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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived Why SERVPRO Blog Posts

The Importance of SERVPRO's Always Available Rapid Response Teams

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

Green  van When calamity strikes at any hour, contact SERVPRO for prompt service.
When any business suffers a structural disaster, the speed with which a team of fix-it professionals can begin making repairs is critical. An ability to handle the problem with haste is important to reducing damage. Therefore, having a 24 hour, round-the-clock restoration team available is a huge advantage. Here are some things worth knowing about SERVPRO’s rapid response abilities.

Elements of SERVPRO’s Speediness

Because they are designed with timeliness in mind, you should expect:

  • Emergency calls to receive a response within an hour
  • Fast site arrivals, a benefit of their more than 1,700 North American locations
  • Inspections completed within 4 hours
  • Briefings delivered within 8 hours

Whether the problem stems from water, fire, or mold, SERVPRO’s fast response makes them a preferred vendor for most insurance agencies. Being always open means repairs can begin even in the middle of the night. That’s the power of SERVPRO’s 24-hour service.

Importance of SERVPRO’s Speediness
Imagine an office in Egypt, TX, experiences a broken pipe or natural flooding. The longer it takes to clean up, the greater the level of destruction. Within minutes, water can seep into drywall, carpeting, and filing cabinets. Additionally, computers and other electronic equipment are likely to be ruined.
Within a day, additional issues may surface. Metal can begin to tarnish. Cubicle walls may become compromised and need to be thrown away. A distracting, unpleasant smell could start to develop.
Between two days and a week after the incident, mold may start growing. Wood floors might begin warping. Contaminated water will have probably spread, posing a health risk to employees. The cost of building rehabilitation will have grown exponentially.
Water damage is just one scenario where the passage of time compounds problems. The same level of increased trouble occurs when delaying action under other scenarios.
Having a 24-hour team available to react to the most common types of office disasters is a true advantage. When calamity strikes at any hour, contact SERVPRO for prompt service.

How to Pick PPE for Mold Cleanup

7/31/2022 (Permalink)

A professional disinfector in overalls processes the walls from mold with a spatula. Protect yourself while cleaning mold

You Know How Basements Often Have "That" Smell?

It's a little damp, a little musty, but all basements smell like that, right? They can because of the amount of moisture found in basements, but they really shouldn't if you're controlling moisture effectively. However, maybe you've discovered a leaking pipe or window in Conroe, TX, and now there is mold damage in your basement to clean up ASAP. Before you start, you need the correct personal protective equipment or PPE. Depending on the extent of cleanup, you will require different PPE to keep you safe. The EPA has a great guide that categorizes cleanup as:

  • Minimum
  • Limited
  • Full

Minimum
For minimum cleanup, the affected area should not be greater than ten square feet. Face masks, such as N-95 respirators, are necessary, plus goggles or some form of eye protection, and gloves. N-95 respirators prevent you from inhaling mold spores while you're cleaning.

Limited
In a limited cleanup, you need to wear the same PPE you would wear for a minimum cleanup project — face masks, goggles, and gloves — and you should add overalls that protect your clothing. A limited cleanup area should not exceed 100 square feet. For a project of this size, it would be best to contact a mold remediation specialist to ensure that you do, in fact, have the proper materials and PPE to tackle the project. A smaller area can still have a large quantity of mold, and it is important to ensure that you can complete the job completely to avoid future problems.

Full
A full cleanup project requires heavy-duty protective equipment to handle mold damage. You will need a full-face mask with a respirator, gloves, shoe coverings, head covering, and disposable clothing. For a project like this, it is strongly recommended to contact a professional for help.
Face masks aren't the only piece of protection that you need when cleaning up mold in your home. It is important to consider the extent of the mold damage before beginning so you can protect yourself appropriately.

How SERVPRO Benefits Insurance Adjusters and Clients

6/28/2022 (Permalink)

Technician using a vacuum extractor on a soaked carpet floor. You can have peace of mind by working with a restoration company with IICRC validation.

How SERVPRO Benefits Insurance Adjusters and Clients

Your job as an insurance adjuster is to serve your New Caney, TX, clients quickly and professionally. You work hard to ensure each claim is completed on time while keeping costs down. SERVPRO is a preferred vendor for many agencies because the company has been building relationships with insurance companies for decades.

National Accounts Guidelines
Each location around the country must meet specific standards. They include:

  • Background checks for employees
  • Internal audits for quality assurance
  • Proof of work with completed job files

Insurance adjusters and professional restoration company employees need step-by-step, transparent communication. It is also part of the guidelines for national accounts.
National Accounts Managers are the point of contact for insurance professionals. They can walk you through the claims process and answer any questions.

IICRC Participation
The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification is a nonprofit organization. It upholds the standards of the restoration industry and helps shape its policies. You can have peace of mind by working with a restoration company with IICRC validation.

Franchisee Training
Locations around the country participate in regional and national training. Restoration and insurance industry professionals learn mitigation, reconstruction and restoration skills at a national training facility. The training process is part of the company's commitment to excellence.
New franchisees participate in a 15-day training program for owners. Employees can also take part in self-paced restoration and cleaning courses. Whether they learn as new employees or continue their education, the company provides classes for them.
The business offers classes year-round as part of an IICRC Training School. Courses cover techniques including water and fire restoration and drying techniques.

Support for Your Client's Insurance Claim
Working with a preferred vendor can help you, the insurance adjuster, serve your clients better. Partnering with a company with decades of experience can help you complete the claims process efficiently and stay within budget.

Advantages of SERVPRO's Electronic Claims and Commitment To Quality

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

Tablet and cel phone. SERVPRO’s electronic customer files are troves of essential data.

SERVPRO's Electronic Claims

If your office suffers structural damage from a storm, fire or another disaster, filing an insurance claim should be less stressful than executing repairs. Choose SERVPRO for a team of masterful rebuilding experts that can return your place of business in Porter Heights, TX, back to normal. Besides their overall commitment to quality, these rebuilding geniuses possess a simple filing infrastructure that makes working with them as pleasurable as possible.

Quality Compliance
As one of the most trusted names in repair, SERVPRO is devoted to providing a professional experience from start to finish. You can expect:

  • Safe and effective rebuilding and cleaning techniques
  • Background checks on staff
  • Properly registered and maintained vehicles
  • Excellent insurance

Besides providing dependable service, their sophisticated electronic filing system makes processing any insurance claim a snap.

Electronic Claims
SERVPRO’s Electronic Claims Information System offers multiple advantages. Most critically, a breakdown of assignments is always available for viewing. New assignments, pending jobs and completed tasks are easily identifiable, providing an instant read on how repairs are progressing.
Cleaning and construction recommendations are broken down into digestible chunks. Estimates are provided for each item. This is extremely useful when figuring out your total cost. Having this figure early on may assist with speeding up your insurance claim. Customer files can also be mailed in printed form. Alternatively, they can be emailed as an Excel spreadsheet.

SERVPRO’s electronic customer files are troves of essential data. Included is the initiating report, photographic evidence of damage and every piece of related paperwork. Having every scrap of information in one location is a strong advantage when dealing with an insurance agent. The quicker you can provide whatever data is requested, the faster your claim may be pushed through.
With everything involved in getting your office up and running after a calamity, filing an insurance claim should be easy. Let SERVPRO’s information gathering abilities make the ordeal as smooth as possible.

3 Things to Know About Preferred Vendor Qualifications

2/18/2022 (Permalink)

green van SERVPRO of The Woodlands/Conroe, you can trust that the job will get done right!

Preferred Vendor Qualifications: 3 Things to Know

When clients have property restorations needs, an insurance agent in The Woodlands, TX, may choose to recommend a preferred vendor to make the repairs. Choosing a preferred vendor allows the insurance company to know the team of professionals have the qualifications to perform the job, and also will meet a set of standards in the process. Vendor qualifications can be important because they

1. Let Clients Know What to Expect

A preferred vendor must agree to certain guidelines in order to be recommended by an insurance company. This means that the client knows what to expect from the professional restoration team, such as SERVPRO, working on their property. Knowing the guidelines also allows the client to ask questions about the steps involved if desired.

2. Allow the Client to Work With a Certified Team

The insurance agent processing the claim will often recommend that their client work with a certified professional. This gives the client the ability to look up any relevant qualifications and feel comfortable that their restoration team has the tools and knowledge to properly perform the job. It also allows the insurance company the ability to ensure that all restoration work meets the IICRC standards.

3. Ensure Quality Work

A vendor program teaches the participants how to properly conduct restoration efforts in a variety of circumstances. These may include mold, fire, water, and storm damage restoration. Participants are taught the proper procedures and how to ensure quality work every step of the way. In many cases, these professionals are also taught how to clearly communicate with the insurance company so that all claim information remains up-to-date.

When an insurance agent recommends a preferred vendor for a job it’s because they trust that team or individual to do the job correctly. These professionals have been trained and certified to industry standards, take pride in quality work, and because of this, the client can know what to expect in the restoration of their property.