Our Technicians Can Help After a Flood Has Caused Significant Damage

5/25/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO maintains constant readiness to help you handle the effects of flooding in your home.

Don't Let These Effects Of Flood Damage In Carson City Happen To Your Home

Some of the most severe effects of flood damage in Carson City only show themselves hours or days after the disaster happens, and only if no action is taken in that time to prevent additional damage from happening.

Companies like SERVPRO exist to provide 24/7 protection against floods in Carson City by responding quickly to your home and removing water before anything worse can happen. However, without a professional mitigation crew helping out, the problems can add up quickly. Here are some of the things that can happen to your home without a fast response.

Hours After the Incident - Water Seeps In
When water first enters the area, its effects are often only at the surface level. However, with more time, moisture can seep deeper into the wood, concrete, tile, and other common home materials. The deeper water reaches, the longer we must spend drying the area out and the more resources we have to invest just in getting the place dry again. Every minute counts after a disaster, so be sure to call SERVPRO without delay!

Days After the Incident - Severe Effects
When standing water and excess moisture remain in the environment for several days without intervention, they begin to cause more severe effects in the home. Wood boards can bend and warp, metals can start to oxidize, and some types of carpeting may become impossible to save. Mold can also become a significant problem at this time. Even if damage has progressed to this stage, you should try to call us in as soon as possible so that our experts can stop these issues from becoming permanent.

One Week or More - Permanent Damage
Once roughly a week has passed without thorough drying solutions, permanent damages start to drastically increase the restoration and repair costs associated with the incident. Concrete can crack and fragment, woods can become heavily deteriorated, and mold growth may be so extensive as to pose significant health effects. We can help to remove water and restore damages even well past this stage, but the problems may be much harder for us to deal with than if we had responded earlier.

SERVPRO of Carson City / Douglas County / South Lake Tahoe / Lyon & Storey Counties / Reno East maintains constant readiness to help you handle the effects of flooding in your home. Call us.

Fire Damaged Belongings Can Be Restored for Douglas County Properties

5/21/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is Here to Help Restore Your Property and Belongings After a Fire.

Douglas County Properties Can Use SERVPRO's Off-Site Contents Cleaning and Storage

Don't Get Overwhelmed with Cleaning Fire Damaged Possessions - Call SERVPRO for Restoration and Off-Site Contents Cleaning.

Most home and business owners throughout the Douglas County area agree that while they have invested considerable time and money into their homes, they value several of the possessions inside with higher regard and importance. Photos, artwork, computer drives and other unique items that cannot get duplicated are treasured belongings. When disasters like fires occur, it can be challenging to protect these items. Many consider them lost to the compounds overtaking the property.

One of the advantages of choosing professional restoration services for fire damaged property is the division of content management technicians that our SERVPRO team can provide in this crises. We have highly trained experts capable of assessing the status of multiple items, furniture, and belongings to determine which need temporary relocation and which items can benefit from focused cleaning and restoration efforts in our nearby facility. It is our mission to provide your possessions with the very best care and consideration throughout every phase of the recovery process.
 
Taking your belongings off-site can be stressful to many home and business owners. We help to ease your mind by answering your questions and concerns, and through thorough cataloging of your full inventory of items to show detailed accounts of where every item is at any time, whether it is getting worked on or it is stored safely in our climate-controlled warehouse. Our CCIS Contents Claim Inventory Service documents your belongings and serves as a useful tool for dealing with your insurance adjuster.
 
While in our possession, our content management professionals can utilize cutting-edge equipment like ozone chambers for large-scale deodorization projects and ultrasonic tanks for unparalleled cleaning of soot and smoke-damaged items. Once the restoration work is finished on the property, our SERVPRO team can carefully return these removed items to their original positions, making your property look “Like it never even happened.”
 
While structural concerns are often a priority for our customers, the same sense of urgency is placed on restoring and protecting damaged belongings as well. Our SERVPRO of Douglas County, Carson City, South Lake Tahoe, Lyon & Storey Counties team can help however you need.

We have a full roster of qualified restoration specialists that can help you through every phase of fire loss recovery.

Give us a call at (775) 588-2355.

SERVPRO Commercial Air Duct Cleaning Service offers surprising benefits to your Reno Business

5/16/2023 (Permalink)

Our SERVPRO commercial cleaning specialists are familiar with all types of commercial and industrial HVAC/air duct systems.

Business owners and managers are busy. Countless daily tasks and emergency situations make paying attention to routine maintenance difficult at times. Turning your attention annually to your commercial HVAC system and air duct system, including performing scheduled inspections, maintenance, and cleaning services, is crucial to keeping your operations running efficiently.

There are many benefits to having our SERVPRO of South Lake Tahoe, Douglas County, Carson City, Lyon & Storey County, & Reno East commercial cleaning professionals perform an air duct, vent, and register cleaning at your Tahoe/Truckee commercial building.

Commercial Air Duct Cleaning Benefits:

• Reduce energy costs for your business
• Reduce the potential for mold growth
• Improve indoor air quality
• Increase air circulation and flow
• Increase your commercial system performance
• Extend HVAC equipment life

Whether your focus is eliminating contaminants, dust, debris, and other harmful pollutants to improve your building's indoor air quality, or you want to extend the life and efficiency of your HVAC and air duct system; SERVPRO professional commercial HVAC/air duct cleaning services could benefit your business. According to the US Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the energy used for heating or cooling is wasted due to air pollutants and other dirt and debris clogging up residential/commercial air ducts.

Things that decrease airflow in your commercial air duct system:

• Obstructed condenser unit
• Blocked vents and registers
• Clogged filters
• Blocked or leaky ducts

Our SERVPRO technicians have advanced training to help resolve potential airflow concerns and accurately clean and remove the buildup of dust/debris, contaminants, mold spores, and particulates circulating throughout your commercial air duct system. Our crews use a variety of specialized equipment to overcome years of buildup and pollutants within your air duct system, including high-powered HEPA vacuums, negative air machines, and whisking brushes to help remove debris and mold spores from internal surfaces. Our goal is to provide a thorough commercial air duct cleaning and remove built-up sediment and pollutants from your system, improving efficiency and indoor air quality.

Why is Cleaning Your Commercial Air Ducts Important?

The air ducts in your Tahoe, Truckee, or Reno commercial building serve an important function, bringing heating and cooling throughout your facility as well as circulating the air through a filter, which cleans out some of the dust particles before reaching the rooms in which air is breathed by you and your employees.

Air Duct Cleaning Improves the Quality of Indoor Air

By routinely having your air ducts cleaned you can significantly decrease the number of airborne molecules in your office, all while avoiding weighty fees for other air-purifying solutions. Air ducts, like everything else in our office, collect dirt and debris. While filters may catch a lot of streaming debris, there is still a considerable amount of dust that settles within the ducts.

Air Duct Cleaning Conserves Energy

Air duct cleaning provides a beginning in optimizing your duct function, a properly and thoroughly cleaned HVAC system can reduce the costs associated with running your HVAC system and increase the useful life of your air conditioner and furnace. Performing routine commercial air duct cleanings removes obstructions and improves airflow, helping your systems to work better, faster, and more efficiently, all while using less energy!

Your local SERVPRO specializes in cleaning commercial and industrial air ducts; contact our staff to schedule an inspection and estimate for your commercial cleaning solution. Our crews have experience, training, and advanced equipment to restore your HVAC system to optimal performance. Our SERVPRO commercial cleaning specialists are familiar with all types of commercial and industrial HVAC/air duct systems, give us a call so we can get to work, and you can start experiencing the benefits a commercial air duct cleaning service can bring to your business!

Call (775) 588-2355

Tahoe Snow Resorts Turn to SERVPRO for Help Dealing with Seasonal Water Damage

4/27/2023 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO to learn how to prevent water damage from frozen pipes.

Burst pipes and roof leaks can be a common cause of water damage in Tahoe

Getting ready for seasonal guests and want to ensure that all services, locations, and attractions on your Tahoe snow resort function properly? You can easily gain access to qualified professionals who remain dedicated to helping your business flourish.

Our technicians specialize in providing a variety of emergency services, not the least of which includes locating frozen pipes on your Tahoe area property. We can repair any resulting water damage and prepare your pipes to combat future issues that often lead to delays or closure of facilities and attractions offered to resort guests. 

At SERVPRO we understand how important it is to meet deadlines and expectations. With of all of the attractions such as lodging, shopping, nightlife, wedding, and dining services offered at your Tahoe snow resort, a single water damage problem can lead to catastrophic issues. You need your property running at peak efficiency, and we are here to make water problems disappear, “Like it never even happened.”

With severe fluctuations in temperature, it is common for piping to experience severe stress, which leads to bursts or frozen pipes. The obvious thing to do under these circumstances is to shut the water off to whichever building has the break. However, this also means shutting services off to the building in question. You can work with SERVPRO professionals to help ensure costly repairs associated with frozen pipes on your snow resort are a thing of the past.

Give SERVPRO’s IICRC-industry certified technicians the opportunity to inspect at-risk areas of your property including basements, crawl spaces, unheated utility rooms, and outside walls for proper weatherproofing. Our technicians can provide you with unique solutions that keep operations moving forward, should a pipe freeze or burst. 

We have access to all of the personnel, equipment, and resources necessary to tackle any size emergency. Our staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond and provide you with quality solutions you can count on to keep your snow resort running smoothly.

Contact SERVPRO of Carson City / Douglas County / South Lake Tahoe / Reno East / Lyon & Storey Counties for access to restoration experts in Douglas County and South Lake Tahoe, today. We are here to help, anytime. (775) 588-2355

To learn more about Lake Tahoe, click here.

Tahoe's Water Removal Specialists Explain Moisture Testing

4/21/2023 (Permalink)

Facing a water damaged room can be a stress-causing experience. Contact SERVPRO right away and we will help you through the entire process.

SERVPRO Quickly Establishes a Drying Plan Based on the Initial Assessment

Any time water gets inside your Tahoe residence, removing the excessive moisture within 48 hours is essential. If wood or paper materials stay wet for longer, then microbial formation can take place. Water can also saturate contents and building materials inside your home ruining them.
 
After something like a pipe break or an appliance malfunctioning takes place and causes water to flood your house, extraction occurs to pull out any standing water and moisture inside porous materials. The next step in any water removal project in Tahoe is the drying process. Rapid drying of contents and structural components is essential to prevent secondary damage and mold growth.
 
Before drying begins, the area gets tested to determine the extent of damage the moisture has caused. Our SERVPRO technicians check the temperature, relative humidity, and moisture content of wood and drywall. Once we figure out how wet the region got, we can formulate a drying plan.
 
The initial drying plan includes how many air movers and dehumidifiers get set up in the affected area. The plan also indicates drying goals. The drying goals are set by determining what the conditions were before the loss took place.
 
The ending goal is determined by coming up with a dry standard. To establish a dry standard, the humidity, temperature, and moisture content of drywall and wooden materials in unaffected areas of the building get tested. Once the standard is designated as the drying goal, our IICRC-certified team uses their knowledge and experience to determine the right pieces of drying equipment to rapidly dry out the moisture until it is back to pre loss conditions.
 
The air movers and dehumidifiers get set up so that the air movers use the hot, dry air coming out of the dehumidifiers to circulate air in the room in a counterclockwise motion. We return each day and test the moisture levels in the affected area. Once the levels return to the established goals, we remove the equipment and the cleaning and reconstruction phases take place.
 
During the final stage, baseboards get reinstalled, and everything inside your home gets put back where it was before the damage occurred. A final cleaning process takes place to remove any dust or debris created by the restoration work. If you ever need help with moisture damage restoration, call SERVPRO of Carson City / Douglas County / South Lake Tahoe / Reno East / Lyon & Storey Counties at (775) 588-2355, seven days a week.

Click here for more information on the city of Tahoe.

Is Your Home Overrun By Catastrophe? SERVPRO Can Help!

4/17/2023 (Permalink)

Let SERVPRO assist you in any disaster recovery situation.

How Our SERVPRO Personnel Recovers Disasters for Reno, Tahoe, and Carson City Residents

With so many of our service areas rooted in various facets of the entertainment industry, we know how important it is to get businesses and even area homes up and running normally again quickly. With the high volume of residents in Carson City alone, our SERVPRO professionals must stay prepared continuously for the main divisions of the restoration work that we do: water, fire, mold, water, and storm loss incidents. With an ability to mobilize quickly in a crisis, we can reach damaged properties fast to showcase the full measure of our elite training, our growing inventory of advanced equipment and products, and the compassion and empathy of our technicians on the job. 

Fire 

In every possible sense of the word, the recovery of fire damage in Carson City is about efficiency. There is no chance for wasted opportunities, resources, and talent when attempting to restore a property to preloss condition. That is why our entire SERVPRO team works to get the damage assessment and preliminary steps handled immediately upon our arrival, so there is no delay in vital mitigation and restoration work to follow. We even have our estimator on the phone within minutes of working in your home to determine precisely what your insurance provider needs to approve a damage claim so we can begin. 

In an area prone and susceptible to wildfires, certain precautions must always be at the forefront of the minds of Carson City residents and those in the other booming areas served like Lake Tahoe or the rest of Douglas County. Even in the situations of wildfires, our professionals are a trusted hand to help overcome the effects and get your property back to looking its best. We are recipients of the Storm Trooper Award, recognizing our vital role in the recovery of northern California fires in recent years. 

Fires are never single-symptom situations, either. Overcoming these damages to your Carson City property requires recovery on multiple fronts happening simultaneously including soot and smoke residue removal, air duct cleaning, air quality purification, odor removal, controlled demolition, and more. 

Mold 

There is no mistaking the severity of mold damage in Carson City homes, as the organism can quickly spread throughout a property and become a hazardous situation for those involved. Even beyond the family occupying the residence, pets on the property can also become adversely affected by exposure to active colonization. Our SERVPRO professionals can offer a fast and confident response for these situations, helping our customers to get their homes back to their original condition and their lives back to normal as well. 

With many more significant properties in the Carson City area, it can be easy for mold growth to get overlooked in less trafficked areas like attics or even crawlspaces beneath the main floor of the house. Either of these scenarios presents a substantial risk, as both do not get addressed until the spread of the organism has begun to affect a more heavily used area of the home. While proper ventilation and air circulation can often address many of these issues before they become a widespread damaging presence, this is typically a long-term solution installed after the fact. 

Our entire team benefits from pooling our talents and our expertise together to help homeowners in Carson City through the traumatic mold growth scenarios. It’s a “WE” thing, and it shows in the way that we handle every facet of mold recovery, colony elimination, and home restoration. We even have a full-service construction team that can help in both controlled demolition and reconstruction efforts, ensuring that no customer ever waits on secondary contractors or construction teams. 

Water

With both the frequency of water damage to Carson City properties, our professionals must actively remain prepared to mobilize quickly when we get these calls. We have an entire Green Fleet of service vehicles that stay stocked with the leading equipment for extraction and drying, tools that can help to begin reducing damage on multiple loss situations even unrelated to water. With water loss emergencies, time is of the essence, and the severity of the circumstance can get determined officially in a matter of hours. 

We have invested in the top equipment available through our parental SERVPRO company to become leading professionals in the area for water loss recovery. With truck-mount shaft-driven pumps and an inventory of hundreds of air movers and dehumidification units, we can confidently address any loss scenario. This same dedication to our Carson City customers and their homes helped us to stand out among a business directorship of more than 100 companies in our area to become the Flying with Eagles recipient in 2018. 

We seek to offer our Carson City customers experienced and well-trained professionals as well, and that is why our entire recovery division has accreditations as Water Restoration Technicians (WRT), many of which also have secondary training in Applied Structural Drying (ASD), through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC.)  

Storm

Our area is one that receives a wide berth of damaging weather systems in every season of the year, making our response to storm damage in Carson City critical for our customers. From hard rains and gale-force winds to several feet of snow in the higher elevated areas during inevitable intense storms, our SERVPRO team has to stay prepared for all of what might happen. We have fitted our service vehicles with the appropriate equipment and tires to make harsh weather a situation that cannot stop us from reaching our customers in need. 

We know how damaging some of these weather events can become for Carson City homes, and we have a full-service reconstruction and contracting division to help. With many specific niches from plumbing and electrical repair through full-scale new construction, we have experienced personnel with years in the building trades to perform emergency solutions and final high-quality results. 

We have IICRC-Certified technicians accredited in every facet of the restoration industry, helping us to provide an experienced and confident response for every Carson City home and business affected by adverse weather conditions. We also have the backing of our Large Loss Recovery Team, which ensures that no situation is too substantial for our professionals to handle successfully. 

If you want to make loss incidents “Like it never even happened,” trust the experience and leading equipment of our SERVPRO of Carson City / Douglas County / South Lake Tahoe / Reno East / Lyon & Storey Counties team.

Give us a call anytime at (775) 588-2355.

Preventing Mold Begins With You

4/12/2023 (Permalink)

Do not clean or apply biocides to visible mold on porous surfaces - call SERVPRO to safely take care of mold remediation.

To minimize the potential for mold growth in your building, you must: 

• Keep your building clean—particularly the kitchen, the bathrooms, carpets, and floors. Regular vacuuming and mopping, plus cleaning hard surfaces using a household cleaner, are all important to remove the dirt and debris that harbor mold or food for mold. Throw away moldy food immediately.

• Remove visible moisture accumulations on windows, walls, ceilings, floors, and other surfaces as soon as reasonably possible. Look for leaks in washing machine hoses and discharge lines, especially if the leak is large enough for water to seep into nearby walls. If your property has them, turn on exhaust fans in the bathroom before showering and in the kitchen before cooking with open pots. Also when showering, keep the shower curtain inside the tub (or fully close the shower doors). Experts also recommend that after a shower or bath, you (1) wipe the moisture off shower walls, shower doors, the bathtub, and the bathroom floor; (2) leave the bathroom door open until all moisture on the mirrors and bathroom walls and tile surfaces has dissipated; and (3) hang up your towels and bath mats so they will completely dry out. 

• Notify your service provider about any air-conditioning or heating-system problems you discover. Make sure to replace the air filters. It’s good practice to open windows and doors periodically on days when the outdoor weather is dry (i.e., humidity is below 50%) to help humid areas of your building dry out.

• Promptly notify SERVPRO of any signs of water leaks, water infiltration, or mold. We will respond within the same day.  

Avoiding Moisture Buildup 

To avoid mold growth, it’s important to prevent excess moisture buildup in your building. Failing to promptly attend to leaks and moisture accumulations on property surfaces can encourage mold growth, especially in places where they might get inside walls or ceilings. Prolonged moisture can come from a wide variety of sources, such as:

• rainwater leaking from roofs, windows, doors, and outside walls, as well as flood waters rising above floor level;

• overflows from showers, bathtubs, toilets, sinks, washing machines, dehumidifiers, refrigerator or air-conditioner drip pans, or clogged air-conditioner condensation lines;

• leaks from plumbing lines or fixtures, and leaks into walls from bad or missing grouting or caulking around showers, bathtubs, or sinks;

• washing machine hose leaks, plant-watering overflows, pet urine, cooking spills, beverage spills, and steam from excessive open-pot cooking;

• leaks from clothes-dryer discharge vents (which can put a lot of moisture into the air); and

• insufficient drying of carpets, carpet pads, shower walls, and bathroom floors.  

Cleaning Mold 

If small areas of mold have already accumulated on nonporous surfaces (such as ceramic tile, Formica, vinyl flooring, metal, wood, or plastic), the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you first clean the areas with soap (or detergent) and water and let the surface dry thoroughly. (Applying biocides without first cleaning away the dirt and oils from the surface is like painting over old paint without first cleaning and preparing the surface.) When the surface is dry—and within 24 hours of cleaning—apply a premixed spray-on household biocide such as Lysol Disinfectant®, Original Pine-Sol®Cleaner, Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover® or Clorox®Clean-up® Cleaner + Bleach. (Note two things: First, only a few of the common household cleaners can actually kill mold. Second, Tilex and Clorox contain bleach, which can discolor or stain surfaces, so follow the instructions on the container.) Always clean and apply a biocide to an area five or six times larger than any mold you see—mold can be present but not yet visible to the naked eye. A vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be used to help remove non-visible mold products from porous items such as fibers in sofas, chairs, drapes, and carpets—provided the fibers are completely dry. Machine washing or dry cleaning will remove mold from clothes.  

Warning for Porous Surfaces and Large Surfaces 

Do not clean or apply biocides to visible mold on porous surfaces such as sheetrock walls or ceilings or too large areas of visible mold on nonporous surfaces. Instead, notify SERVPRO.

Call 775-588-2355 and we will come to your location quickly to assess the damage. Our trained technicians will make sure your property is safe and professionally cleaned. 

9 STEPS TO HANDLING COMMERCIAL WATER DAMAGE

3/27/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment warehouse, ready for any size disaster.

MY BUSINESS IS FLOODING! WHAT DO I DO?

A storm has swept the region, or perhaps your property suffered a plumbing failure. Water soaks inventory, covers floors, puddles around equipment, and ruins furnishings. Taking in the damage can be overwhelming.

9-STEP GUIDE for HOW TO DEAL WITH A FLOODED BUSINESS

With the building flooded, it’s hard to serve customers or do any kind of business. Dangerous mold growth, sewage backup, and structural damage are just some of the problems you may face.

Our guide helps you overcome flooding caused by fractured frozen pipes, faulty fire sprinkler systems, storm flooding and more.

Recover from a flood with these 9 steps:

1. TURN Off WATER AND UTILITIES

Immediately turn off gas and electricity to your building. If your commercial property is flooding due to plumbing or leaky pipes, shut off the water main. If you’re not sure of the location of shut-off valves, contact your property manager. If you have an Emergency Ready Plan from SERVPRO, this information will be available already for any employee on property.

2. CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE AGENT

Second, call your agent to outline the extent of damage and schedule an inspection for the adjuster. Keep communication records of all emails and calls with your insurer. Include dates, times, and names.

3. CALL A LOCAL RESTORATION COMPANY

Rather than cleaning up yourself, certified technicians should take care of water removal, structural drying, and if necessary, mold remediation. Contact a water damage restoration company, such as SERVPRO, with experience handling all types of commercial business flooding. Licensed technicians minimize business disruption, so that you can reopen as soon as possible.

4. DOCUMENT ANY DAMAGE

Next, make detailed documentation of damage. Take photos and video of all water damage inside and outside of your property. Share the information with your adjuster and insurance company.

8. GET FRESH AIR MOVING

Open interior doors, cabinets and drawers in affected areas. If it’s not humid outside, open windows and exterior doors. From there, the SERVPRO restoration team will set up heavy-duty equipment that expedites and completes the process.

6. SORT FOR SALVAGE

As you sort, don’t assume all water-damaged items are a complete loss. Our technicians can often restore inventory, furnishings, electronics and paper records.

7. SAVE FOR THE ADJUSTER

Items which cannot be recovered must be examined by your adjuster. Don’t throw anything away until your adjuster completes a full inspection. From waterlogged furniture to flood-soaked inventory, you want the adjuster to note all damage and every loss you’re aware of.

5. SECURE YOUR PROPERTY

It might be days or weeks before you can reopen for business, so secure the property. Limited access keeps it safe and keeps your insurance carrier happy. If you need to board up windows, SERVPRO can help.

9. SPREAD THE WORD

Keep employees, customers, and suppliers posted on the restoration status. Use social media to let everyone know about your temporary closing and prospective reopening, updating information as progress is made. When the flood cleanup, restoration, and repairs are finished, celebrate the milestone with a grand reopening.

REMEMBER:

-KNOW YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE

-GET AN EMERGENCY READINESS PLAN

-BE CAREFUL WITH CLEANUP

If you decide to tackle cleanup on your own, be careful. Flooding in a business setting can leave behind contaminated water, unhealthy debris and raw sewage.

It’s best to leave flood cleanup to certified technicians.

If you don’t have coverage for natural disasters, look into your options through FEMA’s flood insurance program for businesses. The agent who handles your business insurance can help with the details.

KNOW WHO TO CALL

Even a small amount of water can shut business down indefinitely. Bringing in a restoration company saves valuable time. These are just a few of the services that get you back in business.

• Help navigating insurance claims
• Pumping systems for fast water removal
• Structural drying that speeds up recovery
• Mold remediation to protect health
• Air duct cleaning which restores fresh interiors

We provide expert commercial water damage cleanup and restoration services in Northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe regions.

Our teams are always ready to respond to your flood emergency 24/7, helping you to minimize losses and maximize recovery efforts.

When you’re prepared in advance, it’s easier to prevent further damage and manage the aftereffects of a flooded business. You can get a free Emergency Ready Plan for your business’s property today. Call 775-588-2355 to get a response plan, showing your property’s shut-off valves and other details allowing employees in your facility to respond quickly to any water-related incident and prevent further damage.

When you need to get the doors open once again, call SERVPRO: 775-588-2355

Maintaining a Sump Pump

3/16/2023 (Permalink)

A sump pump will be ready to protect your property from water damage

How To Maintain a Sump Pump

Regardless of whether you live in an area that is susceptible to floods, it is beneficial to consider having a sump pump in your home in Douglas County, NV. An exceptionally heavy rainstorm, rapidly melting snow, or a broken pipe could all be the cause of a flood in your basement that can more easily be managed with the proper equipment. Once you have your pump, there are several tasks that you should undertake regularly in order to keep it properly maintained.

Clear Obstructions

The discharge pipe and vent hole, pit, and intake screen are all points that are vulnerable to obstructions. Proper pump maintenance means checking for dirt and debris that could be preventing proper drainage, eliminating anything that is blocking the screen, and clearing things that prevent the float component from functioning. You can conduct periodic tests by pouring water into the basin. The pump should activate and drain the water. Regular maintenance of your sump pump ensures that it is ready for an emergency.

Maintain a Safe Connection

Pumps are usually run off of an electrical source, so make sure that yours is plugged into the correct type of outlet (ground fault circuit interrupter or GFCI). You should also check the cord once in a while, especially if you have any history of rodents in your basement that could damage the cord.

Replace Backup Power

Your pump probably has a backup power source. Test the battery at least annually and replace it every couple of years. The backup power source is your last line of defense in the face of a flood, so if it's been sitting unused for a lot of years, there's a good chance it won't work when you need it to. If that happens and your basement does flood, call an emergency mitigation company to evaluate for safety before you start to clean up.
A sump pump will always be at the ready to protect your home from water damage if it is maintained properly.

Three Factors for Successful Water Extraction

3/8/2023 (Permalink)

If water is allowed to stand for too long, you run the risk of losing your furnishings and possessions to moisture-based rot and deterioration.

There are many reasons why a home might sustain water damage, requiring repairs and restoration by a team of experts. Whether your property is the victim of natural floods or you are dealing with the aftermath of a broken appliance, water must be removed quickly.

If water is allowed to stand for too long, you run the risk of losing your furnishings and possessions to moisture-based rot and deterioration. This is why the restoration experts at SERVPRO do not waste any time starting water removal in Lyon and Storey County homes and commercial buildings. The success of the process, however, depends on the careful consideration of three key factors: Temperature, Amount of Standing Water, and Relative Humidity

Temperature
Water removal requires a lot more precision than you might think. For instance, the optimal drying conditions are at a temperature between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit. However, during the first few days, it is better for the air in the room to be below 80 degrees. So, water damage restoration experts have to monitor conditions very carefully for the affected area to dry fast.

Amount of Standing Water
This is the amount of water which can be physically removed (pumped or vacuumed), as opposed to being dehumidified. It is much easier to pump liquid water than it is to interact with gas, so the SERVPRO team will remove as much liquid as possible. The amount of standing water has a great impact on how long the process lasts.

Relative Humidity
The term “relative humidity” refers to the amount of moisture that the air is holding. SERVPRO technicians formulate your drying plan with an accurate measurement of relative humidity. Anywhere between 30-50% is considered to be a comfortable level of humidity for most homeowners. Once levels pass 60%, the air is heavily saturated, causing a clammy and unpleasant atmosphere. Dehumidifiers are used to eliminate unwanted moisture from the air and bring the conditions back to a comfortable and healthy level for the home or business owner.

SERVPRO of Carson City/Douglas County/South Lake Tahoe/Reno East/Lyon & Storey Counties has the equipment, knowledge, and expertise that you need to bring your home or business back to life after a flood. We are locally owned, responding quickly to all property owners. Call us 24/7.