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There is a digital marketing agency that designs and develops websites for professionals of the restoration industry, Proceed Innovative.  Proceed Innovative designed, built, and continues to operate RestorationMasterFinder.com and they have developed custom websites for many of the disaster restoration professionals that are featured on RestorationMaster.  Years of working with restoration professionals to build their websites and handle their online marketing has made Proceed Innovative an authority in the industry.

Proceed Innovative is a full-service digital marketing firm that provides search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) management, and lead generation services in addition to web design.  The website designs created by Proceed Innovative are done with SEO principles in mind to help attract more traffic for a higher number of quality leads which will boost conversion rates and lead to a higher ROI.  Their web designs are also mobile responsive which means they will load quickly and function properly for those searching on mobile devices.

Check out the case studies from Proceed Innovative to view their previous web design work and learn how their web design positively impacted their clients’ businesses.

Visit Proceed Innovative’s website to learn more about their web design services.

First thing’s first, if your property has been affected by sewage, you should try to avoid the affected area as much as possible.  There are likely toxins still hanging around that can have a bad impact on your health.

Just because there is no standing water, that does not mean that there is no water damage.  Many furnishings and building materials absorb water, including sewage water, and it is possible that some water has been absorbed by the surrounding furniture or structural elements.  It seems like you want to avoid full scale water damage which is understandable.  Since there is no standing water, full scale water damage is not necessary.  However, a water damage professional should inspect the affected area and furnishings to ensure they have not absorbed any sewage water.

Here’s the good news, the same licensed professional can handle all of the problems that come with a sewage overflow, including water removal, water damage repair, cleaning and disinfection, and odor removal.  Water damage restoration professionals generally provide sewage cleanup services and they will handle all of these steps because they are necessary to restore your property back to its normal condition.

When you call a restoration professional to clean up after a sewage overflow, you can expect the restoration process to include the following steps:

• Water Extraction and Dehumidification: Water damage professionals can remove standing water, including sewage water, using advanced water extraction equipment. They can also thoroughly dry affected furnishings and building materials by placing air movers and dehumidifiers in the affected areas.  Fortunately, you are not dealing with standing water, but there may have been some water absorbed by the affected furnishings and building materials.  A water damage restoration professional can dry and restore materials that have absorbed water.
• Property Damage Restoration and Repair: Restoration professionals can generally dry furnishings and building materials that have absorbed water and repair the resulting damage. However, furnishings and building materials that have absorbed any sewage water also absorb the waste materials along with it.  This is why you should have any furnishings and building materials touched by the sewage inspected.  Materials that have absorbed any amount of sewage water may be unsafe to use and difficult, if not impossible, to restore.
• Cleaning and Disinfection: This is an important step in the sewage cleanup process to ensure that the area is safe to use without the fear of possible health effects. Restoration professionals use powerful cleaning products and disinfectants to remove remaining dirt, waste materials, and toxins.  The cleaning and sanitization products they use are safe and effective for a wide range of furnishings and building materials.
• Odor Removal: Foul odors from sewage and other sources linger because the odor particles get absorbed and trapped in building materials such as wood and drywall, furniture, and other porous materials. These odor particles need to be neutralized to eliminate the smell from your property.  Restoration professionals use deodorization methods including ozone treatments, hydroxyl deodorization, and thermal fogging to remove odors.  Each of these methods work by attacking and decomposing odor particles at the molecular level.

Make sure you get in touch with a water damage restoration professional as soon as possible.  They will inspect the affected area and handle the complete restoration, including cleaning, sanitization and odor removal. 

On RestorationMasterFinder.com, we do have many listed businesses that provide hoarding cleaning services that can help you sort through your cluttered home and decide what to do with your accumulated objects.  These professionals always take a respectful approach to hoarding cleaning projects and they will involve you and your husband in the decision-making process when it comes to deciding what to do with each object.  If your husband does struggle with hoarding, it is important for you to talk to your husband before calling for professional help so that he agrees to this decision.  There are also professional counselors and other resources available to help those affected by hoarding.

Unfortunately, we do not currently have a business listed in the Ballwin, MO area that provides hoarding cleaning services.  Search for professional hoarding cleaning services in your area and reach out to at least a couple of different services before making your decision.  You should choose a service provider that not only has the equipment to help you clean and disinfect your home if necessary, but also takes a respectful approach.  Hoarding is a mental disorder and it is very important to approach those who struggle with hoarding with a sense of compassion and respect.  A true professional should understand this and take a respectful approach to the project.  They should also make sure to involve you and your husband in the decision-making process.  After all, the items being dealt with belong to you and your husband, not the cleaning professionals.

Granite countertops are quite durable, but they are still vulnerable to chips and scratches on the surface.  If your granite countertop is chipped at the edge, this can be repaired, and there are two different ways you can go about repairing it; calling a professional or DIY repair.

One way to have the chip in your granite repaired is to call a natural stone professional that provides repair services for natural stone surfaces like granite.  They have access to epoxies, color toners, and other supplies from natural stone vendors that allow them to repair surface damage like chips and color match to your countertop so that the repaired area matches seamlessly.  The cost of these professional services depends on the extent of the damage.  If your granite countertop just has a thumbnail sized chip on its edge, the cost of the repair will likely be on the low end between $100 and $200.

There are two different DIY methods you can do to repair the chip in your granite countertop.  One method is to buy a DIY granite epoxy resin repair kit and follow the directions to repair the chip yourself.  It seems like the chip in your countertop is small enough to be repaired with one of these kits.  These kits can cost anywhere from $35 up to $100.

The most cost-effective DIY method is to fix the chip using thick super glue of medium viscosity.  This method will only cost you the price of the glue and fine grit sandpaper.  Follow these steps when using this method:

• Clean the area around the chip with acetone or nail polish remover and make sure the area is dry.
• If the granite is dark colored and the chip caused the surrounding area to lighten, you can darken the area with a dark permanent marker.
• Tape off the area around the chip and fill the chip with glue so that the glue is either flush with the rest of the surface or slightly above it. Leave the glue to cure.
• Once the glue has cured, remove the tape and use a razor blade to shave off the excess glue so that it takes the right shape. You can also use high grit sandpaper for a better sheen.

As far as replacement costs, this will depend on the type of granite you choose, the thickness of the granite, and the exact dimensions of your counter space.  New granite will generally cost you between $45 and $200 per square foot.

Honed granite is typically chosen for kitchens because the matte appearance is a nice, classy change from the high gloss appearance of polished granite.  This type of granite is produced by stopping the finishing process early which prevents the stone from becoming shiny.  The one major drawback of this is that it leaves the pores on the surface of the stone wide open which makes it vulnerable to stains.  This is why the upkeep for honed granite is much more involved than polished granite.

Honed granite surfaces can become discolored from dust, grease, handprints, and food and drink, especially acidic beverages like fruit juice and alcohol which can also etch the granite surface.  The best way to protect your honed granite surface from stains is to seal it with a natural stone sealer.  You should use a penetrating sealer that will get into the open pores to help fight against dirt buildup and stains.  While stone sealers can be effective in protecting honed granite, these surfaces still need to be cleaned regularly and the sealer needs to be reapplied every 3 months or so.

Regularly cleaning and sealing honed granite surfaces is the best you can do to keep them in good condition.  There is no real shortcut you can take to reduce the upkeep of honed granite, unless you apply a new finish to the surface which would give it a whole new appearance.

In this case, you should consider if the look of honed granite is worth the upkeep.  Polished granite is much easier to maintain because the surface is less porous, stain resistant, and it does not require sealing nearly as often.  If you are still deciding between keeping your honed granite counters or switching to polished granite, this blog can help: https://restorationmasterfinder.com/restoration/honed-granite-vs-polished-granite/.