Belfor's website lists water, fire and storm damage restoration, mold remediation, contents restoration and document recovery, for homes and businesses. The company says it has more than 500 offices worldwide. The pages read did not describe the Charleston location itself.

Listed since 12/11/2014

Storm and water damage restoration in Charleston

In Charleston the water often comes from the harbor rather than the sky. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 produced one of the worst tidal surges in about 80 years. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 put seawater over White Point Garden, and Hurricane Irma in 2017 pushed a surge of nearly 10 feet through downtown's historic streets, the worst since Hugo. The city also had a heavy rain flood in 2015, so downtown flooded three years in a row. Saltwater and tidal floodwater are contaminated, which means wet drywall, insulation and carpet generally come out rather than dry in place.

What large-loss restoration involves

After a storm the order is safety and emergency services, then mitigation: temporary roof covering, extraction, removal of wet materials and structural drying. Contents may be packed out and cleaned off-site. Mold remediation follows where growth is found, and air duct cleaning where the HVAC system was exposed. Insurance usually runs the timeline, so keep records. Ask how contents will be inventoried, what the drying goal is, and who supervises on site. See documenting your loss before the cleanup starts and mold after water damage: testing and remediation.