Water Damage in your home

7/18/2024 (Permalink)

When your home experiences water damage, besides the structural concerns, one of the biggest can definitely be your hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are expensive and add both cosmetic and monetary value to your home so, if possible, you obviously want to try and avoid ripping them out and replacing them. There are multiple factors that can play a part in our ability to restore your floors to preloss conditions:

• Moisture Levels – Hardwood floors have a very low moisture content. When water pools on them for long periods of time the moisture gets soaked into the wood and can take weeks to dry out on its own. This can cause the wood to buckle, have raised edges or have the panels separate from each other.

• Time – The type of wood in question plays a role in how quickly water is absorbed and then dried out. Wood rot happens when microbial growth in water is left without treatment in wood and begins to breakdown the wood.

As you can see, there are quite a few factors that decide whether or not you will have to replace your expensive hardwood floors or not, and that it’s best left to the professionals to handle to help increase your odds of restoration. So, if you find yourself in need of water damage restoration, don’t delay and give us a call asap. Our team is waiting to see how we can help you today.

With the correct equipment and training it is possible to save your floors from having to be removed, so it is imperative that you call a professional restoration company like us here at SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outerbanks.

Storm Readiness 101

7/18/2024 (Permalink)

As leaders in the restoration industry, we know firsthand the amount of damage that a storm can do to your home. Addressing the damage as quickly as possible is key to preventing further damage from occurring. We wanted to share some of the most important areas of your home that can be affected by storm damage, so you know where to check afterward.

1. Basement – Areas of your home that are underground are some of the spots that are the most prone to water damage following a storm. Check around the edges of your basement floor and walls for signs of moisture. Make sure that drain spouts are properly angled away from your home and that there are no areas where water can pool next to your house.
2. Foundation – Similarly to basements, your home’s foundation is particularly threatened by water damage after storms. Water from the outside can seep into cracks in your foundation and weaken it over time. Double-check check there is no standing water or signs of moisture in your concrete, and make sure that your sump pump is functioning properly.
3. Crawlspaces – Water can pool in areas underneath your home and cause significant damage to the structural components, like mold and rotting wood.
4. Windows – Over time the seals on your windows can degrade and strong storms can crack windows and window frames, allowing water to get into your home.
5. Roof – Probably the most prone to storm damage, wind can damage shingles and throw broken tree branches all over your home. As one of the main sources of protection from the outside elements. It is crucial to inspect your roof after a storm. Ensure there are no leaks and remove any debris that could further damage your home. Check for any signs of moisture in your attic as well as this could be a sign that there is a hole somewhere you might’ve missed.
6. Gutters – Strong winds and falling branches can damage your gutters or even completely rip them off the side of your house. Your gutters are essential in preventing water from getting into your home and directing it away from your home’s foundation. Make sure that your gutters are in good condition and free from any debris that may clog them.

While storm damage may not always be 100% preventable, hopefully, these tips can help you prevent any further damage from happening, and if you do happen to find any signs of damage to your home after a storm. Our technicians are here to help. We’re available 24/7, 365 days a year, so don’t wait, give us a call and let us know what we can do for you.

The Heat is On! Staying Warm with Heating Safety

1/16/2024 (Permalink)

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the leading cause of home fire deaths is from equipment used to heat your home during the cold winter months. Continue reading to make sure that you’re taking the proper safety steps to make sure that you’re using heating equipment in a responsible way.

Portable Heaters – You should never leave any sort of space heaters, electric blankets, or any other portable heaters unattended. It’s possible for these items to short out and start fires.

Chimney Inspection – It’s very important to have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually. This makes sure that they are structurally sound, as well as getting rid of any blockages that may prevent the chimney from properly venting smoke from your home.

Three Foot Rule – For anything in your home that is used to generate heat (fireplace, woods stove, furnace, space heater) you should ensure that there is at least three feet of space between that and any flammable items in your household.

Smoke Alarms – Check your smoke alarms regularly. Smoke alarms should be checked every month to ensure proper function, as well as making sure that the batteries do not need to be changed.

When it’s cold outside there’s nothing like curling up in a nice warm house and keeping cozy. Just be sure to enjoy the warmth by following proper safety rules to ensure your winter plans go off without a hitch!

Duct Cleaning

9/15/2023 (Permalink)

Have you cleaned your ductwork lately?

While most people know the SERVPRO brand for water and fire damage restoration, we also provide other crucial services to homes and businesses. One such service is duct cleaning.

 Air ducts perform the essential functions of moving the air around your building, providing hot or cold air depending on the season, and helping to maintain proper air quality and circulation. Like everything else in your home or business, it requires regular maintenance and cleaning to perform at its best. Over time, ducts can be filled with dust and dirt particles, or even mold spores and other harmful contaminants. While your HVAC’s air filters are meant to help remove these things from the air, they don’t always get all of it, and a build-up can occur in the ducts. This buildup can limit airflow and ultimately affect your HVAC system’s efficiency. Not only will this increase your energy costs, but it can also make it harder to maintain a comfortable environment for your staff and customers. Not only are you losing efficiency and air quality by neglecting your air ducts, but if left long enough this dust buildup can become a huge fire hazard.

Air duct cleaning should be done roughly every three to five years, or more depending on the building and what it’s used for. If your business needs a duct cleaning give us a call or fill out our form online and let us know how we can help!

Hurricane Season is in Effect

9/20/2022 (Permalink)

Hurricane Season is Still in Effect!

It’s important to follow these steps to ensure you are taking the proper precautions in case of an emergency.

1. Develop an Evacuation Plan - find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone and plan where you and your family will go and how to get there. Make sure you keep your pets in mind when you’re preparing to evacuate.
2. Gather Disaster Supplies - get enough food and bottled water for each person in your group or for at least one week. Fill prescriptions ahead of time and collect radios, batteries, phone chargers, extra cash, and gas up your car.
3. Check Your Insurance - get with your insurance agent before the storms hit to discuss flood insurance. Prepare your home and vehicles according to your policy and locate all important documents.
4. Strengthen Your Home - trim trees that could cause damage, seal and cover windows, store loose outdoor items

Help Your Neighbors - help your neighbors, especially the elderly ones collect needed supplies and assist them with evacuation. Check in on them after it’s safe.

Cleaning Soft Goods and Content Affected by Fire Damage

7/21/2022 (Permalink)

When a fire happens, smoke odors and soot are left behind that can coat your whole house and all of your belongings. Unfortunately, this means that even those hard to replace, or irreplaceable sentimental items can get damaged. Luckily, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll lose those items for good. SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outer Banks is an Esporta Certified Operator. Esporta is a soft goods cleaning system designed to handle delicate items and other things that would otherwise be very difficult to clean.

What can be cleaned?

• Leather Goods
  • Shoes
  • Purses
  • Jackets

• Laundry
• Household Goods
  • Pillows
  • Comforters
  • Stuffed Animals
  • Upholstery

• Unique, hard to clean items like sports equipment
• Many otherwise uncleanable items

How Does It Work?

Unlike your typical washing machine, the items being cleaned are held stationary to avoid damage from tumbling or spinning, and they’re passed through a detergent. The whole process is computer controlled and utilizes proprietary detergents. The combination of hydraulic action and environmentally friendly detergents restores items to Food Grade Clean by removing 99% of contaminants, while still being gentle on the planet.

When your home suffers from a fire, the restoration costs can get expensive quickly. That’s why here at SERVPRO we’ve adopted a policy of restore not replace, and will always do our best to help ensure that your home and belongings are restored to preloss conditions to the best of our ability.

SERVPRO Handles Large Commercial Damage Restoration

6/15/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial properties come in all shapes and sizes. Some buildings like large hotels, dormitories, warehouse facilities, factories, etc. can encompass hundreds of thousands of square feet of space. It’s easy for a water damage in a facility like this to quickly grow into a huge mess with damage across multiple floors and rooms. Here at SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outer Banks we have the commercial large loss division that can handle jobs of any size.

Our Disaster Recovery Teams are composed of elite technicians who have the training and resources to handle large-loss events for industries that have included hospitals, universities, and government facilities. Our franchise network consists of 2,000 franchises located all over the country, allowing us to respond to disasters anywhere. Each large loss project is managed by a project manager from your local SERVPRO location. They’re backed by the SERVPRO headquarters operations team to help you have the smoothest restoration experience possible. Having such a large franchise network gives us the unique advantage of being able to share resources and expertise that help us to tackle jobs that smaller companies could not handle on their own.

Damage to a large facility can be a daunting task, but our teams are available 24/7, 365 days a year to respond to your fire, water, or storm emergencies, and make it “Like it never even happened.”

SERVPRO Cleans Smoke-Damaged Electronics

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

When you experience a fire in your home or business the damage that’s caused is not limited to what was damaged by the actual fire itself. Smoke from the burning materials leaves a thick layer of soot and other contaminants on everything that it touches even when you can’t necessarily see it. These left behind smoke particles can cause further damage to your home and the items in it. This is particularly true of electronics. Even if the electronics were not damaged by the heat of the fire, it is likely that there is a layer of smoke particles covering the insides of the equipment.  This can be dangerous as if these items are turned back on without first being cleaned the soot can cause them to short out and potentially catch fire.

There are two main ways that smoke damage can affect electronics. First is that smoke is acidic. If left unchecked these particles can slowly eat away at and degrade the materials inside your equipment. Secondly, it can act as an insulator. Smoke coats the insides of the electronics and reduces their ability to dissipate heat. This can lead to the equipment overheating.

While you should always have your electronics inspected by a professional after a fire to ensure there is no damage done to them here are a few things to look out for as signs that there may be hidden smoke damage in your equipment.

• Equipment smells like smoke when turned on or plugged in.
• They get hotter than usual during use
• Unexpected noises

If you encounter any of these things after a fire during use of your electronics you should turn them off and unplug them immediately and have them inspected and cleaned by professionals.

Here at SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outer Banks our team is highly trained in smoke damage mitigation and is able to use special equipment and cleaners to help remove smoke and lower the chances of damaging the electronics. From clean up to reconstruction, if you experience a fire in your home or business, give us a call and let us know how we can help make it “like it never even happened.”

SERVPRO Restores Your Contents After a Fire

12/8/2021 (Permalink)

After a fire your belongings are likely going to be affected by the smoke, soot, and water from putting the fire out. It is important to get your things cleaned after a fire as the soot and water damage can continue to be harmful to the items even after the fire is put out. This is especially true for things like electronics and documents or photos.

Documents and photographs are often valuable and sometimes irreplaceable, so it is important to act quickly and incredibly cautiously as to not further any damage done to them. While it is sometimes impossible to bring documents back to pre-fire conditions, SERVPRO can help minimize additional damage and save quite a few. Dependent on the type of document and severity of damage that was done we offer five different options for restoration:

1. Air Drying
2. Freezer Drying
3. Dehumidification
4. Vacuum Thermal Drying
5. Vacuum Freeze Drying

Electronics that are fire damaged can pose a serious safety risk and you should never try and turn on any electrical devices that you think might have been damaged by the fire. One thing to keep in mind is that electronics need to be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent further damage. The soot and smoke residues can contain acids that cause corrosion on metal surfaces and if not properly and professionally removed can cause electronics to fail. SERVPRO is happy to offer electronics restoration by qualified electronics technicians for things such as television sets, computers and more.

First Responder Bowl

12/2/2021 (Permalink)

Here at SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outer Banks we respond, “Faster to any size disaster.” But there is one group of people who will always get there before we do. First responders. First responders are there when you need them the most and truly are the fastest to any emergency. They put their lives on the line every day to help their community and save lives. These people deserve the utmost respect and support, and that’s why we’re proud hosts of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.

The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is played on December 28th, 2021, at the Gerald J. Stadium on SMU’s campus in Dallas, Texas and broadcasted live on ESPN. This game is meant to honor the brave people who show up first to any emergency ready to do what’s necessary to take care of people. So join us in saying thank you, and tune in this holiday season to check it out!