Snow concerns around your home?

12/11/2023 (Permalink)

• Make sure windows are sealed properly to keep moisture out
• Know where shut off valves are should a pipe freeze and burst
• Have a backup heat source should your heater have issues
• Use towels to lined doors or windows where drafts may be coming in
• Close storm windows to keep heat in and the cold out
• Check the smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working
• Clean out gutters and downspouts before winter. They can prevent water from moving away from the house and could cause basement flooding
• Candles are sometimes used for decorations and not just scented candles so keep stuff away from the flames
• Be careful of ice damming. This is when snow melts and moves further down the roof and then freezes again and then build up more on the roof and when it melts the water has no where to go with the ice dam so it gets under your shingles and into your roof causing multiple issues

Do you have need of our Storm Restoration Services? Contact us at SERVPRO® of Dekalb County (815)758-3900

Washing machine flooded our bathroom

8/16/2023 (Permalink)

Our washer/dryer are located in our bathroom. My wife started the machine and then left the house for "just a few minutes" which of course turned into a lot longer. When we returned home the washer malfunctioned and didn't stop filling. We had a lake in our main level. SERVPRO of DeKalb Co came to our rescue. We had always joked about the"like it never even happened" tagline but were so happy it came true for us! Thank you to the great crew at SP of DeKalb. They truly made it "Like it never even happened."

DeKalb County Smoke and Soot Clean up

8/16/2023 (Permalink)

Smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Our smoke damage expertise and experience allows us to inspect and accurately assess the extent of the damage to develop a comprehensive plan of action.  

Smoke and soot facts:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
• The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Different Types of Smoke

There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Dekalb County will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

• Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

• Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire

• Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor. 

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions.  We have the equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire and smoke damage.  We will also treat your family with empathy and respect and your property with care.

Our Highly trained Restoration Specialists can restore your DeKalb County Home

8/16/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of DeKalb County is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.

IICRC Certified Firms must

• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.

• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.

• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.

• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.

• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.

The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry

The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.

Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.

About SERVPRO of Dekalb County

SERVPRO of Dekalb County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Restoring Your DeKalb County Commercial Property After A Water Damage Event

8/16/2023 (Permalink)

Flooding and water damage events at DeKalb County commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we’re dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large scale event, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility.

Restoring Commercial Properties Presents Unique Challenges

Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.

About SERVPRO of DeKalb County

SERVPRO of DeKalb specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Summer Storms Coming in Hot!

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

Storm clouds over the Dekalb area.

With the summer heat rolling in, along come severe storms as well. Even though you take as many precautions as possible, water damage can still happen. 

Imagine you are asleep and a storm ferociously hits your area. Rain is pouring down hard and your sump pump gives out. Water begins to rapidly pour in your basement, but you have no idea because you are asleep.  You wake up the next morning to find your basement filled with water. What do you do? 

You contact SERVPRO at 815-758-3900.

Here at SERVPRO, we have over 30 years of water mitigation experience, highly-trained employees, and state-of-the-art equipment to get your home back to the way it was before the storm; "Like it never even happened." 

An Ounce of Prevention

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

An Ounce Of Prevention

Gutters - Cleaning out gutters regularly will help water flow through the channels and away from the house. This is especially important in the fall if you do not have gutter covers on as those leaves love to pile up up in there creating a dam that doesn't let the water through but rather pours over the side.

Downspouts - They also can plug up but usually dumping a pail of water will provide the force to flush it out. Also they have downspout extensions and we recommend about 10' to get the water an adequate distance from the home.

Sump Pump - If your home has a sump pump it can help keep the water out. If your home is usually dry it is good to pour water in every once in a while to get it to kick in and work and also lets you check and know that it is functioning properly.

Tornado Damage - Not Just for Schools

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

Be Prepared

The Boy Scout motto. We have heard it many times and it is a good motto for all of us. This doesn't just apply to tornado's but any storms that may come through as they all have potential for problems like electrical outages and although it is rare lightning can start house fires.

Tips

• Familiarize your family with your local tornado sirens
• Let the family know the safe zones in the house or community to go to in tornadoes
• Have a location in the house with a flashlight always there
• Keep a list of contacts for the kids to call should they not know what to do that can help talk them through it
• Educate them that if the storm is severe stay away from windows as branches can blow off trees and into the windows
• Have a safe place should the unfortunate and rare occurrence of a fire by lightning happen that everyone can go to while waiting for the fire department to arrive
• Take any other precautions applicable to storm types in your area to keep you and your family safe

Closing Doors Can Save Lives

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

Room being protected by closed door from fire.

Close Before You Doze is a public fire safety campaign promoted by The UL Firefighter Safety Research. It has been proven during a fire, a closed door can make the difference between 100 degrees and 1,000 degrees. This significant difference has promoted the habit of sleeping with doors closed. It can help add critical time to your escape if a fire were to happen.

This is especially important with the “evolving fire environment”, caused by the increase use of synthetics in modern homes. According to research, forty years ago, the average time needed to escape a burning home was seventeen minutes. Today, the evolving fire environment has caused it to drop to only three minutes. The change in construction materials, furnishings and open layouts, has caused drastic reduction time. These factors allow the fire to spread and become more toxic much quicker.

It is common for people to want to leave the door open whether they have kids or do not think a door can make a significant difference. In fact, only 29% of people always sleep with their door closed. Therefore, it is very important for families to understand the lifesaving difference a closed door will make.

A fire needs heat, fuel, and oxygen to grow. So, when a door is closed, it limits the fire’s resources to spread. Furthermore, when a door is closed, not as much carbon monoxide will enter the room. This will keep the oxygen at a breathable level for additional time. The reduction of toxic smoke, improved oxygen levels, and decreased room temperatures will give you more time to escape the fire just by simply closing your door.

Closing the door when you go to sleep is one thing, but if there is an actual fire, it is critical to know the next steps of determining if the door is safe to open. First, you should look for smoke coming through the cracks in the door. If there is smoke, do not open the door. Next, gently touch the door to see if it is hot. If it is hot, do not open the door. Checking the door should be part of your escape plan. Make sure your family has established and rehearsed a plan to exit a burning fire.

Learn more about Dekalb.

Fire safety for your DeKalb Commercial Building

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage experts.

Did you know fires can be the costliest incident for a business? Approximately 10% of small businesses are affected by a fire with an average cost of $35,000 according to an analysis of The Hartford’s small business claims. The National Fire Protection Association states there are five top reasons for fire in a commercial building: Cooking equipment, Heating equipment, Electrical & lighting equipment, Smoking materials, and Intentional. There are several ways for a fire to start in your Dekalb business, but luckily, there are four core elements to help you and your company practice fire safety. Please consider the following to implement into your Dekalb business for the safety of you and your employees:

• Fire Alarms are the first defense against the potential risks of fires and are perhaps the most important element for your commercial building’s fire safety system. Your Dekalb business should always have routine inspections and maintain for all fire alarms to ensure they continue to properly work.
• Emergency lights and exit signs are designed to come on when the main power supplies are lost. These are very helpful because during a fire, conditions can be chaotic and confusing. Emergency lights and signs will make it more likely that individuals will be able to see well enough to get out of the building.
• Fire extinguishers are required by most fire codes. In general, they should be mounted on walls at distances of less than 75 feet. This means no one should have to travel more than 75 feet to get to a fire extinguisher. When using a fire extinguisher, remember “PASS”. It stands for Pull the pin, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.
• Installing a fire sprinkler will help extinguish fires before the fire department arrives. This is made possible because fire sprinklers are always “on-call”. There is a network of piping filled with water under pressure which is installed behind walls and ceilings. If a fire were to break out, the air temperature rises and once it gets hot enough, that activates the sprinkler system. After installing them, routine inspections should be done to ensure they are working properly.

If a fire were to happen to your commercial building in Dekalb, do not worry about tackling fire debris and cleanup on your own. SERVPRO of Dekalb is “Here to Help”. For us, the goal is to return each home in Dekalb to a clean, odor-free environment as quickly as possible. As the fire restoration experts, we are confident to get the job done every time. To schedule a service and begin the restoration process for your Dekalb business, call our office today: (815) 758-3900.

Learn more about Dekalb