Recovering From Forces Of Nature

disaster cleanup services dormont, emergency services dormontDriving rains and floods are incredibly destructive forces on your home. So are strong winds, including tornados. Even random lightning strikes can cause house fires. Nothing can prepare you for when a disaster hits your home in Dormont; here are a few of the dangers:

Wind Damage

High winds can damage roofs, siding, awnings, and sometimes building facades. Both tornadoes and ‘straight line winds’ can range from 50 mph to over 100 mph, and can topple utility poles, snap limbs, strip shingles from rooftops and push cars off the road. The destruction is two fold- the wind itself plus its effect on the surrounding trees and structures.

Hailstones

Instability and temperature differentials in the atmosphere allow ice layers to form over and over again until the weight of the icy balls crashes them down to the ground. Severe storms can produce marble size hail or larger, which can cause a lot of damage to your roof, windows, and outdoor structures (and of course any vehicles unlucky enough to be caught outside.)

Hidden Dangers Of Floods

Floodwater can contain dangerous bacteria from overflowing sewage and agricultural and industrial waste. The waters can contain, animal feces, hepatitis C, and the E-Coli bacteria should be handled as if it were raw sewage.

While skin contact with floodwater doesn’t pose a serious health risk by itself, eating or drinking anything contaminated with flood water can cause diseases.

Although it might look like a simple water cleanup, hire a professional remediation team to properly protect your home and family.

Winter Weather

When temperatures drop significantly below normal, keeping the home warm and safe can be a challenge.

Pipes in exterior walls,  basements, attics, and garages are most vulnerable to freezing and therefore breaking. And a small, slow crack can, over time, be more destructive than a huge rush of water.

“Ice dams”,  are caused by the warming and refreezing of snow and ice on warmer areas of your roof can cause severe damage. The weight of extra snow and ice can allow cracks and openings, allowing cold air and moisture into your attic.

Fire Damage

U.S. fire departments respond to an average of about 350,000 home structure fires per year. The most common causes are smoking in bedrooms, faulty electrical equipment, unattended candles, and flammable liquids. An unusually high number of fires are caused by lighting; lampshades and light fittings can heat up when too close to light globes.

Lightning

Lightning strikes the earth more than 8 million times per day. The risk of being struck is low but the consequences of lightning strike injuries are serious.  

Two risks associated with lightning are 1) house fires and 2) power surges.

The most common place for a fire to ignite is in the attic when a lightning bolt comes through the roof or top of the house. If you think your home has been struck, call the fire department to check for potential, hidden fires.

When lightning strikes a house, the electricity often surges through a home’s wiring or plumbing system, searching for the quickest possible route to the ground. So again, make a thorough inspection for hot wires, short circuits, and blown fuses.

Disaster Cleanup With G.S. Jones  

When you have suffered a property loss, count on G.S. Jones to recover as many of your possessions as possible.  When disaster strikes, you will need a reliable inventory system, a knowledgeable team, and the best tools: various ultrasonic machines, washing machines, cleaning stations, ozone rooms, and secured vaults. Get back into your home sooner, and with less stress with the highly trained staff and state of the art facilities.

Based in Pittsburgh, G.S.Jones are experts recovering after a disaster. Call 877-898-2932 or visit http://www.gsjonesrestoration.com/ for more information.