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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived Why SERVPRO Blog Posts

SERVPRO Provides The Expertise To Help Manage Your Insurance Claim

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage in a commercial building You may need to file an insurance claim for damages.

When a fire, flood, or another disaster leads to property damage or loss at your business in Olympia, WA, you may need to file an insurance claim for damages. SERVPRO disaster management professionals will handle the cleanup and gather and organize details to support your claim.

Documenting Your Claim

An insurance agent representing your insurance provider will require specific information to evaluate your claim. During the aftermath of a disaster, remembering to gather various details can be challenging. Fortunately, our field teams have experience gathering everything necessary to support your claim, including:

  • First Notice of Loss
  • Loss Photos
  • Loss Estimates
  • Restoration Estimates
  • Replacement Estimates

We inventory each of your items into an Excel spreadsheet, which we send to every claimant and their insurance agent.

Tracking Your Claim Through Electronic Records
Working with our experienced claims facilitators means that you and your insurance representative will always know your business's restoration status. Our Claims Information Center compiles electronic files for every job we undertake and updates them every step of the way. We include estimated completion dates and descriptions for additional services necessary to achieve the best possible results.

Accessing Your Claim Online
SERVPRO provides insurance adjusters and their clients with online access to every claim file. Adjusters can also get timely answers to their questions and compare our methods and costs to our competitors' to ensure we provide the best value.

Unparalleled Support
Our teams' full-service response to any disaster helps us stand as a leader in the restoration services industry. Our standards of excellence include using state-of-the-art technology to salvage and mitigate property damage. When necessary, our Resource Center recruits and vets industry partners who offer competitive pricing while maintaining our standards of excellence.

When you and your insurance agent need a trustworthy restoration service that goes the extra mile to manage and facilitate your insurance claim in  Olympia, WA, turn to SERVPRO.

Do You Have To Throw Away Contents That Have Been Mold Damaged?

7/25/2022 (Permalink)

Mold damage in a home Mold damage in Yelm, WA.

Every year in the U.S., floods cause around $8 billion in damages. Houses that flood not only have the floodwater disaster to deal with, it’s also normal to experience an explosion of black mold growth afterward. Mold cleaning in Yelm, WA, should be an expected part of the restoration process.

When it comes to contents, it’s often cheaper to throw away items with significant mold damage. However, if the items are valuable or sentimental, they’ll need to be cleaned by the experts – a complicated process requiring the right equipment and techniques.

Why Do Floods Cause Black Mold?

Mold is a natural substance that helps eat dead plants and animal matter. In the outdoors, it’s strongly controlled by good airflow and UV rays in sunlight. Indoors, it not only finds shade and restricted airflow, but it also has plenty of substances to feed on, such as

  • Paper
  • Some fabrics
  • Wood
  • Drywall

All it takes is a source of moisture. The leftover humidity after a flood is more than sufficient to require extensive mold cleaning throughout your house.

Can Mold Remediation Save Contents?

In many cases, yes. However, the process isn’t easy or cheap, especially with paperwork and photographs. The mold literally eats away at these materials as it grows. You need to call top mold remediation experts to respond immediately to your home.

The process starts by removing all the floodwater and excess humidity from your home as quickly as possible. Damaged paperwork should be put in the freezer until it can be processed. All food should be discarded and anything to be saved that has mold growing on it should be isolated.

What Else Can Be Saved?

A special device called an Esporta Machine can save paper, textiles, cardboard, and even stuffed animals in many (but not all) cases. Items that are special enough to save rather than replace can be restored through modern mold remediation methods. In some cases, insurance will even pay for it.

Mold cleaning is an intense process that can save many items. However, time is working against you, so call the experts quickly if you want to save both items and money!

Get Help Faster With Any Disaster

6/30/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO technicians loading a vehicle with drying equipment SERVPRO of Lacey services is available 24/7 for you to call and initiate an action plan.

With Any Disaster, You Can Get Help Faster.

Storms can result in catastrophic loss for individuals and communities. If emergency response is delayed too long, fires or floods can lead to secondary damage such as mold and loss of structural integrity. That's where SERVPRO comes in, with a team always on call to help. As one of the nation's leading remediation experts, they bring specialized knowledge and resources to any restoration project. Here are some ways their swift response helps you rebuild after natural disaster strikes Tenino, WA

1. SERVPRO Stands Ready to Serve You

Local SERVPRO services are available 24/7 for you to call and initiate an action plan. Once they determine the necessary resources to bring to your situation, a representative will arrive to inspect the site. If necessary, they can send multiple teams to storm-hit areas to provide the help you need.
SERVPRO services are available nationwide. So whether you need help restoring a residence or commercial building, they have a local franchise that can help you begin restoration work.

2.  SERVPRO Prevents Further Catastrophic Loss

When you need capable hands on-site following a storm, SERVPRO teams are ready and trained to fix the aftereffects of multiple disasters, including flooding. Using a combination of specialized equipment and know-how, technicians help prevent further damage and expense. These services can include:

  • Removing water
  • Identifying hazards
  • Drying salvageable structure
  • Preventing mold
  • Boarding up damaged walls or windows

3. SERVPRO Is a Preferred Vendor

The last thing you want to stress about while repairing storm damage is insurance issues. Worry less with SERVPRO, the vendor trusted by insurance companies. Swift response time and customer fulfillment have earned them the reputation as one of the most reliable emergency restoration companies. 

Get the help you need for catastrophic loss after a storm. No matter the extent of the damage, SERVPRO can help restore your property to its pre-disaster condition.
 

Is a SERVPRO Franchise Right for You?

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

Workers are carrying restoration machines from a company Our SERVPRO team offers emergency water restoration services and we are available to respond to your residential or commercial loss 24/7.

Do You Have What It Takes to Own A SERVPRO Franchise?

For the enterprising individual, owning and operating a franchise in Yelm, WA, is an exciting way to go. This is especially true of those with a strong business model, such as a SERVPRO franchise, that promises a comfortable return each month. How can you recognize those promising options? Do some research into the following factors:

  • Your specific goals
  • Your investment capital
  • Your expected level of involvement

What Do You Hope To Accomplish?

Before getting involved with any new business opportunity, you need to be certain of your goals. Are you looking for a hobby business? Will this new business be your primary source of income? Are you hoping to own multiple franchises? The answers to these questions will help you determine whether a SERVPRO franchise is right for you.

How Much Money Do You Have Available?

A SERVPRO business opportunity comes with corporate support, but you'll still to have some money available for the startup. Some of the most common costs associated with new franchises include the franchise fee, working capital (few businesses are profitable from the get-go,) inventory purchases, and equipment rental fees. You'll probably need a significant amount of money set aside and a good credit score to get a loan.

How Involved Do You Expect To Be?

Franchises through SERVPRO are locally owned and certified. When you become a franchise owner for SERVPRO, do you plan to be hands-on with the fire and water cleanup and restoration services and the mold mitigation and remediation work? If you don't plan to participate directly, who will do the work? How will you pay employees?

Are You Ready To Get Started?

Each SERVPRO franchise is based on a great business model, and the franchises are some of the best to own and operate. With a lot of corporate support and access to local resources, you could operate a small local disaster business or work toward a much-larger multi-location system.

How To Tell the Difference Between Mold and Mildew

1/13/2022 (Permalink)

Scientist show molds in agar culture. If you find mold in your home, it is important to have SERVPRO remove it as quickly as possible.

Mold VS. Mildew: How To Tell The Difference

Although the terms mold and mildew are often used interchangeably, there are some differences between the two. Unless you are a microbiologist, you probably can’t identify the exact variety of fungus you may have in your house in Yelm, WA, but you can still learn about the basic differences and why it matters to you to prevent mold damage.

Helpful Questions

When you see a fungus growing in your home, you can ask yourself some questions to help you distinguish between mold and mildew.

• What color is it?
• Mildew growth is white, but molds can be a variety of colors including black, red, green, or blue.

• Is it fuzzy?
• Organisms in the fungus family are defined by having long filaments (hyphae), but mildew is less fuzzy than most molds.

• Does it seem to be deeply rooted or just on the surface?
• Mildew tends to be more superficial, while mold growth is usually deeper.

Why You Should Learn the Difference

Why does it matter if you have mildew or mold? Well, mildew is usually a lot easier to clean up. You can often use a solution of bleach or other disinfectant to scrub it off a surface.

Mold is a bigger problem because spores are everywhere in the environment, and they only need a moist area and organic food source to survive and reproduce. Mold is also very difficult to control due to the deep root system and the fast reproduction cycle. It can easily turn into a mold damage problem.

You need to act fast to get control of a mold problem in your home. Hiring a professional mold remediation company is the best way to get it done quickly and effectively. These experts have specialized equipment and take the necessary precautions, like the use of negative air chambers, to minimize the spread of mold spores while mitigating mold damage.