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By Crystal McGough
TRUSSVILLE — Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Birmingham has been keeping the residents of Birmingham and North Jefferson County safe from health issues related to water and fire damage since 2014. Over the last few months, Paul Davis Restoration has stepped up their game to help keep the community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, by offering COVID-related cleaning services, in addition to their regular services.
“Here lately, the COVID virus has kept us busy,” said Pat Bentley, director of business development with Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Birmingham.
Bentley said that there are a few different methods Paul Davis Restoration uses to keep their clients COVID-safe.
“You can go in and mist a place if they know that there has been no positive exposure,” he said. “If there has been a positive exposure, then we’ll recommend that all the surfaces from 6 foot down are wiped down and misted, and that is priced out by the square foot.
“We have done several businesses. We did the Chamber of Commerce in Trussville as a courtesy to them to ensure their safety to get back to work.”
On a regular day, Paul Davis Restoration helps their clients with anything ranging from water damage to house fires.
“The water you don’t see is usually what gets you and what makes you sick,” Bentley said. “That’s what we clean up: the water you don’t see.
“Let’s say, for instance, you come home and you have a hot water heater that has flooded your house. If it is not properly cleaned up, you will develop mold, which will affect your respiratory system. If you have a toilet overflow or a sewage backup that is not properly taken care of according to the highest IICRC (Institute of Inspections, Cleaning and Restorations Certification) regulations, then you would have bacteria growing all through your house, which will make you sick.”
When clients call Paul Davis Restoration with concerns over things such as a burst pipe, hot water heater burst, sewage backup or dishwasher leak, the first step is to determine which category of water damage the customer is facing.
There are three main categories that water damage falls into:
Category 1 – Clean water. This is water that is considered clean enough to drink, and can include water that is in a hot water tank or even a toilet tank before the water enters the toilet bowl.
Category 2 – Gray water. Washing machine or dishwasher discharge typically fall into this category.
Category 3: Sewer backup. This category can include anything from a toilet overflow with feces present to floodwater.
“Whatever it is, we have to determine whether it’s clean water, dirty water or gray water,” Bentley said. “Each one of those types of water dictates how we clean it and what is required based on IICRC regulations. A lot of people don’t understand that flood water is equivalent to sewage. Think about it: All animals used the bathroom outside in the yard. Your field lines that are in your yard, they discharge your water from your bathrooms into the soil. So any water that has fallen on that, in a sense, is contaminated and can cause flood water to be sewage.”
Even clean water that has not been dried in a timely manner can end up in the sewage category, Bentley said.
“If you have clean water and you don’t dry it properly within three days, it starts growing microbials, which causes mold, and that can end up making you sick,” he said. “The microbials start appearing within 24-48 hours, so any clean water turns into dirty water, which can, in turn, be considered sewage if it’s not cleaned within a certain amount of time.”
Paul Davis Restoration not only keeps their clients safe from the hazards of water damage, but they offer restoration after fire damage, as well.
“With every fire, there’s water that’s involved, so we have to dry it out first and then we clean up after the fire,” Bentley said. “Then we rebuild after the water damages and the fire damages.”
In the six years that Paul Davis Restoration has had a presence in the North Jefferson County area, they have continuously invested in their local communities.
Owners Jeff Gilmer and Steve Dickey both live in Trussville, and their business was located in Trussville until the downtown area started being renovated for the new entertainment district. Now, Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Birmingham is located at 3950 Pinson Valley Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35217.
The company was a sponsor for the Husky Fast Network, a livestream broadcast of Hewitt-Trussville football, and participates in local events such as the Trussville Freedom Celebration on July 4.
“We have been an avid supporter of the Trussville community in multiple aspects,” Bentley said. “We love working in the North Jefferson area and love helping out people that are in need. We’re here to help them 24/7.”
In addition to being available 24/7, Paul Davis Restoration partners with most major insurance companies, including but not limited to State Farm, Alfa, Farmers, Liberty, Allstate and Travelers.
“We work under the guidelines of what the insurance companies have with their adjusters,” Bentley said. “We have been ranked in the top percentile by most insurance carriers because of how we’ve performed and how we’ve done by their customers.”
They are even listed as a preferred contractor through the State Farm Premier Service Program.
While the Greater Birmingham franchise has been serving the local communities since 2014, Paul Davis Restoration has been in business since 1966, with its home office located in Jacksonville, Florida. The Birmingham franchise covers the majority of Jefferson County, all the way to Blount County and even Montgomery.
For information on how Paul Davis Restoration of Birmingham can help you stay safe and healthy in the face of a crisis, contact Pat Bentley at (205) 937-8544 or Kevin Gaiser at (205) 597-4213.