The Importance of Securing your Home after a Disaster
It is extremely difficult to keep your calm and make a rational, sober assessment of the situation in the wake of a disaster. Your informed decisions and correct choices during such difficult times, however, can make a big difference. If you take quick and efficient measures immediately after an emergency, you have a great chance to salvage much of your property and avoid serious troubles down the road. The better protection you provide for your home in the aftermath of a disaster, the sooner you will be able to get your life back on track. Therefore, securing your property should be among your primary concerns in the stressful and chaotic post-disaster period.
If your property has suffered severe fire, water, or wind damage, your best option is to call experienced disaster restoration professionals to prevent the damage from spreading any further and ensure the safety of your home. The experts provide effective emergency services that include water removal, cleaning of debris, boarding up windows and doorways, and any other precautionary measures required to secure damaged property until permanent repairs can be made and the restoration process can begin.
Why Home Security Is Important After Emergencies
In the unfortunate event of a natural disaster or act of vandalism, it is of paramount importance to properly evaluate the extent of the damage and make sure that your home or commercial building is effectively stabilized and restored by qualified professionals. The first step is to secure your property. There are a number of good reasons why home security should be your top priority:
Liability Issues
You are liable for what happens on your property even if it is has been affected by a natural disaster or act of vandalism. If someone enters your compromised home or commercial building and gets injured, you may be held liable for their injuries, regardless of whether the property is inhabitable or not.
Besides, your homeowner’s insurance will not cover any additional damages resulting from failure to protect your home after an emergency.
Further Damage
Unless you take efficient preventive measures immediately after a disaster, the excessive moisture, smoke particles, soot, etc. will continue to damage your household items and materials. With time, the damage will spread throughout your entire property and become irreversible.
You should also have in mind that rain, snow, high winds, or other unfavorable weather conditions may easily inflict further damage to your home or commercial building if it has already been compromised by a disaster (broken roof, missing doors or windows, cracked walls, etc.) and left unattended.
So, you are strongly advised to clear the damage as soon as possible after an emergency and protect your home against the whims of the weather, possible burglar attempts, and other potential misfortunes.
Vandalism
Some ill-intentioned people may take advantage of the situation and make matters even worse. Looters may enter your unprotected property to steal your belongings; vandals may cause further damage to the structure; homeless people or outlaws may take shelter in the damaged building; etc.
The only way to prevent anyone from entering your property and causing additional problems is to secure your home with the help of efficient board-ups or other appropriate protection services.
What Is the Best Way to Protect Your Home After a Disaster?
So, what to do after a disaster? How to secure your home and prevent further troubles? Here are the essential steps to take immediately after an emergency in order to ensure a quick and problem-free disaster recovery:
- Contact your insurance company – call your insurance agent as soon as any immediate danger has passed away and let them know exactly what has occurred. Explain the situation in details and ask them about the recommended course of action. Gather as much evidence (photos, videos, etc.) as you can about the condition of your property immediately after the emergency and initiate an insurance claim;
- Secure your home – call emergency restoration professionals to assess the damage and protect your home. Schedule board-up services and arrange for the removal of debris, broken glass, excess water, soot and smoke. You can rest assured that the experienced technicians at reliable disaster restoration companies will do the best job possible, as they have the appropriate equipment and the required know-how to effectively handle such dangerous situations. What’s more, they coordinate their work with local insurance agencies to ensure a smooth and beneficial claim process;
- Plan an efficient restoration process – make sure you hire qualified professionals to devise an efficient restoration strategy and help you resume your normal life as soon as possible. Depending on the specific kind of damage your property has suffered, you may need quality construction services, clean-up services, content restoration services, mold remediation services, etc. To ensure your peace of mind, however, you need to know that your property is well secured and protected in the meantime.