10 Tips to Prevent Water Damage

12/16/2024 (Permalink)

Water damage can be a costly and disruptive event. By following these simple tips, you can significantly reduce your risk of experiencing water damage in your home or business:

1. Elevate Electronics: Keep electronics off the floor to protect them from potential water damage.
2. Inspect Washing Machine Hoses: Regularly check washing machine hoses for wear and tear. Replace them every 5 years to prevent leaks.
3. Monitor Water Bills: Keep an eye on your water bill for any unusual spikes, which could indicate a hidden leak.
4. Locate Water Shut-Off Valves: Ensure everyone in your household knows where the main water shut-off valve is located.
5. Schedule Roof Inspections: Regular roof inspections can help identify and address potential leaks.
6. Inspect Plumbing Pipes: Check for signs of corrosion, leaks, or condensation on your plumbing pipes.
7. Avoid Excessive Toilet Flushing: Limit flushing to necessary times to reduce water usage and potential leaks.
8. Maintain Gutters and Downspouts: Keep gutters and downspouts clean and free of debris to prevent water damage to your foundation.
9. Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Use natural cleaning methods or gentle drain cleaners to avoid damaging your pipes.
10. Flush Your Water Heater: Regularly flush your water heater to remove sediment buildup and improve efficiency.

By taking these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce your risk of water damage and protect your property. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a professional for assistance.

Water Removal Experts

8/7/2024 (Permalink)

Water damage in a home from not being dried and cleand up properly.

At SERVPRO of Daviess County, we have years of experience dealing with water damage in homes, so we understand how stressful it can be to find your house flooded or damaged. Many people try to clean it up themselves, only to notice a musty odor a few days later. Properly restoring water damage requires expertise and a scientific approach, which is why our team undergoes extensive training before they're ready to handle your home or business repairs. This training equips us with the knowledge and skills to clean up your property and prevent further damage. Since floods can occur unexpectedly, it's crucial to be prepared. We suggest saving our number, 270-683-1888, in your phone, so you'll be ready in case of an emergency! 

Fire Damage Restoration

8/7/2024 (Permalink)

Fire restoration takes many techniques to fully restore you structure and property.

After the firefighters leave, your house might have damage from the fire and smoke, plus a lot of water damage from the firefighting. SERVPRO of Hardin/Larue Counties is trained to fix your home and make it like it was before the fire.

Do you have questions about damage from fire, smoke, or soot? Every fire is a little different and needs a special solution, but the general steps we take are the same for most fires. Here’s a simple version of what we do:

Step 1: Emergency Contact
The restoration process starts when you call the SERVPRO National Call Center, which is open all day, every day. Our representative will ask you questions about the fire so we can send the closest SERVPRO team with the right tools to help you.

Step 2: Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment
Our team will inspect your home carefully to see how much damage there is from the fire, smoke, and soot. This helps us plan how to fix everything.

Step 3: Immediate Board-Up and Roof-Tarp Service
Fires can damage windows, walls, and roofs. To keep your home safe and prevent more damage, we can board up broken windows and walls and cover damaged roofs with tarps.

Step 4: Water Removal and Drying (if there's water damage)
We start removing water right away. We take out most of the water first, then use special machines to dry the rest.

Step 5: Removal of Smoke and Soot from All Surfaces
SERVPRO of Hardin/Larue Counties uses special tools and methods to remove smoke and soot from ceilings, walls, and other places.

Step 6: Cleaning and Sanitizing
We clean everything that can be saved and fix anything damaged by the fire. Our team uses different cleaning methods to make things like they were before the fire. We also remove bad smells using air scrubbers and fogging equipment.

Step 7: Restoration
This is the last step—making your home or business look like it did before the fire. This might mean small fixes like replacing drywall, painting, and putting in new carpet, or bigger repairs like rebuilding parts of your home or business.

Biohazard

8/7/2024 (Permalink)

In addition to the typical fire, water, and mold remediation services, SERVPRO also offers specialized biohazard cleanup. While this is not a topic that's easy to discuss, there are unfortunate circumstances in life where this type of professional intervention is necessary. The term "biohazard cleanup" encompasses a wide range of situations, including the removal and disposal of microbiological and pathological waste, cleaning up after an unattended death, blood cleanup from accidents or crimes, industrial accidents involving hazardous materials, animal remains, hoarding situations, and the sanitization of areas contaminated by body fluids, homicides, or suicides.

Whenever we are called to a job site involving biohazardous materials, our team takes every precaution to handle the situation with the utmost discretion and respect. If requested, we can even dispatch a nighttime crew to ensure that the cleanup process remains out of sight from curious onlookers. We take great pride in the compassion and expertise of our staff, who are trained to navigate these delicate scenarios with the sensitivity they deserve. Throughout the entire job, our primary goal is to ease the emotional burden on those affected and complete the work as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.

SERVPRO understands that biohazard cleanup is a sensitive subject, but we are committed to providing these essential services when needed. If you have any questions or require our assistance, please don't hesitate to give us a call. We are here to help during even the most challenging of circumstances.

How to Protect Pipes in the Winter

12/18/2023 (Permalink)

With snow in the forecast, here are 5 tips from the Red Cross on making sure your pipes do not freeze or burst during cold weather:

1. Insulate both hot and cold water pipes.
2. Keep the garage door closed if any water supply lines are in the garage.
3. Keep a trickle of water going through the lines. 
4. Leave your thermostat at the same temperature both night and day.
5. Open cabinet doors to help warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.

A burst pipe can cause thousands of dollars in damage because it has the potential to flood your home. If the five tips mentioned above do not protect your pipes, give SERVPRO® of Daviess County a call at 270-683-1888!

To read more tips, visit the Red Cross website at:
http://www.redcross.org/…/types-o…/winter-storm/frozen-pipes

The Importance of Smoke Detectors

12/18/2023 (Permalink)

In the event of a deadly home fire, a working smoke alarm will significantly increase your chance of survival. Follow these tips to insure your prepared-

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, all throughout the home.  Upstairs, downstairs, basements.  Make sure you have inside and outside of bedrooms.
• Replace the entire smoke alarm every 8-10 years.
• test your batteries monthly
• once a year replace batteries in smoke detectors that are battery-powered and hard wired smoke alarms. (the only exception are detectors that contain 10 year lithium batteries.)
• Install both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms, OR dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.

There will be times that you may be cooking something that puts off smoke.  Even though its tempting, never disable your smoke alarm.  That one time could be a costly mistake.  Never ignore the sound.  Always react promptly until you ultimately know that your safe and there is not a fire.  In the event you are put in that situation, make sure you are safe and leave the building.  Your life is more valuable then the contents inside. 

When fire impacts your home or place of business, call on the professionals to get the job done. You don't have to wait, you can reach a team member any time of the day or night. We are on standby for you  24/7, 365 days a year! We can guarantee that anytime you call, you will get a SERVPRO® professional on the line to help.

Daviess County

Call Us Today: 270-683-1888

http://www.SERVPROdaviesscounty.com/

https://www.ready.gov/home-fires

Danger of Candles

2/25/2022 (Permalink)

Candles are an awesome way to light up, add nice decor, or make a home smell like fresh flowers. However, according to the NFPA, from 2014-2018, there were an estimated 7,610 house fires that were started by candles per year that caused an annual average of 81 deaths, 677 injuries, and $278 million in property damage. Save your home with some of these alternatives!

Flame-less candles

For those who just want the aesthetic of a candle and no scent, flame-less candles are a great option! They are typically battery-operated and give the same flame-like feature as real candles.

Wax warmer

Wax warmers are a great alternative because you can get that amazing scent that comes from real candles without the hazard. Warmers are typically either battery or outlet operated to melt the wax.

Diffuser

Calling all of our essential oil fans, this one is for you! With hundreds of combinations to try, diffusers are a great option for the whole house.

Stick diffusers

The most low maintenance option is a stick diffuser. Put your scent in the vase and let the sticks do the work.

If you still plan to opt for a candle, be sure to trim the wick before each use to minimize sparking, place the candle where it can’t fall or be knocked over, and always blow out the candle anytime you leave the room or plan to leave the home.

SERVPRO is a fan of diffusers!

Process Makes the Difference

2/25/2022 (Permalink)

It’s all about the process. SERVPRO has built a tried-and-true system that is geared towards making the claims process smooth and efficient for all parties involved, from the adjuster to the property manager and essentially the property owner or resident. A couple of the key elements are COMMUNICATION and DOCUMENTATION. Optimally, SERVPRO will already have done a full property evaluation, or an Emergency Ready Plan, and photographed the entire facility or residence so that the preexisting condition is well established.

If these photos are not in place before a loss, we immediately begin to photograph the entire area and gather data such as moisture readings, evidence of organic growth, and conditions of all parts of the structure from the roof and exterior to the interior and insulation.

We then are able to build our estimates based on established IICRC protocols, so that everything is packaged for the Insurance Adjuster to compare data and evaluate the policy in accordance with accurate proof of the damages and evidence of the cause of loss. This makes for a swift turn around on getting claims approved, and allowing us to start reconstructing the property for the customer!! Easy as that! Call us today!

Toilets Cause Water Damage Too!

2/16/2022 (Permalink)

You never know when you will need emergency water restoration services, but when you do, you can count on the professionals at SERVPRO® Here are some great tips for inspecting and preventing toilet failure:

• Be patient after you flush and wait for the valve to completely finish refilling the tank and bowl. If an overflow looks imminent, lift off the tank cover, lift the float to shut off water flow to the tank, and then turn off the supply valve.
• Twice a year, inspect a toilet’s components, such as the fill, supply, and flush valves and the supply line. Make sure you can turn off the water supply. If you have older screw-type valves that are hard to turn or start leaking, consider replacing them with simpler ball valves that are easy to shut off quickly.
• Sewage backups should be considered an emergency and dealt with as quickly as possible. Our technicians have the training, equipment, protective gear, and experience to safely restore sewer backups.

When your home or commercial business has a water damage emergency, SERVPRO® is Here to Help. ®

Keeping Your Company Running During an Emergency

2/8/2022 (Permalink)

One of the biggest fears for business owners is losing any progress they have gained when disaster strikes. Once you have a business emergency plan in place, there is no need to fear in losing momentum. Whether you have a new or an established company, protect your assets by building a plan custom tailored to you.

1. Conduct a Business Impact Analysis Survey with your more experienced employees. You will need to assess the most vulnerable areas in your company and determine how to keep the risk of loss low. Where will you conduct your business if you have to vacate the premises, for example? When is the best time to contact commercial building restoration services? With a thorough assessment of your company’s needs, you can be better prepared to continue work, whether that means renting out an area from a nearby facility or having a temporary workplace set up.

2. Develop an emergency response team. Your team should be willing and able to handle its daily responsibilities and emergency response training. If you choose, you can have yourself or the team leader trained as a Business Continuity Plan Professional by taking a course from the Disaster Recovery Institute International. A certified professional can direct your team with efficient loss prevention techniques.

3. Update your emergency response plan with new training and revisions. As your business grows and changes, your plan will need to grow and change with it. Keep your employees informed of any changes and the reasons behind them. That way, when an unexpected setback occurs, you are ready.

In the event of flood, fire, or other emergency, you would hate to lose business because you had no plan to keep the wheels running. No one can expect when a flood or fire will occur, but you can prepare for the unpredictable at any time. No occasion is better than the present to develop a business continuity plan.