Disaster Restoration

After the water is gone and the clean-up crews have finished, the serious business begins - getting back to normal. But can you? There are major problems still coming.

Even now musty odours have started and the aftermath of the flood will be rampant growth of mould, mildew, bacteria and other microbial contaminants from wet or damp areas. Building structures, carpeting, furnishings and, most importantly, people will be affected.

The musty odour comes first, then you start to see the physical problem. Staining, defacement and deterioration force premature replacement. By the time the damages are visible, the costs can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As the contamination of surfaces builds and spreads, airborne levels of microorganisms rise sharply. Allergic and asthmatic reactions, building related illness, and other even more serious consequences can be directly related to these high microbiological levels.

The problems can be prevented by insuring that effective microbial control is an integral part of your restoration strategy.

Effective control requires both the destruction of organisms living on surfaces and sustained antimicrobial activity on the surfaces to prevent regrowth.

Simple disinfection with conventional biocides kills the germs in your building but does not stop regrowth and spread after the treatment. Also, conventional biocides are toxic by nature and are designed to diffuse or leach into the environment - a potential risk for occupants.

The ĘGIS Microbe Shield uses the only bound antimicrobial technology available in Canada for building care.

It provides initial control of fungus, bacteria and other single celled organisms and it chemically alters building surfaces to provide long term protection from regrowth.

Since it becomes part of the surface, it does not produce toxic or allergic effects in the building environment.

In an effort to control the crisis, insurers and building owners often overlook the long-term consequences of flooding. Microbial contamination from high moisture levels needs to be identified and controlled quickly to reduce physical losses and minimise potential liability from occupant exposure.