Hardwood Floors December 2017/January 2018

Wood

PIECES

PICKING UP THE e 2017 hurricane season is one many will never forget. With two deadly hurricanes, Harvey and Irma, making landfall in the U.S. within weeks of each other, our southern states, in particular, experienced a great deal of devastation. In the months to come, millions of residents will work to repair the damage done to their homes or those around them – many, having lost their homes and belongings, will have to start over completely. Numerous NWFAmembers are among those a ected by the hurricane a ermath, both personally and professionally. “I had about 2-1/2 feet of standing water in my house a er Hurricane Harvey hit,” says Rob Navon of Houston Floor Inspections in Houston, Texas. “I live near a bayou, so the water came in quickly and didn’t allow for time to move things. I lost all of my furniture and all three of my cars.”

By Megan Lhamon

Another member, Neil Moss, had three family members including his brother-in-law, industry veteran Mel Hollis, who sawmore than ve-feet-high sewage and water in their homes. “In the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ e orts to keep dams from failing, many neighborhoods and businesses downstream that had never ooded, nor were ooded during the storm, were intentionally ooded. My family members’ homes were among those,” says Moss. “We sold out to investors and are currently living with my daughter and son-in-law,” says Hollis. One thing both Navon andMoss saw immediately following the stormwas hospitality. “Our community received tremendous assistance from local groups as well as out-of-town and out-of-state friends who came in to help remove rubbish or tear down drywall,” says Moss. “Other volunteers showed up with food to feed those who had just lost everything. It was quite a sight to behold.” Navon had a similar experience. “I was rescued frommy home via boat and brought to a community shelter where there was food and a place to stay. It was incredible to see everyone come together and help in this time of dire need.” e next step for many of the a ected residents will be guring out what to do with all of the damage. With millions a ected, it could take months to receive money from insurance companies, which could prevent many from being able to begin repairs to their homes or move elsewhere. “One of the rst things I did was go to a dealership to nd a new vehicle,” says Navon. “It was a huge challenge nding a vehicle that didn’t have water damage and was reasonably priced. Many dealers were trying to sell cars that were damaged. Some people might not have picked up on the damage, but as an inspector, it didn’t take more than a look underneath the car for me to recognize water damage.” A er he found a vehicle, Navon started seeking remediation companies and general contractors to help get his home back together. “ e remediation company I hired came in and took up about 2,000 sq. . of hardwood ooring in my home,” says Navon. “ ey also placed blowers and dehumidi ers throughout to bring the moisture content back to an acceptable level. Months

Photos courtesy of Rob Navon

hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com

12