What is that smell?

Nothing is worst than having a strong odor you cannot get rid of or even find the source of in your home or business. A local medical facility in California had just this problem. Several weeks before, the facility had some serious water and moisture get into their main lobby areas after a rain storm. Ever since then, a very strong odor remained in the building. They spent tons of money trying to fix the problem and finally called a local restoration company called Bridges Restoration. In a bizarre turn of events, Pigeons ended up being the cause of their problems.

The facility had a secondary roof drain in case the primary drain backs up. The primary drain was seriously backed up with pigeon feathers and feces. This led to excessive water flowing into the secondary drain. In return, this led to the water getting into the facility’s exterior awning (soffit) as well as tons of pigeons making the soffit their home. The area was filled with water, dead pigeons, food, feces, micro-organisms, and at least a hundred live birds. This led to a very unique removal and restoration job.

To read the full story and how they removed the birds and restored the building click here. The article was featured in R & R Magazine’s July Issue. The picture above is from the magazine as well.

This story is a very unique incident but it still shows just how important it is to call a restoration company when you experience water damage such as this. A horrible smell like that can end up being linked to something that can be very damaging to your business or home and your health.

Here are some great tips to keep in mind to prevent water damage from water backup from hurting your business or home:

Maintain gutters and downspouts, keeping them free of debris and leaves and repairing them if they are sagging
Inspect your gutters’ capacity – after fifteen minutes of heavy rain, if water overflows the gutters, install additional downspouts
Extend downspouts at least ten feet away from the house
Adjust landscaping and irrigation so that water flows away from the foundation
Drain subsurface groundwater and storm water with a sump pump system that has battery backup and replacement warnings
Run your sump pump every few months and clean it annually before the rainy season
Prevent back flow of sanitary sewer water by installing back flow valves and standpipes at all basement drain locations, including sinks and toilets
Prepare your basement “just in case” by raising your washer, dryer, water heater, oil tank, furnace, all electrical wiring and personal items above typical water backup levels

If you experience water damage, call True Clean Restoration immediately at 309-664-8577! We are available 24/7 to help!