Is Your Home Ready for Winter?

10/28/2024 (Permalink)

Keep your home safe and cozy all winter long: 

The colder winter months are upon us and that means relying more on our heating systems to keep our homes cozy and warm. This increased use of heating equipment also increases the risk of accidental fires. Taking extra steps now can help prevent these fires and help keep your home and family safe all season long: 

Inspect Heating Systems 

• Furnaces: Call a professional to inspect and clean your furnace to ensure it is in shape and all potentially flammable debris is removed and cleaned.  

• Fireplaces: Creosote buildup is the leading cause of chimney fires. Be sure to have your chimney cleaned and inspected so you can safely use your fireplace all winter long.  

• Space Heaters: Never leave space heaters unattended and keep them at least 3 feet away from flammable materials. Be sure that the heater you are using has been safety tested and approved. 

Check Your Water Heater 

• Monitoring the health of your water heater is essential. As water heaters age, the heating element and thermostat can wear out, increasing the risk of potential flash fires. 

Test Smoke and Carbon monoxide Detectors 

Clean Dryer Ducts 

Check Fire Extinguishers 

• Ensure that fire extinguishers are up to date and in proper working condition. 

Only Burn Dry Firewood 

• Do not use painted or treated wood in your fireplace as this can release dangerous chemicals and fumes into your home. Wet firewood will create steam, smoke, and sparks. Be sure your wood is completely dry before adding it to your fireplace. 

Holiday Decorations 

• As the holiday season commences, be sure your decorations spark cheer, not flames. Keep trees a safe distance from fireplaces and heaters and be sure to unplug them when not in use. Do not leave candles unattended and keep them a safe distance from flammable materials. 

SERVPRO of Monroe/West Monroe Fire Restoration Services 

While we hope you never need to call us if your home or business suffers from fire or smoke damage, our team is here for you with 24/7 emergency services. As a leading fire damage restoration company, we specialize in removing water after firefighting efforts. Our trained team will assess the damage caused by the fire and handle the fire cleanup and fire damage restoration. Our professionals will also deep-clean your property including soot removal from walls, carpets, and upholstery. They will also perform the smoke damage cleanup and the removal of the smoke odors. 

How long does it take for water damage to set in?

4/1/2024 (Permalink)

The owners of the home were out of town when their pipes burst, allowing water to sit for multiple days, making the damage more severe.

How long does it take for water damage to set in? 

When you discover you have had a water intrusion in your home, you will have a lot of questions. How long has this water been sitting here? What do we do? Who do we call? How much time do we have to get this cleaned up? 

With any type of water damage, time is of the essence. A quick response is crucial to prevent water from causing its peak potential damage. It does not take very long for water to cause problems, but the longer it sits, the worse it will get. That also means that repairs will take longer and become more expensive. 

We have compiled this timeline to demonstrate just how quickly water damage sets in and what can happen if left for too long.   

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water absorbs into walls, floors, upholstery, and other belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces start to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

About SERVPRO of Monroe/West Monroe 

SERVPRO of Monroe/West Monroe specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a water damage event. Our team understands the importance of responding to water damage quickly, that is why we offer 24/7 emergency services so that our professional crews can get to work quickly, minimizing the potential damage to your property and returning it to “preloss” condition as soon as possible.  

Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certifications.

How to Detect Mold in Your Monroe Home

1/4/2024 (Permalink)

Mold can exist anywhere: this government archive building discovered mold is court documents stored in books.

How To Detect Mold In Your Monroe Home

When mold intrudes into your home, it may not always be obvious. The mold may be lurking in a space that you cannot see or behind wallpaper. Knowing how to detect the presence of mold can help you as a homeowner to discover the problem before it becomes a more significant issue, which will help make the remediation process much less expensive and simpler to complete.  

Signs You May Have Mold in Your Home 

• Odor – Mold has a notable musty, damp, or earthy odor. If the mold is behind wallpaper or inside a wall, you may be able to smell the mold before you can see it.
• Visible Spores or Dark Spots
• Effects on health - If you are experiencing abnormal allergy symptoms or respiratory issues it may be a sign that there is mold in your home. As with any medical concern, always consult your doctor. 
• HVAC Emitting Musty Odor
• Warping and Bubbling in Walls 

Common Locations for Hidden Mold

While mold can grow and exist anywhere, there are some locations that you may want to look first: 

• Basements 
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Attics & Crawlspaces
• Ceilings
• Ducting
• Window sills
• Inside walls or behind wallpaper
• Around plumbing 

SERVPRO® has trained technicians who understand that time is of the essence. If you recognize any signs above, take action right away. With our expertise and tools, it is easy to understand why SERVPRO® is your best option for mold damage remediation in your Little Rock home.

Mold is very pungent, so you may notice an unpleasant odor if it is confined to a particular area of your home. Mold can sometimes be behind wallpaper, or inside walls, so you might not immediately realize that mold is the issue. A SERVPRO® professional technician is trained to locate the hidden mold and take care of it. 

A quick inspection of your home could alert you to visible signs of a mold issue. It is easy to find in a bathtub or shower stall, but in a basement or crawlspace, you might have to look a bit harder to find it. 

If you have found or suspect mold in your Monroe home, call SERVPRO® of Monroe/West Monroe our professional crews will assess your home and develop a plan to remediate your mold. When you give us a call at (318) 345-5121, we make sure that your home is dry and clean again before we say the job is finished.

How to Properly Install and Maintain Smoke Detectors

10/6/2023 (Permalink)

Maintaining a properly functioning smoke detector will not only keep peace and quiet in your home, but will make it much safer.

We have all had that frustrating experience with a faulty smoke detector that just will not stop beeping. Maintaining a properly functioning smoke detector will not only keep peace and quiet in your home, but will make it much safer. 

Tips for properly installing smoke detectors: 

• The number of smoke detectors necessary for your home will be determined by the size and layout of your home. However, as a general rule you should have at least one on every level of your home (including the basement) and one in every bedroom.
• Install smoke detectors in central locations. Ceiling detectors should be placed on a flat area and wall detectors must be less than 12 inches from the ceiling.
• Always follow your device’s instructions carefully while installing (especially detectors that require hardwired power). If you do not feel comfortable installing on your own, there are many professional services that will install them for you.
• Test your alarm after installing them by using the test button 

Tips for maintaining smoke detectors:

• Never use the same smoke detector for longer than 10 years. If you have had the same ones for longer than this, replace them as soon as possible. 
• Test the alarms monthly. 
• Replace non-hardwired detector’s batteries annually. 
• Clean your detectors every year. Dust and other pollutants can impede the performance of your smoke detectors.

If you experience a fire loss in your home, SERVPRO® of Monroe / West Monroe is here to help 24/7. Our team of fire restoration professionals will restore your home to preloss conditions, so it is "Like it never even happened." Call us at (318) 345-5121.

How to Prepare Your Business for a Disaster

7/12/2023 (Permalink)

Flooding in your Monroe Business can be time consuming, expensive, and overwhelming. If you do not recover quickly enough you could potentially lose customers or even your business. Working with an established and reputable restoration company to remediate damage can make the crucial difference in getting your business back up and running.

Preparedness is another important key to getting back to business. SERVPRO has created a set of tools to help prepare you for a catastrophic event such as a flood. With our Emergency Ready Plan and Profile (ERP) we will assess your property in person, look for potential vulnerabilities, and make recommendations that can minimize damage. Our team will also locate all of your emergency shut offs and other important components of your building and compile all of the important information you will need into our app for your use.  

You can then personalize your profile to include which members of your team you want to make decisions if you are unavailable during the crisis. The ERP will also include a blueprint of your business layout, names of important contacts and phone numbers, locations of utility shut offs, and any other important information you want to include. You also can indicate if you want SERVPRO to respond to an emergency, which can help speed up the mitigation process. 

The SERVPRO ERP allows a business owner to indicate priorities regarding areas of the business to restore first or documents or records to inventory and pack out. Take the opportunity to work with our IICRC certified technicians on ideas that can keep at least a portion of your business open during the crisis and recovery so that your clientele does not lose confidence in your products or services during the flooding restoration process.

SERVPRO of Monroe / West Monroe is ready to work with you to recover from a flooding event. Take our service to another level by developing an Emergency Ready Plan and Profile. Call (318) 345-5121 to get the process started.

Click here for more information regarding the city of Monroe.

The Least Invasive Mold Removal Tactics for Monroe Homes

5/4/2023 (Permalink)

Don't let mold take control of your Monroe property. Call SERVPRO today!

SERVPRO Has Efficient Mold Removal

Mold is an underrated and underappreciated developing threat in your home in moist areas. Removing this growth can be challenging depending on factors like the colonies' severity, the damage's location, and the needed repairs to resolve the penetrating moisture concerns. You desire rapid solutions to get life back to normal, so we first prioritize the least invasive remediation methods.

There are no methods of mold removal for Monroe homes and businesses that are effective the longer that you wait to secure professional remediation services. However, our professionals respond quickly to these emergencies, making it possible to preserve and protect many of the exposed hosting materials from permanent marring. 

Surface Cleaning Solutions 

One of the least aggressive and invasive methods of removing active mold growth in your home is surface cleaning products. Antimicrobial and sporicidal agents from our inventory work to eradicate and destroy spores on organic surfaces hosting colonies. These products can also deter future growth, as these cleaning products act as inhibitors.

Dry Ice and Soda Blasting 

Sometimes it is impossible to utilize the least invasive and aggressive measure of mold removal. Instead, more abrasive methods can effectively protect the impacted host material and preserve the substrate from removal and replacement. Media blasting with dry ice and sodium bicarbonate is often the preferred approach when this abrasive cleaning is necessary. If media blasting is ineffective or will not provide the desired results, there are other potential solutions based on the degree of damage, including: 

• Sanding
• Emergency Repairs
• Controlled Demolition

While the options for mold removal and remediation might vary by the unique circumstances, our SERVPRO of Monroe / West Monroe team is ready to help how you need it. We understand the urgency of development and can work tirelessly to rid your home of compromising mold growth. Call us at (318) 345-5121.

Things You Might Save in Your Monroe Home after Fire Damage

4/5/2023 (Permalink)

Fire damage restoration includes debris and odor removal from your Monroe home. Call SERVPRO to get the process started.

SERVPRO Evaluates Monroe Homes Recommending the Best Fire Restoration Approaches

A fire has varied impacts on a home. Significant damage to your valuables can demoralize you because you may not know what you can save. Even if insurance can cater for the cost of replacing items lost to a fire in your Monroe home, you might still prefer to keep things that have sentimental value. The materials that makeup items are the main determinants of whether you can save them. Glass and metal items are more likely to be salvageable than wood and fabrics, which deteriorate quickly from heat exposure. 

How a Monroe fire damage incident unfolds also determines what can be salvaged or not. When firefighting is timely, damage from flames and heat is contained before spreading over vast areas. Therefore, the main issues are smoke deposits and moisture accumulation. Smoke residues are dark and acidic, so they cause significant soiling and staining. Our SERVPRO technicians help reverse this type of deterioration thorough cleaning and drying. 

Salvageable items include:

• Kitchenware
• Smoke damaged electronics
• Lightly charred furniture
• Glass and metal structural materials

Kitchenware primarily includes glass and ceramic utensils. Exposure to extreme heat conditions can cause cracking. However, the most common effect is deep soiling and staining from the soot accumulating on their surfaces. Even items locked away in cabinets are heavily soiled since smoke driven by convection currents concentrates in colder areas of a property during a fire. Our SERVPRO technicians simplify the restoration of such items using advanced immersion cleaning such as ultrasonic cleaners, eliminating any lingering soot staining, "Like it never even happened." The ultrasonic cleaner has a tank where the soiled items are dipped. The system then produces millions of bubbles and implodes them instantaneously, creating an effective yet non-invasive agitation force that strips away stubborn soils and stains from the surface of items.

Light or Moderate Fire Damage

You can salvage many items with light or moderate damage from heat exposure or residue accumulation. Identifying such damage early and kick-starting restoration procedures in time improves the chances of salvaging them. An example of light damage is an accumulation of smoke residues in electronic items or appliances. Slight charring of furniture items can be light or moderate damage. 

Electronics can be saved if not directly affected by the flames. They require a unique restoration approach since their internal components are delicate and can be easily damaged if cleaned with water or if you power the item when the circuit board is caked with soot residues. 

Salvaging Electronics Requires

• Dry cleaning to remove surface residues
• Damp wiping to clean wet soils or stains
• Maintaining room temperatures above the dew point

Since soot is essentially carbon, it readily conducts electricity. When its circuit boards are layered with soot residues, powering an item can lead to short circuits and thus permanent damage. Our SERVPRO technicians clean the exteriors and prepare appliances for inspection and cleaning by a third party specializing in this process. Since the air in a home is humid after fire damage, corrosion of internal components is another risk that might leave your electronics unsalvageable. Our SERVPRO technicians set up dehumidifiers to regulate humidity levels or supply heating to prevent cooling to the dew point whereby condensation would occur, leading to rust.

SERVPRO of Monroe / West Monroe offers access to specialist skills and advanced technologies, thus improving the chances of salvaging items affected by fire damage. Call us at (318) 345-5121.

Likely but Unexpected Outcomes in Monroe Homes after Water Damage

4/5/2023 (Permalink)

When responding to water damage incidents in Monroe, our SERVPRO technicians use the proper drying techniques.

What Water Restoration Procedures SERVPRO Takes in Monroe Homes

When you realize a broken pipe or a roof leak in your Monroe home, there are some things to expect. Wet floors, walls, and contents are all typical outcomes. However, water damaging a resilient floor such as tiles or the development of significant physical changes such as carpets stretching beyond the usual dimensions are not the likely expectations you have after water damage incidents. Several other puzzling things can develop in the course of the restoration.

Involving Monroe water damage professionals whenever a water-related incident affects your property is essential since any unusual issue can be dealt with accordingly. SERVPRO also facilitates inspections to reveal hidden problems. 

Specific puzzling issues include:

• Stretched carpets 
• Water penetrating tiled surfaces
• Gradient moisture leaves materials wetter at the core

Carpets are installed to fit the dimensions of a room perfectly. Therefore, if you notice folds or wrinkles that imply the carpet is suddenly larger after a water intrusion, you may not understand the outcome. Carpets are made from different materials, and moisture exposure causes many problems. One of these issues is reducing their tensile strength by up to 50% when wet. However, stretching does not occur automatically because a carpet is wet. Other actions such as subjecting the carpet to significant physical forces such as heavy foot traffic or dragging heavy furniture or appliances over its surfaces cause such changes. Rigorous drying procedures can also lead to such stretching. Our SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians take various precautions when handling cleaning to avoid adverse outcomes.

When you notice wet structural materials, it is common to consider the wetness as uniform or at least the concentration to be heavier at the surface, where exposure starts, compared to the core of the material. However, sometimes the moisture concentration may defy norms. A moisture gradient can form whereby materials are wetter at the center than the surface. This pattern can interfere with water restoration procedures since moisture from the core areas keeps replenishing the dried sections as the surfaces dry. Therefore, drying efforts may seem inexplicably unfruitful. Alternatively, you may think that there is minimal moisture because of the dryness close to the surface. Our SERVPRO crews probe wet areas thoroughly before starting restoration. A simple tool like a moisture meter with probes to penetrate porous surfaces helps establish the amount of wetness involved and its spread patterns through a material. 

Water Damage in Unexpected Areas

Materials in a house can be broadly categorized as porous and nonporous. When the porous materials absorb moisture, it triggers changes from within, thus leading to damage. Most nonporous materials are resilient to moisture exposure. That is why areas such as bathrooms, laundries, or kitchens where water is constantly used have tiled floors and walls to withstand moisture exposure. However, sometimes water reaches beneath tiles causing significant deterioration. Typical reasons for such penetration include grout deterioration or cracks and gaps between the tiles.

Another standard expectation after water exposure is a high likelihood of reversing damage, especially when action is taken in the early stages. However, for composite materials such as laminated wood, swelling or deterioration of the glues holding the materials together leads to permanent damage. 

If there is water beneath tiles, you have to demolish the area to deal with the wetness and remove deteriorated materials. SERVPRO uses advanced technologies to counter these problems by improving extraction, limiting moisture migration, and controlling the drying process.

Some specialized resources for these tasks include:

• Drying mats 
• Drying chambers
• Cavity drying equipment

SERVPRO of Monroe / West Monroe is ready to help with any issues after water damage in your property. Call us at (318) 345-5121.

How SERVPRO Responds When Monroe Properties Have Mold Damage

4/5/2023 (Permalink)

Containment barriers protect unaffected areas of your Monroe home from mold damage.

Why Is Inspection Essential in Monroe Homes Before Mold Restoration Procedures?

Mold is an insidious problem, especially when it proliferates in hidden areas rather than openly. The response needed to counter such contamination is unique to the affected individual or property. SERVPRO tailors solutions to meet the expectations of the Monroe homeowner while ensuring we address all aspects of mold damage.

Once your Monroe home develops mold damage, the outcome depends on your efforts to remediate the problem. For instance, leaving the contamination unaddressed for long creates the perfect opportunity for it to spread throughout your home. Once we arrive at your property, expediting the remediation is one of SERVPRO's main objectives. 

Inspection is crucial for faster remediation because it helps identify: 

• Moisture sources and contamination spread patterns
• Level of soiling from mold
• Deterioration levels in materials

It is easier to avail sufficient resources for the job with the right information. For example, if there is an active leak causing water stagnation in open or hidden areas, a restorer can avail appropriate extraction equipment. Our SERVPRO technicians use powerful extractors to remove surface water. Special extractors such as drying mats are necessary for water trapped in concealed areas beneath tiles or wooden floorboards. Otherwise, demolition is required to open up such spaces.

Timing Mold Remediation

An inspection helps improve the scheduling of the different mitigation tasks necessary to combat mold. Remediation involves several procedures. Some can run concurrently, while others have to be scheduled consecutively for the best outcome. For example, cleaning before doing demolition is a waste of effort. You can only plan for a task if you know it is necessary.

Everyday mold remediation tasks:

• Setting up containment 
• Controlled demolition of materials
• Cleaning mold colonies and residues
• Drying and deodorization

Containment is necessary when contamination is significant in one area of your home. Containment takes different forms, including sealing HVAC ducts, setting up plastic sheet barriers, and establishing clean rooms or decontamination areas. The inspection done by our Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians helps establish which of these tasks to do or what to omit. 

Clean rooms are essentially mold-free zones that you can safely occupy while the rest of the house is undergoing remediation. When our SERVPRO technicians set up barriers isolating the contaminated areas from the rest of the house, we establish negative air pressure to keep all residues within the contained area. We also use manometers to inspect the barrier to ensure airtight seals. We also use an air filtration device with HEPA filters to remove particulate matter that might cause problems in the clean rooms.

After containment, we can do the necessary demolition and cleaning. We make precision cuts to remove drywall, insulation, and other heavily contaminated porous materials during demolition. Cleaning requires a thorough method that does not introduce moisture in the structure. Methods like vacuuming or damp-wiping with antimicrobial detergents are sufficient since mold colonies are usually limited to the surface. If we need to clean semi-porous surfaces such as the solid wood within the structural supports, we can opt for more aggressive alternatives like wire brushing or sanding. The extra effort is necessary since the mold has root-like hyphae that leave it embedded in surfaces.

SERVPRO of Monroe / West Monroe can help find the right solutions for your property after mold damage. Call us at (318) 345-5121. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Water-Damaged Monroe Business Seeks Water Restoration Assistance

4/4/2023 (Permalink)

We aim to restore your property as quickly as possible, “Like It Never Even Happened.”

Monroe Water Restoration Pros Save Local Business 

Operating a successful business establishment in Monroe takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Aside from being commercially creative and understanding customer needs, owners must take care of their facilities and do proper routine maintenance on their company’s essential appliances. These efforts pay dividends in the long run by substantially reducing potential operational interruptions.

Monroe water restoration firms, like SERVPRO, have gained years of experience in remediating the effects of poor maintenance and water-utilizing machine leaks. Our emergency water damage services crews have expertly dealt with burst pipes, provided top-notch water removal services, cleaned up after significant basement flooding, and performed a wide range of water damage repairs. Some of the common causes of water events SERVPRO’s technicians have successfully handled are:

• Clogged drains in showers and sinks lead to water overflows
• Deteriorated caulking and seals that permit seepage from bathtubs, shower stalls, and other areas where water collects before draining
• Drippy, poorly maintained pipes that slowly impact walls and flooring
• Old or defective appliances like industrial dishwashers, washing machines, and heating tanks that are malfunctioning, corroded, or have bad connections
• Fire extinguishing sprinkler systems that improperly activate and cause water-related damage

The methods we use to clean up and restore businesses impacted by these issues include:

• Rapidly suctioning up any puddles or standing water with powerful wet vacs and extractors, if needed
• Setting up networks of cutting-edge air movers and dehumidifiers to dry surfaces and remove excess moisture from the air
• Employing Injectidry systems to eliminate water and water vapor in difficult-to-reach areas behind structural elements
• Thoroughly fogging interiors with antimicrobials and deodorants to help prevent mildew, mold, dry rot, and foul odors

All of that said, remember that your helpful neighbors at SERVPRO of Monroe/West Monroe are always here and ready to assist you with your water restoration needs. Call us anytime at (318) 345-5121.