The Importance of Prompt and Effective Mold Removal and Remediation for Homeowners and Businesses

4/20/2023 (Permalink)

Mold poses serious health risks and should not be ignored. It can cause allergies, respiratory issues, and skin irritation, and more.

An Intro To Mold

Mold is a serious problem that affects many homeowners and businesses across the world. Not only can it cause extensive damage to the property, but it can also be a significant threat to the health of people living or working in the affected area. That's why mold removal and remediation are so important. In this blog, we'll discuss why it's crucial to address mold problems promptly and effectively.

Contain The Mold - If Possible

If you suspect mold growth in your home or business, the first step is to turn off the HVAC system, fans, or any other air moving equipment you have in the area. This is important because it can prevent mold spores from spreading throughout your property. Additionally, you should restrict access to the area with mold for pets, kids, and yourself. If the mold is contained in one room or area that has a door, close the door or cabinet to help with containment.

Identify Moisture Sources

It's also essential to attempt to determine the water source and take appropriate action to stop the source to prevent further mold problems. The most common causes of mold growth are water leaks or high humidity. If you can identify the source of the moisture and fix it, you can prevent the mold from spreading further.

Do Not Disturb

When dealing with mold, it's essential not to touch or disturb it. Mold spores can quickly become airborne and spread to other areas of your property. Similarly, you shouldn't blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth, attempt to dry the area yourself, spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold, or paint over it. These actions can make the problem worse.

Mold On Your Health

Mold can cause a variety of health problems, such as allergies, respiratory issues, and skin irritation. The longer you wait to address the problem, the more severe these issues can become. In some cases, mold can even be deadly, especially for people with weakened immune systems or other underlying health conditions. That's why it's crucial to have a plan of action for mold removal.

Our Mold Remediation + Restoration Services

Our professional mold removal and remediation can help you quickly and safely address mold problems in your home or business. These professionals use advanced equipment and techniques to identify and remove mold, as well as to address the underlying causes of the problem. They'll work with you to minimize disruption to your family or business while ensuring that the mold is removed safely and effectively.

Why SERVPRO?

Mold is a serious problem that can cause significant damage to your property and health. If you suspect mold growth in your home or business, it's essential to act quickly and effectively to address the problem. This means turning off the HVAC system, restricting access to the area with mold, identifying and stopping the water source, and avoiding actions that could make the problem worse. Professional mold removal and remediation services can help you address the problem safely and effectively, minimizing damage and keeping your family or business safe. Don't wait to address mold problems – act now to protect your property and health.

The Importance of Professional Fire Damage Restoration: Why Hiring SERVPRO is Essential

4/20/2023 (Permalink)

Smoke particles can continue to release toxins, causing severe health effects such as respiratory issues, skin irritation, headaches, and nausea.

Professional Fire Damage Restoration From SERVPRO

When a fire strikes your home, the damage can be extensive and overwhelming. One of the most concerning and potentially dangerous aspects of a fire is the smoke damage that it leaves behind. Smoke is made up of tiny particles that can penetrate deep into your home's surfaces and materials, causing damage and leaving behind toxins that can be harmful to your health. Cleaning up smoke damage is a task for professionals.

Smoke Damage is Toxic

The toxins in smoke can have severe health effects, especially for those with underlying health conditions. Smoke damage can cause respiratory issues, skin irritation, headaches, and nausea. The longer the smoke lingers in your home, the more dangerous it becomes. Smoke particles can settle deep into your home's surfaces, making them difficult to remove. These particles can continue to release toxins, even long after the fire has been put out.

Smoke Damage is Complex

Cleaning up smoke damage is not as simple as wiping down surfaces with soap and water. Smoke particles can embed themselves into materials like fabric, carpet, and furniture, making them extremely difficult to remove. Smoke damage can also lead to structural damage in your home, such as weakened support beams and damaged electrical wiring. This makes it important to have professionals inspect your home after a fire to ensure that it is safe to re-enter and begin the restoration process.

Professional Help is Required

Attempting to clean up smoke damage on your own can be dangerous and cause more harm than good. Without proper training and equipment, you may not be able to fully remove the smoke particles from your home's surfaces and materials. In fact, attempting to clean it up yourself may make the damage worse. Smoke particles can be pushed further into materials or become airborne, spreading the damage throughout your home. Professionals have the knowledge, experience, and equipment necessary to properly clean up smoke damage and restore your home to its pre-fire condition.

Professional Equipment and Techniques

Professional restoration companies like SERVPRO have access to specialized equipment and techniques that allow them to thoroughly clean and restore your home after a fire. This equipment includes air scrubbers and ozone machines that can remove smoke particles from the air and surfaces. Professionals also use specialized cleaning solutions that are designed to remove smoke particles from materials and surfaces without causing further damage.

Insurance Coverage

Hiring a professional restoration company can also help you navigate the insurance process. Your insurance policy may cover the cost of professional smoke damage restoration. We can work directly with your insurance company to ensure that your claim is processed quickly and efficiently.

Why SERVPRO?

Smoke damage is toxic and requires professional help to properly clean without causing more damage. Smoke particles can embed themselves deep into surfaces and materials, making it difficult to remove them without specialized equipment and techniques. Professional restoration companies have the experience and equipment necessary to safely and effectively clean up smoke damage and restore your home to its pre-fire condition. Don't attempt to clean up smoke damage on your own – contact us to ensure that your home is safe and properly restored.

What to Do While Waiting for Professional Mold Removal Services: Tips for Home and Business Owners

4/20/2023 (Permalink)

Take a deep breath and take control! While you wait for professional mold remediation, follow these tips to keep mold damage at bay.

Mold is a common household problem that can cause a lot of damage if left unchecked. Mold growth is usually caused by moisture and can spread quickly, making it essential to address the issue as soon as possible. If you suspect that you have mold in your home, it's important to take action to contain the problem until professional mitigation and removal services can arrive.

Here's what you should do if you have mold and are waiting for professional help:

Turn Off HVAC System and Air Moving Equipment

Mold spores can spread quickly through the air, so it's important to turn off your HVAC system, fans, or any other air moving equipment you have in your home. This will help prevent the mold spores from spreading to other areas of your home.

Restrict Access to the Mold Area

It's important to restrict access to the mold area for pets, kids, and yourself. If the mold is contained in one room or area that has a door, close the door or cabinet to help with containment. This will help prevent the mold spores from spreading to other areas of your home and minimize your exposure to them.

Determine the Water Source and Take Appropriate Action

Mold growth is usually caused by moisture, so it's important to determine the water source and take appropriate action to stop the source to prevent further mold problems. For example, if you have a leaky pipe, turn off the water supply and have it repaired as soon as possible. If you have a leaky roof, have it repaired or replaced to prevent water from entering your home.

What Not to Do

It's important to know what not to do when dealing with mold, as certain actions can make the problem worse. Here are some things you should avoid doing:

Don't touch or disturb the mold. Touching or disturbing mold can release mold spores into the air, making the problem worse.

Don't blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth. Blowing air across moldy surfaces can spread the mold spores to other areas of your home.

Don't attempt to dry the area yourself. Mold needs to be properly dried out to prevent it from spreading further, but attempting to dry the area yourself can make the problem worse. Only a professional mitigation and removal service should handle the drying process.

Don't spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold. Bleach and other disinfectants can actually make the problem worse by releasing mold spores into the air. Only a professional mitigation and removal service should handle the cleaning process.

Don't paint over the mold. Painting over mold will not solve the problem and can actually make it worse. The mold will continue to grow and spread underneath the paint, causing even more damage.

Mold is a serious issue that requires professional mitigation and removal services. If you suspect that you have mold in your home, it's important to take action to contain the problem until professional help can arrive. By following these guidelines, you can help prevent the mold from spreading and minimize your exposure to it. Remember, only a professional mitigation and removal service should handle mold remediation to ensure that the problem is properly addressed and your home is safe and healthy.

Preventing Secondary Water Damage

7/7/2022 (Permalink)

When your business requires water damage repair and restoration, our crew is here to help! We're standing by 24/7 to respond to your emergency

Keeping Secondary Water Damage At Bay

Water damage in your Seattle, WA, business is something no one wants to experience. After calling in a plumber to take care of the immediate problem of a burst pipe or a backed-up toilet or sewer, you're still left with the resultant mess. It's important to deal with this situation as soon as possible, as secondary damage, including black mold or structural damage, can occur quickly. This kind of damage can be very costly.

Secondary Damage Explained

This consists of any damage not directly produced by the flooding. It can show up in several ways, including:

• Wood floors buckling
• Damage to finishes
• Vinyl and other kinds of flooring curling up from the floor
• Cracked or sagging drywall
• Growth of mold, such as stachybotrys chartarum (black mold)

If the primary damage is not addressed properly or if it goes undetected for a long time, this more serious damage can happen. Problems can also occur if the area is not properly dehumidified after the flooding.

Prevention

Assuming you are able to enter the building, there are steps you can take immediately to help minimize the damage. If the flooding happens during summer months, use your air conditioning to help remove as much high humidity as possible. During colder months, open all the windows and turn up the heat. Try to remove as much water as possible by mopping and using a wet/dry vacuum. Move any saturated carpeting outside and remove items such as documents, electronics or furniture.

Next, make a call to a professional water damage restoration company. They can immediately inspect the structure to assess the damage, and then determine what specialized equipment is required. Using advanced techniques, they can completely dry and disinfect the area, making sure that any pathogens, such as black mold or bacteria, are completely eradicated. Then any necessary repairs to the property are made.

Water damage to your building can seem overwhelming. But by using the information outlined above, you have a good chance of preventing secondary damage before it happens.

How to Take Care of a Flooded Furnace

6/16/2022 (Permalink)

Don't let a furnace flood put your Seattle, WA business at risk.

What to Do If Your Furnace Is Flooded

Broken pipes in your business building may result in flooding and widespread water damage to structures and appliances. If the water reaches the basement, the furnace could also be affected. Follow these guidelines to safely take care of a furnace flood in your Seattle, WA, commercial building.

1. Safely Contain Flooding
Call an emergency plumbing service to identify and treat the source of the flooding. While you wait for help to come, prevent further flooding by shutting off the building's water. Before entering any flooded areas, shut down power to the building to avoid electrical shock hazards. Contact an electrician if you don't know how to do so safely.

If you suspect water damage, call water remediation experts to come in and inspect your facility. They are experienced in removing water and assessing damage to structures and appliances. Once everything is dried out, they can begin cleaning and making repairs to salvageable items.

2. Arrange an Inspection for the Flooded Furnace

Hire a licensed professional to examine your furnace before using it after the flood. It may appear to be in good working order, but interior damage is not always visible from an untrained perspective.
The use of a furnace with unresolved damage may produce hazards, including:

• Mold
• Carbon monoxide
• Fires

Help prevent hazards from developing after a furnace flood in your commercial facility. Schedule an inspection for your furnace without delay.

3. Begin Furnace Maintenance

An inspection of your furnace will determine the level of repair needed. Minor maintenance can include vent cleaning and changing the air filters. Some water remediation companies provide furnace cleaning and maintenance services, including air filter replacement and air duct cleaning. Significant damage could require the replacement of the entire furnace.

Don't let a furnace flood compromise your place of business. Follow these guidelines to take care of a damaged furnace before it becomes a severe hazard.

How To Deal With Mold Damage After Flooding

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO's Mold Restoration Specialists to address your mold problem. Their expertise can control your mold quickly and safely.

How To Handle Mold Damage After A Flood.

When your home in Seattle,WA, is affected by a flood, the excess moisture left behind can quickly lead to mold growth. The presence of mold can have a big impact on the health and safety of your household. Here are some steps you can take to address mold in your home after a flood.

What Should I Do First?

After the flood water has subsided, there is a handful of steps you should take immediately to minimize damage:

• Bring your items out to dry. You can do this by removing items from your house and moving them to an open area unaffected by the flood to give them the opportunity to dry.
• Air out your house. Opening doors and windows as well as strategically placing fans will increase air circulation and speed up the drying process.
• Remove moisture from your home. This will require using specialized equipment such as wet vacs and dehumidifiers to suck the moisture out of carpets and other surfaces to mitigate the growth of mold. Any standing water must be addressed immediately.

How Do I Identify Mold?

Mold thrives in damp environments and is common in flood-damaged buildings. If there is enough moisture present in the area, mold and bacteria are likely to flourish and multiply. Mold is commonly located in walls, carpets, and wood with high moisture levels.

Mold growth can be identified by a discoloration that can encompass a wide variety of colors. It may be orange, white, or greenish brown or black. There is also a characteristic odor that can be described as stale or earthy.

Should I DIY or Hire a Professional?

Acquiring the services of a professional flood restoration company is a good investment, especially considering the specialized equipment and level of expertise needed to address such a scenario. No matter what, whether you decide to DIY or hire a service, addressing mold in your home is a crucial step in ensuring your safety and comfort for years to come.

Mold growth waits for no one. By acting quickly and enlisting the help of qualified, experienced professionals, you can minimize the effect of unwanted water on your home.

What To Do When Important Documents Are Water Damage

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

If your Mercer Island, WA, business experiences flooding, you will likely have many wet documents to deal with.

What Should You Do If Your Important Documents Have Been Flooded?

If your Mercer Island, WA, business experiences flooding, you will likely have many wet documents to deal with. If these papers are important, the prospect of losing them can be quite stressful. Fortunately, there are many modern restoration techniques for these situations.

Drying Wet Documents

There are two methods of drying water-damaged documents, freeze-drying, and air drying. Air drying is simply spreading out the documents and using a fan to speed the drying time. You can also use rags or paper towels to gently absorb some of the moisture. Freeze-drying requires the documents to be placed in a negative pressure chamber. Freeze drying water-damaged documents accomplish several things. The process halts:

• Paper disintegration
• Ink dissolution
• Mold growth

Whichever method of document drying you use, it is best to act as quickly as possible to minimize damage.

Gamma Irradiation
Unfortunately, simply drying out water-damaged papers is often not enough for full restoration. Depending on the source of the water, the documents may have been exposed to bacteria and other contaminants. In such cases, it is important to sterilize the papers. Certified restoration specialists direct gamma radiation toward the documents. The radiation kills the microorganisms, preventing cross-contamination and further bacterial growth.

Digitization
Some businesses decide that they would rather not have the water-damaged documents returned to their premises and opt to have the documents digitized instead. Others choose to restore the physical documents and digitize them as a backup. After the documents have been scanned, you can choose to save them in the cloud or other digital storage system so that you always have access to them.  

If your business has wet documents after a flood or other water damage event, don’t panic. There are many ways to preserve the document, and digitization is an option for those who want to keep their documents in a safe location to prevent further damage.

4 Ways To Discover if Your Home Is in a Flood Zone

5/23/2022 (Permalink)

If your home is flooded after water damage, give SERVPRO a call. Our top priority is getting you back into your property as soon as it is safe to.

4 Ways To Determine Whether Your Home Is in A Flood Zone

Understanding whether your home sits in a flood zone is essential because it can affect the rules and regulations of homeownership. For example, if you live in a high-risk zone, flood insurance might be a requirement of mortgage lenders. You can speak to water damage services in Harbor Island, WA, to learn more about different zone arrangements or use one of the four tools or organizations to figure out where your house sits.

1. Flood Zone Maps

The best tool to review regarding flooding in your area are flood maps. These maps show boundaries for different zones throughout cities, counties, or states. The zones are differentiated by colors representing low-risk to high-risk territories.

2. FEMA

If you are concerned about the level of flood and storm damage your home might sustain, you can look to federal organizations like FEMA. FEMA will provide access to regional maps, and the organization will likely have professionals you can speak with about your concerns.

3. Local Government

You do not have to turn to federal organizations for assistance. Local government offices may be able to provide more accurate and regional data for your research. Most state and local governments have an emergency manager's office. Contacting the office can put you in touch with people who have relevant information about your property concerns.

4. Local Organizations

You can also reach out to local nonprofit organizations, such as the red cross. Any organization that offers help to people during natural disasters, such as floods, should be able to provide some insight or direction as to flood risks in your area.

Finding out if you are located in a flood zone is pertinent to homeowner decisions, such as purchasing flood insurance. While you might find information by simple searches online, the above four methods allow you to get information from authoritative sources.

3 Simple Tips for Preparing and Maintaining Your Fire Sprinkler System

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

The most significant way to ensure optimal sprinkler functionality is to inspect the system’s water supply regularly.

3 Easy Ways To Prepare And Maintain Your Fire Sprinkler System

Fire sprinkler systems are one of the best tools for preventing and controlling devastating fires. Nevertheless, residential and commercial property owners often shy away from sprinklers, fearing that they are difficult to install, maintain, and manage.
On the contrary, fire sprinklers require little care and attention to function properly. A simple maintenance checklist is all you need to ensure adequate fire suppression and save both your property and your life.

1. Perform Fire Sprinkler Drain and Flow Tests Semiannually

The most significant way to ensure optimal sprinkler functionality is to inspect the system’s water supply regularly. You can either perform these inspections yourself or have a contractor in Des Moines, WA, complete the task for you.

Experts suggest that owners perform drain and flow tests at least once every few years but encourage inspections on an annual or semiannual basis. Drain and flow tests ensure that water flows freely through sprinkler pipes and that sprinklers emit adequate water when triggered.

2. Keep Sprinklers Uncovered (Usually)

It may seem intuitive that sprinklers should remain uncovered and unobstructed to do their jobs properly. In most situations, this is a critical part of the sprinkler maintenance checklist.
However, it is essential to shield sprinklers in specific instances. Sprinklers in paint shops, for example, can accrue enough residue to block water from escaping. The solution is to cover sprinklers with an approved plastic or cellophane cover and replace these coverings every few months to prevent inhibitive buildup.

3. Winterize Your Sprinklers

Like traditional water pipes, sprinkler systems can freeze when the temperature drops in cold winter months. Fortunately, the winterization process for fire sprinklers and traditional water pipes is the same, making it a simple addition to your winter safety checklist.

Keeping your fire sprinkler system in top-notch condition is simple with a short maintenance checklist. In the event of a fire, a fire restoration company ensures that fire sprinkler cleanup is equally easy. With this peace of mind, you can set aside your excuses for installing this life-saving system.

Things To Know About Cleaning Up After a Fire

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO franchisees are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can get to work quickly to fix fire damage to your business.

What You Should Know About Cleaning Up After A Fire

Responsible commercial property owners know that they need to have a comprehensive approach plan to protect the destruction of their buildings due to fire and other types of damage. When examining your coverage options for your property in Mercer Island, WA, keep in mind that smoke and water damage may also occur, so a post-fire cleanup should be completed by an experienced provider of commercial fire damage restoration.

Such a provider has the knowledge, tools, and techniques to expedite the time it takes to restore your property to pre-fire conditions, including dry-cleaning, water removal, and more.

Typical Steps for Content Cleaning and Restoration

After immediately notifying a professional fire restoration company, you can expect the following as a general outline of the cleanup process:

• A full inspection of your property to assess the extent of damage, including that of fire, soot, and water
• Installation of tarps and boarding up windows and doors to block further damage
  
• Removal of water damage and use of water-drying tools
  
• Content cleaning techniques for removal of smoke damage from items
  
• Dry-cleaning and other approaches to disinfect affected items to restore to pre-fire conditions
• Other work, including reconstruction, to finalize the process

Fire damage professionals will take a repair-then-replace approach to help lower the overall costs, whether covered by insurance or not.

Benefits of Working With Professionals

There are many ways to complete a full restoration, but the pros understand the most efficient and effective approaches. Besides cleanup, they can also rebuild damaged structures and provide content storage during the restoration process. The professionals understand big picture issues as well as the details.

As a knowledgeable commercial property owner, you understand that having insurance is good sense. You also know that the best thing you can do for your units in Mercer Island, WA, is to contact expert restoration specialists for the quickest and most cost-effective approach. From dry-cleaning to soot removal and more, they’ve got you covered.