Tips on Protecting Your Piped from Freezing Up

3/15/2023 (Permalink)

As autumn descends into winter, temperatures really begin to plummet, and storms become more frequent. Before it gets too cold to take precautions, now is the time to prepare. SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles has a few tips to prevent your pipes from freezing—these important tips can help you prevent water damage from harming your home or business.

How to Protect Pipes from Freezing

• Drain water from swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines.
• Drain and bring all your outdoor hoses to inside storage (garage, shed, etc.).
• Close all valves that supply outdoor hose bibs.
• Insulate your attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Insulation will keep these areas warmer.
• Sometimes water supply lines are in unheated areas. Check garages and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. All pipes in these areas should be insulated/wrapped.
• Consider installing pipe sleeves or installing heat tape on exposed water pipes. Even something as simple as newspaper can provide some protection to exposed pipes, at just ¼” thickness.
• Consider relocating exposed pipes to provide increased protection from freezing.

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

• If there are any water supply lines in the garage, keep garage doors closed.
• To allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing, open kitchen, and bathroom cabinet doors.
• When it’s EXTREMELY cold outside, let water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running even the smallest trickle of water helps prevent pipes from freezing.
• Set thermostat to the same temperature 24/7. You might end up with a higher heating bill, but by temporarily ceasing lower nighttime temperatures, you could prevent a much more expensive repair job if pipes freeze and burst.

Knowing The Effects of Water Damage to a Home After A Storm

3/15/2023 (Permalink)

Water damage is a problem that most homeowners fear, but the reality can be worse than most people imagine, if it is not dealt with quickly. If left alone or unnoticed, the effects of water damage can be horrific and can leave people’s homes in shambles. Here are a few of the effects of water damage on a home if left alone for too long.

Ruin the Structure of the Home

One of the largest and worst effects of having water damage in a home is that it can ruin the structure of a home. Water seeping into the walls, floors and ceiling in a house can weaken the integrity and make it more prone to sagging, tearing, or even collapsing. The best way to ensure this never happens is to not only get the water damage looked after quick, but also to have it looked at by a professional.

A Lengthy Restoration Process

If a home has been severely damaged by water, it will prevent people from living there due to the damage and condition that everything is in. Also, if the damage was long enough (and restoration will take a while), it could keep people from their home for even days or weeks. Therefore a professional should be contacted ASAP, to ensure that the mess can be cleaned up quickly, as the longer the water sits and the more damage that is done, the longer the restoration will take.

Why you should file a claim.

3/15/2023 (Permalink)

When faced with a water damage situation, either at home or commercially, one of the first questions to ask yourself is “Should I file a claim?” There are several reasons why this is an important factor to consider once you have the mitigation (cleanup) portion under control.

Of course, the first step with any water loss is to get help immediately to stop the source of the leak, BEFORE you mitigate the loss (get it cleaned up)! Call a team like SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles even if the water is still flowing—we help get the source stopped/shut off until repairs can be completed to prevent further damage.

By not acting fast, secondary damage can result in mold issues which may or may not be covered by your insurance policy. In California, there are restrictions as to how much coverage will be offered for mold remediation. So regardless as to whether you decide to file a claim, it’s still of vital importance that you act fast. In fact, your insurance company might even try to use your lack of action against you and try to deny the claim because you waited too long & inadvertently caused more damage than otherwise would have been the case. So always pick up the phone and call a team like SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles right away.

Once the leak is stopped, it’s time to mitigate the loss and then evaluate the situation to determine if it’s worth it to file a claim with your insurance carrier. In many cases, smaller water damage losses can and should be paid out of pocket to save you money in the long run. Unless it’s obvious that the claim is going to be a huge bill due to extensive damage, always take the time to weigh the pros & cons before you commit to filing a claim.

Don’t worry about having the work done before you call your carrier—they were going to tell you to get the work done ASAP anyway, and it’s YOUR CHOICE as the insured as to which vendor you choose to do the work.

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles Fast Response During Storm Events

3/13/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atascadero/Paso Robles specializes in storm and flood damage restoration throughout the north part of the Central Coast. Our technicians are highly trained, and they use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition. Which will bring a sense of relief knowing that we are able to do that to your property.

Fast Response

Since we are locally owned and operated, we can respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost. We are available 24/7 to help you out.

Resources to Handle Floods and Storms

When Storm weather hits your property, we are able to scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams are strategically located throughout the United States.

Servicing your heating unit before the cold weather.

1/10/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles explain how it's not good to neglect your furnace when it’s not in use could cost you in the long run. Higher heating bills while inconvenient are manageable, but what’s more important is a fire or smoke cleaning costs which tend to be more expensive. Here are some tips to keep your furnace in good working condition.

Have your Furnace Professionally Serviced

The general rule of thumb is to get a professional to inspect and service your heating unit once a year, typically in the early fall. This timing gives you the opportunity to fix any problems a technician finds before temperatures drop and you need to turn up the heat. Professional furnace technicians typically do the following during an annual inspection:

• Have it cleaned
• Test to make sure it is working properly
• Tighten loose hardware and replace any broken parts
• Check the wiring for fire hazards

The last action is essential to preventing home fires and avoiding additional fire cleaning costs, including flooding and smoke remediation.

Finding Mold in Your Commercial Property

1/5/2022 (Permalink)

If the health inspection finds a minor issue at your restaurant, they will allow you to resolve it before their next visit (that will come quickly). However, that doesn’t mean you should relax and let minor issues slip your attention. If there are a lot of them, or if the inspection finds a big problem, your restaurant can get shut down. A hefty fine and the bad press that follow a health inspection closure are awful for business. Therefore, you should avoid these significant issues at all cost.

The Usual Culprit — Mold

One of the most significant issues a health inspection can find is mold. The dreaded mold doesn’t mix well with anything, let alone food, so eradicating it everywhere it pops up should be your number one priority. Often you can’t see it, but you may smell the distinctive smell of moisture. That is also a sure sign that you may have a mold problem, and you shouldn’t ignore it. However, you also shouldn’t panic. While mold is a severe issue, we can get rid of it.

What Causes Mold to Appear

If you suspect that mold has indeed infected your dining establishment, there’s no time to waste. Calling an expert to come in and inspect your restaurant and deal with the potential problem is the best course of action. What’s more, an expert will also help you understand how to avoid future mold problems. However, it’s also important to be aware of the most common causes of mold in restaurants.

The bad news is that mold loves the moist, warm environment. Kitchens, bathrooms, and storage rooms are the ideal places where mold can make its new home and bloom. What’s more, restaurants have a lot of surface area that’s moist or damp, and that isn’t aired or dried-out very often. If we don’t use the area in question frequently, mold will bloom quite quickly and potentially overtake the entire kitchen and prep area.

How to Get Rid of Mold in a Restaurant

We always must be on alert since mold is quite sneaky. It can be quite hard to detect mold. After all, how often do you move your freezers to check what’s behind them? Probably not often enough. Even the smell of mold is a significant reason for concern. What’s more, it’s often the number one way to detect you have a problem — other than spotting mold with the naked eye, of course.

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles has the right tools and expertise to remove mold efficiently and without the hazard of worsening the problem. So, if you see mold — don’t touch it. Call for help and get a thorough diagnosis. If your restaurant has been closed due to a mold issue, you will need the paperwork to prove that the problem was handled by professionals and cleared, before you get the green light to re-open your dining institution.

Prevent a Fire Damage After the Holidays

12/28/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles caution homeowners to take common sense precautions throughout the holiday season in Atascadero, CA. Most homeowners are aware holiday decorations should be used with care. Each year, statistics tell the story of the fire danger resulting from frayed wires, proximity to heat sources, and lights left on unattended. SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles wants local homeowners to know that the danger of fire caused by holiday decorating, and by Christmas trees specifically, increases after the holiday. Citing research from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)*, while four out of five Christmas tree fires happen in December and January, the 10 days with the highest average number of fires were all after Christmas Day.

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles encourages homeowners who choose to decorate with live Christmas trees to be diligent about watering their trees both before and after the holidays. “When a Christmas tree dries out, it takes only a single spark from the fireplace, a draft that blows a candle flame too near, or a carelessly held cigarette to turn your holiday celebration into a tragedy.”

Prepare your house for a water damage

12/28/2021 (Permalink)

Communities celebrated as a much-needed rainstorm recently blew through California, but it was not all good news for those who experienced the Alisal Fire earlier in October or who had experienced devastating fires in 2020. Evacuation orders were issued for Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and other areas that were in danger of experiencing mudslides because of the devastation of wildfires and the Paso Robles water damage experts from SERVPRO of Atascadero / Paso Robles have prepared some tips to help property owners protect their homes and businesses from storm damage.  

The time to prepare for winter storms is months before the rains arrive. The old saying “the roof doesn’t leak when it’s not raining,” makes a good joke, but not such a good strategy for preventing damage. The general time to assess potential problems is to conduct an inspection of buildings and landscape far enough in advance of winter rainy season to budget and schedule the necessary work.

There are two good times to inspect for damage:

• Right after a storm when critical repairs can be made, or temporary repairs can be made to continue to protect the property until permanent repairs can be done.
• Several months before the stormy season when there is plenty of time to schedule and make the repairs and reinforcements correctly.

Tips for storm proofing your house from the Paso Robles water damage experts

12/28/2021 (Permalink)

• Clean up the yard. Remove clutter form the yard and trim dead and broken branches off of trees and shrubs. Move anything that wind can move or knock over, such as patio furniture, bicycles or other toys to safe places out of the wind. “No one wants a patio chair to come crashing through the living room window,” said Joe Powers, owner of the Paso Robles water damage remediation SERVPRO of Atascadero / Paso Robles.
• Clean rain gutters and make sure the downspouts are in good working order and the water flows away from the house.
• Stock up on supplies such as tarps, sandbags or other materials to divert the flow of water, boards for the possibility of broken windows, and weatherstripping in the event doors or windows are leaking.
• Prepare an emergency kit with extra drinking water, non-perishable food and battery powered lighting. It’s a good idea to have camping gear on hand, such as coolers and a camp stove.
• Have a plan for preparing meals in case the power goes out.
• Have an emergency escape plan in the event the family and pets need to evacuate. Make sure important documents, financial account information and emergency phone numbers are packed in an escape kit, along with food, water, extra clothing, batteries and other necessities.
• Keeps phones and other important electronics charged and add all emergency phone numbers to all phones.

The goals are to be safe and protect your family from harm and your home or office from storm damage and the long-term effects of water damage and mold damage.

Choosing SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles for your Fire Damage

12/28/2021 (Permalink)

When disasters impact your Atascadero/ Paso Robles Property, not just anyone can fix it to the high standards that you can expect from professional restoration. While our franchise strives to offer each customer that we serve an experience that goes above and beyond their expectations, not every restoration company in our service area can provide that for you. There are important elements that set our team apart regarding fire restoration and recovery, and it begins by providing our clients with experienced and professional technicians. Each of our technicians that come out for fire restoration work has undergone extensive training to obtain their Fire and Smoke Restoration certification through the IICRC. This organization sets the standard for high-quality restoration work to get performed on residential properties, but this is only the beginning to the educational opportunities and ongoing in-house training regiments that exist to make our technicians elite in the field. This training extends beyond our ability to manage the damaged elements of your property and begin restoration practices. Our SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles technicians can also keep an open line of communication with our customers and their insurance companies to meet the needs of the other parties while we return your home to its original condition.