Homeowners in the Carolinas are looking to the air-treatment franchise to make their home safe in the wake of last week’s storm.
When mandatory evacuation notices were issued throughout cities along the South East coast last week, more than 1 million people were asked to abandon their homes to what many were calling “the storm of a lifetime.” Now, many of those people are returning to homes flooded by rainwater. The cleanup will undoubtedly be a massive, months-long undertaking, and for many homeowners, getting water out of their homes is just the beginning.
Severe water damage can cause mold that lingers long after the visible damage has been repaired, and few contractors are equipped to identify and eliminate spores that can cause dire health effects through long-term exposure.
Green Home Solutions helps homeowners eradicate harmful mold, often without having to demolish and rebuild affected areas, which means that franchise owners on the East Coast are going to have no shortage of work in the coming weeks and months.
Glen Snyder, the franchise’s chief development officer, says Green Home Solutions offers homeowners affected by Florence a much-needed alternative to traditional home remediation.
“Typically, if a contractor finds mold in your home, they are going to tell you completely rip out that part of the house and rebuild it,” he said. “That is costly and time-consuming. Our system completely eradicates both the mold and any lingering spores, and more often than not we have homeowners back in their home in just a day.”
Joe Lange is a Green Home Solutions franchisee in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston was spared the worst of Florence’s flooding, but Lange says he’s no stranger to severe weather events.
“We’ve had one of these every year for the past three or four years,” he said. “We were lucky enough that Florence mostly missed us, but we still had record rainfall this year even before the hurricane. So flooding is always an issue.”
According to Lange, the actual home services are just part of what Green Home Solutions has to offer clients. Particularly before and after a severe weather event, the business is focused largely on education.
“We have some really innovative products and services, but the education we provide might be the most important thing,” he said. “When we’re expecting a lot of flooding, we will work closely with our clients to help them prepare. Afterwards, we’ll walk our clients through everything they need to do to stay safe and healthy. Most people don’t know what to do in these situations, and we’re able to help out. That’s something we’re proud of.”
Because the company’s services are in such high-demand after severe weather events, Snyder says Green Home Solutions is actively seeking new franchise owners in markets that are hit most frequently.
“Unfortunately, major storms and flooding are a fact of life in a lot of states,” he said. “After a major hurricane like Florence, our franchise owners’ phones are ringing off the hook — there are literally thousands of people who need help. So we want to make sure we are there to service them.”
As Green Home Solutions franchise owners along the South East coast get to work repairing homes and educating customers, Snyder said the brand’s corporate team is also working closely with organizations like FEMA and Red Cross to do everything it can to mitigate the storm’s damages.
“Our franchise owners are going to be completely booked up working with homeowners to help make their homes livable again, and in the corporate office, we’re taking a high-level approach to make sure we are lending a hand wherever possible,” Snyder said “A storm like Florence can be a devastating thing, and we’re a business that’s in a position to help. That’s not a position we take lightly, and we’re doing everything possible to make the most of it.”