Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Pine Mountain, Georgia

Greenville High School football coach Jeremy Williams and his family are just a couple of days away from hearing : “Move that bus!” The family lives in Pine Mountain, Georgia. They were surprised on Sunday with news that Extreme Makeover Home Edition crews will build them a new home while they vacation at the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Colorado.

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TEAM WORK!!

Wow! What a couple of weeks it has been.

With the cold weather bringing a rash of broken pipes, so sorry fo those who have been effected, we have been UBER busy.(I got that from my boys) But just as it always seems to be, THE TEAM has banded together and rose to the challenge. I know that I should have some profound statement to make or provide you with a super link of some sort but I find that we are still fairly "UBER" busy. I just wanted to say that I am proud to be involved in something that can bring relief to those who really need it, at a time they really need it. Even among the organized chaos all display a courteous, sympathetic and professional approach. And with this being said with all sincerity from the inside of the operation. If your reading this from the outside of the operation, you can have the utmost confidence that you will be well cared for as a client should you choose us.

Peter Kanavas - Contents Manager

Be Prepared in 2010!

2010 is approaching rapidly and FEMA's Ready Campaign is encouranging people to make it their goal to be ready in 2010.

Below are some very useful links from Ready.gov that will help you to prepare your family for whatever 2010 brings.

RESOLVE TO BE READY TOOLKIT:

http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/resolve10/resolve2010_tool_kit.pdf 

RESOLVE TO BE READY MICROSOFT POWERPOINT PRESENTATION:

http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/resolve10/ready_508comp.ppt

How Would You Handle This Claim?

Question # 1: How much does a house weigh?

Question # 2: How much weight can a rural two-lane bridge Hold???

Question # 3: WOULD THIS BE COVERED BY HOME INSURANCE, CAR INSURANCE, OR, DOES IT COME UNDER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ???


 
Y' ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY NOW, YA' HEAR!!!!!

Tips for Keeping Water Out of Your Basement

During the cleanup effort following all of the flooding that occurred in the Atlanta area caused by the heavy rains that occurred last month, I learned something new.  There are a lot of people that have leaky basements.  In some cases these basements have leaked for years.  I want to first explain the concept of a basement and then share a couple of simple ideas that can help to reduce moisture intrusion into your basement.

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Helping Atlanta Flood Victims--A Personal Perspective

The recent disastrous floods affecting many parts of Georgia has truly been an eye-opening experience. As a company that deals with insurance claims, it was astounding to see how many homeowners were blindsided by the lack of flood insurance coverage in their policies. I can only imagine how devastated and helpless these individuals felt when presented with the loss of material possessions and possible displacement from their homes without any money to pay for restoration or replacement. Many Champion employees, including the owner’s group, have had the opportunity to help some of the victims of this disaster by volunteering time on the weekends for the past month to help organize efforts getting victims governmental assistance as well as lending storm damage expertise, experience and equipment in quickly drying out the structures of homes in the Douglasville, Stone Mountain, Decatur and surrounding Metro-Atlanta areas. I have had the pleasure of helping with this relief effort and it gives me a sense of accomplishment to be able to help those in need. When catastrophic things happen, we have the tendency to feel helpless. We want to do something, but we don’t know what or how. Now, on the weekends, I know that I am going to go to someone’s home, hear their story and sympathize with them. But I also know that I can help them do something about it because I’m going to assess the damage, mark it for demolition, sanitize it and set equipment so that the first phase to restoration will be put in motion. And that, readers, is far more satisfying than any paycheck could ever be. Chloe L. Hudson-Senior Contents Technician

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Smoke Detectors Save Lives

Every year in the United States, about 3,000 people lose their lives in residential fires. Most fire victims die from inhalation of toxic smoke and gases, not as a result of burns. Most deaths occur during the night while victims are sleeping. So, that is why smoke alarms are considered one of the best and least expensive means of providing early warning of potentially deadly fires. In fact, the risk of dying in a residential fire is twice as likely in homes without functioning smoke detectors. The key here is "functioning". You could easily have one or more "non-functioning" units in your home. That is why the US Consumer Product Safey Commission recommends testing smoke alarms at least once a month to make sure they are operating properly. Make replacing the batteries a seasonal routine when you reset the clocks for Daylight Savings Time to ensure that your alarm is working. As you insert the new battery, take a second to test the alarm.  So, next week head your shopping list with "batteries for smoke detector" so that when November 1 rolls around and it is time to reset the clocks, you will have no excuse whatsoever to avoid changing out those batteries. Remember, don't wait for a fire in your home to test your smoke alarm. Do it now! Kathy Reets - Co-Founder and Owner

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Helpful Websites for Atlanta Flood Victims

      I thought I'd post some helpful websites that will help any that were affected by the recent Georgia flooding. "Take Charge of Your Recovery" www.wsbtv.com/news/21158767/detail.html "Federal Aid Programs" www.wsbtv.com/news/21106852/detail.html "Clark Howard: What Does Flood Insurance Cover?" www.wsbtv.com/money/21105951/detail.html The National Flood Insurance Program: www.fema.gov/business/nfip Standard Flood Insurance Policy: www.fema.gov/pdf/nfip/dp126.pdf Loans Offered to Flood Victims: www.wsbtv.com/news/21148766/detail.html And some helpful government websites: www.disasterassistance.gov www.floodsmart.gov Larry Banach - Construction Manager

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Water Damaged Furniture?

With the recent catastrophe that has hit the Greater Atlanta Area, it has undoubtedly left some with furniture that they just could not bring themselves to throw away. Any item in question would need to be dried as soon as possible assessing items that are upholstered to see if they could be stripped down to the items skeleton to accommodate the drying process. Once dried the extent of damage will be evident. If there are areas of splitting or cracking it would be recommended to have the item professionally evaluated.  The following link is for a company that I would recommend to anyone: www.furniture-clinic.com. The item should be cleaned with a mild detergent and warm water and dried immediately with a clean towel. Evaluate to verify the presence of any water staining or clouding. There are many manufacturers who have products for water staining, i.e. Gaurdsman, Murphy's Oil Soap, or Old English. Be sure to test in an inconspicuous area to observe the effect on the finish and color. Any item in need of reupholstering could also be assessed by The Furniture Clinic. www.furniture-clinic.com

Peter Kanavas - Contents Supervisor

Wee'r knot nown fur hour speling

Ok, here's the deal.  Champion is well known as one of the premier construction/restoration companies in the south Atlanta area.  But we're not the greatest spellers.  You see, I'm the Construction Manager here, but I have also been given the designation of "Job Processing Program Administrator".  Little did I know what that would involve. 

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