How to Prevent Further Damage After a Disaster

8/4/2023 (Permalink)

Taking care of the source of the issue before cleaning is always a good way to go for preventing further damage.

Disasters can happen at any time, and they can cause a lot of damage to your home or business. If you're unfortunate enough to experience a disaster, it's important to act quickly to prevent further damage.

Here are some tips on how to prevent further damage after a disaster:

• Turn off the utilities. This will help to prevent further damage from water, gas, or electricity.
• Secure your property. This includes boarding up windows and doors, and removing any loose debris.
• Remove any standing water. This will help to prevent mold and mildew growth.
• Ventilate the area. This will help to remove moisture and prevent mold and mildew growth.
• Clean and disinfect any affected areas. This will help to prevent the spread of bacteria and other contaminants.
• Contact a professional restoration company. If the damage is extensive, you may need to hire a professional restoration company to help you get your home or business back to normal.

SERVPRO of Lake Nona is a trusted leader in damage restoration. We have over 20 years of experience and a proven track record of success. We're committed to providing our customers with the best possible service, and we'll do everything we can to get your property back to normal as quickly as possible.

If you've experienced a disaster, don't wait. Call SERVPRO of Lake Nona today at (407) 226-2621 to get started with the prevention process. We'll be there quickly to help you keep your property safe and prevent further damage.

Here are some additional tips for preventing further damage after a disaster:

• Take pictures of the damage before you start cleaning up. This will help you document the damage and file an insurance claim.
• Keep receipts for all of your expenses related to the disaster. This will help you get reimbursed by your insurance company.
• Be patient. It may take some time to get your property back to normal.

By following these tips, you can help to prevent further damage after a disaster and get your home or business back to normal as quickly as possible.

Contact SERVPRO of Lake Nona today at (407) 226-2621 to learn more about our prevention services.

How to Replace Damaged Drywall

8/4/2023 (Permalink)

If the damage is small, you may be able to repair it with a patch. However, if the damage is extensive, you will need to replace the entire sheet.

Drywall is a common building material that is used in homes and businesses. It is relatively easy to repair, but if the damage is extensive, you may need to replace the drywall altogether.

Here are the steps on how to replace damaged drywall:

1. Inspect the damage. Before you start repairing the drywall, you need to inspect the damage to determine the extent of the damage. If the damage is small, you may be able to repair it with a patch. However, if the damage is extensive, you will need to replace the entire sheet of drywall.
2. Remove the damaged drywall. Once you have inspected the damage, you need to remove the damaged drywall. Use a utility knife to score the drywall around the damaged area. Then, use a pry bar to pry the drywall away from the studs.
3. Measure the new drywall. Once you have removed the damaged drywall, you need to measure the opening to determine the size of the new drywall sheet. Add 1 inch to all sides of the opening to allow for a 1/2-inch overlap.
4. Cut the new drywall. Use a drywall saw to cut the new drywall to the correct size.
5. Install the new drywall. Attach the new drywall to the studs with drywall screws. Use 1-inch screws spaced every 16 inches on center.
6. Tape and mud the seams. Once the drywall is installed, you need to tape and mud the seams. Use a joint compound to fill the seams and feather the edges.
7. Sand the mud. Once the mud has dried, you need to sand it smooth.
8. Paint or wallpaper the wall. Once the mud is sanded smooth, you can paint or wallpaper the wall.

Here are some additional tips for replacing damaged drywall:

• Use a level to make sure the new drywall is installed straight.
• Use a damp sponge to wipe away any excess mud.
• Allow the mud to dry completely between coats.
• Apply two coats of paint or wallpaper.

By following these tips, you can replace damaged drywall like a pro.

Don't Be Afraid of Vandalism!!

6/3/2019 (Permalink)

Vandalism is a fact that plagues home and car owners every year during Halloween season.

While timely action can minimize or prevent lasting damage, it is just as true that wrong or delayed action can increase it – sometimes beyond repair.

Following are a few facts about common vandalism occurrences and how they damage your insureds’ homes and property.

Eggs – Egg residue on paint, bricks or siding needs to be removed immediately. The protein in eggs digests and lightens paint. Brick is not only stains by eggs but, because brick is porous in nature, the egg can soak in and turn sour, thus causing odor problems.

Siding is affected in much the same way as painted wood and can be stained or discolored if the egg is not removed immediately.

Soap – Although soap itself is not damaging to paint, brick or fabric, damage often results from improper removal techniques. Scrapping or chipping at dried on soap will often cause damage to surface or pull in fabric.

Dry fire extinguisher residue – Some fire extinguisher residue can be corrosive, but many are just extremely difficult to remove because they are fine powdery residues that adhere to fabrics. Generally, standard vacuums cannot pick up all of the matter.

SERVPRO of South Orange County Professionals are uniquely equipped to handle all of these vandalism situations. From pressure washing of egg and soap residue to thermal fogging to neutralize odors, SERVPRO of South Orange County is ready with the most up-to-date equipment and products.

Your SERVPRO of South Orange County technician is trained to understand the effects of each substance and how to minimize or eliminate the damage.

This Halloween do not be afraid of what vandals might do to your insureds’ property – the SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional is on-call 24-hours a day.

Emergency Tips for Vandalism Damage- The following emergency tips can help minimize the effects of vandalism damage and make the repair more successful.

Do:

• Hose or wash egg damage from building exterior as soon as possible.
• Blot freshly spilled food from carpets and fabrics with a dampened cloth or sponge (don’t over wet).
• Scrape and blot (don’t rub; it may cause damage to fibers).
• Vacuum glass particles from carpets and upholstery.
• Save containers which reveal the ingredients of spilled inks, cosmetics and paint.

DON’T:

• Attempt to remove ink, paint or cosmetic stains.
• Operate damaged lamps or appliances.
• Discard wood chips, broken pieces from furniture, porcelain or other art objects.

As professional cleaning and restoration expert, SERVPRO of South Orange County’s business is to save the insured’s property and possessions, while saving the insurance company time and money. Making your insureds aware of the steps to take when disasters occur can result in thousands of dollars saved, as well as creating satisfied customers for you.

Indoor Air Quality

5/28/2019 (Permalink)

Indoor Air Quality is important because it refers to the air we breathe everyday in our homes and at the work place. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of pollutants indoors can be 2 to 5 times higher than in the air outside. Indoor pollutants usually increase, however, after a fire, water or mold damage. One way to improve indoor air quality is through cleaning and restoration services provided by SERVPRO of South Orange County Professionals.

Duct Inspection and Cleaning

Duct cleaning is often necessary following a fire or water damage situation. When contaminants such as soot enter a duct system, they must be cleaned out to restore the structure to preloss condition. Dirty ducts can be a source of re-soiling if they are not properly cleaned. Particles and contaminants in the system will be continually recirculated until they are removed from the system. After a fire, your SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional can determine whether smoke has damaged your insureds’ HVAC system, if duct cleaning is needed and make recommendations about the best way to address any concerns.

Control Moisture and Mold Growth

Spend time educating your insureds that prompt response is key to preventing and controlling water damage and moisture problems. Moisture in a duct system can contribute to the growth of molds and other biological contaminants. Before a SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional arrives, occupants can follow these simple steps to help reduce the likelihood of costly water and mold claims.

1. Correct any water leaks or standing water
2. Properly maintain humidifiers
3. Ensure proper ventilation of the area.

In many cases, your SERVPRO of South Orange County Professionals can restore the HVAC system and ductwork to previous condition. You know SERVPRO of South Orange County as an industry leader with a proven track record. You can be confident in the consistent quality service from a one-step vendor.

We take pride in our Customer Satisfaction!!

1/29/2019 (Permalink)

Always Excellent!!

SERVPRO of South Orange County prides itself in always making sure the customer is happy with our work as well as being happy with the customer service we provided to them. Every one of our employees understand the importance of great customer service and strive to always do our best!

Very professional team arrived every day on time, and treated client with a great respect. Will recommend for sure.

-Blanca V.

Jake was astounding in his dedication to his work!

-Mary G.

Very Professional, helpful with answering questions and thoroughly testing & equipment layout.

-Judith R.

SERVPRO of South Orange County personnel instill confidence that they know what they are doing and have expertise and equipment to fix the problem.

-William F.

Whatever you charged isn’t enough! They are great!

-Joy W.

How Does Duct Cleaning Help?

1/28/2019 (Permalink)

A major factor in indoor air quality is inadequate ventilation. It should be noted that studies have shown almost half of the problems associated with poor indoor air quality are a result of poor ventilation. Therefore, attention has become focused on the need to clean the inside of the ventilation system.

How can this help?

1. By reducing the contaminants in the environment Effective duct cleaning can remove most of the contaminants in the ventilation system.
2. By reducing operating costs. Dirty ventilation systems are expensive ventilation systems. The restriction caused by dirt buildup inside the system increase the costs of operating the system.
3. By reducing maintenance costs. Dirty ventilation systems will also increase floor, carpet, wall and ceiling cleaning. If the system is dirty, it will carry dirt into the indoor environment.

Your SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional will select the best method for cleaning your insureds’ duct system should the need arise. To ensure the ducts are professionally cleaned, use the professional source: SERVPRO of South Orange County!

When commercial emergency response is most important

12/4/2017 (Permalink)

The development of a thorough Emergency Response Profile (ERP) for a facility should include selecting service providers offering 24-hour emergency response whenever possible. The reasoning behind this goal is simple.

Consider this, a fire damage occurs in your facility at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning? Without a 24-hour emergency service provider available, you might have to wait until 8:00 a.m. or later just to begin your search for cleanup and restoration assistance. At best, maybe a provider would be able to arrive sometime shortly after 9:00 a.m. In that time, corrosive and odorous soot and the water used to extinguish the fire have begun to cause secondary damage to the structure and contents, complicating the cleanup process. In addition, your facility is not fully operational at the start of the business day, causing potential problems for tenants, customers and anyone depending on your facility being open.

Your SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional knows that a fire occurs somewhere in the somewhere in the U.S. every 18 seconds. But the only fire that really matters to you is the one that occurs in your building. Nearly four decades of experience have shown that emergency response and mitigation services can help reduce recovery costs and business

SERVPRO of South Orange County l is committed to 24-hour emergency response, including a dedication to SERVPROS’s 1-4-8 Service Response Guidelines. Under normal circumstances, a SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional will contact you or your facility representative within one hour of notice of loss to arrange for service. Within four hours, a trained, uniformed and fully-equipped technician will arrive to begin mitigation services, such as water extraction, to help prevent further damage to your assets. A detailed scope of the project will then be communicated to you or your chosen representative within eight business hours, enabling you to make faster, more informed decisions.

Make it a priority to select service providers who can deliver 24-hour service to help ensure your facility can recover quickly from potential perils. Contact SERVPRO of South Orange County (407)226-2621 P to learn more about fire and water cleanup and restoration services and for help in developing your ERP.

Property Managers- CHOOSING THE RIGHT EMERGENCY SERVICE PROVIDER

2/2/2017 (Permalink)

When a disaster strikes and it is time to call in emergency service providers capable of helping you get back into your facility faster and easier, will they be available? This question is vitally important for property managers wishing to prepare an Emergency Response Profile (ERP) suitable for handling real life situations.

Fire and water damages, for instance, never occur at convenient times. Consider the impact a sewer backup occurring at 1:00 a.m. would have on you, your tenants and customers. Unless a service provider offers 24-hour emergency service, there is little chance the facility will be fully operational the next business day.

Instead of tackling the cleanup immediately, you are then resigned to waiting until “normal business hours” just to contact a service provider. Such delays can be quite costly in terms of business interruption and the likelihood of secondary water damages to the facility.

SERVPRO, with over 35 years of service experience handling fire and water cleanup and restoration for the insurance industry, as well as directly for commercial and residential consumers, understands the urgency in responding to disaster situations as soon as possible. All SERVPRO of South Orange County Professionals are committed to providing 24-hour emergency fire and water cleanup and restoration services.

Under normal circumstances, a SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional is on-site at your facility within four hours of receiving your call. A uniformed, trained and well equipped technician can quickly assess the situation and begin emergency mitigation procedures to protect the facility and contents from secondary damages.

If you are considering developing an Emergency Response Profile for a facility, rely on service providers offering 24-hour emergency service. For assistance developing ERP, contact SERVPRO of South Orange County Professional (407)226-2621, who can provide you with advice and help you collect the information you will need should a disaster situation occur in your facility.

SERVICES we offer for protecting your most valuable asset, YOUR HOME -Orlando

4/21/2016 (Permalink)

• Fire, Smoke, and Soot Clean up- Our knowledgeable fire team is trained to determine the type of fire that has taken place. This knowledge and training of identifying the type of smoked and behavior patterns is vital to proper restoration.

• Water Removal and Dehumidification- Our IICRC trained water technicians will identify the source of water and develop a drying plan in order to minimize secondary damage.

• Crime Scene, Biohazard and Vandalism Cleanup- Our bio technicians are trained to safely and effectively clean bio hazardous substances and proper disposal of waste according to all local and federal health regulations.

• Mold Mitigation and Remediation- Our licensed staffed mold remediator will work to control and remediate mold contaminants while protecting the health and safety of you and your family.

• Insurance Claims- Our very experienced and trained estimator will assist you thru the insurance process from start to finish. We understand the overwhelming feeling you may have dealing with the insurance thru this process and we are always here to help!

Your home is a reflection of you and makes an impression on all those who enter it.

You invest your time, energy and hard earned resources to maintain, protect and increase the value of your home.

When you need work done on your home, you should expect the very best service at a fair price.

SERVPRO of South Orange County is committed to providing TOP QUALITY services listed above and more for your entire home. Please call us at (407) 226-2621 with any questions or to schedule a consultation.