How to Keep Your Vacations Properties Mold-Free

9/12/2023 (Permalink)

Mold is found by SERVPRO experts in a vacation home in Panama City Beach.

Having less mold means having a happier vacation property.

Bay County is known for its beautiful sandy beaches and warm weather vacationing. Thousands of homeowners rent out their beach houses and condos to families from all over the world every year. 

One of the biggest threats to those vacation properties is mold. If you own such a property it is very important when you leave or it is vacant you do not shut off the air conditioning to save money, you could be risking much more than a few extra bucks on your power bill.

Mold thrives in humid areas. So if your property is not managed by a professional agency you might want to think about investing in an outdoor inverter unit or something like the NEST system in order to keep the excess moisture out of your unit while you are away.

No one likes dealing with mold or the inconvenience of remediation. Paying close attention to these tips can save you both money and frustration.

SERVPRO of Bay County is always here to help (850)785-1077

How to Prepare to Keep Your Home Safe During Storm Damage

8/24/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO crew receives a call for a home that endured Fire and water damage due to storms that came through unexpectedly.

Storms are dangerous forces of nature that can be brutal, unpredictable, and strike without warning. Because they wreak such serious havoc, it’s important to take measures in keeping your home safe from potential storm damage.

So what can you do to be prepared? For starters, perform a full inspection of your home and its surrounding premises. You can do this personally or professionally. Check for leaks in your roof or windows, and make sure all exterior doors and windows are fitted correctly. Any cracks or gaps can lead to big problems during storms, so it’s important to fix up any you may find right away.

Next, check the condition of your shutters and rain gutters. Make sure they are sturdy and tight. If any are loose, get them fixed and tightened right away. Loose shutters and gutters can become dangerous in a storm because they are unstable and in some cases they can rip away from your house and blow around as debris. The same goes for any unstable large trees or loose tree limbs. Consider trimming back trees with any unhealthy looking branches that could be torn off in a storm.

If your home is older and has a drainage ditch in front of the property, inspect the area around it. Remove debris, dirt, and anything else that could obstruct that flow of water. This will prevent any blockage and clogging that could cause flooding.

Finally, have an emergency plan in place for your family to help ensure their safety in the event of a storm.

When a storm does hit, SERVPRO of Bay County has your back. We’ll take care of any emergency repairs or restorations your home may need. Give us a call at 850-785-1077

How to Avoid Water Damage From Condensation on Your HVAC.

8/7/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO technicians called into extract water from utility area of flooded Bay County home.

During the warmer months, you are most likely to be running your HVAC more than ever to keep it cool in your home or business. Because of this, your HVAC creates plenty of condensation. That water needs somewhere to go and it’s easy for those lines to become clogged very quickly. This can cause your emergency line to either break or your drop pan to overfill. So what are you supposed to do if this happens and causes water damage?

• First, call your HVAC company to service your unit. This is probably the easiest and most efficient method, however you will have to pay for the service.

• Make sure you check your primary condensation line is slowly dripping water when your HVAC is on. This is usually located near the ground outside the home located in an  area of high foot traffic.

• If your primary line is not dripping check the secondary line, usually located somewhere like above a window or door.

• If the primary, or both lines are not dripping while the unit is on, that means there is blockage. Find a way to flush out or remove the potential blockage. The cleanout will usually be located close to the HVAC main unit. Make sure you thoroughly research how to properly clear your lines before attempting to!

• Check your HVAC unit drip pan, make sure it has no holes or rust around it. If it is damaged you may need to replace it.

If you have experienced issues with water damage due to your HVAC leaking, call SERVPRO of Bay County today at (850) 785-1077!

How to Prepare Your Business for Water Damage Prevention

6/19/2023 (Permalink)

Local warehouse is loading as much equpment as possible to prepare for all water jobs in the community.

In Florida, many businesses and residents have to spend significant time in storm damage prevention. With so many boxes to check, it can be overwhelming and you may not know where to start. That is why our SERVPRO experts put energy into providing tips and tricks along the way and are available 24/7 to answer all of your question as well. Here is a suggested list to start with: 1. Regular inspections: Inspect the roof, gutters, windows, doors and foundation of the building regularly for any signs of water damage. 2. Proper maintenance: Regularly clean gutters and downspouts to prevent blockages. Properly maintain HVAC systems to prevent leaks and moisture buildup. 3. Appropriate landscaping: Proper landscaping around the building can help prevent water from pooling and causing damage to the foundation or walls. 4. Waterproofing: Install a proper waterproofing system to prevent water from entering the building. 5. Preparedness: Have a disaster preparedness plan in place and review it regularly. Ensure tenants are aware of procedures in case of flooding or water damage. Our teams are ready to help you generate your free ERP plan today. 6. Professional help: Bring our team out to assess, repair and prevent further damage in case of flooding or water intrusion. 7. Regular cleaning: Regular cleaning of the building and its surroundings can prevent water damage caused by mold and mildew buildup.

Steps Bay County Locals Should Take When Coming into Storm Season

3/13/2023 (Permalink)

Home in Bay County endures major storm damage and calls in SERVPRO experts for aide.

As anyone who lives here knows, springtime in Bay County brings beautiful sunshine as well as strong rain and wind storms. With weather that can switch so quickly between the two, it’s important to make sure your home is storm-ready, prepared to handle and withstand unpredictable conditions.

It’s always a good idea to conduct a home and ground inspection before weather conditions take a turn for the worst. Things like leaky roofs or windows can be very problematic in the midst of heavy rainfall and strong winds, so checking them and making sure they are all fitted correctly is a critical step to take.

Checking for loose shutters and trimming back any trees or shrubbery that may be surrounding your home is another good way to get it storm-ready. Shutters, tree limbs, and other loose debris can get picked up by wind and thrown in any direction, including towards your house. Also inspect any drainage areas near or around your home, clearing them of any debris that may be creating blockage. This will help reduce chances of flooding your property during a storm.

Another thing to consider when preparing your home for a storm is what kind of system to have in place that will allow you to communicate with your loved ones and receive weather updates. In some cases, storms can become strong enough to put your cell phone’s service signal at risk, so it’s good to be prepared and have an alternative form of communication in place.

And as always, in the event of storm damage SERVPRO of Bay County is here to help. We’re available 24/7 and ready when you need us. Give us a call at (850) 785-1077.

SERVPRO Crews Have Vast Experience that Helps Us Anticipate Issues that a Bay County Homeowner Might Not Expect

3/2/2023 (Permalink)

Fire and water damage is serviced by Bay County SERVPRO technicians after emergency call was received.

SERVPRO Crews Have Vast Experience that Helps Us Anticipate Issues that a Bay County Homeowner Might Not Expect

In the aftermath of a fire damage incident in Bay County, you expect to deal with some issues like the accumulation of soot on surfaces, charring, or other forms of material deterioration from the combustion processes. Apart from varying types of damages, you are also bound to anticipate some restoration procedures such as demolition of sections of the house to remove damaged materials. However, during the restoration, other issues that you did not anticipate might develop. SERVPRO helps homeowners handle both the regular and unexpected aspects when restoring fire damage in their Bay County properties.
 
What processes of fire damage restoration commonly confuse Brandon property owners?
    •    The need to prepare for water damage in the aftermath of fire incidents
    •    The use of heat for restoration or preservation purposes when mitigating fire damage
    •    Damages extending beyond the main areas affected by the fire

Whenever properties are engulfed in flames, the first thought is to douse the flames in water. Even professional firefighters rely mostly on water to put out flames. Therefore, even though the fire is the root of damages at your property, you have to prepare for material deterioration caused by moisture action. Water worsens fire damage or even creates additional damages by:
    •    Causing deep soiling of fabrics and upholstery
    •    Compromising the structural integrity of porous and semi-porous materials
    •    Sparking microbial growth, which can lead to mold formation
    •    Staining materials

The SERVPRO team that responds to your fire incident is made up of different professionals, including IICRC certified water restoration technicians whose expertise can go a long way in managing the effects of moisture in the interior sections of your property. For instance, we understand the need to dry or remove wet materials within the first 24 hours. However, regular drying procedures such as boosting evaporation rates with air movers can spread loose debris all over the premises. Our technicians find better alternatives, such as setting up dehumidifiers in an appropriate location in the house to extract moisture from the air.

How else can we manage water damage at a fire damaged property?

Fast moisture removal is an excellent way to stop or prevent damages at a fire loss site. However, it cannot work against all kinds of moisture damage. For issues like deep, soiling, and staining might even worsen when you dry the affected material. Our SERVPRO technicians identify areas where such problems are likely to develop and take countermeasures. For instance, we lay protective sheets of paper or rugs over carpets in highly trafficked areas to avoid deep soiling as we prepare for other restorative processes.

Why would heat be necessary when restoring fire damage?

It might sound counterintuitive that heat might be used to resolve problems that develop because of a fire. However, heat has many positive aspects that help alleviate damage or fast-track the renovation processes. When cleaning surfaces where smoke residues or other soils accumulate, our technicians use heat to ease the process, minimizing the time or effort needed. Warmth helps speed up chemical reactions or break bonds, thus making cleaning products more effective. Different cleaning products require different temperatures for optimal performance. Our technicians rely on their experience or the instructions provided on product labels to determine the best temperatures for cleaning solutions.

Heat might also be useful in preventing secondary damages. For instance, exposure to moisture or high levels of humidity can cause internal components in electronics to rust, necessitating expensive restoration processes. Our technicians can protect your appliances in the affected areas by ensuring there is enough heat to prevent cooling to the dew point. Since the HVAC system is not likely to be operational, we find other ways to supply heat, including using portable heaters.

Isn't speed mandatory when mitigating the effects of fire loss?

A speedy response helps in many ways when restoring fire damage. For instance, you can stop the effects of corrosive residues like soot from staining stone or metallic surfaces permanently through quick action such as applying an oil film over the surfaces or pre-cleaning them. However, there are times when slowing down is a better approach. A specific example is when cleaning materials using chemical agents. After applying the products, you need to stop other actions giving the products sufficient dwell time to react with the soils or penetrate through the material. The dwell time depends on:
    •    The type of material involved
    •    The level of soiling
    •    The chemical agent used

Giving sufficient time simplifies the cleaning process, thus improving the overall turnaround time. It can also help eliminate the use of aggressive agitation, which can damage the underlying material.

Restoration of fire damage is rarely a straightforward process. Call SERVPRO of Bay County to make your emergency "Like it never even happened.”

SERVPRO Finds Ways to Help Your Family After a Fire With a Customized Remediation Plan

10/4/2022 (Permalink)

Technicians carry out the contents restoration component of a custom plan for local client.

Many homeowners, who experience a fire in their Bay County residence, lose almost everything, while other people fare much better. A smaller, more localized fire which never spreads can still create a considerable amount of havoc in your life and even cause you to doubt the safety of your home.
 
If your residence recently suffered fire damage, SERVPRO professionals can help you and your family. We work with both homeowners and insurance adjusters, so your experience involving your home's restoration becomes less stressful. In the case of smaller fires, many families find they can remain in their own home while we work on just the areas damaged directly by the fire. This requires some preparation that eliminates the smoke damage and its odors in the area intended to become your primary living area during the restoration work. However, staying in your home while restoration helps keep children calm, schedules on track, and medicines, necessary documents, and other vital belongings within your reach.
 
One of the things we do first includes cleaning excess soot from the most easily damaged surfaces in your home. These include chrome and other finishes on your bath and kitchen fixtures, as well as any other belongings that include a metallic component. Works of art and pieces of American history often contain metal that can quickly corrode when covered by abrasive soot and ashes from the fire.
 
Even though the soot may seem minor, the effects can become permanent over time, as well as cling to anyone unfortunate enough to wash their hands at the sink before we clean the faucet handles. As sticky as soot seems, it easily transfers to anything touched, making a messy trail rapidly.
 
We wash the linens and clothing your family needs immediately, and then return these to you as soon as possible. We want to help you as much as possible during this challenging time, so your family can recover faster and with less stress. As soon as we complete the initial cleaning of your undamaged-by-fire living area in your home, our Odor Control Technician (OCT) can eliminate the odors that your family can do without smelling.
 
Using thermal fogging, our IICRC-certified technician chemically bonds leftover and hidden soot particles to the neutralizing agents in the fog. With spot treatments, fresh scents can soon fill your rooms with odors that your family enjoys. We use safe and effective chemicals that do not cause problems for your home, family or the environment.
 

Protect Yourself From Assignment of Benefits Misconduct in Florida

10/3/2022 (Permalink)

Residents who have property damages are susceptible to AOB misconduct.

Homeowners who face the chaos and confusion commonplace after storm, fire, and water damage in Bay County look for a restoration company that offers a wide range of services. Many companies, like ours, highlight their ability to help with insurance claims and submissions during this stressful time as a critical service, streamlining the financial aspects of a restoration job.

Working with the customer's insurance company can be a great benefit to a property owner when done ethically. Unfortunately, there is a long history of disaster recovery companies in Florida mishandling the job- an injustice that can result in adverse consequences unintended by a trusting client.

These unscrupulous businesses prey upon the anxiety and fear victims of severe weather, and other emergencies feel as they try to sort out the overwhelming crush of concerns and tasks following major catastrophes. Within the hours and days after a storm or flood, some vendors deliberately arose panic among victims. They follow up exaggerated statements about the devastation with promises to take care of all aspects of damage restoration if only the customer assigns his or her homeowner's insurance payout directly to the company pledging to fix the damage.

This practice is termed Assignment of Benefits or AOB, and has become of great concern in Florida when pursued dishonestly by disaster recovery companies. The problem stems from the unprincipled actions of dishonest and immoral individuals who inflate the cost of restorations and recommend unnecessary repairs to increase the flow of money into their coffers from unsuspecting customers' insurance carriers. Not infrequently, the vendors that demand a customer sign an AOB also perform low-quality work that does not stand the test of time.

Homeowners trade control over the restoration process and direct communication with their insurance agent and company for a potentially false sense of security. The company assigned the benefits makes all the decisions if an insurance company resists paying. Also, the property owner typically agrees in the AOB documents to cooperate if the restoration company files suit against the insurance company. Because of details in Florida's current AOB statute, insurance companies risk paying significant attorneys fees if claims presented are refused or paid at a lower rate, so they sometimes pay to evade the perceived penalty.

The overreaching effect of the AOB practices of some immoral restoration companies is steep increases in premiums and the unavailability of homeowner insurance coverage in areas where weather damage is predictable. High-pressure tactics to sign AOBs, little history of quality restoration in an area, and fear-mongering are signals that a restoration company is part of the problem, and not the solution you seek.

With decades of top-notch restoration experience and a desire to set your mind at ease, our experts at SERVPRO commit to use a clear communication style and transparent dealings with you and your insurance company as we restore the damage.

Lower Levels can be a Spot Most Likely to Collect Flooding That Affects Your Home.

9/13/2022 (Permalink)

Bay county resident receives help from technicians of Bay County after flooding.

Flood damage? We have the equipment and expertise always available.

When flooding occurs in coastal areas, lower levels in a residence are most likely to experience the most significant volume of pooling water and potential contaminants. As damaging as these circumstances can become, our prompt response can reduce the spread and saturation of this standing water in your Bay County home to other places.  

The damage occurs quickly, causing the need for floor removal in your; choosing the right professionals makes a difference in these steps' efficiency.  As you might expect, our inventory of industry-leading tools plays a role in how we aim to protect area homes and save customers money.  

Some of the Efficient Tools We Use in Flood Recovery Include:  

Submersible Pumps: Extraction, where water exceeds two inches in depth, requires submersible pumps to remove. High-pressure pumps are ideal for water removal, though self-priming trash pumps are often necessary to manage debris in the water. 

Wet Vacuums: When water gets to a more manageable two inches or less in-depth, we can use versatile and portable options like wet vacuums to manage the remaining standing water.  

Containment Barriers: Establishing containment barriers creates drying zones that reduce the spread of floodwater to other areas of the lower level.  

Portable Heaters: The use of portable heaters in the established drying zones can promote a higher temperature on specific surfaces to promote evaporative drying.  

Air Movers: Airflow is vital to eliminating trapped moisture in structural elements and contents. Combined with dehumidifiers, these tools can almost single-handedly manage evaporation.  

Flooding can be challenging for any homeowner. Our team can help with efficient tools and strategies to make it "Like it never even happened." 

Rely on SERVPRO for Expert Flood Damage Remediation After a Storm

9/13/2022 (Permalink)

Bay County SERVPRO team begins drying of kitchen after severe water damage is endured after storm.

The sooner you contact the highly trained professionals at SERVPRO the quicker we can get to work restoring your home and preventing further damage.

Florida residents are no stranger to severe weather events, even as far inland as your Bay County home. With so many large storm systems that rage in from the coastlines, it can often be a difficult thing to predict the severity of a storm that comes and how much damage it can do in its wake. The unfortunate aspect of this unpredictability is the damage that this weather can do to your house, leaving it vulnerable to flooding on top of the structural weaknesses. 

The primary concern with flood damage in your Tallahassee residence is the kind of impact it can have on the structural integrity and far-reaching effects it can have on surfaces like flooring and ceilings. Fighting this kind of situation requires you to move quickly and reach out to certified restoration specialists that can get to work quickly to get rid of the present water and protect your home from further damage as they restore the current concerns. 

While extraction is a priority when our IICRC certified SERVPRO technicians arrive at your home, a greater concern for our restoration specialists is to prevent further external damage. Our team conducts a thorough inspection of all vulnerable points affected by the storm damage and sealing up these areas of penetration with tarps, plywood, and boards to keep further water damage from occurring while the restoration process is underway. 

Extraction is a key component of the restoration plan for our SERVPRO professionals. Using a combination of equipment, water gets quickly pulled from the flooring to thwart penetration through levels of your home and prevent further expenditures for remodeling and reconstruction. For significant volumes of water, truck mounted pumps get used in conjunction with wet-vacs for spot extractions in tighter areas. 

Drying is another critical element to the restoration process, and upon completion, allows for a thorough assessment of structural concerns that require your attention.   

When severe weather leaves you with flooding damage, acting quickly can save the contents of your home from irreparable damage and save your out of pocket expenses as well. Give SERVPRO of Bay County a call whenever you need us at (850) 785-1077