How to find a water damage restoration company.

9/6/2022 (Permalink)

When you’ve had water or fire damage at your Woodbridge area home or business, your first step after the flooding has been stopped or fire is out will be to find a restoration company.

Unless you have a family member or friend who swears by a particular company that they’ve had experience with, you will find yourself typing in a internet search and trying to choose a company based on the results. 

We understand that it’s hard to pick a trustworthy company from the internet, especially when you may be in a state of distress and under a time constraint.  Internet ratings and reviews such as on Google and Facebook are a good way to see what kind of experience others in your community have had with a company. We also recommend that you make sure potential restoration company meets the following criteria:

1. Choose Local. When your house has damage, it’s important that the company you hire is locally owned and operated. The last thing that you need during the restoration process is being out on hold by a customer service representative in another state. SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford is locally owned and our office staff and technicians live here too. They understand the unique situation that you are in first hand. 
2. Check Credentials. Make sure that the restoration company that you hire is fully licensed to do restoration and contracting work in the state of Connecticut. A certified restoration professional demonstrates that the company has received extensive training and is in good standing. The technicians on our staff are IICRC certified and skilled in using high-tech restoration equipment and employing advanced restoration methodologies.
3. Use only an Insured Restoration Company. Insurance protects the technicians working onsite as well as you, the property owner. Any injuries to the homeowner or workers that result from the restoration process are covered by general liability insurance. Damage to the property itself that occurs as a consequence to the restoration work performed is also covered under the company’s insurance. 
4. Inquire About the Companies Availability. When water disasters strike, such as in weather related flooding or frozen pipes, the damage is often widespread throughout the community. A small restoration company may not have the resources to respond to the job quickly and complete the work in an expedient manner. SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford is available 24/7 and we have a large crew so when widespread damage occurs, we can meet ALL of our customers needs. 
5. Ask for References. If you’d like to speak to a previous customer or two before hiring a restoration company, don’t be shy about asking for references. Choosing who to care for your home can be a big decision and having the assurance from somebody who has been in your situation can really help!

Summer rains are a relief...except when they flood your basement.

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

We've had a wet few weeks in Connecticut and have received quite a number of phone calls from local homeowners who have basement flooding. Quick action is the key to limiting damage if you have flooding. Here are some actions that can prevent mold from growing in your home. 

• Protect your belongings – remove light furniture and upholstered items as well as other items that are susceptible (cardboard boxes, carpets and other porous items) from the affected area. 
• Remove as much water as possible using a wet/dry vacuum. 
• Use fans to circulate the air and speed up the drying process. A good rule of thumb is to run the fans for an additional week after the area appears dry. 
• A dehumidifier can be used as well to remove excess moisture and dry out the room. 

Water damage can easily be hidden underneath rugs or carpet, so be sure to give your home a thorough inspection if you suspect water damage. Although carpets can be steam cleaned, they are tough to treat and padding typically cannot be saved. 

If you do have wall to wall carpeting in your basement that has gotten wet from flood water, give SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford a call at (203) 301-0500. We are an IICRC trained mold and water mitigation company and have the tools and expertise to treat your home for damage.

Flood Restoration at Commercial Properties

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

When a Stratford area commercial property has flooding, our office staff knows that our response needs to be immediate.

Not only is the structure of your warehouse at risk, the building also holds your valuable merchandise and equipment. Yes, your losses will be covered by your insurance policy. However, damaged inventory will cause a significant loss of business continuity for most companies and present a hassle that most business owners would rather avoid!

When we arrive on scene after a water damage call at a commercial property, we come equipped to start the clean up process.

One of our property managers will walk through the structure with you to assess the damage and discuss a restoration plan that will work around your needs.  For large warehouses, SERVPRO can mobilize truck-mounted water extractors capable of removing hundreds of gallons of water in one go. Where standing water reaches a level above two inches, we can deploy gas-powered pumps that transport excess liquid to an open sewer point. 

We work to restore your structure while also protecting your business assets, whether that is your inventory, important documents, machinery or vehicles.

If necessary, our Commercial Property Restoration team will package up and relocate any of contents of your warehouse that cannot safely remain there during clean up.  Should the administrative wing of your warehouse suffer damage, priority is placed on protecting your computers, servers and important paper documents that hold valuable company information.  

Whether your property has water damage due to a flooded basement, broken sprinkler system or HVAC leak, it’s our business to help your business. 

When Your HVAC Causes Water Damage

8/8/2022 (Permalink)

Has an air conditioner leak causing water damage to your home? 

Air conditioners are known to leak – whether from a dirty filter, a malfunctioning pump, a cracked drain pan or even a damaged evaporator coil.  We’ve seen this cause significant water damage to New Haven area homes.  It can soak  sheetrock walls and ceilings as well as insulation and carpeting. 

If you have flooding from an A/C leak, your first course of action is to shut the unit off and call your serviceman to identify and repair the problem. Then, call SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford to clean it up. When we receive your call, our office will send a team out to inspect the situation and immediately start the restoration work.  

To treat water damage caused by air conditioning units, our treatment plan will likely include water extractors to remove any standing water as well as water that has soaked into carpets and upholstery. We also treat water damage events with air movers and dehumidifiers to remove the moisture out of the air and expedite the drying process.  We use our floor mat extraction system to remove the moisture from wet wood and tile floors. This system utilizes a strong suction by use of mats, which are attached to a vacuum with hoses, allowing the vacuum to draw out moisture from underneath the floor. 

Our services include the removal of any damaged and unsalvageable materials such as wet sheetrock, flooring and damaged baseboards. Our building services team is CT licensed to rebuild the damaged portions of your home. This might include repairing and painting walls, installing new flooring or even a complete rebuild of your home if necessary.  

For more information on our water damage restoration services, please call our office at (203) 301-0500. 

Our Production Managers Make All the Difference

7/16/2022 (Permalink)

Mario Marcati is one of our Production Managers

Every day, our office staff takes calls from home and business owners who have a big mess on their hands.

Whether its due to a burst pipe, toilet overflow or kitchen fire, we understand that you need help right away and will send a team out to your premises quickly. Upon our team's arrival, your Production Manager will inspect the damage, assess the situation and discuss his recommended restoration plan. The PM’s at SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford oversee the work being done from start to finish. They are your contact should you have any questions about what to expect, the work being done and anything else that you might need assistance on. 

Our Production Managers are a hard working, conscientious group who have shown time and time again that they will go above and beyond for our customers.

In their position, the PM’s are responsible for supervising the restoration work from start to finish. They perform the initial inspection, any pretesting that is needed, the scoping of services and provide job estimates. Our Production Managers schedule and supervise our technicians on the job as well. They are also responsible for working with our office staff in coordinating appointments with customers. Most importantly, our PM’s are the point of contact for our customers during the restoration process. They are available to you by phone when not on site if you have any concerns or questions. 

Between them, our Production Managers have over 100 years of experience in the restoration industry and dozens of industry certifications.

That experience is invaluable when it comes to their ability to come to your home or business and create a treatment plan. There is no guess work involved, as they have seen almost every fire, water and mold damage scenario possible. They always make sure that the job is done right and to our customer’s satisfaction and possess a work ethic that goes unparalleled in our industry. We have every confidence that if there is a problem on a job, our PM’s will do everything possible to resolve the issue and make sure the job is done right.

Hurricane Preparedness Can Make all of the Difference

7/14/2022 (Permalink)

While hurricane season begins June 1^st and lasts until November, on Connecticut's shoreline, we usually get hit in September and October. Hurricane preparedness is vital for keeping your home and family safe. Take precautions now so that you aren't scrambling the day before the storm.  

Make a storm kit. This kit should have supplies to get your family through 48 hours of bad conditions, with no electricity, water, or other basic services. It should have three days’ worth of water and a two day supply of food, as well other important provisions. For other important supplies that you should have on hand, consult the Ready.gov website. 

Gas up your generator. If you have a 5,500 watt generator, it will require about five gallons of gasoline to run for eight hours. Fill up some gas cans so that you’ll be prepared if emergency conditions last for several days. 

Bring things inside from outside. Lawn furniture, toys, garden tools, and anything else that could be blown away in the storm should come inside. Anything you can’t bring inside should be anchored. 

Get your windows, doors, and garage doors ready for the storm. If your windows don’t have storm shutters, plywood or other hard materials can be temporarily affixed to the exterior for protection from wind and flying objects. 

Turn down your refrigerator and freezer. Lowering your refrigerator and freezer to their lowest setting cools the food so that it will stay cold for a while if the power goes out. 

If the power goes out, unplug your electrical appliances. This will keep them from being damaged if there’s a power surge when the electricity comes back on.

Sometimes homes sustain damage, even if you’re as prepared as possible for the storm. Our highly-trained restoration team have the experience and equipment to restore your home to its pre-storm condition. A trusted leader in the water restoration industry, we’ve served our community for more than 20 years and have emergency teams on call.

It's all in the timing.

7/14/2022 (Permalink)

How long will it take to dry out my house?

It's the question on everybody's mind when the SERVPRO team is called to your home after a water damage. And it seems like it should be an easy answer however there are a number of variables that can affect how quickly the restoration of your home will take. 

When our team arrives at your home, we begin to document the cause of water damage, the extent of damage, and all surfaces involved. We then formulate a water damage restoration plan using a software program that is designed determine the number of air movers, air scrubbers and dehumidifiers are required to begin the drying process.

Of course, our team knows that there is more to this work than technical specs and we don't completely rely on a computer system. Our property managers utilize their decades of experience restoring homes and businesses after water damage in determining a treatment plan. 

So, to answer the question - when will it be dry? On average, a typical house will be dry in about four days, depending on the extent of the damage. For example, vacant homes usually have more severe damage and mold may have begun to grow before the water damage was discovered, necessitating more extensive treatment. 

We all want the restoration work to be done quickly and efficiently. Our crew works as a team to do the job right and allow you to go back to your normal routine as quickly as possible.

It's our business to help your business.

6/21/2022 (Permalink)

When your business requires restoration services, we can help.  Whether your commercial property has experienced a sewage overflow, requires mold remediation or an electrical fire, we have the experience, equipment and training to keep your business back up and running.  We understand that you can’t afford to have your doors closed for long and our restoration plan is modeled with that in mind.  

Water Damage Restoration 

When it comes to water damage at commercial properties, we’ve seen it all – from coffee maker lines bursting to basement flooding. We offer 24 hour service, 7 days a week because floods don’t wait for business hours.  No matter where your business is located and no matter if you are a small privately owned business or a big box store, we have the resources and training to fix your problem.  

Fire Damage Restoration 

If your company has experienced a fire, business continuity is your primary concern.  In addition to smoke, soot and structural damage from the fire itself, most businesses that have had a fire also have extensive water damage from firefighting efforts.  As a trusted leader in fire and water damage restoration, SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford knows the ins and outs of fire damage and the extra damage that can come with it.  We have training and experience in fire and smoke restoration, odor control, upholstery and fabric cleaning as well as all aspects or water damage restoration.  

Mold Remediation 

Mold can be frightening to discover at your New Haven County business. Mold, whether from a leak or plumbing, can cause serious problems to those who enter your business, give us a call to discuss how we can manage it as we work fast to address the mold. We know how to contain mold growth while reducing the number of mold spores in the air and on surfaces. Our crew members have training as Applied Microbial Remediation Specialists as well as Applied Structural Drying.  

The SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford team has the experience, knowledge, and expertise necessary to keep your business running after a water, fire or mold disaster.  It’s our business to keep you in business.  

The Lingering Smell After a Kitchen Fire

6/13/2022 (Permalink)

There are times when we enter a home that has had a fire and there is little visible evidence of damage other than a blackened kitchen range. However, in these cases the lingering smoke odor can be a big problem.

If you’ve ever tried to remove smoke odor on your own, however, you know that this is not an easy task. Smoke can penetrate both hard and soft surfaces, including wood floors, carpeting and even infiltrate the cavity behind walls, leaving the home with a smoky smell for years. 

The professional restoration efforts of SERVPRO of Milford-Orange-Stratford ensures that the smoke damage is neutralized completely, with no scent at all left behind. Our team has a number of ways in which it accomplishes the neutralization of odorous molecules. One tool in our arsenal is the fogging machine. This chemical fog applied has no scent, but it reacts with smoke damage on a molecular level and nullifies them entirely. Ozone machines with HEPA filters are also utilized for deodorizing your home. This machine cleans the air of the foul lingering odor and removes any harmful molecules that might also still be around following your recent fire. 

Don’t suffer in a smelly home after you’ve had a small kitchen fire. Our team is trained and experienced in fire damage restoration and ready to make it “Like it never even happened.”

Sewage Clean Up at Milford Commercial Properties

5/31/2022 (Permalink)

Sewage backups are a literal mess and when you are a business owner, the call can come at any time.

Whether you own a restaurant and your public toilet has overflowed during the dinner rush or your retail business has a sewage flood that is quickly spreading on the carpeting, it’s a call that you don’t want to receive.

Toilet overflows and sewage backups are not an ordinary water damage event. Sewage is contaminated and the flooding caused can damage your commercial building and its contents as well as create a risk of disease. Knowing the causes, the preventative actions that can be taken and having a plan of action in place can help business owners reduce the extent of the damage to their building.

What causes a sewer backup?

Most often, sewage backups are caused by a blockage in the lateral line from your building to the main sewer. This can be caused by tree roots that damage pipes as well as debris that has clogged up the lines. Damage to your lines can also occur due to aging pipes that develop cracks. Even driving heavy equipment such as a moving truck across the lawn can damage the pipes buried there. 

Most sewage backups that occur due to blocked pipe occur over time, so there are some strategies that a business owner can take to reduce the chance of this happening.

You already know that a good plumber is essential to protecting your structure. Have your plumber conduct an annual inspection with the purpose of identifying potential problems before the pipes are completely blocked and flooding has occurred.

Follow your plumbers advice as to whether a water pressure reducing valve or a pop-up sewer release valve might protect your property in the case of a sewage backup.

Steps to Take if You Have a Sewage Backup

Our commercial property customers know to call us immediately upon the discovery of any water damage but this is even more important in the case of sewage flooding. Contaminated water may cause health effects and as it quickly makes it way into walls and flooring, the danger spreads.

It is essential that your employees do not clean up a sewage backup themselves. They can actually make the situation more dangerous and put themselves at risk. We recommend that the area is evacuated until the SERVPRO of Milford- Orange-Stratford restoration crew is on the scene to assess the damage and immediately begin the restoration process.

Our team is trained in how to execute a professional and efficient sewage damage restoration plan. We will remove not only the sewage, but also properly remove damaged materials and sanitize your structure and restore contents. One of the worst parts of a septic backup is the smell. Our team uses odor removal equipment to get rid of the stench left behind.

If you are not already familiar with the services that we offer commercial properties, give our office a call at (203) 301-0500 to see how we can help you protect your business from damage.