If you’re a homeowner, you understand the satisfaction of having a place to call your own, a place where you and your family can relax in comfort and safety, and one where you can build memories over the years.

Of course, as any homeowner will tell you, sometimes things can go wrong – terribly wrong. It’s called a home disaster, and it can occur at anytime. Maybe a freak storm floods your basement or blows a tree over into your house; maybe a fire breaks out in the kitchen, causing massive fire and smoke damage throughout; maybe your toilet backs up and floods your bathroom in raw sewage; or maybe your home is the target of a vandal or burglar who comes in and damages what you’ve worked so hard to build. It can happen to anyone, anytime, and, unfortunately, it’s all a part of being a homeowner.

At DHL, our goal is to make your life as a homeowner easier and more enjoyable. That’s why the good folks here have put together a special Home Disaster Survival Kit just for you! We’ve talked to some of the area’s top-rated companies and asked them for advice on dealing with the occasional home disaster and how to prevent new ones in the future. These people are the experts. Their years of experience have provided them with the knowledge you need in order to be ready when disaster strikes. And now they’re here to share this valuable information with you.

Let’s start in the garage. What do you do if a fire, spill or cracking damages your garage floor? It’s a common problem for homeowners, and it’s one that can cost you a lot if you don’t know who to turn to. That’s where PremierGarage of Pittsburgh comes in. PremierGarage provides quality from the first step to the final day of installation. Their designs reflect your unique vision, and their sales personnel are both knowledgeable and respectful. The Premier installers also have the knowledge of the product that they are providing and will take the time with each customer to answer any questions. The PremierGarage team strives to provide the highest quality service with the highest quality products.

PremierGarage’s cabinets are constructed with only the best and strongest materials.

Above, damaged garage floor.

Above, garage floor restored with a durable floor coating system by PremierGarage.

“When damage from fire, spills or cracking occurs to your garage floor, PremierGarage can restore the floor without replacing part or the entire garage floor,” says owner Tim Powers. PremierGarage can provide a floor that will stand up to gas, oils, salt and water. Their flooring is more durable than the other coatings out there and takes half the time to install. During a time when homeowners are trying to get their lives back together, a Premier floor will allow them to get in their garage sooner than later. Premier’s five-year warranty also gives the homeowner the peace of mind that the floor will last. Premier’s cabinets are constructed with only the best and strongest materials. Each cabinet has four sides and comes with a lifetime warranty. These cabinets provide the space, strength and durability needed to restore and organize after a garage disaster.

“When a customer hires PremierGarage, we look at them as a partner and would like them to realize that we strive to provide them with a product and service that they will want to tell their neighbors and friends about,” says Powers.

To prevent disasters in the garage, Powers says it’s important to remember not to keep open containers of fuel or flammable products in the garage. “If they are stored in the garage keep them in a closed cabinet,” he says. “When you move your car, look for fluid leaking from the bottom of the car. Keeping the garage clean and organized the area will prevent possible accidents and fires.”

You can learn more about PremierGarage today by visiting their website at PremierGarage.com, or by phone at (724) 837-4460. You can also visit them at their main office in Greensburg at 114 Equity Drive Suite F, or at their downtown Pittsburgh design center showroom at 3011 Smallman Street.

PremierGarage has you covered as far as garage floor repair and replacement. But what about the rest of the house? Who do you turn to when disaster strikes in other parts of your home? ServiceMaster, that’s who. ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh provides a comprehensive response to any type of property related disaster event such as storm, water, fire, smoke, vandalism or any other unplanned event. They also provide complete reconstruction from roofing to flooring, from painting and decorating to kitchens and baths.

ServiceMaster is there for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and they work closely with all major insurance companies to begin to return your home or business to pre-disaster conditions. Once the damage is halted, they provide complete rebuilding and reconstruction services to return your property to its original or better condition. They even have separate operating divisions for handling homeowner's personal property such as furniture, garments, electronics, artwork and documents. And their construction department is staffed by experienced well qualified remodeling specialists.

“We are sensitive to the fact that, unlike a home remodeling project, the homeowner did not plan for the inconvenience and hassles involved with this home improvement project,” says John Samek, owner and general manager. “We move quickly to return homes and businesses to pre-disaster condition, through a well managed system that addresses all of the customer’s expectations, and we seek to establish and maintain a relationship with our customers for a long time.”

ServiceMaster moves quickly to return home and businesses to pre-disaster condition.

Our Home Disaster Survival Kit Experts: PremierGarage Tim Powers (724) 837-4460 PremierGarage.com ServiceMaster John Samek (412) 826-1010 ServiceMasterofGreaterPgh.com Garland Agency Rich Garland (412) 607-0202 GarlandAgencyIns.com Ligo Architects Lee Ligo (724) 794-2380 LigoArchitects.com

A good architect like Ligo Architects can help to redesign a feature and lessen the possibility of a similar reoccurrence or disaster the second time around.

ServiceMaster’s customers can expect extraordinary care from their employees and staff, who are chosen not only for their technical abilities to deliver an exceptional product but also for their ability to display concern and care for the customer’s belongings and well being. Once the reconstruction project begins, ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh moves quickly to completion. Of course, in order for everything to go as smooth as possible, they stress that it’s important to review your homeowner’s policy before disaster strikes. “The majority of the clients we serve after a disaster never read or fully understand their policy prior to the loss,” says Samek. “A good insurance agent will spend time every year to review your policy and make sure that it is indeed covering what you want and think it is covering.”

ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh recommends a home audit performed annually that addresses that most common areas associated with property losses. Inspect and review the conditions of the water supply lines to the appliances, shut-off valves, electrical extension cords, floor drains, sewer lines and gutters and downspouts. Know where your water main shut-off valves are and identify them for others in your home.

“The most important action needed to recover from a home disaster is the emergency mitigation activity that occurs within the first few hours after a disaster,” says Samek. “Quick response to the ongoing damaging effects of water, smoke, sewage or storm is critical. At ServiceMaster, we understand this, and that’s why so many people around the region trust us.”

Recently, a team from ServiceMaster took an extended trip to Louisiana and Texas where they brought their expertise in property repair to help with the restoration and repair to many churches and schools damaged by hurricanes Gustov and Ike.

You can learn more about ServiceMaster’s comprehensive services on their website at ServiceMasterofGreaterPgh.com, or you can reach them by phone at (412) 826-1010. John Samek of ServiceMaster clearly understands the value of a good insurance agent in the event of a home disaster. And so do we.

Rich Garland is the president of Garland Agency Inc., a full-service property casualty and financial services agency that offers the tailored policies that will fit your specific and unique needs. “We have a specific background in handling claims for our clients,” says Garland. “I worked for several years as a claims adjuster and handled these claims specifically. I know what it is like for a homeowner to suffer a loss to their home and what it takes to be rebuild a home after disaster has struck.” As a result of working in claims, Garland has a personal relationship with his claims department where he can easily contact the adjusters on a claim and gain access to information that can help process claims and ensure proper and speedy handling of your claim.

With Garland, a customer can expect a complete and comprehensive discussion about their needs and how to protect them. “We will respect and honor the process of gathering the necessary information about our clients and then develop suggestions as to how to handle them,” says Garland. “Our discussion will include alternatives on how to handle each situation that would arise.”

Garland says the most important thing you can do to protect yourself in the event of a home disaster is to properly insure your home and the property and conduct an annual review to discuss any changes that might have occurred since the initial policy issue. “It’s also important to develop an inventory list of the items you own room by room and send it to your agent for storage,” says Garland. “And we will be happy to keep a copy of that list in the event that a loss occurs.”

You can learn more about Garland Agency and its many services at GarlandAgencyIns.com. You can also contact them through each of their three locations: 1440 Lincoln Way in White Oak, (412) 678-8868; 4772 Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, (412) 683-2690 or 11624 Penn Hills Dr. in Pittsburgh, (412) 247-7373. You can even contact Rich directly at (412) 607-0202.

So, once the disaster is over and the rebuild and redesign phase begins, it’s important to think things through and seek the advice of a true professional. That’s where Ligo Architects comes in.A good architect like Lee Ligo can help with the redesign of a feature and lessen the possibility of a similar reoccurrence the second time around. “We feel that when we are involved in a project our combined understanding of the needs of a specific client, the proper construction drawings, as well as adequate construction observation will serve the client avoiding setting the stage for a future home disaster,” says Ligo.

Ligo has a service they offer through realtors with whom we are familiar, wherein they will meet with a client and the realtor to evaluate their thoughts concerning changes and costs of same to personalize their prospective purchase. This visit usually lasts 1 to 3 hours, does not include any drawings and is invoiced at a predetermined nominal fee. “If the client does buy the house and we are retained as the architect the charge is voided and included in the remodeling architectural fee,” says Ligo.

Ligo listens to you. Not only do they apply fixed solutions to issues for their clients but their solutions are client specific and tailored to their individual needs. Their construction experience and positive relationships to a large pool of contractors and suppliers with whom they have shared years of experience is of great value to their clients. “We like to say that our main focus is problem solving for the client,” says Ligo.

Ligo says the best piece of advice he can give a homeowner is to apply common sense to the operation of your residence. For instance, turn off the water and water heater when you are leaving the house overnight or longer. “Something as simple as that can save you thousands of dollars helping to prevent water-related disasters,” says Ligo.

You can learn more about what Ligo Architects can do for you at LigoArchitects.com, or by calling them today at (724) 794-2380.

So, there you have it – your very own Home Disaster Survival Kit, straight from your friends here at DHL! Of course, we hope that you’ll never have to use it, but if you do, you know that you’ll be in good hands with trusted, proven local companies like PremierGarage, ServiceMaster, Garland Agency and Ligo Architects. When disaster strikes, don’t worry – they’ve got you covered!