Reduce Mold in Your Commercial Building's Bathroom

8/24/2022 (Permalink)

Keep the humidity as low as possible

The bathrooms in your commercial building are one of the most common places for mold to grow. Mold spores are everywhere, but the moisture and humidity in bathrooms are an invitation for these spores to grow into a large-scale mold problem. To discourage mold growth, reduce the moisture, and conduct thorough mildew clean frequently.

How To Reduce Moisture in Bathrooms

Follow some simple steps to eliminate the accumulation of moisture in your bathrooms.

Inspect for leaks frequently. The pipes and seals attached to the sinks and toilets must be secure. If you spot a leak and your maintenance staff isn't capable of fixing the problem, contact a plumber right away.

Seal the bathroom tile's grout lines each year. After thorough mildew clean, apply a sealant to the grout lines to keep them waterproof. If the grout isn't cleaned properly beforehand, the sealant won't adhere effectively.

Keep the humidity as low as possible. Because of the humid weather in Montclair, NJ, installing a dehumidifier reduces the moisture in the air. A dehumidifier increases ventilation which discourages mold growth as well. Your air conditioner will also cool the air and remove moisture.

How To Conduct a Thorough Cleaning

Conduct proper cleaning each week to prevent bathroom mold. Dust is a food source for mold because mold spores like to settle on surfaces. Lightly dampen a cloth and wipe the counters, faucets, and door handles. After dusting, use an all-purpose cleaner to thoroughly clean each surface, including sinks, toilets, and flooring.

Clean bathroom mirrors with a glass cleaner each week as well. Spray the cleaner on a cloth and wipe the entire mirror. If any streaks remain, buff them out with a dry cloth.

Maintaining your bathrooms with thorough mildew clean and reducing excess moisture will discourage mold growth. If you are concerned about mold, contact a mold remediation specialist as soon as possible.

How SERVPRO Headquarters Helps Its Franchises During Large Storms

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO works with businesses to design an Emergency Ready Plan that helps limit the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding.

SERVPRO Headquarters Assists Franchises During Major Storms

When severe weather damages office buildings, healthcare facilities, and centers of higher learning in Glen Ridge, NJ, these organizations need assistance quickly. Fortunately, SERVPRO’S headquarters can position Disaster Recovery Teams across the United States and Canada. Here is how SERVPRO’S corporate office helps their local franchises during large storms.

Create an Emergency Ready Plan

The best way to prepare for a large-loss event is to have a plan. SERVPRO works with businesses to design an Emergency Ready Plan that helps limit the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding. SERVPRO’S goal is to minimize the time that companies cannot operate.

Manage Storm Response

Once the call comes into their centralized Customer Care Center, SERVPRO coordinates restoration projects for large institutions through their Commercial Large Loss Division. These professionals draw upon resources including:

• Network of 1900 locations
• Local Program Manager backed by SERVPRO headquarters
• Highly trained restoration technicians

Assemble Disaster Recovery Teams

Because of their extensive network, SERVPRO can organize restoration resources and specially trained personnel to assist with large-loss storm events from multiple franchises. This capability means that SERVPRO locations from as close as across town to as far as the next state can contribute supplies and equipment, which magnifies their effectiveness and reach.

Address Storm Damage

Thanks to SERVPRO’S preplanning relationships and strategic marshaling of equipment, certified restoration technicians can get right to work on water-related disasters. These professionals waste no time placing tarps over openings in roofs and stacking sandbags to block rising water. To salvage and restore interiors, the technicians set large fans around the property to dry out soaked furniture and prevent mold growth.

Large organizations benefit from creating an Emergency Ready Plan to be prepared for a weather emergency. SERVPRO corporate can then quickly assemble and deploy Disaster Recovery Teams from its franchises to respond to severe storm or flooding events.

How SERVPRO Professionals Clean Damaged Documents

6/8/2022 (Permalink)

How Do SERVPRO Professionals Clean Documents That Have Been Damaged?

Whether from a fire or flood, many items in your Montclair, NJ, workplace are susceptible to damage. Many of these are highly sensitive, delicate, and important. If you want to salvage them and be able to use them again, you need to use an effective document restoration process. The good news is that highly trained and skilled professionals are available to restore even heavily damaged items. 

1. A Quick Response and Assessment
When it comes to document restoration, time is of the essence. You can't afford to let water, ash, smoke, or soot sit on your documents for long. Restoration companies will respond quickly to your call, usually within the first 24 hours. The team will inspect the extent and type of damage your items have suffered. 

2. Vacuum Freeze Document Drying
A common technique that technicians will use involves vacuum freeze-drying. This same technique is common in archive centers and with the most fragile documents. By doing this method of drying, technicians can safely remove any moisture on books, maps, files, and other critical materials. 

3. Gamma Irradiation 
Some disasters will expose documents to bacteria and harmful chemicals. To clean documents that have such contact, gamma irradiation is an effective treatment. SERVPRO technicians will sterilize the documents to reduce the risk of exposure and further damage. 

4. Digitization 
You work in an age where just about all records are digital. If you do not have digital backups of your files and paperwork, now is the right time to do so. This way, if a fire, flood, or other emergency damages or destroys your documents, you can still access them. This can also save storage space and give you peace of mind.

Document restoration can spare your business stress and grief. When you hire an experienced restoration company, it will use these techniques to save your materials. 

Recovering From a Home Fire Only Takes Two Phone Calls

2/8/2022 (Permalink)

This home had a fire loss that started in the microwave. We responded quickly and were able to clean up and repair all the damage. Call us!

It Only Takes Two Phone Calls To Get Back On Your Feet After A House Fire

The first call is easy. Contact your insurance company and explain your situation. They will confirm your coverage and send an adjuster to assess the damage. The basis for the adjuster’s estimate is the amount of damage caused by the fire. This fire restoration estimate includes the cost of:

• Protecting your home from the wind and rain until repairs are complete.
  
• Removing water and eliminating water damage.
  
• Removing restorable items and sending them out for restoration.
  
• Removing damaged material for disposal.
  
• Removing the effects of smoke and soot on your home and its contents.
  
• Cleaning your home in preparation for final restoration.
  
• Restoring your home to its original condition.

The Rest Is Up to You

The adjuster leaves you shaking your head. In one hand, you have the estimate. In the other, you have the insurance company’s list of preferred vendors in the Upper Montclair, NJ, area. You dread the thought of:

• making all those calls
  
• talking to all those contractors
  
• scheduling all that work.

It looks like a full-time job. You don’t have that kind of time. You look at the list of preferred vendors and, suddenly, one name jumps off the paper.

Your Second Call Is Even Easier

That name belongs to a company that can do the entire job. There is no need to convince them of the urgency. They already understand that the tarps and plywood must go up immediately.
Many people don’t understand the extent of this company’s capabilities. When you excel at something, people tend to forget about your other skills. Providing rebuilding services is a natural addition to their cleaning and restoration expertise. After all, why would you bring in a separate contractor after a fire to rebuild when one can do it all? Having this company do the job is one-stop shopping at its best.

It’s Time To Make That Call

You’ve selected the best contractor from the preferred vendor list. You want the restoration to begin quickly. It’s time to make that second call. Those full-service fire remediation specialists are ready to go.

3 Top Places Mold May Be Hiding in Your Home

1/25/2022 (Permalink)

Mold requires moisture and humidity to grow and spread.

Mold Could Be Hiding in These 3 Places in Your Home

While finding mold growth in your West Orange, NJ, home can be distressing, you usually have options for cleaning it in a way that prevents it from returning. However, when mold starts to develop in places you cannot see, it can grow into a serious infestation before you notice its presence. If you want to kill mold in your home before it takes hold, it is wise to check out a few locations where it commonly hides.

1. Behind Drywall

Even small leaks, such as those that might seep from your refrigerator’s water line if it includes an automatic ice maker, can encourage mold growth in nearby walls. Drywall can be particularly affected because it is porous and absorbs water. Once moldy drywall and insulation develop, they must be torn out and replaced to prevent further growth from occurring.

2. Under Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets

Mold requires moisture and humidity to grow and spread. This makes the areas under your bathroom and kitchen cabinets vulnerable, especially in far corners that can be difficult to see. It is a good idea to check these spaces often, especially in humid weather, and leave the cabinet doors open for a few hours a day so the wood and other building materials inside can breathe.

3. In the Basement

Your home’s basement makes a perfect hiding space for mold growth, especially if it tends to be damp all year round. Mold spores do not require sunlight to grow or spread, so spores that detach when you move stored belongings around can travel through your home’s air ducts and attach to wood and drywall in other parts of the house. Since mold on wood can be difficult to remove once it takes hold, consider calling in a mold removal and remediation service to inspect your home if you suspect a problem in your basement.

Hidden mold growth in your West Orange, NJ, home can be disastrous if it is not caught in time. Checking potential hiding spots often is one way to avoid this issue and to prevent future infestations.