Getting Your Home Back to 'Normal' After Hurricane Irma
Posted by TOA's Blog Team on Sep 14th 2017
Would you agree that we know tropical storms and hurricanes here in southwest Florida and the Gulf Coast?
And after a hurricane like Irma, there's nothing quite like making it through to sunshine so you can focus on getting your home back to normal...
Normal, though, has plenty of challenges especially if your home sustained damage from the winds, the rain, falling debris and trees, not to mention flood waters and more.
Perhaps these tips can help. They have to do with hurricane cleanup and the insurance claim process.
We're hoping they will help you not only get back to normal, but also more quickly get back to the fun and inspiring aspects of remodeling your home with tile. And then we can help you make those dreams become reality...
How to Get Your Home Back to Normal After Hurricane Irma
As we sorted through information from the EPA, the CDC and other sources, we noticed that the information fell into three categories:
- Immediate to-dos
- Staying safe and cleaning up
- Best practices for the insurance claim process
Let's explore each one. If you have tips to add to these, please let us know in the comments.
Immediate To-Dos After a Hurricane
Before you start cleaning or clearing away debris, take photos as well as videos! Document your home and property and any damage sustained.
Check walls, ceilings, windows. Check outdoors.
You should do this even if you think the damage is minor.
Keep those photos and videos safe.
You will need them for insurance purposes.
Staying Safe and Cleaning up Your Home After a Hurricane
Next comes assessing what type of damage you have so you can start the clean up process.
Stay Safe
Staying safe is critical, though. To that end, make sure to:
- Wear safety gear (e.g., hard hat, goggles, heavy work gloves, waterproof boots with steel toes, hearing protection especially if you are working with noisy tools)
- Stay away from power lines.
- Keep away from floodwaters.
- Don't touch anything electrical if you are standing in water.
- Protect yourself from floodwaters as they can be really dirty. Wash hands; disinfect walls, floors, surfaces with a bleach solution. Anything that can't be cleaned should be thrown out.
- Pace yourself.
- Don't work alone.
- Don't try to life heavy items all by yourself.
Cleaning Your Home
If your home is flooded, you'll want to extract the water first.
Open windows, use fans so fresh air can circulate and things can dry more quickly. That's the most effective way to prevent mildew, mold and permanent damage.
Remove and throw out wet and damaged drywall and insulation which can lead to mildew and mold.
Many local municipality or emergency services will be helping clear large trees as they may have gotten entangled in electrical wires. If not, you'll want to reach your local tree expert.
Once you've prioritized what cleaning attention your home needs, you can focus on yard cleanup.
Best Practices for the Insurance Claim Process
These tips about what to do after a hurricane or other storm come from HouseDefects.com:
- Take photos and video.
- Don't clean up until you take photos
- Protect your home from any additional damage.
- Contact your insurance company to report your claim. Be persistant.
- Reach a contractor. Don't wait for a response from the insurance company to do so.
- Keep careful records of every call you make and conversation you have with your insurance company.
- Carefully track and file all correspondence from the insurance company.
- Take photos and videos of repair work.
- Understand and track the insurance timeline.
- Find receipts for items destroyed in the hurricane. If you can't, search online for the current cost of replacement.
Post-Hurricane Cleanup Resources
You'll find these resources very helpful. They include many additional links worth exploring:
>> From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advice on cleaning up your home after storms
>> Here's advice from the US Department of Health and Human Services for safe cleanup
Good Luck Getting your Home Back to Normal After Hurricane Irma
From all of us at Tile Outlets of America, we wish you the very best getting back to normal after Hurricane Irma.
We hope to see you soon at Tile Outlets in Fort Myers, Sarasota and Tampa. We look forward to hearing how you are doing and helping you recreate the home of your dreams.
