| Hoarding / Pack Rat Houses |
| 'Pack Rat' behavior is the uncontrolled collecting of newspapers, clothing or other materials, even rotten food. It can be confined to a single room, or expand to include the entire residence, outbuildings and property. Also known as hoarding, it is a disease, a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that can put the occupants and others at risk. The collection of objects can build up so much that it becomes impossible for the hoarder to do even rudimentary cleaning. Then dirt, food scraps and other debris build up, mold, insects & rodents move in and conditions only get worse. We at Bowdecon understand this and empathize with the occupant(s), realizing all the while the dangers involved in this type of setting. As far as possible, we will work with the occupant to ensure that family heirlooms and truly valuable items are retained and properly cared for. In some cases, however, the entire contents of a Pack Rat House must be disposed of. At the very least, a sorting of the items must be done to identify the salvageable property which can then be kept, donated, or sold. "A rescue effort" In many cases, the mess is simply a gradual build-up over time, until it gets to such a state that the occupants simply can't cope. They just stop trying because they are overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the mess and then it really gets out of hand. The result is a mountain of debris that can attract rodents, bugs, mold, fungus and a host of other undesirable pests. It can be a health hazard to the occupants, their guests, and even the surrounding neighborhood, as the pests tend to spread to other areas nearby. The clutter can also be a fire hazard, posing an immediate danger to the residence and possible collateral damage to close neighboring residences. More than 80 percent of hoarders suffer from physical health problems relating directly to the clutter. Imagine trying to get a stretcher in and out of such a place in an emergency and you can see yet another not-so-hidden danger associated with these environments. Bowdecon staff is properly trained and fully certified to safely remove and properly dispose of the unwanted items (furniture, garbage, carpet, sharps, drugs, etc.) and return the residence to a safe, comfortable, useful 'home' that no longer presents a danger to all who enter or live nearby. We will clean, decontaminate and remove any associated odors and biohazards from the residence and items to be retained, to make the property habitable and/or ready for resale. To the best of our ability, items to be discarded will be recycled rather than simply disposed in a landfill. We can do anything from cleaning a single room to total content removal, or any level in between, depending upon the client's needs and wishes. |
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| © Bowdecon LLC 2006 - 2010 All rights reserved. |
| Before and after photos shown below. See the Job Photographs page for more pictures. |
