When Fire Damages Your Pinehurst/Moore and Montgomery Counties Building, We Can Help

1/3/2023 (Permalink)

Fire damage to a property can immediately affect your ability to live in it or work there. Other than the obvious structural damage, there could be other factors that render the home or commercial property uninhabitable. Soot and smoke damage are two of the most common causes. It is easy to underestimate the damage caused by smoke and soot after a fire. This type of disaster requires special products and equipment. It is best to contact SERVPRO immediately if you have suffered this type of property damage.

SERVPRO project managers have the ability to assess your property's damage after a fire, and provide transparent restoration processes. You or your insurance company, or both depending on the circumstances surrounding the loss, will be contacted directly by them. They will also provide daily communication about project progress reports and information so that you are always up to date on what is happening in your property.

We can also help with odor, soot, and smoke damage. After completing the restoration and cleaning, our team of construction professionals is ready to begin your project and rebuild your home.

We hope that your property is not damaged by fire. However, we are available 24/7/365 to assist you in the event of such damage.

Duct Work Cleaning

9/6/2022 (Permalink)

Is the ductwork in your building clean and ready for the winter months? As forced hot air systems are turned on all over the city for the cold winter months we are reminded that it is important to make sure the ductwork that supplies that warm air is clean. Clean ductwork makes for a healthier environment inside your home, office or business. Clean ductwork also makes your heating system more efficient and reduces your fuel costs. There are some factors that make cleaning your ductwork a necessity, one such factor is if you have recently had flooding, water damage or mold within your building. Mold in ductwork can lead to health issues for anyone within your building and regularly having your ducts cleaned is the easiest way to avoid this type of disaster.

How to Prepare for a Storm

4/29/2022 (Permalink)

Storms can be as unexpected as the damage they cause. Often, with the right preparation, much of the storm damage can be minimized or prevented altogether. Here are some tips to help prevent the damages storms may cause.

Clean Your Gutters

When it rains, and your gutters are clogged, it could cause the overflow to run down into your home. Often, this water can go undetected and sit. Over time, mold can grow in these areas that remain wet. Having clean and sturdy gutters before the rain comes can minimize the damage a storm may cause.

Landscaping and drainage

Depending on the land your home is built, water runoff can accumulate around your foundation, and flood your homes. Fortunately, there are solutions with the right landscaping. Better pathways can be created for water runoff, guiding the water away from your home. If you have noticed puddles or water accumulation near your home when it rains, contact a professional to help, before a storm comes. That can make the difference in whether your home is damaged or not.

Damaged or Dead Trees 

Storm damage often occurs when a tree or limbs break off and falls onto a home. Snow and rain can weigh down trees, while wind can make them bend. If this happens to trees and limbs that are dead or damaged, there’s a high chance that they will break. Before the storm season comes, be sure to trim your trees, and remove all dead limbs.

Make sure your Employees are Fire Ready

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Smart Fire Prevention Practices for Businesses

• Hold meetings to educate your employees on emergency evacuation plans.

• Familiarize and train employees on how to use fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting tools.

• Stage a fire drill at least once a year.

• Clearly mark emergency exits and escape routes, and keep them unobstructed at all times.

• Provide a minimum of one 2A 10BC-rated fire extinguisher for every 75 feet of travel distance within every 6,000 square feet. Mount fire extinguishers on the wall, three to five feet from the floor.

• Provide quarterly maintenance and 5-year certification of your fire sprinkler system.

• Remove trash and waste paper from the office on a regular basis.

• Keep the furnace room, electrical rooms, and spaces below stairwells clear—never use them for storage.

• Place heat-generating appliances such as copiers, heaters, and coffee makers away from combustible materials.

• Keep your workspace and equipment well ventilated and clean—especially clear of oil and dust.

• Do not use electrical equipment when flammable gases, vapors, liquids, dust, or fibers are present.

• Check to make sure your circuits are not overloaded.

• Maintain free access to all electrical control panels. Material or equipment stored in front of the panels will slow down power shut-downs in an emergency situation.

• Use extension cords ONLY for temporary wiring.

• Replace any damaged or missing electrical components, including the covers on all plates.

• Identify each circuit breaker in an electrical panel and install blanks for missing circuit breakers.

• Clearly label the contents of all compressed gas cylinders. Chain or nest cylinders to prevent them from falling over.

Your HVAC System Is a Black Mold Superhighway

4/27/2022 (Permalink)

Your HVAC System Is a Superhighway for Black Mold

Mold spreads by releasing its spores, letting them float through the air and land where they may. If the spores end up somewhere warm and moist that makes it easy for them to grow, then you could have black mold building up in your facility relatively quickly. You can't always do much about the moisture itself, but you can inhibit mold's mobility and potentially control the source of your water damage problem by taking the following steps:

• Stop the flow of air between rooms
• Turn off the HVAC units
• Switch off your water
  
  

Mold Travels

There are many things that could contribute to the transmission of black mold spores throughout a building. Some of them are unavoidable:

• Foot traffic
• Water damage or mold cleanup activities
• Construction
  
  

In a normal situation, even major renovations shouldn't spread mold excessively. Unless there's heavy airflow, spores don't travel very far when they go airborne. However, a powerful HVAC system could potentially suck up a significant amount of mold. These spores could then become trapped in the crevices of your ducts to periodically recirculate them throughout your entire facility.

Counterintuitive Solutions

It might seem like dealing with a mold and moisture problem would include cranking your ventilation system all the way up to dry out your rooms. However, that could cause more problems. It's often best to let mold cleanup professionals in Pinehurst/Moore & Montgomery Counties handle the issue. The difference is that the pros use equipment designed specifically to be tough on moisture and mold, while your HVAC system is engineered for a completely different purpose.

Cleaning the Ducts

It's a point of some debate in the black mold remediation community whether or not duct cleaning has a major influence on mold problems. Even the EPA is still undecided on the subject. However, it is a good idea to inspect your ductwork after you discover a mold problem. If you have mold populations lurking in your HVAC system, they're likely to spread.

24/7/365 WE RESPOND

4/13/2022 (Permalink)

No one can ever predict when a disaster will occur. Whether it be a broken pipe causing major water damage or a fire causing destruction and displacement. They certainly don't always occur between 9:00-5:00 o'clock. Unfortunately, most occur when either the business is closed or the family is away. Holidays and winter are the most common seasons.

One of the key elements to mitigating any disaster (especially water damage) is speed of clean up. Mold from water can begin to grow in as little as 48 hours and make a bad situation worse. Extraction and drying are paramount to avoiding this hazardous situation. But also the quicker the professional restorer begins the more likelihood they are able to "save" your belongings.  For all these reasons SERVPRO of Pinehurst/Moore & Montgomery Counties is available 24/7/365 to meet any disaster head-on. Call us at 910-428-5280. 

Appliance Water Damage Repair

4/6/2022 (Permalink)

It is amazing how quickly things can change when an appliance such as a dishwasher or a refrigerator begins to leak. Many times the leak can go unnoticed for days and weeks until it is too late and there is permanent damage to floors, baseboards, cabinets and more. This is where SERVPRO of Pinehurst/Moore & Montgomery Counties can help. We are available to repair the damage caused by a leaking appliance and can work with you and in some cases your insurance company to repair the damage and restore our home. 

Our team is available 24/7 when this type of water damage occurs because if the flow of water cannot easily be stopped and is significant you may need immediate help. As water begins to permeate surfaces such as particle board, drywall, laminate flooring and carpets the materials quickly become unsalvageable and must be removed and replaced, this includes insulation behind sheetrock walls. Our team is trained to measure humidity levels in these materials to determine if the can be saved or if removing them will be better to prevent structural damage. 

If your home or commercial property are damaged by water from a leaking appliance, water supply or waste pipe, call us today. We are prepared to help 24/7!

The Return of the Mold: How To Minimize Your Risk of Repeat Growth

2/25/2022 (Permalink)

The Return of Mold: How to Reduce Your Chances of Recurring Growth

It is impossible to have a completely mold-free home. Mold is in the air. It hitches a ride on your clothes and hair when you come in from outside your home in Pinehurst/Moore & Montgomery and it seeks out any moisture source it can find. Black mold growth can appear in areas that have water damage from leaks or malfunctioning plumbing. Mold remediation experts can resolve the problem, but unless you take certain precautions, the mold could return, even after professional cleanup.

1. Maintain Your Home.

Vigilant maintenance is the key to preventing the need for future mold cleanup. Take note of the places in your home where condensation tends to gather or leaks often occur. Fix the problems causing the leaks. This not only prevents unsightly water damage but also denies black mold spores a place to land and thrive.

2. Ventilate Stagnant Areas.

Your attic gets stuffy quite easily, so you must make sure that it is properly ventilated. Moisture is more likely to gather in areas lacking in air flow. Giving the stale air in these places a place to escape outside your home can be an effective mold growth deterrent.

3. Control the Humidity.

Your indoor humidity should stay within a range of 30 and 50 percent. Humid rooms are prone to mold issues. Exhaust fans in your kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms can help prevent the need for mold cleanup.

4. Hire Professionals.

If you do discover a mold problem in your home, don’t try to clean it up yourself. Certified technicians are trained to assess the problem and resolve it thoroughly. If your mold issue is not resolved completely, it is likely to return again.

Mold remediation specialists can resolve a problem with black mold in your home. Your responsibility is to do everything you can to keep the problem from recurring by making your home a place where mold feels less welcome.

Winter Storms Can Cause Long Term Damage To Commercial Properties, Be Prepared With A SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile

2/17/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's Emergency Ready Profile lets businesses register their properties with the local SERVPRO project manager free of charge. This profile lists the property/properties for your local SERVPRO manager, so that we can be prepared in case of an emergency. This profile can help you save thousands on damages caused by a storm or other severe weather event.

Large snowstorms in winter can cause damage to power lines, causing power outages and reducing heat supply for homes and businesses throughout the region. Many commercial properties can be left empty when this happens. The cold temperatures can cause equipment damage and water supply lines to burst. A company with a current SERVPRO ERP (Emergency Ready Profile) will know exactly where to find water, electricity, and other vital areas in order to turn off the water supply.

Call us to find out more about our free preparation service. The project manager will schedule your property walk-through before the next winter storm.

3 Ways Water Can Damage Your Home After a Fire

2/14/2022 (Permalink)

A fire can wreak havoc on your home, but the flames aren’t the only things that can cause destruction to your property. Often times, water can cause as many or, in some cases, more problems as the fire damage itself. If you own a home in Pinehurst/Moore & Montgomery Counties then you should be aware of the ways that water can cause further devastation after a fire.

1. Ruptured Pipes

During a fire, temperatures in your home can become extreme, and the intense heat can cause burst pipes and plumbing malfunctions. Falling debris can also lead to warped or broken pipes. Even if parts of your home are spared from burning, flooding can cause water damage throughout your residence, especially to walls and flooring.

2. Storm Damage

Fire damage often includes structural problems to the roof and windows. This can mean that water will be able to enter the home during any inclement weather that occurs before repairs can be completed. Placing tarps on the roof and boarding any broken windows can help mitigate these potential problems.

3. Water From Fire Hoses

When firefighters go to work to extinguish a burning house, their biggest ally is water. While absolutely necessary, the thousands of gallons that can come from a fire hose can leave behind a great deal of residual water that will need to be cleaned and removed. The longer this water sits stagnant, the greater the potential for incurring more damage and costly repairs. Fire extinguishers used by emergency responders can also contain compressed water, which can also leave behind destruction.

If you are dealing with the heartbreak of a fire in your dwelling, you are probably preparing to combat the fire damage you have suffered. However, you should also make a plan to deal with the destruction that water may have caused to your property, as well. Contact an emergency restoration specialist for more information to help you restore your home to the safe haven you deserve.