping bags
  • heavy coats

Preparing for emergencies and disasters BEFORE they happen will likely help your family to stay calmer during a hectic time.  Just keep in mind that you MUST practice with your family once you have your Family Emergency Plan created.  Disasters could happen at any time.  Being prepared is the best way to ensure your family’s safety when it does.

 

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

Topics: residential, wind damage, structural damage, disaster plan

Be Prepared for After the Storm

Posted by Cory Sursely on Mon, Mar 18, 2013 @ 01:37 PM

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

tornado2The 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!

Topics: Flooding, residential, wind damage, roof damage

Spring Is on Its Way

Posted by Cory Sursely on Wed, Mar 13, 2013 @ 08:25 AM

Are you prepared for the potential storms that accompany it?

lightning

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!”

Topics: Water Damage, Flooding, residential, wind damage, Wolgast Restoration, structural damage, commercial

Q. What Do Spring and Basements Have in Common? A. Flooding Part I

Posted by Cory Sursely on Fri, Mar 08, 2013 @ 04:23 PM

Don’t Be Caught with a Flooded Basement This Spring

(Part I of II)

flooded basementJust 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

Topics: Water Damage, Flooding, Mold, residential, commercial