How To Become a Preferred Vendor

8/12/2022 (Permalink)

Getting Started as a Preferred Vendor

Not all restoration companies are created equal. Your company needs help to restore your business space after a disaster in Murphy, NC, and you want to make sure that your first pick will be easy to work with, reliable, and provide superior service. Your insurance agent will provide you with a list of preferred vendors, but how can you know that you're really getting the best? At SERVPRO, you'll find some of the most stringent standards in the industry that ensure your project will be completed with excellence every time.

1. Quality Checks
When your insurance agent recommends a local franchise to complete your project, the SERVPRO vendor program has 21 guidelines that franchise owners must adhere to in order to earn jobs when you, the client, call the restoration hotline. These guidelines include conducting background checks for all employees, submitting to internal auditing for quality assurance, and maintaining all proper insurance coverage.

2. Rigorous Documentation
From the moment the customer contacts the restoration hotline, your case will be tracked every step of the way. You will be presented with information about which local franchise you were connected to, the amount of time it took to respond, the cause of the claim, and each step that was taken to complete your project.

3. Project Validation
Restoration companies have standards that must be followed when completing a project. You'll never have to wonder if your site was cleaned properly because you can request that drying validation be a part of your project documentation. You as the business owner can see the standards that the company promises and the tools that are to be used; there are no industry secrets. This transparency can provide you peace of mind, knowing that your restoration project was done to the highest standard.
When your insurance agent provides a preferred vendor list that includes a local SERVPRO franchise, you can be confident that your restoration project will be backed by high industry standards.

Water Damage: 4 Steps for Drying Out Your Commercial Property

7/12/2022 (Permalink)

Water cleanup in a Sapphire, NC commercial facility.

Four Water Damage Tips

Many property owners are understandably upset and overwhelmed when water disasters occur. However, in a crisis involving pipe breaks or leaks, a quick response is necessary to avoid further problems. The four damage tips below will help you understand the appropriate steps to take following a water disaster.

1. Remember Safety First

No amount of cleaning tips will help if you ignore the number one safety rule: turn off the electricity. It does not matter how extensive the flooding is, power should be shut off to avoid shock or electrocution. While the water levels may not be above outlets, if a pipe bursts in a ceiling or behind a wall, water may have infiltrated outlets or conduits. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

2. Clear Debris and Remove Standing Water

The second of the four damage tips is to clear away all debris and remove all standing water. Debris does not have to mean rubbish or trash; it can also refer to any salvageable items and materials that need to be dried and cleaned. Also, while there may not be a lot of standing water, it is essential to remove any excess water to avoid problems like mold and mildew.

3. Ventilate and Dry Affected Areas

Once you have cleared the area and removed the water, you can ventilate and dry the area. Opening windows and doors is a great way to help circulate air through the property, but the use of industrial air movers is likely a quicker and more effective way of drying the area. A pipe burst can lead to extensive water damage, which is why it is necessary to dry the area as fast as possible.

4. Sanitize and Clean

Once dry, you can clean and sanitize the property. You may call a disaster restoration specialist in the Sapphire, NC, area to help you with this process, as they possess both equipment and expertise in water remediation.

The damage tips above can help you mitigate a pipe break or leak. However, if you wish to expedite the process, a restoration specialist may be more equipped to handle these types of emergencies.

What Sets the Best Disaster Recovery Teams Apart?

4/22/2022 (Permalink)

We have the equipment for any restoration job.

What Distinguishes the Most Effective Disaster Recovery Teams?

Disaster recovery is a process that involves many moving parts. The first priority is to document damage, and this must take place before mitigation. It is then necessary to take measures to limit the severity of damage within hours. The top restoration teams have the training, equipment and resources necessary to respond to any incident in Andrews, NC, whether the damage is confined to a single structure or affects multiple properties.

Trained Cleanup Experts
Skill sets distinguish experienced restoration providers from amateurs entering the field. Here is several Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification credentials that set the best teams apart from the rest:

• Commercial Drying Specialist
  
• Contents Processing Technician
  
• Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
• Technician
  
• Water Damage Restoration Technician
  
  

The leading storm response service will include one or more certified technicians along with trained employees. These experts work together to make the most informed recommendations regarding damage mitigation, cleanup and restoration.

Specialized Restoration Equipment
In addition to expertise regarding procedures, the best disaster recovery teams also have access to industry-leading equipment. From dedicated cleaning machines for damaged contents to pumps for safely extracting water and cleaning solutions for smoke residue, property owners can count on the leading services to know how to use the right tools for any job.

An Extensive Network
The best storm damage response teams are backed by an extensive network. A national restoration company with more than 1,700 franchises across North America is likely to have several locations in any region. This means that specialists and equipment can be made available in the places that need them most.

A disaster recovery service that lacks any of these elements will not be as effective. Property owners and insurers should seek out a restoration company that maintains the highest industry standards for cleaning up fire, water, storm or any other type of property damage in Andrews, NC.

Save Damaged Documents With SERVPRO

2/16/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Can Help You Save Documents That Have Been Damaged.

As an insurance agent, you always have to consider cost when working on residential damage claims. One issue that can lead to high expenditures is document restoration, especially where highly valuable items are concerned. Luckily, SERVPRO has a drying solution that can work for both you and your Andrews, NC, clients.

What It Is

The drying process is completed by restoration specialists who are trained in proper recovery techniques for both papers and photographs. The steps involved include the following:

1. Drying - This is completed with a modern vacuum freeze-drying method, used by the Library of Congress to save important documents.
   
   
2. Disinfection - This is accomplished through gamma radiation that helps to eliminate viruses, bacteria or other harmful contaminants.
   
   
3. Digitizing services - These special services allow you to preserve documents in a digital form, where they can no longer be harmed by natural disasters or fires.

SERVPRO’s freeze-dry document restoration process is the only one that is approved by both the General Services Administration (GSA) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The company’s state-of-the-art facilities and highly trained technicians combine to ensure that each document is preserved and restored as thoroughly as possible.

What Is Covered

Besides important paperwork and treasured photographs, the drying process can be applied to the following types of documents:

• Books
  
• Negatives
  
• Magazines
  
• Manuscripts
  
• Maps
  
• Parchment
  
• Microfiche
  
• Films
  
• X-rays
  
• Blueprints

There are very few limits on what kinds of homeowner documents can be dried and restored using the freeze-dry and decontamination process.

How It Helps

Insurance professionals like you know that restoration is always more cost-effective for an insurance company than replacement. This is especially true in a situation where something priceless is considered, such as a cherished photograph or a rare document. Document restoration from SERVPRO is one way that insurance providers, like the one you work with, can cut back on claims costs while keeping customers happy.

Black Mold – Color, Smell and Appearance

1/18/2022 (Permalink)

A small water leak in your kitchen can a mold infestation in your Andrews, NC home.

Three Things To Know There is Mold In Your Home

Mother nature employs mold to breakdown natural materials in order to clear the land and open the way for new life. Dead trees, fallen leaves, and even animal carcasses can quickly become covered in mold – and that is a good thing. But when mold moves indoors in Andrews, NC, it can become dangerous, and that is not a good thing. To protect your family, have a mold inspection by a certified mold remediation team at the first sign of the unsightly fungus. The team can generally look for these three things.

1. Color

At first glance, asking if the mold is black appears to be a nonsensical question, but it is not as ridiculous as it first seems. Mold is a fungus that comes in many colors, and quite a few of those colors have been classified by the experts as black, or a species known as stachybotrys chartarum. The fungus thrives in dark places, but they can appear as red, yellow, green and even orange.

2. Smell

Like most other fungi, black mold has a distinctive smell, but unlike other types of fungus, the black smells very musty and more like mildew than having a sharp repellent odor. Because of the lack of a dangerous smell, most people need a mold inspection to find hidden black stachybotrys because they have no idea it is attacking their home.

3. Appearance

Often hidden inside of floors, walls, and ceilings, the rampaging fungus colonies thrive on moisture. That may explain why they appear as velvety and slimy at the same time. However, like other types of house mold, the black variety spreads quickly into patches of soft-looking colonies that eat their environment until they have grown puffy enough to release spores into the air.

Consider having a mold inspection if there is any chance your home has been invaded by mold. That is the best way to guarantee it is not the black type you are fighting. The professionals can quickly assess the issue and address any concerns you may have.