Hoarder Home Restoration

11/3/2020 (Permalink)

What is “Hoarding Disorder”

According to The American Psychiatric Association "People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or work spaces.Hoarding is not the same as collecting. Collectors look for specific items, such as model cars or stamps, and may organize or display them. People with hoarding disorder often save random items and store them haphazardly. In most cases, they save items that they feel they may need in the future, are valuable or have sentimental value. Some may also feel safer surrounded by the things they save.Hoarding disorder occurs in an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the population and often leads to substantial distress and problems functioning. Some research show hoarding disorder is more common in males than females. It is also more common among older adults--three times as many adults 55 to 94 years are affected by hoarding disorder compared to adults 34 to 44 years old” Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H. in July 2017 via www.psychiatry.org

What is Hoarding?

Hoarded items are often things others would throw away or look at as junk or garbage such as old newspapers, junk mail or packaging. Hoarding can lead to homes filled with extreme clutter to full capacity from years of accumulation, making living conditions unsanitary and crowded. Bugs, fleas, rats and other vermin may be present, at which point an exterminator would need to be called. At times, hoarding may spread to outside the home as well, to storage facilities, or even the garage or yard.

How can SERVPRO Help?

SERVPRO of Brookhaven, McComb & Columbia encounters hoarding situations in several different ways. We may be called for a fire or water loss and find the hoarding situation when we arrive on-site. We will communicate with the insurance company regarding the customer's contents coverage, and after approval, contents can be packed out and possibly cleaned, dried, and stored in our temporary storage in our warehouse so work on the fire or water loss can begin. Another way SERVPRO of Brookhaven, McComb & Columbia encounters hoarding jobs is through calls from landlords, caseworkers, real estate agents, or family members, often after the death of a loved one. In these situations, the crew will see if they should look for any items of importance while they clean the job. Sometimes, family members will come and try to help the hoarder sort through their contents as well. Each case is very different, and hoarding jobs are often sensitive situations, but SERVPRO of Brookhaven, McComb & Columbia is here to help make it “Like it never even happened.” If you encounter a hoarding situation at one of your properties, or with your insureds, call us anytime at (601) 823-1100

Sewage Backup & Toilet Overflow Damages

2/16/2020 (Permalink)

Biohazard Help

Sewage backups and toilet overflows can cause serious damage to Brookhaven, McComb and Columbia homes. They also present health risks and should only be cleaned by certified water damage professionals. SERVPRO of Brookhaven, McComb & Columbia is not only trained to assess these issues, but has tackled these biohazard damages several times during 2019!

Some examples include, but are not limited to: sewage, toilet backflows that originate from beyond the toilet trap regardless of visible content or color.

Clean Up Procedures: 

1. Identify ALL safety issues
2. Determine source or Sewer back up and get problem fixed as quickly as possible 
3. Extract materials and/or remove all standing water
4. Apply EPA registered disinfectant
5. Remove and discard all contaminated porous and semi-porous structural materials included carpet and pad
6. Measure and document all moisture levels in affected areas.
7. Install barriers to contain damaged areas
8. Install drying equipment 
9. Monitor job daily.
10. Once completely dry. Clean all areas prior to rebuild.

When your Brookhaven, McComb or Columbia home or business has a sewer back up, rely on the professionals at SERVPRO of Brookhaven, McComb & Columbia. For a free estimate call (601)823-1100

Bat Droppings Cleanup Crew

7/24/2019 (Permalink)

How to clean up bat droppings? The answer is call SERVPRO!

Bats!?

These flying mammals love dark and secure structures; therefore, that makes your attic the perfect candidate for them to move in.

Think you have an issue with bats at your property? Here is a helpful list of questions may need to answer:

• Are there a large number of bats outside the building? 
• Has anyone heard scratching or squeaking noises from walls, the chimney, or attic?
• Are there unexplained stains on walls and ceilings?
• Are there rub marks on the outside of the building around areas with holes or cracks? 

Bats can carry different diseases that can harm humans in many ways. Rabies being one of the illnesses. The other is Histoplasmosis. What's that? 
According to the Mayo Clinic, it's defined as:
An infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus often found in bird and bat droppings. Histoplasmosis is most commonly transmitted when these spores become airborne, often during cleanup or demolition projects.

Not only are bats a pest in your home, mold can start to grow in the bat droppings.

Do Not Clean Yourself

There is a specialized remediation process to remove the bat droppings from the attic space and dispose of them. SERVPRO of Brookhaven, McComb & Columbia is highly trained in the remediation process for buildings and homes affected by bat infestations.

During the removal process, all materials that have come in contact with the bat droppings would have to be removed and disposed of under state regulations for Bio Hazardous Waste.

What does that include?

Drywall, insulation, cloth materials, cardboard and wood (depending on the saturation of droppings)

If you've had a bad infestation, do not wait to give us a call. (601) 823-1100