Sponsored By ABATIX

Abatix is a nationally recognized supplier of fire and water restoration supplies and equipment

 

Brought to you by R&R

 

Prizes

The Grand Prize winner received products from Abatix worth at least $500 retail in combined total from sponsors 3M, Zipwall and Intertape Polymer group.

---

By Kim Feugill  (1-800 Water Damage; Augusta, ME)

 

Maine history can be rich with treasures from the past. For us, it came in the form of a 1800s sword. The house itself (that we found it in) was not old - it was built upon an old barn foundation, set in an area that was once vast farm land (not) far from the river that houses amazing old forts once used in commerce to ward off invasions. (The house) has been owned by the same family for over 50 years, purchased from the family that once owned the farm land. The owners themselves know the history of the home and the surrounding land and are eager to share stories with you. 

 

Water damage occurred when their bathroom water supply line split, affecting their bathroom and basement below. In the course of my inspection, it led me to the basement. The floor was dirt, the walls old cobble stone. The water had migrated down and around the furnace, which in and of itself was probably as old as the foundation. Kneeling down behind the furnace, my light reflected something shiny. My curiosity got the better of me and I reached my hand in. To my amazement, I pulled out a dusty, but otherwise beautiful, sword wrapped in leather sheathing. 

 

I showed the owners, and they were just as amazed as I was. They had no knowledge of the sword. After some research, we found the old farm owners hired workers who had (fled) France. That sword dated back to 1860-1880. 

 

We believe that this sword was possibly used in the Franco-Prussian War. It was a delight to journey with this family in determining the history of this sword hidden away over a century ago and found only when a thorough 1-800 Water Damage Technician checked behind a rickety old furnace.

---

By Ronda Gress (Complete Restoration LLC; Kalispell, MT)

 

Recently a repeat customer of ours called and her first sentence was, “Please don’t say ‘no’ without thinking about this first.” 

 

The homeowner’s association (HOA) had a holding pond that needed some restoration - mainly removal of objects. (It) sounded simple enough until we saw the pictures. The water was bright green with a thick layer of moss and scum. No one knew exactly how deep the water was or what the bottom of the pond was like. She had tried to get various other people to do it with no avail. She said, “Well since it seems as though there is nothing you don’t do, I realized I should have called you first.” 

 

One of our owners and another employee put a plan together to get the objects out of the pond. When they got on-site they had another neighborhood volunteer join in - a black lab! The dog was dragging sticks out into the pond and swimming. The crew threw the stick to the dog and his waves in the water helped them connect with the debris. The job actually became the highlight of our week - we got a good laugh out of it and once again made our customer very happy. 

We haven’t quite decided on the rate of pay for the dog - probably dog treats!

---

By Kevin Pearson (Pearson Carpet Care LLC; Humble, TX)

 

We were on a water loss where the water came from overhead in a kitchen. The cabinets were ruined and there was wet insulation in the exterior wall. So we gutted the kitchen down to the studs and inside the wall behind one of the cabinets, we found a Fritos bag. The bag is (from) before it was the Fritos-Lays Corporation. They had six locations, mainly in Texas. 

 

With the owner’s permission, we kept the bag, framed it and put it in our office. People come in all the time asking why we have a Fritos bag in a frame and it starts many conversations.