As the cleanup effort from Hurricane Sandy continues here in Staten Island, I’ve dispensed the same piece of advice to flood victims a number of times:

Plan your rebuild before you begin demolition.

Many victims under-estimate the cost of rebuilding, and demolish everything in their house when they don’t have to.  Take note of hard surface that can simply be cleaned. Bathrooms with tile floors don’t need to be removed, but when we arrive clients have already included them in the demolition without realizing this. Many of the surfaces in a bathroom can get wet without structural damage and can be salvaged.

Sub-floors are another item being needlessly demolished. When building a house, first you lay the foundation. Then you put sill and then joist the sub-floor. After that the walls are built, and so on. Aside from wasting money, removing a sub-floor can affect the structure of the home.

If you’re looking into a rebuild after a flood in the New York City area, contact us. We can take a look and assist in the planning to save you money and aggravation.