When a building suffers damage from flooding, leaks, or extended periods of high humidity—as is common here in South Louisiana—the cleanup process often involves more than just removing visible water. Mold, bacteria, and other contaminants can take hold in hidden areas, and even the best remediation efforts must be followed by one final, crucial step:...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana In Louisiana, storm season brings more than just strong winds and power outages. Water, in all its forms—rain, runoff, surge—poses a major threat to both residential and commercial structures. While attention often focuses on wind-related destruction, it’s water damage that creates long-lasting and costly consequences....

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana Hurricane season in Louisiana is not something to take lightly. The storms that come through this region don’t knock politely—they break windows, lift roofs, flood neighborhoods, and sometimes erase property lines entirely. The difference between devastation and manageable damage often comes down to one thing:...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana One of the most common reasons insurance claims get delayed is improper documentation. In the construction and disaster recovery business, this reality comes up often. Many property owners focus on the physical damage, which is understandable, but forget that paperwork is just as important. Without...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana Smoke damage after a fire often gets treated like a surface issue — a matter of wiping down walls, airing out rooms, and getting rid of odors. In reality, smoke causes far more serious problems that can compromise the structural integrity of a building over...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana Extreme heat puts stress on more than people and power grids. It also slowly damages the structures people live and work in every day. The long-term effects of sustained high temperatures on buildings often go unnoticed until the damage becomes serious. Understanding how heat affects...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana After a major disaster—whether it’s a flood, fire, or hurricane—returning to a property that’s been damaged is overwhelming. The instinct is often to clean up the mess and move on, but post-disaster cleanup requires more than surface-level effort. It’s a process that involves structural safety,...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana In the aftermath of hurricanes and severe storms, one of the most pressing and often underestimated threats to a structure is mold. While floodwaters and wind damage usually take the spotlight, mold moves quietly, often starting its destructive work within 24 to 48 hours of...

By Earl Carr, Jr., President of Gulf 52, Hammond, Louisiana Humidity is a constant factor in life across southern Louisiana. Warm air and moisture in the atmosphere are expected elements of the local climate, especially during spring and summer. However, when that humidity infiltrates indoor spaces and goes unmanaged, it becomes one of the most...

Mold is one of those problems that often begins quietly—behind walls, under flooring, or in dark corners of the attic. By the time it becomes visible, the damage may already be widespread. In an effort to save time or money, some property owners attempt to handle mold removal on their own. While it may seem...