Sump-times Storms Can Be Awful, but SERVPRO is here for you!

7/23/2022 (Permalink)

Sump pumps keep your basement dry. The sump pump will remove the unwanted water from the structure. Sump pumps are a great solution except for when the power goes out. When a storm hits the loss of power can be a significant issue for the homeowner or business owner. One way you can help prevent your sump pump from losing power is with a battery back up.  This will make a  significant difference on if your building or home will flood. 

If you lose power and do not have a battery back up for your sump pump and are flooded  please give us a call. We are here to help. We are faster to any disaster and are ready to put our experience, expertise and equipment to work for you!

SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange 

260-665-7998

SERVPRO Is Ready To Respond & Help When Home Fires Hit

6/25/2022 (Permalink)

Contents Services

Inventory

One of the first priorities to complete an accurate inventory to help ensure you properly account for all your belongings. We provide a detailed room by room inventory of contents.

Move outs

When the structure has suffered extensive damage, everything will be relocated for cleaning and stored during repairs.

Contents Cleaning

All of the restorable contents in the affected areas will be professionally cleaned and deodorized. SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange counties offer wet or dry professional cleaning.

Structural Cleaning

Ceilings and walls

We will pre- test the walls and ceilings to analyze the extent of damage. We will reduce the cost of recovery by cleaning off the light soot from walls and ceilings.

Carpet and Floor Restoration

Residue from smoke or soot will settle and can be ground into flooring. SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange has the experience, the equipment and the cleaning products to protect and clean your flooring.

Ductwork

The HVAC system will be inspected to determine if they were affected. A restoration process will be determined to properly clean and deodorize.

Deodorization

We provide specialized services that will rid your home of offensive odors left by smoke damage.

SERVPRO is here for you no matter how big or small the disaster

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange counties is a privately owned and operated business. SERVPRO is a franchise system that we are proud to be part of. There are more than 1,700 franchises across the country. We work together to provide the resources that another SERVPRO franchise might need. No job is too big for SERVPRO.  SERVPRO also works together to respond to storms that happen all over the country. We are a privately owned and operated business but have the national resources when needed. The SERVPRO franchise system that we are a part of works together to provide the equipment and man power when needed. No job is too large. Please give us a call to assist in your large loss.

SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange counties

260-665-7998

What Shouldn't I Do After A Fire?

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

Ask The Experts: What Shouldn't I Do After A Fire  A fire can cause so many problems. To help avoid even more issues and help for a successful restoration we have a do and don't list for you to follow until SERVPRO professionals arrive.Do

• To prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpet limit movement inside the home.
• Soot on your hands can further soil anything the person touches. Keep hands clean and soot free.
• Place old linens on rugs, upholstery, and traffic areas.
• If there is no electricity, clean out the fridge and freezer and prop doors open
• If the heat if off during winter, pour RV antifreeze in sinks, toilets, and holding tanks to avoid freezing pipes and fixtures
• Tape double layered cheesecloth over registers to prevent any particles of soot from entering or existing the HVAC system.

• Do not attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces.
• Don't attempt to shampoo carpets.
• Do not attempt to clean any electrical appliances.
• Do not consume any food or beverages that have been stored close to where the fire happened.
• If the ceiling is wet, do not turn on ceiling fans.

SERVPRO Is Here For You When Storms Damage Your Belongings (Part 1 of 2)

5/21/2022 (Permalink)

Storm and water damage affects not only the structure of your house but also your belongings. SERVPRO understands that your home is more than a structure; your family’s furniture, clothing, keepsakes, and other belongings help transform a house into a home.

Contents Restoration

SERVPRO specializes in restoring contents damaged by storms and other water damage events. Our expertise and our “restore” versus “replace” mentality can help you save money while preserving precious keepsakes that can’t be replaced. We pretest your contents to determine what items can be restored back to their condition before the water damage. We utilize several methods of cleaning your contents, including:

• Dry Cleaning - Used for cleaning light residues or to pre-clean prior to cleaning.
• Wet Cleaning - An effective cleaning method for removing moderate to heavy residues.
• Spray and Wipe -Effective for items that can’t withstand cleaning.
• Foam Cleaning - Used for upholstery fabrics that might shrink or bleed if cleaned.
• Abrasive Cleaning - Involves agitation of the surface being cleaned. 
• Immersion Cleaning - Contents are dipped into a bath of the cleaning product.

Move-Outs/Pack-Outs

If your home requires extensive restoration or cleaning, SERVPRO can conduct an organized, efficient move-out of the affected area. A move-out will provide several benefits, including:

•  A quicker remodeling process
•  Protecting items from potential damage
•  Protecting contents from further on-site damage

When restoration is completed, we will work with you to coordinate the move-in according to your needs. The services offered upon move-in may depend on your insurance coverage.

SERVPRO Is Here For You When Storms Damage Your Belongings (Part 2 of 2)

5/21/2022 (Permalink)

Electronic Cleanup

Water-damaged electronics can present a serious hazard. Do not attempt to turn on or operate any electrical device that you suspect has been damaged by water. We will coordinate the restoration of your electronics, including:

•  Television sets
•  DVD players
•  Computers
•  And more

The key to restoring electronics is taking prompt action to prevent further damage. We start by cleaning the exterior of electronic devices to help stop further corrosion and damage. Electronics will be cleaned and inspected by a qualified electronics technician.

Document / Photograph Drying

When your valuable documents, including photographs, are damaged by water, extreme caution should be taken to help ensure the water damage does not destroy the document. Although some documents may not be restored to pre-water damage condition, SERVPRO can save a great deal and help minimize additional damage. 

Depending on the type of documents and the level of water damage, we have five options for the restoration of documents:

• Air Drying
• Dehumidification
• Freezer Drying
• Vacuum Freeze Drying
• Vacuum Thermal Drying

Contents Claim Inventory Service

When a storm event happens, the damage can often feel overwhelming. We can help ease the worry and confusion during the recovery process by offering our Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS), which provides a detailed and accurate list of your belongings. We take a room-by-room inventory of your contents, including digital photos, and in some instances, bar coding.

Our Contents Claim Inventory Service:

•  Pre-loss list and value of contents
•  Detailed and accurate report
•  Better information to settle claims quicker
•  Assistance with burden of proof for claims
•  Peace of mind when you need it most  

Commercial Water Loss Is Devastating - Trust SERVPRO To Help Get Back Up and Running!

5/21/2022 (Permalink)

A water loss to a commercial building can be devastating and critical to a business's productivity. SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange counties main goal is to be sure the situation is taken care of as quickly as possible so that your company can resume back to normal activities.

Getting Back Up and Running

Our employees are trained to deal with all aspects of water damage to a commercial building. We also acknowledge that every hour taking care of the damage and cleaning are hours of lost revenue for you and will strive to meet all expectations.  When an emergency situation arrives at your business please call us to help assist in getting you back up and running.

SERVPRO of Steuben, DeKalb and LaGrange

260-665-7998

Planning and Being Prepared Needs To Happen Before The Disaster

5/21/2022 (Permalink)

When disaster strikes, it’s too late to plan and prepare; these things must happen well in advance. Though you, of course, hope to never need to spring a fire escape plan into action, having one in place can save lives. If you don’t have such a plan in your office, or if you haven’t reviewed yours in a while, make this a priority today.

Meet Together

An emergency escape plan is at its best when it has input from several key people. This isn’t a plan you or someone else should come up with on a whim. It requires a group discussion and varying ideas.

• Consider selecting an emergency response committee.
• Meet regularly to review past plans and determine what improvements you should make.
• Open the group to your organization; invite people to participate who have experience or expertise in devising such plans.

Know Your Space

If a fire starts in your building, it’s vital that everyone exits in a calm and orderly manner. Employees must be swift, however, and this means they need to know how and where to properly exit. Identify all possible exits on each floor and in all areas of your building.

Assign Roles

You can’t have a mad rush for the stairs or the doors if you need to evacuate the building. You also want someone to sweep the building for stragglers and someone else to count people once you’re outside. Make sure someone is covering these important duties.

Practice Makes Perfect

No fire escape plan should be complete without holding consistent drills. At least annually, practice exiting the building and meeting at a designated spot in a safe location near your building.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to make your fire escape plan. Firefighters and restoration crews will do their jobs. Make sure you do yours too.

What Is Your Water Damage Response Plan?

4/8/2022 (Permalink)

A sudden water intrusion like a leaking pipe or the breakdown of your water tank can be a sizable inconvenience. However, this inconvenience turns into a substantial loss if not addressed quickly and using the right methods. Hiring trained water restoration technicians (WRT) to come to your home helps you limit the loss and get your home back to normal faster than DIY methods alone. 

What is SERVPRO’s Response Plan for Water Damage?

Whenever we get called for water damage restoration, we formulate a plan based on any combination of methods to help us:

• Minimize the need for demolition
• Repair or restore rather than replace
• Create an optimum atmosphere for drying, such as closed drying systems 
• Expedite restoration to have you back to your routine fast

So if water damage hits your home or business, give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to get you back to "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Is Here For You When Water Damage Becomes Overwhelming

4/8/2022 (Permalink)

• Luminometers and Moisture Meters
• Upholstery Cleaning Machines
• LGR Dehumidifiers
• Stationary and Self-propelled Deep Extractors

When dealing with clean water damage incidents in Steuben, Dekalb or LaGrange, microbes, and contaminants are probably the last things one would think about as a threat. However, various issues, including taking too long before starting the water removal and restoration, can lead to microbial growth. Contaminants can also originate from many areas, including materials dissolved by the spilled water. Having Luminometers on-site helps our SERVPRO technicians test surfaces and water for organic contaminants, though in flash flooding incidents, these are more commonly needed.

Soiled upholstery items require proper cleaning. Water spills can soil upholstery in many ways, including dyes in adjacent contents running or debris swept by the water. Cleaning upholstered furnishings is challenging because of the different materials they are made from and their bulky nature. Our SERVPRO teams overcome this challenge easily by using specialized upholstery cleaning machines, which provide better agitation and rinsing capabilities, cleaning all traces of the soiling.

Proper extraction of water from wet areas is an essential part of the restoration process, though not always easy. Carpeted areas absorb most of the water lengthening the extraction process. Our SERVPRO technicians use weighted tools such as water claws or ride-on high volume extraction rovers to simplify the process. The weight of the equipment or the technician squeezes water from the carpet before the extractor sucks it out. We attempt in place drying whenever possible to salvage the floor coverings. Our crew is well versed in "floating" a carpet, lifting it from the edges to introduce a warm air circulation to expedite evaporation. Then we have advanced dehumidification equipment such as LGR dehumidifiers, which can reduce humidity in the air to as low as 40gpp, improving the drying process.

The right equipment can help ease the restoration of a water-damaged property. Call SERVPRO of Steuben, Dekalb and LaGrange. We have a fully equipped team to tackle any issue, "Like it never even happened."