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Beal House
Bob and Lynne Beal were returning home from their cottage downeast when lightning struck their Cape Elizabeth home in summer of 2007. The lightning ignited a fire that destroyed roofing, top-floor infrastructure and furnishings. Viking was on the scene within a couple hours and commenced a months-long restoration of the 20 year-old house. Bob Beal describes what happened...
It is difficult for us to express how much gratitude we have for Tony Christensen and Viking Restoration. Tony helped us every step of the way through one of the most difficult times of our lives.
One Sunday afternoon last July, as we were preparing to return home from our cottage in Ellsworth, we received a frantic call from a neighbor. Lightening had hit the second floor of our house. The Cape Elizabeth fire department was there trying to extinguish the fire. Needless to say, the 2.5 hour ride home took forever. During that time we contacted our insurance company. The claims adjuster gave us a short list of restoration contractors we could contact. Thank God we chose Tony. We were able to reach him, and Tony said he and his crew would be at our house when we arrive - no hesitation on a Sunday afternoon in mid-July.
When we arrived, the fire department had extinguished the fire and saved most of our possessions. However, there was a gaping hole in the roof and rain was pouring in. They did not have the resources to cover the hole. Luckily, Viking Restoration did. Tony and his crew worked into the night and in a ceaseless downpour to secure a huge tarp over the roof to prevent further damage to the house.
Monday morning, we realized the extent of the damage, and it was immense. In addition to the gaping hole in the roof, water damage had destroyed the interior of one end of the house and smoke damage occurred throughout. We sat at our kitchen table with Tony. His main objective was to reassure us that our house could be and would be restored to its original condition. Tony patiently walked us through the process, working with the insurance company and Viking Restoration.
Tony had a very good relationship with our insurance company, which was built on trust from multiple past projects. It was clear from the first day that both Viking Restoration and Hanover were on the same page with our best interest being the top priority. Because of their trust in Tony, Hanover never questioned his estimates and recommendations.
Tony set high expectations for his work product and communicated these expectations to his crew and subcontractors. Tony and his crew are highly professional, but at the same time very compassionate and personable. They always understood the stress we were facing and helped us every way they could During the first few days, his crew packed our belongings and moved them to storage or our temporary housing. They then removed everything in the house that was damaged so that the restoration work could begin.
To assess the scope of the project, Tony went over every inch of the house. He submitted an extensive list of repairs and replacements to Hanover. He set realistic timeframes and stayed on schedule throughout the whole restoration. Tony was always accessible to us. If he couldn't pick up his cell phone when we called, he returned it promptly.
Almost 20 years earlier, we had our house built. We knew that the process of building a house could strain your relationship with the contractor. As a result of this fire, the restoration was like building a new home in many ways, except our relationship with Tony only got stronger. He was just as excited as we were to see how well the restoration was turning out. In every decision he made, he took into account our best interests and how the results would reflect on Viking's professional reputation. The end result for us was a beautifully restored home inside and out with absolutely no evidence of the extensive damage that occurred.
Sincerely,
Bob and Lynne Beal
Stages of the Restoration
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The Beal house was hit by lightning on a rainy Sunday in summertime. Intense fire and water damage required extensive repairs, especially to the second floor bathroom where the lightning had struck nearby.
Crews removed damaged walls, ceiling and flooring where necessary, being careful to protect salvagable fixtures and possessions.
Top quality craftsmanship and tradespeople ensure successful restoration.
Months later, the house is as good as new!
View the stages of restoration of the Historic Vaughn Residence completed by Viking Restoration.