Our team can help with all of your water restoration needs!
You can never plan for a water loss to occur in your home or business but it’s a good idea to keep handy the name and number of a local cleanup and restoration company like SERVPRO. A disaster like this may seem like the end of the world but to our SERVPRO team it’s just an average day. This is our specialty. Our job is to provide state-of-the-art service to our customers that are in need of water damage restoration experts.
The first 24 hours following a water loss are the most important in preventing secondary or permanent damage. That is why it is imperative to call SERVPRO as soon as possible, so our team can start extracting the water.
Here is what you can expect when our highly trained technicians arrive at your home or business.
INSPECTION
Within two hours of receiving the loss notification, our SERVPRO of Fairfield County restoration professionals will be on-site to help ensure your water damage is handled in accordance with the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) Standards. Our team will inspect the affected areas to determine the extent of the water damage. We will review the inspection with you, answering any questions you may have before beginning the work.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Our SERVPRO of Fairfield County professionals take the necessary steps to help protect your home or business, as well as personal property and other contents from further damage by extracting the excess water and preparing the affected area for drying. Once the area is prepared for drying, our technicians will then place our state-of-the-art drying equipment strategically in the area. Our team will explain the needed emergency services to you step-by-step and can assist you with filing an insurance claim, should you choose to file a claim. SERVPRO of Fairfield County is a preferred service provider for most major insurance companies such as Nationwide Insurance, State Farm, Allstate Insurance, Farmers Insurance and Grange Insurance. We always keep a great working relationship with our local Insurance Adjusters and Claims Agents.
MONITOR
To help ensure the structure and contents of your home or business are dried to the appropriate IICRC Standards, a SERVPRO of Fairfield County professional will monitor and document the drying process. These updates will be consistently communicated with you and when applicable, to your Insurance Adjuster or Claims Agent. Continuous monitoring allows our trained technicians to better understand how the property is drying, and the equipment can then be adjusted to dry the area quickly and more cost effectively. The length of drying does depend on the severity of the loss.
RESTORATION SERVICES
SERVPRO of Fairfield County will repair structural materials, reinstall carpers and cleaned affected areas of your property and contents. This is where our SERVPRO team lives up to our motto “Like it never even happened.” A final walk through of the property will be conducted with you to ensure your home or business was returned to its preloss condition.
When you contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County you can rest assured that you are in good hands and that we have you and your property’s best interest at heart.
Why Our SERVPRO Team is "Faster To Any Size Disaster"
In many cleaning and restoration situations, immediate action is needed. With over 1,900 U.S. and Canadian Franchise locations, SERVPRO is strategically positioned to be faster to any size emergency. An immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides 24-hour emergency services throughout Columbus and the surrounding areas. We are dedicated to providing excellent service no matter how large or small the damage may be. Our highly trained and IICRC certified technicians can respond immediately to your disaster. No matter the hour of the day.
If a disaster strikes your home or commercial property, call our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team today. We are always Here To Help!
ACT FAST. The sooner you clear the contents out of your basement during a water incident, the more likely you will be able to restore the condition to your items and possessions.
When a finished basement experiences significant water damage, such as a basement flooding or a water pipe burst, timing is everything. Where the sooner you begin the disaster recovery process, the more likely you will be able to restore the condition of your possessions and the finished basement environment.
The first 48 hours are considered the most important time period to react, as it is crucial to preventing further damage to the basement and the items within, as well as preventing a wide spread mold problem. Below are the first steps to take, preferably within these first 48 hours.
Turn Off the Power. Never enter a flooded basement or touch the flood waters without cutting off the power.
Call your insurance company. Policies differ. Most require special flood insurance to cover ground water leaks, but homeowner’s insurance may cover damage from indoor plumbing and hot water heater leaks.
Get the water out as soon as possible. Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County to extract any standing water. If there isn’t a lot of water, you might try to get it out yourself, with a “floor sucker” or a shop-vac.
Dry everything out as quickly as possible
To prevent items and building materials from becoming ruined, dry your basement as soon as the water is removed. Ideally, the basement should be completely dry within 48 hours. After that, the potential for mold growth increases considerably. A professional restoration company might help expedite this process. Alternatively, you can consider acquiring a powerful basement dehumidifier.
Our technicians are trained and always ready to help!
Certification is Key to Proper Water Damage Remediation
Flooding of any type will ruin some personal possessions (books, papers, and cloth) within minutes. In just a few hours, carpets and flooring can be destroyed as well as furniture. After only a day, walls can become damaged past repair and will have to be removed and replaced before a homeowner or renter can return to their house.
When it comes to water removal for our Columbus neighbors, we require our personnel to meet the high standards established by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). SERVPRO also maintains an extensive inventory of specialized equipment built to extract flood water, regardless of the source and where it might be located in your home.
Each team member is trained on this equipment to quickly remove water. Since that is only the beginning, however, we also require them to become certified in five areas as determined by the IICRC. They are:
Water Damage - This overall course covers the many types of water damage and the effects it has on a home. Concentration is given to problems such as overflowing sewers and mold contamination.
Applied Structural Drying - This teaches each technician to use monitoring equipment, moisture extractors and specialized heaters and fans to dry walls and floors that have been under water.
Carpet Cleaning - Our team members learn to identify fabrics and the proper cleaning techniques required for each one. They also are taught to safely use the different cleaning chemicals available to us and how to use them with our vacuums and extractors.
Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning - Techs learn more fiber and cloth identification. Each person also learns about the specific cleaning issues needed to prevent fabrics from bleeding their colors, shrinking or otherwise becoming distorted from having been soaked.
Odor Control - Personnel learn to identify the source of odors caused by flooding or other water damage and the deodorization techniques available to combat them.
In addition to these areas, each technician is trained and qualified on every piece of equipment they might use on each job. Our inspectors also receive additional, specialized training to identify potential problems before they happen.
Get ahead of potential problems and call SERVPRO of Fairfield County to schedule an inspection. If you may have or suspect damage from previous flooding, call us today at 740-756-7003. We're ready to serve you.
Our SERVPRO team is ready to restore your Columbus fire damaged property.
A fire damage event is difficult for the home or business owner on many levels, and the restoration process that follows can be intimidating. Each fire event is a little different, and each will require a unique solution, although the overall general process stays the same. The steps we are listing below will illustrate the SERVPRO process for the average fire damage emergency.
Emergency Contact. Your restoration process begins the moment that you contact us. Our representative will ask you questions regarding the fire damage event that will help us to respond with the appropriate equipment and resources for your particular situation.
Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment. Our team will carefully inspect and test all the adjoining rooms of your home or business to determine the extent of the fire, smoke, and soot damage. This step is vital to us, allowing us to develop the perfect plan of action for your property.
Immediate Board-Up and Roof-Tarp Service. Fire damage will often compromise the condition of windows, walls, and roofing. To maintain security and to protect against further damage, we will board up missing windows and walls, and place tarps on damaged areas of the roof.
Water Removal and Drying. If water damage is present, the water removal process will begin almost immediately, with the goal of removing the majority of the water. Our team will then employ dehumidifiers and air movers to remove any remaining water and complete the drying process.
Removal of Smoke and Soot From All Surfaces. SERVPRO uses specialized equipment and techniques to remove smoke and soot from ceilings, walls, and all other surfaces.
Cleaning and Sanitizing. We clean, sanitize, and disinfect all of the restorable items and structures that were damaged by the fire. Our team uses a variety of cleaning techniques to restore your belongings to the condition they were in before the fire. We are also trained to remove lingering odors, using industrial air scrubbers and fogging equipment.
Restoration. This is the final step - getting your home or business back to its pre-fire condition. Restoration may involve minor repairs, such as replacing drywall, installing new carpet, or painting surfaces, or it may entail major repairs, such as the reconstruction of various rooms or areas.
Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County we are here to help if your home or business suffers from damage due to a fire.
It is critical to keep your gutters clean to prevent water from seeping into your basement and causing floods.
One of the biggest fears as a homeowner with a basement is your basement flooding whenever it rains. A valid and legitimate fear, this situation causes a myriad of repairs. All sorts of damage including ruined flooring and carpeting, rotted drywall, destroyed furniture, and the worst of all, mold growth can occur. These repairs can be time-consuming and costly, and your basement can even flood in dry weather.
Issues with your foundation drainage is a big cause for a flooded basement and flood damage in your home. However, the main reason for water in your basement is overflowing gutters. It is critical to keep your gutters clean to prevent water from seeping into your basement and causing floods. Quality gutter guards and even using an expert to clean your gutters out routinely keeps debris and leaves out of the gutters so they can function properly.
When your gutters do cause flooding in your basement, it can be quite overwhelming. You need to have professionals, such as SERVPRO, come to your home to help you get all the water out and repair the damages.
When your gutters are clogged with debris, the water has nowhere to go. It overflows over the gutters to the ground next to your house, only a couple feet from the foundation. As the ground is settling and moving, it stresses the foundation of your home which causes cracking, letting water enter your home. Hydrostatic pressure might force water in through the concrete. The main solution is to keep your gutters clean.
Flooded basements create not only a lot of possible damage but plenty of stress for you as well. At SERVPRO, we understand this, so we move quickly to get to your home after you reach out to us. We have the professional and industrial equipment to get all the standing water out of your home and use fans and dehumidifiers to finish the drying process. We have moisture meters to find any hidden water or mold growth as well.
When SERVPRO of Fairfield County is finished restoring your home after your basement floods, it is "Like it never even happened." Just give us a call at (740) 756-7003 so we can get started as soon as possible.
This residential home needed a tarp after a recent storm.
Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County we want to take the hassle and stress out of the board up and roof tarping of your home due to a disaster.
Whether your home or business was damaged by a storm, or other structural disasters, boarding up or tarping a damaged property is a burden that you as a homeowner shouldn't have to handle. Incorrectly boarding up or tarping your home can result in further damage, making the situation worse. Whether the further damage be from moisture or animal intrusions.
Our dedicated team of professionals are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to help with in case you come across unexpected damage to your home or business.
Our trained and certified professionals are here to board up or tarp your damaged property, remediate the original damage and provide you with peace of mind while helping make it “Like it never even happened.”
Fire damage to your business is a serious concern. Even moderate damage can result in your facility being closed for repairs for weeks on end, and this can be financially devastating.
The unfortunate reality is that no business is immune to the risk of fire. Some facilities may be more likely to endure damage from a fire, such as a restaurant that uses open flames throughout the day. However, there are many fire hazards that are present in most workplaces on a daily basis regardless of the type of activities that take place in the building. When you know what these hazards are, you can take proper steps to address and mitigate those risks and prevent possible fire damage and smoke damage.
Electrical Concerns Damage to electrical wiring can result in sparks that quickly lead to damaging fires. Electrical wiring damage may include frayed cords, such as those connecting desktop computers to the wall power outlets. It may also include damage to internal wiring inside the walls, and these may be damaged by pests and other forces. Electrical fires may also start when power sockets are overloaded or when equipment gets too hot. Periodically review your company's wiring to identify areas of concern that need to be addressed.
Poor Equipment Maintenance Other hazards in workplaces are related to poor equipment maintenance. For example, failing to service your furnace regularly may result in the accumulation of dust and other flammable debris. A gas leak in the furnace could result in a fire or an explosion. Fire hazards related to poor maintenance may also include dusty, dirty or greasy components, such as air ducts and vents, kitchen exhaust vents and many other features that are used throughout your facility. Scheduling necessary maintenance can decrease fire risk in these areas.
Flammable or Combustible Materials Flammable and combustible materials are most commonly associated with industrial and warehouse environments, but even restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners and many other types of business may store combustible materials on-site. These materials should remain properly sealed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations at all times.
As you can see, there are numerous fire hazards that could result in serious damage to your business. If your business has already experienced fire damage, it is essential that repair work is completed as soon as possible. SERVPRO of Fairfield County is your trusted leader in the restoration industry. We can quickly restore your building to its previous condition so that operations can resume in your place of business. Call us today!
This is a free service offered by SERVPRO that provides you with all the information needed in an emergency that you can access directly from our app.
According to the latest industry research, as many as 50% of businesses may never recover following a disaster. Of the businesses that survive, the overwhelming majority of them had a preparedness plan in place. Pre-planning can serve as an insurance policy aimed at peace of mind.
Preparation is a key component for making it through any size disaster, whether it’s a small water leak, a large fire or an area flood. The best time for planning for such events is not when the event happens, but well before it happens. No one ever plans on a disaster, but you can plan for it.
By developing a SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile for your business, you minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action. The Emergency Ready Profile is a start up approach that provides the critical information needed to begin mitigation and recovery services. It is designed to serve as a quick reference of important building and contact information.
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at 740-756-7003 to get started on your SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile today!
Here is an example of soot tags. You can see how closely they resemble spider webs.
As fire damage specialists, we see a lot of fire damaged residential homes and commercial properties. The damage can either be extensive or very minimal. One of the most common visible instances of fire damage are soot webs, the technical term for them are "Soot Tags". They look exactly like spider webs. Rest assured, you did not have magical "fire spiders" that created these cobwebs in your home.
Soot Tags form in areas of low circulation when petroleum/synthetic based sources burn. During a fire the heat of the fire moves into colder areas since the air seeks to create equilibrium. The soot then rides in the air with the heat particles that follow the air into those colder areas with low circulation and are able to concentrate. Since that soot is a product of combustion the particles themselves are charged which makes it quite easy for them to create long chains of soot or soot tags. So while it looks like a lot of soot got stuck on pre-existing spider webs it is actually a whole new structure.
If you notice that you have soot tags in your home or business after a recent fire, do not try to clean it up yourself. Any time you try to clean soot without the proper chemicals, tools and experience, you’ll likely cause further damage in your home. That's why our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team is here to help, we are the fire damage restoration specialists at your service 24-7!
Rest easy during a storm knowing your insurance policy has you covered.
Bad weather can spring up without much of a warning. Most of the time when a flash flood or bad thunderstorm is threatening your area, you barely have enough time to find shelter. As a homeowner, it is important that you think about these moments before they occur.
Do you have the correct insurance policy? Is your home going to be covered in the event of a disaster? Is the amount of coverage going to be enough to restore your home? Thinking about these questions before the storm damage occurs can make your life after the storm much easier.
Before you do anything else, stop and make sure your home is covered for the following:
Water and Windstorm Damage
Debris or Tree Removal
Sewer Backup Due to Flooding
Sump Pump Failures Due to Flooding
Additional Living Expenses In Case A Storm Forces You Out of Your Home
Once you have the proper home insurance coverage for storm damage, you can feel safer during the event of a disaster. Seeing your home damaged after a major storm can be heartbreaking. The best thing you can do for your family and your home is to begin the storm damage recovery immediately.
Our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team is here to help after every storm. We are available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year!
This home experienced water damage due to cracks in the roof which lead to water making its way inside the home.
Who Do You Call?
When a storm comes down quick and fast, it often finds the cracks in the roofs, or the storm floods a part of your home and remediation is often needed. Most homeowners do not think about who their remediation company might be if needed. Most people may never experience something like this and the idea of a contractor coming into your home is sheer terror. With all the nightmare stories that exist about contractors, it is no surprise!
We Will Put You At Ease
Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County, we want to put your anxiety about hiring someone to come and make repairs to your home. We are here to help you get your home put back together and walk you through the entire process. We want to make sure that you have the confidence when you hire us that we will get the job done efficiently and correct the first time. Things are going to happen, how we react to them and how we prepare for them is the difference.
Call our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team today at (740) 756-7003 for all of your storm damage needs. We are always here to help!
Call our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team for all of your fire damage needs.
Your home is your sanctuary. A place where your family spends time together and makes memories. That’s why it is so scary imagining your home getting damaged by an unfortunate fire. Although you can’t control everything that happens in your home, there are some necessary tips you can follow to prevent a possible house fire. Follow these tips below.
Regularly test your smoke alarms. Test your smoke alarms by pressing the button located on the smoke alarm, if it produces a weak beeping noise, it is time to replace the batteries.
Check your heating sources. Heating sources that aren’t working properly could potentially trigger a fire. Have them checked annually.
Maintain a clean oven and stove. Food particles left behind can get to hot on the burner or in the oven causing a potential fire. Make sure nothing is left too close to the stove that could catch fire.
Never leave your kitchen. Don’t leave your kitchen while cooking. It only takes a few seconds for a fire to break out. If you have to step out of the room, turn the burners off.
Check your dryer. Make sure to clean out your lint trap after every load of laundry. The build up of lint can cause a fire. Have your dryer inspected by a professional yearly.
Inspect your cords. Before plugging something in, inspect the cord to make sure it is not frayed or been chewed. Replace the cords as soon as possible if you notice that the wires have been damaged. Avoid running cords under a rug or between the wall and your furniture, it can get too hot causing a fire.
Store flammable products properly. Store common household cleaners and cosmetic items in a cool area. If they are exposed to high heat, they can combust.
Use caution with candles. Put candles out before you leave the room or go to sleep and make sure to keep them far away from blankets or any other objects that could catch fire. Place candles on an even surface to prevent them from being knocked over. Also keep them away from pets.
Use caution with your fireplace. Make sure there is a door between the flames and your flooring, you don’t want any sparks to escape. Allow enough time for the ashes to cool down before throwing them away.
Always have a fire extinguisher handy. When a fire breaks out, your best line of defense is a fire extinguisher. Make sure every family member knows how to use it properly in case of a fire.
Our SERVPRO technicians are trained handle any size and any class disaster!
If you have ever endured storm damage to your home, SERVPRO is here to help. Our employees are trained and certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) to ensure that the technicians have the expertise in restoring your home.
In cases where there is flood damage to your home, the IICRC categorizes four different classes of destruction as follows:
Class 1: The lowest and easiest to deal with, this has a slow evaporation rate. Only part of a room or area was affected, there is little or no wet carpet, and the moisture has only affected materials with a low permeance rate, such as plywood or concrete.
Class 2: With a fast evaporation rate, this level affects an entire room, carpeting, or cushioning, the wetness has wicked up the walls at least 12”, and there is moisture remaining in structural materials.
Class 3: This class has the fastest evaporation rate, and ceilings, walls, insulation, carpet and sub-floors are all saturated. The liquid may have come from overhead.
Class 4: This class is labeled as specialty drying situations, which means there has been enough liquid and time to saturate materials with very low permeance, such as hardwood, brick, or stone.
If your home is ever in need of restoration services from flood damage, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at 740-756-7003.
If your home experiences damage caused by an ice dam, call our SERVPRO of Fairfield County team.
For homeowners in Ohio, winter can bring a number of problems, from burst pipes to leaky roofs. Another issue you may not be aware of is the formation of ice dams. While it may not seem like much of an issue on its own, it can cause extensive water damage to your home which can then create more problems. Here are a few things that you should know.
1. What Are They?
As you may be able to guess from its name, an ice dam is a formation that keeps water from properly moving from your roof. They occur when snow melts and then refreezes into harder ice. They often form on the edge of the roof which can make it difficult for water to drain properly but can also show up in other areas. When this happens, the trapped water can begin to back up and cause damage to the roof and ceiling underneath it.
2. How Do You Prevent Them?
These formations occur because of melting and refreezing snow, so one tip for ice dam prevention is to keep the temperature of your roof cold enough to prevent melting. This is most easily done by keeping the temperature in your attic low. Proper insulation can help as well. Another method of prevention is removing snow from your roof immediately after a storm.
3. How Can You Remove Them?
If you already have an ice dam on your roof, then you should remove it as quickly as possible to prevent it from causing any damage. One way to do this is by using an ice melt product. Hot water steaming can do the trick as well.
While a winter storm and cold weather can often create frustrating problems, you do not need to handle them all on your own. Our SERVPRO of Fairfield County team is always here to help!
Whether you are cooking in a restaurant or in your own home, a grease fire can quickly become a big disaster. Grease fires can present themselves as a difficult issue since they are notorious for being difficult to put out.
The first reaction to a fire is to pour water on it, which for grease fires, can actually spread the fire and make it worse!! Follow the correct steps below on putting out a grease fire.
How do I put out a Grease Fire?
Turn off the heat. Make sure to not pick up the pan. Picking up the pan can cause the fire to quickly spread to you or spill onto other surfaces in the kitchen.
Put a lid on the pan to cut off oxygen to the fire. Once it has sufficiently cooled down, you will be to move and clean it.
If the fire gets out of hand, make sure to call 911 to get assistance right away from the Columbus Fire Department.
NEVER pour water on an active grease fire or fan the fire. Both of these actions will only spread the fire.
Do NOT fan the fire with a dry or wet cloth, it can make it worse and spread the fire.
If all else fails, use a fire extinguisher to put out the flame.
How to Prevent A Grease Fire
Never leave your cooking unattended, always keep an eye on any pots or pans.
Make sure that you have a sufficiently sized lid for all of your cooking ware.
Heat the oils in your pans slowly, don't put your stove on the highest setting right off the bat.
Turn the heat off if you think your pans are getting too hot.
Due to the nature of a grease fire, it is highly recommended that you seek out the help of a professional like SERVPRO of Fairfield County for fire restoration help. In addition to cleaning up any damage such as burned materials, soot, or grease, a professional can help your kitchen rid itself of the smoke scent.
Our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team has the knowledge and decades of experience to help you quickly and effectively repair damage from a grease fire.
Mold found on back side of baseboards in commercial building.
Just like in your home, you also need to be concerned with mold in commercial buildings. Mold can be found almost anywhere and can grow on virtually any organic substance, as long as there is moisture and oxygen present. When excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials, mold starts to grow, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or unaddressed. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate all mold and mold spores, but you can control mold growth by controlling the moisture indoors.
In commercial buildings, moisture problems may include:
Roof leaks
Landscaping or gutters directing water into or under the building
Unvented combustion appliances
Delayed maintenance or insufficient maintenance
As mentioned before, the key to mold control is moisture control. Follow these mold prevention tips:
Fix any leaky plumbing and leaks in the building as soon as possible.
Look out for condensation and wet spots. Fix sources of moisture problems as soon as possible.
Prevent moisture due to condensation by increasing the surface temperature or reducing the moisture level in the air.
Keep heating, ventilation and air conditioning drip pans clean, properly flowing and unobstructed.
Maintain a low indoor humidity, below 60% relative humidity, 30-50% is ideal.
Have your building and HVAC inspected and maintenance regularly.
Clean up and dry out wet or damp spots within 48 hours.
Never let foundations stay wet.
Call our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team for all of your mold remediation needs!
If you experience water damage due to a malfunctioning sprinkler head, call our SERVPRO team.
Fires can happen without warning and can cause extensive damage to your commercial property. According to the National Fire Protection Association, property damage from fires totaled in about $12 million in 2012. Luckily we have fire sprinklers that are considered one of the most effective fire suppression systems available. When a building sprinkler system is activated by a fire, they are effective 96% of the time according to the NFPA. That's why it is very important for these systems to be in good condition and maintained regularly.
Be sure to inspect all control valves to ensure that they are open, accessible, properly locked, and free from any leaks. Examine water and air pressure gauges to make sure they are showing normal ranges in good condition.
Inspect the condition of sprinkler heads for paint, dust, or obstructions.
Make sure there is an adequate clearance of at least 18 inches from the height of storage to the sprinkler head. This prevents anything from accidentally knocking into it.
Have at least 6 spare heads that correspond to the type and temperature rate of the heads in use.
Inspect all fire department connections to verify caps are in place and that no damage is present.
Check low points on dry sprinkler systems to remove water to prevent freezing.
Maintain adequate heat within a dry sprinkler control valve room to prevent freezing.
Always report damage to any part of a sprinkler immediately.
This homeowner knew they had water damage by the discoloration they noticed.
Have you ever wondered if your walls have water damage? Sometimes it's not so easy to identify. And, as you know, water losses don't typically happen during convenient hours of the day. It’s not always easy to identify if your walls are damaged, but here are some signs to look for.
Common Signs of Water Damage In Your Walls
Musty Odor: Water damage can often cause mold damage and/or mildew damage if left undetected. But unfortunately, mold isn't always visible. If you notice a musty odor, that's a sign there may be mold somewhere you don't see. You want to make sure both sides of your walls are checked and tested for mold damage. Most importantly, you'll want to find the source of your water issues so the mold doesn't return and cause more damage.
Visible Mold Growth On Walls And Baseboards: Always be on the lookout for visible mold growth, it comes in various sizes. Mold infestation can quickly spread throughout a home in 48-72 hours. But you want to be careful because mold may cause health effects to you and your family, including your pet. That is why it is very important to contact trained professionals who have the proper training and experience to remove and remediate mold.
Discoloration: Discoloration is a key indicator that your walls are damaged as a result of water damage. The common colors associated with discoloration are yellow, brown, or copper.
Peeling Or Bubbling Paint And Wallpaper: The peeling or bubbling of paint or wallpaper is another key indicator that your walls are damaged. It is important to contact trained professionals to access your walls, to prevent further damage from happening down the road.
Warped Walls: Inspect your walls carefully to see if you have any warped walls. When the sheetrock behind a wall absorbs too much water, it will start to bend and curve, which, in turn, can cause the wall to warp.
Water Stains: Inspect your walls carefully for any potential water stains. Water stains can easily be missed, especially if they are tiny in size. Since they can start out small, homeowners typically don't notice the water stains until they have increased in size, which, at that time, further damage may have occurred. It's a good idea to inspect around your windows and frames as well.
If you notice signs of water damage in your walls, don't hesitate to call our SERVPRO team! We are always here to help!
“To be the premier cleaning and restoration company in the world.”
That statement could not be more true to those of us at SERVPRO of Fairfield County. Our goal and core values are to be the best of the best for our customers. This means requiring our technicians to become certified within the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certifications) standards. Whether our team is helping a customer who has had storm or fire damage or if we are cleaning carpet and upholstery, we strive to be the leader in the industry.
This is why SERVPRO of Fairfield County should be your first and last choice for your cleaning and restoration needs. We are always “here to help.”
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County today at 740-756-7003!
During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.
Specialized Training
We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform on a daily basis.
The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:
Kitchen/Food Areas
Bathrooms
Schools/Classrooms
Offices
Retail Spaces
Water Fountains
Shelving/Racks
Sales Counters
Carpets and Rugs
Stair Handrails
Elevator Cars
Playground Equipment
Fitness Equipment
Specialized Products
The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.
Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning
If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts today – SERVPRO of Fairfield County at 740-756-7003!
If you see visible mold on your residential or commercial property, do not disturb it. You can inadvertently spread the mold infestation throughout your home or business. When mold is disturbed, the mold can release microscopic mold spores which become airborne and can circulate inside your home.
What To Do:
Stay out of affected areas.
Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
Contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County for mold remediation services.
What Not To Do:
Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.
About Our Mold Remediation Services:
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in mold cleanup and restoration, in fact, it’s a cornerstone of our business. Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.
If you discover mold in your home or business, call our professionals at SERVPRO of Fairfield County.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County boarded this home after a fire.
Along with providing structural cleaning, contents cleaning, and deodorization in the central Ohio area after a residential or commercial fire, SERVPRO of Fairfield County also offers additional specialized services to our customers:
Board-Up
One of the top priorities after a fire loss is to secure your property and belongings until work can begin. SERVPRO of Fairfield County offers board-up services for windows, doors, and other exposed structural areas to prevent intrusion by both water and unauthorized persons.
Inventory, Pack-Out and Storage
As the clean up and restoration process begins, our SERVPRO of Fairfield County technicians take inventory of the contents in your home or business. As the contents are sorted, they will be categorized as salvageable, and processed to be cleaned, or unsalvageable, and documented as such for insurance purposes. Our professional SERVPRO Team can pack-out and store any unaffected materials as needed as well. Our SERVPRO Professionals are trained to properly inventory, move out and control the contents from the structure during the cleaning, restoration, and deodorization process.
Document Drying and Restoration
The SERVPRO Document Restoration Team offers a range of services to restore your damaged documents, including drying, cleaning/disinfecting, re-jacketing, digitizing, and deodorization. Depending on your specific needs, and utilizing industry leading techniques and state-of-the-art technology, SERVPRO’s restoration professionals will help you recover paper goods, no matter the size of the loss.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is Here to Help with all your fire damage needs. Our professional team will help make it “Like it never even happened.”
If you smell something funny in your home, call our SERVPRO of Fairfield County Team!
Do you know when to be worried about a funny smell? Most new homeowners are not water damage specialists, but the human nose is an excellent tool for sniffing out trouble. Your nose is not the only way to spot water damage in your new home. Our SERVPRO of Fairfield County technicians are IICRC certified and can help handle any moisture problems you may discover after moving in.
The sooner you notice a problem, the sooner you can call our team to help mitigate ongoing damages. Some water damage will be easier to spot. When you notice a problem, a highly trained SERVPRO professional can assess the extent of your damages. We can use our specialized equipment to remedy the issue fast.
What should you keep an eye out for when you do your spring cleaning? Start at the top. When looking for roof damages, obvious water stains aren't the only problem. Swollen insulation is usually an indication of water retention. Check your flashing (where the roof meets the walls) for cracks and look for missing shingles as well as more obvious signs like holes. Look at door frames and molding. Unusual stains or dark spots on the walls can mean trouble.
Inside, make sure you check your appliances after you move in to be certain they are not leaking where you cannot see easily behind them. Cracked hoses and loose connections can be tricky. Ripples, buckling, and changes in texture can tell you the flooring has a water problem. Remember to trust your nose. If it smells wrong, it probably is.
Outside water damages and mold are often caused by improper drainage. Check your spouts to see that they are clear and make sure you do not have water pooling around the foundation of your new home. At the first sign of damage, you can call SERVPRO.
No one wants to find water damages in their new home this spring. If you do, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is available at (740) 756-7003 24 hours a day. We can make things “Like it never even happened.”
Cold temperatures can lead to frozen pipes, that's why our SERVPRO Team is always here to help!
The cold temperatures in southern Columbus can lead to a number of problems for local homeowners. One of which may include frozen pipes. A hard freeze can even lead to broken pipes or water damage in your home. Here are some things you may want to know about what to expect when your pipes freeze.
What To Do When Pipes Freeze
If you have a frozen pipe in your home there are a few things you can do
Call a professional, like SERVPRO for help
Keep your pipes open so the water has a place to go when thawed
Apply gentle heat, like a hot towel or blow dryer, to the frozen area of the pipe
Why Pipes Freeze
During a hard freeze the temperature outdoors can drop so low that the cold can permeate the pipes. Any water inside will then expand. If there is not enough room inside the pipes, then the pressure can cause cracks which will lead to leaks when the water thaws. A water damage professional can help with repairs to your home if the leak causes damage.
Preventing Frozen Pipes
Fortunately, there are a few prevention steps you can take to prevent the freezing of your pipes and subsequent water damage. These steps include draining the water from pipes that may freeze such as a sprinkler line, and disconnecting any hoses from your home. You may also want to close any indoor valves that supply water to outdoor lines. If the weather is especially cold you may want to let your faucets drip a little as moving water is less likely to freeze. It’s also a good idea to keep your home’s temperature above 55 degrees.
When a hard freeze occurs, the water in your pipes can freeze and cause some damage to your home. A professional can help with any repairs and cleanup you may need. If you know that the temperature is likely to get to freezing point, you may be able to take some steps to protect your pipes.
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at 740-756-7003 if you experience an unexpected fire
A fire in your home or business never something you expect to experience. Which is why it is important to know the 4 stages of a fire to keep you safe.
Incipient: This first stage begins when heat, oxygen and a fuel source combine, having a chemical reaction resulting in a fire. It is also known as “ignition”. There is usually a small fire, which often goes out on its own, before the following stages are reached. During this stage, recognizing a fire so early is your best chance at suppression or escape.
Growth: This stage is where the structure’s fire load and oxygen are used as fuel for the fire. During the growth stage, there are multiple factors that affect the fire including where the fire started, what combustibles are nearby, ceiling height and the potential for “thermal layering”. This is stage is when a deadly “flashover” can occur’ potentially trapping, injuring, or killing firefighters.
Fully Developed: When the growth stage has reached its maximum and all nearby combustible materials have been ignited, the fire is considered fully developed. This is the hottest stage of a fire and the most dangerous for anyone trapped within.
Decay: The decay stage is the longest stage of a fire; it is characterized by a significant decrease in oxygen or fuel, putting an end to the fire. There are two common dangers during this stage. First, the existence of non-flaming combustibles that can potentially start a new fire if they are not fully extinguished. Second, there is a danger of a backdraft when oxygen is reintroduced to a volatile, confined space.
Drying out flood damaged homes takes more than just clever tools and equipment.
Drying out flood damaged homes takes more than just clever tools and equipment. You need an expert restoration team, with high-level skills and knowledge of the most efficient techniques. This is what SERVPRO of Fairfield County can offer you if flooding has recently hit your property. We have access to state of the art drying machines, but we also know how to maximize their power.
Dehumidifiers are one of the most important drying tools when it comes to repairing flood damage in Columbus. It extracts the moisture from of the air and returns it to dry air. This is an essential part of the restoration process because flooding does not just leave its mark in standing water. For successful repairs, all moisture has to be eliminated, whether it is in the air, on the ground, or caught in soft furnishings.
Keep reading to learn more about how SERVPRO sets up dehumidifiers and gets the drying process started quickly.
Type Of Materials The first thing that our SERVPRO technicians do is carry out an inspection. They enter the flood-damaged area and determine the extent of the damage. Before dehumidifiers can be set up, they first need to know what kind of materials need drying. Porous items (curtains, sofas, carpets, wood, etc.) are the hardest to restore. If a lot of porous items are wet, a longer drying period is required.
On the other hand, if wet materials are non-porous (metal, plastic), the drying period will be quicker and fewer dehumidifiers may be used. Most homes contain a mixture of the two, which means that technicians have to find a careful balance. Too many dehumidifiers can cause the air to become overly dry. This may damage softer materials like wood. Often, air movers are combined with dehumidifiers to prevent this from happening.
Putting Together A Plan For all of these reasons, it is necessary for flood repair teams to think very carefully about how they set up drying equipment. To homeowners, it may appear arbitrary, but many precise calculations are involved. For instance, to determine how many dehumidifiers are needed and of what size, the following information must be gathered: - Size of the flooded area (in feet) - Type of flood damage (based on porosity) - Type of dehumidifying technology available - Average amount of water to be removed per day (in pints)
Choosing The Right Experts For The Job So, you can start to see why flood damage restoration is such a complex task, even if the damage is modest. You should seek the help of a professional company like SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We are a locally based service, so our technicians are perfectly placed to respond to emergencies. Call us 24/7 at (740) 756-7003.
Our SERVPRO Team helps you stand up against harmful bacteria!
Every day more and more shoppers visiting grocery stores, it means more and more hands touching things you’re going to buy. Scary right? By giving more attention to germ-prone areas, store workers play a significant role in preventing the spread of viruses.
How do you properly clean sections of a grocery store? Read our store checklist below!
Store Cleaning Checklist
Shopping carts: As carts are used throughout the day, constantly wipe down the touch areas of the cart (especially the handles) with disinfectant cleaner. Treat hand baskets the same way. Nightly power washing serves as a proactive measure to sanitize and prepare the carts for use the next day.
Checkout aisles: Cashiers (and with the assistance of baggers) should frequently clean the checkout area. The conveyor belt, rails on each side of the belt, customer counter, and the bagging area should be wiped down at pace with the number of customers passing through.
Credit Card Machines: Keep credit card reading machines clean. Cash and plastic cards are known for harboring germs.
Restrooms: Public restrooms in a store probably already receive several cleanings per day, but with a recent emphasis on public health, it’s wise to increase the frequency of cleaning. Customer and employee restrooms should be sanitized throughout the day: floors, doors, stall walls/doors, all handles (including paper towel and soap dispensers), sinks, counters, baby changing sections, etc. Once the store is empty for the day, a more comprehensive cleaning should be done from top to bottom. You should sanitize everything.
Floors: Floors are high-traffic areas, and grocery store floors get even more foot traffic now that restaurant traffic is prohibited beyond carry-out. For more efficient and thorough floor sanitization, consider using an industrial auto-scrubber.
Walk-in freezers and refrigerators: Because freezers and refrigeration units house more prepared food these days, it’s a best practice to keep them clean for food safety. Give extra attention to these areas where products are handled by customers. These areas should be routinely cleaned. At a time that works best for your store schedule, remove the items from the refrigerator or freezer and clean the surfaces with no-touch products. This helps mitigate any contamination.
Be aware of places where hands leave behind germs and coughs/sneezes may leave behind pathogens. As always, SERVPRO is here to help! It can be overwhelming for your team members and our cleaning teams are ready and available 24/7 to proactively clean your business. Please call us today!
Our SERVPRO Team provides a higher standard of clean. Call our office today for more information!
Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned; A Higher Standard of Clean
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed what it means to be clean. Being open for business is just the beginning of our new journey forward. Employees may be hesitant to return to work, and customers may wonder whether the businesses they patron are safe.
We are proud to launch Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned—a cleaning and disinfecting program that SERVPRO offers to commercial locations to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. This is a level of clean that goes way beyond janitorial or carpet cleaning. This is proactive viral pathogen cleaning. When businesses chose SERVPRO, their employees, customers, and community can rest assured that they’ve selected a “higher standard of clean”—Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.
Please contact our SERVPRO of Fairfield County office at 740-756-7003 to have your building Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.
Our SERVPRO Team Can Take Care Of Your Hazardous Jobs
Our SERVPRO of Fairfield County team is highly trained to handle all of your bio-hazard needs.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County professionals are trained to safely and effectively removed bio-hazardous substances and prepare waste for proper disposal according to OSHA, EPA, along with state and local health regulations. We are equipped with the necessary safety equipment and cleaning products, our team can help turn unsafe environments into clean, safe homes, and offices.
Bloodbourne Pathogens
SERVPRO professionals remove and dispose of bodily fluids, tissue, and other potentially pathogenic substances resulting from accident, trauma, crime, or death. Trained SERVPRO technicians thoroughly clean, disinfect, and deodorize the structure.
Crime Scene Residues
From fingerprint powder and evidence-gathering chemicals to tear gas and pepper spray residues, SERVPRO professionals can clean and restore your property and contents.
Arson and Vandalism
SERVPRO professionals are recognized as leaders at helping property owners recover quickly from fire and water damage. SERVPRO also provides general cleaning and deodorization services for situations resulting from vandalism including graffiti, egg, spoiled foods, and human or animal waste.
Sewage Backup
Sewage backups and black water intrusions are more than nasty, smelly deposits- these damages also introduce harmful microorganisms into a structure. SERVPRO of Fairfield County professionals remove the sewage, contaminants and moisture, disinfecting as they clean. Our SERVPRO team help ensure the structure is properly cleaned, disinfected, and deodorized.
Our SERVPRO Team is dedicated to providing the best possible customer service.
If you ever wonder what makes the difference between all of the contractors you can choose from, the answer is simple. It’s customer service! Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County we strive to make every job the quickest and best quality that it can be. This picture is just a quick before and after photo of the small carpet patch to a much larger job. This is an example of the careful and attention to details that our project managers pour into your projects. Next time if you ever ask the question: Why SERVPRO? It’s because we care about every little detail of our work and your property. We personally work with you through every step of the way during this stressful time. Our SERVPRO Corporate office has a 1-4-8 requirement for all SERVPRO jobs. Which means we must contact the customer within one hour, be on site within 4 hours and have the estimate to the adjuster in 8 business hours. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it "Like it never even happened."
With the proper training, our SERVPRO Team sets themselves apart to serve you!
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is proud to be an IICRC certified firm. IICRC, or the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, is a non-profit organization for the cleaning and restoration industry. The goal of the IICRC is to establish and advance globally recognized standards and certifications for the inspection, cleaning, and restoration and installation industries. To accomplish this goal, the IICRC sets standards and certifications for inspection, cleaning, and restoration. The IICRC ensures that when consumers hire a certified firm or technician that they have hired experts who will provide reasonable assurance that work will be completed in accordance with the industry's "standard of care." The technicians of SERVPRO of Fairfield County sets themselves apart through training, experience, and comprehensive examination.
These items were able to be restored after a fire at a residential home.
When your home has been damaged by fire or water damage, our goal at SERVPRO of Fairfield County is to make your property "Like it never even happened," quickly and at the lowest cost to you.
Part of restoring your home and belongings is determining what items and structures can be saved utilizing our state of the art restoration techniques and equipment and what will ultimately have to be replaced. Insurance and restoration industry studies have concluded that restoring property after fire and water damage is less expensive than replacing. Restoring is also less disruptive to our clients, often allowing them to remain in their homes during the process and resume life as normal quickly.
As a preferred mitigation and restoration vendor for most major insurance companies, our SERVPRO Team is highly trained to determine when restoring can be accomplished with the high quality results that our clients deserve. This "restore" versus "replace" mentality can save money while preserving family heirlooms, keepsakes, and other items that are impossible or cost-prohibitive to replace.
If your home or business have been impacted by water or fire damage, call the professionals at SERVPRO of Fairfield County today at 740-756-7003.
Is water where it’s not supposed to be in your Fairfield County home or business? This is not a situation that can wait. Immediate mitigation services are definitely needed. Our dedicated technicians at SERVPRO of Fairfield County are ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help. You can expect a fast response and quick action.
A speedy response reduces the migration of the water. That in turn reduces the amount of moisture absorbed by materials and contents in the affected area. These fast actions reduce the drying time, lessen the need for demolition, and keep costs lower. We want to make sure you feel “Like it never even happened.”
In many cleaning and restoration situations, immediate action is needed. With over 1,700 U.S. and Canadian Franchise locations, SERVPRO is strategically positioned to be faster to any size emergency. An immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs. Faster to Any Size Emergency
Water is particularly invasive, quickly spreading throughout your property and being absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, etc. SERVPRO of Fairfield County arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately.
Overflowing toilets are every homeowner's worst nightmare. The mess and odors can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. That is why SERVPRO of Fairfield County is here to help!
A toilet overflow usually occurs when a blockage prevents water and waste from flushing down the toilet drain. This backup prevents water and waste from flowing down the drain and causes your toilet overflowing. As your toilet backs up, clean water and waste will overflow the toilet bowl. If not cleaned up quickly, it may cause extensive water damage to your bathroom floor or even leak through the ceiling below. Other common causes of overflowing toilets are sewage backups, septic tank issues, low flow toilets and malfunctioning plumbing.
Keep Your Toilet from Overflowing:
Shop towels, hunks of hair, cat litter, and other products can clog the toilet
Even toilet paper can clog a toilet if there is too much of it
Flush in large batches if there is large amount of material
Low-flow toilets save water and try patience – hold the handle down for a couple of extra seconds to make sure that there is enough water
If the water in the toilet bowl is high, use a plunger to clear the drain
Don't wait until the water is up to the bowl's rim – the water will have nowhere to go except the floor
If a plunger doesn't work, call a plumber
If your home or business has water damage from toilet overflow, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003. We are ready 24/7 to make your damage “Like it never even happened.”
The winter season is here and with it comes shorter days and lower temperatures. No matter where you live, winter brings a change in the weather. Many people use alternative heat sources like fireplaces, portable space heaters, and wood burning stoves to help keep homes warm. Did you know, heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths? According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment fires cause an estimated $1 billion in direct property damage annually. Keep the following safety tips in mind to help reduce your risk of heating-related fires in your home the winter season.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Keep anything flammable at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or a portable space heater. Have a three foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heater
Test smoke alarms monthly
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Source: National Fire Protection Association
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a storm damage, fire, and smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
If you need help with cleaning up after a fire damage event, please call us 24/7 at (740) 756-7003
According to the National Fire Protection Association, the second leading of cause of house fires in the U.S. is from electrical failures or malfunctions. Most electrical fires are caused by faulty electrical outlets and outdated appliances. The following are the most common reasons why electrical fires happen:
Old electrical sockets and unsafe appliances
Appliances that are old and overused and those that fall short of modern safety standards are the worst culprits. Frayed electrical cords, self-jointed wires, and worn out sockets that are not properly grounded are major causes of fires. They become ready outlets for directing heat and fire to carpets, rugs, curtains, and combustible plastic. Older appliances draw more power than the wall sockets can handle.
Using light fixtures that exceed the permissible wattage
A very common cause of fires is plugging lights, lighting appliances and bulbs into electrical sockets that cannot handle higher wattage levels. Antique lighting appliances may have defective wiring that makes the appliance unstable by overheating. Decorating lights with colored paper and cloth shades can increase the risk of fire when the material or fabric heats up.
Using multiple appliances plugged into an extension cord
Unrestricted use of extension cords is a major fire hazard. The risk of fire increases when your TV, home theatre, computer and other appliances are all plugged into a single extension cord. This creates excessive power load on a single socket which may not be designed to handle that load. So, there is a social and economic cost to damaged wiring!
Locating portable heaters near combustible materials
Portable space heaters that use coils are potentially dangerous when they are positioned carelessly near curtains and rugs and adjacent to beds and cloth covered furniture. The chances of inflammable material meeting the red-hot coils increase the risk of fire.
Wiring that becomes defective with the passage of time
Over a period of time you add more electrical appliances such as wide screen televisions, home theatre, microwave oven, refrigerator, and air conditioners. The outdated home wiring cannot handle the increased power load. Older wiring tends to heat up quickly and catches fire. If the breaker boxes are themselves defective, they cannot prevent overheated electrical panels from catching fire.
Freezing temperatures are here and that means a lot of people trying to do what they can to stay warm. What people do not think about are the damages one can cause while trying to stay warm on a freezing cold day.
Cold weather in Fairfield County, Ohio means turning up the heat and the use of other heating methods like space heaters, heated blankets, candles, and fire places. All of these sources can light up the room if used improperly. For example, keeping them on for too long or placing some of these heat sources too close to flammable objects.
Freezing winter air contains less moisture compared to the air during other seasons throughout the year. Because of the freezing air, the physical wood structure of the home becomes drier and can lead to disastrous fires under the right conditions.
The older the home is, the higher the risk of fire possibilities. To prevent these problems, get an annual safety inspection to make sure your home is not at risk of lighting up in flames.
Storm water runoff is rain that has not been soaked into the ground, so it flows over the ground until it finds somewhere to go.
Ideally, the water would find a stream or river to flow into, but this is not always the case. Sometimes the water will flow straight into your home. Water damage is never fun, and trying to get rid of water as well as clean up the rest of the mess a storm has left behind can be a real hassle.
The best way to handle storm water runoff is to make sure it doesn’t happen to begin with. If you are up for a bit of landscaping, you can optimize your yard to keep storm water away from your building.
Swales: Simply put, a swale is just a type of trench meant to carry water and redirect it away from something important. If you decide to install swales in your yard, make sure they are redirecting somewhere that the water will not cause damage such as a stream or pond.
Rain Gardens: These gardens are designed with plants that are able to take up excess water to keep it from flowing freely. They also help filter the water so that the water that does reach ponds and rivers tends to be cleaner than water that has just flowed over driveways and roads.
Draining Driveways: Driveways are one of the largest contributors to storm water runoff. Installing drainage areas on the sides of the pavement or using gravel can help minimize the amount of water that becomes runoff.
Sometimes there is so much runoff that no matter what you do, your house may suffer from some water damage. If that is the case, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County today at (740) 756-7003 to see how we can help return your home to normal!
Winter is in full swing and our cold weather, snow, and ice storms can cause severe damage and power outages to your home or business. When these types of disasters strike, immediate action is necessary to prevent additional damage to your property. SERVPRO of Fairfield County is always here to help and want to give you tips on a basic emergency kit in case the unpredictable happens.
In a crazy year filled with the unexpected, one thing that 2020 showed us is to always be prepared. Here are some basic you should have in your Emergency Storm Kit.
Basic emergency supply kit should include these recommended items:
Water (one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation)
Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food)
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
Flashlight
First aid kit
Extra batteries
Whistle (to signal for help)
Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
Manual can opener (for food)
Local maps
Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
Also look at ready.gov for more ideas on emergency kits!
Ohio is well known for its constant changes in weather, making our homes and businesses an easy target for winter storm damage. That is why we here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County are ready to help 24/7. We will work around the clock to get your property back to pre loss condition.
Unfortunately, you may be here because you have or have experienced water damage in your home. Well, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for your water cleanup and restoration needs. The following list shows a timeline of the effects water can have on a structure:
Within Minutes:
Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.
Hours 1-2:
Drywall begins to swell and break down.
Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
Furniture begins to crack and swell.
Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
A musty odor appears.
48 Hours to 1 Week:
Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
Doors, Windows, and studs swell and warp.
Metal begins to rust and corrode.
Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
Paint begins to blister.
Wood flooring swells and warps.
Serious biohazard contamination is possible.
More Than 1 Week:
Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risk to occupants.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County can assist you with your insurance claim. Our water certified administrative team works closely with your insurance provider as our trained and certified technicians work diligently to return your home to pre-water conditions. Our technicians are credited on IICRC principles which brings a peace of mind to homeowners in water cleanup and restoration situation.
Do you have water damage?
Our Team at SERVPRO of Fairfield County is here to answer and assist you with your water damage. Call us Today at (740) 756-7003
Every day more and more shoppers visiting grocery stores, it means more and more hands touching things you’re going to buy. Scary right? By giving more attention to germ-prone areas, store workers play a significant role in preventing the spread of viruses.
How do you properly clean sections of a grocery store? Read our store checklist below!
Store Cleaning Checklist
Shopping carts: As carts are used throughout the day, constantly wipe down the touch areas of the cart (especially the handles) with disinfectant cleaner. Treat hand baskets the same way. Nightly power washing serves as a proactive measure to sanitize and prepare the carts for use the next day.
Checkout aisles: Cashiers (and with the assistance of baggers) should frequently clean the checkout area. The conveyor belt, rails on each side of the belt, customer counter, and the bagging area should be wiped down at pace with the number of customers passing through.
Credit Card Machines: Keep credit card reading machines clean. Cash and plastic cards are known for harboring germs.
Restrooms: Public restrooms in a store probably already receive several cleanings per day, but with a recent emphasis on public health, it’s wise to increase the frequency of cleaning. Customer and employee restrooms should be sanitized throughout the day: floors, doors, stall walls/doors, all handles (including paper towel and soap dispensers), sinks, counters, baby changing sections, etc. Once the store is empty for the day, a more comprehensive cleaning should be done from top to bottom. You should sanitize everything.
Floors: Floors are high-traffic areas, and grocery store floors get even more foot traffic now that restaurant traffic is prohibited beyond carry-out. For more efficient and thorough floor sanitization, consider using an industrial auto-scrubber.
Walk-in freezers and refrigerators: Because freezers and refrigeration units house more prepared food these days, it’s a best practice to keep them clean for food safety. Give extra attention to these areas where products are handled by customers. These areas should be routinely cleaned. At a time that works best for your store schedule, remove the items from the refrigerator or freezer and clean the surfaces with no-touch products. This helps mitigate any contamination.
Be aware of places where hands leave behind germs and coughs/sneezes may leave behind pathogens. As always, SERVPRO is here to help! It can be overwhelming for your team members and our cleaning teams are ready and available 24/7 to proactively clean your business. Please call us today!
Where Does Water Damage Start in a Commercial Building?
Owning and managing a commercial building in Fairfield County, Ohio means that you have a lot on your plate and are extremely busy. You probably want to avoid reacting to problems, but instead you’ll want to anticipate problems and be prepared.
When It Comes to Water Damage, How Do You Do That?
Drainage
Bathrooms and kitchens in a place of business get a lot of foot traffic. This means that your drains and toilets are doing a lot of work, so you should do what you can to keep them flowing and avoid flooding. Schedule your maintenance crew to check on them regularly and consider conducting a camera-scope inspection every so often. Some tips to avoid a clogged toilet:
Buy thinner, commercial grade toilet paper.
Post signage about what can go in the toilet.
Provide plenty of labeled waste receptacles.
Pipes
First, you should look into what type of pipes you have. If they’re older, they might be polybutylene, copper or galvanized iron. These materials are prone to damage and don't last forever. Please consider replacing if this is the case. Regardless of material, it is important to check them for corrosion or leaks on a regular basis because even the smallest drip can accumulate and bring headaches. Winter is not over and this time of year can also be hard on pipes, so be sure to keep your building warm enough to avoid freezing and broken pipes.
Fire Sprinklers
Sometimes your sprinklers can be triggered to go off without a fire. A warm light nearby or even some burnt food in the microwave may cause the blaze. This can cause water damage, especially if not taken care of right away. You should have a water damage restoration company like SERVPRO of Fairfield County picked out so you can move forward right away with water repair should something like this happen. It’s even more important if the incident was in a carpeted area, because this may eventually turn into a mold problem. There's a lot to manage in a large building. If you know what to add during a regular maintenance routine and some simple preventative measures, your life will be much easier.
Do you know what the process looks like to get your business back to normal after a water loss?
Although it is not something most people ever consider, water damage can happen, and it can cause considerable damage if not treated promptly. If you find a pool of water in your building, you will need to take immediate action to minimize damage to your property. As a business owner in Fairfield County, you may want to hire a professional remediation company to clean up the mess. Here are several things that must happen to get your business back to normal.
1. Stop the flow of water. The most important thing you can do to minimize the damage is to stop the flow of water. You can do this by shutting off the main water valve.
2. Extract the Water Now that you have stopped the water flow, you can see how much water there is left to clean up. If it is only a little, you may be able to use a towel or mop to clean up the moisture. However, if it is more than a little, you may need to hire a professional remediation company to extract the water using specialized equipment.
3. Determine the extent of the water damage. Water can easily seep between cracks and into porous surfaces. This can lead to problems in drywall, subfloors, and other materials. A moisture meter can be used to identify water inside these areas.
4. Remove unsalvageable items. There may be some objects that have sustained enough water damage that they will need to be replaced. These items can be identified and removed before the drying process begins.
5. Dry the area. It is important to dry out the area as quickly as possible so that mold does not have a chance to form. Professional drying equipment can be used to speed up this process.
If something like this ever does happen and you need professional help, don't wait to give SERVPRO of Fairfield County a call. We will make it "Like it never even happened."
Has your business ever considered what would happen if a flood occurred overnight and you walked into the facility the next day to a mess?
SERVPRO is HERE TO HELP ease the stress of this kind of loss. We are available 24/7/365 and always have a live person answering our phones to make sure you receive the help needed right away. Another way you can have peace of mind is by contacting a SERVPRO of Fairfield County representative to come out and provide a complementary Emergency Ready Profile (ERP). This profile doesn't take much time to complete and will give you access to all of your building's shut off valves, as well as compiles all of your emergency contact numbers in one place. The app is easy to use and will be a life saver when a disaster strikes. To learn more about the ERP process please give us a call at (740) 438-7369.
The winter months can create significant challenges for property managers. Snow and ice don’t have the predictability of grass and shrubs. Furthermore, grass and shrubs don’t cause ice damming and pipe freezes.
How you react to the challenges of winter can set the tone of your relationship with HOAs and association boards come spring and summer. Your clients are more likely to forgive circumstances that are out of your control. As long as they know that when mother nature strikes, you are there trying to get their home a quality fix, in a timely manner.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County recognizes the need to be prepared, this is why when we partner with property managers we help them build a comprehensive recovery plan. This way you can react confidently and quickly in the face of a disaster. Winter months aren’t the time for training in front of upset tenants. Our crews have received technical and service training to help them take the proper course of action while remaining empathetic to the situation.
Our office works with our partners to make sure documents flow through the right channels which simplifies settlements, whether there is an insurance claim or the job is a direct pay. We also anticipate and recognize coverage issues so that tenants and owners understand how the claim will be settled.
The SERVPRO of Fairfield County restoration brand is the most recognized and respected brand in the mitigation industry. And SERVPRO is equipped with the manpower and equipment to handle any situation.. You can feel confident you are calling the right people when you contact SERVPRO. After all, no one gets fired for hiring the industry leader.
“To develop a team of quality people who focus on excellent service, fairness and mutual respect.” - SERVPRO® Mission Statement
Structural Cleaning - After a smoke or fire damage, ceilings, walls, woodwork, carpeting and floors will often need a thorough cleaning. SERVPRO of Fairfield County will pretest to determine the extent of damage, and then use the specific equipment and cleaning products required to clean and protect the different types of surfaces found in your structure. Depending on the amount of soot, SERVPRO of Fairfield County may even be able to reduce the cost of recovery by cleaning lighter soot deposits found on some surfaces, eliminating the expense incurred with repainting or refinishing. In other cases, SERVPRO will clean to “prepare for painting”. This process deodorizes and ensures the new paint will adhere properly to the surface.
Contents Cleaning – All of the restorable contents in affected areas will be professionally cleaned and deodorized. This includes area rugs, furniture, draperies and upholstery. SERVPRO of Fairfield County begins by carefully inspecting and testing all fabrics in the structure to determine which cleaning methods are most appropriate. SERVPRO can provide wet or dry cleaning services. Additionally, all the other restorable contents will be cleaned and deodorized to pre loss condition. This includes electronics, art, wood furniture, kitchen items, clothing, bedding, bric-a-brac and much more. Finally, SERVPRO can provide an inventory list of all “to be claimed” items if requested.
Deodorization – SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides specialized services that rid your home or place of business of offensive odors left by fire or smoke damage. SERVPRO does not merely cover up lingering odors with a fragrance, they seek out the sources of the odor and remove them. Ask your SERVPRO explains the various deodorization methods available and which will work best for you.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County has been dealing with an abundance of fire jobs during the past couple of months. A majority of the fires we have been responding to have most likely started from space heater malfunctions. There are some things you can do to help with the prevention of a space heater starting a house fire.
Before using any space heater make sure that you inspect the heater for cracked plugs or loose connections.
Make sure you NEVER leave a space heater on unattended, turn it off before leaving a room or going to bed and do not let animals or children near the space heater unattended.
Keep everything that is flammable at least three feet away from the space heater (Curtains, furniture, clothing, and etc.).
Plug in the space heater directly into the wall, do not plug into an extension cord or surge protector. Plugging it into these devices could cause the surge protector to overheat resulting in a fire.
Space heaters are one of the biggest starters of house fires, if you use these tips they can reduce the likeliness that SERVPRO of Fairfield County will be doing fire remediation work at your home.
Those who are used to warm weather climates may not realize how much damage a winter storm can do. However, a blizzard can create lots of destruction. In fact, winter storms can cause thousands of dollars of damage. This damage can result from:
Ice dams
Destroyed roofs
Frozen pipes
Ice Dams
As its name implies, an ice dam is a buildup of ice on the roof of your home. It occurs when melting snow refreezes and blocks other snow from draining properly. This can lead to a buildup of standing water that can then leak into your walls or ceilings. Ice dams can even loosen shingles or gutters.
Destroyed Roofs
A winter storm can cause roof damage in other ways, as well. Ice and high winds can rip the gutters or tiles off your roof. These same winds can also blow tree branches on top of your roof. Heavy branches, in particular, can fall through the roof and harm the inside of your home.
Frozen Pipes
Even if there is no snow outside, cold weather alone can be harmful to your house. Freezing temperatures can cause unheated pipes to freeze and subsequently burst. This can lead to severe water damage.
How To Prepare
There are steps you can take to limit damage to your home during a winter storm. Cleaning gutters in advance can prevent ice dams. You should also secure your roof tiles and trim any tree branches that are too close to the house. Before the storm arrives, you should head to the store and get emergency supplies such as shovels and non-perishable food. Finally, make sure to insulate any pipes that are outdoors or in low-heat areas such as basements and garages. Even if you prepare accordingly, a winter storm can destroy parts of your house. An emergency restoration services company like SERVPRO of Fairfield County can repair your home and prevent any damage from spreading.
So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help!
It is more common than you might think for severe rainstorms to cause significant damage to your property. High-winds and massive amounts of water easily penetrate roofing materials, light fixtures, and make their way into lower levels of your home.
Whether you have experienced flood damage in your home before or not, you can benefit from having a local restoration expert inspect your property. Our technicians are IICRC certified and provide you with solutions to help protect or restore your home.
SERVPRO has access to a variety of equipment that makes removing a large volume of water as quick and efficient as possible. With experience dealing with events like this in all shapes and sizes, our personnel can have your home water-free, safely returning water levels to normal sooner than you might think possible.
SERVPRO checks for immediate hazards and helps you locate hidden dangers. It is our job to help you avoid costly repairs, limiting your losses before tragedy strikes. However, if you find yourself in the middle of an emergency, needing immediate help, our technicians are available 24/7 to assist.
We can take control of existing damage, perform any necessary repairs, and get you on the road to recovery fast. With access to water extractors of all shapes and sizes, advanced drying equipment and professionals trained in cleaning and odor removal methods our cleaning and restoration services help you make the most of a dangerous situation.
Abnormal precipitation and violent storms can be a precursor to substantial damages Fairfield County homeowners can experience. Hail is a destructive situation, especially when the balls of ice fall with excessive size and velocity. These situations can damage roofs quickly, even causing damage to more stable and structurally sound metal installations. These same storm systems can break windows, destroy siding, and even damage chimneys protruding from the sealed roof. Once vulnerabilities exist in your home’s exterior, it can be a short and easy path for floodwater to get inside your property.
While many homeowners might not see the direct path between hailing and flood damage for Fairfield County properties, severe weather systems can carry multiple types of precipitation and storm systems can follow closely after one another. Either scenario presents a situation where runoff and direct rainfall can lead to flooding and moisture damage within your property. Our SERVPRO rapid response team has the expertise in these situations to not only address the damages that a storm can cause to the home but also the likely flooding that exists as well.
Even with many flooding situations being unique challenges for every home and commercial property that our SERVPRO team works to help, we have a pattern for mitigation that follows closely after the full and thorough inspection of the property. Extraction is a vital element to any recovery because without removing standing water, drying efforts cannot be successful.
With a production trailer stocked with a full array of drying equipment, we can also quickly address saturation and aid exposed construction materials. Our cleaning technicians can begin the transition between loss mitigation and the restoration of your property. We have certified Carpet Cleaning Technicians (CCT) and other cleaning niches to help quickly make flood effects “Like it never even happened,” for your home.
As unexpected and damaging as hail can be, the situation can get worse if these conditions permit flooding to occur. Give our SERVPRO of Fairfield County office a call anytime disaster strikes at (740) 756-7003.
Through the expected harsh winter, the roof on your Fairfield County home gets asked to withstand a great deal of strain and weight. Even reinforced or newer roofing materials can weaken and slouch under a heavy snowfall, leading to vulnerable points throughout this defense on top of your house. While you cannot control the effects of the weather on the roof of your home, you can work to ensure that it is fully functional and ready for further severe weather systems in the future through annual inspections.
The trouble with regular inspections into the quality of your roof is that many homeowners do not think to have these done before flooding in Fairfield County has occurred and required professional water cleanup for their house. Once a roof gets damaged to the point of allowing water and moisture to pass through, your attic space becomes the first to experience water flow or microbial growth. Our SERVPRO professionals can help.
At the first signs of flood damage on the lower levels of your home beneath the attic space, you should notify our rapid response team. We can arrive quickly to help mitigate the situation as much as possible through emergency board-up services to prevent further water penetration and the removal of contents in your home at risk of exposure and damage from the invading water.
Our emergency response team can also employ our equipment like truck-mounted pumps from our SERVPRO Green Fleet and wet-vacs with extraction wands for pulling up the excess water throughout the affected areas of your house. This removal can help our technicians to adequately inspect the property for a full assessment of sustained damage and the required steps to restore it.
When flooding begins in your home, you do not have a moment to lose. Water damage can spread quickly and begin to affect exposed materials immediately. Give our SERVPRO of Fairfield County team a call at (740) 756-7003 to help you overcome the immediate effects and work efficiently to restore damaged elements of the property.
Water damage from a broken water heater can ruin a home quickly. Fortunately, before they break, these appliances give off warning signs their service life is coming to an end.
Homeowners can avoid water damage from their hot water tank if they pay attention to some of the most common issues that arise before failure, such as:
There is only cold water emitted from the tap.
The water gets warm but never hot and goes cold quickly.
The water heater rumbles or knocks
The hot water has a muddy look from the tap.
The water from the tank appears to be rusty.
You notice a metallic smell or taste, especially when taking a shower or bath.
There is noticeable water leaking from the water heater.
Your water has a metallic smell or taste.
Water is leaking around your water heater.
Expect a Large Amount of Water
A small water tank holds on average around 50 to 60 gallons of water; larger residential sizes run 80-gallons or more. Now, imagine that water on your floor. When the location of the tank is in an upper story in the home, the amount of water on the floor can quickly affect the ceiling and things in lower levels of the house.
Common Issues to Avoid
Fast extraction is necessary to limit the damage to the home. SERVPRO technicians use their detection equipment to determine if the water is within the floor joists or wall cavities, requiring additional actions such as removal of baseboards or weep holes to assist with drainage.
At the first sign of water damage, contact SERVPRO! The technicians are available 24/7 to restore your home to its pre loss condition, "Like it never even happened."
Modern plumbing makes it easy to access running water in your Fairfield County home. You can bathe, wash, or make iced tea with clean water straight from the faucet. However, plumbing accidents can and do happen, turning this modern-day luxury into an unexpected catastrophe.
Whether you live in a house or a condo by the lake, freezing weather such as our record low temperatures in January, can quickly lead to water damage in Fairfield County. If you do not leave your faucets dripping when it is below 32 degrees outside, water can freeze inside the plumbing. Under-insulated or exposed pipes make the situation worse. Water expands as it freezes causing cracks and breaks in the plastic or metal pipes, sending the stopped-up water gushing into your crawl space or ceiling.
Water damage strikes fast. Standing water causes floorboards to buckle and seeps into porous materials like sheetrock and drywall. The longer you wait to fix the problem, the more elevated the chance that wood and other structural materials begin to rot. If this ever happens in your home, we hope you call SERVPRO. We are a premier company for mitigating structural and cosmetic water damage. We have the experience and technology to determine the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
Our experienced team of SERVPRO Technicians takes the necessary precautions to do the job safely. It is important to scope the damage to determine the level of moisture and type of material involved, such as carpet, insulation, wood floors, and wooden baseboards. We consider the layout of a room's walls, bay windows, cabinets, and closets to determine the number of air movers to use and where to place them. The equipment's angle is essential, and if it is wrong, the air bounces off the wall instead of carrying the moisture away.
We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster is more than just a tagline—it is our culture. We have technicians on-call and ready to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If winter weather leads to water damage in your home, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003.
With the endless amount of accessories, appliances, and tools that are becoming more and more common in your household, it can sure be a hassle figuring out where to plug all of them in at. Many homeowners find themselves always swapping plugs or using devices such as a power strip. While a power strip can help you out in many situations, it is the mistake of relying on them too much that causes problems. Follow these tips below to ensure your safety when using a power strip in your home.
Use only light load appliances on power strips. That includes computers, lamps, clock, etc.
Ensure that the power strip you purchase has an internal circuit breaker. This is a very important safety measure that is designed to prevent property loss and risks of fire.
Use power strips sparingly. They aren't designed to maintain a load for an extended period of time, and can easily overheat quickly if used to often.
DON'T plug a power strip into another power strip (term is called "daisy chaining"). Doing this will short out appliances and highly increase the risk of an electrical mishap.
DON'T use power strips in moist or potentially moist areas. DON'T put them in kitchens, utility rooms or basements.
DON'T continue to use a power strip if it feels hot.
NEVER cover, staple, tack or nail a power strip to anything. Covering can smother the strip, and provide ample flammable material in the event of a power strip failure. Puncturing can harm the cords, making room for dangerous situations.
If you experience an electrical fire from a power strip, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003 for help with clean up.
Now that winter is in full swing, we need to be concerned about keeping the pipes in our home WARM! In winter, a whole new list of home maintenance tasks fills our “To Do” lists. Ensuring that our homes are properly insulated is not only important for keeping energy costs down but it is a necessity for protecting our property from damage due to frozen and burst water lines.
Easily neglected and taken for granted are the pipes that supply our home with fresh running water. These pipes are often made of soft copper or PVC and are extremely vulnerable to freezing conditions. If any of your pipes are ran through a crawl space or attic they might be at an especially high risk of freezing due to a lack of insolation and by not being enclosed in climate a controlled space. An easy way to protect these pipes is by applying special pipe insulation directly to the exposed areas.
Aside from the inconvenience of running water that can be caused by frozen pipes, an even greater risk of damage exists when these pipes freeze and then burst. When water freezes inside the pipe it causes pressure to build between the blockage and closed faucet. This pressure can build so much that the line will actually rupture. A crack as small as 1/8th inch can cause up to 250 gallons of water to flood your home in as little as 24 hours.
Mother Nature has a knack for attacking us where we are the most vulnerable and unsuspecting. If she happens to stick you with a sucker-punch, just know that SERVPRO of Fairfield County is there to help at any time in any season.
As if the struggles of operating a business or commercial space were not significant enough already, COVID-19 has taken these difficulties to another level. Short staffed, stressed and suspicious are no ways to be productive in the workplace. Sick and quarantined employees take a toll on each of our processes. The stress of masks, homeschooling and worry over our loved one’s safety distract us from our day to day duties. To make matters worse we must constantly be suspicious of the virus’ presence. Fear not, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is here to help.
When COVID-19 first showed up in America, SERVPRO was one of the first on the scene. Featured in most national news outlets, we went in to disinfect after an outbreak in a Washington state nursing home. SERVPRO was already prepared from decades of biohazard cleanup and had the tools and experience to get the job done. Since then our franchises across the county have led the fight by running to the fire and cleaning businesses who have had positive infections and suspected in cases.
Here in Ohio it has been no different. We used EPA approved processes and products to get your team back to work safer and faster. We are the COVID cleaning experts in the area. So if your business becomes exposed with this terrible virus, rest assured that SERVPRO of Fairfield County has the skills, products and experience to disinfect your workplace.
If you find water on your floor in the kitchen and cannot find a leak at the sink or dishwasher the next place to check is the refrigerator. More than likely the water-line connections to the ice maker is the source.
The water-line can come loose, the seals can age and crack, or the plastic hoses can tear or get kinked. Depending on the circumstances you may have to simply tighten the connections. If you continue to see water dripping down the line to the floor both the water line and connectors may have to be replaced.
Other places on your refrigerator to check is a blocked defrost drain, a poor connection between the water filter and the water supply, or the drain pan may have cracks or damage.
If you discover water damage of any kind, call us here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County immediately!
Do you have an odor in your home and you just can’t determine what or where it is? If you can’t visibly see anything then there is a possibility it could be mold. Mold can smell like a musty odor, but it can also smell like earth, fruit, floral, chocolate, sour, oily or spicy.
Mold can be found in places you wouldn’t imagine. Under your flooring whether it be carpet, vinyl, or linoleum. It can be beneath your floorboards, wallpaper, even in the insulation inside the walls or above in the ceiling. Mold is often found underneath or behind cabinets and appliances. It’s not unusual for us to find it in the attic, crawlspace, and in your HVAC System.
If you have looked and looked and can’t find what’s causing that smell, contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County today. We have trained professionals and the right equipment to figure out where your odor is coming from.
The question is an easy one to answer, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is faster to any disaster. We go by the 1-4-8 rule:
1-Within 1 hour a client will receive a call back with a firm time we will be dispatching a crew to their location.
4-Within 4 hours crews will be dispatched and onsite.
8-Within 8 hours equipment will be set and or the cleaning process will be underway.
Another reason why property managers utilize SERVPRO's services is our ability to handle large loss. SERVPRO has the manpower to deploy an army of workers to your location. We also have a large inventory of equipment for any job:
Air Movers
Dehumidifiers
Power Distributions
Air Scrubbers
Heavy Duty Extractors
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County the next time disaster strikes your home or property.
This year has already been an active year for severe weather so far. From the deep freeze we experienced in January, to the flooding from heavy rains in March, SERVPRO of Fairfield County has been there for businesses and homeowners through each and every storm.
The Majority of people who are familiar with SERVPRO know us as a Fire and Water Restoration and Cleanup Company. What they don't realize is that SERVPRO of Fairfield County is a full service restoration company. Not only are we faster to any disaster, but we can facilitate the rebuild on every job.
So what does that mean to our clients?
It means dealing with one company throughout the whole process.
For example: A client has a sump pump that fails due to a power outage from a strong thunderstorm. Within a couple of minutes water has spread across the basement, and within an hour the client has several inches of water in their basement. SERVPRO of Fairfield County is dispatched to the clients house to extract the water, remove damaged trim and drywall, and set air movers and dehumidifiers so the drying process can begin. In many cases other restoration companies take care of the extraction, tear-out, and drying. The client is then task with choosing another company to come in and replace the drywall and trim that was torn out, which can be annoying and overwhelming.
SERVPRO makes the process seamless because we do it all from start to finish. Our construction division works side by side with our production teams and when the drying process is complete we come in and do all the put back. Clients love working with SERVPRO because we are a one stop shop. Which means dealing with one company who coordinates everything takes all the pressure and emotion off the clients plate. The next time you experience a commercial or residential disaster call SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We are a true full service restoration company.
We Can Provide Immediate Service in Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.
24-Hour Emergency Service
Faster to Any-Sized Disaster
Highly Trained Restoration Technicians
A Trusted Leader in the Restoration Industry
Locally Owned and Operated
Advanced Restoration and Cleaning Equipment
Have Questions? Call Us 24/7 – (740)756-7003
Residential Services
Whether your home needs emergency flood damage or your upholstery cleaned, you can depend on us. Our technicians have extensive cleaning and restoration training and can make your property look its best. Learn more about our residential services:
Water Damage Restoration
Fire Damage Restoration
Mold Remediation
Storm Damage Restoration
Cleaning Services
Building/Reconstruction Services
Commercial Services
There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business.
If an emergency arises in your building, your first thought should be about the safety of everyone at work. Once you know everyone is out of harm's way, your attention will probably turn to mitigating the disaster. You purchased commercial property insurance for this very reason. Now, it's time to rely on claims services and start the rebuilding process. You, your insurance agent, and a professional disaster restoration company will work hand in hand to help you return everything in your office to normal as soon as possible.
Characteristics of the Right Cleanup Team
When it comes to rebuilding your workplace, there may be many emergency response companies to choose from in Fairfield County. Choose carefully and look for these traits:
A proven track record of helping companies like yours
An experienced, skilled team of technicians
Effective techniques and processes
Industrial-strength tools and equipment
Good customer service
Going the Extra Mile
It shouldn't take you long to see that SERVPRO will meet your cleanup and relief needs. Not only does the company have all of these important qualities, but representatives will also help you file an insurance claim. Technicians will take pictures of the damage, including areas and materials that were affected. You can use these to provide to your insurance agent. The cleanup team will also keep the insurance company updated on the restoration process and additional damage that should be a part of the claim.
Nice to Have a Partner
You can't move forward until you have the peace of mind that your insurance coverage will take effect. Fortunately, the SERVPRO team understands how claim services work. Together, you can even submit all important information electronically. Your insurance company may not start the claims process until cleanup has begun. The right restoration team will get to work as soon as the day you call for help. You depend on claim services to help you recover from a disaster in the workplace. The emergency cleanup team should be your ally during this process.
SERVPRO Ready Plan Mobile App gives business owners help at their fingertips
Does your business have an emergency plan? Do your employees know what to do or who to call in the event you are not there? Disasters can strike at any time and interrupt your business and cost you money. Even the smallest event such as a power outage can cripple your day to day operations. SERVPRO can set up a plan for your business for FREE. A no cost Ready Plan App is available to business owners which will allow you and your employees access to help you get the assistance you need quicker and more efficiently.
The Ready Plan is an emergency preparedness tool for business owners allowing for the creation of an Emergency Ready Profile (ERP) containing critical facility information to help speed up response time.
Contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003 today!
Why Choos SERVPRO to Clean Food Service Establishments?
Time and Safety Are Our Top Priorities When Cleaning and Restoring Restaurant, Kitchen and Food Service Facilities
Time is of the essence when disaster strikes your restaurant or manufacturing facility, but so is safety. Our professionals have been trained to be mindful of regulations and potential hazards while maintaining efficiency as they restore your business. You can trust Team SERVPRO to be mindful of your time and budget, as well as the safety of you and your patrons.
Types of Facilities:
Food Manufacturing Facilities
Food Distribution Centers
Fast Food Restaurants
Senior Living Facility Kitchens
Educational Cafeterias
Our professionals are available 24-7/365 to help remediate any damage, regardless of the cause, scale of the loss, or the size of your facility.
Trust Us to Adhere to Health Regulations When Cleaning and Restoring Your Food Services Facility
From large distribution centers to small mom-and-pop restaurants, SERVPRO professionals are trained to be mindful of the complicated health codes, food safety regulations, and environmental concerns when restoring your business. We’ll work to ensure that all surfaces are restored and sanitized to legal specifications, so that you can get back to business and your patrons can get back to enjoying good food.
After the fire is out and all the rescue workers are gone. Getting your property back to pre loss condition as fast as you can will be your next concern.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is here to help. We respond within one hour of your call and start the mitigation services approximately four hours after notification of the loss. Our services help to ensure your belongings and property are restored to pre loss condition when possible.
We can either clean on site or, if necessary, move smoke damaged contents to our warehouse for cleaning. Contents would be cleaned and restored using our state-of-the-art techniques then returned to your home after all mitigation work is complete.
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003.
A fire in a home or business is one of the most common disasters. Fires cause more deaths than any other type of disaster. But fire doesn't have to be deadly if you have early warning from a smoke detector and everyone in your family knows how to escape calmly. Please be serious about the responsibility for planning for and practicing what to do in case of a fire. Be prepared by having various household members do each of the items on the checklist below. Then get together to discuss and finalize your personalized Fire Plan. Install smoke detectors outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your residence. Keep new batteries on hand.
New smoke detectors installed
Batteries purchased
Test smoke detectors once a month
Start a chart and sign it after each round of tests.
Family member/ Employee checks smoke detectors.
Look at the fire extinguisher you have to ensure it is properly charged. Use the gauge or test button to check proper pressure. If the unit is low on pressure, damaged, or corroded replace it or have it professionally serviced.
Get training from the fire department in how to use the fire extinguisher.
Family member/Employee examines extinguisher.
Family member/Employee have been trained to use the extinguisher.
Draw a floor plan of your home; mark two fire escape routes for each room.
Pick a safe outside place to meet after escaping from a fire.
Find a Meeting place
Practice a low-crawl escape from your bedroom. Try it with your eyes closed to see how well you could do in thick smoke.
MAKE YOUR HOME FIRE SAFE
Smoke detectors save lives. Install a battery-powered smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home.
Use the test button to check each smoke detector once a month. When necessary, replace batteries immediately. Replace batteries at least once a year.
Have a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Get training from the fire department in how to use it. Also include in the kit written instructions on how to turn off utilities at your house.
Conduct periodic fire drills, so everyone remembers what to do when there is a fire.
PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTES
Determine at least two ways to escape from every room of your home. If you must use an escape ladder, be sure everyone knows how to use it.
Select a location outside your home where everyone would meet after escaping.
Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Once you are out, stay out!
ESCAPE SAFELY
If you see smoke in your first escape route, use your second way out.
If you must exit through smoke, crawl low under the smoke to escape.
If you are escaping through a closed door, feel the door before opening it. If it is hot, use your second way out.
If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. Signal for help using a bright-colored cloth at the widow.
If there is a telephone in the room, call the fire department and tell them where you are
Our Technicians have IICRC industry certifications and are trained by corporate professionals to ensure the best job is done. You can always be sure our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
All of our training programs include the following:
IICRC Training
Employee Certification Training
Initial Franchise Training
e-Learnings
Continuing Education Classes
IICRC Training and Certification
Our services are certified by The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Our Technicians study IICRC standards and best practices in water restoration, fire restoration, mold remediation, carpet and upholstery cleaning, and other cleaning and restoration courses.
Employee Certification Training
The Employee Certification Training is a voluntary, self-paced program designed for SERVPRO Franchise employees. Training includes
Crew Training
Fire Restoration
Water Restoration
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
e-Learnings
This is a voluntary program in which employees are educated online through videos and other tools to ensure they are best equipped to handle any emergency
Continuing Education Classes
These classes are offered to ensure that those taking them are up to date on the latest and greatest methods in the remediation business
Storms can happen at any time. Taking some precautions ahead of time can keep you safe and save you time and money.
Thunderstorms, tornadoes, hailstorms and hurricanes can cause property damage. You should always check for storm damage to your property especially areas that are the most susceptible like your roof.
TIPS AFTER A STORM
Inspect your attic for leaks or water damage. Also, if any water stains appear on your ceiling or walls, this is a sign that you may have a leak and need repairs.
Look for other signs of storm damage from the ground. Check for missing shingles, missing fascia, or damaged gutters. Also, assess the condition of your exhaust pipes, valleys, outer edges or angles of the roof.
Some damage may be obvious, such as a tree falling on your roof. In this case, stay out of your home until a professional can determine whether any structural damage occurred.
If the storm produced hail, check for damage to your siding as well. Hail damage commonly comes in the forms of dimples, made by smaller chunks of hail that pound the outer layer of shingles.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is Here to Help 24/7. Call us at (740) 756-7003
When contamination exists, SERVPRO of Fairfield County uses professional water damage restoration products to return the loss environment to a pre loss condition. Competence in this area requires an awareness of the basic types of products, understanding proper product usage, and how to explain these products to customers and/or clients.
General Chemical Terminology:
1. Antimicrobial. The word antimicrobial means literally “against microbes.” An antimicrobial agent is any chemical used “against” microorganisms to prevent their development or to limit or stop their growth (examples would be fungistats and mildewstats). The word antimicrobial can sometimes refer more generally to various chemicals registered as disinfectants, germicides, fungicides, virucides, sporicides, mildewcides, or sanitizers.
2. Disinfectants. Disinfectants and germicides are anti microbials that destroy about 99 percent of organisms they contact on surfaces where applied. They may or may not affect bacterial or fungal spores, which are usually dormant, reproductive bodies.
3. Sanitizers. Sanitizers are used to decrease the number of microbials to acceptable levels. A product listed as a sanitizer reduces microbes to levels considered by public health authorities to be safe. Under the right conditions, however, the microbes may grow back.
4. Sterilizers. A sterilizer destroys all microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi spores. Sterilizing microbes in a water damage is generally not possible. Sterilizers can only be used on inanimate surfaces that can withstand the chemicals. Chlorine products are used as sterilizing agents.
5. Mildewstats and fungistats (known as “stats”) slow the growth of fungi on organic materials such as textiles, leather, and paper. They do not necessarily kill microbes, but prevent their further growth when used according to label directions.
6. Biocides are chemical agents that destroy or kill living organisms (-cide meaning “kill”). For example, a “virucide” would kill or inactivate viruses. In the restoration industry, however, the term biocide is used generally to refer to any chemical agent that affects the growth of microbes like bacteria and fungi. Because of the general use of the term biocide, any particular product called a biocide may not actually “kill” microbes.
7. Sporicides. A disinfectant that is effective in controlling bacterial or fungal spores when used according to label directions.
Many houses in Fairfield County rely on a sump pump to keep the basement from flooding. When a big rain storm comes through, the sump pump will really be needed... and that's also the time that the power to a neighborhood is most likely going to get knocked out, disabling the sump pump and allowing the basement to flood.
If your sump pump quits working, will you know about it before your basement floods? Do you have a backup in place? Does it work? Are you sure? If you depend on a sump pump to keep your basement from flooding, it's important to have a backup system in place, just like it's important to back up the hard drive on your computer.
It is one of those things that most people don't think about until it's too late. If you want to protect your basement from flooding, get a backup system. There are a few different backup systems available.
1. Secondary Electric Pump: A secondary electric pump would be a good option to keep your basement from flooding in the event that your primary sump pump failed. The secondary pump would need to be installed a little bit higher in the sump basket than the primary pump. The downside to installing one of these is that if the power to your house went out, the pump would be useless.
2. Battery Back Up: By far, the most common type of backup is a battery powered system. This consists of a big heavy battery that's about the size and shape of a car battery, as well as a backup sump pump that sits in the sump basket a little bit higher than the primary pump. This system will save your basement from flooding if your sump pump fails or your power goes out.
3. Hydraulic Pump: Another backup option for your sump basket is to install a pump that is powered by the municipal water pressure coming in to your home. The nice thing about hydraulic pumps is that you don't have to worry about keeping a battery charged all the time, and if you have an extended power outage, you won't have to worry about the pump failing.
4. High Level Alarm: No matter what type of system you have installed, it's a good idea to have a high level alarm installed in your sump basket. These alarms will sound off if the water level in your sump basket gets too high. If you don't have a backup system in place, these alarms will at least tell you that you have a problem and you need to jump in to action.
In the event you experience a flood call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003.
Winter has finally arrived in Ohio and it can cause frozen pipes. Pipes that are exposed or not properly insulated are susceptible to bursting or leaking. When this happens you may need SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We are here to help!
The first step is to shut off the water. You will then need to contact a plumber to replace any damaged pipes. But the removal of the water is priority and SERVPRO of Fairfield County is ready to remove the water "Like it never even happened." Our technicians are available 24/7 and will document the entire process to help you through this crisis and return your home back to working order. We use professional products and equipment throughout the drying process to ensure your structure is completely dry. Call us at (740) 756-7003 we are here to help!
Just the facts: Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:
Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.
If you would like your home or business inspected we can assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and remediation expertise to remediate any problem. Call us today! (740) 756-7003.
The Fairfield County area has begun to see its first glimpses of snow and first freezing temperatures of the season. Along with colder temperatures in the air, ground temperatures are beginning to reach the freezing mark as well. When ground temperatures are cold but the atmosphere is still slightly too warm to produce snow, precipitation can fall as rain and instantly freeze upon impact with freezing ground temperatures on sidewalks, roads, or bridges. Freezing rain that creates ice on roadways can pose threats to the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The freezing rain can also form ice on trees and power lines, potentially damaging them in the process. Learning about the dangers of freezing rain and what to do in preparation for it can place you one step ahead when the forecast predicts freezing rain in your neighborhood.
Unlike snow, which can be shoveled, the ice formed by freezing rain cannot be eliminated quite as easily. Ice requires significantly more time and effort for removal. In addition, the ice resulting from freezing rain often deceives drivers and pedestrians, as ice often looks like water on a roadway or sidewalk. This can pose serious threats to drivers and pedestrians, as they may not be able to see the ice or receive adequate warning before driving in it. Aside from roadways and sidewalks, freezing rain can also impact surfaces such as tree branches and power lines. Ice can form on these surfaces. Enough ice can weigh down upon branches and power lines, potentially causing them to fall or break. Fallen branches and power lines can deprive local homes and businesses of power and heat for unpredictable amounts of time. Homes and businesses can also be at an increased risk of damage if heavy, icy branches fall nearby.
Taking precautions prior to a storm that is forecasted to produce freezing rain is a key step in ensuring your safety. The first of these precautions is purchasing salt, which can be sprinkled on outdoor surfaces such as sidewalks or driveways that will work to melt the ice faster. Another helpful practice may be to anticipate that branches may fall, damaged power lines may result in the loss of electricity, and the ice may deprive you of the ability to leave your home safely. Making sure that you purchase necessities, such as bottled water, toilet paper, batteries, flashlights, and blankets, before the storm will decrease the chances that you would need to leave your home while conditions are dangerous.
A basement can flood at any time, although flooding most often occurs during heavy rainfall. Basements are inherently prone to flooding because they are the lowest level of a building and are normally built partly or entirely below ground level. There are a number of reasons why your Fairfield County basement could flood, including:
A blocked or failed sewer lateral pipe
Heavy rain causes surface water to pool around your home
Storm sewer backup
Sanitary sewer backup
Foundation drainage failure
Water supply-line break or hot-water tank failure
And many more
Have Questions about Basement Flooding?
Call Today – 740-756-7003
If flood water is not handled quickly and properly, it can jeopardize your health and safety, and cause severe damage to your home’s structure. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will get.
The bottom line: a flooded basement can jeopardize your health, safety, and your home’s integrity. It’s worth making a call to SERVPRO of Fairfield County and let our trained, professional crews handle the situation safely and correctly. We have earned the trust of hundreds of homeowners, business owners, and property professionals.
We are Flooded Basement Specialists:
We are Available 24-hours/7 days per week
We’re a Preferred Vendor to many National Insurance Companies
We Bill The Insurance Directly – One Less Thing For You To Worry About
Our Technicians are Highly-Trained in Water Restoration Techniques
We use s500 IICRC Restoration Standards
Advanced Inspection and Extraction Equipment
Basement Flooded? Call Us Today – We’re Ready To Help, 740-756-7003
Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides emergency cleaning and restoration services.
Faster To Any Size Disaster
Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more. SERVPRO of Fairfield County arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.
Need Emergency Service? Call Us at 740-756-7003
Water Damage Timeline
Within Minutes
Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.
Hours 1 - 24:
Drywall begins to swell and break down.
Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
Furniture begins to swell and crack.
Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
A musty odor appears.
48 Hours to 1 Week:
Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
Metal begins to rust and corrode.
Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
Paint begins to blister.
Wood flooring swells and warps.
Serious bio-hazard contamination is possible.
More Than 1 Week:
Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
Structural safety, mold growth, and bio-hazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
It is from a clean source such as a leaking faucet. If not treated quickly, this water can turn into category 2 or 3, depending on length of time, temperature, and contact with surrounding contaminants.
Example:
Water from a clean source like a broken water line. If left untreated, can degrade into category 2 or 3.
Category 2: "Gray Water"
It is contaminated and could cause discomfort or illness.
Examples include:
Washing machine overflow.
Toilet overflow with some urine, but not feces.
Dishwasher overflow.
May contain bacteria and viruses and can quickly degrade into category 3 if left untreated.
Category 3: "Black Water"
It is grossly contaminated and could cause severe illness or death, if ingested because of chemicals and microbes. Any contact should be avoided.
Examples include:
Flooding from rivers or streams from sewer backup.
Water from beyond the toilet trap.
Water from the toilet bowl with feces.
Standing water that has begun to support microbial growth.
Cleanup must not be taken lightly. Serious long-term health issues to adults, children and even pets may occur due to bacteria, viruses and even parasites. Don't delay. Take immediate action.
If You See Signs of Water Damage, Call Us at 740-756-7003!
Weather in Ohio can change in an instant, and it only takes a small shift in a storm’s track to bring torrential downpours that could lead to devastating flooding. If you are a business owner, a flood can represent a serious threat to your company’s operations. While there is not a lot you can do to stop major floods from hurricanes and other natural disasters, here are some steps you can take to lessen the impact of storm and flood damage.
Build Barriers to Slow Water Incursion
Water is a powerful force, and it is virtually impossible to keep it at bay, but you can align barriers in the path to slow it down. You can start this process long before the onset of flooding by building a levee, berm or flood control wall if local building codes permit. Have a professional assess your lower floors to see if you should apply sealants to walls or relocate utility boxes. When the rain starts falling, you could enlist help to place sandbags in strategic areas around the structure:
Across doorways, right up against the door.
In front of garage doors.
Around showers and floor drains to prevent incursion of water.
When building sandbag walls, make certain you do not completely surround your building, and use a plastic tarp as a base for extra waterproofing.
Clean Storm Drains and Gutters
In many cases, flood damage happens during normal storms because the building owner did not keep up on maintenance. Gutters, storm drains and other devices are designed to channel water away from the building, which is why it is important to clean them regularly to ensure they are free of debris that could cause a backup.
Minimize Losses, Being Prepared
Why risk significant disruptions to your operations when you could cut down on storm damage by taking some preparatory steps? Should you experience flooding despite your efforts, be sure to contact an experienced remediation company like SERVPRO of Fairfield County to get you back up and running as soon as possible.
The American Red Cross suggests everyone know what steps are necessary to stay safe if dangerous weather is predicted for your community. If you are to encounter any damage SERVPRO is here to help.
Tornadoes can occur anywhere, at any time of the year or day. Safety steps you should take now to be ready if a tornado warning is issued for your neighborhood:
Know your community’s warning system.
Pick a safe room in your home where family members can gather if a tornado is headed your way. This should be a basement, storm cellar or interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
Prepare for strong winds by removing diseased and damaged limbs from trees.
Move or secure lawn furniture, trashcans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a projectile.
Know the tornado danger signs: dark, often greenish clouds, a wall cloud, cloud of debris, large hail, a funnel cloud or a roaring noise.
Thunderstorms are most likely to happen in the spring and summer, during the afternoon and evening. However, similar to tornadoes, they can happen anywhere, at any hour of the day. Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people every year than tornadoes or hurricanes. Safety steps you can take if a thunderstorm is predicted for your area:
If thunder roars, go indoors. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be in danger from lightning.
Watch for storm signs like darkening skies, flashes of lightning or increasing winds.
Postpone any outdoor activities. Many people who are struck by lightning are not where it is raining.
Take shelter in a substantial building or a vehicle with the windows closed. Shutter windows and close outside doors securely. Stay away from windows.
Do not take a bath, shower or use plumbing.
Flooding can occur due to heavy spring rains filling rivers and streams and snow melt. Flash floods occur suddenly when water rises rapidly along a stream or low-lying area. You should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice and head for higher ground when a flood or flash flood warning is issued. Additional safety steps include:
Stay away from floodwaters. If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankles, stop, turn around and go another way. Six inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you off of your feet.
If you come upon a flooded road while driving, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water.
Keep children out of the water. They are curious and often lack judgment about running water or contaminated water.
Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood danger.
Winter weather and freezing temperatures here. In this blog, we will go over the most common types of water damage to businesses in the winter and what to do right now to prevent winter damage to your business.
Top Causes of Water Damage to Businesses in Winter
Winter weather can be harsh and damaging to businesses. The strong winds and moisture in the form of snow, hail, and/or rain can lead to all types of problems. Strong winds can cause roof and siding damage to businesses. When the strong winds are accompanied by snow or rain, water can find ways into your business causing water damage.
The strong winds and freezing temperatures can also lead to burst pipes in your business. If there is a draft or crack in the roof or walls, the extreme temperatures and winds can quickly freeze your water and drain pipes leading to burst pipes and frozen clogs. The extreme temperatures can also cause the saturated ground to freeze which can cause melting snow to seep in or flood your business.
The last culprit that can cause extensive water damage to your business is an accumulation of snow on your roof and around the foundation of your business. Snow can quickly accumulate and pile up on your roof leading to a roof collapse or minor damage that can allow snowmelt to enter into your business causing major damage.
How to Prevent Winter Water Damage at Your Business
While the weather is still nice outside, it’s important to take some quick and easy steps to reduce the risk of water damage to your business when winter comes around. The first thing that you want to do is to check the roof of your business. You want to make sure there is no damage to the shingles or roofing where water and/or cold temperatures could get in. Check any caulking and seals for cracks or damage. If you have a gutter system for the water to drain off the roof, check to make sure the drainpipes and gutter system are not obstructed.
You also want to check the perimeter of your business for cracks in the foundation. If you do find cracks or broken seals, you will want to make sure you get them caulked and sealed before winter strikes. You also want to check the gutters downspouts to ensure that they are facing away from your business and allowing water to flow away from the foundation.
The last area you want to check is inside your business. If you can examine the roof from inside, you can check for any damage or previous signs of water damage. You want to make sure the roof is solid and supported in case there is a large accumulation of snow or ice on it. If you find signs of water leaks and damage, you will want to make sure that they have been fixed.
You also want to check the insulation of the roof and building to make sure the entire building is properly insulated to prevent cold air from entering and freezing the pipes. If you have pipes that may be exposed to lower temperatures, you will want to make sure they are properly wrapped and insulated. If you find any drafts where the wind or outside elements can enter, you will want to not only seal the draft off but also insulate around it.
If Your Business Suffers Water Damage, Call the Pros
Even after following all of the above tips, there is still a chance that your business could suffer water damage from severe winter weather. The harsh winds could damage your roof allowing melted snow to leak into your building causing water damage, mold damage, and possibly worse. If that should happen, you can trust the pros at SERVPRO of Fairfield County to clean up and repair the damage quickly. They have the knowledge and equipment to handle any type and any size of damage to your business. Give us a call anytime 24/7 if your business should suffer damage this winter.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 72% of all structure fires occurred in home structures in 2017. While home fires are the most common, fire in commercial structures are still prevalent. In 2017, there were 120,000 non-residential structure fires with 18,000 occurring in stores and offices. With this many fires occurring in workplaces, it’s important to take some steps to keep your business safe. Below we cover some of the top things you can do to keep your office and your staff safe from fire.
#1 Keep Electrical Power Panels Accessible
In the event of a fire, you may need to cut the power to prevent further damage and risk of an electrical shock especially if it is an electrical fire. Does your staff know where the power control panel is? Is it easy to reach or is it hidden behind boxes in a storage closet? If it isn’t easy to reach, move boxes and obstructions out of the way so it can be quickly accessed.
#2 Keep Exits and Stairways Clear
Stairways seem like the perfect place to store mop buckets, equipment, and boxes that you don’t need anytime soon. Stairways also happen to be the worst place to store anything. In the event of a fire, your staff needs to be able to freely and quickly exit out of your building through the use of stairways, exit doors, and exit pathways. If boxes are blocking them or they trip over a mop bucket, this could spell disaster. Keep these areas clear and make sure your staff does the same.
#3 Keep the Office Clutter-Free
In the previous tip, we talked about the clutter in the exits and stairways, but clutter anywhere in an office can be a bad thing. If a fire should start in your office, it needs fuel to grow. One of the most common materials in an office, paper, is the perfect fuel. Try keeping your desks and storage rooms clear of non-essential documents. If you do have papers that you need to keep, store them in metal desk drawers or file cabinets as these will help reduce the risk of them fueling a fire. Paper file boxes stacked to the ceiling in an office closet or storage room is the perfect fuel that can turn a small fire into a major disaster in an office.
#4 Proper Disposal of Oily Rags and Materials
This fire risk is more common in industrial and mechanical businesses where the staff is using rags to wipe away oil and residue from machines and themselves. If you are working around flammable chemicals and oils and using rags to wipe off the residues, make sure that you have proper metal containers to collect the rags and dispose of them in a safe manner on a regular basis. It’s also important to have a fire extinguisher nearby in case a fire occurs in the waste receptacle.
#5 Keep All Electrical Equipment Maintained and Clean
Have you ever taken a look at the back of your television or computer and have seen all the dust? That dust can easily combust if the television or computer overheats. Dust doesn’t just occur in your home, it occurs in your office too. That is why it’s important to regularly clean and remove any excess dust on your computers, monitors, machines, appliances, and other electrical equipment. In some businesses where there is excessive dust, you may have to clean the electrical equipment more often. You can help reduce the dust by having your air ducts cleaned and changing out the air filters on a more regular basis.
#6 Keep the Mechanical Rooms Clear
If your office has a mechanical room where the HVAC system, furnace, generator, sprinkler valves, fire pumps, and/or other building mechanical systems are located, do not use it as a storage room. The mechanical room should be clean and clear of any debris or items that are not part of the mechanical systems. These systems do have a high risk of overheating and sparking a fire. Don’t help by storing paper boxes and garbage or flammable chemicals in the mechanical room.
If You Should Suffer a Fire, Contact the Professionals
The above tips are just a few of many that you should follow and be aware of to reduce the risk of a fire happening in your office. Even if a fire should occur, following these tips can help to reduce the overall damage that could occur by limiting fire hazards. You can’t prevent fires from occurring completely but you can make the risk much lower. If you should suffer from a fire at your office, store, shop, or other commercial space; give thefire damage restoration professionalsat SERVPRO of Fairfield County a call. You can also contact us for any water or mold damage also. We have the knowledge and equipment to handle any size disaster. We're available any time and any day when fire, water and storm disasters strike.
With the cold winter upon us, your business is increasingly vulnerable to water and storm damage. This damage can come in many forms and shapes from frozen pipes, collapsed roofs, condensation, foot traffic, snow, and ice-covered sidewalks, and power outages. While you can’t stop a blizzard from coming or keep the temperatures from dropping below zero, you can take some preventative steps to reduce the risks of winter weather damaging your business and hurting your employees.
Get a Backup Generator
With strong winter storms, ice and wind can wreak havoc on trees and power lines. As ice accumulates on tree branches, they eventually break and fall knocking down power lines and killing the power to your business. If the power is out for an extended amount of time and the temperatures are below freezing, the temperature inside your business can drop causing the water pipes to freeze and burst resulting in extensive water damage.
To reduce the risk of a power outage happening, you can invest in a backup power generator that will kick on if your business should lose power. Hopefully, the generator has enough fuel to keep your business heated until the power is able to be restored. It’s important to know how long your generator can run and to be sure to refuel it if the power is out for an extended time.
Keep Your Sidewalk and Parking Lot Clear
Keeping your sidewalk and parking clear of snow and ice will not only help reduce the risk of slip and falls by your employees and customers, but it will also help reduce them from tracking it into your business and soiling your floors. While you can hire a service company to shovel your parking lot and sidewalk, many of them won’t be able to keep them clear if the snow continues. That is why it’s important to have a few people at the office in charge of keeping, at least, your sidewalk clear. Salt on your sidewalk and parking lot can help melt any snow and ice and provide a grip for employees and customers walking into your business.
Keep Floors Dry
Employees and customers coming in and out of your business during the cold, wet winters will undoubtedly be tracking in water and dirt throughout the day. It’s important to check the floors and doormats on a regular basis to ensure they stay as clean and dry as possible. Not only will this help eliminate any slip and falls but it will also keep the water and dirt from causing further damage. Wet floors can lead to water and mold damage to your business. For busy entrances, you may want to switch out floor mats with new ones throughout the day to keep the water and dirt at bay.
Leave Sinks Dripping During Extreme Cold Temperatures
If you have any bathrooms or sinks located near exterior walls or colder areas, like a warehouse or garage, you will want to take a couple extra steps during extremely cold temperatures. If you know that the temperatures will be dropping to near or below zero, you will want to make sure your sinks are dripping water. The dripping water ensures that the water in the pipes leading to the sink are moving and don’t have time to freeze and burst the pipes. This is also a good tip to do at home also.
Check Pipes to Ensure They’re Insulated
If you have exposed water pipes in areas of your business that aren’t as well heated, you may want to insulate the pipes to ensure they don’t freeze. Many burst pipes in businesses are found in warehouses, garages, and near entrances that are constantly being opened. Insulating these pipes can also be beneficial during the hot summers as the insulation can prevent condensation on the pipes which can also lead to water damage.
Seal or Close Up Any Drafts
It doesn’t take much of a crack for the cold air and winds to find their way into your business. While that doesn’t seem troubling, if that crack is near a pipe, it could be big trouble. During a cold day, take a walk around your business and check for drafts. You can either check by feel using your hand or use a temperature gun to find any cool spots. If you’ve done any renovations or upgrades, like running cables from the outside into your business, you want to check for any holes or penetrations in the exterior walls that may not have been sealed up completely.
Remove Excess Snow and Ice from Roofs and Awnings
During heavy ice and snow storms, you will want to make sure the snow and ice don’t collect too much on your roofs, overhangs, and awnings. The weight of the snow and ice can cause collapses which can lead to extensive damage to your business. If you have a flat roof, you will want to check the roof after the storms to ensure the snow and ice are melting and that the water is running off and away from your business. Not only can the weight of the snow collapse your roof, but the melting snow can also pool up and leak down through cracks or holes in your roof and/or exterior.
Keep Interior Temps Above 60 Degrees
The last tip is to help reduce any risks of your pipes freezing and bursting. It is advisable to keep the interior temperature at or above 60 degrees in your business. While this shouldn’t be a problem in areas where your employees or customers are usually present, this could be a problem in garages, attics, basements, exterior buildings, storage areas, and warehouses. You may need to add insulation, more ducts to carry the heated air, or additional heaters to keep these areas sufficiently heated. It is usually these ignored or less trafficked areas of your business that will lead to frozen and burst pipes. And because these areas aren’t used or seen, the water damage can be quite substantial.
Keep Your Business Protected from the Cold Ohio Weather
By following the tips above and keeping an eye on the temps in your business, you can greatly reduce the risk of water and mold damage from a burst pipe this winter. But if you should experience water damage to your business, it’s important to act quickly to reduce any further damage and call the water damage restoration experts at SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We have the expertise and know-how to fix the damage and takes steps to prevent it from happening again. Give us a call any time and any day for your fire, water and mold damage problems.
The worst part of most house fires isn’t necessarily the damage from the actual fire but the damage caused by the smoke and soot of the fire. Most house fires that are contained and put out quickly leave little to no damage. If the fire is in the oven or on the cooktop, the flames may cause damage to the oven, hood, and back wall. If replacing the oven or cleaning up the oven was the only thing needed, that wouldn’t be so bad. Unfortunately, it’s the smoke from the fire that can quickly spread that can leave lasting damage if not cleaned up properly.
In this blog, we will go over some tips to clean up “minor” smoke damage after a fire. We use the word “minor” because smoke damage can quickly turn into a much bigger problem as it spreads quickly. The other problem is that the homeowner may exacerbate the smoke damage by using the wrong cleaning supplies and chemicals. This leads us to the first tip.
Assess the Smoke Damage Before Cleaning
Once the fire has been safely put out, check the area for smoke damage. If you see that the smoke has gone up the walls and to the ceiling, it is usually best to call a professional to clean up. The reason is that it can be difficult to remove smoke from porous ceilings and walls. Also, if the smoke is visible on the ceiling and walls, there’s a good chance that it has been carried elsewhere. Fire damage restoration professionals will know where to look and how to clean the smoke damage. Also, smoke can easily slip behind appliances, through cracks, and other hard to reach areas which if not cleaned could leave that the smell of smoke lingering behind.
Air Out the Room
If you experienced a small kitchen fire, open the nearest window and/or door to let fresh air in. This will allow any airborne soot or smoke to hopefully blow out of the house. It’s also a good idea to turn off your central air or heat so the smoke isn’t sucked up into your air ducts. Once the smoke has dissipated and you’ve gotten plenty of fresh air circulating through the area, you can turn back on your central air or heat. It is, however, a good idea to check your air filter on your furnace and change it out if you smell any smoke from it. Another good idea is to use box fans to push the air out through your open windows and/or doors.
Clean Up the Fire Extinguisher Residue
If you use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, you most likely used the common ABC dry powder fire extinguisher. It’s important to clean up the dry powder from any appliances or metals as the powder can be corrosive over time. A simple wet rag can remove the powder from any surfaces like an oven, sink, or refrigerator. Also with small kitchen fires, the powder probably spread further than the actual smoke damage, so you want to be thorough in examining all of the surfaces and areas around where the fire occurred.
Vacuum Up Any Fire and Soot Debris First
Before using towels and cleansers to wipe the surfaces, you will want to use a vacuum to remove any loose debris or soot from the damaged area. The debris could scratch surfaces like cooktops if using a towel to wipe the surface. Use the brush attachment of your vacuum to lightly dislodge any debris so the vacuum can suck it up. You make also want to use a broom to sweep up any debris but be careful not to use too much force as you could scratch the surfaces or make the stains worse.
Don’t Use Liquid Cleaners Just Yet
This is where most people would tend to grab a towel and a liquid cleaner to remove the smoke from the walls, ceiling, and other surfaces. Doing this usually makes the damage worse and harder to clean up. Using liquid cleaners and a towel at this stage can sometimes smear the smoke stains or push them deeper into the surfaces especially walls and ceilings. To get most of the soot and smoke off of surfaces, you need to use a dry chemical sponge. This is a special type of sponge that is impregnated with chemicals that are designed to remove soot and smoke. By gentling wiping the surface, the sponge absorbs and/or picks up the soot and smoke from the surface. If the smoke damage is minimal, this can be an easy task but if there is extensive smoke damage, this can be an enormous project that is usually best left to the professionals.
Next, Wash the Surfaces with Professional Cleansers
Once you’ve removed most of the smoke and soot from the surfaces with the dry chemical sponge, you’ll then want to use professional cleansers and a towel to wipe down the surfaces. Some of the different cleaners that people use are commercial soot/smoke cleaner, white vinegar, dish soap, and trisodium phosphate (TSP). A professional smoke damage restoration company will know better what cleaners to use and when. Some cleaners may remove the smoke and soot stains but leave the smell behind. Some may kill the smell with natural, biologically-activated enzymes but not remove the stains.
The Best Step to Take is Call the Professionals
Removing the stains and smells from smoke and soot is not a simple and easy process. We just went over some steps that may work for smooth surfaces but what if the smoke gets into fabrics or furniture? That is why it is usually best to call the professionals to handle the cleanup and restoration of fire and smoke damage. Fire damage restoration experts, like us at SERVPRO of Fairfield County, have the knowledge, expertise, tools, cleaning agents, and equipment to effectively remove all the stains and odors and damage from a home fire. Contact us 24/7 when the next time disaster strikes at your home or business.
Identifying the Type of Smoke & Soot is the First Step
Not all smoke is created equal. Smoke and soot are the byproducts or residue of a fire. The type of smoke damage depends entirely on what burned in your home or business. In the blog below, we will cover the main types of smoke damage and how the smoke and soot residue is different.
Types of Smoke Damage
Wet Smoke
Wet smoke is one of the hardest to clean up and can easily make a mess. This type of smoke results from smoldering fires with a low temperature. The smoke is thick and sticky and smears easily if touched. It easily clings and builds up on walls, furniture, ceilings, and other surfaces. It is very difficult to clean up and it is always a good idea to contact a fire damage professional to clean it up. It also leaves a strong lingering odor if not properly cleaned up.
Dry Smoke
Dry smoke is usually much easier to clean up. It comes from much higher temperature fires like paper, wood, or synthetic materials. The smoke is usually less black and more powdery from paper and wood. With dry smoke, you have to worry about it penetrating small cracks and grooves in everything it comes into contact with. This can include wood, wallpaper, fabrics, carpets, wood floors, tile grout, and electronics. While it is easy to clean off of flat surfaces, if you don’t get it out of all the crevices and spaces, it will leave behind a stinky odor.
Protein Smoke
Protein smoke usually occurs in the kitchen as a result of food catching on fire in the oven or on the stovetop. Protein smoke also naturally occurs just from cooking and can build up on surfaces over time. The smoke is usually light in color and tends to discolor surfaces surrounding the cooking appliances like the ceiling, walls, and counters. The smell of protein smoke can be very strong and stinky especially from a large food fire in a kitchen. The smoke residue is also very greasy which makes it really difficult to clean. Cleaning up this residue requires professional cleaning materials that are made for protein-based smoke residue.
Petroleum Smoke
Petroleum smoke is usually the result of a fire from cooking oils or fuel oils. Petroleum smoke is very dark and thick. Due to the flammability of the oils, the smoke is usually pretty significant and can quickly fill up a room or home. It can easily discolor any surface it comes into contact with including ceilings, walls, and floors. It can also ruin any porous materials like furniture, flooring, and drapes if not treated quickly. Due to the amount of smoke residue it can cause and the difficulty in cleaning it, it is highly recommended that you contact a fire damage restoration company like SERVPRO of Fairfield County.
Roof Tarping: The Fire Department will often vent the roof of a structure fire to help in their efforts to control and extinguish the blaze. To vent the roof, they use an ax or saw to cut a hole in the roof. We use a thick, weatherproof tarp to cover any holes in the roof to minimize secondary damage from precipitation or animals.
Board-Up: We use durable plywood to cover any broken windows or doors that cannot be locked, this is done to preserve the structure and to keep the home safe from possible break-ins and exposure to the outside environment.
SERVPRO, Faster To Any Disaster
Once the fire has been put out, it's essential to call us, SERVPRO of Fairfield County as soon as possible. Even if it's in the middle of the night, we're available 24/7 to help. We are ready to take your call and take action no matter the time of day or night. Sometimes the fire department may need to break windows and cut holes in the roof to vent the house so that they can fight the fire properly. If that happens to your property, we can fully secure the structure even in the middle of the night. Call us at 740-756-7003, or click here, and we'll help you and your family get back the life you had before the flames took over.
Fast Action to Help Save Your Property
In many home fire situations, there may be damage to the exterior of the home that would cause the outside elements, like rain, to get inside. If windows have been broken, doors kicked in, roofs damaged or exterior walls damaged from the fire, we will first board up any windows or doors and cover any roof or wall damage with tarps to keep the elements from causing further damage to your home.
Protecting What's Inside Your Home
It's crucial to secure the structure shortly after the fire is extinguished. There are security and safety issues to keep in mind. The contents and personal effects of the homeowners need to be protected. By covering any broken windows or holes, we can keep out any weather elements or curious critters looking for a place to nest. After we complete the emergency board-up services, you can count on the experts at SERVPRO of Fairfield County to fully restore your home or business.
Building an emergency supply kit can be a challenge, especially for those that are pinching every penny. However, you can still build a kit without breaking your budget! Check out these tips below to get started.
Creating an Emergency Supply Kit on a Budget
1. START NOW! Take small steps now so that you can be ready!
2. Make a plan with your family and neighbors for what to do when disaster strikes. Go to ready.gov/make-a-plan to download a Family Emergency Plan.
3. Check your insurance policy and make necessary changes to stay protected.
4. Update your contact information. Make sure you have the correct information for your family, friends, and neighbors so that you can stay in contact and let people know you’re okay.
5. Make a ready list– we’ve started this one for you on the other side! Think about what you might need that isn’t included on our list or things that we have that don’t fit your needs and plan accordingly.
6. Try to purchase your supply kit items when they are on sale.
7. Don’t buy everything at once (unless you want to) and you won’t notice the cost as much.
8. Create a plan for when you will purchase your supplies rather than impulse buying right before a big storm is about to hit.
9. You don’t need to buy fancy bottled water for your kit. Just make sure that your containers are airtight and clean.
10. Ask for emergency supply kit items as gifts for your next birthday rather than getting thing you don’t need.
11. Stay in rather than going out for just one night. The money you would have spent on dinner and a movie could go towards your supply kit instead.
Those of us at SERVPRO of Fairfield County hope that these tips are beneficial to you!
For all of your disaster restoration needs, please call (740)756-7003
When Storms or Floods hit, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is Ready for Whatever Happens!
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in storm and flood damage restoration. Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s Corporate Training Facility to regular IICRC industry certifications, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property. Our training program includes the following:
IICRC Training
Employee Certification Training
Initial Franchise Training
e-Learnings
Continuing Education Classes
Faster Response
Since we are locally owned and operated, we are able to respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost. Our coverage area includes Lancaster, Pickerington, Baltimore, and surrounding areas. SERVPRO of Fairfield County is a 24/7 emergency service and you can expect an immediate response time, day or night.
Resources to Handle Floods and Storms
When storms hit in your area we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams that are strategically located throughout the United States.
Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today 740-756-7003
Does Your Business Need an Emergency Ready Profile?
According to the Insurance Information Institute, up to 40% of businesses never reopen after experiencing a disaster. Also, another 25% of businesses fail within one year after the disaster has occurred. These are alarming statistics. The businesses that do recover from disasters are the ones that had proper preparation and planning in place. Shouldn’t your business be one of them?
Nobody wants to think about the things that could go wrong but a lack of planning can have serious consequences. Knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is the key to timely mitigation and minimal down time for your business. SERVPRO of Fairfield County offers a no cost assessment of your facility to help you start planning. This Emergency Ready Profile is a start up approach that provides the critical information needed to begin mitigation and recovery services. It is designed to serve as a quick reference of important contact and building information and can be customized to meet your business needs. Some advantages of the SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile include:
A no cost assessment of your facility.
A concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency.
A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster.
Establishes your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider, if you so choose.
Identification of the line of command for authorizing work to begin.
Provides facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information.
We serve Fairfield County; call us today at 740-756-7003 to schedule a free assessment of your facility so that you can be “ready for whatever happens!”
How Our Professionals Deodorized Your Home After A Fire
You might assume that harsh odors present after a fire loss in your Fairfield County home gets related to smoke damage, but this is not always the case. Part of our ability to successfully navigate proper deodorization of your property after emergencies hinges on our knowledge of industry practices. Our professionals get trained specifically to identify foreign and noxious odors present in the house after a loss incident, and in doing so, can develop the best approach for removing them.
Smoke is a common contributor to harsh odors and other fire damage, but is not the only factor to consider. The combustion of specific types of materials, gasses that get released into the environment, and other destroyed items can all create foreign and challenging scents of their own. Our SERVPRO professionals can look to isolate these individual sources and eliminate their hold on your home, instead of non-effective practices like masking odors and taking shortcuts.
As a team, we rely on multiple machines that can help with this odor elimination process, and much of the decision on the specific unit relates to the severity of the damage and how widespread this condition has become. Units like our hydroxyl generator, for instance, have a stationary operation that works to affect a broad area with central placement, whereas our portable thermal foggers can offer a more concentrated and direct approach by moving with our technicians from one space to another.
Deodorization is often one of the final steps of recovery, though efforts made through the mitigation process can often work to reduce the severity of these odors. Debris and residue removal can both substantially reduce the strength of present odors because of the elimination of primary sources, helping them to circulate continually.
Regardless of the situation you face, We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster and can help you however you need. Give us a call today at (740) 756-7003.
If your Fairfield County business ever happens to become ablaze, the results can be quite catastrophic. Whenever our SERVPRO technicians work on a commercial fire damage project, the first step is usually boarding up your building. The addition of heat to your shopping center can cause windows to break. Once your shopping center's structure is exposed to the outside more problems can develop.
For example, your commercial fire damage can get much worse when burnt materials get exposed to elements of the outdoors. Moisture coming in from the outside can cause soot residues to soak deeper into your building materials. When the interior of your shopping center is exposed to nature, objects from the outside can ruin your building materials and structural components. The above reasons are why calling in SERVPRO immediately after something burns is vital.
A board-up is the process in which a structure gets sealed from exposure to the outside to prevent further issues. Whenever we first get to your business, we can seal your structure using durable materials to protect your building from weather or intrusions. In some, states boarding up your shopping center requires a contractor license; in these situations, we have the option of supervising a subcontractor for the boarding up process.
When boarding up a building, various tools and materials are needed. Covering materials include exterior grade plywood, roofing tarpaulins, and a roll of polyethylene sheeting. Roll insulation may be required, depending on the damage. Miscellaneous nails, screws, bolts, nuts, staples, and furring strips often get used for fastening cover materials. Tools used to erect covering materials usually include hammers, hand saws, power saws, staple guns, power cords, and standard toolbox tools (screwdrivers, wrenches, etc.)
When securing your business, we can utilize a few different options to properly seal openings created by the blaze. Covering over the opening with plywood by attaching it to the surface around the opening makes installation easy, but provides less security since materials can easily get pulled off. Cutting plywood so that it gets inserted into a hole in your structure offers more protection. Another option includes plywood being bolted to two-by-fours so that the wooden covering is held in place by tension.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County serves businesses in Pickerington, Lancaster, Baltimore, and surrounding cities. Call us at (740) 756-7003 with your property damage needs so we can protect your assets. Our training and experience gives us what we need to make things “Like it never even happened.”
After An Overhead Leak, Water Extraction Equipment Pulls Moisture From Every Level Of Your House
Damaging water typically comes from ground-level flooding or pipes that burst open somewhere in your Reading residence. Rain can also come in through opened spots in the roof or torn vents. New home construction also might call for placing the water heater overhead to save space, especially when a basement is considered too small. Any of these and other situations can let water ruin your home's interior from the top downward.
When mitigating water-soaked homes, using a variety of water extraction equipment ensures our customers of a thorough job. These different machines and tools include those for measuring the amount of moisture in both materials and the air, forcing the moisture to behave in more beneficial ways, and capturing mechanisms, among others.
We complement our extensive equipment with intensive training. Our skilled mitigation and restoration specialists earn certificates from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and we quickly gain experience in extracting water from a diverse assortment of homes and businesses.
To determine the places affected by water, we use infrared cameras that reveal the temperature differences between dry and damp materials. Knowing the places that need our attention immediately, we can place air movers in the most effective locations and direct them so that air currents steadily pull moisture out of these materials.
Then, to extract the moisture from the almost saturated air, we use desiccant machines. As air passes through these, the moisture gets trapped so that the air exiting is completely dry. This now-dry air can again absorb moisture that evaporated into the air after being drawn out of drywall, carpeting, and other parts of your home.
Water also becomes trapped inside the walls and above the ceilings of rooms and hallways when its source is located overhead. SERVPRO gets these places dry again, too, after extracting the moisture. The same hole we use to let the water drain lets us use flexible tubing to force dry air into the wall or ceiling's space. We make sure that everything gets dry before damage can increase and spread.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County wants you to know you can rely on us, no matter how large or small your water extraction needs. We also have submersible pumps for pulling water from enclosed areas like crawlspaces and basements, and odor control machinery that eliminates offensive odors at their source. Call us at (740) 756-7003 to have mitigation specialists restore your residence.
As the owner, or manager, of a corner cafe or a quick service restaurant, you know that fire is one of the worst things imaginable. It will endanger the lives of your staff and your guests and destroy your property, shutting you down indefinitely.
It will always be a good idea to take a look at your established policies to ensure that your practices and procedures to prevent fires in your establishment are appropriate and are being followed.
Here are some essential fire damage prevention tips for your commercial kitchen:
EQUIPMENT SAFETY. Cooking equipment is often responsible for restaurant building fires. All your equipment must be maintained in top condition, from ovens to fryers. Following established cleaning practices daily, and to the letter, in addition to regular professional inspections, will ensure that repairs are made before something happens and that your equipment won’t outlive its safe operation.
GREASE. A buildup of grease in hoods and grease traps can be a dangerous thing. These equipment components operate under high-heat constantly, so they can easily become a fire hazard, as can kitchen duct work. Contact an experienced cleaning and restoration professional to address these issues and help you to maintain healthy indoor air quality.
SPRINKLERS. A critical component of commercial kitchen fire safety is the fire sprinkler system. Corrosion can weaken their effectiveness, so having them regularly inspected will be a good practice in preventing fire damage.
UL COMPLIANCE. If you don’t know how old your kitchen UL suppression system is, verify that information during your next inspection. You may want to consider an upgrade to UL 300 compliance to ensure your commercial kitchen’s safety.
EMPLOYEES. The very best equipment and the most top quality maintenance can never completely prevent restaurant fires. The most effective weapon in your arsenal is going to be your employees. Train them well to always be ready for restaurant fire emergencies through monthly meetings and drills, and encourage their input when addressing safety issues. Make sure everyone knows how to use fire extinguishers and how to safely evacuate your building.
Getting your doors back open quickly will be easier with the help of a professional restoration company. Call us here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County if you experience fire damage, water damage, or mold issues.
Whether your basement is where you store your treasures or a finished space for entertaining, the right protection gives you peace of mind. Water backup and sump pump failure coverage is an optional add-on that can put your mind at ease.
What is Water Backup Coverage?
Water damage due to sump pump failure can be costly. Our water damage and sump pump failure coverage is designed to mitigate the cost of repairs caused by water leaking into a home due to a backed-up drain or an overflowing sump. While it’s not automatically included in a homeowners policy, it can easily be added on for a fraction of what it would cost to repair and replace water-damaged items in your home.
Property Protection
Your sump pump is designed to remove excess water that accumulates around your home’s foundation. If the system ever fails or the power goes out, water overflow may occur. And you're typically not covered for this type of damage with your homeowners insurance. Having water backup and sump pump overflow coverage gives you that important layer of protection.
Our water backup and sump pump failure protection covers the following damage:
Sewer systems. America’s sewer systems are generally pretty dated, and as with any old infrastructure, these systems may be prone to failure. If a city’s sewer system has issues, regardless of who is at fault, your home could be in for some pain.
Sump pump failure and overflow. A sump pump can be the hero of your basement, pumping excess water out of your home and into areas where it can disperse. But if it fails, you might be in for a soggy basement and expensive repairs.
If you’ve invested in finishing your lower level, you know how important this extra space can be. It deserves customized protection that’s as unique as your home. This coverage completes the project and safeguards your investment from water damage in the event of sump pump overflow and water backup.
Why Do I Need Sump Pump Failure Coverage?
Do I Need Water Backup Coverage?
If you’re still not sure if you should add coverage, consider the following things that might make your home a higher risk for water backup:
You live in a rainy area. The more it rains, the more work your sump pump has to do. And when your sump pump is constantly running, it runs the risk of burning out faster than an average one.
Your home has an old sump pump. Check your sump pump regularly and look for any signs of wear and tear — replacing an old sump pump that hasn’t failed yet is a much better option than waiting for it to fail.
In addition to having sump pump coverage, you can have a battery backup in the event of power failure that will keep the pump running. And if the pump fails, having a second sump pump handy can help you avoid water damage.
Added Water Backup Coverage, Extra Peace of Mind
Your household is made up of many moving parts, which is why we offer optional coverage for you to build a homeowners insurance policy that fits your unique needs. Connect with your Insurance Professional to see if water backup or sump pump overflow coverage is right for your home. They’re happy to help you customize insurance for your home. SERVPRO of Fairfield County
Electrical fires account for a lot of home fires. If you notice a burning odor or sparks coming from any outlet or switches, turn the power off at the electrical panel. The problem may be a faulty device. It can be a wiring or power overload problem. Burning smells can be a serious issues, because it can indicate the start of an electrical fire. If you smell a burning smell, or rubber smell that is consistent throughout your house, try to isolate the location. You can easily prevent electrical fires in your home, by knowing what to look for. Several discolored or charred outlets and switches is a good indicator. Old outdated wiring, burnt smell or circuit breakers tripping, and sometimes appliances pulling too much electricity on one circuit can cause an issue as well. We at SERVPRO of Fairfield County are the experts in this field. For all of your fire restoration needs please call SERVPRO Our staff of expects are here to answer any question or concerns about this subject
A Flood is a terrible situation- one that can be very traumatic.
If your home or commercial property has been flooded, your first priority is safety. Stay away from the area until it's safe.
When starting the cleaning and restoration process after a flood, removing all the damaged furniture and carpets is a good place to start. Wearing gloves and other protective gear PPE is a moral imperative when doing any clean up or restoration. One must always wash hand frequently.
Remove all wall coverings and throw them out. Remove affected drywall, porous materials and insulation that's been in contact with flood waters. Be careful And watch every step to prevent falls. Be caution around appliances and electrical equipment. For any concerns and question about clean up restoration after a flood or water loss contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County, the experts in all types of restoration.
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As many as 50% of businesses may never recover following a disaster. Of the businesses that survive, the majority of them had a preparedness plan in place. SERVPRO of Fairfield County can help you make that plan!
By developing a SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile for your business, you minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action. Knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is key for SERVPRO of Fairfield County to help minimize how water and fire damage can affect your business.
Emergency READY Profile Advantage
A no cost assessment of your facility
A concise profile document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency
A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster
Identification of the line of command for authorizing work to begin
Provides facility details such as shut off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County to get started right away! (740) 756-7003
Fire damage is especially devastating for a business or commercial property. In addition to the fire and smoke damage, significant water damage from firefighting efforts and fire suppression systems may occur. Every hour spent restoring your business back to pre-fire condition is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. If your business experiences a fire loss, call the fire and water damage restoration experts at SERVPRO of Fairfield County and we’ll respond immediately to get you back to business quickly!
SERVPRO of Fairfield County has the training, experience, and equipment to handle large commercial fire damage emergencies. Whether your fire emergency occurs in a restaurant, motel, or office building, we will respond quickly to mitigate the damage and manage the restoration project through to its completion.
24 Hour Emergency Service
Faster to Any Size Disaster
A Trusted Leader in the Fire and Water Restoration Industry with over 1,700 Franchises
Highly Trained Fire and Water Damage Restoration Specialists
Commercial Fire Damage? Call Us Today – (740) 756-7003.
Mold is everywhere. All around us. It is actually a fungus that is found both outdoors and indoors. Mold likes to grow in damp, warm and humid places.
Mold has different effects on people. It really depends on the type of mold, how long they were exposed, and the individuals sensitivity to mold. Some people are more sensitive to mold exposure and may have reactions that are more serious than others.
If you believe that you are feeling the effects of exposure to mold in your home, please consult your doctor right away. Also, an environmental hygienist. For remediation, contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740) 756-7003.
We have trained professionals and specialized equipment for safe and timely clean up, drying, and remediation of mold in your home.
If you see visible mold, do not disturb it. You can inadvertently spread the mold infestation throughout your home. When mold is disturbed, the mold can release microscopic mold spores which become airborne and can circulate inside your home.
What to Do:
Stay out of affected areas
Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
Contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County for mold remediation services.
What Not to Do:
Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.
About Our Mold Remediation Services
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in mold cleanup and restoration, in fact, it’s a cornerstone of our business. Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.
When tornado season approaches, we want you to know some information on tornadoes so YOU can be more prepared.
Tornadoes destroy anything in their path. They can destroy buildings, flip cars and create mass destruction!
They can happen anytime and anywhere
Bring winds in excess of 200 mph
They can look like funnels
If you are under a TORNADO WARNING, find shelter RIGHT AWAY!
Your friends at SERVPRO of Fairfield County want you to stay safe. So follow some of these tips:
If you are near a sturdy building, get inside immediately
Go to a safe room or basement
Stay away from windows
Watch for flying debris
Cover your head with your arms
Continue to listen to your local weather station to get updated information. DO NOT leave your shelter until you no longer hear the sirens and your weather station has given you the ok.
And please always remember that SERVPRO of Fairfield County is here to help you. Call us immediately to help with your cleanup. (740) 756-7003.
Learning Shouldn't Be Paused or Cancelled Because of a Storm.
Storms or disasters at an educational facility are highly complex and require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we're dealing with a small school campus or an institute of higher education, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area so the normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore the damaged area while working with you're budgetary constraints. Your job is to provide valuable lessons and information to the students, ours is to make sure you have a safe place to do so.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Our experience in handling educational facilities cleanups have given us the ability to provide a variety of detailed services for the following educational facilities:
SERVPRO of Fairfield County knows that disasters at a hospitality facility are devastating. That’s why we are critical in assuring normal operations resume as quickly and safely as possible. Whether the cause is a coat hanger on a sprinkler, a fire, a natural disaster, or a traumatic event, SERVPRO of Fairfield County will work with your management and maintenance staff to prioritize spaces, isolate the damage,and restore the area to your complete satisfaction. All while minimizing the inconvenience to your guests and employees.
We are prepared to help remediate any damage, regardless of the cause, scale of the loss, or the size of your facility.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is available 24-7/365 ready to help.
Disasters happen. And unfortunately, some of your most valued business contents-important documents and books-could be lost forever! As a leader in the restoration industry, SERVPRO of Fairfield County knows that mitigating your businesses important possessions in a timely matter is extremely important and crucial to recovering your damaged belongings.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County has years of experience and state-of-the-art technology to recover your businesses important documents before it is too late.
We offer a range of services including drying, cleaning/disinfecting, re-jacketing, digitizing, and deodorization.
Need your valuable documents restored? Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County today (740) 756-7003
Proudly serving your businesses in Lancaster, Pickerington, Baltimore, and surrounding areas.
Remember that we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County, spiritual matters are a priority. So we know that cleaning your place of worship is extremely time consuming, and sometimes grime, odor, and moisture challenges can go beyond the scope of your regular janitorial staff. We want you to use our services as a tool to help keep your main focus on ministry.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County understands the scheduling demands of churches and we will accommodate to meet your time requirements. We are pleased to offer additional cleaning for special events, such as weddings.
Clean carpets will give your church a whole new look and smell for any special occasion. We will not only get the out the dirt you see, but also remove the unwanted dust you don't.
We have specially trained technicians and products to get your church looking brand new again. We have over 40 years of experience in the industry.
You can rely on SERVPRO of Fairfield County to make your church look its very best.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County wants to help our surrounding schools provide clean, healthy environments for our children. Educational institutions can depend on SERVPRO of Fairfield County for fast, thorough service in the event of a fire, water or mold damage. With 24-hour emergency response, SERVPRO of Faifield County provides mitigation, cleanup, and restoration services to reduce recovery costs and to help ensure minimal interruption to your curriculum. We also provide expert cleaning for emergencies or special needs exceeding routine janitorial capabilities, including stain removal, upholstery and drapery dry cleaning, indoor air quality and vandalism cleanup. Education is extremely important and we want to make sure our schools are provided with work done right and done fast. So our children can get back to learning!
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County (740) 756-7003 today.
At SERVPRO of Fairfield County we are well aware of the devastation a storm can leave on a family. So we want you to be as prepared as possible BEFORE a storm hits. It is very important to always be prepared because storm damage is extremely overwhelming. But taking the time to prepare yourself for the worst WILL help you in the long run.
Here are some storm tips:
Keep a water supply and non perishable foods
Have a plan ready for your family if evacuation is necessary
Make sure to have a portable radio
Be sure to have flashlights ready and backup batteries
Store blankets and extra warm clothing
Consider the needs for prescription medication
If you are a victim of storm damage call SERVPRO of Fairfield County IMMEDIATELY at (740) 756-7003
With the severe weather season underway, now is a good time to go over the difference between tornado and severe thunderstorm watches and warnings.
A WATCH means that the potential exists for the development of severe thunderstorms or tornadoes, depending upon the specific type of watch issued. In the case of a tornado watch, this DOES NOT mean that a tornado has been seen or even indicated on radar...it just means that conditions are favorable for the formation of tornadoes in thunderstorms. Similarly, a severe thunderstorm watch means that conditions are just conducive for the development of severe weather, and DOES NOT indicate that severe weather has been reported. While no immediate action on the part of the general public is required for the issuance of a watch, citizens should keep up to date on the current weather situation and be prepared to seek shelter if necessary.
A WARNING, on the other hand, requires more immediate action and should be taken seriously. A severe thunderstorm warning indicates that severe weather is imminent in your area or is already occurring (based on either human observation or doppler radar). The term severe refers to hail greater than or equal to 1.00" in diameter and/or wind gusts that meet or exceed 58 mph. Although these storms can also be associated with dangerous cloud to ground lightning or heavy rainfall that is capable of causing flash flooding, neither of these two items serve as criteria for a severe thunderstorm warning being issued.
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County for all of your storm damage needs (740) 756-7003
We store supplies, and your paperwork either in a dry area of your building or offsite if water damage is pervasive
Some Fairfield County businesses survive water damage with only minor issues. Other damages risk the ruining of specialized machinery and extensive stores of raw materials and finished products. Finding a restoration company that is willing to learn about the challenges your industry faces from water damage is the key to recovery.
Your family business boasts several generations of satisfied customers, and you now need help to keep water damage from destroying this history and disappointing clients. A water main burst and gallons of water threaten to ruin your machines and your extensive inventory. Our fast-acting team of water damage experts commits to walking you through every step of the process from waterlogged to dry and restored for both the structure and contents of your shop.
SERVPRO crews arrive to assess the situation and plan for the recovery as soon as possible. We outfit our vehicles with truck-mounted pumps and water extractors, allowing our technicians to begin water removal immediately, even if the power is off. Your equipment poses a risk of electric shock until the area dries, so our ability to evacuate the water without using your power sources is crucial.
Advanced training in material management supports the ability of our crews to pack out your inventory quickly and with an accurate listing that identifies what we moved. We store supplies, and your paperwork either in a dry area of your building or offsite if water damage is pervasive. Throughout the process, we maintain an evidence chain so you can reconstruct customer orders and provide documentation for your insurance company. Our training in drying technologies helps us advise which materials respond to drying and what items may need to be discarded.
Electronic and other equipment needs expert evaluation before it can be cleared for future operation. SERVPRO works with professionals who are trained to determine whether and how water damaged equipment specific to your industry can be dried successfully. We then take all steps necessary to reach that result.
While decisions are reached on your inventory and equipment, other members of the SERVPRO team work to dry out the structure of your business. Air movers and dehumidifiers achieve the drying goals after the standing water is removed, with constant moisture monitoring guiding the duration.
The technicians from SERVPRO of Fairfield County work persistently to restore your business after unexpected water damage.
Can you tell what kind of water this is? Answer: Black
When dealing with water damage in your home or place of business, there are different types, or classifications of water that we can use. Using this classification system, we can determine what health risks are associated with the water, and properly prepare bringing with us all necessary safety equipment and uniforms. In this blog article we are going to focus on three types: Clean, Gray, and Black water.
Clean Water: This is water that does not contain contaminants. It includes broken water lines, malfunctioning appliances, toilets holding tanks, snow melt and rainwater. Overtime however, clean water can progress and become gray water within 48 hours, if left untreated.
Gray Water: Gray water does contain slight chemical or biological contaminants, and may pose a health risk. Gray water can discharge from dishwashers, washing machines, sinks, showers, aquariums and waterbeds, or come from a clean water source that leaked through a ceiling. It can also be clean water that was left untreated (and became gray water). Gray water can also progress to the next stage (Black Water) if left untreated within 48 hours.
Black Water: This water is a health risk as it is highly contaminated. Black water is presumed to contain multiple potentially harmful contaminants including fungi, bacteria, chemicals, viruses, and more. Black Water is typically caused by sewage damage, flooding, or any type of natural disaster. Black water should always be treated by a trained and certified professional.
For any type of water damage, it is always best to treat it quickly so as to avoid further contamination and risk mold growth. There can be many dangers associated with attempting to clean water damage on your own. If ever you spot any type of water in your home or business, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We are faster to any size disaster and will have our highly trained team over to your house or place of business within the hour! Remember, its best to not wade into any unknown water source without the proper protection. Give us a call 24/7 at (740) 756-7003
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is an IICRC certified firm.
While the idea of a fire erupting in your home is never easy to consider, the potential of your beloved pets getting hurt during any fire emergency is that much worse. Therefore, it’s important to not only create a pet preparation plan in the event of a house fire but to take precautions with pet safety before a situation ever occurs. Here are some important ways to protect your pets before and after a dangerous situation occurs.
Prevent a mishap by always extinguishing open flames and keeping them at high levels out of your animal’s reach. Any moving flames seen from candles, BBQs, fireplaces and more can easily draw your pet’s attention. Therefore, it’s vital that you always put out any flames before leaving a room and keep them away from reach, either placed up high or properly covered and untouchable. Address any problem areas by doing a regular inspection around the home. Check for any loose wiring, reachable appliances or unstable devices that can be knocked over, as they can all turn into possible fire hazards. If a fire emergency does break out, be sure your pets have their identification in a safe place. Keep any ownership and vaccination records in a fireproof box, and leave your pet’s tagged collars on them at all times to ensure firefighters or other rescuers can identify who your pets belong to and where to secure them. Plan an escape route with your pet. Practicing fire drills and showing your pets where their escape routes are can give them a helpful head start should a fire erupt. Leave leashes and carriers easy to reach and keep your animals near an entrance while you’re away so they can be quickly located by professionals.
Protecting your pets by taking preventative measures in your home is crucial for pet safety and your peace of mind. After all, if a fire emergency occurs, knowing you’re prepared ahead of time is crucial to staying calm and getting everyone out in a timely manner.
3 Reasons You Should Have a Fire Extinguisher in Your Home
By taking the simple step of purchasing a fire extinguisher, you can help defend your home against fires. Extinguishers can put out fires that water cannot, making them extremely useful in the event of a kitchen fire or other emergency.
1. Protect Your Home
While they should not be used as a replacement for smoke detectors, fire extinguishers can be a great way to add another layer of safety to your home. Stopping fires before they get out of control can help prevent property damage and keep you and your family safe. What could have been a devastating fire could turn out to be just a little mess.
2. Stop All Types of Fires
Fire extinguishers can be separated into different categories. Some of these may be more useful for your home than others.
The different classes include:
* Class A: puts out fires on ordinary materials * Class B: puts out grease fires and other flammable liquids * Class C: puts out electrical fires * Class D: Puts out flammable metals
For use in your home, you can purchase an A-B-C extinguisher that will put out ordinary fires as well as grease fires and electrical fires. It can be an especially good idea to keep one in your kitchen, as this can be a high-risk area for fires.
3. Be Cost Efficient
Fire extinguishers can be available for a low cost, sometimes as little as $10 a unit. This can make them a great investment, as they could potentially save you a lot of money in property damage as well as keeping you safe.
Having a fire extinguisher and knowing how to use it can help you stop emergencies, such as kitchen fires, from getting out of control. While it is a good idea to focus on your personal safety before worrying about property, an extinguisher can still be a useful way to save your home from extensive fire damage. Relatively inexpensive, an extinguisher can be a great addition to your home’s fire defenses.
As a business leader, you have tremendous responsibility to lead your organization. This not only includes building strong relationships with customers and ensuring they’re satisfied with your service, but it also requires a talented staff to produce the results you need. You strive for profitability and growth, but what happens if a natural disaster or other major incident causes a rebuild of your facilities? Fortunately, business interruption insurance can come to your rescue.
How Does It Work?
Unlike property insurance, which can cover your expenses to make repairs to your facility due to an accident or mishap, this type of coverage can help ensure you don’t lose money when you have a closed business because of unsafe conditions at work or it’s impossible to carry on your business affairs for a time for any reason. There are a few ways that this insurance works for you:
• Compensates you for income you lose because you must leave your facility • Covers you for revenue you would have earned had the disaster not occurred at your office • Pays for other expenses such as utilities while you are out of the office
Flexible To Meet Your Needs
Business interruption insurance can be essential for your company while you rebuild your office space. It’s important to make sure you work closely with your insurance company and select the coverage you need. You don’t want to choose too little and miss out on the necessary compensation. Luckily, the best agencies should be able to fit your organization with an ideal plan.
Coverage Costs
Some businesses have greater risk of problems than others due to fires or other disasters. If you work in a field that is more prone to incidents such as these, you may expect higher premiums. Also, if you cannot reasonably conduct business outside of your facility, you may have higher costs.
You should discuss this type of insurance coverage with a seasoned professional. You can have greater peace of mind during a rebuild with this plan in place at your business.
How To Mitigate Roof Damage Before Help Can Arrive
Give SERVPRO a call if you experience storm damage in your home or business.
Heavy winds, torrential rains, excessive snowfall or large hail can all result in significant roof damage. Unfortunately, even if you call a storm damage repair team the day after the damage occurs, it may be weeks or even months before a complete repair can be done. This may be because other homeowners in the area have been affected as well or because your insurance company is slow to process your claim. Whatever the reason, you need to take steps to mitigate damage in the meantime. There are several things you can do to prevent further damage:
• Tarp your roof • Cover broken or cracked skylights and windows with plastic • Tarp your siding (if necessary) • Remove tree limbs and other debris
Tarp a Leak
If your roof sprouts a leak in the latest storm, tarp it until the professionals can fully patch and repair it. If it is still raining, you can minimize damage to the interior of your home by placing buckets beneath the leak. Though you cannot do anything to minimize roof and ceiling damage, you can protect your floors and furnishings.
Cover Broken Windows
Just like you did with roof damage, protect your home and your family from the elements by covering any cracked or broken windows and skylights with plastic. Doing so can also protect your home from loose shards of glass that fall in.
Tarp the Siding
Wind damage is often not limited to just the roof. If your siding is loose or missing, call in a contractor to tarp off the side to prevent further damage to the interior until a full repair can be done.
Remove Debris
Finally, any debris that is allowed to sit on your roof poses a greater threat each passing day. If a tree or heavy branch fell on your home, contact your local contractor to remove it and tarp your roof until quality repairs can be made.
If your home sustained roof damage in the last storm, it is imperative to take remedial action right away. Use the advice above to protect your home until a quality contractor can make permanent repairs.
When you can see (and smell) mold growing up the walls and on the surfaces of your home, do you really need a certified environmental hygienist to tell you that you have a problem and you need a proper mold cleaning? In short, the answer is yes. While you can find the mold that’s visible with the naked eye, an environmental hygienist can do so much more. The resources available to most homeowners only allow you to scratch the surface of mold identification and remediation.
So What Can an Environmental Hygienist Do That I Can’t Do?
Environmental hygienists are trained and certified in mold identification, mold cleaning, mold remediation, and more. Understanding mold infestations in the home is a complex science. Environmental hygienists can:
• Use complex instrumentation to detect mold in hidden places • Identify the types of mold and the dangers they may pose to your home • Ensure proper use of protective safety equipment when dealing with mold on surfaces and throughout your home • Counsel on appropriate mold remediation methods • Effectively address the source of the mold to prevent future outbreaks, including identifying leaks or humidity issues
What an environmental hygienist’s certification promises is safety. Environmental hygienists are certified to ensure they handle any mold contamination or infestation as safely as possible without further spreading the outbreak or causing additional issues that might damage your home.
Can’t I Just Use a Home Test?
Home tests aren’t as reliable as you think, and can often either lead you down the wrong path or cause greater frustration. You’re constantly surrounded by mold spores in your natural environment, so a mold test will always return false positives without pointing you to the source of a real infestation. An environmental hygienist’s equipment and knowledge can provide laser-sharp accuracy in pinpointing the actual source of a mold outbreak, and recommending mold cleaning and remediation solutions.
Give SERVPRO a call if you notice mold growing in your home or business.
If your commercial property in has an infestation of mold, resist the urge to clean it with bleach. While the instructions on the bottle may promise proper disinfection, it is not effective for fungus cleanup and may actually make the problem worse. There are several reasons why it is not appropriate for mold remediation.
1. It does not kill mold. Bleach gives the appearance of eradicating mold without any real results. The change in color you see when applying this solution to help you clean up mold is merely the leaching of the color from the fungus. The mold is still there; it’s just in a lighter shade. It also is not meant to be used on porous surfaces. Mold, however, establishes its roots in porous surfaces, making it an ineffective solution.
2. It can make your mold problem worse. Rather than destroying mold growth and aiding in fungus cleanup, bleaching can actually encourage growth. Mold thrives in moist environments, and the solution in the bottle is mostly water. When you apply it to the area where the growth occurs, you are probably feeding the fungus more than you’re hurting it.
3. It is corrosive and can cause damage to the surfaces you are trying to save. In addition to being ineffective and counterproductive, bleaching can cause corrosion to the surface where the mold is growing. It can break down drywall and destroy the fibers in wood surfaces. When this corrosive element is combined with the toxic fumes it releases, it is not much better for your building than the mold that is growing there.
There are many solutions better suited to fungus cleanup than bleach. Mold remediation specialists can assess the damage and get rid of the problem with tried-and-true methods. It is best to avoid trying to resolve the issue yourself. Not only does bleaching not get rid of the mold problem, but it can also make the mold growth harder for the professionals to tackle
Almost everyday homes experience an accidental fire inside their homes. Many times it’s a kitchen meal gone bad with a flame up on the cooktop or something that is cooked “well done” in the oven. Sometimes it’s a candle that someone forgot to blow out before leaving the room.
Luckily, most of these fires are extinguished quickly and result in little damage from the actual fire. Unfortunately, the smoke from these fires is what causes the most damage to homes. So what is one to do if they should experience a fire in their home that causes a lot of smoke? Below we cover what to do and what not to do.
#1 Remove the Cause of the Smoke
Only do this if it is safe. If you have burnt something in the oven, take it to the nearest door and put it outside. The item is most likely extinguished but may continue to let off smoke for a while.
Do not put the smoking item outside if it isn’t extinguished completely and don’t take it outside if you have to go through several rooms to get outside. You want to isolate the smoke rather than spread it throughout your home. If you don’t remove the burned item immediately, do it once it has cooled down.
#2 Open All Nearby Windows
Wherever the smoke has occurred, you want to immediately open any nearby windows to allow the smoke to blow out and fresh air to flow in.
You don’t want to open windows in rooms or areas where there is no smoke because this could cause the smoke to flow throughout your home and exit the opened windows. Again, you want to isolate the smoke to the area it occurred which brings us to the next important step.
#3 Turn Off Any Ceiling Fans and HVAC System
To help reduce the smoke from spreading throughout your home, you want to turn off any ceiling fans in the affected area. You also want to turn off your HVAC unit as it can funnel the smoke through your air ducts and into the rest of your home. This can result in not only having to deal with smoke cleanup in other rooms but throughout your air ducts also.
If you have box fans, you will want to put these in your open windows and turn them on to pull the smoke out of your home more quickly.
#4 Wipe Down Any Solid Non-Porous Surfaces
If you have granite countertops or dishes or glass windows, you can wipe them down with a cleaning solution to remove any soot or burnt particulates that gathered on the surface.
Be careful about scratching glass or other easily scratchable surfaces if the soot is very grainy. Even the smallest of particles can cause a scratch if you aren’t careful. If you are worried about damaging a solid surface, always err on the safe side and have a professional smoke remediation expert clean it.
#5 Do Not Wipe Down Porous Surfaces
The smoke from the fire most likely caused some discoloration on the ceiling about the fire and on the walls nearby. The smoke could have also gathered in the corners of the room causing discoloration there.
While it may seem that wiping down the ceilings and walls would be easy to do, most people actually make it worse due to the porous nature of walls and ceilings. Rather than removing the soot and smoke discolorations, wiping it down could smear the soot and embed it further into the surface creating a bigger mess.
#6 Call the Smoke Damage Repair and Restoration Experts
If you have ceilings and walls and sometimes wood floors that are discolored from the smoke and soot, it’s best to call the smoke damage repair experts at SERVPRO of Fairfield County. They have the tools and the expertise to safely and effectively remove the smoke damage and restore it back to new.
If you should suffer extensive smoke and/or fire damage, they can most definitely help get your home cleaned up, repaired and restored as quickly as possible. They have dealt with all types of fire and smoke damage, and are ready to help you if you need them.
How Fast Will Mold Appear After Water Damage to Your Home?
How Fast Will Mold Appear After Water Damage to Your Home?
While water damage to your home is bad enough, there could be more damage just waiting to happen if get rid of the water and moisture in time. It takes just a little water for mold to grow, so when your home suffers water damage from a flood, broken pipe or faulty sump pump; there are a lot of places that mold can easily grow. So how fast does mold appear after water damage to your home?
It Depends.
There’s really no definitive answer to how fast mold can appear after there has been water damage. If you ask mold remediation experts, you will most often hear 24-48 hours. Many water damage and mold remediation companies have observed this first hand going to homes that have suffered from water damage. On the other hand, these same experts have seen homes that have experienced water damage and have witnessed no mold.
It gets even more confusing when you look at research experiments that scientists have performed to determine mold growth. In a 2006 article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene titled “Controlled Study of Mold Growth and Cleaning Procedure on Treated and Untreated Wet Gypsum Wallboard in an Indoor Environment”, researchers took drywall and immersed the bottom inch in water. The researchers observed the drywall pieces over an 8 week period for mold growth. Some of the drywall was treated with primer paint while others were left untreated and bare.
Surprisingly, the researchers didn’t discover any sign of mold growth until 2 weeks into the test. This is obviously way beyond the typical 24-48 hour window that is typically repeated and many times observed out in the field. These results only tested drywall and in one environment. The results have obviously differed in real situations of homes that have experienced water damage and observable mold growth. So what is different from these situations? To answer that, we have to understand how mold grows in the first place.
How Does Mold Grow or Happen?
Mold is microscopic in size and doesn’t really become apparent until it has grown or colonized. Mold is spread by mold spores which are carried by wind currents and are present in the air outside. About a billion mold spores can occupy a square inch of space. While there are more mold spores present in the air outside, mold spores also exist in our homes but at lower levels. Once mold spores are introduced to the right amount of moisture, humidity, temperature and food source, they begin to grow into what we dread as mold in our home. If left untreated, the mold can quickly colonize and grow out of control.
So what is a food source for mold? Mold needs a dead organic substance to feed off of and grow. If you look around your home, it is full of dead organic materials like wood, fabrics, drywall, insulation, leather, dirt and dust. With the right conditions like a flooded basement or busted pipe, mold can thrive. So how do you stop mold? Is there anything to prevent it?
Stop Mold Growth and Damage Before It Begins
The key to stopping mold growth before it begins is timing. If your home should suffer water damage, call the water damage cleanup and restoration professionals at SERVPRO of Fairfield County. They will remove all the water and treat any water damaged parts of your home before mold can take hold. If mold has started to appear, they can also remediate the mold as well. While you can’t remove the food source normally, you can take away the water and the moisture thus stopping mold from growing or happening.
Contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County today for water damage cleanup & restoration, as well as, mold remediation.
The Top 5 Reasons to Choose SERVPRO of Fairfield County for Water Damage Clean Up
Top 5 Reasons to Choose SERVPRO of Fairfield County for Water Damage Restoration Service
With the Summer season upon us, many homes and businesses will be the unlikely victims of water damage. Some may experience flooding in low lying areas while others may experience leaky roofs or windows or flooded basements.
While there are many ways for water to creep into your home, there’s one sure choice when it comes to choosing someone to remove it. With one call to SERVPRO of Fairfield County at any time and any day, they can be at your home and business removing the water and restoring any damage that it may have caused.
Why is SERVPRO of Fairfield County the best choice in the Indianapolis area when it comes to water damage restoration? Here are the top five reasons why you should give them a call the next time you experience water damage:
#1 IICRC Certified Professionals
The IICRC is the leading, independent, non-profit, certification and standard-setting body in the cleaning, inspection, and restoration industry. When choosing a water damage, mold remediation, and/or fire and smoke restoration company, be sure to ask if they are IICRC certified.
At SERVPRO of Fairfield County, the team holds IICRC certifications in water removal technician (WRT), applied structural drying (AST), mold remediation technician, and lead paint remediation. The team also participates in ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility.
#2 Ready for Any Emergency 24/7
A disaster can strike at any time and any day which is why SERVPRO of Fairfield County is ready to answer your call 24/7. With water damage, time is of the essence and it’s important to start the process of removing the water quickly before it can cause further damage or lead to mold growth. SERVPRO of Fairfield County realizes that every water damage situation is an emergency which is why they are ready to help out whether it’s day or night.
#3 Known and Trusted for Over 50 Years
SERVPRO has been around for over 50 years. That’s 50 years of industry experience and know-how in the fire and water cleanup and restoration industry. When you call SERVPRO of Fairfield County you can trust that they have the skills and the expertise to handle any emergency no matter how big or how small. There are not many fire and water restoration companies that can say they’ve been around as long.
#4 Advanced Equipment, Treatments and Techniques
With that 50 years of experience comes 50 years of learning the best techniques and the right treatments to cleaning and restoring business and homes from fire and water damage. Along with the best treatments and techniques come some of the most advanced equipment in the industry. Trust and reliability and excellent results come from 50 years of experience dealing with every disaster imaginable.
#5 Experts at More Than Just Water Damage
Many times, water damage isn’t the only thing that a homeowner or business owner is experiencing. If the water damage has been happening over a period of time, there could be underlying mold damage.If a home or business experience a fire, there could be water damage from the fire department and/or sprinkler system. If the water isn’t removed completely, there could be water damage and mold growth. Luckily, SERVPRO of Fairfield County can handle all of those quickly and professionally.
Call the Experts for Water Damage Cleanup and Restoration
If you should, unfortunately, experience water damage to your business or home, call the experts at SERVPRO of Fairfield County. They have the expertise, the knowledge, the equipment, and the know-how to remove the water and restore your home or business. Contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County online or call us at 740-756-7003.
If you are looking for professionals who have the knowledge and expertise to restore your home and property after it has suffered water damage, then you call SERVPRO of Fairfield County.
The water damage restoration professionals of SERVPRO of Fairfield County service businesses and homes that have suffered water damage around the Fairfield County area including Lancaster, Pickerington, and beyond.
If you’ve had a pipe burst or a leaky roof or a toilet or tub that has overflowed, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County to clean up the mess and restore your home as if nothing ever happened.
When to Call Water Damage Restoration Professionals
Water damage to a business or home can be caused in many ways. Heavy storms can reveal roof leaks and foundation cracks that let the water inside. During the winter months, pipes exposed to cold temperatures can freeze and burst.
Toilets, sinks, dishwashers, and clothes washers can slowly leak behind walls, under floors, and inside cabinets. Sewers can back up into basements and through the drains on lower levels of homes.
As you can see, there are many ways water can get into your home and damage it. While one may think that drinking water or rainwater isn’t as damaging as sewer water or black water, that’s not really the case.
Will Clean Water Damage My Home?
While sewer water or black water as is it defined can quickly lead to mold growth in a home, clean water can also lead to dangerous mold growth. Black water contains lots of dirty bacteria that can quickly promote mold growth by itself.
Clean water can cause mold spores that are naturally present in air and dust can also lead to mold growth. The dangers in clean water leading to mold growth are that clean water can easily go unseen in a home due to the lack of odor when compared to black water.
Clean water or gray water which is rainwater, can leak into a home’s attic or walls or crawl spaces and linger without being spotted. This water can then lead to mold spores activating and growing in these unseen areas. It’s not until the mold spreads to visible parts of the home or causes a musty odor that it is finally found. By that time, the damage caused by the mold can be quite extensive.
Look for the Signs of Water Damage and Call the Experts Right Away
Whenever it rains, it’s always a good idea to check around your home for any leaks. Check the external walls, the ceilings and around windows. If you have a basement or crawlspace, check it for any water entering into your home. Always check around sinks, tubs, showers, and washers for sitting water or even the smallest of leaks. It doesn’t take much water to cause damage to a home.
The quicker you spot a leak or water in your home, the quicker you can call water damage restoration experts like those at SERVPRO of Fairfield County to stop the damage and restore your home.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County has the experience, expertise, and tools to properly and effectively remove the water and mold damage and restore your home as if nothing ever happened.
A house fire can lead to a complex series of events. However, homeowners who familiarize themselves with the fire damage remediation process can simplify and streamline the process of home restoration by making coherent choices. Learn more about how to realize this important objective by reviewing the short outline provided by SERVPRO.
Put Your Safety First. Once a major fire transpires in your home, there will be a wide range of health and safety hazards present. For this reason, it's very important for you to put you and your family's safety first. For starters, make sure that you do not reenter your residential property until you receive the go-ahead from an authoritative source as the fire department. Factors like falling debris, electrical hazards, smoke contamination, and the compromised structural integrity of your property could result in an accident. Also, be sure that you do not attempt to complete any aspect of the restoration process on your own. Doing so can result in significant injuries or illness.
Call Your Insurance Company. In addition to putting your safety first, make sure that you call your insurance company immediately. Your insurance agent will send out an adjuster enabling you to start and complete the process of filing your claim. The adjuster may also help you with the photographing all damaged areas of your property. Be sure that you do not overlook this important process. The pictures you take of damaged materials and structural elements can help determine how much coverage you receive.
Contact A Premier Fire Damage Restoration Company like SERVPRO. Our rep will inspect the property and assess the damage using our CCIS generated form. The result is an inventory listing all damaged items and building materials. We can help manage the insurance paperwork and work closely with you and your insurance adjuster to expedite the restoration process and claim. We will provide the following while also relieving you of some stress that can be overwhelming. • Rapid response. Local with 24/7 availability. • Communication of procedures. • Construction of a detailed estimate. • Prevention of ongoing damage. Water removal, protection of personal items. • Prevention of cross-contamination. Inhibit the continued circulation of smoke and soot. Disinfecting and mold remediation. • Proper cleaning and processing of the entire remediation project. On-site and shipped out utilizing the standards set forth by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, (IICRC). • Providing effective odor control. Foggers, Ozone machines, air movers, and dehumidifiers.
Trust The Professionals from SERVPRO . Once fire damage has impacted your home and life, you may feel a sense of despair, and anxiety. Allow us, industry experts with extensive experience, to complete each component of the restoration process following a fire. We will keep you informed and offer a final walk-through to ensure your satisfaction with the restored condition of your home.
SERVPRO Suggests Safety First for Any Fire Damaging Event to Your Home
How a homeowner reacts to a house fire should follow the tenet of "Safety First." A large-scale fire, can be repaired and restored. However, knowing what to do during and after a fire can help save you money and limit the structural damages impacting your property. SERVPRO suggests that learning what steps to take in the face of a house fire may save a life.
During a Fire
1. Check Doors before Entering A Room. Before you open a door, be sure to check the door. If you see smoke coming from under the door, do not enter. You can also touch the doorknob to see if it is hot. If so, avoid this door and seek another exit. If you cannot find a door to exit the premises safely, you will need to use a window. Hopefully, you had fire drills with an evacuation plan for such an emergency.
2. Leave The Premises. Once you're aware that a fire is present, don't panic. Instead, focus on quickly removing you and your family (do a head count) from the property. Although you may want to grab some valuables, doing so is not advisable, if super-heated air or roaring flames are close. Safety first.
3. Be Aware Of Smoke. Smoke inhalation, charged with temperatures reaching 1200 degrees F, is the leading cause of death during a house fire. Stay low to the floor as possible while exiting your home.
4. Do A Head Count. DON'T PANIC if someone is missing. If reentry is not safe, tell the 1st responders so that they can find the missing family member.
Mold Remediation in Commercial and School Buildings
Call SERVPRO to Keep the Kids Safe from Mold Infestations
Mold invasions are a common problem in schools and commercial buildings. As these buildings age, their susceptibility to invasion increases due to factors like leaky roofs, tendencies for moisture retention, and the erosion of waterproofing material. However, learning more aboutmold remediation and building maintenance techniques can help guard against these unwanted infestations. Read this short article provided by SERVPRO to get information regarding this issue.
Mold Remediation in Schools. As reported by the Health Schools Network, children are at a greater risk of exposure to mold than their adult counterparts. This is the case because the organs of small children are still in the developmental stage. A child's lungs are disproportionately large in relation to total body mass. This means that inhaled mycotoxins can have a profound impact on the child's body. Unfortunately, the school setting often creates the right condition for the development of mold. This risk can increase as the school ages. Common areas for mold growth include storage closets, cafeterias, locker rooms, and bathrooms. The mold spores can then circulate throughout the school by way of the air ducts, one of the major factors contributing to "bad air." Clean ambient air quality provides a safer environment for our students.
For the prevention of these fungi from spreading in school buildings, it is important for school officials to have regular maintenance work and inspections scheduled and completed. Since malfunctioning HVAC systems and leaky pipes are the most frequently reported causes of mold proliferation, having this equipment and plumbing checked can drastically decrease mold growth in schools, or hopefully, prevent its occurrence.
Mold Remediation in Commercial Buildings. Just as school buildings are susceptible to mold infestations, commercial buildings can become a hotbed for the fungi. One of the common places for mold to grow within the commercial setting is the HVAC system. The systems that are not functioning optimally or are ill-equipped to handle the workload can generate moisture buildup. This can lead to mold growth as the spores within the air ducts will adhere to organic matter and develop into mold colonies. The mold can now spread throughout the office via the A/C network. SERVPRO can inspect and, if necessary, clean, sanitize and deodorize the HVAC system as part of a regular maintenance and cleaning program.
Call SERVPRO Now. To ensure that mold does not become a problem in your school or commercial business setting, securing a mold prevention and extermination service is important. Mold remediation can usually be prevented if proactive inspections and maintenance plans are followed. The IICRC-certified professionals of SERVPRO possess the advanced skills and knowledge, along with top-notch equipment, necessary to expedite and optimize all mold services.
A restaurant owner was quite surprised when he arrived at his place of business one morning.
When he arrived at his restaurant, he knew there was a problem due to the black soot on the outside wall of his restaurant. Immediately he thought there was a fire inside and called the fire department.
When they arrived and opened the doors there was no fire burning, however, there was considerable heat damage.
It appeared that cleaning rags with powerful chemicals placed in a laundry hamper had ignited at some point in the evening. As the fire tried to take hold it consumed all of the oxygen in the room and eventually is had burned itself out.
This did not stop it from smoldering, however, and the intense heat in the room caused everything plastic to eventually melt to a point of unrecognition.
The picture posted here is of the exit sign that hangs over the outer door.
SERVPRO was called to estimate cleaning and repairs.
This SERVPRO loss occurred in an unoccupied home and was caused by lack of attention from a property manager
Due to forecasted freezing temperatures, the property manager was trying to do preventative maintenance by running water through the lines to prevent frozen pipes.
Unfortunately, he did not monitor the sink in which the water was flowing, and the basin overflowed causing water to run under the flooring.
The water ran long enough that eventually it caused the wood flooring to begin to bow and then mold started to grow on the subfloor.
It was also discovered that enough water had spilled out of the sink that the ceiling of the bedroom directly below had standing water above the drywall.
SERVPRO tip, always keep your eyes on running water, especially in the home!
The potential is there for mold infestation and eventually, structural damage unless the water gets drained, and the air moisture levels brought down.
Water in the crawl space under a home usually goes ignored until it goes away. A damp basement also goes ignored until puddles start to form in the low spots and stored property begins to absorb the excess water. Both attitudes can have long-term, adverse effects.
SERVPRO knows that a wet basement or crawl space is more than just an annoyance to a home. The potential is there for mold and eventually, structural damage unless the water gets drained, and the air moisture levels brought down to normal levels.
Our technicians can get into most crawl spaces and remove standing water using various types of sump pumps. In small spaces, they can push in lengths of hose to efficiently draw water out as well. Basements are drained of standing water in just a few hours using one of the portable pumps or pumping trucks in our equipment inventory.
With the water removed, one of our inspectors checks the air content using special moisture meters. If the humidity is too high, technicians deploy dehumidifiers to lower the moisture percentage in the air. These machines draw as much as 25 gallons of water from the air per day and clear out most basements in two or three days. After we remove the water from your basement and lower the moisture content, we highly recommend two additional services: encapsulate your crawl space and waterproof the cinder block foundation walls.
Encapsulation simply means installing a water vapor barrier. Our technicians use high-quality, polyethylene sheets that are reinforced with a polyester mesh to seal off the floors and walls from bleeding moisture into the crawl space. We secure the sheets in place using two-sided, foundation tape or a polyurethane caulk. Since most crawl spaces have a dirt floor, polyethylene sheets are a very efficient and low-cost method to prevent further moisture intrusion and reduces the risk of mold infestation as well.
Waterproofing the foundation walls serves the same purpose as encapsulation, but is more efficient for basement and areas larger than the normal sized crawl space. Technicians fill all cracks and holes with hydraulic cement to seal them and then apply a waterproof coating of masonry cement to the inside of the basement walls. This coating prevents further water intrusion in most cases. Additional protection is gained by digging around the outside of the foundation walls and applying a thick coating of liquid rubber. This inventory product is designed to waterproof foundations even in extreme situations and provides a dry basement in all but the absolute worst disasters.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County has decades of experience in Idaho when it comes to keeping your basement dry. We understand that it is essential to the overall support structure of your home and use every skill and equipment item in our inventory to provide a safe environment for you and your family. If you need our help, call today at (740) 756-7003
There is a ton of talk right now with Hurricanes and September is also preparedness month. So our blogs will focus on things you can to do prepare for a hurricane or any type of large storm that can effect you (since we are in Ohio not a lot of hurricane threats).
"
Start with an easy to carry, watertight container – a large, plastic trash can will do, or you can line a sturdy cardboard box with a couple of trash bags. Next, gather the following items and place them in your kit:
Water: 1 gallon per person per day. Fill plastic containers, such as soft-drink bottles.
Water purification kit or bleach (use eight drops of regular bleach per gallon of water.
Essential medications
First-aid book and kit that includes:
- 20 emergency bandages of various sizes - One 5 x 9 sterile dressing - One roll of self-adhering elastic bandage - Four various-sized sterile gauze pads - One roll of 3-inch cohesive bandage - Waterless alcohol-based sanitizer and wipes - Medical grade non-latex gloves - Adhesive tape, 2-inch width - Anti-bacterial ointment - Cold pack - Small scissors - Tweezers - CPR breathing barrier, such as a face shield - Non-prescription drugs (e.g., aspirin or non-aspirin pain relievers)"
In large storms or any type of water flood in your home theres a few things you can do to protect important documents.
First and foremost use zip lock bags. They will protect documents from water. You can keep anything you deep important in these and just use them from the bags. This way you're prepared if an unexpected flood occurs.
If a storm is coming you can use your dishwasher for important documents. Your dishwater will not let water inside of it and because it is attached to cabinets it is less likely to be destroyed in events like tornadoes or hurricanes.
Some items to consider storing are:
"
Driver's license, photo ID
Emergency contact list or address book (even if contacts are stored in a smartphone)
“Commercial carpet receives many times the traffic of typical residential carpet. That's why it's important to select (fiber, construction, pile design, color) and install commercial carpet that fits a building user's needs. However, once that carpet is properly selected and installed, its durability and lasting beauty is highly dependent on the ongoing maintenance and cleaning programs.
The first critical component in programmed maintenance and cleaning is routine vacuuming coupled with rapid response to spots and spills. Carpet serves as a "sink" or collection point for everything that is tracked in or settles out of the air. Qualities such as sound absorption, slip resistance and soil-trapping ability makes it the most desirable floor covering in many buildings. Ultimately, however, even the best maintained carpet must be thoroughly cleaned to empty the "sink."
This is where IICRC-certifed technicians come in. They have the equipment, training and experience not only to empty the "sink," but also to restore the color and beauty of commercial carpet, while improving overall indoor environmental quality in the building.”
You don’t have time to worry about the common wear and tear that gradually soils your office. When grime, odor, and moisture challenges go beyond the scope of your regular janitorial staff, you should call SERVPRO of Fairfield County for prompt service. Whether it’s removing an odor problem or deep cleaning flooring or carpets, you can rely on us to make your workspace look its very best
SERVPRO of Fairfield County offers cleaning services ranging from cleaning restaurant hoods to removing biohazard contaminants. We have the specialized training and products to get your property back to business. Our cleaning services include the following:
Air Ducts and HVAC
Biohazard and Sewage
Trauma and Crime Scene
Carpet and Upholstery
Drapes and Blinds
Ceilings, Walls, and Hard Floors
Odor Removal and Deodorization
Vandalism
SERVPRO of Fairfield County (740) 756-7003….here to help!
We service Lancaster, Pickerington, Carroll and surrounding communities.
You may have seen sensational news reports that warn about the dangers of “black mold” or “toxic mold”. These reports can be alarming and confusing so it’s beneficial to get the facts to better understand mold.
Stachybotrys chartarum is the type of mold often called black mold, and it does produce allergens and irritants. However, many types of mold can produce allergens and irritants. Treat any mold with caution – stay out of affected areas and don’t touch or disturb the mold.
In as little as 48 hours, mold can quickly become a problem in your home or business when there’s a water intrusion, like a roof leak or leaking water line. Mold can cause health effects and can also cause significant damage to your property. SERVPRO of Beachwood / Shaker Heights / Cleveland Heights has the training, protective gear, and specialized equipment necessary to handle your mold problem.
If you have a mold problem in your home or business, consider the following facts:
Significant mold growth can occur in 48-72 hours.
Mold may present a greater risk to children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory problems.
A strong, musty odor may indicate hidden mold behind drywall or under carpeting.
What to Do:
Stay out of affected areas.
Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
Contact SERVPRO of Beachwood / Shaker Heights / Cleveland Heights for mold remediation services.
What Not to Do:
Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.
Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County, we can help if your business or commercial property floods. You may be wondering why you would need us. Sometimes the damage of water is not as simple and just cleaning up the water. Call us 24/7/365 at 740-756-7003.
Though the water seepage will stop once the source of water has been identified and plugged, the problem does not end there. It is essential to determine the appropriate water extraction method, which may range from the use of a wet-dry vac unit to more heavy duty equipment like submersible pumps. Once this has been completed, the process of drying and dehumidification should start. Often times, affected surfaces and areas look dry once the water has been extracted and removed, but there remains hidden water and moisture. This would call for the use of drying and dehumidifying equipment. As such, carpets, walls, and flooring require removal, drying, cleaning, and disinfecting.
“Commercial carpet receives many times the traffic of typical residential carpet. That's why it's important to select (fiber, construction, pile design, color) and install commercial carpet that fits a building user's needs. However, once that carpet is properly selected and installed, its durability and lasting beauty is highly dependent on the ongoing maintenance and cleaning programs.
The first critical component in programmed maintenance and cleaning is routine vacuuming coupled with rapid response to spots and spills. Carpet serves as a "sink" or collection point for everything that is tracked in or settles out of the air. Qualities such as sound absorption, slip resistance and soil-trapping ability makes it the most desirable floor covering in many buildings. Ultimately, however, even the best maintained carpet must be thoroughly cleaned to empty the "sink."
This is where IICRC-certifed technicians come in. They have the equipment, training and experience not only to empty the "sink," but also to restore the color and beauty of commercial carpet, while improving overall indoor environmental quality in the building.”
“If you wish to maintain your restaurant kitchen in good condition, you need to ensure routine cleaning. You can either do it yourself or get it done by any commercial kitchen cleaning services. According to experts, the major reason why kitchens get messy is because of the lack of regular cleaning. When you run a commercial kitchen, hygiene and order are essential factors to ensure. You can even be sued unless you maintain your commercial kitchen in good condition.
By keeping the kitchen tidy and ordered, you can impress your customers or visitors. A properly maintained kitchen will surely appeal to your customers. They would mention about it in their communication, which in turn can enhance your reputation.”
“Most people think water damage only occurs from flooding after days of heavy rain. Damage can occur even on a sunny day, leaving your property soaked. Whether the culprit is a broken plumbing pipe, leaking roof, or backup of the sewer system, the damage can be devastating and costly.”
“Roofing – Deteriorated, missing or damaged roofing materials and ice dams can all allow water to enter through the roof and cause damage to the interior of the building and the contents. Inadequate attic insulation and ventilation can speed up the roof’s deterioration and cause ice dams to form in the winter. Exposure to wind, snow, ice, rain and foot traffic can also affect a roof’s ability to keep water out. Businesses often have flat roofs and mechanicals such as heating and air conditioning systems located on the roof, which also present unique challenges.”
SERVPRO of Fairfield County at 740-756-7003 is here to help! Let our professional team do the cleanup with the proper procedures to keep you, your home, or company safe.
There is a ton of talk right now with Hurricane Irma and September is also preparedness month. So our blogs will focus on things you can to do prepare for a hurricane or any type of large storm that can effect you (since we are in Central Ohio..not a lot of hurricane threats).
"Start with an easy to carry, watertight container – a large, plastic trash can will do, or you can line a sturdy cardboard box with a couple of trash bags. Next, gather the following items and place them in your kit:
Water: 1 gallon per person per day. Fill plastic containers, such as soft-drink bottles.
Water purification kit or bleach (use eight drops of regular bleach per gallon of water.
Essential medications
First-aid book and kit that includes:
- 20 emergency bandages of various sizes - One 5 x 9 sterile dressing - One roll of self-adhering elastic bandage - Four various-sized sterile gauze pads - One roll of 3-inch cohesive bandage - Waterless alcohol-based sanitizer and wipes - Medical grade non-latex gloves - Adhesive tape, 2-inch width - Anti-bacterial ointment - Cold pack - Small scissors - Tweezers - CPR breathing barrier, such as a face shield - Non-prescription drugs (e.g., aspirin or non-aspirin pain relievers)"
· “To safeguard your equipment and appliances - and to ease the initial load when power is restored - turn off or unplug televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, computers, and appliances that use electric motors such as refrigerators, freezers or air conditioners, until power is restored. Leave an incandescent light on so you know when the power comes back on.
· Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. These appliances are well insulated, so food will keep for hours if opening the door is kept to a minimum.
· Use a flashlight or battery-powered lantern for light. Use care when burning candles; open flames are a dangerous fire hazard.
· During cold weather, keep warm safely. Put on extra clothes or wrap up in blankets. DON'T rely on gas stoves, charcoal grills or other open-flame heat sources. Deadly carbon monoxide gas - which is odorless and invisible - may build up in your home without you realizing it.
To report an outage:
First check your circuit breakers or fuses.
If no breaker is tripped or fuse is blown, the problem may be in the connection between our wires and your home. Report your outage using one of the following methods:
Call our toll-free, 24-hour Outage Reporting Line, 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), or
Report your outage online, or
Report your outage via text message. Text REG to 544487 (LIGHTS) to get started.
Backup generators can provide an emergency power supply, enabling you to keep important equipment running during a power outage. It’s important to make sure generators are properly installed and operated to prevent health and safety risks for you”
“A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of the year. Although tornadoes are most common in the Central Plains and the southeastern United States, they have been reported in all 50 states."
"This website is designed to teach you how to stay safe when a tornado threatens. If you know what to do before, during and after a tornado, you will minimize your risk of injury and increase your chances of survival. You'll also find links to research, past events other topics of interest as well as downloadable safety handouts about thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes.” Click on this link to continue: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/tornado/
SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We service Pickerington, Lancaster, Canal Winchester and surrounding communities. Let our professional team do the cleanup with the proper procedures to keep you, your home or company safe.
It’s that time of year to finally get the household projects done that have been piling up. Many of these projects involve paint, stain, and/or gasoline. Aside from the obvious dangers most don’t consider that rags that contain these chemicals can also catch fire. “The oils commonly used in oil-based paints and stains release heat as they dry. If the heat is not released in the air, it builds up. That is why a pile of oily rags can be dangerous. As the rags dry, the heat is trapped. The heat builds up and finally causes a fire.”
Did you know?
“An Average of 800 home fire per year are started when oily rags catch fire or are ignited”
If your home project involves stains or chemicals that get onto rags here is a few tips to keep you safe:
“Never leave cleaning rags in a pile. At the end of the day, take the rags outside to dry.
Hang the rags outside or spread them on the ground. Weigh them down. Do this so they do not blow away. Make sure they are not in a pile. Keep them away from buildings.
Put dried rags in a metal container. Make sure the cover is tight Fill the container with a water and detergent solution. This will break down the oils.”
Who’s hungry for some burgers? I know we are here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County!!!
Before you get your grilling on there’s some important things to keep in mind with grills. Grills pose a unique risk especially when dealing with propane tanks. For instance, “Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year. Apply a light soap and water solution to the hose. A propane leak will release bubbles. If your grill has a gas leak, by smell or the soapy bubble test, and there is no flame, turn off both the gas tank and the grill. If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a professional before using it again. If the leak does not stop, call the fire department. If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department. Do not move the grill.”
Also to prevent fires it’s important to “Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.”
SERVPRO of Fairfield County. We service all of fairfield county including Pickerington and Lancaster and surrounding communities. Let our professional team do the cleanup with the proper procedures to keep you, your home or company safe.
The weather in Ohio today is HOT! What a perfect day to relax at the pool! While pools are a great way to keep cool this summer they can also pose some safety risks. Brushing up on some of these tips will keep your family safe this summer while beating the heat.
“If you are putting in a new pool, hot tub, or spa be sure the wiring is performed by an electrician experienced in the special safety requirements for these types of installations.
Outdoor receptacles must have covers that keep them dry even when appliances are plugged into them.
Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are special devices designed to protect against electric shock and electrocution. They are required for most pool, spa or hot tub equipment. They may be in the form of an outlet or a circuit breaker. Test the GFCIs monthly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.”
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is here to help if needed. We service Lancaster, Pickerington, Carroll and the surrounding communities. Let our professional team do the cleanup with the proper procedures to keep you, your home or company safe.
One of the biggest fears as a homeowner with a basement is your basement flooding whenever it rains. A valid and legitimate fear, this situation causes a myriad of repairs. All sorts of damage including ruined flooring and carpeting, rotted drywall, destroyed furniture, and the worst of all, mold growth can occur. These repairs can be time-consuming and costly, and your basement can even flood in dry weather.
Issues with your foundation drainage is a big cause for a flooded basement and flood damage in your home. However, the main reason for water in your basement is overflowing gutters. It is critical to keep your gutters clean to prevent water from seeping into your basement and causing floods. Quality gutter guards and even using an expert to clean your gutters out routinely keeps debris and leaves out of the gutters so they can function properly.
When your gutters do cause flooding in your basement, it can be quite overwhelming. You need to have professionals, such as SERVPRO, come to your home to help you get all the water out and repair the damages.
When your gutters are clogged with debris, the water has nowhere to go. It overflows over the gutters to the ground next to your house, only a couple feet from the foundation. As the ground is settling and moving, it stresses the foundation of your home which causes cracking, letting water enter your home. Hydrostatic pressure might force water in through the concrete. The main solution is to keep your gutters clean.
Flooded basements create not only a lot of possible damage but plenty of stress for you as well. At SERVPRO, we understand this, so we move quickly to get to your home after you reach out to us. We have the professional and industrial equipment to get all the standing water out of your home and use fans and dehumidifiers to finish the drying process. We have moisture meters to find any hidden water or mold growth as well.
When SERVPRO of Fairfield County is finished restoring your home after your basement floods, it is like it never happened. Just give us a call at (740) 756-7003 so we can get started as soon as possible.
Water damage can strike any household at any time. There are various causes of water damage, including a burst pipe, an overflowing tub, a leak or a broken appliance. Water can also enter your home from outside sources such as a damaged water main, garden run-off or severe weather. When water leaks or soaks in, it has the potential to cause untold damage to your home and belongings. That is why it is important to contact SERVPRO for help when dealing with unwanted water in your home - “We’re faster to any size disaster.”
There is no doubt that wooden furniture can suffer if there is water damage to your Fairfield County home. That is bad news for your antique rocker, favorite family dining table or that wooden chest of drawers you inherited from your beloved aunt. The main cause for concern when it comes to wooden furniture is that water can cause it to warp. Wicking up water can also cause swelling of furniture joints and cause them to come unstuck or suffer other structural damage. There is also the risk of water spots or stains on the surface of the item. Chairs, tables, and other items may also crack or warp as they dry.
Our IICRC-experts are experienced in creating the optimum drying conditions for wood furniture. While you are waiting for the specialists to arrive, it is safe to use an absorbent cloth or sponge to pat furniture dry. However, we recommend that you do not wipe or rub it and that you handle it with extreme caution.
SERVPRO experts are trained to assess the damage to your furniture and liaise with furniture refinishers on your behalf if necessary. If it is possible to save the item we set up a drying area for it. The key to getting a great result when drying wood furniture is to dry it slowly and avoid direct heat. We also have wood cleaning products for the removal of minor stains.
Our technicians are equipped with air movers, box fans, and dehumidifiers to help dry out your items. Once we get the temperature to a stable 70-90 degrees F, we use portable low grain dehumidifiers to bring down the humidity around your furniture. Meanwhile, air movers direct air around, over and under the item to increase the rate of evaporation and encourage the drying process.
Do not let water permanently warp your furniture. Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County today at (740) 756-7003 for drying solutions.
“Now is the time of year when we have cook outs, and sometimes those will often include fireworks. Whether you are setting them off, or attending a fireworks show, here are some important tips to follow. FIREWORKS SAFETY The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public fireworks show put on by professionals. Stay at least 500 feet away from the show. Many states outlaw most fireworks. If someone is setting fireworks off at home, they should follow these safety steps:
Never give fireworks to small children, and always follow the instructions on the packaging.
Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.”
Mold on drywall can create plenty of unnecessary structural damage and health effects if it is left untreated, even for a short time. Black mold, though it has gained unwarranted notoriety, is usually associated with this kind of damage. All fungi should be remediated to create a better home environment.
Short-term drywall damage can be caused by water, and long-term damage is the result of mold growth in your Fairfield County home being left to spread and multiply, leaving behind mold damage. When drywall is exposed to moisture, it shows water stains. After an extended period, the panels can be destroyed. The sandwiched cardboard separates from the gypsum, and the core loses its structural integrity.
Drywall which has lost structural integrity begins to sag slowly over time and needs replacing. Wet drywall, with its paper backing, can be an ideal breeding ground for mold. Fungi secrete digestive chemicals onto the organic source to feed, then reabsorbs them along with digestive materials for food. The process is not possible until the materials become damp or wet. Mold can start to grow on drywall in just twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Drying the walls out as fast as possible is the key to a solution which is effective.
Sheetrock wicks up water as well, meaning it picks up water even if it has not come into contact with water. Since drywall absorbs water from the air, it is critical to have your drywall evaluated and inspected if you have had any standing water or flooding in your home recently. Rapid water removal reduces the chances of mold growth.
Water can wick into drywall from the air or contact as fast as one inch per hour, which means if water sat in your home for just one day, it could absorb into your drywall as much as two feet high, creating a great breeding ground for mold.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is standing by always to help you get water and moisture out of your home to prevent mold damage. With moisture meters, thermal hygrometers, and other special tools, they can even detect hidden moisture in your walls to ensure that they dry your home thoroughly in as little time as possible. Just give them a call at (740) 756-7003 anytime, day or night, when you notice wet drywall or the presence of mold.
It is very IMPORTANT to teach children that playing with matches is NEVER appropriate. Matches and lighters should always be kept out of reach of children for their safety and for the safety of others. not only is it dangerous to the area around then, they could cause serious injury and even death to the child.
Fires and property damage associated with children playing with matches and lighters are common events in the United States. It is difficult to put an exact number on it statistically, because the actual source of the fire is often times hidden due to embarrassment or being scared of the consequences of their actions.
Check with your local fire department for classes that teach young children about fire safety.
During these hot summer days, escaping into your home to enjoy the A/C can be a real teat. Before you crank the A/C this summer, here are some steps to take first. “Before you start tinkering with the system, it's important to understand the basics of how it works. Central air consists of three main parts: the condenser, the blower unit, and the ductwork.
The condenser is the large outdoor unit that is probably tucked behind your garage. Its role is to manage the temperature of the refrigerant, usually Freon, which travels back and forth from the house. The condenser does this by pressurizing the Freon gas as it arrives, turning it into a high-temperature liquid. The Freon in its new state then travels back to the house and to the blower unit.”
Burning charcoal was the cause of this fire damage to a home. This before picture shows the extent of the damage caused by the charcoal. SERVPRO was able to respond immediately and help clean and deodorize this home.
Different Types of Smoke
There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Fairfield County will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:
Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber
Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.
Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood
Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.
Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire
Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.
Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage? Call Us Today – 740-756-7003
“You may have detected subtle hints that something might by awry: a persistent cough that seems related to the musty smell in your basement, the dastardly scent lingering on your hands after using the kitchen sponge, mysterious-looking paint flakes exposed deep beneath the top layer.
The good news about potential health hazards around the house is that they are easy to uncover, and relatively inexpensive to correct. And the mental benefits of being proactive about these dangers are abundant. No more sleepless nights, and no more wondering whether your child is bathing in water that flowed through lead pipes. These are some of the most common–and easiest to correct–household hazards that may be lingering in your home.
Kitchen Sponges
The sad truth is that unless you’re diligent about sanitizing them often, kitchen sponges often carry more germs than toilet seats. According to Kenneth Bock’s The Germ Survival Guide, sponges can harbor more than 100,000 bacteria, including food-borne diseases that you’ve wiped off the counter. You should (very regularly) toss them in the dishwasher, replace them, or zap them in the microwave for two minutes.”
“Each washing machine comes with three hoses to add total functionality to the appliance: hot water, cold water and a drain. This means there are three opportunities for your otherwise reliable appliance to suddenly break apart and leak water. If you find water in the laundry room, it’s worth checking to see if any of your washing machine hoses are leaking.
First and foremost, pull out the washing machine. You need to check all three hoses to see if there is a leak in any of them, but don’t disconnect any tubes. Instead, start a short wash and watch each of the hoses as it goes through the wash and rinse cycles. When starting the drain cycle, keep an eye on the drain hose.”
“HUD-VASH is a collaborative program between HUD and VA combines HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help Veterans who are homeless and their families find and sustain permanent housing.
Through public housing authorities, HUD provides rental assistance Through public housing authorities, HUD provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned housing to Veterans who are eligible for VA health care services and are experiencing homelessness. VA case managers may connect these Veterans with support services such as health care, mental health treatment and substance use counseling to help them in their recovery process and with their ability to maintain housing in the community. Among VA homeless continuum of care programs, HUD-VASH enrolls the largest number and largest percentage of Veterans who have experienced long-term or repeated homelessness. As of Sept. 30, 2015, HUD had allocated more than 78,000 vouchers to help house Veterans across the country.”
“Chlorine bleach does not kill mold. Chlorine bleach does not kill mold spores that grow into mold. The notion that bleach kills mold is a myth. Bleach will only change the color of mold and temporarily slow the growth of mold. Eventually the mold will re appear and thrive digesting anything organic or cellulose in its path. The EPA Environmental Protection Agency and the manufacture of Clorox Bleach have both issued statement acknowledges that bleach does not kill mold.
One of the problems with chlorine bleach killing mold is that chlorine bleach is practically 100% water that helps to feed mold. Researchers have stated that the active ingredient in bleach begins to die off almost immediately after the manufacturing process has been completed. Furthermore, researchers have stated that chlorine bleach looses almost 50% of its strength within the first few month of storage and continues to degrade thereafter. “
The weather reports can be confusing if you do not know what the terms mean. This morning watching the weather on the TV, they were discussing cold fronts. What exactly is a cold front? Looking on the internet, we came across this website: https://scied.ucar.edu/webweather/weather-ingredients/weather-fronts and found our answer. Here is part of the online article. Please be sure to click the link to read the entire article.
“A cold front is a warm-cold air boundary with the colder air replacing the warmer. As a cold front moves into an area, the heavier cool air pushes under the lighter warm air that it is replacing. The warm air becomes cooler as it rises. If the rising air is humid enough, the water vapor it contains will condense into clouds and precipitation may fall. As the cold front moves, warm, moist unstable air is usually replaced by cold, dry stable air.”
SERVPRO of Fairfield County is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) create the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.
IICRC Certified Firms must
• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.
• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.
• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.
• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.
• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.
The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry
The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.
Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
For those that have been adversely affected by mold illness, it is important that your living environment be maintained as a safe place where you will not be exposed to potentially harmful organisms. One tool to help you in this goal is a HEPA vacuum. In an ideal world, we would all have built-in central vacuums that exhausted directly to the outside. Since this is not an option for many people, the next best thing is to find the best HEPA vacuum for their situation.
WHAT IS HEPA?
A HEPA or high efficiency particulate air filter is a filter that removes 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns or larger. This high degree of filtration is important since there are many more very small mold spore fragments found than whole mold spores. The use of HEPA filtration helps ensure that these small particulates or fragments as well as the larger intact spores can be safely removed from the indoor environment. Although many vacuums may claim to have HEPA-like filtration, very few vacuums actually meet the rigid criteria to be called a HEPA vacuum. True HEPA vacuums not only have a HEPA filter but are also specially sealed so that no air is able to escape before passing through the filter. This means that the particles you vacuum up actually remain in the vacuum rather than being dispersed into the air that you breathe. HEPA filtration is also important for people that suffer with allergies to dust mites, pets, pollen, or other environmental allergens.
Wood floors require extra care, but that doesn't mean you should mop yours every week. Wet-clean no more than 1-2 months to maximize your floor's longevity....
After a water damage this is especially true and may require resurfacing your floor to return it to its previous condition. A trained water restoration technician with the proper equipment can restore most quality hardwood floors to its natural moisture content in a timely manner limiting the need to replace the affected flooring.
Every situation has its own set of unique challenges and knowing the best tool for the job is what we at SERVPRO of Fairfield County consider a welcome task... Some flooring is manufactured using man made and natural materials these types of floors are often considered non-salvageable. Which means that it will not return to it's previous condition.
Trust the professionals at SERVPRO of Fairfield County to care for your wood floors in the proper way no matter what type of material it is.
SERVPRO Helps Prevent Mold Damage To Carpets in Fairfield County
Mold Remediation in Fairfield County Homes Requires Professional Help
Mold spores are tenacious and can quickly grow and spread throughout your home. However, if mold has not already set in, it is possible to prevent it taking hold by ensuring it does not have the right environment in which to grow. A wet carpet is an ideal breeding ground for fungi. Flood damage, a burst pipe, or even a leaking appliance in your home are all causes of potential water leakage onto your carpet. The result is a damp environment, which mold spores love.
Swift action is necessary to prevent mold damage to the carpets in your Fairfield County home. In fact, it can begin to grow within 24 hours of water damage and become a colony in 48 to 72 hours. The longer water is present, the greater the risk of increased fungal growth. As well as having potential health effects, mold is simply not something you want to grow in your carpet and may even lead to a costly carpet replacement. That is why SERVPRO recommends calling on our experts the moment you notice water damage to any of your floor coverings.
The key to preventing mold growth in water damaged carpets is to get the carpet dried out as quickly as possible. The first step is extracting the water by using truck mounted and freestanding pumps. Our IICRC-certified experts understand that careful handling is vital when removing water from carpets. Carpets can come with a primary and secondary backing. Over zealous extraction techniques or pulling of the carpet during extraction can cause separation of these two layers, leading to bubbling and irreparable carpet damage.
Most carpet comes with padding on its underside. In most cases, our experts recommend the padding is taken away and replaced. Drying with the padding in place takes longer and thus makes the drying slower and more expensive with an increased risk of mold growth. It is often cheaper to replace the padding and focus on drying the carpet. SERVPRO teams carefully remove padding to leave the carpet intact. Of course, the degree of wetness and the amount of the fungal growth dictate if tossing is required.
After water extraction and pad removal are complete, our technicians calculate the correct number and position of air movers and dehumidifiers to dry out the carpet. Downdraft air movers pull warm air down and spread it across the carpet in a broad pattern which makes them ideal for larger areas. Meantime, centrifugal air movers direct air over the carpet surface to encourage rapid evaporation of moisture. Our aim is swift and thorough drying to leave your carpet "Like it never even happened."
If you are concerned about potential mold growth in your carpet, call SERVPRO of Fairfield County at (740)-756-7003 today for assistance.
When mold damage hits an office, it can be difficult to immediately tell how much business is going to be impacted by restoration efforts. In some cases, workers may not even notice SERVPRO personnel and operations, but in others, a full temporary closure of the building may be necessary. We make every effort to keep the business running as usual during a mold remediation, but knowing what could and could not happen makes the difference between a company well-prepared for the challenges ahead and one that will struggle.
If Mold Damage is Limited:
Depending on where the mold damage is in your Fairfield County office building, day-to-day operations may continue entirely unabated. Many cases of mold damage occur in hard-to-reach or out-of-the-way areas, meaning that any quarantines and machinery we put in place will be mostly avoided by most staff. However, other cases may come up in more populated areas including office spaces, break rooms and canteens, and bathrooms, directly impeding the routines of you and your employees. Business is only significantly interrupted in these cases if the mold is growing in a building's sole bathroom. If this is the case, bringing in portable toilets may be necessary.
If SERVPRO determines that the mold damage has spread beyond a small area, more drastic measures may be taken. In some cases, we will have to quarantine off multiple rooms and do significant work in there, as well as regularly measuring other areas for signs and symptoms of mold growth. If the mold is particularly far-reaching or has the potential to cause health effects, we may temporarily close the building until it is safe to reopen. In either case, larger mold colonies have little to no chance of not interrupting your business and must be dealt with quickly so that the situation doesn't get further out of hand.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County has the tools, training, and technicians to handle mold damage in offices of all sizes. Contact the mold remediation professions at the first sign of mold growth at (740) 756-7003
Pretty soon it will be time to turn off your heat and start using your air conditioner. The first thing you will need to do is replace your furnace filter. There are many styles of filters, including ones that specifically filter for allergens. First you need to know how to replace them, and how often.
“What kind of filter do you have? Start by turning off the furnace. Remove the existing furnace filter, which will be located inside the furnace or inside the return air vent. Look for an arrow on the filter indicating airflow direction. Using a permanent marker, draw the airflow direction on the outside of the furnace, so you'll always know the right way to install the filter. Then note the furnace filter size, which will be printed on the cardboard frame.”
There are many areas inside and outside your home that can cause water damage.
According to State Farm Insurance, here are a few inside sources:
“•Look for signs of existing leaks on ceilings, walls, floors and near appliances that use water. •Methods to avoid damage due to freezing include insulating exposed pipes, utilizing heat tape in areas which can’t be insulated, and running a trickle of water out of faucets when the business is closed and the water is not being used during periods of freezing or below freezing temperatures. •Avoid putting any solids or grease down your drains, and use screens on your drains to catch solids before they enter the plumbing system. •Ensure hose connections are secure and water supply lines are not brittle or worn for appliances such as washing machines and ice makers. •Apply fresh caulk around all fixtures and exterior openings such as doors, windows and fixtures. •It is recommended that all appliances and mechanicals be regularly serviced by licensed contractors to ensure there are no leaks, wear and tear or blockages which may cause water damage”
“A fireplace is often the main feature in a room. Pictures and keepsakes are displayed on the mantel, and during the holidays, the pictures are exchanged for Christmas stockings. A fire crackling in the fireplace adds to the ambiance while the heat it generates helps to warm the area. A closed vent can cause smoke to billow into the room, but using the fireplace vents properly ensures enough air feeds the fire and the smoke escapes up the chimney.
Prepare your fire in the fireplace by placing two dry, seasoned logs onto the grate. Place a kindling between the two logs such as dry leaves, twigs, bark, dried pine needles or small pieces of split, dried softwood. Loosely crumple old newspaper and push it under the grate. “
Let our professional team do the cleanup with the proper procedures to keep you, your home or company safe. We are available 24/7 for all your emergency needs. No job is too small or too big for our teams!
“SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - Severe weather has the potential to occur. You should *watch out* for bad weather to happen. Watches are typically issued before any thunderstorms develop, and are issued for a longer period of time (6-8 hours on average). While a Watch does not mean bad weather will happen for sure, it means the conditions could rapidly change and the atmosphere is primed for severe weather. This could mean things like hail, straight-line wind gusts and even flooding.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - This is your call to action, to do something. Severe weather has been spotted or about to happen and it could impact you. Warnings cover a smaller geographic area and are usually only issued for small chunks of time (on average, 20-30 minutes).”
We are here to help!!!!! SERVPRO of Fairfield County 740-756-7003
Not everyone realizes that there can be biohazard risks to hoarding due to some of the contents. There could be mold growing that is undetected, as well as animal feces that could have gone unnoticed due to an overcrowded living space. Here are some more facts about hoarding that should be known.
“True hoarding behavior is actually fairly common, with anywhere from 2 to 5 percent of the general American population meeting diagnosis requirements [source: WebMD]. Before you self-diagnose, we're not just talking about someone with a few hundred CDs lying around. Instead, clinical hoarding behavior is characterized by the person's inability to function or move about in his own home.”
“There are detectors available on the market that can alert you to the dangers of smoke or gas in the air — but not so with asbestos.
If you suspect that there is asbestos insulation or flooring materials in your home, read this handy guide for instructions on the mineral's dangers and health effects, where asbestos is typically found in the home, what to do (or not do!) when making home repairs, advice on proper handling, along with contact numbers in the U.S. and links to more info on asbestos dangers & safety tips...”
What Is Asbestos? The following was copied directly from an online article written and located at http://www.chiff.com/a/asbestos-disease.htm. We thought we would share the information as it was a well written definition.
“Asbestos is a mineral made up of tiny fibers. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers, some are more harmful than others. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance. Many homes were made using asbestos for insulation, flooring and in heating and electrical systems.
The danger of using asbestos has been recognized throughout history. Warning about the health effects of asbestos can be found in writings from Ancient Greece! The first documented case of an asbestos-related death was reported in 1906. However, it was not until the late 1970s that laws in America began to change to protect people from the health hazards of asbestos exposure. Asbestos was not totally banned in the UK until late in 1999 and Japan is still waiting to enact laws against all forms of asbestos.”
Please click the link above to continue reading.
SERVPRO of Fairfield County does not do the actual asbestos removal, but we can provide the necessary cleaning after the removal has been performed.
Importance of Homeowners Insurance In An Uninhabited Home
Many people think that since they are not living in a home that they own, it is not important to keep active insurance on the property.
Maybe they think that since they have moved all of their contents out, it is no longer important?
The fact is, there are several reasons why your home needs to protected with a homeowners policy. Often times in the winter people tend to turn their heat down in order to keep costs down, and this is often in a home that they do not visit daily. This is a recipe for disaster. This could lead to pipes freezing and potentially leaking or bursting (Warning: not maintaining utilities could also cause the insurance company to deny a claim
Make sure you understand your policy terms before you purchase).
SERVPRO of Fairfield County can be reached at 740-756-7003.
“Looking to avoid bed bugs? Bed bug prevention is a lot easier than eliminating an existing infestation. According to the 2015 Bugs Without Borders survey, bed bugs remain the most difficult pest to treat - more difficult than cockroaches, termites and ants!
Depending on the scope of an infestation and the type of treatment used by a pest professional, it can take several treatments to completely eliminate bed bugs. Fortunately, there are many things that one can do to prevent bringing bed bugs into the home. Vigilance is the key to bed bug prevention. When out in public - whether at a hotel, store, movie theater or work place - it is important to be conscientious of all surroundings.
As the public's awareness of the bed bug resurgence grows, focus on bed bug prevention has also grown. Many Americans are modifying their behaviors to minimize their risk of an infestation. According to the 2011 Bed Bugs in America survey, 27 percent of respondents have inspected or washed clothing upon returning from a trip; 25 percent have checked a hotel room for bed bugs; 17 percent have inspected or vacuumed a suitcase upon returning from a trip and 12 percent have altered or canceled travel plans because of concern about bed bugs. “
Each year, the Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters — the majority of which are home fires. Whether a disaster impacts a single family or a hundred, the Red Cross is there when people need our help the most. The Red Cross doesn’t just help families recover from disaster; they also prepare communities before home fires strike. Believe it or not, home fires kill more Americans than all other disasters combined. The Red Cross is working to prevent these needless losses through the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign.
Join SERVPRO Industries in support of the American Red Cross by making a gift to support Home Fire Relief. Your gift to Home Fire Relief will support communities like ours nationwide by providing families and communities with the lifesaving tools and information they need to prevent and prepare for home fires, as well as offer critical recovery services to those impacted by home fires. Together, we can better prepare our community for home fires and support families who experience them. Thank you in advance for your support.
Pre-planning for just such a disaster can make the whole process easier to endure.
Additionally,
As many as 50% of businesses close down following a disaster, according to the latest research. Of the businesses that survive, the overwhelming majority of them had a preparedness plan in place. Pre-planning can serve as an insurance policy aimed at peace of mind. And knowing you are "Ready for whatever happens" speaks trust to your clients and employees that in the event your business is affected by a disaster, they don’t necessarily have to be.
By developing a SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile for your business, you minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action. Knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is the key to timely mitigation and can help minimize how water and fire damage can affect your business.
Its that time of year to begin spring cleaning! Where to start has always been overwhelming, so after searching online, we found this online article at: http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/clean-and-organize/7-spring-cleaning-tips. Click on the link to read the entire article. We hope it inspires you too on where to start!
"The best refrigerator cleaner is a combination of salt and soda water. The bubbling action of the soda water combines with the abrasive texture of the salt to make a great cleaner.
The best way to get rid of lime buildup around the faucet it is to lay paper towels over the fixture, soak it with vinegar and let it set for an hour. The deposits will soften and become easier to remove.
Clean screens with a scrap of carpeting. It makes a powerful brush that removes all the dirt.
Clean windows with a rag and soapy water, and then dry them with another rag. You can also go to an auto-parts store and buy a windshield squeegee, which cleans very well..."
When SERVPRO of Fairfield County is called to a home or business to clean up from a broken pipe, water back up, roof leak or mold clean up (just to name a few examples), sometime there is a deductible to collect. What exactly is a deductible. We went to the Farmer Insurance website for a explanation.
"What is a deductible? A deductible is the amount you’re responsible for in the event of a covered loss. In most covered loss cases, you are responsible for any amounts up to your deductible level and your insurance would cover anything beyond that up to your coverage limit. For example, if you select a $1,000 deductible and have a $4,200 covered loss, you would receive a claim payment of $3,200 after deducting the $1,000.
A homeowners deductible applies to each claim. If you have more than one claim in a policy period, you will be responsible for the deductible amount for each individual claim regardless of the number of claims you have during that policy period." (Source: http://www.farmers.com/faq/home/#deductible)
SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs. We have the qualified personnel to get the job done, no matter what the size.
After servicing customers for over 30 years, SERVPRO of Fairfield County has learned just how to handle just about anything. Even if you are not sure if you need professional help, give us a call at (740) 756-7003. We can offer professional advice over the phone.
Here at SERVPRO of Fairfield County, we understand how badly some storms can affect our customers. Not only do they do damage to the homes and businesses, they also cause a tremendous amount of stress. We are here to alleviate that stress and restore your home back to the way it once was prior to damage. Not pictured here is the damage from a storm last year on a property. It left a mountain of debris to be cleaned up. Our crew went in with their tools and sorted the situation to make the home look like a storm never happened. Our customer was very happy with our work. Pictured here is the property after our crew cleaned everything up. Looks pretty good, doesn't it?
Why Trusting A Restoration Specialist After A Fire Is Important
Making Fire & Water damage, "Like it never even happened."
Because of the convection pattern that flames typically form during ignition, smoky residue saturates every opening. The soot constructs up in layers that may end up being solidified and tough to eliminate which is another reason to leave the cleaning to a specialist. When the cleaning teams do arrive, they promptly different salvageable items from charred debris, taking the things creating the strongest odors out for cleaning. Following a fire, wall surface areas can be harmed by soot. Non-water based cleaners need to be used to remove soot from walls. These kinds of chemicals should be handled by a specialist due to the fumes and toxicity. Water-based cleaning items can cause spots to bleed into plaster walls which is why a trained specialist should be left to deal with these chemicals. Most importantly, a restoration effort reduces the after-effects a blaze can have on the health of those who return in.
If a homeowner does not have the property restored by a professional, the results can be found later on down the line. To an untrained eye they might believe the issue has been fixed, they experience the remaining impacts of indoor air pollution for numerous months later on in the form of increased respiratory discomfort. Companies like SERVPRO of Fairfield County are leading experts in fire restoration. They are trained to help remove your belongings as well as cleaning and storing them until your property has been restored to its original condition.
Call SERVPRO of Fairfield County (740) 756-7003 "Like it never even happened."
If you are a homeowner and are dealing with fire damage, trying to take on the cleanup yourself can be a difficult job. Though it is certainly possible to restore small areas of damage on your own, a home that has significant damage due to fire, such as on the roof, walls or floor, is best left to professionals. Though you might think that cleaning a home in with residential fire damage is as easy as removing and replacing the scorched areas, there is much more to consider with this type of problem. With the assistance of a professional company, you will have the best chance to reduce the odds of a total loss.
Cleaning Up After the Chaos
Most homeowners realize that they need to clean up quickly after a fire, but what they don't understand is that this initial cleanup is not only toxic for a person's health but could also be extremely difficult to perform. Usually, an inspector from the insurance company will come to view the damage, but after they leave, it often requires the use of a HAZMAT suit to thoroughly protect the lungs when cleaning up this large of a mess.
Fire Damage Isn't the Only Issue
Fire in not only leaves charred and smoky belongings in its wake; it also leaves water damage as water is necessary to control the flames. Water damage can sometimes be more difficult to deal with than fire damage because most homeowners do not have the tools or the knowledge to handle it. Also, any surface that has water sitting on it for more than about 18 hours is already experiencing mold and bacteria growth. In this case, the best practice is to throw the surface out as it is too difficult to efficiently clean; leaving the mold and bacteria on the surface can lead to serious respiratory issues in the future.
Don't Forget About the Smoke Damage
Water and fire damage are only part of the story when dealing with a home with residential fire damage. Smoke is also an issue because not only does it change the look of surfaces; it also leaves an odor that is difficult to remove. To remove the smell of smoke, special cleansers are required. Also, keep in mind that even a small fire can push the smoke through the home, and smoke damage can occur in areas of the home that were never touched by fire. This means every surface of the home must be treated for smoke damage even if the fire occurred in another area of the home.
Locally Owned Company with National Resources
If you have recently experienced a fire in your home, it is best to call upon the pros. When a fire occurs in your residential property, we have the skills and equipment to help. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is available to quickly respond to your home following a fire. Call us today at (740) 756-7003.
Whether you live on the coast, near a lake, or riverside, the flood will find you. And when it does, it can leave you with years’ worth of damage, not to mention credit card bills and bankruptcy.
Various news stories of commercial and residential properties drowning in murky waters, or sitting empty a year later look abandoned and still reeking with remnants of saturated insulation and mold hanging from the beams, will inject fear into any property owner.
That’s when you call the professionals at SERVPRO® of Fairfield County to make sure the situation is handled so there are no surprises and no adverse effects on the occupants’ health or safety.
SERVPRO® Cleans Up the Mess after a Flood
Homeowners tell us there is no greater devastation than seeing the house they’ve made a home destroyed by a quick-moving flood. The fact that the flood could have been caused by something as innocuous as a leaking pipe behind the washing machine makes the destruction seem even more senseless. In addition, water renders some materials more susceptible to rot. These are just a few of the many aftereffects of a flood. All of our SERVPRO® technicians have been properly trained to professionally clean up the mess after a flood.
SERVPRO® of Fairfield County Should Be On Speed-Dial
The SERVPRO® of Fairfield County team has been trained to respond, swiftly and knowledgeably.
Back in the day (as they say), houses were made of straw, stone, or brick. If they weren’t blown down or burned up, they were abandoned by the time the children were grown. Today, the American home is our castle. It reflects our lives, interests, and loves, travels, hopes, memories and the most important people we share it with.
Let’s hope you are not victim of a home-destroying event. But if it happens, don’t panic. Keep our number handy 740-756-7003. We’re here 24/7 to answer the call and make your loss “Like it never even happened.”
SERVPRO® of Fairfield County provides 24 hour Emergency Water Damage Service.
WE ANSWER THE PHONE READY TO HELP.
CALL TODAY - 740-756-7003
We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of Fairfield County has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.
What to Expect
When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.
Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:
Your name and contact information
Your insurance information (if applicable)
The street address of the water-damaged home or business
When did the flooding or water damage occur?
What caused the water damage (if known)?
Is there electricity available (on-site)?
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
How to Set Up Dehumidifiers When Repairing Flood Damage
How To Set Up Dehumidifiers When Repairing Flood Damage In Fairfield County
Drying out flood damaged homes takes more than just clever tools and equipment.
Dehumidifiers And Flood Damage
Drying out flood damaged homes takes more than just clever tools and equipment. You need an expert restoration team, with high-level skills and knowledge of the most efficient techniques. This is what SERVPRO can offer you if flooding has recently hit your property. We have access to state of the art drying machines, but we also know how to maximize their power.
Dehumidifiers are one of the most important drying tools when it comes to repairing flood damage in Reynoldsburg. It extracts the moisture from of the air and returns it to dry air. This is an essential part of the restoration process because flooding does not just leave its mark in standing water. For successful repairs, all moisture has to be eliminated, whether it is in the air, on the ground, or caught in soft furnishings.
Keep reading to learn more about how SERVPRO sets up dehumidifiers and gets the drying process started quickly.
Type Of Materials The first thing that the SERVPRO technicians do is carry out an inspection. They enter the flood-damaged area and determine the extent of the damage. Before dehumidifiers can be set up, they first need to know what kind of materials need drying. Porous items (curtains, sofas, carpets, wood, etc.) are the hardest to restore. If a lot of porous items are wet, a longer drying period is required.
On the other hand, if wet materials are non-porous (metal, plastic), the drying period will be quicker and fewer dehumidifiers may be used. Most homes contain a mixture of the two, which means that technicians have to find a careful balance. Too many dehumidifiers can cause the air to become overly dry. This may damage softer materials like wood. Often, air movers are combined with dehumidifiers to prevent this from happening.
Putting Together A Plan For all of these reasons, it is necessary for flood repair teams to think very carefully about how they set up drying equipment. To homeowners, it may appear arbitrary, but many precise calculations are involved. For instance, to determine how many dehumidifiers are needed and of what size, the following information must be gathered: - Size of the flooded area (in feet) - Type of flood damage (based on porosity) - Type of dehumidifying technology available - Average amount of water to be removed per day (in pints)
Choosing The Right Experts For The Job So, you can start to see why flood damage restoration is such a complex task, even if the damage is modest. You should seek the help of a professional company like SERVPRO of Fairfield County We are a locally based service, so our technicians are perfectly placed to respond to emergencies. Call us 24/7 at 740-756-7003
Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.
Faster To Any Size Disaster
Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more. SERVPRO of Fairfield County arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.
Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – 740-756-7003
Water Damage Timeline
Within Minutes
Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.
Hours 1 - 24:
Drywall begins to swell and break down.
Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
Furniture begins to swell and crack.
Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
A musty odor appears.
48 Hours to 1 Week:
Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
Metal begins to rust and corrode.
Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
Paint begins to blister.
Wood flooring swells and warps.
Serious biohazard contamination is possible.
More Than 1 Week:
Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
A basement can flood at any time, although flooding most often occurs during heavy rainfall. Basements are inherently prone to flooding because they are the lowest level of a building and are normally built partly or entirely below ground level. There are a number of reasons why your Pickerington basement could flood, including:
A blocked or failed sewer lateral pipe
Heavy rain causes surface water to pool around your home
Storm sewer backup
Sanitary sewer backup
Foundation drainage failure
Water supply-line break or hot-water tank failure
And many more
Have Questions about Basement Flooding?
Call Today -740-756-7003
If flood water is not handled quickly and properly, it can jeopardize your health and safety, and cause severe damage to your home’s structure. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will get.
The bottom line: a flooded basement can jeopardize your health, safety, and your home’s integrity. It’s worth making a call to SERVPRO of Fairfield County and let our trained, professional crews handle the situation safely and correctly. We have earned the trust of hundreds of homeowners, business owners, and property professionals.
We are Flooded Basement Specialists:
We are Available 24 hours/7 days per week
We’re a Preferred Vendor to many National Insurance Companies
We Bill The Insurance Directly – One Less Thing For You To Worry About
Our Technicians are Highly-Trained in Water Restoration Techniques
We use s500 IICRC Restoration Standards
Advanced Inspection and Extraction Equipment
Basement Flooded? Call Us Today – We’re Ready To Help 740-756-7003
A basement can flood at any time, although flooding most often occurs during heavy rainfall. Basements are inherently prone to flooding because they are the lowest level of a building and are normally built partly or entirely below ground level. There are a number of reasons why your basement could flood, including:
A blocked or failed sewer lateral pipe
Heavy rain causes surface water to pool around your home
Storm sewer backup
Sanitary sewer backup
Foundation drainage failure
Water supply-line break or hot-water tank failure
And many more
Have Questions about Basement Flooding?
Call Today - 740-756-7003
If flood water is not handled quickly and properly, it can jeopardize your health and safety, and cause severe damage to your home’s structure. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will get.
The bottom line: a flooded basement can jeopardize your health, safety, and your home’s integrity. It’s worth making a call to SERVPRO of Fairfield County and let our trained, professional crews handle the situation safely and correctly. We have earned the trust of hundreds of homeowners, business owners, and property professionals.
We are Flooded Basement Specialists:
We are Available 24 hours/7 days per week
We’re a Preferred Vendor to many National Insurance Companies
We Bill The Insurance Directly – One Less Thing For You To Worry About
Our Technicians are Highly-Trained in Water Restoration Techniques
We use s500 IICRC Restoration Standards
Advanced Inspection and Extraction Equipment
Basement Flooded? Call Us Today – We’re Ready To Help 740-756-7003
Restoring Your Fairfield County Commercial Property After A Water Damage Event
Fllooding and water damage events at Fairfield County commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we’re dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large scale event, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility.
Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
Have Questions about Commercial Water Damage? Call Us Today – 740-756-7003
Smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Our smoke damage expertise and experience allows us to inspect and accurately assess the extent of the damage to develop a comprehensive plan of action.
Smoke and soot facts:
Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.
Different Types of Smoke
There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Fairfield County will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:
Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber
Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.
Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood
Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.
Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire
Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.
Our Fire Damage Restoration Services
Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions. We have the equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire and smoke damage. We will also treat your family with empathy and respect and your property with care.
Title: Faster to your Fairfield County Water Damage Event
Category: Water Damage
Photo Caption: SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides 24 hour fire and water damage restoration service in Fairfield County
Body:
Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Fairfield County provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.
Faster To Any Size Disaster
Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more. SERVPRO of Fairfield County arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.
Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – 740-756-7003
Water Damage Timeline
Within Minutes
Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.
Hours 1 - 24:
Drywall begins to swell and break down.
Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
Furniture begins to swell and crack.
Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
A musty odor appears.
48 Hours to 1 Week:
Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
Metal begins to rust and corrode.
Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
Paint begins to blister.
Wood flooring swells and warps.
Serious biohazard contamination is possible.
More Than 1 Week:
Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.
About SERVPRO of Fairfield County
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
Hiring Cleaning Professionals After Fairfield County
If you are a homeowner and are dealing with fire damagte in Fairfield County, trying to take on the cleanup yourself can be a difficult job. Though it is certainly possible to restore small areas of damage on your own, a home that has significant damage due to fire, such as on the roof, walls or floor, is best left to professionals. Though you might think that cleaning a home in Fairfield County with residential fire damage is as easy as removing and replacing the scorched areas, there is much more to consider with this type of problem. With the assistance of a professional company, you will have the best chance to reduce the odds of a total loss.
Cleaning Up After the Chaos
Most homeowners realize that they need to clean up quickly after a fire in Fairfield County, but what they don't understand is that this initial cleanup is not only toxic for a person's health but could also be extremely difficult to perform. Usually, an inspector from the insurance company will come to view the damage, but after they leave, it often requires the use of a HAZMAT suit to thoroughly protect the lungs when cleaning up this large of a mess.
Fire Damage Isn't the Only Issue
Fire in Fairfield County not only leaves charred and smoky belongings in its wake; it also leaves water damage as water is necessary to control the flames. Water damage can sometimes be more difficult to deal with than fire damage because most Fairfield County homeowners do not have the tools or the knowledge to handle it. Also, any surface that has water sitting on it for more than about 18 hours is already experiencing mold and bacteria growth. In this case, the best practice is to throw the surface out as it is too difficult to efficiently clean; leaving the mold and bacteria on the surface can lead to serious respiratory issues in the future.
Don't Forget About the Smoke Damage
Water and fire damage are only part of the story when dealing with a home in Fairfield County with residential fire damage. Smoke is also an issue because not only does it change the look of surfaces; it also leaves an odor that is difficult to remove. To remove the smell of smoke, special cleansers are required. Also, keep in mind that even a small fire can push the smoke through the home, and smoke damage can occur in areas of the home that were never touched by fire. This means every surface of the home must be treated for smoke damage even if the fire occurred in another area of the home.
Locally Owned Company with National Resources
If you have recently experienced a fire in your home, it is best to call upon the pros. When a fire occurs in your residential property in Fairfield County, we have the skills and equipment to help. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Fairfield County is available to quickly respond to your home following a fire. Call us today at (740) 756-7003.
The Benefits of Hiring Professionals After Water Damage in Fairfield County
In the last several decades, the weather in the U. S. as well as abroad has become strangely unpredictable. In fact, natural disasters like Katrina can occur virtually at any time without notice. Based on the amount of damage done in an area, people may pay hundreds to thousands of dollars in recovery. In specific, flash flooding occurs in a particular field, and much water damage occurs in Fairfield County. People need to find a way to protect their homes from very costly damage. Therefore, one of the first things that the homeowner should do is contact a professional agency for their services.
When a professional enters the home, there are numerous things that they need to do. However, one of the most important is extracting the water from the floors and the carpeting quickly so that they can begin the drying process. For those who want to make sure that the job is done right the first time and quickly, it is essential for the homeowner to hire a professional. Once contacted, these professions survey the damage and then begin the process of clean up. One of the significant parts of this job is water extraction. Water extraction requires the proper expertise and the best type of water retraction equipment possible.
With the right type of equipment, these professionals can extract all of the water out of the carpeting so that the carpets can dry naturally. Also, for those who contact these professionals to do the job, they can save not only time but also money. If the water damage is severe enough, these teams of professionals can help to expedite the extraction of the water out of the carpets and contribute to make or suggest the recommended repairs to deter the formation of mold.
We’re Highly Trained Water Damage Specialists
The water damage specialists of Fairfield County from SERVPRO of Fairfield County can get started promptly to get your property in Fairfield County dry and back to pre-water-damage condition. We use only advanced water removal and drying equipment and scientific drying principles. Call us 24/7 for help.
If you see visible mold, do not disturb it. You can inadvertently spread the mold infestation throughout your home. When mold is disturbed, the mold can release microscopic mold spores which become airborne and can circulate inside your home.
What to Do:
Stay out of affected areas.
Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
Contact SERVPRO of Fairfield County for mold remediation services.
What Not to Do:
Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.
About Our Mold Remediation Services
SERVPRO of Fairfield County specializes in mold cleanup and restoration, in fact, it’s a cornerstone of our business. Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.
We Specialize in Flooded Basement Cleanup and Restoration!
A basement can flood at any time, although flooding most often occurs during heavy rainfall. Basements are inherently prone to flooding because they are the lowest level of a building and are normally built partly or entirely below ground level. There are a number of reasons why your Fairfield County basement could flood, including:
A blocked or failed sewer lateral pipe
Heavy rain causes surface water to pool around your home
Storm sewer backup
Sanitary sewer backup
Foundation drainage failure
Water supply-line break or hot-water tank failure
And many more
Have Questions about Basement Flooding?
Call Today - 740-756-7003
If flood water is not handled quickly and properly, it can jeopardize your health and safety, and cause severe damage to your home’s structure. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will get.
The bottom line: a flooded basement can jeopardize your health, safety, and your home’s integrity. It’s worth making a call to SERVPRO of Fairfield County and let our trained, professional crews handle the situation safely and correctly. We have earned the tust of hundreds of homeowners, business owners, and property professionals.
We are Flooded Basement Specialists:
We are Available 24 hours/7 days per week
We’re a Preferred Vendor to many National Insurance Companies
We Bill The Insurance Directly – One Less Thing For You To Worry About
Our Technicians are Highly-Trained in Water Restoration Techniques
We use s500 IICRC Restoration Standards
Advanced Inspection and Extraction Equipment
Basement Flooded? Call Us Today – We’re Ready To Help
We have a job right now that started from linseed soaked rags. They were left overnight in a plastic bucket. They ignited, after smoldering for hours by spontaneous combustion.
PLEASE be careful with any cloth soaked with paint thinners and such. They can be very dangerous. These people were asleep when the smoke detectors went off in the middle of the night. Everyone got out safely, thank goodness.
Keep these things outside after using in a metal container.
We all have heard the saying "April Showers Bring May Flowers"
Well, maybe Mother Nature is a little early this year, because MAN!!! What a storm the other night.
Remember to keep your gutters clean so that rainwater can be safely carried away from your house and its foundation. Also, all drains need to be kept clear of all debris in order to so their job too.
It has been a really strange winter, wouldn't you agree? I was outside yesterday enjoying the warm day and I noticed that my pobd fish are active AND that the spring bulbs are coming up!! They are either really confused or they know that SPRING is right around the corner.
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