Hoarding Posses Real Problems to Your Home in Massillion, Ohio

3/5/2019 (Permalink)

A fire damaged a home and all its belongings in Massillion, Ohio.

Hoarding is a disorder that leads to an excessive accumulation of items in a home because the homeowner can not part with their items. The excessive accumulation is not only unhealthy for the individuals who live in the home, but is also unhealthy for the home.  The abundance of ‘stuff’ can lead to physical injuries, fires, structural damage, and a toxic environment for the hoarder their family and their pets. It is important to know the effects of hoarding so you can stop or help someone stop before it is too late.

An individual living in clutter is susceptible to many physical injures. The obvious being increasing risk of falling and being hurt from the clutter collapsing. Although, there are many other ways an individual can face physical harm that can go unnoticed among the disorder of the home. As the clutter accumulates the house becomes dust ridden and the air quality increasingly becomes poorer.  With poor air quality comes various respiratory problems and stale air. When stale air increases it reacts with the higher humidity levels and the decaying food and animals in the house causing mold starts to grow. The growth of mold can cause serious structural damage and health problems. A homeowner with a hoarding disorder often leaves food uneaten and lying around causing it to decaying resulting in pet infestations. There can be nests of insects and pests in houses that a homeowner may not even know about. These pests can lead to major structural damages, a house fire, or transfer disease.

Fire hazards are a big problem when it comes to hoarding. The excess amount of objects are more likely to cause a fire do to the abundant amount of flammable objects so close to incandescent bulbs and stoves. The high potential of pest infestations also increases the risk of a house fire because of their ability to chew through wiring and cause electrical failures. Another common hazard found in a hoarders house is faulty appliances which can easily cause fires. If a fire does spark up in a house full of clutter it is not only hard to escape through all the stuff that blocks the windows and doors, but it is also hard for rescuers to save the residents that are stuck in the flames. With so many flammable objects fire can spread quickly and smoke develops quicker making it even harder for residents to live.

Structural Damage is common is houses that face hoarding. Homeowners have limited access to different systems in their house so they do not receive necessary maintenance on systems ranging from sprinkler systems to plumbing. If there is a pest infestation the rodents can make holes in the walls and ductworks while ruining wiring, insulation and the base structures of the home. The mold from the stale air and water damage damages the structural materials and can compromise the integrity of the home. The most apparent structural damage that can occur is due to the abundant clutter distributed through the house that can lead to a collapse of floors and walls leading to an unlivable house or can even injure the residents of the home.

Living in a home that is filled with the clutter of an individual with a hoarding disorder is not safe for the residents or the home. If you do have a hoarding problem and want it cleaned call SERVPRO of Northwest Stark County and we will restore and clean your property. It will be "Like it never even happened." 330-497-4600