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.

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.

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles ERP

11/19/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles is a 24/7 emergency service provider. When fire, water, or mold damage affects your home or business, our crews respond promptly to restore your property to pre loss condition. But what can you do to prepare for property damage?

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles is committed to providing our community with resources to prepare for disaster. One way we help facilitate preparedness is through our Emergency Ready Profile, or an ERP. Whether you own a home, a business, or both – our ERP preparedness folder gathers important information, resources, and photos that are tailored to you and your property, which can be crucial when responding to a restoration emergency.

No one plans on a disaster, but you can plan to be “Ready for whatever happens.” Our ERP service is at no cost to you and includes a walkthrough of your property with one of our restoration professionals.

Ways to prevent a water damage in your construction site.

11/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles explains some ways to avoid water damage on construction project.

• Monitor water leaks

Water systems can have monitoring devices attached, enabling their mains to be monitors for any signs of water leakage. Set up these devices to signal you by an alarm when there is a leak detected. This will allow you to catch leaks early so remediation can be done immediately.

• Maintenance

Maintain items at risk carefully. Inspect all pipes and related equipment regularly to catch issues before start.

To ensure water damage will not occur on construction project, everyone on the site should be experienced and qualified so that accidents don’t happen.

• Any contractors you are working with are fully qualified to complete the construction components they are responsible for safety and professionally.

Having a Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan in place is key to preventing water damage during construction. Planning is the best way to prevent damage from happening

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles offers General Cleaning

11/9/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO

SERVPRO of Atascadero/ Paso Robles not only offer services ranging from water damage mitigation to mold remediation to fire/smoke damage, but also full-service top-to-bottom cleaning of your home or business. We know not everyone has the means to hire out the work, so if you are planning on doing it yourself, here are a few helpful tips:

1) BE PREPARED: Have a plan of attack and make sure you have everything you need before you get started. Few things are more frustrating than starting a job and then having to stop & leave to go pick up more supplies.

2) WORK FROM THE TOP DOWN: there’s no point in cleaning the floor first if you still must dust off the shelves!

3) WORK IN SECTIONS: to avoid distractions which can lengthen the time to completion, focus on one area/room at a time.

4) SAFETY FIRST: Always make sure you have the proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). This includes (but is not limited to) gloves, eye protection, masks, etc.

How to prepare for Commercial Water Damage

4/29/2020 (Permalink)

Protect your commercial property.

When anyone own a business, you have a bit of pressure on your shoulders to protect your personal assets as well as the assets and information of your clients. Here are some ways that SERVPRO of Atascadero suggest to protect yourself from a commercial water damage on your property.

• Backup Computers – the most necessary thing you can do!
• File Paperwork – sometimes computers aren’t reliable and having paper backups can save you in case computers can’t be saved.
• Ventilation – this can help with microbial growth problems later on after a water damage and keeps your office air dry.

There isn’t a guarantee that you will always be safe from water damage but if you are prepared it can make the headache a lot easier. When it’s time always call SERVPRO of Atascadero, we understand that you need to get back into business quick and we will work with you to make that happen. Keeping not only you but your customers satisfied!

So give us a call at (805)541-1271.

Do's and Don'ts for your septic tank

4/23/2020 (Permalink)

Septic tank maintenance

SERVPRO of Atascadero does not run into too many septic system overflows in this part of the central coast, but if you happen to live or have a property in a rural area, for sure you have an idea about how septic system works. One way many property owners know if it is maintained properly is if you do not smell anything bad coming from it. Now, there are several crucial do’s and don’ts to live by to ensure that your septic tank will last long and that your septic system works the way it should. Here they are.

Only use high quality toilet paper.

Pick a toilet tissue that is been proven to break up easily when wet. This way, it will not cause any trouble when it is already in your septic tank.

Keep trees away from the septic system.

Trees which have roots that grow and extend aggressively should be kept far from the septic system to avoid any damage. Plant grass instead in the drain field area to prevent and minimize the instances of soil erosion.

DO perform regular maintenance.

Make sure your septic tank is maintained everyone to three years by a professional. Now, the frequency of having your septic tank pumped will depend on its size, the number of solids that go into it, and the volume of wastewater. It is best to consult a professional again to know how often you should have your septic tank maintenance done.

DON’T allow a large amount of water to be discharged into the septic system.

It will cause the system to back up and will also affect the biological balance within the septic tank.

DON’T dump grease down the drain.

Grease can build up in the septic tank and plug the sewer pipes. Have a separate container for it.

Tips to Prevent Fires in a Business

4/22/2020 (Permalink)

Fire evacuation plan

In the business world time is money, taking excessive steps could affect your daily work.

When a structural fire occurs, it not only affects your tenants. It also affects the commercial building itself but also the components within. This may mean damage to or loss of personal possessions, equipment, inventory, and materials necessary to operate a business. There is nothing more valuable than putting a fire prevention plan in place with so much at stake.

1). Place and enforce safety procedures

2). Minimize as many fire hazards as possible

3). Install and Maintain Safety Equipment

A fire prevention plan is the best way to avoid fire and smoke from adversely affecting your tenants and your commercial buildings. Should such a disaster occur, know that help is available to restore your property and that of your tenants’ to preloss condition. At SERVPRO of San Luis Obispo, we are here to provide the remediation services you need. Our restoration Professionals are experts at repairing structural damage to removing smoke odors.

If you have any fire damages to your commercial property call the professionals at SERVPRO of Atascadero (805)541-1271.

Most Common Places That Leaks Occur.

4/22/2020 (Permalink)

leaky faucet

Water leaks not matter how big or small can pose a very large threat to commercial buildings because they use as much larger amounts of water than residences – either for their business activities or simply because of the large number of people using the water fixtures in the facility on a daily basis. Therefore, leaks in commercial buildings lead to the waste of hundreds of gallons of water per day and can substantially increase the company’s monthly bills. Especially if they are not caught in time.

1). Leaky Faucet

2). Toilet bowl leak

3). Major pipe leaks

4). Leak in the Ceiling

5). Water Heater Leak

In order to avoid such troubles, property owners need to maintain their buildings in excellent condition and seek professional help from SERVPRO of Atascadero at the first sign of a water problem.

If you have any water damage in your commercial property call the professionals at SERVPRO Atascadero (805)541-2171.

Tips For Commercial Property Owners

4/22/2020 (Permalink)

Commercial Property

Purchasing a commercial property may be the largest investment that a business will make. In order to protect that investment, regular inspection in the property for potential water leaks, rust and mold should be routinely made.

There are four common methods to detect water damage in the commercial properties that owners look out for.

1. Floors
Whether it is wood, tile, concrete, or carpet flooring water will show signs of water damage. For instance, tile and wood will crack, buckle or warp. Concrete will erode or have cracks.

2. Water Stains
Water stains on the floor can be typically found around toilets, sinks, ceilings and walls, are some of the most common signs of water damage. As the drywall gets saturated, paint can lose adhesion.

3. The Outside Perimeter of the Building
Take a look at the exterior of your commercial property. What you want to look for are pools of standing water that can indicate poor drainage. Any of those issues could affect the foundation of the property.

4. Mold
Do not rely solely on sight when your looking for mold since water stagnates, mold and bacteria can grow. Producing a musty, unpleasant smell.

If you do experience any water damage to your commercial property call the professionals at SERVPRO of Atascadero (805)541-1271.

Odor in your Commercial Property?

4/22/2020 (Permalink)

Order in your property

Does your Commercial Property have an Odor Problem?

SERVPRO of Atascadero has a Specialized Deodorization Equipment to help with that problem no matter how big or small it is.

We can Inspect and Access your Property and Inform you the best way to get rid of that Odor! Most Odors are caused by Sewage Losses, Soot and Fire Damages and even Standing Water that may have got unnoticed for a while.  

The majority of the Time the Special Deodorization Equipment can do the Trick; however, sometimes additional Cleaning may be required.  It is not always guaranteed to permanently remove all Odors and more Invasive Solutions may possibly be required.

Contact SERVPRO of Atascadero at (805) 541-1271.

Pigeon droppings are not only hazardous to humans but to you commercial property as well.

4/22/2020 (Permalink)

Pigeons on top of a building

Pigeons can carry many diseases and parasites that can be transferred into their droppings. Pigeon droppings can grow dangerous fungus once it's dried.  When the pigeon droppings dry and turn to dust it can spread which in return can contaminate other areas. When inhaled it can cause serious health problems.

Not only are the droppings hazardous to humans, it can also cause very extreme damage to your property and destroy certain materials because of the acidity that it carries.  

Pigeons will find any area to nest and will continuously dispose themselves in the same area.  Pigeons can nest on roofs, warehouses, balconies, gutters, vacant properties and even under solar panels causing large messes. It is best to clean the droppings right away. SERVPRO of Atascadero can help you with that, just give us a call at (805) 541-1271.