FAQs About Mold Damage

8/25/2022 (Permalink)

Mold and moisture go hand in hand.

If a storm has caused flooding in your Puyallup, WA business, you have approximately one to two days to act if you want to prevent mold growth. Since mold can destroy your building, you want to act. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the prevention of mold after a storm.

What Steps Can You Take To Prevent Mold and Water Damage?

When dealing with standing water after a flood, there are some basic things you need to do immediately before help arrives. This includes:

• Turning off the water
• Turning off the HVAC units
• Turning off the fans
• Pick up any irreplaceable items from the floor
• Move furniture and equipment out of the wet areas

Can Business Owners Dry Water by Themselves?

While you may believe you can prevent mold growth by setting up fans and shop vacs to remove the water, you are not actually getting all of the moisture. Instead of attempting this on your own, you should hire a storm remediation company with the proper tools to dry your building.

Does Water Always Lead To Mold?

When your business has not dried out within 24 hours of the disaster, mold growth is certain. Despite folk tales, mold grows without discrimination, no matter the season. In other words, unless you experienced minimal water intrusion, it is almost guaranteed that you will get mold after flooding.

Can You Remove Mold Yourself?

Although most people will attempt to kill mold with bleach, you will likely do more damage using this method. In other words, you should avoid removing mold yourself and hire a professional with the proper cleanup methods.

Can Mold Die When It Dries?

Mold does not die when it dries up. When there is no moisture, it simply goes dormant. Once dormant mold finds more moisture, it starts to grow. Unless you remove it, you will not remedy it by leaving it alone.

As a business owner, you want to protect your site from mold and other harmful bacteria. Therefore, you need to know more about flooding and mold.

Can Employees Resume Work During Restoration?

7/8/2022 (Permalink)

Whether you need professional cleaning to make your business shine, or emergency water restoration services, SERVPRO is here ready to help you.

Can Employees Return To Work During The Restoration Process?

Business owners may wonder when employees can safely resume work in a commercial building that has experienced damage. The answer may be sooner rather than later. Depending on whether black water, storm damage, or a fire caused the damage, employees may be able to return as soon as cleanup is complete and work through the restoration period.

Water Damage

There are several types of water damage that may affect the duration of mitigation.

• Clean Category One water from a burst supply pipe should not cause a major interruption.

• Category Two gray water is considered contaminated with chemicals or microbes but does not contain solid waste. Complete disinfection prior to resuming work is often required, and interruption might not be necessary if only a portion of the property sustained damage.

• Category Three black water in flood cleanup or from a sewer backup should be extracted, and the affected area disinfected and dried.

Keep in mind that nearly all categories of water contain salts that can cause corrosion and short-circuiting in electronics. Computers, electronic devices, or servers may or may not be able to be restored, which could cause delays.

Storm Damage

If a storm causes a roof leak or breaks windows, employers should wait until cleanup and basic mitigation is complete before calling in employees. The same guidelines for water damage apply to flood damage resulting from a storm.

Other Damage

Fire or smoke damage may call for more extensive restoration and air filtration. It may take longer for a work space to be considered safe for employees following this type of damage. Consult with a restoration service to set a timeline for resuming regular business.

Employees should not work in a structure that is undergoing mitigation for black water or flood cleanup. They may be able to return during restoration. For the best results, hire an experienced commercial restoration company in Graham, WA.

How to Deal with Weather-Related Flight Cancelations

6/24/2022 (Permalink)

When facing a weather-related canceled flight stay calm.

How to Handle Flight Cancellations Caused by Weather

With the modern convenience of around-the-globe travel, people young and old enjoy flights year-round to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. But one thing all air-travel customers have in common is the fear of a canceled flight due to bad weather. While it can happen to anyone, a flight cancelation can be both inconvenient and stressful to the average airplane passenger. If you find yourself in this common travel predicament, consider these three tips for dealing with your weather delay.

1. Contact the Airline

Once you receive word that your flight has been cancelled, you will likely be instructed to get in a line to reserve further travel arrangements. As the masses throng to the airline service desk, take out your cell phone and contact the airline directly. A customer service rep should be able to look-up the current cancelation status of your trip and assist you in rebooking immediately. When calling a commercial airline, have the following information readily available to speed up the process:

• Your personal information
• Flight itinerary including flight number
• Credit card number used to book the flight

2. Make Hotel Reservations

Now that you are sure you have a canceled flight on your hands, assess how long you are willing to sit at the airport. If you have to wait over 12 hours for weather conditions to improve or for alternate travel arrangements to take place, you may want to consider booking a hotel room. Adding exhaustion to an already stressful travel day is a recipe for disaster. Instead, stay the night in a local Puyallup, WA, hotel to feel refreshed when flights do become available again.

3. Be Polite

Finally, in all of the chaos of traveling and gathering storm tips don’t forget that at the end of the day there is only so many people can do in the case of inclement weather. It is likely the airlines are just as frazzled by the delays as the many stranded passengers. Good manners may go a long way in getting what you want in all of the disorder.

When facing a weather-related canceled flight stay calm. Follow these three simple tips to get you back on your way as soon as possible.

Key Differences Between Storm Damage and Flooding

4/18/2022 (Permalink)

When it comes to flood damage, most businesses will need extra insurance to cover the damage.

The Significant Differences Between Storm Damage And Flooding

Business owners in Graham, WA, know the unexpected will eventually happen, which is why staying on top of insurance coverage is essential. When the next big storm hits, understanding what your unique policy covers ensures a smoother process. An important element of that is knowing the difference between flood damage and storm damage.

Storms vs Floods

While both may unleash excessive amounts of water, which often requires the help of a storm and water damage restoration professional, the source of the water and other factors determine the type of damage. The following are considered aftereffects of a storm and are typically covered:

• Torrential rains and thunderstorms
• High winds
• Tornadoes
• Ice, hail and snow

When it comes to flood damage, most businesses will need extra insurance to cover the damage. Flooding happens from:

• Inland rivers, lakes or other waterways overflowing
• Tidal waves and hurricanes
• Rapid and extreme rainwater accumulation
• Ice or snow suddenly melt
• Surface water runoff
• Landslides or mudslides

Dirty Nature of Floods

While any unexpected water may have contaminants, floodwaters are considered Category 3 water, also known as black water. This type is highly contaminated and may pose health risks. Depending on the source of the flood, it could be carrying sewage, organic matter, pesticides and other substances that require careful cleanup.

According to FEMA, it is considered a flood if two or more acres of land that is usually dry is partially or completely saturated or it affects more than two properties. Since the cleanup and restoration is often much more extreme, it is recommended that businesses in flood-prone areas get additional insurance coverage.

After the storm hits, it is not also easy to tell if you are dealing with storm or flood damage. Knowing a few basics of how they are categorized makes it easier to prepare for the cleanup process and helps the claims process be clearer.

3 Ways the SERVPRO Disaster Recovery Team Can Help Your Business

3/7/2022 (Permalink)

When a major disaster strikes, you need a disaster recovery team you can trust. SERVPRO has the experience and training to provide professional.

3 Ways The SERVPRO Disaster Recovery Team Can Assist Your Company

The SERVPRO disaster recovery team is staffed with the best of the best of our restoration professionals. We prequalify and strategically place our large-loss specialists to handle any size disaster quickly and professionally. These are three of the ways our team can help your business.

1. Timely Mitigation

Our network of strategically placed storm response teams is on standby 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The ability to mobilize 1,700 locally-owned franchises ensures that no disaster is too big for our team. All large losses are supervised by a commercial operations manager who makes sure all of our clients receive seamless communication and timely mitigation. SERVPRO professionals are Faster to Any Size Disaster.

2. Experience You Can Count On

Our disaster recovery team has worked with the hospitality industry, universities, municipalities, property managers and the Pentagon. We are ready to help whether you are recovering from a hurricane, tornado, flood or blizzard. Our professionals have responded to major disasters across the country, including the California wildfires, major hurricanes, widespread flooding events, severe winter weather events and more. Our team is prepared to handle unpredictable and rapidly changing conditions.

3. National Reach With Local Expertise

The partnership between our Commercial Large Loss Division and 1,700 local franchises provides our team with the resources of a big company and the expertise of a locally owned franchise in Puyallup, WA. Our locally owned storm damage mitigation experts are the preferred vendor of many insurance companies and are prepared to utilize local partnerships with vendors and insurance professionals to best serve our clients.

When a major disaster strikes you need a disaster recovery team you can rely on. SERVPRO has the experience, resources and training to provide fast, professional mitigation services no matter what size, type or severity of disaster you are dealing with. Our team is standing by to make it “Like it never even happened.”