Considering the Costs: Restoration or Replacement

9/17/2018 (Permalink)

Replacing all affected items can increase the cost and time required to recover from a disaster.

Experiencing a water or a fire damage can be overwhelming. Looking around the building or room where the damage occurred can result in a deep-seated feeling that everything is ruined and must be replaced. However, replacing every structure or item that was damaged in a flood or fire can be an expensive and lengthy process. While not all items can be restored, depending on the extent of the damage and how long ago the incident happened, our trained professionals can help you assess what can be saved and what should be thrown out. SERVPRO® of Charlottesville believes in the process of restoration as the preferred alternative to replacing items that can be saved after a disaster.

When looking at the elements in the room, often building materials can be restored rather than replaced even if they were affected in a disaster. Drywall can be dried after a water damage and soot can often be removed from drywall after a fire damage. The same can be said of subfloor materials, carpets, and floorings. These materials take up a large portion of space in landfills and each piece that we can save instead of depositing into the trash is better for the environment. Additionally, replacing these materials can take much longer than restoring them. While we can begin drying or cleaning these items almost immediately, replacing these materials involves removing, discarding, choosing, and installing new materials. During this replacement process, you also lose access to the part of your home or business. Choosing restoration is the first step to getting your business up and running or returning normalcy to your home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, depending on the level and type of damage, some items will still need to be replaced, but SERVPRO® of Charlottesville is here to help you make this determination so you are discarding only what is necessary and restoring what can be saved.

Once the room has been restored or is underway, we can look at the contents of the room and think about restoring these elements. Some items that you have in your home cannot be replaced, whether it’s a piece of original artwork or your grandmother’s diary. These items cannot be bought or found elsewhere. We are committed to helping recover these items if it is possible. A flood in your basement doesn’t have to mean losing all your family photos. An electrical fire in the attic doesn’t mean throwing out all the mementos from your daughter’s childhood.

Of course, on the larger scale, restoring is also cheaper than replacing. After a fire, if you choose to replace your kitchen, you must consider the cost of labor to tear the old, damaged items out as well as the cost for new items and installation. SERVPRO® of Charlottesville offers a cheaper solution through the restoration of the items that can be saved, including removing the soot and the odor from the affected area. We are happy to work with insurance companies and keep them appraised as work progresses. Insurance companies, in turn, are happy to work with us as the cheaper and quicker alternative to replacement.

In the event of a disaster in your home or business, you’ve already lost enough. Let us help restore normalcy to your residence and make it “Like it never even happened.”