Though the end of hurricane season is in November, there is still plenty of time for severe storms to rear their ugly heads. And, as any Lowcountry local knows, floods and damaging winds can happen year-round in the coastal south. 

Luckily, there are steps you can take to ready your home for storm season and maintain it no matter the weather. We’ve gathered our expertise from over three decades of building and renovating homes in Charleston to share with you so you’re equipped to be a savvy homeowner and keep your abode safe, rain or shine. 

Common Weather Problems

Wind and rain are the most common problems in Charleston, and when combined, they can be particularly dangerous, often leading to flooding and other damage. Strong winds can often blow heavy rain into roof vents or ridge caps, causing leaks. Wind and flooding can also cause water to get behind walls or flooring and cause mold or mildew. 

Standing water from flooding or other leaks in your home can also damage floors and furniture, short-circuit power outlets, and damage electronics. Before severe weather with a potential flood, unplug electronics, including surge protectors and power strips, and move them to higher locations where they won’t be damaged by water. If you are evacuating from severe weather, turning off your power can help reduce damage to your electrical system. 

Should water enter your home, dehumidify and dry out the affected areas as soon as possible to prevent further water damage and dangerous mold. 

Maintenance and Inspections

Maintaining your home all year is the best way to ensure it doesn’t suffer catastrophic damage during severe weather. Regular maintenance and home inspections are the easiest way to avoid spending money on costly repairs down the road. 

Before any significant storm season, it’s a good idea to go through the following checklist to ensure your home is in tip-top shape. 

• Keep your gutters clean and in good condition to improve water mitigation. 
• Trim back bushes and trees that are close enough to your house to cause damage in a windstorm. 
• Make sure to bring in any exterior furniture that’s not secured during severe weather. 
• If you don’t have impact-rated glass, cover glass doors and windows with a system of screws, clips, and plywood protection known as PLYFASTNER during severe weather to protect them. 
• While not an end-all solution, sandbags can help direct and mitigate water flow from areas where it is most likely to enter your home, like around doors and crawl spaces. 
• Have your roof inspected regularly, especially after a windstorm, to ensure everything is secured and there is no damage. 

While there is no right answer for how often you should have your home inspected, you should have it checked before hurricane season every year and as soon as you notice a problem. It’s better to call experts who can diagnose and remedy the problem before it evolves into a major issue that could cause serious damage to your home. 

Weather-Proof Your Home

In addition to regular home inspections, you can add some preventative features to your home to help weather-proof it. Drip edges and larger overhangs will help protect your roof and prevent water from blowing in, while weather-resistant barriers, weep holes in masonry walls, French drains, and proper grading will ensure your home and property are safe during flooding. 

Weather-Rated Materials

If you’re planning a renovation or home maintenance, consider weather-rated materials and products to lessen potential damage to your home. Depending on where you live, you may be required by law to have these materials installed. 

Impact windows and doors are highly recommended for this part of South Carolina, but if you don’t have them, you are required to have other means of windborne debris protection, such as PLYFASTNER. They can withstand strong winds and are less likely to shatter should objects be thrown against them. If you live in an older home that hasn’t been recently updated, you may need to check to see if you have installed impact windows and doors. 

You should also use treated lumber for any part of your home that could come into contact with weather elements or the ground, as it is less susceptible to water damage. 

Other weather-durable materials to consider when in the planning phase of your renovation include:

• Concrete
• DensGlass
• Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
• Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)
• Impact-resistant shingles 
• Moisture-resistant insulation
• Fiber cement siding

Other ways to stay safe

After your home’s been weather-proofed and prepared, it’s time to batten the hatches! 

Make sure you have potable water, an alternative way to cook food in case the power goes out, and extra water for dishes, toilets, and bathing. Be sure to stock up on shelf-stable foods and food for your pet if you have one. Charge backup batteries and vital electronics prior to severe weather, and if you’re in an area prone to power outages, consider investing in a gas generator. 

These precautions and regular home maintenance can ensure you’re prepared when Mother Nature strikes. 

Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!

Classic Remodeling was recently recognized for excellence in 2 publications. Qualified Remodeler has included Classic in it’s top 100 in their recent customer satisfaction report. Additionally, and more locally, Charleston Living Magazine has awarded Classic their Best of the Best award for Kitchen/Bath Remodeling.

Qualified Remodeler’s Customer Satisfaction Report – Top 100

Qualified Remodeler is a remodeling trade publication that was launched in 1975. Their mission is to provide industry relevant business education and information to their readers. For the last 7 years, they have collaborated with GuildQuality, a third-party customer satisfaction surveying company, to put out their annual Customer Satisfaction Report. The report attempts to answer the question “what does good customer service mean to today’s remodeling clients? and identifies those traits that homeowners consider most important when working with a remodeling professional.

As part of their report, they also highlight their top 100 customer service leaders. Classic Remodeling has, once again, been included as part of their top 100 list. Feel free to check out our profile, included as part of Qualified Remodeler’s report, to see how we’ve been handling some of the recent challenges facing the remodeling industry.

Charleston Living Magazine’s Best of the Best Award

Each year, Charleston Living Magazine invites readers to vote for their favorite local businesses in a variety of categories. These categories range from best restaurants and shopping to best services and attractions. Results of their “Best of the Best Awards” are announced in their July/August issue where you can find a complete rundown of the winners in each category. For the 9th consecutive year, Classic Remodeling has been named the Best Kitchen/Bath Remodeler in Charleston. Being a local award, voted on by local residents, makes this award very meaningful to us!

This year has been more challenging than many of us expected.  Labor shortages, supply chain issues, and rising material prices have required a lot of adjustments to the way we do business. All of it has been in an effort to ensure that we continue to provide the quality and service that our client’s expect. While we don’t get hung up on the accolades, we do see this recognition as one measure of whether or not we are succeeding in delivering on our promises. For those that continue to vote for us, or complete project surveys, we thank you for your feedback! Your recommendations are vital to our business!

 

 

Classic Remodeling was recently recognized as a customer satisfaction leader in Qualified Remodeler Magazine’s annual customer satisfaction report. As part of this special report, compiled in conjunction with GuildQuality, 60 of GuildQuality’s highest-scoring remodelers are profiled. These sixty firms were selected from a pool of over 15,000 GuildQuality members across the nation for excellence in providing customer service.

Classic is honored by this distinction and has always been committed to delivering the highest quality craftsmanship and customer service. We’re thrilled to have a “likely to recommend” score of 97% for 2017 and a 96% overall recommendation rate.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction

Qualified Remodeler’s annual report highlights areas of importance for consumers regarding their recent remodeling projects. The data was collected by GuildQuality and represents more than 100,000 consumer surveys.

As you can see above, homeowners have indicated that the three most important areas for determining client satisfaction are:

1. Trust
2. Problem Resolution
3. Value

Building trust is not an easy task. Remodelers need to establish their trustworthiness at the very first meeting with a potential client, long before we deliver a finished product. So, how do we do it?

We have always felt that clear communication is the cornerstone to building a trusting relationship with our clients. It is also the key to problem resolution on a job. We believe in setting clear expectations with clients at the beginning of our working relationship. We discuss everything from budget and schedule to the construction process, timelines for decisions on selections, and change order policy. Internal communication among team members is also essential. Our project craftsmen meet with designers weeks before a job start to review plans and talk through the project. Just prior to the start of construction we’ll do an on-site walk through. Our process during construction includes several regular check-ins with clients to review progress and discuss any questions that may arise.

At the end of each project we use GuildQuality to survey our clients. These surveys provide valuable insight into our customers’ experiences. Internally, it allows us to identify areas where we excel, as well as areas where we need to make some adjustments. As a GuildQuality member since 2003, we are fortunate to have 15 years worth of survey responses and testimonials from past clients. That feedback is in an invaluable resource to potential clients as we work to establish their trust in our firm.

Maintaining Trust Through Challenging Projects

Each project is different and presents a unique set of challenges. Qualified Remodeler asked us to describe our most challenging project type and how we alter our approach to those types of projects to maintain customer satisfaction. Our dedication to customer satisfaction and building trust shows in our response:

“Whole house renovations are sometimes a little more trying for the customer – with larger budgets and longer construction times, we tend to find the clients’ stress levels go up as the job goes along. In addition to trying to keep those lines of communication open with our staff, we also use GuildQuality to survey these larger projects more frequently throughout the job. We know that sometimes clients will share information with a 3rd party that they may not necessarily feel comfortable sharing with us directly. By surveying at key points throughout the job we can hopefully get a better gauge of how the client is feeling, giving us an opportunity to identify any areas we need to address before the end of the project, to make sure we wrap things up on a positive note.”

We know that when you decide to remodel your home, you want to work with a contractor that you trust. That’s why we are continuously working to refine our processes, identify areas for improvement and continue to capitalize on the things we do best. GuildQuality surveys are an important part of that process for us and we thank all of our clients who have replied to GuildQuality surveys in the past. It is through your feedback that we’re able to continue to improve and remain a leader in our industry.