SERVPRO will take care of everything after your flood damage, even the safety measures.

7/20/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO will take care of everything after your flood damage, even the safety measures.

As flooding spread through your Easton event center it is hard not to panic. Your bookings are many and the schedule is tight, not to mention that the occasions you support are one of a kind -- weddings, anniversaries, proms, and graduations. Although We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster, halting the harm and bringing your space back to preloss condition does take some planning and time. Flood waters also are teeming with contaminants, requiring strict infectious waste protocols be observed.

Infectious Waste Requires Caution

Flood damage anywhere, exposes your customers, staff, and our technicians to highly infectious waste material. Sewage backup is common during overland flooding, adding cholera, tetanus, typhoid, polio, hepatitis, and a variety of other

infectious diseases to the mix in your facility. Sewage also releases methane gas and other “sewer gasses” harmful to

breathe. Our technicians working with infectious waste must follow all proper safety precautions, including keeping immunizations against diseases current. 

Permit Our Trained Workforce to Manage the Challenges

The precautions SERVPRO managers and technicians take are vital to the health and welfare of all who risk coming in contact with the flood waters. Our team wears personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent contaminants from touching exposed skin or to be inhaled. Expect also work area containment with heavy-duty plastic sheeting, sealed with negative pressure air scrubbers to filter the atmosphere inside the affected space. We set aside the area for safety reasons, but partitioning also permits us to concentrate completely on the work at hand. Each phase of the project completes more quickly because our team is focused and well-trained. 

Pre and Post Project Disinfection

SERVPRO applies an EPA-registered disinfectant on infectious waste and surfaces exposed to the contaminated water and debris prior to beginning the work. After the prescribed dwell time runs, flood water removal and deep cleaning proceed. A second application of the disinfectant after removal of all waste and moisture  inhibits the pathogens from rebounding. It also reduces the risk of airborne contaminants when we position air movers and other equipment for the drying phase.

Be confident that the professionals at SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield prioritize the health and welfare of your customers, employees, and the public when responding to flood damage in your commercial property. 

Immediate Action is Critical

7/20/2022 (Permalink)

Immediate Action is Critical to Address Flood Damage in Easton

While you may think that all floods are due to rising water from lakes and streams nearby, you should know that several natural factors can bring on floodwaters. The quicker that you can spring into action to remedy the situation, the easier it is to cut back on the devastation to your property. This is when contacting professionals at SERVPRO to restore your residence is the best option.

Homes with flood damage should be assessed and repaired as quickly as possible right after the event takes place. Experienced flood remediation technicians have the tools, expertise, and manpower to lessen the loss and help you get back to your life as usual. Once any natural disaster takes hold and wind and rain come with it, several areas around your property can become vulnerable.

Tree Damage
With a major storm, wind and rain can leave tree damage on your roof once the rainfall breaks through. It can saturate all of the materials within the exposed space. Any absorbent material is saturated can hold onto the moisture for an extended period. It is critical that you remove saturated materials and that the extraction begins to pull up as much as possible before water stains and mold set in. SERVPRO technicians work to tarp off the area to stop unwanted rain as well as vermin or pests from coming inside.

Window Breakage
If a window is left open during a major storm or it breaks from wind or flying debris, water can come in saturating the room as well as spreading down into the walls. Damaged window frames could also mean that water gets down inside the walls, causing warping, rust, and mildew. Our trained technicians use infrared moisture detection tools to locate any wet areas and then make sure that the window is repaired.

Standing Water
Any standing water has to be removed quickly, which is when SERVPRO team members use high-powered pumps, vacuums, and extraction tools to pull up as much moisture as possible. Other tools we employ to dry a flood-damaged home thoroughly include handheld equipment with heat, dehumidifiers, and air movers that work to circulate the area. This is followed closely by odor management to remove any unwanted smells left behind.

Understanding Fire Alarms

7/20/2022 (Permalink)

Fire Alarms; Ionization Vs. Photoelectric

There are two types of fire alarms: Ionization and Photoelectric.
Ionization fire alarms are more reactive towards blazing fires with large flames. A tiny amount of radioactive material is positioned between two plates that are electrically charged. This ionizes the air around it, causing a small current to exist between both plates. Once smoke from the fire enters the detector chamber, there is a disruption of the flow of ions, causing a reduced current flow. This lack of current flow triggers the alarm to sound.
Photoelectric alarms are more reactive to smoldering, long-lasting fires. A light source in the detection chamber is angled to point away from the sensor, to not receive any light When smoke enters the detection chamber, the light is reflected and dispersed onto the sensor which then triggers the alarm.
Combined alarms are available, or a combination of both alarms is recommended to provide maximum protection from both fast flaming fires and slower smoldering fires in both the home and the workplace.
Maintenance of fire alarms is straightforward:

• Once per month – test the batteries by holding the button for a minimum of five seconds. If they are working it will beep.
• Every six months – Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust. Keeping the alarm free of particles will prevent false alarms and allows for easy access of smoke to the detection chamber and sensor.
• Every twelve months – Replace the batteries if they are lead or alkaline.
• Every ten years – All smoke alarms should be replaced with new ones, or earlier if this is recommended by the smoke alarm manufacturer.

Maintaining your water heater

7/20/2022 (Permalink)

Maintenance is the key to longevity 

We take our hot water for granted, but we can thank our hot water heater for that. Water heaters are used in our daily routines and serve many purposes, so it is very important to keep them in good condition. This will help an individual avoid dealing with hectic problems such as bursts of the heater and other water leakage and costly problems that can be easily avoided.

It is important for the water heater to be flushed at least once a year to prevent blockage and other issues. Over time, the heater builds up debris and other rocks that can get trapped inside it, causing many issues. These rocks are formed because of the large amounts of calcium that are created by hard water moving at a rapid rate. The heater should also be tested at least once a year for temperature in order to prevent any burning caused by hot water.

Inspecting the water heater is very crucial as it increases it’s efficiency and prolongs its life. Although an individual might think that the inspection is costly, it is saving them money in the long run, as an inefficient heater costs more to own than an efficient one. If your hot water heater ever does fail you and you’re left with water damage, call SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield. 

SERVPRO Technicians Can Guide You and Help in Completing the Necessary Restoration Steps

6/7/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Technicians Can Guide You and Help in Completing the Necessary Restoration Steps

A fast response is crucial after fire damage incidents to forestall some problems that develop after putting out the fire. Quick action also helps guarantee faster reoccupation of the house. Although it might not appear so, planning the restoration process can be challenging because it involves several steps, and it might not be clear which ones have a higher priority.

What steps are typical in the early stages of most restoration exercises?

When choosing the steps to take immediately after fire damage incidents, the main consideration is how the incident is expected to unfold. If some materials or contents that survived the fire might deteriorate further, prioritizing steps that help stop such deterioration is essential. In most cases, the initial stages involve:
    •    Thorough scoping of the loss site
    •    Securing the property
    •    Calling the insurance company

Why is scoping essential before starting restoration?

Although it is easy to tell whether a fire extensively damages property or not, there are aspects of damage that you cannot identify without doing thorough scoping. Successful scoping requires the right skills and equipment. When evaluating a fire loss site, our SERVPRO technicians focus on issues such as:
    •    Charring depth especially on structural supports
    •    Pretesting materials for cleaning purposes
    •    Establishing the type of smoke residues left

Salvaging materials after fire damage helps reduce repair costs. Since the decision of whether to save an item depends on the level of damage, thoroughly evaluating affected materials is essential. For building materials such as frames and other structural supports, scoping helps establish whether there are significant residue deposits or charring on their surfaces. A tool such as a tar depth gauge helps establish whether charring affects more than 10% of the cross-section of frames, thus compromising their structural integrity.

Why is testing necessary before cleaning?

Cleaning is one of the activities necessary for the restoration of fire-damaged properties. Although cleaning is beneficial, it can also cause problems such as ruining the material being cleaned or spreading residues beyond the areas initially affected. Testing helps prevent such problems and also improves the ease of cleaning. Our SERVPRO crews test fabric materials such as carpets as well as finishes, such as paint on different surfaces. The tests we perform on carpets help establish several aspects that influence the cleaning processes, including:
    •    Stain resistance
    •    Level of soiling
    •    The physical condition of the carpet

Why does the type of smoke residue matter?

As the fire burns, you might notice minor differences in the type of smoke produced. For example, you might notice thick clouds of smoke, or the color can range from grey, brown, or black. Unlike the simple differences in appearance, the residue deposits from smoke can differ greatly, affecting the restoration process. Establishing the properties of such residues helps in choosing the correct cleaning procedures. Our SERVPRO technicians use several approaches to test residues, including simple ones such as running a cleaning sponge along surfaces starting from the seat of the fire and moving outwards to establish how far the residues spread. We also check other properties, such as whether the residues are predominantly dry or wet. From the information gained from testing, our technicians decide what cleaning procedures to use, including:
    •    Mechanical options such as wiping
    •    Wet cleaning with professional cleaning products
    •    Specialized cleaning with sophisticated methods such as soda blasting

How is a fire-damaged structure secured?

Securing a property immediately after fire damage helps prevent further deterioration. There are many ways to secure a property, so the steps taken depend on factors such as the level of damages and whether the property remains occupied during restoration. In case of severe fire damage, our SERVPRO technicians board up all openings in the exterior of the structure, protecting the interior from further deterioration. In case of fires localized in sections of the property such as kitchens or living rooms, we can board up those specific areas allowing access to the rest of the house.

Apart from setting up barriers, another way to secure the property is to identify vulnerable materials or contents and secure them. For example, soot has acidic properties, which corrode metallic materials and finishes. It can also stain stone materials such as granite permanently. Our Crews pre-clean such materials then apply thin oil film on their surfaces to protect them from further damages.

Taking the correct steps immediately after a fire limits the chances of unnecessary damage. 

Prevention is better than intervention when it comes to fires.

6/7/2022 (Permalink)

No Fire Can Be Totally Prevented, But There Are Steps You Can Take And SERVPRO Can Handle the Fire Damage if it Happens In Bridgewater!

Over one-fourth of all fires take place in homes. The majority of these fires happen in the kitchen. Prevention is better than intervention, but if help is needed in a home, call the professionals.

What are the most common causes of house fires?

A house fire is never a pleasant thing. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) notes, cooking is the main cause of fires in the home and the need for fire damage restoration in homes. But cooking isn’t the only thing that can lead to a residential fire. The top five reasons are:

• Cooking
• Heating
• Electrical & Lighting
• Arson
• Smoking

Kitchen fires are one of the main reasons SERVPRO gets called out to deal with fire damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) states that firefighters responded to 188,800 cooking fires in two years.

What Causes Cooking Fires

Kitchen fires resulting from a cooking fire involve a stove or cooktop 62% of the time. Unattended cooking is the main reason for this type of fire, but things like flammable materials too close to the stove are another reason. Electric stoves cause more problems than gas stoves. Improper disposal of hot items is another cause. Thanksgiving and Christmas appear to be the peak time for these incidents to occur.

How Can I Prevent a Kitchen Fire?

One of the foremost essential things you can do is to stay alert. Never walk away from the stove when you have something cooking, turn off the stove if you need to step out. Keep all flammable material away from the range. Many people use their flat surface stoves as additional counter space. That is a big mistake that could cost you dearly. Always assume the stove is hot even when off. Keep your heat at the proper level. If your skillet starts to smoke or your pot boil over, turn off the heat. Keep a cookie sheet handy to place over the top of a pan that does catch fire.

What Happens if There is a Cooking Fire?

If the worse does happen and you undergo a kitchen fire, our Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) accredited technicians are ready to go at a moment’s notice. Once they arrive, they will immediately assess the situation. Kitchen fires are often contained and damage minimal comparatively, but there are still things that need to be determined before fire damage restoration can begin. They will determine the type of smoke residue, pretest materials for the proper cleaning techniques, and decide if there is any structural damage. The goal is to restore items rather than replace them when possible.

Cleanup and Restoration

Once a course of action is decided, the Green Team of professionals get to work. With years of experience and specialized training, they can provide the necessary services for your situation. In the case of fire damage restoration, these could include:

• Debris removal – the stove may be charred and unsalvageable
• Dry cleaning – using techniques such as wiping down surfaces
• Wet cleaning – using professional chemical cleaners specific to the soot and the item getting cleaned
• Restoring wood surfaces
• Cleaning or replacing flooring
• Checking other kitchen appliances for problems arising from the fire
• Deodorizing – air scrubbers, thermal fogging, ozone generators or aroma pellets
• Cleaning HVAC duct systems

Do I Need Expert Restoration?

A minor house fire may look harmless enough and leave you thinking you can take care of it yourself. That isn’t generally the case. Smoke residue seeps into the tiniest cracks and crevices. Depending on the type of soot, it leaves behind improper cleaning can make it worse. SERVPRO uses industrial-grade equipment and cleaning supplies that the average homeowner does not have access too. Our experts know what and where to look for when it comes to fire damage.

Available Around the Clock

SERVPRO is ready to handle any fire damage that may occur, including kitchen fires. We hope that you can prevent a cooking fire, but if something unavoidable happens, we are available 24/7. Disaster doesn’t take a holiday, and neither do we. You can trust our fire restoration technicians to leave your home, “Like it never even happened.” Your life doesn’t stop because a fire happens, and we understand that. Our rapid response team will do everything they can to get you back to normal.

Cooking fires can destroy a kitchen. Contact SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield at (508) 824-0200 for expert fire damage restoration service that is Faster to Any Size Disaster.

For immediate service in Taunton/Mansfield, call SERVPRO

6/6/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in Taunton/Mansfield. 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 – (508)571-6421

Residential Services

Whether your Taunton/Mansfield 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 Taunton/Mansfield 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.

We are an IICRC certified firm

6/6/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.

IICRC Certified Firms must

• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.
• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.
• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.
• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.
• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.

The IICRC Develops the Standards for The Restoration Industry

The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.

Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.

About SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield

SERVPRO of Taunton/Mansfield specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Our Other Certifications:

• ASD - Applied Structural Drying Technician
• ECTP - Employee Certification Training Program
• FSRT - Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Technician
• OSHA - 10-hour General and/or Construction Industry Training Program
• RRRP - Lead-Based Paint Activities and Renovation
• WRT - Water Damage Restoration Technician

Why choose SERVPRO when mold is discovered?

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Working with Taunton/Mansfield Residents to Remediate Growing Mold Damage Concerns

A water spill or flood in your home can cause issues further down the line as a result of insufficient drying of the structure. Among these issues is microbial growth. Microbes are tiny living organisms that can grow into a problem with the right conditions for growth. Mold issues can creep up unnoticed in dark, dank areas of the home. These areas may include beneath carpets, on insulation, subfloor pad, or the area between floor and subfloor. It would help if you had remediation once you notice the symptoms of mold growth, which may include stale odors or visible grey, green, or black mold colonies.

Like all living things, water is essential to microbial growth, which means there is some investigative work in remediating the mold damage in your Taunton/Mansfield home. Remediation technicians of SERVPRO may need to temporarily detach carpets or probe them using moisture meters to assess whether there are damp spots beneath or within the carpet. Disposable items like subfloor pads may also need to be cut up for removal and to allow inspection of the subfloor.

Establishing a mold damage remediation project requires careful planning and organization. Mold spores- the reproductive element of the organism- are invisible to the naked eye and can travel on footwear, clothing, or air-currents in the property. These tiny organisms need containment to make sure that a minor infestation does not get out of hand during the remediation process. When restoring mold, SERVPRO may need to demolish, agitate, move equipment, or carry materials in and out of the building. Without proper quarantining, these actions can lead to the spreading of the infestation.

When remediating microbial growth in a safe, controlled workspace, there are two vital considerations. The first is to find the source of moisture and perform adequate drying of the subfloor or cavity when damp spots exist. The second is to remove mold along with any porous infested materials. SERVPRO takes an extra safeguard against returning molds by applying biocides or anti-microbial treatments to surfaces, which can help reduce mold from growing again.

Microbial remediation is a highly-qualified operation that requires expert care and attention to detail. Contact SERVPRO Taunton/Mansfield at (508) 571-6421.

Tips for Spring

3/11/2022 (Permalink)

• Check for loose or leaky gutters.  Improper drainage can lead to water in the basement or crawl space. Make sure downspouts drain away from the foundation and are clear and free of debris.
• Low areas in the yard or next to the foundation should be filled with compacted soil. Spring rains can cause yard flooding, which can lead to foundation flooding and damage. Also, when water pools in these low areas in summer, it creates a breeding ground for insects.
• Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks.  Make repairs now before the spring rains do more damage to the exposed wood.
• From the ground, examine roof shingles to see if any were lost or damaged during winter. If your home has an older roof covering, you may want to start a budget for replacement. The summer sun can really damage roof shingles. Shingles that are cracked, buckled or loose or are missing granules need to be replaced. Flashing around plumbing vents, skylights and chimneys need to be checked and repaired by a qualified roofer.
• Examine the exterior of the chimney for signs of damage. Have the flue cleaned and inspected by a certified chimney sweep.
• Inspect concrete slabs for signs of cracks or movement.  All exterior slabs except pool decks should drain away from the home's foundation. Fill cracks with a concrete crack filler or silicone caulk. When weather permits, power-wash and then seal the concrete.
• Remove firewood stored near the home.  Firewood should be stored at least 18 inches off the ground at least 2 feet from the structure.
• Check outside hose faucets for freeze damage. Turn the water on and place your thumb or finger over the opening. If you can stop the flow of water, it is likely the pipe inside the home is damaged and will need to be replaced. While you're at it, check the garden hose for dry rot.
• Have a qualified heating and cooling contractor clean and service the outside unit of the air conditioning system. Clean coils operate more efficiently, and an annual service call will keep the system working at peak performance levels. Change interior filters on a regular basis.
• Check your gas- and battery-powered lawn equipment to make sure it is ready for summer use. Clean equipment and sharp cutting blades will make yard work easier.