What You Need To Know About Fires!

12/6/2022 (Permalink)

Timing is everything. In just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening. In five minutes, a residence can be engulfed in flames.

• Fire is FAST! In less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a serious fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames - impairing vision and breathing.
• Fire is HOT! Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes on your skin. Always crawl on the floor!
• Fire is DARK! Fires start bright but quickly produce black smoke and complete darkness.
• Smoke is DEADLY! Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire produces poisonous gases that disorient you. Asphyxiation (suffocation) is the leading cause of death from home-related fires.

Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a bit different, each one requires a customized solution tailored to the specific conditions. Our SERVPRO Team has the necessary equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire or smoke-damaged property. Most importantly, we will also treat your family with empathy and respect and your property with care.

The Aftermath Of A Commercial Fire

8/18/2022 (Permalink)

Once the fire department has doused all of the flames, be sure to call SERVPRO, the fire remediation experts.

When a fire strikes on your commercial property, it's quite likely that you feel yourself start to panic. This immediate reaction makes sense given all of the economic turmoil and property destruction that a fire can cause. However, knowing which steps to take in the face of a Cleveland commercial fire can help prevent you from becoming anxious, losing money, and undergoing extensive property damages. To handle a commercial fire successfully, follow the tips below:

1. Contact A Fire Remediation Expert.
Once the fire department has put out all of the flames, be sure to call a fire remediation expert. This individual will be able to equip you with a thorough assessment indicating the extent of the damages. Don't ever attempt to handle any of the cleanups, drying, or restoration processes on your own. Doing so could put you in peril of injury and illness.

2. Assemble Your Records.
In addition to contacting a fire remediation expert, make sure that you assemble your business' essential records. You'll want to have this information with you when you start working with your insurance company. To guarantee that you can have all of your files ready in a safe place, make a point to buy a fireproof safe where they can be stored.

3. Call The Insurance Company Immediately.
Be sure that you call your insurance company once the fire is put out. This step is important because your insurance agent will work with you to file a claim and determine how much coverage you'll attain for the commercial damages.

4. Get Permission To Re-enter The Building.
Always ask the fire department or another local authority whether you can re-enter your building. In some cases, a fire can weaken the structural integrity of the commercial property and make it subject to collapse. This is why you need to assure that re-entry is safe for you and your tenants.

If you experience a fire at your commercial property, call our experts at SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County today at (440) 324-2620!

Steps To Take When Your Basement Floods

6/30/2022 (Permalink)

Don't let a flooded basement ruin your week, call our SERVPRO Team today!

Even if you’ve taken steps to protect your basement from water damage, a burst pipe, broken sump pump, or heavy storm could cause your basement to flood, leaving you with a long cleanup and restoration project. Knowing what to do when disaster strikes can dramatically reduce the damage to your home.

First, the health and safety of you and your family is paramount to all else. Stay out of the basement until you’re sure the conditions are safe. As soon as you can and always before returning to basement, turn off all electricity and gas lines to that area. If you are unsure how to do this, call SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County for 24/7 emergency assistance.

If the flood is due to rainfall, wait until the storm passes before attempting any cleanup. If the flood is not due to rain, take action immediately. Locate the cause of the flood and take steps such as unblocking drains or shutting off water valves to stop waters from rising.

Once you are sure no more water will enter the basement, start by ventilating the area. Open windows and doors to promote airflow and speed up evaporation. Collect and move boxes, documents, and small items away from the flood. Leave electronics in place; they pose a risk of electrical shock even if the electricity is off.

To remove the water, you will need a wet-vac or pump. Never attempt to collect water using a household vacuum. If you haven’t already, call SERVPRO and let our highly-experienced team take it from here. We will extract the water from your basement and remove damaged items such as carpet and drywall.

After the area is 100% dry, disinfecting and mold prevention measures are taken to ensure no lasting effects. Finally, the damage is repaired and rebuilt so you can get back to normal. SERVPRO can also restore many electronic items and dry documents and photos to minimize the water damage to your possessions.

If your basement is flooding, you should consider it an emergency situation. Call SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County anytime for immediate service and the best name in water damage repair and restoration!

Storm and Wind Damage

6/29/2022 (Permalink)

A tree blown over caused damage to a pole barn and truck.

With summer upon us thunderstorms can not only bring water damage to homes, it can also bring wind damage. Damage from severe thunderstorm winds account for half of all severe reports in the lower 48 states and is more common than damage from tornadoes.

Below are some steps to take if your home is damaged by wind.

Documenting Damage:

• Call and report your damage to your insurance company.
• From a safe location, take pictures of any damage.
• Inventory any belongings that may have been destroyed or damaged, noting the brand, price, age, etc.
• If you have pictures of your home before the damage, include them with your insurance claim.

Preventing Further Damage:

• If you suspect possible structural, electrical or gas-leak hazards, shut off electrical power, natural gas and propane tanks to avoid fire, electrocution or explosions.
• Cover broken windows and doors with tarps, heavy plastic or plywood to prevent further damage. Save repair receipts for reimbursement. 

Repairs and Cleanup:

• Don’t start permanent, major repairs or renovations until your property has been inspected by an insurance representative.
• If your roof needs to be replaced, hire a professional roofing contractor who is licensed and insured.
• Fallen trees or large branches also are best removed by a professional tree service. This service may be covered depending on your policy coverage.

If your home suffers wind damage, please contact SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County at (440) 324-2620 for any board up, tarp up, tree removal, or roof replacement services.

Unexpected Summer Storms

6/29/2022 (Permalink)

The flooded hallway in this Cleveland home was caused by a recent storm.

It's official, summer is FINALLY here! It's the time of the year that we have all been waiting for. It's a time for us to be outside, enjoy the sunshine and get ourselves a nice tan. But we always forget that summer also brings us storms, which means rain! Bummer!

You have probably already noticed that our forecast lately has a lot rain in the future. Does the upcoming rain make you think about your home? Probably not, you're too busy waiting for the rain to go away so you can get back outside again. But you should be thinking about your home especially with the upcoming storms we may have this summer.

Thinking about your home and the rain, you should have SERVPRO in the back of your mind! Our SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County Team is here for all of your water damage needs. Our Team follows IICRC Standards when restoring your home after a storm.

Here at SERVPRO we are prepared for any upcoming storm even though you may not be. We have a 24-7 on-call technician available for you, even in the early morning hours. We are ready to address your next residential disaster and send a crew right out to you. We want to get a crew out to you quickly, we don't like to wait around, that causes secondary damages to your home which means more downtime. No fun!

SERVPRO is prepared for the unexpected! That's our business and we love it! SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County is always here to help. Call us today at (440) 324-2620!

Restoring Carpet After A Flood

6/29/2022 (Permalink)

In some situations, only padding under a carpet needs replacing after incurring water damage.

Carpet replacement can be one of the costliest parts of a water damage cleanup process, but it does not always have to happen. While carpet can easily be damaged beyond possible repair, in many cases SERVPRO can restore your carpet without needing to replace part or all of it. The most important and deciding factor is the severity and type of water damage in your Cleveland home - storm flooding and some other forms of damage are typically irredeemable. If the flooding is benign, or if the damage is light overall, we can help save your carpet (and your wallet).

 
Rapid Drying
 
Our primary method of softening the impact of water damage in Cleveland is our time-tested strategy of mitigation. If the carpet is allowed to stay damp for too long, damage can become permanent, and mold can begin to grow. Within four hours of your first call to us, our personnel should be on-scene to evaluate and respond to damage.

Floodwaters can be extracted before they have time to settle in and cause more severe damage, and we can quickly set up powerful air movers to create powerful, water-removing air currents in your home. Finally, we then use dehumidifiers to take water back out of the air, leaving any scene of water damage completely dry within a short time frame.
 
Restorative Techniques
 
Once the carpet has been dried, it likely still needs some restorative processes to be back in top shape. SERVPRO specializes in this, with dedicated cleaning tools and techniques to help maintain color, texture, and integrity of carpeting. During this time, if we determine that a region of carpet is more seriously damaged or otherwise needs replacing, we can typically cut off that spot alone for replacement without removing the rest of the carpet.
 
SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County is available around the clock to respond to water damage emergencies in the local area. If water damage has hit your home or if you would like to learn more about our services, call us today at (440) 324-2620!

Leave The Drying Equipment On!

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

We understand that the drying equipment can be noisy and annoying, but please leave it on! We promise it helps!

When you call SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County to help restore your property after suffering a water loss, our professional technicians will place the appropriate amount of equipment to dry out the area as quickly as possible. It is important to always follow our instructions and keep the equipment running at all times. We realize that the equipment is noisy and can become bothersome if you remain in your home during the restoration process, however, turning off the air movers and/or dehumidifiers can delay the drying time and can cause further damage to your property such as mold growth. It is also important to note that oftentimes your insurance coverage will only pay for the drying equipment for a specific length of time, depending on the category of damage. Your SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County project manager will monitor the moisture readings of the equipment daily to determine the appropriate time for removal. If you have any concerns or questions about the drying equipment, be sure to speak to any of our highly trained technicians!

Keeping Your Store Clean For Customers

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

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! 

Restoring A Building After A Flood

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

The flood in this commercial building was caused by a malfunctioning toilet.

Restoring a commercial building after a flooding event has a lot of moving parts. Even when professional restorers of our team can get on the scene very quickly, many things must happen to make the space usable again. Such was the case with this specific office in Cleveland that our professionals worked to restore back to its original condition.

Several steps play into flood damage restoration. As always, this process begins with an overall assessment of the damage and the appropriate tools and personnel required to restore it. Once this is established, work can begin.

In the image, you can see that the flooring had to get removed by our SERVPRO technicians. This was partly because the damage was irreparable to the flooring material, and also partly an easier access point for our professionals to work to dry out the dampness in the sub-flooring and lower levels.

You can also see what is known as flood cuts. This process serves to remove overly saturated drywall from the affected areas but has a dual purpose to allow concentrated drying efforts to happen within the now open wall cavities. These cuts were made at two feet from the floors up the wall, but this size varies from project to project based on the affected surfaces and what amount of the drywall requires removal.

Mitigation is an important aspect of flood restoration. The better our SERVPRO technicians can stop damages from getting worse, the shorter these projects take overall and the lesser their estimated costs for your business or property. It is part of our pledge to be Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Overcoming flooding in your commercial building can seem overwhelming at first, even amid the restoration work. However, with the right professional restoration team, you can have a fully restored office space as quickly as possible. Trust in the experience and expertise of our SERVPRO of Southern Lorain County flood restoration specialists and give SERVPRO a call today at (440) 324-2620.

Preventing Grease Fires

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

Call our SERVPRO Team for your fire restoration needs!

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?

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. If the fire gets out of hand, make sure to call 911 to get assistance right away from the Cleveland Fire Department.
4. NEVER pour water on an active grease fire or fan the fire. Both of these actions will only spread the fire.
5. Do NOT fan the fire with a dry or wet cloth, it can make it worse and spread the fire.
6. If all else fails, use a fire extinguisher to put out the flame.

How to Prevent A Grease Fire

1. Never leave your cooking unattended, always keep an eye on any pots or pans.
2. Make sure that you have a sufficiently sized lid for all of your cooking ware.
3. Heat the oils in your pans slowly, don't put your stove on the highest setting right off the bat.
4. 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 Southern Lorain 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 Southern Lorain County Team has the knowledge and decades of experience to help you quickly and effectively repair damage from a grease fire.