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Hurricane Irene ripped through the Richmond area August 29, 2011 with wind speeds reaching 70 – 80 mph. Trees crashed into homes and blocked streets as Irene blew through. Thousands of residents and business were left powerless for over a week. Virginia Restoration was prepared for the predicted disaster with a crane that could lift trees off homes without further damaging the structures. The delicate process of taking the trees off the homes sometimes took hours to remove one tree.

The gigantic Red Oak tree in this slide show crashed into the family’s home causing masive damage to the roof and the ceiling inside the home which in turn caused water damage as the bands of rain showed up during Irene. Thankfully, the family was safe and no injuries occurred when the tree hit the home. This tree removal was an all day job for VRS and the tree crew. The tree had to be removed section by section due to its weight as the crane had to boom out 110 feet to remove the heaviest part of the tree from the home.

A special thanks to W.O. Grubb Crane Rental, T&T Tree Service and, Virginia Tree Science for their commitment and hard work to help VRS get the trees removed and homes secured for reconstruction.

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This addition is more than an addition on a home. Watch as VRS masterfully adds on 3000 + square feet to this home…

VRS uses thermal imagining cameras by fluke to detect abnnormal temperature patterns within a damaged property. Thermal imaging is the non-contact detection and measurement of infrared energy or temperature. All objects on earth, hot or cold, radiate. The Fluke cameras can capture photographs of the temperature and energy patters to help better asses problem areas. We use thermal imaging to inspect, troubleshoot and maintain electrical, mechanical and process equipment. Detecting abnormal temperature patterns allows us to lower costs for the consumer, increases productivity, and reduces risk. The camera also allows us to see water within the walls of a damaged home since water is a different temperature.

Virginia Restoration Services has an A rating with the BBB!

As a locally owned, family business, VRS is committed to provide consumers with the special attention that is needed when responding to emergency calls and following through with reconstruction services. Our name is synonymous with quality workmanship and uncompromising service. We take our accreditation and our A rating with the BBB very seriously. Len Phillips (owner) has been in the building industry since 1996. He has built his company name by meeting and exceeding client’s expectations. At VRS we feel that no job is too big or too small to get our quick response and quality restoration and renovation services.

As a strong thunder storm blew through Chesterfield, VA on July 29, 2010 around 6pm, lasting about 5-10 minutes, forceful winds took down several trees in the Richmond, VA area. VRS was called to a home that was destroyed by a large tree in the front yard. The tree fell straight through the house (roof to floor) pinning the owner into her home.  Emergency personnel were able to rescue the owner after an hour.  Within 24 hours, VRS removed the tree and boarded the owners home.

VRS takes emergency service calls seriously and works swiftly to protect your property when damaged.

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Water Technician, Ricky Painter, recently completed his certification class for IICRC (The Institute for Cleaning and Restoration Certification). VRS is thrilled that all their professionals meet the standards set forth by the IIRC. Great job, Ricky!

VRS educates their employees because restoring your home to its pre loss condition is a complex and challenging process. IICRC educates restoration firms in specific restoration services as well as health and safety training. IICRC teaches the newest techniques and technology. VRS wants their professionals to continue to learn the industries best practices. It is our mission to provide the special attention that the consumer needs when restoring or rebuilding their home.

Continued learning is an important part of the job descriptions of VRS employees. The project managers and technicians take full advantage of attending courses and certification programs to further their craft. At VRS we know that furthering our eduation helps us to exceed our goal in providing our clients with the speical attention that they deserve.

VRS’ Project Manager, Everett Phillips and Emergancy Services Manager, Ryan Phillips recently attended the Reets Drying Academy.  Reets Drying Academy gave Everett and Ryan a chance to further their knowlede in restoration services. The academy gave them the oportunity to learn how to inspect, evaluate, dry, administer, and manage larger losses. Instruction on damage inspection and evalutaion, work flow managment, process administration and technical methods of effective and timely drying of commercial, industrial, institutional and complex residentioal water-damaged structers, systems, furniture, fitures and equipment (FFE). Everett and Ryan took the specialized training to maximize the TES system, which is the ‘World’s Fastest Drying System”. Learning this system was a must for Everett and Ryan as our drying professionals.  We can now dry a water damage job in a THIRD of the time of our competitiors. Read more about the TES system in Tuesay’s (7/6/10) post!

TES, the latest in drying technology, dries most water damages in 30 hours or less! TES utilizes the “Reets Evaporation Method,” which forces a high volume of heat direction to the water-saturated area, rapidly evaporating the water. The vapor is then eliminated with air evacuation/dehumidificaiton. All this boils down to: real dry, real fast. That means less dmage, and LESS MONEY LOST!

Drying fast is not just convenient; it’s critical! Drying water-damaged homes and businesses is important! The longer it takes to dry a water damaged building, the more expenses and damages increase. For example; mold, floor and wall warpage, out of home costs, and other repairs increase as the sturcture remains wet. Speed drying a water damaged structure eliminates or greatly reduces these damages and expenses. Conventional drying can take 3 to 5 days, which would include extraction, air movement, and dehumidification. With the TES system; drying takes 30 hours or LESS!

Advantages of TES:

• Dry carpet/carpt cushion in place, saving carpet cushion replacement.
• Dry the walls, sill plates, and wall caities without removing the wall boards.
• Dry hardwoods, substrates, tile and concrete with non-destructive tenting.
• Prevent mold, rot and decay from prolonged soaking.
• Negative pressure air-flow allows inhabitants to live or work in unaffected areas of home or business.
• Inconvience and out-of-home expenses are eliminated or greatly reduced.
• Drying without demolition-saves labor, hauling, replacement and repair.

VIRGINIA RESTORATION SERVICES has invested in this new technology and equipment. We’ll  DESERT DRY in RECORD TIME!

 In-laws Suite & Master Bedroom Addition

The Home Building Association of Richmond awarded this home renovation project the “Excellence in Reodeling Award ~ Whole House Revovation under $200,000″ in 2008.

Preserving the original architectural style of the home was important to the homeowners. In order to achieve this goal it was imperative to pay careful attention to details, roof lines and room placement. The end result was a lovely addition that looked as if it was built with the original home.

The family wanted an accessible in-law suite with a full bath, while still preserving their private space. It was important to the family that their in-laws have plenty of natural lighted to aid with their vision. The suite was designed with a private living room that includ3d a large 5/0×5/2 center window accompanied by a round top above and four double hung windows, all allowing for an ample amount of natural sunlight.

The homeowner also wanted to enlarge the existing master suite on the second floor of the home. The design of the renovation included an area with reinforced floors so as to handle the force of the treadmill while in use. The 2×8 floor joist in the existing home was not capable of absorbing movement of the treadmill as the ceiling would rattle when the treadmill was in use. We used and 11-7/8″ floor joist to resolve the problem by adjusting the wall heights to lover the ceilings and match the floor levels. This design provided the homeowner with a well-built structure that would not shake when the treadmill was in use.

This project had several constraints including tight lot setbacks and distance to the septic system. We designed a new wind on the left side of the home, set back from the main body. The design modeled the opposite side of the home so as to keep the home aesthetically pleasing to the eye. WE met the setback requirements and maintained the required distance to the septic system.

The end result was an architecturally blended addition that functions well and looks as if it was built with the original home.

The homeowners of this all brick cape cod (located in the Monument Hills neighborhood of the West End of Richmond) wanted to turn their unused screened- in- porch into a sunroom. The homeowners wanted to be sure that the addition blended with the existing home and did not take away from the city living street scape. The homeowners also wanted to add more footage to the room but still be able to enjoy their large deck off the back of the home.

“We are so pleased with the addition and enjoyed working closely with VRS to design and construct our new room. They were always available to answer questions and kept us informed throughout the process!” – G. Flanagan (Homeowner)