This Rainbow International franchise location serves Jacksonville, Florida, and nearby communities including St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, Palm Coast, Green Cove Springs and Nassau County. The Rainbow brand's website lists water, fire and smoke damage restoration, mold remediation, and carpet and upholstery cleaning.

Listed since 12/11/2014

Restoration in Jacksonville

Jacksonville is a river city, and the river is the hazard. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma drove the St. Johns River to its highest level since 1846, flooding downtown streets and homes in neighborhoods such as San Marco, with water rising more than five feet in places. Researchers describe it as compound flooding: surge, heavy rain and an already saturated waterway arriving together.

That slower, wider flooding is typical of the area. Water sits for days instead of draining, which raises the contamination category and the odds of mold, and it reaches carpet, cabinets and wall cavities that a quick mop-up cannot dry.

What a restoration job involves

A large restoration firm usually splits the work: water extraction and drying, mold containment and removal, fire and smoke cleanup, storm repairs, and cleaning of carpet and upholstery that can still be saved. The skill is in deciding which items are cleaned and which are removed.

Ask for that decision in writing for any wet carpet or pad, and ask how the crew will document conditions for your insurer. Our guides on smoke damage you can't see and why the smell comes back and mold after water damage explain two of the harder calls.