Creating a Fire Restoration Timeline for Your Business

1/29/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage cleanup and restoration in Thompson Station, TN.

Creating a Timeline for Your Business's Fire Restoration

When your Thompson Station, TN, business suffers fire damage, you may not be sure where to begin when it comes to making repairs and dealing with fire restoration plans. From the first moments after the fire to reopening your business, there is much to do. However, knowing how to proceed one day, week and month after the fire can help you get your business back to normal.

One Day After the Fire

The day after a fire, the first step you may want to take is to contact your insurance company before you touch anything inside the building. You can give them a variety of details as you file a report, such as:

• When the fire took place
  
• Whether the firefighters gave you a report
  
• Photos, if you were able to take any
  
  

Making a fire insurance claim as soon as possible can expedite matters and get you a return on your claim to pay for repairs faster.

One Week After the Fire

Once you make an insurance claim, the next step you should take over the following week is to ensure the property is safe for your employees and customers. You might need to close during fire restoration, so you may want to spread the word on social media and board up fire-damaged entrances. Keep your customers updated and offer them a projected reopening date, if possible.

One Month After the Fire

Once a month passes, you should have most of the damage cleared out, depending on the severity of the fire. However, your business might need smoke cleaning to remove stubborn odors. A company that specializes in fire restoration can remove smoky smells from your carpeting, walls, and other areas. Without this type of service, the smell of smoke may linger for months.

Knowing how to proceed when a fire damages your Thompson Station, TN, business can help you get back on your feet. From the day after the fire to the final steps of repairing the damage, creating a restoration timeline may be helpful in tracking repairs and allow you to project a reopening date.

Top Mold Damage Costs Explained

1/29/2022 (Permalink)

Mold growth in a crawlspace.

Mold Remediation

The average homeowner may not have an estimate for removing mold, but they know that it’s costly. Understanding what is involved in removing mold from your Spring Hill, TN, home can help you know how much to expect to spend. Here are the top three costs to expect when it comes to mold remediation.

Why Mold Happens

Mold is the product of microorganisms that can grow inside or out, on most any surface so long as the environment is moist and dark. Indoors, some of the most common places for mold are:

• Leaky roofs
• Beneath sinks
• Crawl spaces
  
  

Since black mold removal is a multi-step process that must be done properly to ensure mold doesn’t keep coming back, it can be costly.

Mold Inspection

One of the first costs involved with mold removal is the mold inspection itself. This is when an expert comes in to examine your home, looking at potential problem areas. This can range from looking in obvious places like attics to more out of the way places, like air ducts. Expect to pay $300 to $900.

Mold Testing

Testing for mold is another way this fungus can cost you big. Mold isn’t always visible to the naked eye and in some cases, its smell is the only clue. Mold testing samples air to find toxins produced by mold. This can cost a few hundred dollars.

Mold Remediation

The actual removal of mold and restoration of mold-damaged property is where prices are highest. This can involve replacing drywall and carpeting, as well as deep cleaning and deodorizing fabrics. It’s not uncommon to pay upwards of $6,000 or even much more.

Mold removal can cost a pretty penny, but the cost of not removing it - to your home - is much higher. If mold is bothering you, call up your local mold remediation expert to start the removal process.

Common Commercial Water Damage Problems and Remedies

12/23/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial water damage in Franklin, TN.

Prevent Your Business From Sustaining Water Damage

Whether your business in Franklin, TN has a broken pipe or another common issue that can lead to water damage, it’s often helpful to know how to react to prevent major damage from occurring. Knowing what problems commonly occur and how to react can help you prevent your business from sustaining water damage.

1. Sewer Backups

Sewer backups are often caused by blockages, and backups can result in costly repairs. However, knowing the signs of a sewer backup can help you prevent your business from flooding. If a sewer is backed up, you may notice that your sinks or toilets aren’t draining as quickly as they should. If you do have a backup, it can be helpful to have a plumber inspect your sewer lines, and regularly having your sewer lines cleaned can help to prevent future backups.

2. Pipe Issues

While a broken pipe can cause a building to flood, a leaky pipe can also cause damage to a business. Often, you can temporarily fix a leaky pipe by sealing it. However, because a leaky pipe could be an indicator of other issues, you may want to have your pipes examined to ensure there aren’t any hidden problems. In the case of a pipe that is broken, turning off the water in your building is often the best solution.

3. Faulty Appliances

In addition to sewer systems and pipes causing water damage, appliances can also be the cause of water damage. Frequently cleaning your appliances can help prevent them from malfunctioning. However, if you do notice that an appliance is leaking, backed up or is simply not working as it should, knowing how to safely and quickly shut off the appliance can be helpful.

Understanding what water damage issues commonly occur in businesses and knowing what to do if you notice these issues can help protect your business. If your business has been damaged from a broken pipe or other problems, it can help to work with water repair experts.

Why a Basement Floods and What You Should Do About It

12/1/2021 (Permalink)

Flooded basement in Brentwood, TN.

What Causes Basement Flooding and What You Can Do About It

Typically, the best way to deal with flooding in your basement in Brentwood, TN, is prevention. By understanding the usual causes of water retention in the lower floors of your home, you can take the necessary maintenance steps to ensure that your property stays dry for years to come.

1. Location and Climate Factors

A primary cause of excess water is above-average rainfall. Choosing to reside in a coastal area, for example, can increase the risk of a basement flood. Even in dryer climates, laying your home’s foundation on a low-lying or sloped part of the property can cause water to pool under walls and seep through the outer layers of the building.

2. Basement Drainage

Should your home sit near or on the water table, a basement drainage system and sump pump will likely be necessary to prevent excess dampness in the flooring. If the pump system breaks down due to electrical or plumbing problems, contact a qualified professional who can perform wiring or pipe repair. A powered mechanism for removing water from the basement after flooding is the most robust method for the prevention of property damage.

3. Sources of Leakage

Sometimes the biggest issues facing the homeowner lie in the ingress of water. Cracked walls or insufficient sealants and waterproof coatings can allow water that would otherwise drain away to enter the basement. Improperly positioned or damaged gutters and downspouts can divert water toward the house rather than into the yard. Gutters can also become clogged with leaves or other material, causing them to overflow. Gaps in roofing tiles or shingles can also cause undesirable water redirection, especially in periods of extreme rain or snowmelt. Controlling the water volume before it reaches the basement is often the best preventative measure.

Following the above checklist of troubleshooting tips will usually stop the problem before it begins. Should you experience unavoidable flooding and require basement cleanup and decontamination, contact a company that specializes in that process.

What to Know About Your Fire Extinguisher

11/30/2021 (Permalink)

Know how to use properly a fire extinguisher.

How To Use Your Extinguisher

Having an extinguisher on hand may seem like an easy way to quickly put out a small kitchen fire. But knowing how to use it is equally important. Professionals have come up with an easy acronym to help users remember the correct formula. It is P.A.S.S.

• Pull - pull out the pin located in the extinguisher’s head to break the tamper seal
• Aim - aim the nozzle or hose at the fire’s base
• Squeeze - squeezing the handle will release the formula inside the extinguisher
• Sweep - From side to side, move the nozzle over the base of the fire until it goes out.

If the fire does not go out, is too big for the extinguisher, or reignites, get out of the house and call 911 immediately. If there is fire damage afterwards a professional may be able to help.

What the Labels Mean

Many fire extinguisher labels contain important information you may need for proper use. The labels will rate the extinguisher with an A, B, C, or combination of these three to indicate what type of fire it can be used for. An A designation shows the extinguishing agent is effective against combustible dry fuels like paper, while B designate usefulness against liquid fuels such as oil. The C designation indicates the extinguisher may be used in the event of an electrical fire. Some extinguishers are rated for all three fire types while others cover only one or two.

Knowing how to properly use your fire extinguisher can not only help you put out a small kitchen fire safely but may help you save the valuable time needed to mitigate fire damage. Remember to P.A.S.S. (pull, aim, squeeze, and sweep) over the fire. When in doubt, always call your local Nolensville, TN, fire department.

SERVPRO of Williamson County - Proud to be awarded

11/26/2021 (Permalink)

Expertise.com award for Water Restoration Services

A water-related disaster in your home or business in Franklin, TN is stressful, no matter the size. While you might hope that this would never happen to you, the truth is that it happens more than you think. If your home or business has ever experienced water damage or if you know someone who has, you’re likely well aware of how much damage even minor flooding can cause—and how long it can take to restore things back to normal.

The Award: Water Damage Restoration Services in Franklin, TN

Our Water Damage Specialists use advanced water restoration techniques. So if you need help with everything from unclogging a drain, to restoring your home after a second-story toilet overflow, we have the capacity to do it. We specialize in removal and extraction, drying and dehumidification, cleaning and repair, and restoration services, for residential and commercial properties alike.

Our commitment to quality of service and workmanship has earned us an A+ rating from Expertise.com.

Water Removal and Extraction

When water damage occurs, it’s important to start by removing and extracting as much of that water as possible. If not taken care of quickly and properly, water can lead to more extensive – and expensive – problems later on. At SERVPRO of Williamson County, we offer a variety of services that include water removal and extraction. Our teams can handle everything from small leaks in your basement or garage to large-scale disasters such as floods caused by storms, wind, or hurricanes.

Drying and Dehumidification

For a water damage restoration company, drying and dehumidification are crucial steps in a restoration project. If water is left sitting in a home or business, mold will begin to grow and spread—destroying walls, floors, and furniture in its path. Our SERVPRO of Williamson County technicians make sure that atmospheric humidity levels are contained to 30-60% relative humidity and salvageable materials are dried and cleaned to preloss conditions before beginning the next steps in our water damage restoration process.

Restoration Services

Here at SERVPRO, we know that you don’t want to repair your home; you want it restored. Our water restoration technicians will work with you and your insurance company (if applicable) throughout every step of restoring your property to its preloss condition. We understand how stressful and frustrating water damage can be – but we also know that our dedication and expertise will help minimize stress and bring closure during a very difficult time in your life.

Call us today at (615) 790-9634 for 24/7/365 service. We are Here to Help.

Common Causes of Mold In Your Commercial Building

11/22/2021 (Permalink)

The key to mold control in Franklin, TN is moisture control. Solve moisture problems before they become mold problems! Fix leaky plumbing and leaks in the building envelope as soon as possible. Watch for condensation. Keep HVAC drip pans and pipes clean. Maintain humidity below 60% relative humidity to control mold growth. These are just a few quick tips to help you control mold in your commercial building. However, as many say, knowledge is power. This article will provide you with helpful knowledge necessary to understand why mold can happen in your commercial building in the first place.

Understanding Mold-Causing Condensation

Mold is everywhere and can't be completely eliminated. However, it requires moisture to thrive and spread. Knowing what can cause that condensation will help you pinpoint problem spots and solve them before they can become serious issues.

Condensation forms when warm air encounters a colder surface. Cold surfaces naturally occur with large temperature differences between the inside and the outside of a building. This naturally occurring event where water vapor moves through building materials from moist to dry air is called Diffusion.

Capillary Action, where small openings or pores in building materials allow water to wick upwards into the building, can be another source of water entry. This can be seen in materials like drywall, wood flooring, plywood, and other water-sensitive building materials.

Stack Effect is where moist air rises from a crawlspace or basement into the building's living spaces.

Another source of condensation or water damage can be forceful winds. When the wind combines with driving rain, water can seep into a commercial building or home through cracks and crevices that are normally unseen.

Proper ventilation, building design & maintenance, and a well-functioning AC system help prevent that condensation from becoming a mold-causing issue.

Common Sources of Moisture and Water Damage

The most common place you'll see condensation is on windows, especially if they are foggy or have water spots. Window condensation happens when cool outside air encounters warm indoor air near the window.

Air conditioning ducts are notorious for collecting moisture that then causes mold to grow inside them. The best thing to do to prevent AC issues is to establish a routine maintenance schedule to ensure proper functioning HVAC systems.

Vinyl Wallpaper can also often harbor mold behind it because of diffusion. If installed on outer walls that are more exposed to temperature differences, this issue is more likely to occur.

Condensation on cool metal surfaces such as copper pipes can be another common source of moisture and mold.

Failing building vapor barriers can be more serious moisture and mold-causing issues. When building foundations or walls are installed, usually vapor barriers such as 6mil plastic sheeting, house wrap, or primer paint are also installed to create waterproofing separation between the inside and outside of the building. If too many holes, ruptures, cracks, or damage occur to these vapor barriers, moisture entry is much more likely to occur.

While there are many potential causes for moisture and water damage to a home, getting rid of and preventing mold isn't just an aesthetic matter. That's why SERVPRO of Williamson County uses advanced protocols to quickly locate, identify and remediate mold infestations in commercial buildings.

Home Maintenance Tips to Help You Prevent a Water Damage Event

11/15/2021 (Permalink)

Picture of a flooded home

With winter quickly approaching it is now a critical time to make sure your house is ready to withstand the harsh conditions Mother Nature may throw at it. Flood risk can be a real concern with weather changes, so let’s dive into the areas of your house that are the most susceptible and how you can make sure your house stays warm and more importantly dry. We will work from the outside, then move to the inside of your house, let’s go.

Outside Home Maintenance

Make sure your gutters are clear of debris and that your downspouts carry the water at least two (2) feet away from your house. Make sure the water is not pooling on around your foundation, if this does occur you will need to speak to a professional to make sure your landscape is at a decline moving away from your house. This ensures that water will travel away from your house, saving you from potential problems in the future. Another issue to consider are ice dams. This protection prevents water from backing up and leaking into your attic. If you live in an area where this may be an issue, you should consider adding ice dam protection to the boundary of your roof.

If you have a chimney, inspect it. Chimneys are great for warming up the house on a cold winter night, but they are still a giant hole in your roof that is often not as weathered sealed as your windows and doors.  Make sure the chimney cap is firmly attached and that there are no loose or cracked bricks or mortar. And if you see cracks in the chimney mortar, consider a repoint service to prevent water entry. On the roof, consider inspecting for loose, broken, or cracked shingles. If your roof is not weather-tight, then water damage can occur.

Staying outside, you will also want to inspect the perimeter of your house for any cracking. Over time your house will settle, and with winter temperatures expanding and contracting your exterior, cracking can occur. You can purchase (relatively cheaply) exterior caulk to fill in these areas. Another cheap measure to take is to buy faucet cover protectors. They slide over your outside water faucet and insulate it so it will not freeze and burst your pipes.

Inside Home Maintenance

it is often pushed aside, but check your attic, crawlspace, etc. While they are often overlooked, they are often the first place you will see water damage. Consider bringing a flashlight to shine a light on those hard-to-see spaces. Also, make sure you check the roof framing and insulation for dampness.

Other key items to monitor are your appliances. Several of our team members were in the Army, where they had Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS) every Monday. On these weekly inspections, they checked their equipment every week. That way, they knew what had to be fixed immediately and could plan for fixes or maintenance that was not mission essential.

For water heaters, one of the more common water-damage-causing appliances, it’s recommended they are drained and refilled yearly. Twice yearly if you have hard water. If you’re considering changing your refrigerator, consider paying a few more dollars for a new water supply line to help you ensure years of no leaks and, hopefully, no worries.

If you’ve had your appliances for more than 5 years, go ahead and switch out old hoses, lines, and plumbing. You change your car oil routinely, so why not consider replacing your water lines as well?

A small leak from a water line can cause major water damage to your home if left unattended. Continue to monitor your house, especially areas you may not think about all that often. A little preventative maintenance will pay off with years of no water damage. It will also help you ensure proper insurance coverage, in case any surprise water damage event does occur.

Emergency Ready Plan

Lastly, we recommend having a plan. No matter how much you try to prevent water damage issues, you may one day have some sort of water damage in your home.

We recommend having a plan for when that happens. This is why SERVPRO of Williamson County has a great asset called the Emergency Ready Program (ERP). This is an app-based program where SERVPRO will locate your water, electrical, gas shutoffs. Also, included are any emergency numbers that you will need. This helps business owners and commercial property owners have a plan when disaster strikes. For more information, please reach out to your local SERVPRO of Williamson County.

The Benefits of Interruption Insurance

11/10/2021 (Permalink)

Interruption insurance can help you manage the costs of doing so.

The Benefits of Interruption Insurance

Your commercial insurance package should include everything that is necessary to protect your business. It can contain property insurance, flood insurance, liability policies, and workers' compensation. It should also include a business interruption policy. If your building in Fairview, TN, is damaged by a storm, you may have to rethink your business plan while you rebuild. Interruption insurance can help you manage the costs of doing so.

Protects You

Your property insurance covers the remediation of the physical damage done by a storm. Your interruption insurance, on the other hand, compensates you for the fallout of the closed business. It typically covers basic expenses:

• Temporary relocation costs
  
• Profits lost during closure
  
• Operating expenses
  
• Training costs for new machinery
  
• Civil authority ingress and egress
  
  

Helps You Stay in Business

There are other consequences of closing your doors while you rebuild other than profit losses. You may lose faithful clients who have to look elsewhere for the services you provide while you are shut down. You may also lose out on new clients whom you are not able to reach while your business isn't functional. Business interruption insurance can give you the support you need to keep your business open so that you can retain old clients and possibly even gain new ones.

Can Be Adjusted To Fit Your Needs

All interruption insurance policies are not exactly the same. You may decide to adjust the waiting period for your benefits to save money, or you may decide it's worth the extra cost to have the payout come in as early as possible. The main factor in determining the cost of the policy is the specific expenses it needs to cover to get you up and running again. Your agent or broker can help guide you to a policy that fits your needs and budget.

When you need to rebuild the location of your business, an interruption policy comes in handy. It can compensate you for losses while you're closed as well as the expenses associated with opening again.

Over the Range Microwave Cleaning: How to Prevent Smells and Ensure Longevity

11/10/2021 (Permalink)

Keep your microwave clean to avoid odors.

Reduce the Risk of Odor

A microwave can produce a smoke smell when not properly cleaned and maintained. There are several ways to avoid the development of strange odors, but routine maintenance is key. Follow the suggestions below to reduce the risk of odor.

1. Replace the Charcoal Filter

Microwaves that vent to the inside depend on charcoal filters to prevent pollutants and other substances from dispersing into your home. Most manufacturers recommend replacing these filters once every six months. You can access the charcoal filter by removing the vent grill and proceeding with the steps provided by the manufacturer.

2. Clean the Grease Filter

The grease filter is another part of your appliance that may produce an odor, like a smoke smell, if not routinely cleaned. While a charcoal filter needs to be replaced every six months, a grease filter should be thoroughly cleaned once a month. Most manufacturers provide instructions for this, but if not, you can soak the filter in soapy water and gently brush away debris.

3. Scrub Down or Steam Clean

Another way to minimize odors is to clean the interior routinely. You can wash it down after every use, but cleaning it weekly or monthly, depending on your overall use, should suffice. Steam cleaning with vinegar and water is an excellent way to wash down the appliance because the vinegar mixture will help to loosen any residual food particles.

4. Follow Manufacturer Instructions

It is important to follow manufacturer instructions when cleaning and maintaining your appliances because failure to do so can void any warranties provided with the purchase. Additionally, the failure to maintain equipment properly can lead to property damage that may require a specialist from Brentwood, TN, to fix, and that damage may be costlier and more time-consuming than maintaining your appliance from the beginning.

If you do not maintain your appliance, you may end up with a smoke smell, but many of these odors can be avoided with routine maintenance. Replacing your charcoal filter every six months, cleaning your grease filter monthly, and steam cleaning your microwave’s interior weekly can ensure the longevity of your appliance.

Fire Safety: Choosing the Best Alarm for Your Home

10/25/2021 (Permalink)

Ionization smoke alarms are more sensitive to smoke created by blazing fires.

Choosing the Best Home Security System

Fire safety is an important task for any homeowner. When it comes to choosing the right smoke alarm setup for your home in Leiper's Fork, TN, there are four main factors you should consider.

1. Number of Detectors

Fire restoration specialists have seen the damage that happens when a fire goes undetected too long. Most experts recommend that you have a smoke detector in every room as well as an extra in the hallway outside each bedroom.

2. Type of Detectors

There are three main types of smoke detectors, and each has its advantages.

• Ionization alarms are triggered when even the smallest smoke particle enters and disrupts the ionized current.
• Photoelectric alarms detect larger smoke particles when the particles alert the light sensor.
• A dual-sensor smoke alarm combines the detection powers of both the ionization and photoelectric alarms.

If your budget does not allow for all your alarms to be dual-sensor, a second option is using photoelectric alarms in areas where you need your detector to be less sensitive, such as the kitchen, and ionization alarms in areas where sensitivity is a plus.

3. Power Sources

Some alarms are powered by built-in wiring with backup batteries while others use battery power alone. If you have a battery-only system, you can install smart batteries, which give you the option of keeping tabs on your home and silencing false alarms when you are away.

4. Size and Maintenance

In a small home, you are probably able to hear a smoke detector go off no matter where you are. If you live in a large home, however, consider installing a system that connects all the detectors to go off simultaneously, giving you and your family a chance to escape before the fire draws near. Choose detectors that are easy to clean, test and silence.

Many factors should be considered when choosing smoke detectors. Making the right smoke alarm choices for your home in Leiper's Fork, TN is crucial for fire safety.

This Is a Drill: How To Teach Your Escape Plan to Your Employees

10/19/2021 (Permalink)

Teach your employees about your escape plan.

How to Teach Your Employees About Your Escape Plan

An unexpected disaster can cause fear and panic in your employees. A solid emergency plan for escaping that disaster, however, can increase their confidence and thus the likelihood that they will conduct themselves calmly and rationally when a problem arises. If a situation that requires evacuation comes up during the workday, you will be glad you made a plan and trained employees to carry it out through the use of practice sessions such as a fire drill.

Making the Plan

As the business owner, you are the best equipped to devise the escape plan for your business in Franklin, Tennessee that will work the best for your employees. Each plan should contain the following elements:

• Alarm procedures
• Evacuation routes and meeting areas
• Chain of command and division of responsibilities
• Emergency kit containing water, flashlights and first aid items
• Contact list of employees for confirming their safety
• Clear reporting structure

Contact information for insurance company and restoration specialists

The time to plan for a natural disaster or fire is before it happens. After you have the plan, it's time to train your employees.

Training the Staff

Whether you are staging a fire drill or testing storm procedures, the information should always proceed the practice. Include evacuation plans in your yearly training. Impress upon your employees the importance of understanding the plan and encourage questions and concerns during the discussion. At some point, you can test the plan with a drill. Only a handful of personnel who will be assisting with key elements of the procedures need to know when the drill is planned. That way, employees can actually experience the surprise they may feel if the real situation should ever arise. During the drill, take note of what goes right and what needs improvement so that you can tweak the plan or training as needed.

Planning how you want your employees to respond in a disastrous situation and training them to implement the plan can keep them safe. Each fire drill brings you closer to a calm, smooth resolution.

4 Key Practices To Keep Toilets From Clogging at Your Business

9/26/2021 (Permalink)

Regardless of your best efforts, you could still end up with sewage backup.

As a business, your restrooms are used by both employees and customers. It’s important that these facilities are appropriately designed and adequately equipped for proper use. Here are four ways to help prevent a clogged toilet from happening at your College Grove, TN, business.

1. Make Sure Your Facilities Are Adequate

Certain toilets are more prone to flushing problems than others. For example, early generation low-flow models clog more often because of poorly designed flow pressure.

As a cheaper alternative to replacing models, a different brand of toilet paper that’s thinner may be worth trying. If clogs still regularly occur afterward, it is likely more economical to replace the toilet rather than treat any water damage from the repeated toilet overflow.

2. Keep Non-Flushable Offerings Away From the Toilets

To encourage proper disposal, sanitary supplies offered in your business bathrooms should be kept away from any toilets. Complimentary items like cotton tips, diapers, or tampons should instead be kept near trash cans. A clogged toilet is less likely when flushing trash becomes a hassle instead of a convenience.

3. Place Several Accessible and Regularly Emptied Waste Bins

A trash can that isn’t overflowing is likely to be used to throw away anything not soiled. It’s good practice to put a small bin in each toilet area to give an option to people who decide to throw something away while still maintaining privacy. It’s important that these bins are also regularly emptied to maintain them as a usable option for disposal.

4. Post Signs

A posted reminder over the toilet to use the trash may do wonders at stopping any unwanted behavior. People may not evaluate the consequences of flushing something down your pipes, so a courteous reminder of the risks will often encourage people to behave appropriately.

Regardless of your best efforts, you could still end up with sewage backup. This water is contaminated and may need the equipment and expertise of a professional water damage cleanup service. Taking steps to prevent a clogged toilet can help lessen the likelihood of damage, so you should implement changes now to protect your business from unwanted, unsanitary flooding.

Tight Spaces Make Mold Removal Difficult

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

When compared to traditional methods, soda blasting is a fast, easy and effective way to remove mold damage from tight spaces.

The crawlspace under a home is the perfect place for mold to hide and grow. It provides all the ingredients necessary to support a thriving colony of mold.
• Wood framing provides a food source.
• Normal moisture, rain, and flooding provide a water source.
• Darkness provides a suitable environment.
Mold removal in such tight spaces will always be a challenge, even in Nolensville, TN. It’s a good thing that there is the option to soda blast.

Baking Soda Blasting Works Well in Tight Spaces
Think of this as sandblasting except with baking soda instead of sand. With this technique, baking soda is blasted under high pressure at all the exposed surfaces in the crawlspace. This removes the mold and leaves the surfaces looking like new. Once the blasting is complete, the surfaces are wiped down and the baking soda and mold residue are vacuumed away. Soda blasting takes a fraction of the time of conventional methods and doesn’t require dangerous chemicals.

No Blasting Material Is Better for Mold Removal Than Baking Soda
When it comes to mold removal by blasting, sand or any other blasting material would perform well. However, baking soda has some special characteristics that make it the best choice for mold removal.

• It is an effective deodorizer and can help remove the musty smell that accompanies mold.
• It is water-soluble which can simplify cleanup.
• It is a non-toxic chemical that is completely harmless to workers and the environment.
• It does not produce sparks when the soda blast encounters metal items.
• It is as effective as sand but generates significantly less waste.
• It is softer than sand which reduces damage from cleaning.

Mold Removal in Tight Spaces Is Still a Job for Professionals
When compared to traditional methods, soda blasting is a fast, easy and effective way to remove mold damage from tight spaces. When you see an experienced mold removal specialist in a crawlspace wearing a mask, respirator, and hazmat suit, you will know you made the right decision to bring in experts.

Ensuring Your Solar Panels Survive Storms

8/8/2021 (Permalink)

Many factors can have an impact on the efficiency of solar panels.

Keeping Your Solar Panels Safe During Storms

Most quality companies are testing their panels to ensure they can withstand the elements. Even with superior products, there are several possibilities for potential panel damage.

Weather

In Arrington, TN, water, wind, and hail are just some of the natural occurrences that could harm your solar panels. Precipitation is something your gear should survive, but in extreme instances when hail causes roof damage, it can also harm your boards. Proper installation should aid in keeping everything in place; however, intense winds can still dislodge items. Panels are not meant to be submerged in water, but even moisture inside them can do considerable damage.

Animals

Animals on your roof may chew or claw at your panels. It is also possible that animals may leave their excrement in a place that will hinder your appliances’ capabilities.

Heat

External sources like fire and lightning can wreck your instruments. Even though the sun is the energy source, it is possible for heat to cause panel damage. Always be sure to have a professional install your boards to not only prevent roof damage but also to ensure they will not overheat.

Objects

Panels are created to tolerate pressure, but there will always be random chances for objects to hit at just the right angle to impair your equipment. If trees, rocks, or people happen to fall, causing cracks, this makes your equipment susceptible to water and debris entering. Particles of dust, pollen, and dirt can impede the functionality of the machinery.

Any time there is a decrease in effectiveness, your first step should be to ensure your solar panels are clean. It is possible that dirt or animal droppings are covering enough area to make an impact. If cleaning doesn’t help, or performance does not improve, check for panel damage. Even if an impairment is not visible, calling a storm damage expert is your best bet to ensure your instruments are operating safely and efficiently.

There are many things that can affect the efficiency of solar panels. Be sure to maintain your panels and call for professional help if they aren’t operating as they should be.

5 Usual Causes of Most House Fires

7/26/2021 (Permalink)

Being mindful of fire risks will save your home from extensive damage.

The 5 Most Common Causes Of House Fires

A fire can strike your home in Spring Hill, TN from many different sources. You can prevent a home fire from affecting your property by learning about these five common causes.

1. Appliance Fires

Most commonly, residential fires are caused by an appliance. These come are typically a kitchen fire spreading. These can also be from washing machines, dryers, fridges, air conditioning units or grills.

This type can be prevented by regular inspection and maintenance. If you ever feel any appliance is dangerously malfunctioning, it’s best to turn it off until you can confirm that it is safe.

2. Heating

As the second most common of residential fire causes, heating systems can quickly turn a nice warm flame into a blaze. When using a space heater, it should be kept away from anything flammable and never left unattended. Fireplaces are also dangerous if chimneys are not kept clean.

3. Candles

While candles may set a mood, your mood will sour if a home fire happens. Bedrooms are susceptible to candle fires since you may fall asleep while they burn, so you should put them out if you feel tired. Candles should be placed in a safe area clear of anything flammable while being always watched.

4. Electrical and Lighting Equipment

Electrical equipment offers an improved quality of life, but that does not come without risks. A damaged cord or faulty wiring can lead to a fire. Cords should be inspected before plugging anything in and occasionally checked afterwards.

5. Holiday Items

Temporary decorations in your home, such as a Christmas tree or scarecrow, should be kept away from flames or electrical components. When celebrating, fireworks are best used away from your home and grassy fields. Holidays are a time to be especially mindful of every fire hazard.

Being mindful of fire risks will save your home from extensive damage. If fire strikes, fire cleaning can be requested from a trained fire restoration crew. Most of the common sources of a home fire, luckily, are preventable with mindfulness.

How To Save Your Belongings From Smoke Damage

7/8/2021 (Permalink)

Check if any of your items have smoke damage.

The effects of a house fire can be terrible. Your first concern is the safety of your family members. You’re probably then worried about whether you’ll be able to salvage your home. You probably also have many belongings you hope to preserve. While some things might be a lost cause, with proper dry-cleaning and other methods, you can save some belongings, even if they were damaged by the smoke.

Inspect Your Home

The best thing to do for full-scale content cleaning after a fire in your Brentwood, TN, home is to contact professionals. A trusted company will send representatives to first inspect the affected area.

• Inspect and test rooms the fire directly affected as well as adjacent rooms.
• Check for smoke damage to the floor, walls and items.
• Check for leftover soot.

Board and Tarp

In order to prevent any further damage, the professionals will board up windows and place large tarps over damaged portions of the roof or siding. The company representative may also discuss your options for content storage while the restoration process is underway. By boarding your home and putting tarps over vulnerable spots, you can avoid further damage.

Get rid of Smoke and Soot

It’s vital to remove this damage as soon as possible. The professionals have high-quality methods to not only clean and sanitize affected areas but also to remove the lingering smells smoke leaves behind.

Clean and Sanitize

Smoke can do extensive damage to all areas of your home. The professional company you choose will send technicians to use dry-cleaning and other proven cleaning and sanitizing agents to help ensure your home is as close to the state it was in before the fire occurred.

Dry-cleaning, sanitizing, and preservation are critical to this restoration process. When you have the pros on your side, you can breathe a sigh of relief that you will once again have a livable home.

The Facts About Water Damage and Insurance Coverage

6/28/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage in Nolensville, TN.

You may not think much about your homeowner’s insurance coverage on a daily basis, but you’re sure grateful for it when you need it most. The right coverage can save you thousands of dollars and a whole lot of hassles. Some people aren’t sure whether their policy covers a basement flood. If you’re wondering the same thing about your Nolensville, TN, home, it’s important to understand the limited benefits of your insurance plan.

What Your Insurance Won’t Cover

It’s first critical to know what a typical homeowner’s insurance coverage won’t take care of. There are a handful of issues you should be aware of if water gets into your house.

• You have water damage because of poorly maintained plumbing or appliances.

• You’ve got a flooded basement because of outside water or sewage line.

• Homeowner’s insurance won’t cover typical flooding, such as a basement flood, regardless of the cause, including storms, overflowing water or draining issues.

Coverage for Your Dwelling

While your insurance won’t take care of a flood, it should help you out if your home has sustained water damage because of a faulty appliance. For example, if your refrigerator leaks water onto your floor or if your washer hose breaks and spills water everywhere, your coverage should take effect. Your insurance will help pay for the repairs of this damage.

Personal Property

Similarly, if problems with appliances or pipes damage personal items such as computers or other electronics, your insurance should cover the costs. In these cases, it’s important to speak to your agent, who will help you determine the extent of your coverage.

Take Note of Damage

Before you call a restoration professional to clean up any damage, take photos and make a list of damaged items so you can provide these to your insurance agent.

While traditional homeowner’s insurance won’t cover a basement flood, it will help you out in other similar situations. Become familiar with your insurance today.

How To Understand Hurricane or Windstorm Commercial Insurance

6/28/2021 (Permalink)

Don’t let a windstorm or hurricane in Spring Hill, TN, ruin your dream.

Do You Know What Storm Insurance Covers?

A successful, seaside business in Spring Hill, TN, is a business owner’s dream come true. If you are currently living this dream, do not let it turn into your worst nightmare. If a hurricane or tropical storm damages or destroys your business, you immediately turn to your insurance coverage for help. Do you know what storm insurance covers?

Making Sense of Terminology

When you think about storm insurance, it may be confusing at first because it differs slightly from typical commercial insurance coverage:

• This specialized insurance coverage has a separate deductible from your commercial property insurance. Rather than a set amount of money, it is a percentage of the costs associated with the hurricane damage. The range is typically 1 – 5% of the total recovery costs. In the case of a total loss, the amount out of pocket is the percentage of the value of your property.

• When your commercial property is damaged by wind, your insurance company will consider the cause. Hurricane deductibles are relevant only when damage results from a hurricane or tropical storm, typically when noted as significant by the National Weather Service. Insurance companies also consider the timing of this “trigger” event when looking at restoration coverage. Windstorm deductibles cover any other cause of wind damage.

Location, Location, Location

Policy availability and details depend on where your business is located. Not all states offer hurricane insurance. Most states that have this specific insurance are, understandably, along the East Coast where the majority of hurricane activity is in the United States. In addition to these coastal states, Texas, Mississippi and Hawaii are covered as well.

Don’t let a windstorm or hurricane in Spring Hill, TN, ruin your dream. Although it may be stressful and time-consuming, storm insurance helps you and your business recover. Partner with your commercial insurance agent and a storm restoration specialist to return your livelihood to pre-storm condition.

The Purpose of an Emergency Evacuation Drill and How to Conduct One

6/14/2021 (Permalink)

Being ready for the real thing will require repetition and continued practice.

Disaster Preparation Tips

Unexpected events can disrupt the workplace and cause confusion, chaos, and even danger. Choosing to conduct regularly scheduled emergency training sessions can do a lot for your Brentwood, TN, employees, and your facility. Disaster preparation can prevent dangers that would harm employees and customers, and may even prevent commercial fire damage. You generate a feeling of preparedness and lessen workplace anxiety by coaching individuals during non-emergent moments. Evacuation exercises, like a fire drill, display safety protocols and keep order in the case of a crisis.

Consider Every Angle

As you prepare for a real calamity in a commercial setting, think of how to handle the worst-case scenario. As you plan to conduct an evacuation drill, there are many factors to consider. Think of individuals on your team who may be prone to anxiety in emergency situations. Consider how to help those with physical difficulties exiting the building, and include them in your evacuation planning. During a fire drill, include steps that help customers and other individuals escape your facility if a real disaster were to strike. As you customize your evacuation plan, take the following steps for better execution:

• Designate a Leader
  
• Determine a Time
  
• Distribute Information
  
• Continue Educating
  
  

How to Execute It


To prevent unnecessary stress or harm during a training event, prepare your staff ahead of time. Choose a team member to lead the group. Set a specific date and time, and distribute information about the training to inform all staff members. Educate individuals on what is expected and how to evacuate the building. You may even consider including diagrams to create a visual aid. Discuss the effects of smoke and fire damage, and how to stay safe in a commercial fire disaster. Once the fire drill has been completed, continue to educate team leaders and staff on what went well, and how to improve. Being ready for the real thing will require repetition and continued practice.

3 Mold Cleanup Tips

6/14/2021 (Permalink)

If you find mold in your home it is important to get a licensed restoration company on site.

Mold Cleanup Tips

If you have a problem with black mold or other types of fungus in your home, it is important to remove the mold completely to prevent it from coming back. These three mold cleanup tips can help you resolve the problem.

1. Hire an Experienced Contractor
Removing mold properly requires specialized equipment and training. Look for an experienced mold remediation company in Franklin, TN. Ask for references and look for customer reviews online. Ask them if they follow EPA guidelines for mold remediation, and check for Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification.

2. Shut Off and Clean Your HVAC System
HVAC systems can spread black mold spores throughout your home if they have been contaminated. If you have noticed a moisture problem or mold near the intake, shut off the HVAC system to avoid potential spread. Contact an HVAC repair technician to address any moisture problems and have a professional clean the air ducts. To avoid future problems, schedule a yearly inspection of your HVAC system.

3. Address Moisture Issues
Mold growth is often caused by a moisture problem in your home. Have your plumbing inspected and get any leaks repaired. Dry out or discard any carpets, drywall, furniture or other items in your home that have gotten wet. If you are noticing mold in your bathroom, increase the ventilation by running a fan or opening the window and clean the room more frequently.
If your home has experienced flooding, it is important to dry it out as soon as possible. You can speed up the drying process by opening doors and windows and running fans. However, because this can also spread mold, it may be best to hire a professional.
The presence of black mold often indicates conditions in the home that need to be addressed to prevent it from coming back. These three tips can help you get rid of your mold problem and prevent it from returning.

Benefits of Choosing the Same Company for Fire Mitigation and Restoration

4/21/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial fire mitigation and restoration in Fairview, TN.

Using The Same Team For Mitigation And Restoration

A lot of fire damage can happen in a short amount of time. If your commercial building in Fairview, TN, catches fire, you will likely need professional cleanup and repair to get it back to normal. Many business owners will hire different companies to handle each of these processes, but there are a couple of key benefits to finding one team that is certified in both mitigation and restoration.

Assessment
One benefit of hiring the same company to do the whole job becomes apparent in the assessment phase. After you call the fire mitigation experts to get repairs started, your next call is likely to be to your insurance provider. The insurance adjuster completes a walkthrough of the property, but it's the assessment of these experts that itemizes the expenses your payout should cover:

• Material removal
  
• Board up services
  
• Soot and smoke cleanup
  
• Restoration of building
  
  

When different technicians handle the mitigation steps and the rebuilding process, it's more challenging to guess what kind of restoration will need to be done. If the whole process is done by the same team, however, they can report the overall picture more clearly.

Efficiency
Extensive fire damage interrupts your business operations. The less time this interruption lasts, the more likely your business is to make it through with as little lost income as possible. One team that reports to the same company can streamline the process from assessment to restoration. When the same technicians who cleaned up the mess the fire left behind also rebuild the structure, you don't have to worry about communication gaps. This makes the overall process much more efficient.
When you have fire damage in your building, you want the entire process from assessment to the finishing touches to go smoothly and quickly. You can get back to business faster when you use the same team for both mitigation and restoration.

4 Essential Things To Do After Smelling Natural Gas in Your Home

3/30/2021 (Permalink)

Kitchen fire in Arrington, TN.

Four Things To Do After Smelling Natural Gas In Your Home

If you begin to smell an odor similar to rotten eggs or sulfur in your Arrington, TN, home, you may be experiencing a gas leak. This could lead to a fire or an explosion. In this event, it's vital that you take immediate action. So, here are four essential things to do after smelling natural gas in your home.

1. Avoid Electrical Charges
Any use of electricity should be avoided at all costs. If you do use something electrical, whatever amount of gas is present could spark and create an explosion. These are some things to avoid:

• Lights
  
• Appliances (dishwashers, clothes dryers, etc.)
  
• Plugs
  
  

2. Look at the Stove
The last thing you want is to have a big scare over nothing. Therefore, it's important to take a look at your stove and make sure it's not on. If it is, you may not be in danger of a gas fire at all. However, you should still stay safe and ensure that everything's okay before returning to normal.

3. Create Ventilation
If you aren't in immediate danger of a gas explosion, take the time to create ventilation. You can do this by opening every door and window possible. However, you'll want to avoid turning on electrical fans. By creating ventilation, you may be able to get some of the gas out of your home.

4. Leave Your Home
As soon as you can, it's vital that you leave your home. This is hard but necessary. If the worst happens and a gas fire occurs, you'll want to be far away from it. Once you're at least across the street, you can call 9-1-1 and locate a fire restoration service.
Smelling gas in your home can be a daunting experience. Regrettably, you can't spend too much time gathering yourself. Assess the potential of a gas fire and get to safety as soon as possible. Even if this precaution is unnecessary, it's still worth taking.

3 Things You Need To Know About Big Storms and Insurance Coverage

3/30/2021 (Permalink)

Storm damage in Leiper's Fork, TN.

Three Ways To Protect Your Business

As a business owner in Leiper's Fork, TN, you know that big storms, like hurricanes, are a threat to your commercial property. If you've purchased a comprehensive insurance coverage plan, it can be tempting to assume that that truly means anything and everything is covered under that policy. However, most commercial policies have standard exclusions, and most often, those exclusions apply to hurricanes, earthquakes, and flood damage. Without the appropriate riders (in other words, additions to your already comprehensive policy), you may find that you are responsible to pay out of pocket for thousands of dollars in damages. Here are three things you need to know in order to protect your business and your bottom line.

1. Choose the Right Riders
After you've reviewed your insurance coverage, talk to your agent about the riders that will close the gaps in your standard policy. If hurricanes are a threat in your area, learn about the types of hurricane riders that are available. There are also riders for flood damage, which may be necessary in addition to a hurricane policy, and for business interruption if you cannot continue to work due to damages.

2. Understand Your Deductible
Does your storm insurance have a percentage deductible or a traditional dollar deductible? The difference is important because a percentage deductible could have you on the hook for paying much more than a dollar deductible. Often insurance companies set these deductible levels, but there are some states that set them for certain types of plans.

3. Know Your Policy Triggers
For some storm insurance policies, a specific trigger event must occur in order to enable the coverage. The National Weather Service must declare a warning or a watch, name the storm, or define its intensity in order for that policy to be triggered. Knowing the triggers for your policy will prevent surprises as you work with a water damage restoration team to estimate damage costs.
While commercial insurance covers a lot, a specific storm insurance rider may be necessary to more fully protect your business in the event of severe weather.

What To Do After Your Home Has Been Damaged by Water

3/9/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage in College Grove, TN.

What To Do After Your Home Has Been Damaged by Water

Bursting pipes, broken appliances or even bad weather in College Grove, TN, can cause a lot of trouble for your home. If you've experienced damage from water, then you should take action quickly. If you're unsure of what to do, consider the following steps.

1. Turn off Water and Electricity
If the water is coming from bursting pipes or other plumbing issues, then one of the first things you should do is turn the water off to the building. If you don't, it may continue to fill your home. If the water has come into contact with electrical devices or outlets, use the breaker to turn the electricity to the house off to prevent a more hazardous situation.

2. Call Your Insurance Company
Depending on the details of your insurance policy, you will likely need to report water damage within a certain amount of time. Waiting too long to do so could affect the amount of money you receive or could cause your claim to be denied altogether. Calling sooner rather than later also allows you to complete the claims process more quickly.

3. Have Repairs Done
The sooner you can have repairs done on your house, the better. Allowing water to remain in the building for too long can lead to a variety of secondary damage, from rotting wood and rust to an infestation of mold. Materials like drywall, insulation and carpeting can absorb large amounts of water and may need to be replaced. A cleanup and restoration company can remove water, fix broken pipes and make necessary repairs to the building and your belongings
Taking the right steps after your home has been damaged by bursting pipes or severe weather is important for quickly returning your house to a safe environment. You should contact your insurance agent to begin the claims process as soon as possible as this money will help pay for necessary work. A professional service has the tools and experience to make any repairs you may need.

3 Tips for Creating a Business Inventory for Your Insurance

2/19/2021 (Permalink)

Today, technology has made creating a business inventory easier than ever.

Tips On Creating Your Inventory List

Today, technology has made creating a business inventory easier than ever. Smartphones and tablets have brought the tools you need to your fingertips. A simple inventory list can make a big difference when filing an insurance claim for your business in Spring Hill, TN. It will prevent you from having to try to recount all of your equipment and belongings to an insurance agent. This means you can spend your time focusing on choosing a disaster remediation company. This is especially helpful if your business has been around for a while and accumulated many things. Here are some tips on creating your inventory list.

1. Make a Video
An insurance claim can result in a big payout if you have proper documentation. A video offers irrefutable evidence and quickens the amount of time you will receive your money. Therefore, creating a video of your items can be a big step for protecting your business. In other words, this is a crucial task. Try to get all of your business items in the video.

2. Keep It Simple
This is neither a movie nor a documentary, so you don't need to worry about good lighting or editing. Just take a video camera and walk through each room of your business. Open all of your closets or storage containers and film these items. You can talk about each item if you want, or stay silent.

3. Focus on Expensive Items
Any high-end electronics or equipment in your business will need special attention. Make sure you get these items in the video, along with any model and serial numbers. Not only can this give you a better payout, but it can help the restoration company, such as SERVPRO, establish proper remediation procedures.
You don't want to rely on memory when recounting your business' inventory for an insurance claim. Instead, create a simple video that focuses on high-dollar items so you can get the most out of your insurance company.

The 3 Main Goals of Plumbing Maintenance

2/11/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial water damage in Thompson Station, TN.

A Plumbing Maintenance Program Has Three Main Goals

You have enough to do with your company in Thompson Station, TN, without having to worry about an expensive business claim. Your plumbing system provides many essential benefits. However, if it isn't working properly, you could face a business disruption as well as a host of other problems. Regular maintenance on your plumbing lines is probably the best way to avoid surprises and added expenses. When working with a licensed plumbing contractor, you can better plan your budget for the year. 

1. Avoiding Water Damage. Broken pipes and water leaks can be major or minor. A small problem will be contained in one area and can be fixed in a matter of hours. A larger problem can spill between floors and rooms and damage equipment, walls and flooring and even computer systems.

2. Limiting a Business Claim. You have commercial insurance for a reason, but you still want to avoid using it if possible. Repeated claims can drive up your premiums. It can also be a process that takes a lot of your time. Professional plumbing maintenance makes it less likely that you will have to claim damages from a major water leak.

3. Keeping Your employees and Customers Safe. If a pipe breaks in your building, you are suddenly faced with a potentially dangerous situation. Wayward water can create electrical hazards as well as trip and fall perils. If sewage water is present, it is important to make sure the water is not touched by human skin to prevent infections and other health issues.
Even in the best circumstances, water disasters happen from time to time. For help dealing with water issues, a professional water mitigation franchise such as SERVPRO is always Here to Help. In addition to cleaning up your property quickly and safely, franchise workers, as a preferred vendor for many insurance companies nationwide, can help you process a business claim with a minimum of trouble.

4 Ways to Minimize Mold Growth in a Vacant Rental

2/2/2021 (Permalink)

If the humidity is high and there is hidden water damage, you can expect to have a fungus problem

Four Ways To Avoid Having To Call A Mold Remediation and Restoration Specialist

As a property owner in Nolensville, TN, there are always times when a rental is sitting empty. While, hopefully, that doesn’t last long, even a short time may result in unwanted issues. Mold prevention should always be a top priority. It only takes a little bit of excess moisture to bring mold spores to life. 

1. Conduct Regular Inspections
The key to battling mold is finding it before it can spread. If there has been recent rain or other precipitation, inspecting the property is essential. Common areas for growth include attics, basements, and plumbing pipes and fixtures.

2. Turn the Water Off
Since mold loves moisture, the best mold prevention tip is to eliminate any potential sources. Turning off the water to the property will ensure that happens, as well as minimize the potential for a pipe burst. It is also important to ensure toilet tanks and bowls are empty to avoid mold growth. Before turning the water off, consider having an inspection done to find any potential leaks. Once the property is no longer vacant, the last thing you want to deal with is a plumbing issue.

3. Monitor Humidity Levels
If the humidity is high and there is hidden water damage, you can expect to have a fungus problem. Leaving the heat or air on, which will depend on the weather conditions, will make it easier to keep humidity levels below 60%. If the levels are difficult to maintain, it may be worth investing in a dehumidifier or upgrading the HVAC system with a dehumidifying option.

4. Consider Using Mold-Resistant Materials
After a tenant moves out, it creates the prime opportunity to upgrade the property. If you have experienced mold issues before, there are materials available designed to resist and prevent that from happening, such as primers and water-resistant wallboard.
Although mold spores may be everywhere, adding mold prevention to your to-do list can minimize the chances of them coming out of hibernation.

What Is a Flood Cut?

1/15/2021 (Permalink)

Flood cuts performed in a Franklin, TN home

Here Is Everything You Need To Know About a Flood Cut

If you are looking to clean up your home after flooding in Franklin, TN, you will likely hear some terms you are unfamiliar with. These can include things like tear-out and flood cut. Here is everything you need to know about a flood cut and the drywall removal process, so you can understand what is going on in your home during the restoration process.

Flood Cuts
Flood cuts are made when a contractor must cut away and remove parts of your drywall after flooding. This is called a flood cut because it is made roughly 12 inches above the water damage. Its main purpose is to remove the drywall so contractors can address any moisture issues threatening the home's structure.

When They Are Necessary
A lot of times, flood cuts will be necessary. Here are some of the times when it is necessary:

• When floodwater contains contaminants or bacteria
• When sewage is involved
• If your wall was insulated

They Aren’t Always Necessary
If there is no insulation in your wall and the flooding was caused by clean water, injectidry can be used without a flood cut. This process involves drilling tiny holes behind your baseboard. Then, hoses are pushed through these holes, and warm, dry air is injected into the wall to dry out the studs and drywall. However, if a wall has insulation, it must have a flood cut done. This is because insulation cannot be dried out and still function properly.
Understanding some of the things the remediation company will do to your home after a flood is beneficial. Flood cuts are the technique the professionals will use to remove any drywall that has seen floodwaters so that the structure of your home can dry out properly. If there is no contamination in the water or insulation in the walls, it may be possible to avoid a flood cut.

4 Tips to Prevent Water Damage

12/28/2020 (Permalink)

Clean your gutters at least twice a year is essential to keep them working

Below Are Four Ways To Guard Against Common Sources Of Water Issues

Although some form of water damage to your Brentwood, TN, home may not be preventable, such as a broken pipe or mainline sewer backup, there are ways to avoid having excess water in a home. Below are four ways to guard against common sources of water issues.

1. Maintain Downspouts and Gutters
Gutters and downspouts are designed to keep rainwater flowing off the house instead of seeping into the roof and foundation. Although they may be easy to forget, leaves and other debris can quickly lead to a clog. Cleaning them at least twice a year is essential to keep them working right.

2. Repairs Cracks and Damaged Caulk
Whether your home is new or older, settling can create cracks or begin to damage caulking and other sealants. Taking an annual tour of your home to look for potential problem areas will help you eliminate sources for leaks to come in. If you see signs of mold, bubbling paint, or crumbly drywall, you may want to call a water damage and restoration company to inspect your home for hidden issues.

3. Ensure Proper Grading
One of the main culprits of water in a home is a foundation leak. Oftentimes, that is preventable by ensuring there is a proper slope away from it. If the ground adjacent to your home is heading toward the home, it results in water pooling. If the foundation has any small cracks, that water will find a way in.

4. Keep Tabs on the Plumbing System
Healthy plumbing is an essential component of daily life and the integrity of your home. Clogged sinks, rusty pipes, leaking toilets, and other issues can quickly add up. Instead of dealing with a massive pipe cleanup, ensure everyone in the home takes precautions when it comes to flushing or letting things go down the drain that shouldn’t. Monitoring your water bill is another way to know if you have a hidden leak that needs to be fixed.
Although water in home may not always be preventable, the above steps can help minimize a problem from happening.

How to Restore Your Commercial Building After Water Damage

12/28/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage in Brentwood, TN

What's Involved In The Water Damage Restoration Process?

Many people don't realize that water cleanup is a significant component of fire cleanup and smoke cleanup until a fire ravages their property. In fact, water can cause more damage than the fire itself. It's essential to get the water damage remediated as soon as possible. The longer water and moisture remain in the building, the more loss will occur. 

Ceiling Damage
Ceilings should be one of the first parts of the building that should be checked for damage. Soaked ceilings can be dangerous due to their risk of collapsing. Water damage remediation professionals will probably be required for this job.

Wood Damage
Since wood is a porous material, anything made of wood (e.g., floors, doors, cabinets, furniture) will soak up water and quickly damage. Badly soaked wood should be removed; it's probably not salvageable.

Drywall Damage
Drywall is very porous so that it can soak up water quickly. You can try to dry it, but some drywall pieces will probably require replacement. Fortunately, you can often cut out the damaged areas and patch them instead of replacing an entire wall.

Cleanup
All affected articles must be removed from the building. Water cleanup and disinfection must begin immediately and be completed thoroughly.

Floors
There's a good chance that you'll have to replace most of the flooring, especially the carpet. Carpet can get soaked quickly. The water can seep into the padding and even all the way to the subfloor. You'll have to replace all of these affected materials in this case.

Mold
The water and humidity resulting from a building fire can be challenging to clean well enough to prevent mold growth. Mold can begin growing within 24 hours of water exposure, so you don't have much time to get the area completely dry. A detailed inspection should be performed before and after restoration to ensure there's no mold; it can easily hide.
If your Brentwood, TN, building sustains a fire, water cleanup could require more work than the fire and smoke damage restoration. The restoration process must begin as soon as possible to avoid further damage.

Top 3 Commercial Mold Questions

12/8/2020 (Permalink)

Mold damage on the window

If you live in a high humidity area, then you may have issues with mold growth. Mold is a tiny fungal hyphae (a fungus with filaments) that grow in warm wet conditions. In nature, mold removes or breaks down detritus. In medicine, mold helps cure bacterial infections, and in cooking, mold makes excellent cheese. Despite the benefits of mold, the one place you don't want it is in your business.

Common Places Mold Grows

Although mold can technically grow anywhere, there are some spots where you can find it regularly. These are:

• Water coolers
• Refrigerators
• Coffee machines
• Around windows
• Bathrooms
• Air conditioning ducts and units

These are spaces that you should check for mold regularly. Unfortunately, mold can also grow in spaces you can't see, like inside walls and crawlspaces. This is why if you suspect you have a mold growth problem, you should speak to a mold remediation company in Brentwood, TN.

Other Ways to Tell if You Have Mold
Since mold can grow anywhere, it can be extremely difficult to tell if you have a mold problem. This is why you should have any earthy, strange smells checked out and why you should have your air conditioner and ducts inspected twice a year. Any water damage from leaks or flooding should be taken care of quickly by a specialist.

Problems Mold Can Cause
Mold can cause a lot of issues for you. Not only are some molds extremely toxic, but they can also ruin any products you sell or the equipment you use. It can also cause the loss of productivity from your staff, bad smells and the loss of customers.
When you own a business, mold growth can be devastating. If left unchecked, not only does it look unsightly, it can cost you if you do not have it taken care of quickly. Although some mold is beneficial, it certainly isn't a good thing to have in your office, store or warehouse.

3 Common Sources for Leaks in Multifamily Properties

12/8/2020 (Permalink)

Kitchen pipe leaking

3 Common Sources for Leaks in Multifamily Properties

A water leak could cost commercial property owners thousands of dollars extra in water and sewage bills. Multifamily property owners may find their tenants frustrated with high water bills due to leaks and may have to cover the extra costs of water damage restoration. Leaks commonly develop in these locations on multifamily commercial properties:

• Bathroom, kitchen and washer water supply lines
• Bathroom fixtures
• Plumbing systems

A water meter that gradually increases even when no water is being run is a clear sign of a leak. If this is the case in your multifamily property, check these common sources:

1. Inspect Bathroom, Kitchen and Washer Supply Lines
You can find water supply lines in the water-dispensing areas of the property. The corrosion from constant water use can wear out the supply lines, causing them to develop a water leak. Replacing these when they show signs of leaking will prevent the damages from adding up. Check the warranty on supply lines before purchasing new ones to avoid having to pay upfront.

2. Ensure Bathroom Fixtures Are Functional
Bathroom fixtures, such as faucets and toilets, can develop leaks if they become worn. Faucet drips are more notable than issues with toilets, which may develop hidden leaks beneath the base. Inspect fixtures regularly to prevent corrosion and replace them when they become worn.

3. Check Older Plumbing Systems for Broken Pipes
Older plumbing systems must be routinely inspected for leaks because they are commonly made without rust-resistant materials. An outdated plumbing system can develop a pipe break and cause water damage to a commercial property. It is also vital to check after inclement weather to ensure no pipes have burst or developed leaks.
The constant flow of water due to leaks can run up water bills, causing tension between landlords and tenants. A water leak from any of these three issues may also cause damage to commercial properties in Brentwood, TN, leading to costly repairs. Regular maintenance to supply lines, fixtures, and plumbing systems can prevent these unexpected expenses.

How To Choose the Best Smoke Alarm for Your Home

12/8/2020 (Permalink)

A smart smoke alarm may be the preferable choice for protecting your home

Which Type Of Alarm System Is Best For Your Home

Residential building codes require smoke alarms because they efficiently alert residents when smoke or fire is present. A smoke alarm is intended to warn you in time to put a small fire out or evacuate the house and call for help. Learn more about how these devices work to decide which type of alarm system is best for your home.

Newer Technologies
Recent generations of smoke alarms generally have smart technology. They are reported to be more convenient because they require less attention from the homeowner.
A smoke detector with smart capabilities generally works through a Wi-Fi network and offers several advantages:

• Better protection: A smart smoke alarm notifies you on your phone if the alarm is triggered, so if you aren’t home, you still know to take action.
  No chirping: Smart alarms monitor sensors and battery strength and notify you when they need to be checked or replaced.
• Smart-battery technology: Smart batteries can often be used in traditional alarms and are able to notify you of a problem even if you are not home.

The primary difference between newer alarm technologies and your older system is the commitment to regular maintenance. Smart alarms are more expensive, which users consider to be the primary disadvantage.

Conventional Alarms
If you have an older alarm, it probably requires some simple, regular maintenance to work properly. Schedule important maintenance practices on your calendar. If you have a 10-year lithium battery in your alarm, you have little to do in this area except replace the unit every 10 years. Regular batteries should be replaced every six months to be safe. Your local fire remediation expert can help educate your household about the risk of fire damage and evaluate the effectiveness of your current system.
If you don’t mind a simple maintenance schedule, a conventional alarm system may suffice. If you prefer a more worry-free product and can spend a little more, a smart smoke alarm may be the preferable choice for protecting your Brentwood, TN, home from a fire.

3 Types of Contaminated Flood Water

11/24/2020 (Permalink)

Category 1 water damage comes from a clean water source

Understand The Different Types Of Contaminated Water

Water damage can wreck havoc on your Leiper's Fork, TN, home. That being said, not every home flood is the same. Flood water is categorized by the types of contaminants present. Understanding the differences among the different types of contaminated water can help you remediate the damage more effectively.

1. Clean Water Floods
As their name implies, Category 1, or clean water floods, are categorized by an absence of contaminants. As the least dangerous types of floods, they typically originate from a supply line burst, a shower leak or some other type of clean water source. Just because these floods aren't as dangerous doesn't mean that they shouldn't still be taken seriously. A clean water flood can transform into a Category 2 flood if left untreated for too long.

2. Gray Water Floods
Gray water floods are also known as Category 2 floods. This flood contains mildly contaminated water, but nothing that could pose a biohazard risk. These floods are often caused when household appliances malfunction and flood, such as dishwashers and laundry machines. If left untreated for longer than 48 hours, a Category 2 flood will quickly become a dangerous Category 3 flood.

3. Black Water Floods
Category 3 floods, or black water floods, are the most dangerous of all. They are categorized by the presence of biohazards, such as human or animal fecal matter, raw sewage and dangerous chemicals or pesticides. You should never attempt to resolve a Category 3 flood by yourself, due to the possible health risks. Instead, you should contact water damage professionals as soon as you can. These floods are usually caused by toilet overflow, sewage back flow or a a flooding riverbank.
All types of floods are capable of inflicting serious amounts of damage. That being said, it's still important for you to learn the differences between the various types of contaminated water. Make sure to contact flood remediation experts for assistance, no matter which type of flood you're currently dealing with.

What To Do When a Pipe Break Floods Your Furnace

11/11/2020 (Permalink)

A furnace flood is a disaster you should handle with caution

What To Do When a Pipe Break Floods Your Furnace

A furnace flood in College Grove, TN, can happen when old basement pipes burst in your commercial building. This can lead to costly damages if prompt action isn't taken to resolve the issue.
If you experience a flooded furnace, your first concern should be the safety of your employees. Clear the area and call a professional. It's important to have your unit checked prior to attempting to use it again. Your furnace is in danger of serious damage, including corrosion to the:

• Thermostat
  
• Coils
  
• Controls inside the unit
  
  

Can My Furnace Be Repaired?
Experiencing a furnace flood does not always mean you need to replace your furnace. Restoration specialists use special techniques and equipment to restore mechanical and electronic equipment that has been exposed to water.
First, the floodwater must be removed to ensure further water exposure won't present an issue. Once the specialists have dried and cleaned the furnace, a technician will inspect the furnace to decide whether or not a repair is possible. If corrosion has occurred, you may need a new furnace.

Are Other Systems Impacted?
After flood damage to your furnace, it is recommended that you schedule an air duct cleaning. Your air ducts and filtration systems were likely exposed to water, and with water comes the risk of mildew and mold. A thorough cleaning of these systems will ensure your equipment is safe once it is properly replaced or restored.
It's also important to determine what caused the damaged pipe so that it doesn't happen again. Make a plan for how to avoid costly damages should this situation occur again in the future.
Once the damaged pipe has been repaired and your furnace is functional again, your building can go back to fully operational. A furnace flood is a disaster you should handle with caution. Always use professionals for every step of the cleanup and repair.

4 Reasons You Should Not Wait for an Adjuster After Storm Damage

10/20/2020 (Permalink)

Ceiling damaged by a storm in Thompson Station, TN

Four Reasons You Should Not Wait For An Adjuster

Recovering from a severe storm can be overwhelming, and you may find yourself wondering what to do if you find your home damaged by heavy winds, rain, and flooding in Thompson Station, TN. You should always check with your homeowner's policy to see if your property is covered by flood insurance, but you should also take action quickly to avoid any additional damage to your dwelling. One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting for an adjuster to arrive before dealing with the destruction.

Here are four reasons you should not wait for an adjuster after suffering damage from a storm:

1. Intensified Damage
If you sit around and wait, the water and flood destruction could get much worse. You could end up with mold damage if damp and wet conditions are not addressed, and you may experience structural issues with your property if water seeps into drywall and wooden frames. Calling a professional storm cleanup and restoration services company can prevent the damage from getting worse.

2. Denied Insurance Claim
As a result of the intensified damage due to delay, your insurance claim could be denied once your flood insurance reviews your case.

3. Out of Pocket Expenses
If your claim is denied due to excessive damage from postponed action, you may have to pay for many of the repairs and restoration services on your own. These costs can add up quickly.

4. Long Wait Times
Adjusters will be busy after a storm, especially if multiple houses are experiencing flood damage from the storm. There may be several people ahead of you, and the deterioration will only continue to get worse as you wait and try to stick it out.
While it is always recommended to call and check with your flood insurance provider, it is not advisable to wait around for the adjuster to come before taking action. Between the waiting, the water damage, and the possible mold growth, you might end up with more damage and a higher bill than you expected.

How To Figure Out Why Your Water Heater is Making Noise

10/14/2020 (Permalink)

If your water heater is making cracking, popping or rumbling noises, it's likely that you have some sediment built up

Common Causes of Noises In Water Heater

If the water heater in your home in Nolensville, TN, is making noises, it may be for very fixable reasons. Here are some common causes of the strange noises and how to fix them.

1. Sediment Buildup
If your water heater is making cracking, popping or rumbling noises, it's likely that you have some sediment built up. This is from minerals in hard water that either cake onto parts of the heater or build up in the water itself. If you're hearing cracking and popping, that's most likely from water forcing its way through the deposits on the heater's tubes, which means they either need to be cleaned or replaced. If your heater is making rumbling noises, it's most likely due to sediment in the water or on the bottom of the tank. This makes a lot of noise as the water is heated up, and usually requires a water heater flush with a deliming or descaling solution to get rid of it.

2. Moving Pipes
If you hear banging or knocking from inside your walls when you turn on the water heater, it's usually a signal that your pipes are moving around as water flows through them. This isn't so much a problem for your heater as it can be for your walls and the pipes themselves. They can damage the wall, or, in some cases, they can even break, which means you'll need to call a water damage remediation company. If you hear this happening, try padding the spots where the pipes are striking the wall.

3. Tight Valves
A high-pitched screeching sound is usually indicative that a valve isn't open all the way. This may be right near your heater, or it might be a faucet it leads to. Try to track down the source of the noise and then check your valves in that area to make sure they are loose enough.
While noises coming from your hot water heater can be unnerving, they are often easily fixed. Follow these tips to find the issue, and you'll have your heater running smoothly in no time.

How To Remediate Mold Damage in Your Home

9/30/2020 (Permalink)

Mold growth on hardwood floors

If you own a home in Franklin, TN, especially a new residence, you may think you are safe from mold growth. However, the unfortunate truth is that any home can become the site of mold infestation. With knowledge of common types of mold and where they grow, though, you can keep a watchful eye over your home and seek out help the moment a problem arises.

What Kind of Mold Is Growing in My Home?

There are several types of residential mold that can be identified based on the appearance and the location of the growth. Some common types of household mold include:

Alternaria - grows predominantly in dark, moist spaces such as under sinks and in showers
Chaetomium - grows in drywall that has water damage
Fusarium - grows in fabric and carpet
Penicillium - grows in insulation, carpet, and damp furniture
Trichoderma - grows in damp carpeting and wallpaper

It is important to identify the type of infestation as this will determine the type of cleanup process. Of course, you are not expected to be an expert; rather, you should always contact a professional to figure out the proper mold remediation process.

What Causes Mold to Grow in My Home?
Most mold infestations are caused by damp conditions. If you live in a high humidity area or have experienced residential flooding, then your home is a prime site for mold growth. After noticing wet or damp spots in your home, it is important to have the residence thoroughly inspected. A fungal infestation in its earliest stages is not visible to the naked eye but can be detected by professionals.

How Do I Repair Mold Damage?
Professional mold remediation services can help restore your home. An experienced team can also remove any lingering smells. Once you notice mold growth, it is important to immediately reach out for assistance to prevent the problem from becoming even more severe.

3 Tips for Preventing a Dryer Fire

9/18/2020 (Permalink)

Keeping the lint screen clean is one of the easiest prevention steps you can take

How To Prevent a Dryer Fire

If you're worried about the possibility for a lint fire to occur in your Brentwood, TN, home then you may be wondering if there are any prevention steps you can take. Fortunately, many fire damage restoration service professionals have a few recommendations for how to prevent a dryer fire. Here are three of the most common.

1. Remove Lint from the Screen

Keeping the lint screen clean is one of the easiest prevention steps you can take. Pull out the screen and remove the collected lint after each use. If the screen seems extra dirty you can rinse it off with water and let it air dry before replacing it.

2. Keep the Vent Clear

It’s also a good idea to clear out any exhaust fonts to remove build-up that could lead to a lint fire. The dryer manufacturer may have specific instructions for this process, but in general, the unit should be unplugged before any maintenance of this type begins. In most cases, the hose can be unhooked and any lint build-up removed. You may be able to use a vacuum to help with this process.

3. Inspect the Unit for Repair Needs

Keeping an eye on your dryer for any maintenance needs can also be considered a fire prevention steps as it will help you catch any problematic malfunctions or loose wiring before a fire hazard develops. If your dryer does need maintenance it’s a good idea to contact a professional for help. If a fire does occur a restoration service can help with cleanup and repairs to your home.

Remember, if you want to prevent a lint fire in your home it’s a good idea to keep moth the lint screen and any exhaust vents clean by removing built-up lint regularly. It’s also a good idea to inspect your dryer to ensure that it is in good, working condition. Contact a professional for help if the dryer needs repair or maintenance.

How To Protect Your Building From Flood Damage

9/9/2020 (Permalink)

Construct flood walls on the perimeter to create a flood-proof barrier

Take The Following Steps To Prevent Flood Damage

As a business owner in Fairview, TN, you want to make sure your building is protected from flooding. Thankfully, there are measures anyone can take to prevent flood damage. Flood mitigation measures range from simple and affordable to expensive and extreme, so find the solution that best suits your situation.

Design Your Building To Be Flood-Resistant
When preparing to build, take into consideration that the most effective solutions involve building on higher ground and above potential flood levels. Additionally, make sure all-electric and other utility equipment, such as outlets and switches, are installed at least a foot above flood level.
You might also consider installing backflow valves and a sump pump to prevent water and sewage from getting into the building. The area surrounding the building can also be fortified with flood walls or earthen barriers to provide another layer of protection.

Retrofit an Existing Building To Prevent Flood Damage
If the property permits, construct flood walls or levees on the perimeter to create a flood-proof barrier. Relocate utilities and appliances to upper levels whenever possible. If necessary, update the plumbing with backflow valves and a sump pump.
Additionally, you can cover both exterior and interior walls with waterproof sealants that will keep the water from seeping in through cracks. It is also wise to purchase temporary flood-proof barriers that can be easily stored and then utilized whenever flooding is imminent.

Create an Emergency Flood Plan
The best preventative measure is to make sure you are not caught unaware, even when nature surprises you. Create an emergency flood plan, and make sure all your employees are familiar with and capable of executing the plan.
When creating your plan, consider the structural needs of your property, as well as the safety of your employees and customers. Periodically practice your emergency flood routine to ensure everyone will be ready when disaster strikes.
Flood damage can be extensive. It can also be expensive to repair, requiring professional water restoration services. Take steps now to prevent storm damage and ensure your building and the people within are protected.

3 Reasons To Get a Mold Inspection Before Buying a Building

8/19/2020 (Permalink)

Mold inspection in Arrington, TN

Why Should You Get An Inspection?

As the future owner of commercial property in Arrington, TN, you should make sure the property passes rigorous quality tests before finalizing the purchase. One of these procedures is a mold inspection. You never know if the location previously had untreated water damage that resulted in a mold problem. There are multiple reasons why you should get an inspection for this specific issue.

1. Prevent Additional Problems
Visible mold forms when a high amount of moisture attracts mold spores, which are floating in the air everywhere. While the occasional rain or other water-based event creates this condition, it can also result from a plumbing issue or a broken water appliance. Some of these problems usually occur behind walls, so mold is the only sign that they exist. Testing for mold can help you detect these problems, giving you time to fix them fast or choose another location.

2. Reduce Future Costs
Though a mold inspection sounds costly, it can prevent more future expenses. The presence of mold signifies bigger issues with plumbing, roofing or other structural problems that can escalate and become more difficult to repair. Even if the mold itself is the problem, it can only continue to spread, grow, and compromise the quality of the building. Inspecting the area and working with a mold remediation company to restore it can be more cost-efficient when the situation is smaller.

3. Attract More Tenants
Tenants are your main source of income as a property owner. You have a responsibility to provide them with a clean place to live as much as possible. Unfortunately, mold prevents you from achieving this responsibility. Visible mold is a sign of neglect that clashes with the quality you are trying to establish. If you run an inspection and resolve the problem, you can create a stronger reputation and bring potential tenants to your property.
You need to run all sorts of tests regarding the state of your future building, including mold inspection. This process brings plenty of advantages to your renting business.

Which Common Water Losses Are Covered by Insurance?

8/19/2020 (Permalink)

Damaged pipes caused water damage to a building in Leiper's Fork, TN

Which Common Water Losses Are Covered by Insurance?

There are several common water losses that can affect a commercial business in Leiper's Fork, TN. Some, such as damaged pipes, may be covered by your commercial insurance policy. Other water emergencies, however, are excluded from coverage.

Excluded Perils
A flood is perhaps the most potentially damaging water loss not covered by insurance. In fact, many different types of water accumulations are excluded, such as:

• Mudflow
  
• Sewage or drain backup
  
• Waves
  
  

While typical commercial insurance does not cover flooding, you can purchase separate flood insurance to protect your building. Many insurers offer sewage backup endorsements, as well.
Insurance companies expect property owners to take care of the premises. Therefore, if your building has a slow leak from damaged pipes that lasts for at least two weeks, you will have to pay for emergency restoration services yourself.
Mold that grows following a water loss is often typically excluded, as well. Your policy may provide some coverage, but it is usually limited.

Covered Perils
While slowly leaking pipes are excluded from insurance, a burst pipe is typically covered. That is because insurance covers damage that results from a sudden peril. You can use your insurance to pay for both the cost of repairs and the expense of ripping any ceilings or walls to get to the source of the leak.
Keep in mind that pipes often burst due to freezing temperatures. If you fail to properly maintain the heat in your building, the insurance provider could deny your claim.
The harm that is caused by sprinklers or other fire protection systems should also be covered under your policy. This includes harm caused by the release of fire-suppressing foams or powders.
Damaged pipes are a common cause of water loss for businesses. If a pipe leaks over an extended period of time, you will likely be responsible for the cost of repairs. However, your insurance should cover any expenses that result from a sudden and accidental discharge of water.

5 Things You Should Never Do After a Flood

8/7/2020 (Permalink)

Do not drive through flooded street

Keep Your Home Safe From Floods and Damage

When it comes to dealing with flood water, there's a distinct correct and incorrect course of action. Sometimes following your basic instincts can make the water damage worse. Abide by the following actions if your home in College Grove, TN, has recently experienced a flood.

1. Never walk or swim in the water: There are several reasons why this is a terrible idea. The currents may be much stronger than you think and it only takes 6 inches of water to knock you down. The flood is also likely to contain black water, a hazardous Category 3 contaminate.

2. Don't ignore advice from authorities: If the authorities tell you to evacuate your home, then you need to leave. Do not return to your residence until they give you permission to do so. If they have a barricade set up along your escape route, do not drive around it. It's there for a reason.

3. Don't try to be a hero: It's natural to want to save the possessions in your flooded home. However, staying in your house while it's actively filling up with water is a very bad idea.

4. Avoid touching electrical equipment: Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. It's all too easy to electrocute yourself by touching electrical devices that are damp or while standing in floodwater. If you can do so safely, you should shut off the electricity in your house.

5. Do not drive through the water: It only takes one foot of water to sweep your car away. It's best to avoid driving altogether unless there's an emergency. If your car does get carried away in the current, don't get out. If water starts to rise up inside your car, climb on the roof of the vehicle, and signal for help.
It's important to keep your home safe from floods and water damage. That being said, no material possessions are worth risking your life over. Let flood water remediation specialists worry about fixing the damage so you can focus on keeping yourself and your family safe.

If Mold Has Taken Over Your Brentwood Gym, Our Crew Is Ready 24/7 To Help!

8/6/2020 (Permalink)

Preventing The Spread Of Fungal Growth In A Brentwood Gym

As much traffic as your Brentwood gym gets every week; you want to ensure that your facility is always in top form. In some situations, failure to address small concerns like moisture and dampness in the building can result in widespread concerns as the incident gets out of control. As if water damages were not bad enough to contend with while keeping your doors open to the determined public, steady moisture is an ideal condition to produce mold and other fungal colonization.

It is not difficult for fungal contamination and mold damage in a Brentwood gym to spread as many locations often learn with outbreaks of athlete’s foot. Combating these conditions can often be problematic, especially when your facility is one that stays open throughout the night to accommodate everyone on every schedule.

When mold gets discovered in your building, you need to reach out to our SERVPRO professionals as quickly as possible. We have a highly trained division for mold remediation, and they can also work to provide necessary containment strategies that can help to keep your doors open throughout the recovery and remediation processes.

Our professionals have an array of environmentally friendly cleaners, antimicrobial agents, and disinfectant sprays ideal for removing the presence of fungus and mold from every potential surface throughout the building. We can also work to provide necessary containment strategies such as physical plastic sheeting and the continued use of these powerful cleaning agents and our air purification equipment to noticeably reduce the presence of mold spores in the environment. With the right prevention tactics, it can be possible to quarantine affected areas and allow the gym to remain open.

Mold growth is nothing that any business owner should wait to address. Regardless of the source of the moisture and dampness, our SERVPRO of Williamson County team can work to overcome the damaging effects quickly. Give our specialists a call anytime you need us at (615) 790-9634.

Click here for more about Brentwood.

Why Mold Appears After Rain

7/29/2020 (Permalink)

Mold growing on ceiling

Three Things To Protect Your Place

When the rain pounds on the roof, homeowners trust that stronghold to keep the elements out. However, time and the environment can hurt the roofing, creating openings that allow the raindrops to fall inside. Over time, that wetness allows black mold to flourish. It won't be discernible at first; however, after a while, after each storm, you may start to notice a musty odor and small spots on the walls. When this happens, you'll need to consider three things to protect your place.

1. Find the Leak
It's not enough for mold cleanup to be a bottle of household cleaner and a cloth. This treatment may eliminate the exterior signs, but it is like putting a bandage on a much deeper wound. You will only contain it until the next system. Instead, search for the source of growth. A mold remediation company in Spring Hill, TN, can evaluate the roof, identifying why the water continues to enter. Once found, the crew can tarp it and inspect the level of contamination.

2. Eliminate the Water Buildup
Black mold grows in warm, humid locations, so when water comes through shingles into a crawl space, it doesn't take much to spawn reproduction. The spot is dark, wet, and full of organic material. The roof should be mended, but the excess liquid should be taken out. The specialists can determine how much has been harmed, and dehumidifiers may be needed to extract moisture.

3. Replace and Repair Structures
With the moisture problem under control, ensure that any items impacted have been properly removed or sanitized. Content cleaning could occur on non-porous valuables. However, anything porous should be inspected and disposed of. You simply cannot trust that the cleaner penetrated through completely. That means tearing out drywall or ceiling tiles; then replacing them with brand new material. This should reduce the likelihood of additional growth.
A crack or crevice in the rooftop could easily allow rain to spur black mold growth. Start with the mending the top. Then, dry and restore anything harmed.

3 Things To Understand About Fire Damage

7/9/2020 (Permalink)

Fire and water damage to a building in Thompson Station, TN

3 Things To Understand About Fire Damage

A firefighter douses a blaze with lots of water, saturating the roof, floor and walls on a building. While all of this is good efforts, the actions mean that fire damage isn't a business owner's only concern. Proprietors in Thompson Station, TN, must also place heavy focus on water remediation, working to dry out the establishment as much as possible. With this combined effort, the restoration can be completed and the doors can reopen to the public.

1. Why is Water Damage a Concern?
The excess moisture may not seem problematic, but it is. That humidity, if left alone, can act as a catalyst of mold spores, a natural environmental microbe. When these tiny organisms interact with water, darkness, and organic matter, they begin to spawn, reproducing in mass within one to two days. Quickly removing the fluid source could halt the event, protecting the premises.

2. How Did Fire Damage Harm the Building?
Aside from blacked walls and holes, the flames could have caused things you may not have thought about. Electrical wires may have been weakened, establishing a potentially new hazard. In addition, smoke has infiltrated the rooms and air unit, creating a need for a through content cleaning and odor removal service. A fire restoration company could inspect the location, assessing the need to replace, cleanup and sanitize.

3. What Will Crews Do During the Remediation Efforts?
First, the team will minimize the fire hose's saturation effect. They'll bring in industrial dehumidifiers to dry out the impacted areas. Then, they can turn to the walls and valuables, identifying what owners may keep and what may need to go. Over time, they'll attend to electronics, documentation, and images, using high-tech equipment to aid in saving what they can. Finally, everything is fixed, painted, and put back together.
Fire damage isn't an isolated situation. Understand that the water is also something to consider. Air out the affected rooms and then tend to the restoration efforts.

What You Should do When Your Nolensville Office Floods

7/8/2020 (Permalink)

Benefits of Mitigating Offices of Commercial Water Damage in Nolensville 

Flash floods can happen anywhere, including Nolensville. Businesses in the area can become partially submerged in a brief time, giving your office tenants little time to move valuable equipment to safer locations. SERVPRO understands that every time a business falters, our community as a whole also suffers.

We want to help businesses in every possible way recover from disasters like commercial flood damage in Nolensville, so we work closely with property owners in reducing the event's effects on both buildings and tenants' business operations. We do everything possible to help everyone involved recover as painlessly as possible, so getting back to normal for employees at all levels and interactions with customers and clients happens with minimal stress.

We need to force an increase in the heat and airflow throughout the building's affected areas. Flooding may rise only a few inches past your floor's height but not cover the entire surface. Our rapid response, Faster To Any Size Disaster, helps keep floodwater from seeping into dry areas, which can happen even after water from the flood recedes and drains from your building.

We also saturate areas of flooring with clean water, to help wash out the last of the sediment and silt that our buckets, shovels, and squeegees do not remove. We do not generally put disinfectant agents in this water because we do not want to affect the ecosystems in our area. Instead, we use both spray bottles for smaller spaces and foggers for larger ones.

Part of the mitigation process requires that we remove and dispose of carpeting and padding. The fibers in carpets and the pores in padding retain floodwater and the contaminants so tightly that cleaning becomes less cost-effective than replacing them. Pulling these out also removes that moisture that would have increased the mitigation process, and related expenses.

We rely on our customers for input when aspects like odor control come into the picture. The detection of odors varies from one person to the next, and we want the occupants to feel as comfortable after we leave as they felt before the flood occurred. We use injectable liquids that do not stain carpets or upholstered furniture, gel packs, and other methods to make things smell normal again.

SERVPRO of Williamson County wants our customers to enjoy their role in the community again. Flood damage should not ruin careers, businesses, or buildings in our area. We do everything possible to prevent unnecessary loss and help restore everything once again for companies in Arrington, Fairview, and Spring Hill. Call us at (615) 790-9634 to receive prompt service and answers to your questions.

More about Nolensville.

Protect Your Building Envelope

6/23/2020 (Permalink)

Rain damage can be a serious threat to your commercial building, easily causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage after a bad storm. The most important thing you can do to protect your building is to ensure that the building envelope is in good shape and well maintained. It is much more cost effective to maintain the property in such a way as to prevent damage than it is to repair after a weather event.

Rain Damage Can Present Big Problems

In many cases, damage done to commercial buildings is caused by water being where it’s not supposed to be. Black mold is just one example of the serious consequences that can arise when rain is allowed to intrude into the building. Get out ahead of potential problems by making sure that cracks are sealed and gaps are closed. There are other things that can help to divert water:

• Gutters
• Overhangs
• Baffles

The use of these items can move water away from the foundation of your building and help to prevent water intrusion.

The Building Envelope and Why It’s Important

A building’s envelope is, in a very basic sense, the actual building itself. It is the physical barrier between the conditioned interior and the unconditioned environment outside. It is comprised of the roof and walls of the structure. Cracks, gaps, and other openings in the envelope, including doors and windows, can all present possible points of entry for water and air into the building.

Maintenance Can Make a Big Difference

Preventative maintenance can save you money in the long run. Once damage has been done, it usually becomes a much more costly situation to rectify. However, should damage to your building occur, bring in professionals to help with cleanup.

It is easier and cheaper to fortify a weak point than it is to replace a larger area that has become subject to rot or mold due to water damage. Keep in mind that Franklin,TN, can be subject to severe weather, including heavy rains. Protect your building from rain damage so it will continue to serve its purpose for years to come.

How Basements Flood and What To Do About It

6/2/2020 (Permalink)

If you spot flooding in the basement, hire a professional right away to assess the damage

Of all the places in your home susceptible to flooding, your basement is at or near the top of the list. You may not even notice water damage for weeks or months when it occurs in this area. Understanding how floods can start here and how to react can spare you a lot of time, money, and stress.

Common Ways That Water Finds its Way Into Basements

Flooding can start at any place in your Brentwood, TN, home, and cause widespread damage. The basement often attracts water for various reasons. This can occur from the following culprits:

• Cracks in the foundation of the home
  
• Broken pipes
  Leaky or bursting appliances such as washers or water heaters
  
• Broken supply lines
  
• Sewer backups
  
  

Flood Prevention
Some incidents occur without warning, but there are steps you can take to minimize your risk for a basement flood. Make sure you have a professional inspect your plumbing system at least once a year. A plumber can look for pipe leaks or sewer damage. If you spot an issue, repair it immediately. You should also maintain the rain gutters and downspouts on the home. Regular appliance maintenance is also critical. Other measures you can take include landscaping your yard and making sure your property slopes away from the house.

Call the Pros
For small-scale water issues, you should remove all items from the affected area and extract the water with a wet vacuum. However, for larger floods, you should contact a professional flood response team. Professional technicians can handle pipe repair and remove all water from the area. The pros have the right equipment to thoroughly dry the basement and sanitize any parts of the home that came into contact with the water.
If you spot flooding in the basement, hire a professional right away to assess the damage. You can also follow wise guidelines to reduce the chances of water infiltrating your property.

How Fire Insurance Can Help After a House Fire

6/2/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage in a local home in Franklin, TN

A fire at your Franklin, TN, home can be a very stressful experience. Fortunately, renters insurance can help you through.

Fire Coverage

In general, your insurance policy will cover damage as long as the fire was not set intentionally. The following are some common causes of fire damage that are usually covered:

• Candles
  
• Cooking accidents
  
• Electrical problems
  
  

Your insurance policy should cover damage to your personal belongings, such as furniture and electronics. Additionally, your policy may provide liability protection in the event that you accidentally start the fire and another person or his property is injured. Some policies will cover small medical expenses for third parties without the need for establishing liability. Most policies will also cover temporary relocation expenses so that you have the funds to afford a hotel room or other living arrangements while your home is being restored. Talk to your insurance agent to ensure that you have sufficient coverage and that you understand what is and is not covered by the policy.

Fire Restoration
Restoration of the structure itself will be covered by your landlord's insurance, but contents restoration will be covered by your renter's insurance policy. There are a variety of aspects of the fire restoration process. In addition to fire damage, your belongings may also incur water damage from the fire-extinguishing efforts. Removing soot helps prevent corrosion, and thoroughly drying water-soaked items prevents mold growth. Eliminating smoke odor helps make the space livable again. Finally, repairing or replacing damaged items gets the home move-in ready. Some items, like electronics and antiques, will require specialized restoration techniques, but other items may simply need a fresh coat of paint. A professional can help you determine what is and is not salvageable.
The restoration process can be overwhelming, but fortunately, renters insurance and a certified restoration company can help you get your home back to normal quickly and safely.

Our Fire Damage Technicians Can Restore Your Brentwood Home To Pre-Damage Condition

5/21/2020 (Permalink)

New Hobby Causes Fire Damage In Brentwood Home

Hobbies are relaxing, and a way to destress for many people and should never be at the center of fire damage destruction to a home. Sometimes, accidents happen and when they do, cleaning up the aftermath is a priority to prevent more issues such as foul odors.

A home in Brentwood suffered fire damage in a garage when a homeowner who had recently gotten into pyrography, also known as wood burning and accidentally left his pyrography pen plugged in overnight in the garage. He had some improperly stored cleaners too near his worktable, and the fumes ignited.

The fire severely damaged the garage, but the rest of the house was not directly affected by the flames. When the homeowner contacted SERVPRO, he was instructed to keep the door inside the home leading to the garage shut and traffic in and out of the area at a minimum until our technicians arrived a short time later to begin the cleanup.

When our technicians arrived on-site, the doorway to the home from the garage was blocked with heavy plastic to stop the passage of soot particles into the home. Charred building materials and items that were too much of a fire loss to restore through cleaning were removed from the premises.

SERVPRO technicians spend extra time on the removal of damaged contents and water removal. The more effort spent on the initial cleanup tends to lessen the drying time and odor removal from the affected areas. Once the items were separated into the what could be restored through cleaning and what needed to be removed the actual restoration work on the garage began.

Once the area was dried, cleaned and disinfected, our technicians implemented odor control techniques to ensure that there were residual smoke and soot odors left in the area. Air scrubbers are particularly good at capturing particulates that are smaller than the human eye can see but still cause significant odors. Our SERVPRO location handles rebuilding, and we were able to not only clean up the damage from the fire but also rebuild the garage fully restoring it to its preloss condition.

SERVPRO of Williamson County has emergency response teams available at (615) 790-9634 to come to your property 24/7 and make the fire damage to your home “Like it never even happened.”

Click here for more about Brentwood.

How To Prevent Toilet Clogs in Your Commercial Building

5/14/2020 (Permalink)

Buy thinner toilet paper

How To Prevent Toilet Clogs in Your Commercial Building

A clogged toilet is not just an inconvenience for your employees. It could also cause a sewage backup in your commercial building. You might then have to temporarily shut down your Leiper's Fork, TN, office, or store while emergency restoration professionals clean up the mess.
Luckily, some clogs are preventable. Blockages often occur when workers or customers flush items down the toilet that do not belong there. There are some simple ways to prevent this from happening.

1. Provide Plenty of Wastebaskets
People may throw paper towels or feminine hygiene products in the toilet purely out of necessity. To prevent a clogged toilet, make sure there are numerous wastebaskets in the main area of each bathroom. You may even want to put smaller trash cans within each stall. The cans should be large enough to handle a sufficient amount of daily waste.
Workers may avoid using the cans if they are overflowing with trash. You should thus have a maintenance worker regularly empty each basket.
2. Hang Signs
Other employees or customers may simply throw certain paper items in the toilet because they are unaware those items could cause clogs. Place some signs in the bathroom reminding everyone to dispose of these products in the trash. You can make the signs yourself or order them from supply stores.
3. Buy Thinner Toilet Paper
Even the wrong bathroom tissue can cause a clogged toilet. While you and your family may prefer thick, high-quality toilet paper, this is not always suitable for a commercial bathroom that gets used frequently each day. Instead, opt for thinner bathroom tissue that is less likely to get stuck in the toilet.
The above steps can reduce the odds of paper towels, wipes, or feminine hygiene products clogging your commercial toilets. Still, even if you do provide wastebaskets, post signs, and switch to thinner bathroom tissue, a toilet overflow may occur. If you do experience a flood in your restrooms, restoration experts can efficiently clean up the mess.

How To Prevent Mold Growth After Water Damage

5/14/2020 (Permalink)

Air movers drying out wet area in Fairview, TN

How To Prevent Mold Growth After Water Damage

Water damage to your Fairview, TN, business can lead to mold problems if not taken care of quickly. The following steps outline the remediation process.

1. Document the damage. Because mold growth can begin within 24 hours, you may not have time to wait for an insurance adjuster to come out to your property. Be sure to take a detailed photo or video evidence of the damage and follow any instructions provided to you by your insurance company.
2. Remove standing water. It is important to remove the water as soon as possible to prevent further water damage. There are pumps and specialized vacuums available for this task. If necessary, you can also use buckets to scoop out the water.
3. Dry out remaining moisture. After the standing water has been removed, there will still be moisture remaining within porous surfaces. Use dehumidifiers and fans to dry these surfaces. If the humidity outside is low enough, you can open the windows and doors to increase airflow. Making sure all affected items are dry is key to mold prevention.
4. Clean and sanitize. Unfortunately, there may be bacteria or other contaminants in the water you are cleaning up. The source of the water and the surface you are cleaning will determine the best cleaner to use. Be sure to sanitize all affected surfaces.
5. Repair and replace. All items that cannot be fully cleaned and dried should be thrown away. For delicate objects, such as paintings and electronics, you may wish to hire a specialist to determine whether or not the items can be salvaged. If your business is prone to water problems, consider mold-resistant products. There are paints, upholsteries, and other materials available that can help prevent mold growth in the future.
Dealing with water damage can be overwhelming. If you need help cleaning up water or mold damage, an experienced restoration team can help you get your business back to normal quickly and safely.

What To Know About Roof Damage Mitigation

5/1/2020 (Permalink)

Roof inspection in an Arrington, TN home

What To Know About Roof Damage Mitigation

You may have heard about the importance of roof damage mitigation. It can protect your Arrington, TN, home following a hailstorm or other major weather event. What exactly does this mitigation entail?
Mitigation essentially means being proactive when it comes to the condition of your roof. Have an inspector check your roof for problems twice each year. Ideally, you should have one inspection in the fall and another in the spring. You may also want to bring in the inspector after major snow, hail, or rainstorms to check for wind damage.
The inspector can note any problematic areas before they cause a major leak or necessitate roof replacement. As long as the insulation remains dry, you may just have to repair the roof rather than replace it completely.

What Makes a Good Inspector

Of course, you must make sure to pick the right inspector for the job. Look for a person who:

• Lives fairly close to your home
  
• Will be able to perform any roof damage repairs the same day
  
• Has moisture survey technology
  
• Has International Organization for Standardization certification
  
• Has done weather-impact reports
  
  

What Makes a Good Inspection
Your inspector should visibly assess the flashings and membrane and check for any issues that an insurance adjuster or general maintenance technician might miss. The inspection should additionally include core analysis testing that determines the life expectancy of the roof.
If your roof assessment occurs immediately after a storm, the inspector should also use software to document the specific weather phenomenon that occurred. Technology can determine the exact size of the hailstones that hit the roof. Hailstones that are smaller than a golf ball are less likely to harm the roof structure.
At least twice each year, have an inspector check for roof damage to your home. Fix any problematic areas as soon as possible. This way, after a storm hits, emergency restoration specialists will only have to repair your roof rather than replace it entirely.

Fire Sprinklers Are Surprisingly High-Tech Devices

4/21/2020 (Permalink)

Fire sprinklers are surprisingly high-tech devices

Fire Sprinklers Are Surprisingly High-Tech Devices

There’s no question that fire sprinklers are a worthwhile investment. Deaths in commercial buildings with a functioning fire sprinkler system are insignificant compared with buildings without them. Indeed, one recent study in Harris County, Texas found that:

Sprinkler systems saved $144,266,255.
Not a single fatality or injury was reported with functioning sprinklers.
In 93% of activations, only one sprinkler head was activated.

The last fact is important due to the myth that fire sprinklers cause a lot of unnecessary damage. A fire sprinkler is a high-tech device; accidental activations are very rare, and each sprinkler is designed to react individually, due to the way they operate.

A Sprinkler Head Reacts to Heat, not Smoke
To provide the most dependable fire suppression, a sprinkler system is designed to be always on. In other words, the sprinkler should have full pressure constantly available at the sprinkler head, with the activation device contained in every individual unit. Inside most sprinkler heads, there’s a glass bulb containing a liquid, although some types use a two-part metal fusible alloy. Either way, the device is finely tuned to be sensitive to a very narrow range of heat. Once that level is reached, either the liquid expands and breaks the glass or the fusible allow will melt. Once that happens, the always-present pressure will immediately cause activation, striking the fan-like metal sheath on the end and spreading out to cover the fire.

Sprinklers Reduce Water Damage
Contrary to what is so often seen in movies, each fire sprinkler reacts separately, meaning that water damage is isolated to the immediate area around the fire. During a fire without sprinklers, typically the flames have spread significantly before the fire department arrives, requiring a more wholesale use of water for suppression. With sprinklers, once the fire department arrives, they can turn off the sprinkler system and prevent further damage.
At that point, you can call a fire sprinkler cleanup company in College Grove, TN, to inspect the damage and begin restoration. This is usually a massive saving for both the business owner and their insurance companies, which is why so many insurers lower the premiums for those with installed systems.

Our Team Has The Right Equipment to Restore your Franklin Home

4/20/2020 (Permalink)

Give our SERVPRO of Williamson County rapid response team a call anytime disaster strikes at (615) 790-9634.

Water Removal in Your Franklin Home After Toilet Overflow

While the toilet is not always talked heavily about, it is a staple and much-needed addition to your Franklin home. As these fixtures age, however, the components that allow it to function properly can jam or malfunction, causing several potential problems. While some of these might be a drawn-out refilling process that can affect your monthly water bill, more severe consequences might include overflowing of the reservoir when the float mechanism does not engage.

Overflowing reservoirs might not affect your Franklin home with contaminated water, but it does often require professional water removal and recovery.  Even with noticing the problem shortly after it begins, an instance like this can quickly cover the bathroom floor and affect cabinetry and the vanity as well. Our SERVPRO professionals can understand the importance of reacting quickly to this situation, and so our team arrives with the necessary equipment to quickly extract the excess.

The tile or laminate flooring likely installed in your bathroom can resist penetration from the pooling water, but saturation can still occur with these materials if the problem does not get addressed quickly enough. While each plank or tile itself works to resist absorbing the moisture, seams and grout joints are more penetrable. To protect your flooring from extensive damage, extraction must begin shortly after the situation gets discovered.

Our SERVPRO professionals can arrive with high-powered extraction equipment for severe damages like our gas-powered units. For smaller pools, we can also bring in our portable sump pumps and extraction wands. Once the excess has gotten removed from the flooring, we can set up our advanced drying equipment to protect and preserve exposed cabinetry, fixtures, and flooring. We can double check our drying efforts with our thermal imagery cameras to detect lingering moisture pockets that require added attention.

As traumatic as an overflowing reservoir might seem, the right professional assistance can make this water damage “Like it never even happened.” Give our SERVPRO of Williamson County rapid response team a call anytime disaster strikes at (615) 790-9634.

The city of Franklin, Tennessee has a unique blend of history and new growth click here to find more information.

The Many Dangers of a Flood

4/12/2020 (Permalink)

Trained technicians on site will wear PPE as they extract and remove contaminated water

When it comes to dangers that a company can face in Spring Hill, TN, a flood is one of the most potent, as well as one of the more common challenges to hit businesses. In addition to the impact that water damage has on property, flood waters at times pose a threat to human health. If the water surge comes quickly and without warning, it has the potential to injure employees or customers who are present. Since water can create a danger with electrical systems, it can also cause a shock hazard. Finally, flood waters are considered to be unhealthy due to the substances that could be in the water.

What Is Black Water?

Any water that appears dirty or dark and whose source is in question should be considered contaminated. This is often called black water. Water that comes into a building from a flood could include the following substances:

• Germs and bacteria
  
• Toxic chemicals
  
• Sewage
  
• The remains of dead animals
  
• Asbestos fibers
  
  

Any items this water comes in contact with, such as drywall, carpeting, and clothing, should also be considered contaminated. It is important that untrained and unprotected people do not touch this water or these materials. The water damage restoration should be handled by a professional storm remediation team that is Faster to any size disaster.

How Is a Flood Cleaned Up?

Trained technicians on site will wear PPE as they extract and remove contaminated water. They will use equipment such as powerful vacuums to remove standing water and to prevent further water damage. For harder to reach water, the team will employ air movers and other advanced technique to draw the remaining moisture from the property. Sensitive equipment can also measure the moisture level in the building. This allows the monitoring of moisture removal. The final stages include cleaning and sanitizing and restoration or replacement of damaged materials.

Tips About Getting Rid of Black Mold in Your Shower

3/27/2020 (Permalink)

Use vinegar to remove mold

Your bathroom is undoubtedly one of the most well-used places in your home. It also gets dirty easily and is prone to accumulating germs and other bacteria. Shower mold is common, so it's important to do something about this issue as soon as you spot it. Fortunately, there are ways you can eliminate it. In more widespread cases, you should contact a professional mold remediation team.

How it Grows

Black mold poses many concerns to everyone in your Thompson Station, TN, home. It thrives in wet, humid environments and can grow and spread quickly. In addition to showers, it appears most likely in the following areas:

• Basements, cellars, crawl spaces and attics
  
• Under sinks
  
• Behind appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers
  
  

Use Vinegar

If you spot shower mold, there is no need to panic, but you should act quickly to clean it up. One effective way is to put vinegar in a spray bottle and liberally apply it to the affected area. You shouldn't have to dilute it at all. Spray it on and let it work on the mold. Scrubbing is not necessary, and the mold should disappear within a couple of hours.

Use Borax

A natural insecticide, borax can be a powerful agent against a moldy surface. Mix a cup of borax with a gallon of water in a bottle. Then, spray it on the mold without rinsing it off. This product not only gets rid of mold, but it can prevent it from returning.

Use Bleach

Bleach is a powerful chemical that can kill mold. Exercise caution with it, however, as it can be hazardous if you touch it and deadly if you ingest it. Mix one-part bleach to 10 parts of water and spray it on the area with mold. Make sure you wear gloves when you do this.
Shower mold doesn't have to take over your bathroom. Try these three tricks to make it disappear.

We are Cleaning Experts

3/20/2020 (Permalink)

We can sanitize commercial and residential properties.

SERVPRO is Here to Help during this time of need 

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards. 

Specialized Training 

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform on a daily basis. 

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include: 

• Kitchen/Food Areas 
• Bathrooms 
• Schools/Classrooms 
• Offices 
• Retail Spaces 
• Water Fountains 
• Shelving/Racks 
• Sales Counters 
• Carpets and Rugs 
• Stair Handrails 
• Elevator Cars 
• Playground Equipment 
• Fitness Equipment 

Specialized Products 

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities. 

Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning 

If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts today – SERVPRO of Williamson County, (615) 790-9634

The Car Is Floating, Now What?

3/9/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage after heavy rain in Franklin, TN

The Car Is Floating, Now What

Severe weather in Franklin, TN, can bring with it flooding and other significant home damage. For many homeowners, there is a concern about what insurance will cover and what it won’t. Without getting into specifics about coverage, if a homeowner does not have flood insurance, the cost associated can be devastating; however, FEMA does offer some relief depending on the situation and homeowner eligibility.

1. Disaster Relief

Depending on the severity of the storm and the damage inflicted on the city or area you live in, the area may be classified as a designated disaster zone. These areas are often allotted some form of disaster relief and aid. If you want to find out if your city is eligible, you can call your local municipality or emergency management department.

2. Grants

If your location is not classified as a disaster area, you may be eligible for a FEMA grant. These grants max out at $33,000 but they can also go a long way in restoring your home or covering alternative living expenses. In order to be eligible, you have to prove that your insurance coverage will not cover the storm damage.

3. SBA Loans

While the government offers some excellent programs to help people reestablish themselves after a flood, the Small Business Administration (SBA) also provides low-interest loans of up to $200,000 for eligible borrowers to rebuild their home. Additionally, the SBA offers assistance in replacing larger ticket items, like cars, through smaller loans of up to $40,000.

4. Outside Help

you can also reach out to local restoration specialists who may be able to work with your insurance company directly or offer special financing to get you back in your home as quickly as possible.

When a flood strikes and you need assistance because of a lack of coverage, you should always reach out to FEMA first; however, you can also reach out to the SBA or other specialists directly to ensure that you get the help that you need.

Managing Mold in Brentwood Tennessee

2/25/2020 (Permalink)

Call the professionals at SERVPRO of Williamson County with any mold problems.

In as little as 48 hours, mold can quickly become a problem in your home of business when there is a water intrusion, like a roof leak or leaking water line.  Mold can cause health effects and can also cause significant damage to your property.  Fortunately, SERVPRO of Williamson County professionals have the training, protective gear, and specialized equipment necessary to handle your mold problem.  

Although every mold damage scenario is different requiring a unique solution, the general mold remediation process stays the same.  The following steps illustrate a "typical" mold removal process:

• Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment 
• Mold Containment 
• Air Filtration 
• Removing Mold and Mold-Infested Materials
• Cleaning Contents and Belongings
• Restoration 

Please give our office a call at 615-790-9634 is you suspect you have a mold problem, we are always here to help.  

Homeowner’s Insurance May Cover Damaged Pipes

2/20/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage in Franklin, TN

The Following Are 3 Issues That Require Consideration

Water damage is a constant threat to your Franklin, TN, home. Insurance coverage usually makes a provision for the remediation of water damage if it occurs. In the case of a flood from a broken pipe, it may even cover some of the cost of the plumbing repairs. However, there are circumstances under which your insurer may refuse to help. The following are three issues that require consideration.

Was the problem preventable? It is a homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that the home water system is well-maintained. It is also essential to ensure that the plumbing is not susceptible to damage from external forces like cold weather. Periodic inspection of plumbing by a certified professional will help identify problems before they occur. Being a proactive homeowner keeps repair costs low and minimizes the chances of a plumbing emergency.
Was the problem reported promptly? It’s one thing to have an unknown plumbing problem in a hidden space. It is another to have one that you know about but choose to ignore. Even a small leak can cause extensive water damage and a mold problem. An insurance adjuster can quickly determine that there was a reporting delay. This negligence makes claim denial a real possibility.

Does the homeowner’s policy address this situation? Many homeowners don’t understand what their policies cover until they have a problem. That’s a bad time to discover that the coverage is inadequate. An important aspect of being proactive is knowing ahead of time what protections your policy provides. Will it help you respond to a flood from a plumbing failure? Will it pay to fix a broken pipe? The answer to these and other questions is there in the fine print of your policy.

There is no way to know when a plumbing problem will flood your home or how bad it will be. It is good to know that there are local water damage remediation experts ready to step in and eliminate your problem. They are Here to Help.

How To Stop a Toilet That Keeps Running

1/30/2020 (Permalink)

Flushometer

There Are Ways to Stop a Toilet that Keeps Flushing

Your commercial building in Brentwood, TN, likely includes flushometers that control the various toilets in the facility. While flushometers use up less space and can even save water, they are not immune to problems. Toilet overflow or continuous flushing can still occur.
A constantly running toilet, in particular, can both annoy your employees and waste gallons of water. However, there are ways to stop a toilet that keeps flushing.

Automatic Flushometers

No matter what type of flushometer you have, you should start the repair process by turning off the water. Simply use a flat screwdriver to stop the water from flowing. If your flushometer works automatically, you should then follow the below steps:

1. Press and Hold Down the Manual Flush Button
   This will tell you whether or not there is a problem with the diaphragm kit. If you hear two clicks that are two seconds apart, replace or clean that kit.
   
2. Check the Solenoid
   The solenoid may also be causing the toilet to flush constantly. Check for any missing bowl rings and make sure the solenoid is tight enough.
   

Manual Flushometers

A manual flushometer also requires minimal effort to fix. After you turn off the water to prevent toilet overflow, you simply do the following:

1. Screw Off the Top Lid
   The flushometer lid comes off fairly easily. All you need is a wrench to loosen it.
   
2. Remove the Flange Cover
   Some water may splash out when you perform this step. You may want to protect yourself with gloves or a mask.
3. Clean or Replace the Gasket
   A manual flushometer that won't stop running likely has excess sediment on the gasket. Thoroughly clean the gasket before putting the flushometer back together. If that doesn’t fix the problem, consider replacing the gasket entirely.
   

While you can stop a running toilet on your own, larger problems such as a major toilet overflow require the help of professionals. If you encounter one of these messy bathroom situations, toilet flood cleanup specialists can assist with the restoration.

We Make It "Like It Never Ever Happened" In Brentwood After A Fire

12/19/2019 (Permalink)

We have the experience, expertise and equipment to restore your home to pre-damaged conditions. Call us right away to prevent further damage.

Cleaning Up Fire Damage from Dryer in Brentwood Laundry Room

According to FEMA, home clothes dryers are the culprit behind nearly 3,000 home fires reported each year, causing $35 million in property loss due to fire damage from dryer fires. Failure to clean the appliance vent is the most common reason for these types of fires. 

When SERVPRO technicians handled the fire damage from a dryer in a Brentwood home, the laundry room had a large amount of charring and smoke damage. The techs proactively put up containment to stop the spread of soot in the house, along with running an air scrubber to capture any airborne odorous particulate.

Removal of Debris

Charred items contribute in large part to the odor in the room. The techs removed the burned hangers, items on shelves, and the dryer so they could begin removing the smoke damage from the room. As they remove each piece, they photograph and catalog the items requiring disposal to assist in expediting the insurance claim for the homeowner. Items with restoration potential receive cleaning either in another area of the home designated for this purpose or in the local facility. 

Cleaning the Smoke Residue

SERVPRO techs clean the smoke and fire damage from the walls with the hope it will not need repainting. In cases where the fire drove the soot into the paint, they can apply a sealant that eliminates odors and is ready for a primer, so when the room gets repainted, there are no lingering smoke odors. They have cleaners specifically for appliances to assist in the cleaning away of stains without harming the outer coating. 

Getting the Laundry Room Ready for Reuse

After cleaning the visible fire loss from the room, odor control is necessary as a part of the restoration to eliminate smoke odors, especially in a laundry room where clothing could potentially absorb those scents. The type of neutralization treatment depends on the level of odor in the area. 

When you have fire damage, dryer or any other cause, contact SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634 for cleanup of the loss and removal of odors left behind in the home, "Like it never even happened."

See more about Brentwood.

We Act Fast In Brentwood To Prevent Further Damage After A Flood

12/4/2019 (Permalink)

Our team responded quickly and extracted all of the standing water in this home after a flood. Call us right away we respond 24/7.

Steps To Take During Flood Removal In Brentwood

Every once in a while, severe thunderstorms riddle the Brentwood area causing residents to suffer from property damage. During heavy-hitting rainstorms, moisture can leak into your house and make flood removal procedures a necessity. After you notice the presence of water in the interior of your building, it is wise to seek assistance from a professional restoration company such as SERVPRO. However, you (the homeowner) can do some things to help speed up the mitigation process.

Some flood removal procedures in Brentwood residences can be conducted by someone with little or no professional restoration experience. While professional companies like SERVPRO can help especially when problems are severe, you can put forth some productive efforts by knowing the basics of what it takes to remove moisture. The quicker steps towards extraction and drying procedures get started, the less of a chance that your house will suffer from secondary damage. Secondary problems with your building materials or contents are considered those that occur even though the items did not come into direct contact with water. Therefore, the quicker you can mitigate primary issues or those caused by direct contact with moisture, the less likely secondary damage will exist.

The first step to removing moisture from your affected possessions or structural components is to vacuum up any standing water or liquid H2O that has saturated materials like your carpet. Moisture is much easier to remove when it is still in its liquid form before it has evaporated into the air or soaked into items inside your building. Thus, it is best to start flood damage mitigation efforts by using a wet/dry vacuum to suck up as much water from your carpets as you can. If you notice standing water on hard surfaces such as hardwood or tile, use a mop or squeegee to get it off your floors.

Next, it is smart for you to start the applied structural drying or ASD process yourself. The idea when drying out your contents and building materials is to create an environment inside the affected areas of your house that helps speed up drying and evaporation. Drying occurs most quickly when the temperature in the affected region is room temperature, or warmer and humidity levels are as low as you can achieve. Air circulation with fans can also prove to be very useful.

If mitigating moisture-related problems ever becomes too much for you to handle, call SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634 24/7. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

See more about Brentwood.

Fire Debris Removal Helps Odor Control in Brentwood Homes

11/11/2019 (Permalink)

Brentwood we can help your fire damage, let us show you how we.

SERVPRO will help your Brentwood fire damage.

After a substantial structure fire, your Brentwood home can be contending with several layers of harsh effects, including noxious odors. Addressing these concerns often falls to the capable hands of our SERVPRO technicians, and this process begins as soon as our management begins scoping the damage in your household to determine the appropriate restoration equipment necessary to make the fire loss “Like it never even happened.”

Fire cleanup and odor damage in Brentwood properties is a vital element of mitigation, as the faster our technicians can address these concerns, the less costly and destructive fire losses can be for your property. Debris removal falls both on the shoulders of our Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) and our team of general contractors that are under the tutelage of our experienced owner, Tim Wesley. Through controlled demolition practices and efficient removal of ruined contents, we can begin to cut into the harsh lingering odors present after a fire loss incident.

Our SERVPRO team must often combat both the overwhelming scents that everyone can identify and those that get linked to a heightened awareness of the situation. While general smoke odors exist in the most damaged areas of the property, residents can also become more attuned to specific smells based on their hyper-awareness of the traumatic circumstances. We have the products and equipment to manage both of these situations.

In most scenarios, the removal of charred construction materials and contents can noticeably reduce the strength of smoke odors, but that does not entirely solve the problem. We have multiple devices that can work to neutralize odor compounds that remain circulating through the environment in your home. Thermal and UV foggers are a standard mobile unit for this purpose, and they get used by heating a concentrated deodorization solution into a vapor fog that can neutralize odor molecules on contact.

Removing fire debris and addressing lingering odors are vital to getting a home back to preloss condition. Let our SERVPRO of Williamson County help you through the phases of recovery and restoration by calling (615) 790-9634.

To learn more about Brentwood, click here.

We Have The Effective Drying Techniques In Franklin After A Flood

11/11/2019 (Permalink)

After a flood all of the water was removed and SERVPRO placed drying equipment in several places on the floor in this property.

Flood Damage to Masonry Walls of Franklin School Structures

Cinder blocks or concrete masonry units (CMU) are a common construction element to commercial structures like the schools in Franklin. With many of the interior and exterior walls getting constructed with this material, especially in new construction projects separate from the brick veneered main building, porous blockwork can allow for flood damage. With an annual rainfall average of over 50 inches of rain, preparing for instances of flash flooding and natural disasters is a sound strategy for school boards and property management. 

The frequency of CMU use in commercial construction has made it necessary for our SERVPRO team to discover the best drying and restoration approaches for flood damage in Franklin schools. The interior face of these units often get painted, both to reduce the rough texture for those touching the wall and to improve aesthetic appeal. In a more practical sense, these paints chosen for the school also have vapor barrier properties designed to reduce moisture penetration. 

Hydrostatic pressures are among the worst situations that a masonry wall faces, as weaker points like the mortar joints can succumb to the immense exterior force and allow water to flow into the building under the right circumstances. While our SERVPRO team has multiple extractors and drying tools to help address the standing water inside of the building, this is still insufficient to address all of the flood effects in the blockwork. Because of stored water in the blockwork, there is still more work to get done before students and faculty can return to this damaged region of the school. 

Weep holes drilled into the bottom course of block in the mortar joints can alleviate collected flood damage in the individual cells of the CMUs. The drained water can get addressed with wet-vacs as it enters the building and dried sufficiently before resealing the openings in the joints in the bottom course. You can utilize these same weep holes for penetration of positive pressure systems like the Injecti-Dry unit to force heated air into these cavities to ensure they are dry before resealing up the interior and repairing any external damage that might exist. 

Reducing loss and shortening relocation needs for your student body and faculty is vital during flooding situations. Our SERVPRO of Williamson County team can help with effective drying strategies for blockwork. Give us a call anytime at (615) 790-9634.

See more about Franklin.

Containment Is Crucial During The Mold Damage Remediation Process In Brentwood

10/31/2019 (Permalink)

Give our SERVPRO of Williamson County team a call anytime that you need us at (615) 790-9634.

Remediators Establish Containment in Brentwood Mold Disasters

Limiting the migration and spread of destructive mold colonies in a Brentwood home is a vital goal of our remediators beginning the moment that we arrive at a damaged residence. As challenging as colony removal can often become, we have a team of professionals accredited through the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) as Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians (AMRT), which can have our team offering a confident and thorough approach to removing growing organisms.

Unlike many of the professionals in the area, we do not need to falsely label our services as mold removal, but we can offer effective remediation strategies for mold damage in Brentwood houses. We cannot eliminate all mold spores as they occur naturally in almost every environment. We can, however, remove colonies that are growing and the seated organisms thriving on organic materials. We have several strategies to accomplish this, but they cannot be successful without first stopping the spread of the active organisms.

Containing damaged areas is a vital component to remediation as this can help to establish a drying zone and regulate air quality within this confined space. Physical barriers can get established first, and these begin with a sealed perimeter of thick, 6mil plastic sheeting. Once installed, with extension pipes, painters tape, and special rigging, we can have a decontamination area to avoid tracking microorganisms to new areas of the house.

Because of the containment area, we can better manage and regulate the concentration of spores and volatile organic compounds in the environment with the use of our sophisticated equipment like our negative air chambers and air scrubbers. We can exhaust moist or compromised air from this drying zone and bring in clean air to continually refresh the air quality in the workspace.

Mold can be a hazardous presence in your home, and it can be even more alarming if you do not already have a plan in place to address these concerns. With a group of qualified mold remediators, we can work quickly to make your home less of a hazard and to remove active colonization, “Like it never even happened.” Give our SERVPRO of Williamson County team a call anytime that you need us at (615) 790-9634.

For more about Brentwood click here.

Danielle Says that SERVPRO Saved Her Fire-Damaged Home in Thompson Station with Fast Service--"Like it never even happened,"

10/17/2019 (Permalink)

Danielle Learned the Hard Way after Fire Damaged Her Thompson's Station Home--Be Careful with Candles!

Let the Experts Handle the Damage After a Thompson Station Fire Disaster

It is essential to plan to protect your home from a potential fire at all times. Throughout the fall and winter, Thompson Station homes are susceptible to fire disasters due to holiday decorations, candles, failed chimneys, and more.

SERVPRO wants you to know its best to put out decorations following all instructions provided. Any outdoor décor should only be used outside to help you protect your home in Thompson Station from fire damage. Only using decorations designated for indoor use on the interior of your home helps to eliminate potential hazards. Always follow the manufacturer's directions.

Electric Decor
If you use indoor decorations that require electricity and they get damp or wet, it can lead to a fire and injury to people and pets living in your home. Because electricity powers many decorations within the house, it is vital to be proactive. Always inspect your decorations before each use. When storing your mechanical decorations, put them in plastic totes or bags to keep dust from building up inside the motor housing.

Candle Décor
During the fall and winter, many people use candles as part of their regular décor. Know that all candles pose a potential fire hazard, so SERVPRO recommends that candles never be left unattended. Additionally, all candles must be kept clear of pets and children as well as flammable materials. Always place candles in holders that prevent dripping of hot wax from spilling over.

What to do?
If your home is stricken with fire damage, SERVPRO can come to the rescue to remedy the situation. There can be excessive soot and odors left behind within the home. We can send trained technicians out to your property to assess your needs and put a plan of action in place for fire and smoke restoration. Our trained team employs professional-grade cleaning agents that breakdown smoke residue and have multi-surface scrubbing agents to eliminate residual odors.

Even the slightest bit of fire damage calls for immediate response. If something goes wrong and you are left dealing with smoke and soot from a fire, call SERVPRO of Williamson County as soon as possible at (605) 790-9634. We can send friendly, highly-trained technicians to get started.

What are the Signs of Mold Damage Brentwood Residents Should Look For?

10/6/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can show you what to look for in your Brentwood home when it comes to mold.

We will help you keep Mold away from your Brentwood home.

Mold damage often occurs quietly behind the scenes until the symptoms become noticeable. Once discovered, remediation efforts must begin to halt the infestation. 

Homes in Brentwood with mold damage give subtle signs at the beginning that are easy to miss. Once noticed, it is essential to bring in a professional mold remediation company to handle the infestation and ensure there is no cross-contamination during remediation. 

Why SERVPRO? 

Their technicians have extensive training in the restoration services industry and hold certifications as Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians. They know the subtle signs of a mold infestation and the best practices for abatement. 

What Signs Should Homeowners Look For?

Visible water damage is one heralding sign. The moisture creates a very hospitable environment for mold spores to thrive in. Another common cause is poor ventilation such as a bathroom exhaust fan doing a poor job porting away the humidity of showers taken by the residents. This causes moisture to collect in the attic and is a frequent contributor to mold issues. Rust on pipes and warped or buckled sheetrock is another clue your home may be host to a mold infestation.

Musty Odors

Once the mold is growing and thriving, it eventually emits an odor. The longer the mold remains, the more pungent the smell. This problem will not diminish on its own until professional treatments eradicate the issues causing it and address the infestation.

What Does SERVPRO Do?

When there is active mold growth, the technicians bring an Industrial Hygienist when necessary to diagnose the type and severity of mold. Containment is standard during remediation to halt the spread of spores and technicians work to determine the reason for the elevated moisture supporting mold growth as well as how to fix it. Then the property is dried, cleaned, and disinfected. Technicians treat the areas where mold colonies previously existed with antimicrobial seals to inhibit their return. 

At the first sign of mold damage, contact SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634. Our certified technicians diagnose and treat mold infestations to make them, "Like it never even happened."

If you would like to know more about Brentwood, click here.

Franklin Flooding Got You Down? SERVPRO Can Pick You Up with Fast and Efficient Storm Loss Restoration Services

9/22/2019 (Permalink)

A Picture Says a Thousand Words--SERVPRO's Vast Arsenal of Drying Equipment Salvages Many Flood Damaged Homes in Franklin

Two Types of Air Movers SERVPRO Uses for Franklin Properties

Air movers and dehumidification machines are the backbones of the rapid drying solutions that we can offer Franklin homes after flooding and water loss incidents. As much as these units are a staple of the work that we do, most of our customers are not as familiar with these devices as they could be. The more you can know what to expect during a water loss crisis, the better prepared you are for the work to get started in your house by our professionals.

As much as we lean heavily on the experience and training that we receive through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) in water restoration and structural drying, our success in recovering flood damage in Franklin homes is directly related to a prompt response and our commitment to having top-tier equipment. From multiple extractor choices to numerous tools to help thoroughly dry out various materials and contents of your property, SERVPRO can help. Regarding our powerful air movers, we have two primary types that you can see in recovery efforts.

Standard Air Movers
These units are similar to what you might find in home improvement stores throughout your area, though our machines are top of the line. The machines that we use are quieter than many other options and have adjustable settings to provide the appropriately focused stream of moisture dislodging air at a surface or open area. We have hundreds of these centrifugal air movers available to tackle even large loss scenarios without incident.

Low Profile Air Movers
We do not always have a reason to use our low profile air mover units, but they can be useful in situations where flood cuts have gotten made into drywall and paneling. Also, these same machines can more easily reach beneath contents and fixtures where our taller blowers struggle. Our ready trailers feature multiple low-profile air movers as well to ensure that we have the tools on hand to make flooding “Like it never even happened.”

As hazardous as flooding might be for your home or business, you do not have to battle these effects alone. Our SERVPRO of Williamson County professionals has a fast and confident response to deploy as many air movers and dehumidifiers as a home needs to get back to preloss condition quickly. Call us anytime you need us at (615) 790-9634.

We Restore Your Home To Like New Conditions After A Storm In Franklin

9/5/2019 (Permalink)

This home had significant water damage after a heavy storm came through the area. We responded to the call right away and began restoration.

Windstorm Damage Franklin – Roof and Wall Punctures, Broken Windows 

Sometimes storms roll through an area with high winds and very little rain. Storms leave debris scattered everywhere, including broken branches blown at high speed that pierce roofs and walls and windows. While there is little water damage, it leaves your home or office exposed to the elements as well as rodents and birds.

SERVPRO can respond to windstorm damage in Franklin with emergency tarpaulins to cover your roof and plywood for your broken windows and damaged walls. The first step is always to assess the impact of the storm and your exposure to further damage. Clients are encouraged to share as many details as possible over the phone. We can mobilize the appropriate emergency resources based on the initial information provided to control and manage the situation.

Repairs and Restoration

Once the immediate protective measures have been implemented, the Crew Chief can assess the situation and with the customer's approval, begin repair of your building and restoration. These tasks include debris removal from the roof and inside the building, repairs to walls and windows as well as roofing services.

If there is water damage inside the building, we can also remove excess water from floors and also the contents. Depending on the amount of liquid involved, we may use truck-mounted pumps or submersibles for small amounts of water. All hard surfaces are wiped down and dried. Fabrics are assessed and may be sent out to be cleaned and dried as needed.

A combination of dehumidifiers and air movers may be used to dry carpets and furniture after wind storm damage. In some situations, the flooring may need replacement if the damage is extensive. SERVPRO discusses all of these issues with the customer before proceeding. SERVPRO even helps with the insurance claim process as well as paperwork that may be needed.

Our focus is to restore your home or office, "Like it never even happened.", as quickly as possible.

Call SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634 for 24/7 serve. We serve Brentwood, Nolensville, Thompson Station, and surrounding areas. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

See more about Franklin.

Our Fire Damage Experts Will Save Your Brentwood Home

8/27/2019 (Permalink)

We have the means to deal with any damage “Like it never even happened.”

Reasons Why Restoring Fire Damage In Your Brentwood Home Can Take Long

A small fire incident such as stove flare-up that is controlled in time might seem easy to handle. However, restoring your property to its preloss state after such an incident might take longer than you expect. Working with a team of experienced fire damage restoration team helps because the knowledge accumulated through training and experience helps them expedite the process.

Smoke movements
The amount of smoke produced during an incident of fire damage in your Brentwood home can lengthen the restoration period. Smoke generally moves through convection currents whereby warmer air displaces cold air. Barriers such as doors and windows also rarely block smoke, so it can easily reach every corner of your home. Such widespread movement leaves soot and smoky odor all over the property necessitating thorough cleaning. Our SERVPRO technicians anticipate these problems so we can handle them.

Impinged Deposits
Ordinarily, soot and other smoke residues are deposited on surfaces where it is easy to clean them off. However, in some fires, the residues might impinge on a surface. Such outcomes are typical in scorching fires. Every 10°F increase in temperature doubles air pressure driving smoke at a higher pressure against surfaces. Hotter temperatures also open up pores in materials driving residues further into the material. Our SERVPRO technicians use several approaches to deal with such residues including:

    •    Manual and automated agitation
    •    Chemical action from professional cleaning agents
    •    Controlling the dwell time
    •    Heating the cleaning agent to an appropriate level

Stubborn Odor
After removing debris from the property and cleaning residues from surfaces, you might expect the smoky odor to disappear immediately. However, in some cases it the strong odor might linger which necessitates further steps. Odor particles can penetrate deep into materials where regular cleaning cannot reach them. Our SERVPRO technicians use specialized deodorization techniques such as fogging, which drive a deodorizing agent deep into materials neutralizing odor particles. We also have advanced equipment such as ozone generators to control odor.

Restoring your home to the preloss state after a fire is a matter of priority. Call SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634 to help. We have the means to deal with any damage “Like it never even happened.”

For more about Brentwood click here.

Make The Best Decision During Remediation After Disaster Strikes Your Home By Calling SERVPRO

8/15/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is equipped to handle any type of damage that occurs to your home or business. Contact them today for remediation assistance.

Why Your Brentwood Neighbors Have Chosen SERVPRO for Restoration

The award-winning service that residents and business owners throughout Brentwood have come to expect hinges on the relationships we have forged with area property management firms and our unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. We have even managed to obtain an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau and have become esteemed among SERVPRO’s Top 100 Franchises in the country. This honor showcases our focus on satisfactory results and exceeding the expectations of our clients through every loss incident. 

Water

Open communication and dialogue with our customers throughout water loss recoveries to Brentwood homes is vital to ensure that all parties are in agreement on the best approach for the structure. We want to work with you to meet your budgetary limitations and to put your mind at ease about the work to get performed in the house. One approach to do this is through the use of our SERVPRO-exclusive software DryBook. This program can help to showcase our progress in real-time for our customers, but also compare these results against industry standards to show our thorough techniques for restoring your property. 

We have Water Restoration Technicians (WRT) certified through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) at every level of our organization. Even our owner, Tim Wesley, has both WRT and Applied Structural Drying (ASD) endorsements to add to his more than a decade of experience in the industry. With that experience at the helm, that same customer-driven restoration approach shines through in every other branch of our team from administration to field technicians drying water damage in Brentwood homes. 

Many of our team also have secondary education and endorsements as Commercial Drying Specialists (CDS) through the IICRC. This coursework is specific to the challenges and obstacles present in restoring larger commercial structures. As a large loss recovery team, there is no job too big or too small in Brentwood or anywhere in Williamson County.  

Fire

One of the aspects that sets our team apart from even other SERVPRO franchises in the state is our ability to restore fine art and electronics after loss incidents have occurred. With the widespread nature of soot and smoke damages following a fire, it can be critical to have a team of cleaning specialists familiar with fire damage in Brentwood homes, and the best strategies and products to protect the contents. This focus on cleaning recovery during mitigation and following reconstruction has encouraged many of our technicians to pursue secondary IICRC certifications beyond the base Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT), such as: 

• Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning (UFT)
• Carpet Cleaning (CCT)
• Rug Cleaning (RCT)
• Water Restoration (WRT)
• Odor Control (OCT) 
• Air Duct Cleaning

Addressing the primary concerns of a fire-damaged Brentwood home means assessing the full scope of the present damage, even into areas like the HVAC system. We have multiple filtration tools that can improve indoor air quality and reduce lingering odors, eventually clearing the air conditioning or heating system to get put back in service. 

Structural concerns get prioritized in restoring fire damage to Brentwood properties. We have a full-service team of construction-technicians that can offer both emergency board up and tarping services as needed along with complete reconstruction and repairs in compromised regions of the home. 

Storm

We have helped in the recovery of major storms like Sandy and Harvey, so we have witnessed firsthand the destruction these events can bring and how Brentwood homes and businesses get affected differently. We know how vital even an hour can be in a crisis like this, and that is why our professionals mobilize quickly so that no customer waits a moment longer than necessary for repairs, mitigation, and cleaning their property needs. 

Because it is so essential for every one of our technicians to be part of a well-organized unit even amid a crisis, we ensure that our professionals working disaster relief undergo OSHA and Construction Industry Training Programs designed to show safe ways to efficiently clean and renovate Brentwood storm damage. This training is instrumental in the application of our contracting division in the field, as all technicians involved know their roles and how to maximize efficiency. 

We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster, but that speed and efficiency do not stop when we arrive. We know that time is of the essence, so we employ our shaft-driven truck-mount pumps to remove upwards of thousands of gallons every day from damaged properties and our trailer-drawn desiccant dehumidifiers that can quickly dry out even larger commercial structures. 

Mold 

We live in an area of the country where mold growth is a nearly constant threat beginning in both subterranean levels of homes and businesses to extreme humidity conditions during particular seasons. Because of the various causes and specific conditions for isolated mold events in Brentwood properties, our IICRC-Certified AMRTs maintain regular advanced training sessions divulging causes and development patterns of microbial colonization in homes and businesses in our service region. This education can help to provide real-time solutions and ongoing strategies to reduce the probability of recurrence. 

Identifying the food source for microbial growth is a crucial priority of our remediators when we first arrive to address mold damage in Brentwood homes and businesses. Moisture to facilitate mold growth can occur from a persistent leak to a water loss incident that was improperly dried sometime in the past. Detection and discovery devices can help to identify moisture pockets and focus our premier drying units on removing the dampness strengthening the hazardous organism. 

As important as locating the water damage and addressing these concerns is, mold damage in Brentwood home does not go away without effective remediation strategies. From controlled demolition of excessively damaged construction materials to the implementation of sophisticated colony removal machines like media, soda, and dry ice blasting units that protect the hosting material but remove residues and the organism, we can make mold damage “Like it never even happened.” 

No matter what disasters impact your property, you can always count on the fast response and the expertise of our SERVPRO of Williamson County team. You can reach our emergency response line, 24/7, by calling (615) 790-9634.

Click here to learn more about the city of Brentwood. 

Our Professional Remediation Team Is Ready To Tackle Mold In Franklin

8/7/2019 (Permalink)

We have expanded our fleet so that we can respond more quickly to your restoration emergency.

Finding Long-term Solutions to Commercial Mold Damage in Your Franklin Self Storage Facility 

Mold damage is a severe threat to self-storage facilities. Apart from damaging the structures, it can also ruin the items left by your customers, thus leading to a bad reputation. Unlike other problems, mold can recur easily after removal because the spores are present in almost every environment. Finding a long-term solution, therefore, requires addressing any underlying moisture problems. You can do this yourself or seek professional assistance.

Prevention is the best long-term strategy

Since moisture is the main factor that fuels mold development in Franklin homes, stopping water sources can help provide the long-term protection you need. You can check gutters regularly to ensure they are not clogged or leaky, thus preventing intrusion of rainwater. Redirecting groundwater away from the structure is also essential to prevent seepage into the lower levels of your facility. You can achieve this through simple landscaping the slants the ground around your structure.

Apart from water, the air can also supply the moisture that fuels mold damage, especially if there is limited airflow. At higher temperatures, air tends to hold more moisture so as the temperatures drop, the excess moisture escapes. This appears as condensation on walls, windows, and other surfaces. You can look for ways to facilitate proper airflow within your facility to prevent this problem. Our SERVPRO technicians can use hygrometers to check humidity levels inside and outside your facility, helping you identify problem areas.

Removing Hidden Moisture

Sometimes the moisture that fuels mold growth in your storage facility might not be obvious. If there is a small leak in a pipe concealed behind a wall, you might not notice it. The same is true when there is residue moisture in subfloors. Our SERVPRO technicians can help you identify all traces of hidden moisture using specialized equipment such as FLIR thermal cameras. Once we identify the source, we can do controlled demolition, removing all porous materials affected by the mold and drying the moisture. We also clean the area with antimicrobial cleaning agents to stop further growth.

Mold can be a stubborn problem, but with help from a professional remediation team like SERVPRO of Williamson County, you can find lasting solutions. Call us at (615) 790-9634 any time. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

See more about Franklin.

Our Flood Damage Specialists Can Save Your Nolensville Thrift Shop

7/8/2019 (Permalink)

It is our business to get you back in business, and we can make flood effects “Like it never even happened.”

Mitigating Flood Damage For Your Nolensville Thrift Shop

Thrift shops like the establishment that you manage in Nolensville depend on the donations of others and foot traffic to survive and thrive. Profits depend on the selection that you can provide to customers entering the building, and the ability to keep your prices low so that these same customers feel like they are getting a bargain. When disasters strike, all of these components of your balancing act for success become at risk. Flooding can quickly sweep throughout the main shop floor, damaging not only your stock and fixtures but becoming a potentially hazardous situation for your customers as well.

With the multiple levels of effects that must get addressed when flood damage occurs in Nolensville shops, even skilled custodial teams can become overwhelmed with the work that must get done. It may be tempting to clean and restore these effects on your own. This can become a complicated procedure without the right equipment, training, and products available to our experienced SERVPRO professionals.

While many property owners can overcome the immediate effects of a water loss incident when it occurs, flooding is often another situation altogether. Even with clean water events, the damages can be far more widespread, making vital mitigation efforts a challenge for conventional cleaning and drying equipment. With industry-leading equipment, our team can begin drying out your store from the time that we first arrive.

Protecting fixtures like shelving and display tables should happen as quickly as possible. Even with just a thin layer of standing water, wicking of moisture can damage legs and begin to bloat and swell these materials in as little as 24-48 hours. These same risks exist for the secondhand clothing, electronics, and household wares stocked in areas of the highest moisture and dampness concentrations.

You might not have the equipment or the expertise to deal with the full effects of flooding throughout your thrift shop, but with securing our SERVPRO of Williamson County professionals, we can help you through every phase of recovery and restoration. It is our business to get you back in business, and we can make flood effects “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call at (615) 790-9634.

For more about Nolensville click here.

Our Specialists Explain Fast Extraction Techniques For Your Brentwood Apartment

6/14/2019 (Permalink)

Give our technicians a call anytime that you need us at (615) 790-9634.

Fast Extraction Techniques For Damaged Brentwood Apartments

Apartment buildings in Brentwood dealing with the devastating effects of any loss incident can see these symptoms penetrate wall cavities and permeate shared construction elements to affect multiple units simultaneously. This situation is true when it comes to water loss incidents, as substantial events can allow for heavy pooling and standing water to remain in the apartment, which can move between units to cause more damage. We have experienced and dedicated professionals who can help.

When these damages occur, water removal is a vital service that your Brentwood apartment needs right away. The worse the conditions are in your property, the more that one can assume the incident and its symptoms have spread to the other residences that share walls and floors. Our SERVPRO professionals arrive with the full measure of our cleaning, drying, and extraction equipment, helping our entire roster on-site to begin vital mitigation and recovery work right away.

The objective of our professionals when we first reach a damaged apartment is to work to keep the situation from getting worse. Often mitigation can address the spread of effects, but our specialists do not fully understand the extent of the damage until we employ our advanced hygrometers, moisture content readers, and thermal imagery devices to note specifically the path that the water damage has taken throughout the building.

Standing water presents threats to not only the flooring and the structural integrity of specific areas of your apartment, but penetration of this flooring can lead to water damage in the level below you as well. We have an array of extraction tools capable of reaching inaccessible areas and powerful enough to remove standing water at a rate of 300 psi. We always have the right tool for the job.

Extraction is a vital component of recovery when water loss incidents affect apartment buildings. Our SERVPRO of Williamson County team can respond quickly to these emergencies with the experience and tools to help. Give our technicians a call anytime that you need us at (615) 790-9634.

Click here for more about Brentwood.

Brentwood Property Owners Are Well Served after a House Fire by Contacting SERVPRO for a Comprehensive Restoration

5/22/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Can Restore Your Brentwood Home after a House Fire, "Like it never even happened."

Addressing Secondary Effects of Fire Loss in Brentwood Homes

With multiple levels of consequences that can threaten your Brentwood home after a fire, it can be a challenge for homeowners to understand the extent of the damage entirely. As many would suspect, the best choice in this situation is to reach out to qualified professional restorers like our team to assess this damage and the best approaches to restoring it. While structural concerns are often the most pressing to get addressed for property owners, there are many other levels of damage that our professionals can overcome as well.

Secondary effects can often be as destructive for your Brentwood home as the immediate fire damage. With fire extinguishing efforts intended to suppress the spread of the disaster, water damage and destruction of structural elements often occur. Our SERVPRO professionals have extensive training and experience with fire recovery, as our team dispatched to your address are Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified.

Dealing with water damage found after a fire loss incident is crucial because it does not take more than a couple of days with saturated materials and excessive moisture to facilitate mold growth and fungal colonization. To do this, our SERVPRO team arrives with the necessary mitigation equipment to address saturation and dampness throughout the property. Often this process begins with extraction as water can pool in areas where the fire was the densest.

Firefighters often must create openings in the property to better access the most destructive areas of the disaster as it sweeps through your house. These are also points where further damage can originate, as these openings can allow exposure to the elements. We have a full-service contracting team that can not only temporarily repair these openings with plywood and tarping, but they can also entirely reconstruct these damaged areas when mitigation work completes in the house.  For a full-service fire and water damage restoration, you can rely on SERVPRO.

Secondary effects can often be more damaging to your property than a fire is, but taking care of these concerns is part of the comprehensive restoration process you can expect from our SERVPRO of Williamson County team. Just call (615) 790-9634.

Presenting your local BFD.

After A Flood Causes Significant Damage To Your Brentwood Home, Our Experts Can Restore It To Pre-Damage Condition

5/15/2019 (Permalink)

If you have had any flooding in your home, call us at (615) 790-9634 for a rapid, and professional response.

Remediating Flood Damage In Brentwood Homes

Brentwood has great access to local highways, not to mention a certain larger city to the north. Its location, however, also makes it vulnerable to flooding from the Little Harpeth River running through the middle of everything.

When flood damage in your Brentwood home comes from a source outside, there is the added threat of soil and other contaminants along with everything else. SERVPRO professionals are ready to treat and eliminate the physical damage and health risk presented by flood water in addition to the issues with something like a failed water heater or a split line leading into a refrigerator or freezer.

Before team members remove any water, they spray it and nearby property with an anti-bacterial agent to eliminate any potential hazard. At a minimum, they wear protective boots before stepping into the water and don full protective gear, to include masks, if needed. SERVPRO technicians then start removal with a pump or other extraction device. For contaminated water, they remove everything directly into the nearest sewer drain or a tanker truck if the flood damaged the drains.

After removing the water, the technicians spray all surfaces that were underwater with the anti-bacterial spray. Once completed, they inspect everything to determine if an item is restorable or if it requires disposal. If needed, they can wait for an insurance adjuster, or else document everything thrown out to report later.

As team members complete disposal, others remove items from home for restoration. In most cases, restoration requires a strong cleaning agent and cloths or sponges to wipe down the affected surfaces. If the item is extremely soaked and covered with contaminates, they use other methods to include immersing the item in a tank of cleaning solution and then agitating the liquid, which forces the solution deeply into an item or across its surface without damaging it.

For SERVPRO of Williamson County, our goal is to return each home to a clean, safe condition as quickly as we can complete the task. If you have had any flooding in your home, call us at (615) 790-9634 for a rapid, and professional response.

Click here for more about Brentwood.

Take the Stress Out of Water Damage Remediation in Franklin With SERVPRO

4/21/2019 (Permalink)

If your fridge leaks due to a plumbing issue, water damage may quickly result. Contact SERVPRO to remediate the damage and help prevent mold.

Get Water Removal Services for Your Franklin Home After a Supply Line to the Refrigerator Breaks

One of the most common types of water loss in homes occurs due to the water line to the refrigerator breaking. When this occurs, a lot of water can spew in your kitchen and spread in other rooms in your home.

Plumbing supply lines have a significant amount of water pressure in them, meaning that a small hole could cause water to pool in your house. If water has pooled in your residence, using water removal services in Franklin is the right decision. The experienced professionals at SERVPRO can assist you to extract the water and restore your home to its pre-water damage condition. Our technicians can stop leak to prevent the situation from getting worse.

We can determine the scope of the water damage and contain the affected areas so that the water does not spread to other areas during the mitigation process. Water can spread and find its way into walls, floors, and other surfaces and this may not be apparent to the naked eye. SERVPRO technicians use infrared cameras and moisture meters to identify the affected areas. Proper containment keeps the destruction localized.

When dealing with significant water damage, it may be necessary to remove some materials like drywall, flooring, and subfloor from the affected areas to salvage the substructure and framing, and to prevent mold growth. Our technicians can inform you about the items that can remain unaffected, place them outside the affected area, and dispose of the damaged items.

We can use pumps to extract standing water from the affected area. After water removal, your flooring and walls may appear dry at first glance but are still wet. Porous building materials like wood and drywall can retain significant moisture. Our technicians can manipulate relative humidity and temperature to eliminate the remaining moisture. We use dehumidifiers and air movers to remove moisture from building materials and other difficult to access areas. Our technicians use moisture meters to monitor the process until the wet materials return to acceptable drying goals.

If water has pooled in your home due to a broken refrigerator supply line, SERVPRO of Williamson County can assist you in drying it out. Call us at (615) 790-9634. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster and serve several local communities, including Franklin, Nolensville and Thompson Station.

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Franklin Water Damage Help Needed Fast? Call SERVPRO of Course!

4/10/2019 (Permalink)

Flood Damage to Your Franklin Shop--Call SERVPRO for Certified Service

Mitigating the Effects of Commercial Flood Damage in a Franklin Auto Repair Shops

When a flood strikes your auto repair shop, it is likely to have severe consequences because it can soil or cause additional damages that the vehicles brought in for repairs did not have when left by the owners. The response you mount determines whether you only deal with a minor setback or face major issues including loss of regular customers or even lawsuits. We offer professional flood mitigation services that can help your Franklin auto repair shop resume normal operations faster.
 
Commercial flood damage in Franklin auto repair shops affects vehicles since most are in varying degrees of disassembly, which allows water to access the interiors easily. Parts such as seats removed from the vehicles and placed on the floor or other work surfaces have a higher risk of damage from the floodwaters. Our SERVPRO technicians take various approaches to limit the effects of water. We can extract the standing water from the premises fast using advanced equipment like submersible pumps and water extractors. We can also move items in case fast extraction is not viable.
 
Car interiors have many porous materials as part of the upholstery or carpeting, and therefore they absorb water readily. Flooding also soils such interiors heavily. Our SERVPRO IICRC certified technicians apply different skills to sanitize the affected areas. We use extractors to suck water from all wet areas. For fabric upholstery such as polyester and nylon, we combine professional detergents, hot water, and steam cleaning to sanitize them. For leather upholstery, we take care not to strip off its natural oils, which can cause drying and cracks.
 
Mitigating the effects of floods in auto repair shops may involve moving car parts from shelves and other areas. Since most of these items are expensive, it is essential to ensure they can be traced after the exercise. Our SERVPRO technicians rely on electronic CCIS, Content Claim Inventory Service, which helps create proper records of each item and its original location in the shop. This is an extreme measure, especially if we work hard to decrease the water vapor inside the shop through aggressive dehumidification. This can also help to protect sensitive electronic components, the various brains built into modern day vehicles.
 
For proper mitigation of flood damage in your auto repair shop, call SERVPRO of Williamson County to assist. You can reach us at (615) 790-9634 any time. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

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How We Save Your Building Materials From Being A Loss In Franklin

4/5/2019 (Permalink)

We have the specialized equipment to restore your floors after your home has been effected by water damage. We are here for you 24/7 so call today.

Water Removal Crews In Franklin Talk About Mitigating Wet Hard Wood Floors

If a pipe ever breaks inside your Franklin home, many of your building materials can become damaged. When things get wet inside your house, it is wise to call in a professional water removal company such as SERVPRO. Our team knows that moisture follows gravity once it leaks out from its source. This can create problems with flooring materials including carpet, linoleum, and wooden floors. Whenever moisture negatively affects your building materials or contents, conducting water removal promptly can keep items from having to be removed and replaced.

In many cases, our SERVPRO technicians can remove the moisture from your building materials and save them from being counted as a loss. When arriving at a water removal project in Franklin, our team first secures the working area. If there are any potential hazards such as slip or fall dangers, we mitigate them before beginning any restoration procedures. Once the building is deemed secure for all of its occupants, we find the source of the moisture. We then either temporarily repair the leak ourselves or call in a certified plumber to fix the broken pipes.

Once we make it so that water stops spilling into your dwelling, we begin extracting it while it is still in liquid form. If there is a large amount of standing water on your hardwood floors, we vacuum it up using a truck-mounted extractor and extraction tools designed specifically for hard surfaces. Once all of the water we can extract gets pulled up out of the flooring materials, we begin the drying process.

In many cases, we can dry out most building materials using a combination of air movers and dehumidifiers. The air movers push the wet air away from the damp floor so that more moisture can evaporate out of the materials while the dehumidifiers handle water removal from the air. However, in more severe situations, other methods must get implemented so that the hardwood floors do not cup or buckle.

During severe cases, we use specialized drying mats to push water deep into the hardwood floor. If your wooden floors ever get wet during a plumbing failure, call SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634 any day of the week.

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Take Mold Seriously And Call Our Experts Right Away In Brentwood

3/25/2019 (Permalink)

Mold will continue to grow if untreated. Please call our experts right away we are available 24/7.

The Risks of Allowing Mold Damage in Your Brentwood Home

Even with all of the information available about mold and fungal growth that can occur in your Brentwood home, many homeowners remain convinced that the situation is not as critical as it might seem. In many situations, these same homeowners allow the problem to persist with the impression that it goes away on its own or that the extent of the current damage is all the worse that it becomes. Unfortunately, this living organism intends to grow and thrive throughout your home and can allow for many detrimental effects should you do nothing to remove forming colonies.

Many consider mold damage in their Brentwood home to be little more than the eyesore of active colonization and the musty odor that often accompanies it. As colonization occurs on organic materials throughout the affected areas of your home, these hosting materials weaken and degrade, eventually becoming too compromised to get preserved. However, as the organism runs out of material to feed on in the hosting surface, it spreads to new areas to begin the process again. Within a brief period, the situation can get out of control.

Even more alarming than the potential structural concerns that can come from allowing mold damage to persist in your home is the effect that it can have on those exposed to the thriving colonies. Our SERVPRO professionals can appreciate the potential health effects that can result from direct exposure to active colonization, which can become even more exasperated if someone is already contending with a respiratory condition.

That is why our team works to isolate active colonization when we first arrive to prevent the spread to new areas of your home. We can work to limit mold spores in the environment as well with the use of our air scrubbers. Our remediation technicians work to remove active growth by either removing the affected material if the damage has become too severe or through removal techniques like sanding and soda blasting.

Do not let mold damage continue in your home, as it only becomes costlier and more challenging to remove the worse the situation gets. Give our SERVPRO of Williamson County mold remediation technicians a call anytime at (615) 790-9634.

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How Our InjectiDry System Can Save Your Water Damaged Wood Floors In Your Brentwood Home

3/21/2019 (Permalink)

Protecting your hardwood flooring after a water loss incident is more intricate than it might initially appear.

Using Our InjectiDry System For Wood Floors In Brentwood Homes

Protecting hardwood flooring in your Brentwood home might become complicated when water loss incidents have occurred. While simple spills can get cleaned up quickly and dried up without incident, larger loss scenarios can cause pooling and saturation of this flooring material. Within only a few days, hardwood flooring can begin to warp and distort, causing irreparable damage and requiring removal and replacement to restore successfully. Our crew can respond quickly to emergencies like this to provide effective mitigation strategies designed to protect this flooring and other exposed materials throughout your property.

As soon as your hardwood flooring in your Brentwood home gets exposed to water damage effects like standing water, saturation begins almost immediately. Our SERVPRO team has a 24-hour response to water loss emergencies, offering effective mitigation strategies with our industry-leading equipment that can remove standing water quickly and begin the intricate process of restoring saturated hardwood flooring. One piece of equipment, in particular, is uniquely effective in the controlled drying process for this material, our injectidry system.

With this approach, we can combine the use of large drying mats with this advanced technology to regulate a steady draw of moisture from the damaged wood flooring. These mats are laid perpendicular to the seams of the planks, covering the largest overall area. Thick plastic sheeting covers the entire exposed area of flooring, keeping these mats and the injectidry unit covered to promote a unified drying effort.

During this process, our SERVPRO professionals must monitor the moisture content of the wood flooring. It is very easy with our advanced equipment to overly dry these planks, which can be as detrimental to their strength and function as allowing them to remain saturated. Once the moisture content has reached the desired levels, we can begin the removal of the drying mats and focus on cleaning the flooring.

Protecting your hardwood flooring after a water loss incident is more intricate than it might initially appear. Our SERVPRO of Williamson County water restoration technicians can arrive quickly with the tools to effectively protect your flooring and restore the other effects your home has experienced. Give our specialists a call anytime at (615) 790-9634.

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SERVPRO has the Equipment to Make Water Extraction in Nolensville a Breeze

3/13/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the equipment and expertise to meet your water damage restoration needs.

Extractor Trucks Help Flood-Damaged Nolensville Homes

If flooding occurs and affects your Nolensville home, you want the assurance that the professionals that you reach out to have the skills and appropriate equipment to remove this threat quickly from your home. While widespread flooding can often come with disastrous effects for your property, our professionals can help to remove the damaging excess water quickly so that our team can get to work on the rest of the restoration work that your property needs to return to preloss condition.

When a natural disaster affects your home, you need a fast response to the situation with flood extraction equipment that can eliminate the rising levels of floodwater within your Nolensville house quickly. Our SERVPRO professionals have many different levels of extraction equipment ranging from handheld machines capable of getting into areas with accessibility issues to massive pumps that can remove high volumes of water fast to protect unexposed areas of your property.

The most powerful extraction equipment that rolls out with our Green Fleet from our main office is our extractor truck. This high-volume extractor can pull floodwater from exposed areas of your home at a rate of 300 psi. For even substantial flooding situations leaving several inches or more of standing water, this machine can get your home ready for the drying and controlled demolition steps necessary to restore the damage fast.

Once the water has gotten removed from the affected areas of your property, our SERVPRO professionals must work quickly to assess the full scope of the damage to determine what materials and structural elements must get removed and replaced. We can use controlled demolition techniques to only remove the portions of affected materials that became exposed to potentially contaminated water to allow the reconstruction step to follow to be more efficient and cost-effective.

While flood damage can prove detrimental enough when the spread of the water is low, when you contend with a higher volume disaster, you need the industry-leading equipment of our SERVPRO of Williamson County team. Our Green Fleet, extractor truck, and IICRC-certified technicians are available 24/7 by calling (615) 790-9634.

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Avoid Delays After Finding Water Damage in Nolensville, Regardless of the Location

2/24/2019 (Permalink)

When your attic has water damage, a mold infestation can quickly follow. Contact SERVPRO to assess the situation and remediate and damage.

Water Cleanup Services and Moisture in Your Nolensville Home's Attic

When many people think about moisture in their homes, they think about the basement. However, your attic in Nolensville can also acquire moisture problems. Common signs of moisture include ice or frost on cold surfaces in the winter, musty smells, foggy windows, visible mold, condensation on windows or other surfaces that are smooth, staining, warping or discoloration of construction materials or the deterioration of masonry.

If any of these signs are apparent, it is best to have the help of professionals determine the cause of moisture. You may also need water cleanup services for your Nolensville home, so contacting our staff at SERVPRO is wise since we can detect where the moisture is coming from and dry up all the water and moisture. It is not hard to see why SERVPRO is the right call to make once you discover a moisture problem in your attic, considering our excellent response time and thoroughness on the job.

So how did the moisture get there in the first place? Several things can cause it, the first probably being the obvious – roof leaks. Attics are many times the first place to show the signs of a leaky roof. If you have pipes running through your attic, these can leak and sweat, so be sure to check them regularly to see if the pipes are dripping or if there is condensation on them. Rest assured that SERVPRO technicians have the tools to be able to get into the attic, find the source of the moisture and dry the attic back out.

Foundations, believe it or not, can also create a moisture problem in your attic. If there is water in your home’s foundation, the water can easily travel through the crawlspace or basement walls and floors. As the water evaporates into the air inside the house, it travels to the attic through bypasses or any area which warm air is flowing into your attic. Bypasses can be anything from cracks in the ceiling to openings around light fixtures.

You should also ensure that the ventilation in your attic is not blocked by something such as an animal nest or debris. Attics need proper ventilation to the outside, so moist air cannot become trapped.

SERVPRO of Williamson County is skillfully trained to find the source of moisture in your home in Brentwood, Franklin, or Nolensville and the surrounding areas. Get in touch with us right away by dialing (615) 790-9634 when you notice an issue so we can correct the moisture issue and have your attic dry again in no time.

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A Simple Plan for Flood Damage Remediation in Nolensville

2/10/2019 (Permalink)

Flooding in your home can happen fast. React just as quickly by contacting SERVPRO. We are available 24/7 365 days a year to answer your call.

Preparing Your Nolensville Home for Restoration After a Flood

After a disaster strikes your Nolensville home, many homeowners might be curious as to their own role in getting their property restored. While there are undoubtedly steps that you can take to secure the right professional restoration and prepare for the work to follow, there are also things that you should not do that could be a hindrance or potentially slow down the efforts to return your home to preloss condition after a flood.

As difficult as it might be to admit, recovering and restoring flood damage in your Nolensville home is something that owners simply cannot do on their own. There are too many variables and ways that properties become damaged from the disaster, and that is why recovery is something that should get left to professionals like our SERVPRO team.

The best way that you can protect your home in a traumatic time like this is to contact our professionals as promptly as possible. With the full measure of our resources, we can work quickly to assess the full scope of the damage and the restoration actions required to return your home to its original condition. This assessment should get left to our estimations department, as we can accurately determine the full extent of the damage, including moisture and water damage beyond the pooling water in the home to know exactly what must occur.

As tempting as it might be to begin preliminary work on your home yourself such as extracting excess water or recovering items that are still inside of the house, this is not a safe decision to make. Flooding can weaken structural elements, allowing for collapse and failure under even small amounts of weight. Our contents department can recover at-risk items and belongings from your home during our mitigation once we arrive at your home.

Knowing what you can do after a flood has affected your home might not always be clear, but often, these steps should get taken by our experienced professionals. Our SERVPRO of Williamson County rapid response team can arrive quickly with the tools and expertise to help. Give us a call anytime at (615) 790-9634.

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Revealed: Team SERVPRO can Handle BOTH Small and Large Scale Fire Damage in Your Nolensville Home

1/24/2019 (Permalink)

Fires in the kitchen can quickly escalate. Stay vigilant when cooking and contact SERVPRO should your home face fire damage.

Eliminating Fire Damage from a Kitchen Fire in Nolensville

Kitchen fires are one of the most common and devastating reasons for fire damage in a home. The reason is the kitchen is where electricity, heat, water and oil or grease are in the same area and they can all be volatile. The fire itself gives off damaging heat, smoke and soot and then after the fact, the water used to put out the fire can be the cause of mold and residual odors. All of these factors need to be cleaned and removed from the home so life can return to normal.

Our technicians are available 24/7 and as soon as you call SERVPRO to your home, we immediately access the fire damage in Nolensville and go over the best course of action to restore your home to the same condition as it was pre-kitchen mishap. If the damage is compromising roofing or walls, our team will board up or lay tarp to stop further damage from the elements if needed.

SERVPRO technicians get to work quickly removing any water left from the fire. Standing water can be quickly eliminated by portable vacuums, for large-scale water removal, we have industrial truck-mounted vacuums to expedite the removal. Powerful air movers assist in quickly drying the affected areas in your home. Our techs do not rely on sight or touch to determine if an area is dry, we use state-of-the-art moisture detectors to ensure the area is completely dry so the next step in the fire damage restoration can begin.

The smoke and soot residue that is on nearly everything in the vicinity of the fire is a visual and olfactory reminder of the kitchen blaze. Our technicians are certified in the detailed removal of both the residue and odors through hand cleaning or the use of equipment such as fogging machines that completely penetrate and eliminate odors from the fire.

The final step of returning your home to its condition before the fire damage occurred is the final restoration work. SERVPRO handles the repairs from minor such as replacing damaged drywall to major restorations such as the reconstruction of a damaged room.

Don't wait to begin cleanup after a kitchen fire in your Nolensville home, our team is available to assist you 24/7. Contact SERVPRO of Williamson County at (615) 790-9634 and our expert technicians can immediately begin the process of turning back the clock on your fire damage.

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How Our Fire Damage Specialists Get Rid Of Foul Odors In Your Brentwood Home

1/14/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Williamson County can help to restore your home to the way it was before a fire.

Different Chemicals SERVPRO Uses To Eliminate Odors From Fire Damage To Brentwood Homes

Fire damage in Brentwood can often create large volumes of thick smoke that leave permanent damages and odors in your home. The approach SERVPRO technicians need to take towards reversal of damage and removal of odors can vary dramatically depending on the material burned and the presence or lack of moisture and certain chemical compounds in it. Here are several techniques our technicians employ on a day-to-day basis to keep your home free of smoke odors after a fire.

Pairing Agents
Some of the most critical tools we have at our disposal to take on fire damage in Brentwood homes and businesses are our specially-designed pairing agents. These agents are chemical compounds that bond with odor-producing molecules in the smoke residues found throughout your home, eliminating the odors at the source. While these agents cannot typically eliminate odors on their own, they act as a highly effective counterpart to the next weapon in our arsenal.

Masking Agents
While pairing agents are chemically engineered to target specific types of odor molecules and neutralize them, masking agents are more generally applicable chemical compounds that mask and cover odor molecules. Without a pairing agent, masking agents are often ineffective, but with our industry-leading chemical combinations, our deodorizing treatments remain both effective and low-cost.

Absorption and Adsorption Agents
Sometimes, smoke odors may require a slightly different approach to scrub out of your home. For these situations, we can use absorption and adsorption agents, which are as similar in function as they are in their names. Chemicals that absorb odor molecules pick them up and contain them while adsorbing chemicals encourage odor molecules to bond to their surfaces. In both cases, these agents help to remove smells from the air and leave your home with a neutral scent.

SERVPRO of Williamson County can help to restore your home to the way it was before a fire. Call us at (615) 790-9634 to find out more.

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Let Our Team Of Professional Assist You When Your Thompson Station Property Experiences Mold Damage

1/5/2019 (Permalink)

Addressing mold in commercial establishments presents different dynamics.

How To Handle Commercial Mold Removal In Thompson Station

Mold contamination in commercial areas presents many challenges. In multi-tenant buildings, the problem could originate from one tenant's space and spread to the others. Since the infestation might develop mostly in confined spaces, it might be a big problem by the time of discovery necessitating isolation and other actions that lead to business closure. We have IICRC certified AMRT, Applied Mold Remediation technicians that can fix the problem with minimal downtime for your business.

Proper commercial mold removal in Thompson Station should be uniform to be effective. If your business is in a building with multiple tenants, fixing the problem in your section alone might not be very useful. Remember, moisture issues fuel every case of mold infestation, and if the moisture source is in a different section of the property, cleaning the infested areas is just a temporary solution. Our SERVPRO technicians first inspect the structure to establish all areas with moisture problems. Because we use advanced equipment like thermal cameras, we can detect moisture problems in concealed sections.

Removing the colonies might require different approaches considering in most cases the idea is removal with minimal damages to the affected surfaces. Our SERVPRO technicians evaluate the type of material to determine the most appropriate method. For heavy infestations in areas with porous materials, the best option is to remove the material entirely. For non-porous materials can use abrasive methods such as wire brushing to remove stubborn mold residues.

It is necessary to deal with the underlying moisture issue before completing the process to prevent recurrence. Our SERVPRO technicians look for leaks in roofing, plumbing, or HVAC systems to identify the moisture source. Once the source is addressed, we embark on drying the property to normal levels. We have moisture meters and thermo-hygrometers to monitor the moisture levels inside and outside the structure. We also have air movers and dehumidifiers for evaporation and extraction of moisture from the air.

Addressing mold in commercial establishments presents different dynamics. Call SERVPRO of Williamson County to help ease the process. You can reach us at (615) 790-9634 any time.

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Nolensville Properties Require Extensive Cleanup and Drying After Severe Flooding--SERVPRO Answers the Call, Swiftly

12/19/2018 (Permalink)

Flooding in Nolensville Homes Is for the Birds! SERVPRO Removes the Water and Damage

Cleaning Up Dirt and Debris in Your Nolensville Home after Floods

Certain disasters pose risks for your Nolensville home almost immediately, causing you to have to find new accommodations until professionals can restore the damage that the incident has caused. Flooding is a good example of this, especially when it is an instance like flash flooding or bodies of water rising to flood many properties simultaneously. As much as the high volume of water becomes an effect to overcome in restoring the property, debris and soiling also play significant roles in the challenge of returning your home to its preloss condition.

Many Nolensville homeowners are unaware of the risks of flood damages to their home and how quickly these results can ruin contents and structural components. Our SERVPRO professionals commit our services to our customers 24/7 to help contend with emergencies as they happen to prevent substantial water loss with our effective mitigation techniques. Through extraction and drying efforts with our advanced equipment, we can often quickly remove the persistent moisture and excess water from a flood-damaged property to leave our restoration team conditions like the debris, dirt, and soiling to face.

From the point in which the excess water has gotten removed, and the area is getting dried to acceptable moisture parameters, our SERVPRO technicians can get to work on cleanup and debris removal. With high-powered vacuums, we can clear out much of the sediment throughout the affected areas of a property. While materials like carpeting and portions of drywall must get removed in the event of flooding because of the contaminations, we can work to preserve other elements that did not get directly exposed to the pooling water with potential contaminants, hazardous chemicals, or mud. Flood cuts may be necessary to remove sections of the non-salvageable wall.

Flooding within your property can welcome in considerable dirt and debris, along with potentially harmful substances and contaminants with the water. Overcoming these effects takes our highly-trained technicians with our advanced equipment showing up quickly to face the situation. Give our SERVPRO of Williamson County emergency response team a call anytime at (615) 790-9634.

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The Williamson County CASA-A Worthy Cause That SERVPRO Proudly Supports

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

Tim and Natasha Wesley from SERVPRO of Williamson County Proudly Present a Sponsored Golf Tourney Check for Our County CASA

Advocacy For Vulnerable Children -- A Worthy Cause Supported By SERVPRO of Williamson County

Williamson County CASA recruits, trains, and supports citizen-volunteers to provide friendship and responsible advocacy for abused and neglected children trapped in the legal system. Established by The Honorable Jane Crockett Franks in 1993, this vital community organization helps an ever-increasing number of children in our area. The goal is simple -- to discover and share with the court system critical information about vulnerable children, to ensure every child finds a safe and permanent home.

Although the advocates recruited serve as volunteers, Williamson County CASA depends on the financial support of community partners like SERVPRO of Williamson County to fulfill its mission. We are honored to be among those backing the essential work of these Court Appointed Special Advocates.

On October 1, 2018, SERVPRO of Williamson County held our annual Golf Tournament at The Grove in College Grove, Tennessee. We earmarked the proceeds from the event for the good work done by Williamson County CASA. The exciting and fun-filled day raised $16,274.36 for the children who face the worry, fear, and chaos of court proceedings that affect and determine the very places they live and the persons who care for them. Being part of the safety net that holds and guides them through a painful and scary process is our privilege.

As a regional business and a team of residents and neighbors living and thriving in the Williamson County area, SERVPRO is proud to shoulder the responsibility to be a cornerstone in the foundation of support for the local organizations providing for the needs of those most at risk. We take seriously our commitment to the greater good as well as our dedication to delivering the very best in restoration services to our neighbors, friends, and fellow businesses.

Williamson County CASA looks after abused and neglected children and their needs, knowing only when they thrive is a society on a positive and constructive path. Our business success depends on happy clients and a vibrant community, and we pledge to continue our partnership with CASA to achieve all these goals. Moreover, we ask our neighbors to please find the time to volunteer in any way to provide a safer harbor for these abused and neglected children.

SERVPRO of Williamson County is ready to support these children and residents and commercial enterprises with disaster reconstruction year-round. Call us for assistance at (615) 790-9634.

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How Our Team At SERVPRO Will Restore Your Fire Damaged Home In Nolensville

12/10/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Williamson County has the equipment and the trained technicians to complete a fire damage cleanup thoroughly and professionally.

What To Expect From Professional Fire Damage Cleanup In Nolensville

When your Nolensville home suffers the effects of a fire, the cleanup follows a research-driven, proven professional protocol when an experienced restoration company takes on the project. Checking the boxes according to best industry practices developed by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) gives you the best possible outcome and is the approach we use with every fire damage remediation.

Ironically the first job on the list for Nolensville fire damage cleanup is water removal and structural drying. Firefighters work hard to save your property from the destructive flames with unlimited quantities of water. Safety considerations, as well as the considerable risk of permanent structural and property damage from the water itself, demand a primary focus on water remediation.

SERVPRO technicians hold multiple certifications from the IICRC across water, fire, and microbial restoration skill areas. This multi-pronged approach streamlines the project, with soot and smoke cleanup proceeding immediately after the water evacuation. Our crews begin soot cleanup, matching tools and products to the types of residues and soiling involved.

Ashy, loose soot removes with dry sponges and HEPA filtered vacuuming. Paper and wood fuel fires commonly leave this type of soiling. Electrical and other smoldering fires involving fabrics deposit thicker, stickier soot requiring abrasive cleaning tools and products with wetting agents and surfactants that help break down the coating. Protein-based fires in the kitchen deposit a thin but tough film that might need solvents to loosen. SERVPRO technicians are familiar with the evaluation of the residues left by the combustion of a wide range of materials.

SERVPRO crews are expert at odor removal, often needed after fire cleanup. A cleaned home that still holds smoky smells is unacceptable. The odors make it very difficult to move past the fire damage. Our technicians try different techniques to rid the space of malodors, including the use of thermal foggers or hydroxyl generators to neutralize through chemical reactions the tiny odiferous particles airborne or settled on surfaces after the blaze.

SERVPRO of Williamson County has the equipment and the trained technicians to complete a fire damage cleanup thoroughly and professionally. Call (615) 790-9634 to set up an evaluation and get the process moving.

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Brentwood Water Damage Restoration You Can Trust

12/8/2018 (Permalink)

Water damage in basement caused by sewer backflow due to clogged sanitary drain

Why SERVPRO Takes On Any Kind Of Water Damage In Brentwood With Confidence

A Brentwood homeowner can struggle with water intrusion stemming from a broad range of emergencies. Plumbing leaks or appliance malfunctions are the most common reasons for water losses in a home, exposing the structural components and contents of your dwelling to possible deterioration and permanent harm. Speedy water removal and structural drying are crucial to halt progressive damage and avoid secondary issues like mold growth. Our team is eager to achieve the best outcome for each customer.

Kitchens and laundry rooms are often places for water damage in Brentwood. Loose connections, cracked hoses, and rusty pipes cause significant water catastrophes. Water spreads from the initial breach quickly, and hides in cavities between walls, under flooring, and above ceilings. You need a restoration company employing IICRC-trained technicians, ready to use advanced moisture monitoring tools to locate all areas affected by the water.

Our commitment to providing thoroughly trained and experienced crews to every project is why SERVPRO is a restoration industry leader. Comprehensive protocols for water removal the creation of a balance of air movement and temperature to move moisture out of building materials guide our crews. Our high-efficiency evaporative and desiccant dehumidifiers condense or absorb the water vapor created, reducing moisture readings to normal levels. The research-based methodology and consistency guarantees that our efforts lead to the desired result -- “Like it never even happened.”

Personal possessions and household goods saturated by the excess water need specialized treatments to dry out and regain function and appearance. Our production technicians master a broad range of strategies to remove water. We complete inventories and pack-outs of items systematically before drying treatments, options that show why SERVPRO is a full-service water damage recovery company. The care and thoroughness we provide permit us to work efficiently with your insurance company. Documentation is part of each project plan.

Throughout the restoration process, we are alert to signs of collateral damage, such as mold growth. We also offer microbial remediation services if needed, another reason why SERVPRO streamlines all aspects of water damage remediation.

Our top-notch team of technicians uses leading-edge equipment and products to resolve any damage from water crises, showing why SERVPRO of Williamson County is the obvious choice for area residents. Call (615) 790-9634 to schedule a rapid assessment of your water restoration needs.

Cache in on Brentwood History A TREASURE HUNT FOR ALL AGES click here to find out more.

Do I Need Storm Shutters?

11/13/2018 (Permalink)

Safeguard your Nolensville,TN home from storms

Worried about high winds coming your way? You may want to consider adding storm shutters to your home. These additions can help protect your windows if inclement weather hits. Here’s some information on how they can help you safeguard your Nolensville, TN, home.

Shutter Definition

Shutters shield your windows from winds and other storm damage. You cannot rely on them during Category 5 hurricanes and other extreme weather events, but most high wind situations you encounter will only call for this type of storm defense, which works extremely well most of the time.

Types of Equipment

All storm-related high winds are not alike, which is why there are a wide variety of storm shutters available to purchase. Some common types you will find include the following:

• Bahama - Highly attractive, excellent in hot regions and costs $200-$2000 per piece
• Plywood - Costs under $1 per square foot and is great in emergencies
• Rolling - Made of durable materials with a price tag of approximately $20 per square foot
• Colonial - Great-looking, permanent choice for the discerning homeowner and priced around $200-$500 for one window
• Accordion - Another permanent option that is quite affordable, starting at $15 per square foot
• Storm Panel - Temporary for sudden winds and made of sturdy materials, with options starting at around $7 per piece

Damage Assistance Is Available

If you are ever facing the challenges of high winds, Nolensville, TN, storm damage remediation specialists can usually help you handle cleanup and restoration. Even so, choosing from one of the many equipment options above should help you better protect your home if a storm should come your way. Whether you are looking for something simple or ornate, affordable or higher end, there is an option for you and your home’s unique needs in order to protect your valuable windows from the damage that winds can bring.

For Immediate Service in Williamson County, Call SERVPRO

11/4/2018 (Permalink)

Williamson County Residents: We provide immediate service day or night!??

SERVPRO of Williamson County provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in Williamson County. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
• Faster to Any-Sized Disaster
• Highly Trained Restoration Technicians
• A Trusted Leader in the Restoration Industry
• Locally Owned and Operated
• Advanced Restoration and Cleaning Equipment 

Have Questions? Call Us 24/7 – 615-790-9634

Residential Services

Whether your Williamson County home needs emergency flood damage or your upholstery cleaned, you can depend on us.  Our technicians have extensive cleaning and restoration training and can make your property look its best. Learn more about our residential services:

• Water Damage Restoration
• Fire Damage Restoration
• Mold Remediation
• Storm Damage Restoration
• Cleaning Services
• Building/Reconstruction Services

Commercial Services

There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your Williamson County commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business. Learn more about our commercial services:

http://www.SERVPROwilliamsoncounty.com/commercial-restoration-cleaning

• Commercial Water Damage Restoration
• Commercial Fire Damage Restoration

Understanding Why Your Sewer Backed Up

10/11/2018 (Permalink)

A damaged pipe may allow sewage to lek into your Brentwood,TN home

One important part of a residential sewer cleanup in Brentwood, TN, is figuring out why your home was flooded with sewage. Your team of water damage experts can help you figure out the source of the damage, which helps you create a better repair plan. You can also use this quick guide to learn more about the potential causes.

1. Damaged Pipes

A damaged pipe may allow sewage to leak into your home. If a tree root has cracked open the pipe in your yard, the sewage may fill the ground and travel into the lower levels of your home. In some cases, a pipe in your walls could have burst and unleashed sewer water.

2. Faulty Fixtures

A flooded toilet could also be the source of dirty flood water. While this water may not contain fecal matter, it may still have traces of urine from the bowl of the toilet. A broken or clogged toilet can cause the water to fill your bathroom.

3. Heavy Rainfall

When there's a lot of rain in Brentwood,TN, the water table level can rise exponentially. This extra water can flood into the city sewer line. When this line reaches its capacity, the water and sewage have to go somewhere. You may not think of a sewer cleanup being tied to a storm, but it does happen when the system gets overloaded.

4. Clogs

Clogs and blockages are another common cause of a sewer backup. The blockage could be located in your plumbing or it could be in the sewer main pipes. No matter where the clog is, it causes the same problem. The sewage leaving your house cannot travel past the clog. The pressure builds up and causes the contents of the pipes to travel backwards into your home.

Sewer doesn't often fill a home, but when it does you need to start sewer cleanup as soon as possible. Understanding the potential cause of your flooding can make creating a repair plan easier.

Cleanup After Commercial Sewer Damage

9/27/2018 (Permalink)

Air movers on a commercial water restoration in Brentwood, TN

If your business in Brentwood, TN, has experienced a sewer backup or damage due to a flooded toilet, the results can leave your building in a terrible state. It's likely that business equipment, documents and furniture may have become saturated. The area has been exposed to black water, which can harbor dangerous bacteria and viruses. This is not something you can handle on your own. Once the plumber has come to make the necessary repairs, you'll need to enlist the services of a water damage restoration company to do the sewer cleanup. They can send a crew out quickly so that more serious damage doesn't occur. Their specially trained technicians will get your building back to normal by following the procedures outlined below.

1. Inspection

The first step in a commercial sewer cleanup operation is to inspect the damage. The water will be tested to see what kind of contaminants are present, and the amount and type of damage will be assessed to determine what kind of specialized equipment is needed.

2. Contents Removal

All furniture, equipment and other items will be removed from the premises. Any items that can be saved will be thoroughly dried, cleaned, deodorized and disinfected, using a number of specialized methods.

3. Water Removal

Once everything has been taken out of the affected area, the technicians will begin to remove all the water from the building, using a variety of high-efficiency equipment, including truck-mounted extractors, sump pumps and trash pumps. Any porous materials that have been contaminated will also be removed at this time. All surfaces will be disinfected using specially-made cleaners to make sure everything is completely free of contaminants.

4. Final Drying and Dehumidifying

After as much water as possible has been removed and the area has been disinfected, any remaining moisture will be removed using industrial-strength air movers and dehumidifiers.

5. Restoring the Building
Once everything has been thoroughly dried and disinfected, the damaged areas can be restored to their pre-flood condition. The amount of restoration work can vary depending on the damage, ranging from minor drywall replacement and repainting to large reconstruction jobs.

Using the above steps, a water damage restoration company will promptly take care of your sewer cleanup problem and make sure you're back to business as usual.

How To Deal With Mold Damaged Contents

9/13/2018 (Permalink)

Mold growth on crawlspace in a Brentwood, TN home

How To Deal With Mold Damaged Contents

You should take steps to address mold damage as soon as it occurs to improve the chances of being able to restore and retain more contents. Experts recommend disposing of most porous items exposed to and extensively damaged by mold. Some items with sentimental value may stand up to mold cleaning as part of the larger mold remediation process.

1. Resolve the Underlying Issue: Until you put a stop to the source of primary water damage or excess moisture, mold may continue to grow in your residence and heighten the risk of undermining the structure and contaminating more contents. This issue typically involves sources of moisture within your home. Contact a plumber, roofer, or another type of specialist to fix leaks and use a dehumidifier to control air moisture levels.
2. Consider the Condition of Contents: Some delicate porous and semi-porous contents directly exposed to mold growth may not be capable of being restored. Other materials, such as canvases or other painting mediums and cloth, can be restored with specialized mold cleaning methods. Remediation experts can help you determine which method is suitable for the composition of each affected item.
3. Seek Expert Remediation Methods: Certified experts trained at performing remediation should be able to recommend the best cleaning methods for any item or material. Non-porous materials may be thoroughly cleaned and dried. Materials that are more porous may require special cleaning tactics such as the Esporta wash system, freeze-drying, being dipped in solvent, or being exposed to ozone.

Mold remediation experts can recommend the best ways to approach mold cleaning the contents of your home in Brentwood, TN. It is a good idea to address this problem as soon as possible to limit the extent of damage caused by mold and increase the chance that more delicate or rare possessions can be restored instead of needing to be replaced.

What You Need to Do When There's a Fire at Your Business

8/23/2018 (Permalink)

Most likely, you'll never have to face the results of a commercial fire.

If you're a business owner in Brentwood, TN, you need to know how to proceed if a fire impacts your company. If disaster strikes, you have to be prepared for the substantial monetary loss from the cost of fire restoration and the time lost while repairs are being done. The good news is that you can save a lot of time and money by moving quickly and following the plan below.

1. Notify Your Insurance Agency

Your fire insurance company should be notified as soon as possible. When you file a claim, they will send someone out to look at the damage and get you the money needed to for cleanup and repairs.

2. Call a Fire Restoration Company

As soon as you've spoken with your insurance agency, you need to get in touch with a qualified fire restoration company. The restoration company will immediately come out to assess the situation and begin any emergency repairs needed to prevent further damage. After this, they will start the process of smoke cleaning, removing water from carpets and furniture, and drying and disinfecting the building. When this phase is finished, the final restoration and repair can be completed.

3. Assessing Damage and Salvaging Property

As soon as the fire department allows you to re-enter the building, you will need to assess the damage done to valuable items inside, such as computers, documents, phones, and other office or manufacturing equipment. (Don't go inside without taking precautions first; wear a breathing mask, as there may still be harmful smoke in the air.) Your insurance company will need a list of what items have been damaged in order for you to be reimbursed. Try to save everything you can. Some items may still be working, or may work after being professionally cleaned.

4. Call in Arson Investigators

Even if you don't believe any foul play was involved, it's important to enlist the services of a fire forensics team. The insurance company will want to know for certain what the cause of the fire was, and if it was indeed arson, find the perpetrator and recover costs from them.

Most likely, you'll never have to face the results of a commercial fire. But if it does happen, by following the steps above you'll know how to take quick action to get the fire restoration process started and get your business back on track in much less time. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROwilliamsoncounty.com/.

3 Storm Preparedness Tips for Business Owners

8/22/2018 (Permalink)

Increase your business’s chance of survival in Brentwood, TN, by preparing for a natural disaster.

Suddenly, your business is in the path of a natural disaster in Brentwood, TN. As the flood water accumulates, the potential consequences of a flooded building start to sink in. Will your business survive this disaster? Unfortunately, not all businesses do. Prepare ahead of time to recover faster in the aftermath of a storm.

1. Purchase Insurance

Every business owner knows the importance of commercial property insurance. But, do you know the specifics of your plan? Does it cover damage caused by flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and fires? What about business interruption insurance to keep you afloat during the restoration process? If you cannot answer these questions off the top of your head, it is time to meet with your insurance agent and review the policy. Supplemental insurance may be needed. The worst time to find out your policy does not cover damage from flood water is after a flood.

2. Back up Documents

Do you store important records for your business in spreadsheets, word processing programs or in file cabinets? Consider what happens to computers or papers in a flooded building. It is possible to lose the data forever. To avoid this scenario, ensure that all important information is backed up securely in another location. This includes employee data, financial and tax records and customer information.

3. Put a Plan in Writing

Stressful situations can easily turn into chaos. In a weather emergency, do your employees know how to safely evacuate? Is there a plan for protecting the building and contents from flooding and water damage? To be efficient in an emergency, write down a plan, assign roles and responsibilities and communicate the plan with staff. Keep important numbers handy, including your insurance agent and a storm restoration company.

Increase your business’s chance of survival in Brentwood, TN, by preparing for a natural disaster. After the danger has passed, act immediately to have restoration specialists remove the excess flood water and restore your business. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROwilliamsoncounty.com/.

Why Flooded Streets Are Dangerous

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

Many residents of Brentwood, TN, have probably been faced with the decision of what to do when encountering a flooded street. Perhaps they’ve noticed cars in front of them that have successfully crossed over with no incident, or maybe they believe that the time saved by taking a calculated risk outweighs the consequences of being late to their destination. Whatever the case, it may be better to take a safer route until the water subsides or a disaster recovery team can restore the area, since reputable sources agree that it may not be worth taking that chance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Statistics provided by FEMA show why crossing a flooded street may not be the best idea:

• Most cars can start to float in only one foot of water.
• Many vehicles can be affected or even stall in just six inches of water
• Even larger cars can be washed away with two feet of rushing water.

National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service has the following flood-related travel tips that may be helpful:

• Avoid lower-lying areas.
• Remember it is even more difficult to assess flood dangers at night.
• It is better to avoid flooded roads altogether to reduce the risk of drowning.

Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports notes the potential damage that can result from miscalculating a flooded surface:

• Water can be pulled into the engine and destroy it.
• Your car can become totaled.
• A flooded road can conceal broken electrical sources that can lead to electrocution.

The next time you contemplate crossing a flooded street in Brentwood, TN, remember what the experts say. According to The Weather Channel, 64 percent of deaths in floods between 2004–2010 occurred in vehicles. Even if your experience is not fatal, it can be helpful to understand the risks involved with flooded areas that can mask unpredictable terrain, create unforeseen vehicle damage, or pose serious safety risks.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROwilliamsoncounty.com/.

Addressing Black Mold in Your Commercial Building

7/13/2018 (Permalink)

Coming across black mold in your Brentwood, TN, commercial building is never a fun experience. The best way to confront the unwelcome fungus, however, is to understand its growth habits. You may have been led to believe that mold will only grow in specific spots, but the truth is, this type of fungus thrives in even the most unpredictable places. What, then, do you need to know about this type of mold and how to remove it from your building?

Understanding Mold Growth. 

Its also referred to as toxic mold, and there are a few important facts that you should be aware of when faced with this highly regenerative fungus:

• Mold can grow and colonize anywhere.
• Mold usually carries an odor.
• Prolonged and excessive moisture encourages mold spore reproduction.
• Forty-eight hours is all it takes for mold growth to begin when water is present.
• The microscopic spores can enter your building in a variety of ways.

Identifying Moisture Problems. 

Arguably the biggest issue surrounding the presence of black mold is the moisture problem. When exposed to water, mold spores flourish and rapidly reproduce. What kind of moisture should you be on the lookout for?

Common water-related issues can come from broken pipes, flooding, high humidity, and a broken supply line. Exposure to water stemming from any of these problems will allow the mold to thrive and grow unless the moisture is addressed and the fungus is properly cleaned up.

Cleaning Up Toxic Mold. 

You will want to clear out the fungus growth as soon as possible. The best way to tackle your mold cleanup project is to let the experts handle it by contacting cleanup and restoration specialists who are familiar with this type of problem. Calling on the experts can give you peace of mind that your toxic mold problem is being dealt with in the most thorough way possible.

Black mold can be a headache, but knowing your enemy is half the battle. By understanding how the fungus grows, potential moisture causes and the pros of hiring specialists to take care of the cleanup, you can rest assured that your mold problem will be no more.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROwilliamsoncounty.com/.

4 Reasons To Have an Emergency Plan for Your Business

6/21/2018 (Permalink)

No one wants to think about what floodwaters can do to a building, but emergencies sometimes happen. Any type of flood can have a devastating effect on your business in Brentwood, TN, but having a SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile can help minimize that effect. Here are a few reasons why having an emergency profile is beneficial.

1. Establishes Action Steps.

An ERP outlines a clear plan of action to take during an emergency. It establishes a clear chain of command so everyone knows their assigned tasks. It gives you step-by-step instructions of what to do. It catalogues important information and building-specific details to ensure nothing vital gets forgotten. During a time when you may not be thinking clearly, it does the most important thinking for you.

2. Provides Easy Access to Information.

Your ERP app gives you access to all the things you need to know in an emergency. It puts important contact information at your fingertips. Unlike emergency kits, which can be bulky and are just as susceptible to flooding as the rest of the items in your building, your emergency profile is stored electronically and safely.

3. Establishes Preferred Restoration Specialists.

This complimentary assessment of your business is provided by your local SERVPRO. When you let your local technicians help you set up a plan, you start to build a relationship with them that will come in handy should you ever need their remediation services. If an emergency should occur, you already know the first call to make.

4. Provides a Business Continuity Plan.

Knowing how you are going to keep your company in business during the cleanup and restoration process is just as much a part of emergency preparedness as calling your insurance company. Having a plan to continue to take in revenue can keep your business from closing for good.

Make sure your business is fully protected in the event of an emergency. To set up an emergency profile, you can call your local SERVPRO and speak to a representative.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROwilliamsoncounty.com/.

What do I do if I have water in my house?

6/19/2018 (Permalink)

If you come home from a long day at work and find that your home has been flooded, it is important to get professional help as soon as possible. SERVPRO of Williamson County has teams available 24/7 that can be on site in the Brentwood area to help you. 

The first step is to get all of the water removed from the structure as soon as possible. If the water sits for too long it can begin to create secondary damages such as mold and other microbial growth. 

Once all of the visible water has been removed, SERVPRO of Williamson County will begin to place the drying equipment throughout your home. After a few days of monitoring and drying, our licensed technicians will come out and remove all of the equipment. 

If any of the structure has been damaged, SERVPRO of Williamson County can help with the repairs, to get your home back to pre loss condition. 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at anytime, 24/7. 

Heavy wind can cause significant damage to your home

6/19/2018 (Permalink)

Living in Brentwood, Tennessee, you are probably aware that we can get storms with high winds that can cause significant damages to your home or commercial business. 

If you believe you have damage, we encourage you to contact SERVPRO of Williamson County to come on site and look over your property. Our team will carefully inspect your entire home to see if you have extensive or just minimal damage. We even have thermal cameras that can detect if walls and other hidden parts of your structure have water damage. 

If damage is found, SERVPRO of Williamson County can facilitate processes with minimum invasion to help correct the situation. 

If you have any questions about our teams processes and capabilities, feel free to reach out to us at anytime.