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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived Blog Posts

Emergency Ready Plan

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Emergency Ready Plan Cover The cover of the emergency ready plan.

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore offers several services for commercial buildings. One such service is the SERVPRO Emergency Ready Program (ERP). This is a free program that is offered to Help businesses to be prepared for a disaster.

Floods or fires can cause major problems for businesses. Some of these problems cause businesses to have to close, then they also have to close for a time while repairs are being attended to, having to restock the inventory, and the amount of time that it takes to get back to the operating condition can very much hurt a business for being shut down for a lengthy period of time.

Having an ERP done for your commercial building helps gather information such as the location of gas, electrical, and water shut-offs along with information about the size of your building and possible hazardous materials that are stored in your building to be ready to jump into action when a disaster is about to strike.

Knowing these things helps us be able to respond more quickly and it can be helpful to people who work at the building as well for not being out of a job for a while.

Noisy HVAC? Here’s Why and How to Fix It

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Woman covering her ears. Old HVAC systems make a lot of noise.

HVAC systems tend to make strange noises, but any homeowner can usually recognize when the sound changes into something different. Diagnosing where the sound is coming from is usually the first step to diagnosing the problem, but the type of noise itself can give you a major clue about the type of problem you’re dealing with. Here are 11 of the most common HVAC noises that you may encounter and how to handle them.

11 Common HVAC Noises and What They Mean

Rattling

Something is loose or broken. Typically, this is either the furnace blower or the motor. Additionally, there could be debris inside the system. Check for loose screws. If the rattling gets louder as it runs, turn it off and get professional help because something is broken or disconnected.

Popping

Popping happens when warm air goes through cold ducts, but this should only happen when you haven’t used your heater in a while. Besides first turning on your system, you might hear popping noises if fluid is leaking or freezing.

Scraping or Thwapping

Typically, these scraping sounds are not indicative of monstrous issues, but a problem with the fans. Something is obstructing the fan blades from properly moving, which damages the blades, and the motor, and can even lead to a refrigerant leak.

Humming

Humming is caused by loose parts, electrical problems, or motor issues. While humming is not a dire problem itself, it’s often a harbinger of HVAC problems.

Clicking

Clicking can happen for several reasons in an AC unit. It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause without the help of a technician. If your heater is clicking, it could mean there’s a problem with the ignition system.

Booming

A boom is often preceded by clicking. Your furnace will make a booming noise when it tries to light but doesn’t work. It will continue its attempts, creating a build-up of gas that lights up all at once when it finally ignites. A technician should take a look at it, but you may also need to have the flue and chamber inspected or cleaned.

Hissing

If the hissing is coming from your AC, it’s usually due to an internal refrigerant leak in the compressor. Turn off the power to the AC immediately and get it checked. If your furnace is the source of the hissing, there’s likely a leak in the furnace itself or in a connected air duct that needs to be replaced.

Buzzing

There are four main reasons why your HVAC is buzzing: the compressor is malfunctioning, the refrigerant may be leaking and freezing the parts, debris is blocking regular movement, or there’s a loose part that’s shaking. If the buzz comes from your AC, you might need to clean the condenser coil or change the air filter. Regardless, you’ll want to get it looked at.

Clanking or Banging

Banging or clanking is similar to rattling and usually comes from a loose part of your system. You may need to replace the compressor, realign the fan blades, or balance the indoor blower if the noise is coming from your AC. A boiler will bang if scale forms on the heat exchanger as well.

Screeching or Squealing

A loud screech is typically the fault of a bad fan belt that needs to be replaced. However, it could also be caused by a malfunctioning motor or blower. Your motor could need lubricant, but if that doesn’t help, a technician will be able to determine the problem.

Whistling or Screaming

High-pitched whistling or screams are not a good sign. When the noise comes from a boiler, the air is likely trapped in the system. If your AC is the culprit, turn it off right away. There could be a leak that’s building into a high refrigerant pressure. Don’t turn it on again until you can have a professional look at it to determine the problem.

We Hear You: Calling in the Professionals

When you have a strange noise coming from your HVAC system, don’t panic. Follow these guides and contact a professional HVAC service to help you resolve the problem and the noise behind it.

To help prevent these unsettling noises and the even more frightening issues causing them, you should get your HVAC system checked once a year. If you have a heat pump that’s doing double-duty heating and cooling, you should schedule an appointment every 6 months. Regular tune-ups and inspections can save you lots of money—and frustration—down the road.

If your HVAC system is making any of these noises, contact the technicians at SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore. We’ll diagnose the problem and, even better, fix it for you so that you can rest at ease again. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services!

Common causes of home fires

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

House Fire Fire on the rooftop of a home in Cedar City

There are several ways that fires can start within your home. As important as house fire prevention is if we were to try to list all of the ways that a fire can start in a home the list would quickly become longer than most people would want to read or be able to remember well. With this in mind, we will cover a few different and more common causes of house fires in this post and more causes in additional posts as well.

Cooking: Overheating pots or pans, cooking with oil, using high temperatures, becoming distracted, and leaving the kitchen unattended are all contributing factors to fires that start while cooking.

Heating Systems: Ways to avoid your heating system becoming the source of a home fire start with proper maintenance such as an annual inspection of your furnace by a qualified technician, and having your chimney cleaned.  It is also helpful to keep portable heaters at a safe distance from flammable material.

Smoking: The use of deep ashtrays can be helpful in avoiding a fire caused by smoking. Ensure that all cigarettes are extinguished before being tossed, keep ashtrays on non-flammable surfaces, and ensure that all cigarettes/embers that may have fallen are removed from any furniture.

 As was mentioned this list of common house fire causes is not all-inclusive. While we always hope that you are not affected by a house fire we know that even when preventative measures are taken house fires still happen.

If you experience a house fire one of the best things that you can do is to call. We have extensive experience with the cleaning and remediation of fire-damaged homes. We also are well versed in working with insurance companies. Our goal is to make it "Like it never even happened."

Smoke Alarms: Life Savers

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Smoke Alarm Installation Smoke alarms installation can save lives.

Smoke alarms save lives when properly installed and maintained, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

In homes, smoke alarms should be in every bedroom and on every level including the basement. In-office and commercial environments, check your state requirements or contact your local Fire Marshal to help ensure all codes are met.

Test smoke alarms monthly by using the test button. Smoke alarms with non-replaceable batteries need the entire smoke alarm unit replaced every ten years. Other alarms need batteries replaced every year and the unit itself should be replaced every ten years.

If the alarm is sounding, it is signaling a low battery, take the proper steps to replace the unit or the batteries immediately. Do not ever disable or remove the battery from an alarm. Almost half of all fires where smoke alarms were present did not activate and had missing or disconnected batteries.

In larger commercial facilities, hardwired or wireless smoke alarms offer benefits such as not needing to be tested as often and activating throughout the entire building if smoke is detected in just one area.

if you require assistance installing, testing, or changing batteries in your smoke alarms, contact your local fire department, an electrician, or the American Red Cross.

Be sure your home or workplace has a fire emergency plan in place and conduct regular fire drills.

We are an IICRC Certified Firm

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

IICRC Logo The IICRC is the leading provider of certifications for the Disaster and Restoration Industry.

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.

IICRC Certified Firms must

• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.

• Require a technician on all jobs who have been formally trained and passed all required tests.

• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.

• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.

• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.

The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry

The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration, and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.

Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.

About SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke, or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Facts About Commercial Generator

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Flooded Building in Cedar City The warehouse flooded and suffered water damage.

1. There Are Two Main Fuel Types for Generators

If you’re looking at commercial generators for your business, you will need to choose between diesel and gas fuel types. Diesel models are often more expensive and noisy. However, they require less maintenance and emit less carbon dioxide. Gas generators have a shorter lifespan and are a potential fire hazard, but they are connected to a gas line which means they have a consistent fuel source.

2. The Running Time Will Depend on Your Generator’s Type

When choosing generators, you can go with a portable or permanent model. While portable models will work for many small businesses, their run time is typically only a few hours. Permanent generators can run for very long periods of time, so if outages are common in your area you’ll want to go with a permanent model.

3. Maintenance is Key

To prevent needing to call a restoration company due to damages caused by your generator, it is important that you look for common generator problems like battery failure and leaks before a power outage occurs.

4. Carbon Dioxide Is a Risk

Always keep your generator a safe distance away from the building and allow for plenty of ventilation in order to avoid carbon dioxide poisoning.

A commercial generator is essential for providing power to your building in the case of an outage or blackout. Keep these four facts in mind so you can choose the right model for your needs and keep it running in good repair!

11 Items to Have in Your Home Emergency Kit

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Emergency Preparedness Kit Use an emergency preparedness kit when disaster strikes.

After a storm hits and the power goes out, being prepared could make survival over the next few days easier for you and your family. If you know a storm is coming, it’s smart to prepare a home emergency kit. Your survival kit should include a variety of supplies, all of which should help you survive on your own over a few days.

When you’re putting together your home emergency kit, these 11 items are essentials to include to make sure you are prepared for storms and emergencies.

Water

Water should be one of the first and most important items you put in your survival kit. You should include a gallon of water per person for each day you plan to prepare. If you don’t know how many days to prepare for, you should include enough supplies for at least three days.

Food

You should also have at least three days’ worth of non-perishable food in your emergency kit. Food like canned vegetables, soups, crackers, and granola bars are perfect for adding to your kit.

First Aid Kit

Put together a first aid kit for emergency preparedness. Include items like bandages, ointments, pain relievers, cough drops, and aloe vera cream or gel.

Flashlight

Include a flashlight or several flashlights in your kit. Make sure they have working batteries, so you can have light if your power goes out.

Batteries

Your emergency kit can also include spare batteries for things like flashlights and cell phones. If you’re including a battery pack or portable charger for cell phones, be sure to charge them before putting them in your survival kit.

Cash

Having cash on hand is a smart move, especially during emergencies. You never know when you won’t have access to your bank or your credit cards. Having cash in your home emergency kit ensures you will have money to purchase anything you might need.

Medications

Include medications and other medicine in your survival kit. If anyone in your household takes medications, pack a seven-day supply. Make sure you have other medicine like cough syrup, antacids, and fever reducers.

Emergency Contact Information

Keep a list of emergency contacts in your kit as well. Include numbers for family members, close friends, and other emergency numbers.

Blankets

Put aside a supply of blankets for your home emergency kit. Include enough blankets to keep your entire household warm during the event of a power outage.

Whistle

Put at least one whistle in your emergency kit too. If you’re in a dire situation, a whistle can help you signal for help from others.

Toiletries

Include a variety of toiletries, such as toilet paper, body and facial wipes, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, and other personal hygiene items. Keep in mind that in an emergency, you may not have access to running water, so pack items that can help you stay clean without needing to run water.

Contact SERVPRO

If you need further help putting together a home emergency kit or want to discuss storm preparedness, feel free to reach out to us at SERVPRO! In the case that an emergency does take place, SERVPRO is here to help restore any damage. Contact us for restoration and cleanup services in Fillmore, Cedar City, and the surrounding areas.

10 Tips to Help You Survive a Winter Power Outage

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Cold Women in Home Winter storms can cause outages. Keep out the cold with these tips.

With winter storms, come winter power outages. While a power outage may not be avoidable, you can stay warm without electricity and survive the outage. Take the recent power outages Texas has been experiencing as an example. Outages can often be unexpected and leave many people in dire situations. But if you take the necessary steps, you can be prepared for power outages caused by winter storms.

1. Stay Warm During Winter Storm Power Outages

When the power goes out, it can get significantly cold very fast. You want to be sure you can stay warm during power outages by taking the necessary precautions.

Keep Doors and Windows Shut

First, you want to have all doors and windows completely shut. If there are any cracks in the doors or windows, use towels to prevent drafts and cold air from coming in.

If you have black blankets or towels, these can also be used to draw extra heat into your house. By hanging them on windows or laying them on the floor where the sun shines, you are insulating the windows and bringing in heat directly from the sun.

Have Blankets on Hand

If you expect a winter storm, be sure to have several blankets on hand. Having enough blankets for your whole family can help you and your family to stay warm without electricity. Be sure to also dress in multiple layers.

2. Avoid Traveling During Winter Storms and Power Outages

If weather conditions are dangerous, such as sleet or freezing rain, it’s never a good idea to travel. Avoid traveling altogether unless it is absolutely necessary.

If you do have to travel during a winter storm, be prepared. Keep an emergency travel supply kit in your car and make sure you’re not traveling alone. Additionally, be sure someone knows where you are headed so that they can know if you arrive safely.

3. Keep a Non-Electric Heater

If you experience a winter power outage, have a backup non-electric heater installed in your home. Fireplaces and wood stoves are great at keeping you warm, but you need to be careful when using them. Be sure they are cleaned regularly and safely store any fuel for them.

4. Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning while Trying to Stay Warm

If you are using a non-electric heater, be sure to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. To do this, clean out your fireplace or wood stove before lighting it. Also, be sure the area is ventilated so that the fumes produced can leave your home.

5. Keep a Stock of Water and Non-Perishable Foods

Always have a stash of bottled water and non-perishable foods on hand in the event of a winter power outage.

It’s recommended to have three days’ worth of a supply of water on hand for your entire household. This means you should also have three days’ worth of food for everyone, including pets. Keep non-perishable foods in your pantry, such as canned vegetables and soups, granola or fruit bars, crackers, and nuts.

6. Have an Emergency Kit Prepared

Before a storm is expected to hit, take the time to put together an emergency kit. These kits can include first aid, medication, blankets, and flashlights. You can also include candles, extra batteries, pre-charged portable chargers, a small tool kit, and toiletries.

7. Keep Children and Pets Safe

During winter power outages, it’s extremely important to watch out for children and pets. Stay in the same room as them. If for some reason you need to travel in the winter storm and your children are old enough to stay home by themselves, keep emergency supplies for them.

Make sure your children know where emergency phone numbers are in case they need to reach someone. Have any medication they might need accessible and be sure they are dressed in layers.

Be sure to also dress your pets in any clothes you might have for them as well. If you do not have pet clothing, keep your pets wrapped in blankets for warmth.

8. Avoid Using Phones for Non-Emergencies

If you’re in the middle of a power outage, then you have limited cell phone batteries, which is why phones should be used only for emergencies.

Limiting the amount of time on your phones can help preserve your battery length. It’s smart to conserve your phone’s battery if you have an emergency and need to reach someone. Be sure to also have pre-charged portable chargers so that you can charge your phone throughout the power outage.

If you need to contact family members to confirm their safety, text them. Texting uses less power and doesn’t congest the network, leaving phone lines open for emergencies.

9. Prevent Further Damage

While your power is out, go around your house to unplug appliances and electronics. You won’t be needing them during the outage. By unplugging them, you’re protecting them from a power surge when your electricity does come back on.

You can keep one lamp plugged in and switched on. Although, the lamp won’t work, when it does flick on, you’ll know the power has come back.

10. Be Prepared to Evacuate

On the off chance that you need to evacuate your home during a winter power outage, there are a handful of things you should turn off or unplug before you evacuate.

Turn Off the Main Breaker and Water Main

Before leaving, be sure to turn off your main breaker. If you have a circuit breaker panel or power supply box, turn that off as well.

You also need to turn off your water main. After doing this, you need to drain any water from the system by opening all taps and flushing toilets in your house several times. Open your drain valve to empty the hot water tank as well.

After flushing toilets and draining sinks and tubs, spray antifreeze into the water left behind to prevent it from freezing over.

Unhook Appliances

Be sure to also unhook major appliances like washing machine hoses and drains. If you haven’t done so already, go through your house and unplug other appliances and electronics as well.

Faster to your Cedar City Water Disaster

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Broken Pipe Pipes can break and flood a residential home.

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore provides 24-hour fire and water damage restoration service in Iron County

Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. We provide emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.

Faster To Any Size Disaster

Flooding and water damage are very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more.  SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.

Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – (435)251-9241

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

  • Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
  • Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
  • Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
  • Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

  • Drywall begins to swell and break down.
  • Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
  • Furniture begins to swell and crack.
  • Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
  • A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

  • Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
  • Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
  • Metal begins to rust and corrode.
  • Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
  • Paint begins to blister.
  • Wood flooring swells and warps.
  • Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

  • Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
  • Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

Carpet Cleaning Questions

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Dirty Carpets Dirty carpets can be cleaned by experts.

At SERVPRO we are often asked questions about carpet cleaning. These questions include things such as, how often I need to clean my carpets, will cleaning my carpets make them get dirty faster, and how long will my carpets take to dry. In the next few posts, we will tackle these questions and give you the much-needed answers.

Will cleaning my carpets make the get dirty faster?

There are some companies that do not thoroughly rinse carpets well enough. When this happens the soap residue that is left behind will attract dirt and make the carpets look dirty faster. At SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore, we utilize a truck-mounted carpet cleaning unit that heats water up to 230°. When hot water is used in a sufficient quantity to rinse the soap out of a carpet there is very little residue is left behind. If there is not a lot of soap residue left behind the carpet will not look dirty faster.

When should I clean my carpets?

My answer to this is “It depends”. There are several different factors that come into play when the discussion of when a carpet should be cleaned comes up. First, how much traffic is your carpet seeing? If you have seven kids that live in your house and they keep their shoes on your carpet are seeing a lot of traffic and probably need more frequent cleaning if you only have two adults living in your home you won’t need it done as often. What type of area environmental conditions are close to your house? Do you have a gravel driveway, dirt driveway, cement driveway, or asphalt? Some of these will cause you to track more dirt into your house. There are many more factors that come into play but as you can see it is hard to say exactly how often a carpet should be cleaned.

In general, I recommend that as soon as it starts to look like it is getting dirty that you clean it. If that time comes in three months that is when you should clean it. Even if your carpet looks clean after a year I recommend not going longer than a year between cleanings.

Over time there are dirt and dust particles that settle into your carpet that your vacuum can not remove. These particles get ground into your carpet and create wear patterns commonly called traffic areas. Regular cleaning can prolong the life of your carpet.

Emergency Water Damage Tips

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Flooded Residentioal Home A large flood can be difficult to clean without expert help.

Emergency tips for when your house has been flooded by water from a clean source.

When you find that your house has been flooded it is common to feel alarmed, frustrated, devastated, or worried at some level. Not knowing what has been damaged or how much the repairs will cost can be quite stressful. However, there are things that you can do to minimize the damage to your home and to ensure the safety of you and your family. Here are a few quick tips that can be quite helpful when your home has been flooded by water from a clean source.

  1. Shut off the source of water if possible or contact a qualified party to stop the water source.
  2. Turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building, when access to the power distribution panel is safe from electrical shock.
  3. Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting.
  4. Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items.
  5. Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying.
  6. Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting.
  7. Remove to a safe, dry place any paintings, art objects, computers, documents, and other materials that are valuable or sensitive to moisture.
  8. Uses wooden clothespins to keep furniture skirting off damp floors.
  9. Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
  10. Don’t enter rooms with standing water where electrical shock hazards may exist.
  11. Don’t enter affected areas if electrical outlets, switches, circuit breakers, or electrical equipment are exposed to water. Always avoid electrical shock hazards.
  12. Don’t leave books, newspapers, magazines, or other colored items on wet carpets or floors to cause staining.
  13. Don’t leave Oriental rugs or other colored rugs on wet wall-to-wall carpets to cause staining.
  14. Don’t use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water, possibly causing electrical shock or damage to the vacuum cleaner.
  15. Don’t use TVs or other appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors, especially on wet concrete floors.
  16. Don’t turn on the ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet or enter rooms where ceilings are sagging from retained water.

These tips will help you avoid some dangerous situations and allow you to save money by decreasing the amount of damage that could happen to your home, of course, the first and best tip is always to give us a call.

Flood Water Cleanup

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Ceiling Pipe Break Pipe Break Cleanup in Cedar City

Flooding and water damage events in Cedar City commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we’re dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large-scale event, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility.

Restoring Commercial Properties

Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.

6 Ways to Hailproof Your Home from Hailstorms

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Hail on the Rooftop Large hail ruining a rooftop

Hailstorms can come out of nowhere, last a few minutes, and inflict damage. While not every hailstorm causes that much damage, some can be more harmful than others.

But hail roofing your home for winter storms could save your house from significant hail damage. By taking these six precautions to hail-proof your home, you can not only protect your home from damage, but you can protect your household from getting hurt by hail as well.

Maintain Your Roof to Prevent Hailstorm Damage

Inspecting your roof regularly can help save you from hail damage and expenses. If you notice any problems, contact roofers to give your roof the maintenance it needs.

Stay prepared for any unexpected hailstorms that come your way by maintaining your roof. Keep track of any problems or damaged shingles so that you can replace them right away. If a shingle seems to only be mildly damaged, it’s best to still take proper hailstorm preparedness actions and fix it. Even minor defects can leave room for hail to cause significant damage.

Keep Your Trees Trimmed

Keep your trees and shrubs regularly trimmed to prevent the risk of them damaging your home during hailstorms. If you keep your trees and shrubs maintained, it reduces the chances that branches will break off and fall onto your home during the next hailstorm.

While it’s important to maintain all trees and shrubs in your yard, take extra care to trim those close to your roof or windows. Branches hanging over your roof or near windows are more likely to cause damage than others.

Clear Your Gutters

Be sure to always clean out your gutters to keep them clear. When a hailstorm hits, you’ll want to know that water can properly drain off your roof to prevent water damage to your home.

Bring Outdoor Furniture and Items Inside

During powerful hailstorms, outside furniture and items can pose an immediate threat to your home and family. Powerful winds can blow around furniture, making airborne projectiles, which can damage windows. Hailproof your outdoor area by bringing any outdoor furniture and items inside during winter storms.

Keep Windows and Doors Sealed

As soon as a hailstorm starts, make sure all your doors and windows are sealed. It’s especially important that you cover your windows with drapes or blinds in the chance that hail shatters your windows. By keeping them covered with drapes or permanent shutters, you can prevent glass and hail from being projected into your home.

Bring Vehicles into Your Garage or a Covered Area

If you don’t already keep your vehicles in your garage or a covered area, it’s a good measure for hailstorm preparation to start. Keeping cars, RVs, and boats covered can help protect them from significant hailstorm damage. It’s best to keep them in a completely enclosed area for the best protection, such as a garage or shed.

Storm Damage Restoration from SERVPRO

At SERVPRO, we can help you with any winter storm damage questions or concerns. If your home or commercial property suffers damage from a hailstorm, our team can help restore the building. Contact us today to discuss hailstorm damage and restoration for your property.

Storm Damage Tax Write-Off

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Storm Damaged Roof Roof Damage and Tax Write-Off Benefits

When your Cedar City, UT, the property has suffered from serious storm damage, the recovery efforts and expenses add up rapidly. Fortunately, the losses may be covered by a tax-deductible if your insurance company didn't cover them. (If your property is insured, but you didn't file a claim, you won't be eligible for the write-off.)

What type of storms could prompt the qualification for deductions?

  • Blizzards
  • Earthquakes
  • Flooding
  • Hurricane
  • Tornadoes

Any of these natural disasters could ruin carpeting, drywall, and furnishings. Hopefully, your insurance coverage will provide for most of the cleanup and repair costs, but many property owners are still left with financial losses. This is where the tax write-off comes in; basically, if you can show a direct connection between the storm, you can apply for the deduction.

A Break for Business Property Owners

When rules for claiming this deduction for your business property are a little more relaxed than the rules for private property. For example, residential property owners must subtract $100 and 10 percent of your adjusted gross income from their deductible amount. Residential property owners must itemize to claim the deduction, but commercial property owners can file as nonitemizers. If you're preparing your own taxes, research related IRS publications and specifically #547 which covers casualties, disasters, and thefts.

Natural Disaster Areas

If storm damage takes place in an area that has been declared a Natural Disaster Area by the U.S. president, it is possible to deduct casualty losses from the tax return for the current year or from the previous year. This opportunity to amend a past return allows you to determine which would give you the bigger refund check.

Available Resources Provide Help

Storm damage can prompt serious repair costs and lead to difficult financial losses. You'll find that working with property disaster repair and cleanup professionals, insurance representatives, and tax advisors is a good way to get a clear picture of the available resources. When your Cedar City, UT, property looks like it was hit by a hurricane (because it was,) be sure to use every available resource to rebuild and get back to work.

Floor to Ceiling Water Mitigation

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Broken Pipe in Water This wall suffered water damage due to a broken pipe in Cedar City, UT.

Business owners or site managers in Cedar City, UT, who are unfortunate enough to experience a water damage event usually want to get the problem dealt with as quickly and quietly as possible. However, it makes much more sense to do a thorough and methodical cleanup and restore the affected elements of your building. Secondary issues, such as black mold and pest problems, might arise from even clean water sources. Pipe burst cleanup is important, so check your building from top to bottom, especially if you have:

• Water pipes
• Damaged water supply lines
• Unexplained clean water flooding

Commercial Flood Concerns


When a supply line or pipe breaks, it's important to start thinking from the ground up. The first task after stopping the water source is, of course, to remove any standing water. After that, proper removal, cleanup, and drying procedures can start.

In the Walls

One of the reasons you should take special care with burst pipes is their location. Many pipes are near to or embedded in walls. It's important to go through a rigorous damage mitigation procedure if one of these breaks, especially if it's in an awkward position. Walls might need to be removed, or sections might need to be replaced. If pipe burst cleanup is done correctly, you might feel like your whole building is being ripped apart. However, you should be able to enjoy normal operations again as soon as everything is dried and refurbished.

Up in the Air

A supply line leaking might cause problems in multi-floor buildings that appear to be coming from the next floor up. In fact, the issue might be between the floors. Water cleanup procedures are relatively similar in these cases, but they take place on the ceiling.

Nobody in Cedar City, UT, wants to see their building ripped up, but these pipe burst cleanup steps are often necessary to save you and your stakeholders from further complications down the road. Even if it seems hectic right after the flood event, everything should be back to new relatively quickly with the right cleanup crew.

Carpet Cleaning after Fire Damage

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Soot on Carpet Carpet damage and soot after a house fire.

We have all been in that situation where you move the couch while cleaning the living room and, Boom! You see how dirty your carpet really is. The difference between under the couch and right in front is staggering. If you have a home fire it becomes even clearer that you will need a professional company to get your carpet looking good again. The question is from who?

Please allow me to tell you why SERVPRO Of Cedar City/ Fillmore is the best choice. Our professional crew can address moderate and heavy soil conditions in your carpets. Here are a few reasons why we are your number one choice:

  • Truck-mounted extraction unit. The benefits of this include:
    1. Higher Cleaning Temperature- higher temperature will activate the washing agents more effectively and aid in killing all that bacteria.
    2. Greater Psi- With more pressure, the more dirt and soil will be removed from the carpet.
    3. Higher Vacuum Levels- Less water will be left in your carpet and therefore dry time will be a lot faster with an average of up to two hours
    4. Faster Cleaning Time- They are easier to set up and have less down time during a task allowing for cleaners to be more efficient with time.
  • Training- All or technicians are trained. All technicians take a two-day course covering pre-inspection, fabric identification, cleaning chemicals and equipment, and proper cleaning techniques for residential and commercial applications
  • Green Chemical- SERVPRO takes safety and transparency seriously, and will be providing the ingredients disclosure sheet and safety data sheet for each of our products. All products manufactured and distributed in the United States are subject to local, state and federal regulations for transparency, use and disposal.
  • Customer Service- We know that you as a consumer are our life blood as a business. Because of that we strive to give each customer the best experience possible.  We do this by having knowledgeable technicians, upfront pricing and timely service.  We want to make your experience the very best.

We will get the job done right. For a cleaning backed by state-of-the-art equipment, over 40 years of experience, and Professionals trained to the highest standards, call us today.

How To Manage Your Home’s Pipes During the Winter

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

Water Damage Risk Minimizing water damage in house pipes.

Freezing temperatures are a water pipe’s worst enemy. As a precaution, every homeowner should employ strategies to minimize the risk of bursting pipes during cold winter months. In the event of a broken pipe, you should also know how to efficiently address the ensuing water damage.

Minimize the Risk of Water Damage

Fixing a broken pipe and cleaning up water damage can be tedious projects. To minimize the risk of burst pipes, consider the following tips:

  • Direct warm air towards pipes located near external walls
  • Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets under sinks to increase air flow
  • Ensure the temperature remains above 32? in all parts of your home
  • Keep water moving through pipes by allowing one or two faucets to slowly drip
  • Seal leaks allowing cold air inside your home

Safety Concerns

Water and electricity are a potentially deadly combination. If a pipe bursts, make sure to turn off the power to any electrical devices or appliances near the affected area to avoid electric shock.

The Cleanup Process

Bursting pipes can release large volumes of water, creating significant destruction. To begin the cleanup process, you should drain any remaining water. You can use a shop vac to expedite the process.

Once you eliminate pooled water, remove soaked carpets, wet drywall and insulation, and any saturated personal belongings. You may be able to salvage some items, but damaged drywall and insulation will need to be replaced.

Before proceeding with repairs, you must ensure that the affected area is free of moisture. Opening windows and using fans and a dehumidifier can help speed the drying process. The affected area should be completely dry within two to three days, but it may take longer, depending on the volume of water released.

Professional Assistance

Bursting pipes can present a significant challenge for any homeowner in Cedar City, Utah. Fortunately, you do not have to tackle the problem alone. A licensed plumber can help you fix the broken pipe, and a professional cleanup and restoration team can assess the damage and help complete repairs. Taking proactive measures to protect your pipes from freezing temperatures is also beneficial and may prevent unintentional damage in the first place.

Avoid the Dangers of a DIY Approach to Smoke Damage

5/30/2022 (Permalink)

High Density Smoke Trust the Professionals and avoid Smoke Damage in your Property.

When fire affects your commercial property in Cedar City, UT, your business may come to a screeching halt. In addition to the costs associated with cleaning up and recovering from fire and smoke damage, you'll suffer financial loss because you can't continue to work as normal.

Appliances, belongings, and inventory may be lost, and you'll have to arrange for repairs to your electrical and water systems. You may also need to address damage to your landscape.

Even if your property wasn't immediately affected by fire, damage caused by smoke from a neighboring business can cause you a lot of trouble.

How You Should Respond to Smoke Damage

After the initial cleanup of your property, you may find that smoke damage has caused more trouble than the flames or the firefighters' hoses. Smoke carries toxins and acidic compounds throughout the area immediately affected by the fire and into parts of the building that the flames didn't reach. There are visible signs that you have trouble from smoke:

  • Sticky black and brown soot deposits
  • A strong distinct odor that clings stubbornly to walls, furnishings, and carpets
  • Dark stains and yellowing paint on surfaces

Smoke also gets into air pockets in areas that are out of sight. Ignoring smoke damage can lead to contaminated property, stains, and lingering odors. Even if the flames didn't touch your building, smoke and soot damage may be a problem, so act quickly.

Avoid the Do-It-Yourself Approach

You need professionals to respond to smoke and soot damage. A DIY approach can easily lead to further property damage. This may happen because the structure of the building has been weakened and those new areas of vulnerability aren't always obvious. It also happens because many non-professionals don't have the training or the appropriate equipment to remove soot and prevent stains.

DIY recovery attempts often miss damage to the building that can't be seen. For example, as smoke moves through electrical outlets, heating and cooling vents, and tiny openings, it can damage wiring or lead to mold growth.

Schedule a Professional Inspection

As soon as possible, arrange for fire damage and smoke cleaning professionals to inspect your property. These technicians will assess the scope of the damage from the exterior roofing and siding through the framing and plumbing to the interior of the building.

They will look for immediate needs, such as boarding up holes in the building, and will also make a plan for cleaning and rebuilding until your building is once again ready for use.

Contact Your Insurance Company

In addition to contacting property damage professionals, reach out to your insurance company. Damage from smoke is usually a covered loss even if the damage was due to a fire on your neighbor's property. It's important to speak with an insurance representative right away to ensure a quick response from an adjuster.

Many insurance companies prefer that you work with a professional cleanup and recovery team because professional reconstruction is often less expensive than the costs of new damage caused by DIY attempts.

Smoke damage can be as problematic as fire and water damage. You need to act quickly to identify the scope of trouble and involve professionals in your cleanup and restoration efforts. Don't risk unseen or further damage by trying to handle the problem yourself.

Why Quick Response Matters in Mitigation

5/30/2022 (Permalink)

Roof Damaged by Water Quick Response is the Best Option. Trust the Professionals and avoid Further Damage.

Choosing a service provider to recommend to insurance clients is an important decision. When there is a water loss or another type of damage in a covered building in Cedar City, UT, your clients can't afford to delay the resolution. They need a mitigation team with a 24-hour call center and a fast local response time. Those are just a couple of the reasons many insurance providers list SERVPRO as a preferred vendor.

Why Quick Response Matters?

Call Center Is Always Open

Commercial properties are particularly vulnerable to delays because they are not necessarily occupied all the time. Therefore, it is especially important for business owners to be able to report problems whenever they discover them, no matter what time of the day or night it is. The SERVPRO call center is open around the clock and can have a local team contact your client within an hour of the call.

The property owner should be prepared to answer a few key questions when contacted by the local certified mitigation experts:

  • Where is the damage located?
  • What is the source of the problem?
  • How much damage does there seem to be?
  • Who will meet the team at the building?

On-Site Assessment

Once the lead contractor has assembled a team to respond to your client's needs, the technicians show up to complete the on-site assessment. Within four hours of the initial call to the 24-hour response center, the team arrives to complete pretesting and inspection of the building. The technicians determine the contamination level of the water and look for structural damage and ruined materials.

If standing water was reported during the initial consultation, the team bring pumps to remove it so that it cannot cause any further damage to the building. This fast response also helps the lead technician see the problem more clearly. The assessment is concluded when the team has a good idea of all the steps that will be involved in restoring the building to its former state.

Overview of Process

SERVPRO commits to a verbal briefing of the assessment with the property owner within eight hours of the initial contact. This conversation is the last step that happens before the mitigation work begins. It is also a chance for your client to ask questions and voice concerns. Since SERVPRO is always open, your client can count on this level of open communication until cleanup is complete.

During this briefing, the team leader outlines the overall mitigation and restoration process. This includes an itemized list of the tasks involved and an estimate for the cost. Both you and the client can access this information online at any time. Any changes that have to be made as the cleanup process progresses are reported in a timely manner so that the overview remains accurate.

SERVPRO prides itself on its 24-hour availability to its clients. The local team is notified quickly so that it can assess the problem and start work in a timely manner. With such an excellent track record in quick response times, it's no wonder that SERVPRO is a preferred vendor for many providers.

Protect Your Home From Storm Damage With Landscaping

5/30/2022 (Permalink)

Stones placed to prevent water damage Avoid Storm Damage by Following our Tips.

Heavy rainfall can lead to outside flooding and standing water indoors if your Cedar City, UT, yard is not adequately landscaped. It doesn't take much water indoors to do a lot of severe damage.

Therefore, it's essential to ensure that rain can drain away from your house to flow to a better location. There are several relatively simple ways to protect your home and its contents from stormwater runoff.

Ways To Prevent Indoor Water Damage From Stormwater Runoff

1. Install an Ecoroof

Roofs are the most significant contributor to rainstorm runoff, but green roofs significantly reduce this drainage. Home and other building owners have been using green roofs for years, but they haven't become prevalent yet. However, these roofs are becoming increasingly popular because they are now more affordable and easier to install.

Over the years, owners of eco-friendly roofs have found that the green cover on their flat or slightly sloping roof preserves the roof's life. It also reduces energy costs by better insulating the home.

2. Develop Driveway Drainage

If you have a concrete or asphalt driveway, you can add rain drainage to either or both sides of the driveway. You can also consider constructing a driveway of a different material, such as gravel, that allows for easier drainage.

3. Redirect Rainwater With a Swale

A swale is a natural or man-made depression in the ground that directs water flow. When landscaping, you should ensure that the excess water is directed appropriately somewhere safe with a high tolerance for moisture. Swales can work even better when you slow the water's drainage path. This can be done by planting deep-rooting plants on the inclines and covering the lowest point of the depression with rocks.

Restricting the draining water will prevent outside flooding.

4. Spread Heavy Mulch

Mulch can cause problems when it spreads by clogging drains, and it can be an annoyance to clean up. Standard mulch chips are easily spread by heavy rains as the water pools. Hardwood mulches are typically heavier than others and are better at staying in place. You can also get man-made types of mulch that can be helpful.

5. Create a Rain Garden

A rain garden provides a place for rainwater to pool when it rains heavily and then slowly drain back into the soil. A typical rain garden is between 50 and 100 square feet. A well-performing rain garden will have plants in the middle that can best tolerate remaining submerged in wet soil. Plants located around the edges will not hold as much water as those in the middle. It's also best to use native plants to create the most low-maintenance version of a rain garden.

6. Redirect Your Rain Spouts

Install downspout diverters to redirect rainwater from your home's gutters to lower ground. Correctly positioning these diverters will prevent water from pooling around the perimeter of your home, which ultimately leads to the need for the services of a water damage restoration company.

Outside flooding issues at your home can soon lead to major indoor moisture problems such as structural damage or mold growth. Keep your property protected by implementing these rain drainage solutions.

How To Clean Items After a Fire

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Fire Damaged Property in Cedar City Fire damage can be devastating for your business in Cedar City, UT.

The damage to your building in Cedar City, UT, maybe your primary concern after a fire, but damage to the items in your building can be just as extensive. Restoring everything in your building starts with a call to fire restoration experts. Whether you need dry-cleaning, ultrasonic treatment, or some other process, they know the method that works best for each item.

Items To Clean After a Fire

Documents


If your documents have been destroyed by the fire, there isn't much that can be done. If they only have smoke or water damage, however, technicians may be able to salvage them with the right content cleaning process:

  • Air drying
  • Freeze drying
  • Thermal drying
  • Dehumidifying


You don't want to leave papers damp as excess moisture can cause mold growth or other secondary damage. Proper restoration can save your important documents.

Textiles

Curtains and window treatments can make an office feel warmer and more inviting. After a fire, these items are the most likely to hold on to soot and smoke smells. Technicians use dry-cleaning to loosen and release the particles trapped in the fibers. This method also protects your textiles from unnecessary fading and water damage.

Electronics

When your computers, office equipment, or other machines have been in or near a fire, it's important to make sure they are fully restored before you try to use them again. Experts set each piece aside in content storage and inspect it to make sure it's salvageable. Then they clean it thoroughly so that there are no problems when you plug it back in.

Porous Surface

Any permeable item probably has smoke trapped inside it after a fire. A machine that emits ultrasonic pulses uses vibrations to release the particles and clean the item. This process can be used on items made of glass, plastic, or aluminum as well as certain small electronic items.

Dry-cleaning and other restoration technology can be used to clean items after a fire. Making sure both the building and everything inside it are smoke-free is necessary for full restoration.

Tips To Quiet Your Pipes

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Flooded Hallway Hallway flooded in Cedar City Commercial building

You hear whistling and hammering at your home in Cedar City, Utah. You peek in on your family and it is not any of them. Who could it be? Surprisingly, it could be your pipes. Ignoring these sounds could lead to a disastrous pipe break in the future. Read below to learn what these sounds mean and what to do next.

Hammering

  • Hammering or banging sounds occur when water slams into the sides of the pipe when the flow is suddenly shut off. Before a pipe break occurs, solve this by taking the following measures:
  • Examine your pipes to see if any pipes are banging against something or missing pipe straps. If this is the case, fix the broken pipe by adding replacement pipe straps or inserting padding where the banging occurs.
  • Install an air chamber when the pipe does not contain water. The resulting pocket of air softens the blow of the water slamming abruptly, and lessens the hammering noise. Depending on the location and severity of the noise, these chambers can be installed behind faucets or on the main water line to the house.

Whistling

Whistling noises happen when water quickly flows through a small opening, usually related to faucets or toilet tanks. To avoid a potential pipe burst, take the appropriate next steps:

  • First, isolate the problem by turning on and closely listening to each faucet and toilet individually until you locate the source.
  • For faucets, turn off the water supply and tighten or replace the interior washer and screw. For toilets, repair, adjust or replace the ballcock mechanism inside the tank.

Be vigilant about the sounds your pipes make in Cedar City, Utah. If you do not take action to fix the problem, a pipe break may occur. Once a pipe burst happens in your home, the likelihood of water damage to your home and belongings is substantial. In this event, fix the broken pipe, call your insurance agent and contact a water restoration specialist as soon as possible.

3 Ways to Be Rid of Smoke Odors Fast

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Burned up living room A devastating fire can be cleaned and repaired by our team of fire experts.

Whether the result of a fire or merely of a guest with a habit, smoke odors can be tough to get rid of. When the smoke has infiltrated your Cedar City, UT, home, smoke cleaning is in order. Do you know what to do? Start with these three tips and you’ll be rid of smoke odor fast.

3 Tips To Get Rid of Smoke Odors Fast


What Causes the Smell

Smoke can cause odors by direct contact with materials or via getting into a building’s HVAC system. Smoke can penetrate things like

• Furniture
• Walls
• Carpets

Smoke smells can be tough to get rid of, but there are a few steps that can help.

Remove the Source

Removing the source of smoke smells is one of the most obvious steps to take. Furniture in an area frequented by a smoker can hold odors and may be a loss. In the event of a fire, items that are extensively exposed in the room whether the fire started can be a big source of smell, so you’ll want to get rid of them as part of your smoke cleaning efforts.

Clean What You Can

Particularly after a fire, it’s tempting to toss out the obviously damaged items and move on. But even things that aren’t destroyed can be reservoirs for smoke damage. Use a wet sponge to wipe down porous surfaces and a dry one for less porous materials.

Use an Odor Counteractant

For the best results, you may want to invest in an ozone treatment. Ozone is what causes the fresh, clean scent we sense after rain. Ozone treatment works by exposing smoke damaged surfaces to ozone gas for a set amount of time. This is typically highly effective.

Air quality can have a huge impact on your quality of life. If smoke odors persist in your home, try the above tips or reach out to an expert in ozone smoke cleaning to get the stink out.

Why call SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore?

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Fast Service Always open and 24/7 service, even on holidays.

There are several different restoration companies in our community. What is it that makes us the best? The list is long and covers many different reasons. In this post, I will cover three important advantages that we have to offer.

First of all, technicians are trained and certified. This makes it so that we can respond quickly to your disaster even when we are busy. Some of the other companies do not have the personnel to handle the jobs that we do, and getting to your home quickly can make a difference in the amount of damage that is caused and the cost to repair it.

Second, we have all the equipment needed to handle your disaster including specialty drying equipment like desiccant machines, and a wood floor drying extraction mat system just to name a few. These types of equipment are very helpful when they are needed and not every company has them on hand and ready to go. This is one more thing that sets us apart from the competition.

Third and even more importantly we are honest and ethical in the work that we do. Some companies will remove things like cabinets when they could be dried in place, or they will remove drywall when it didn’t need to be. We reduce the costs and time that it takes to get your house put back together. When it comes to dealing with a disaster in your home one of the most frustrating things can be the time that it takes to get back to normal we work to minimize this as much as possible.

Additional Common Causes of House Fires

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

Residential Fire Damage Fires can be caused by candles, electrical, and children.

There are several ways that fires can start in a home. As important as house fire prevention is if we were to try to list all of the ways that a fire can start in a home the list would quickly become longer than most people would want to read or be able to remember. With this in mind, we will cover a few different and more common causes of house fires in this post and more causes in additional posts as well.

Common Causes of Home Fires

Electrical Equipment:

  • Ensure that cords and plugs don’t have loose or frayed ends, and outlets are not overloaded with plugs. Avoiding the overuse of extension cords is all important thing to be aware of as they can cause house fires. Another aspect of electrical equipment that is important to be aware of is the quality of the electrical wiring in the house. If the quality of the electrical wiring in the house is not sufficient for the electrical needs of the people in the home the wiring can overheat and start a fire.

Candles:

  • Candles can be a cause of a house fire starting. It is important to only use candles in places where they are not close to combustible materials. Candles should not be left burning when no one is in the room with them. It is also important to make sure that candles are placed on a surface where they are not likely to tip over or be tipped over.

Children Playing With Fire:

  • As wonderful as children are they are also full of wonder. One of the things that is a large source of wonder for children is fire. Curious children often have an interest in fire and sometimes they will not make the best choices when it comes to satisfying their curiosity or wonder about the fire. Matches and other devices used to start fires should always be stored in places that are not easily accessible to children. Parents should also take time to educate their children about fire and the dangers associated with its use.

While we always hope that you are not affected by a house fire we know that even when preventative measures are taken house fires still happen. We have extensive experience with the cleaning and remediation of fire damaged homes. We also are well versed in working with insurance companies. Our goal is to make it "Like it never even happened."

How to Maintain Your Water Heater

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

Water heaters are an essential part of everyday living. While they must function smoothly throughout the year, their maintenance becomes increasingly important around winter.

A properly maintained heater not only provides you with hot water around the clock but also saves energy and money. If ignored, the heater can run up costs, break down, and require new heater installations frequently.  Here are a few simple tips that can prolong your water heater’s life and ensure smooth operation.

Lower the Temperature

Lowering the temperature as little as 10 degrees can save you up to 5% in energy costs. If the heater is working to keep the water warm rather than extremely hot, the water reaches that level faster. This lower temperature will also protect the heater from working too hard and increase its longevity.

Drain the Dregs

Sediments collect over time and need to be flushed out. To keep your water heater in pristine condition, drain the heater’s tank a few times a year to remove all the dregs and debris. Fill the tank about a quarter of the way full and close the supply valve. Then attach a hose to the drainpipe for the water to drain. If the water remains cloudy, briefly turn on the supply valve again and let the water drain.

Test the Temperature & Pressure Release Valve

At least once every year, check whether the temperature and pressure release valve are in working order. The valve has to open and release pressure in case the tank overpressurizes; otherwise, it can explode. Release the pressure from the valve two or three times. If the water is leaking, drain the water from the tank, remove the discharge tube, and replace the valve.

Check the Anode Rod

Geysers have an anti-corrosion anode rod installed that attracts impurities in the water and saves the tank from rust or corrosion. But over time, the rod itself can corrode. Every three years, check to see if the rod’s outer magnesium layer is corroded and if more than six inches of core steel wire is exposed. If the rod itself has reduced in thickness to less than half an inch or if there is a whitish calcium coat on the rod, you’ll need to replace the rod.

Maintain Space around the Heater

Make sure that the heater is not tucked away in a corner somewhere. Ensure at least two feet of space around the heater, so it can be serviced and is not at risk of collision.

Get Annual Maintenance Done

The best maintenance is done by an expert. To save yourself the trouble, you can hire a professional for annual maintenance, especially around winter when water heaters are working harder to keep the hot water flowing. If your water heater floods, contact SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore.

5 Leading Causes of Winter House Fires

4/4/2022 (Permalink)

Winter is the time of the year when you cozy up inside the house with heating, cooked meals, and scented candles. But since many home appliances are working round the clock, the risk for house fires increases significantly. Many other sources can cause a fire in your home during the cold months. Learn what the most common causes of winter house fires are and how to prevent them!

Christmas Tree

Decorating a Christmas tree with lights or candles adds a wonderful aesthetic, but it also poses a fire threat. If you are using too many light strands or the lights are worn out, they can cause a flame. Both artificial and real trees pose the threat of catching fire. Real trees are highly flammable, but artificial ones have dangerous chemicals that can burn severely. 

If you’re buying a real tree, make sure to buy a fresh, green one because trees with dry needles are more prone to catch fire. Add water to the tree daily to prevent it from drying out and make sure the tree is away from any heat sources.

Candles

Scented candles add a lovely ambiance to the house and fill it with a welcoming scent of sugar cookies, vanilla, cinnamon, or any other scent of your choice. But candles are also an open flame and, hence, a fire hazard. Candles are responsible for every two out of five home decoration fires, as per the U.S. Fire Administration. Make sure to blow the candles out when you’re going out or sleeping. Ensure at least a one-foot distance between the candle and any flammable material.

Smoking

Any form of smoking inside the house is a potential fire hazard. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, smoking material caused an average of 18,100 fires annually during 2012–2016. Though it might be tempting to smoke indoors, always smoke outdoors. Keep the smoking material away from children and any flammable sources.

Dryers

Almost 3,000 house fires every year are caused by dryers catching fire. Lint builds up in the dryer filter and is unable to release heat properly. This happens more frequently in the winter and fall months. Make sure to clean the lint out between uses and have the vent cleaned professionally at least once a year. Only run your clothes dryer when you’re home and awake.

Cooking

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking is the leading cause of house fires. The kitchen gets busy during Thanksgiving and the holidays. Make sure you’re running kitchen appliances only when you’re in the kitchen, keep the stoves clean and clear of any grease build-up, store flammable materials like towels and potholders away from the stove, and keep children and pets away from the stovetop.

Winter brings festivities and opportunities to spend more time with family at home. But you should always be cautious to ensure that your home is not another statistic for winter home fires. If your home suffers from a winter fire, contact SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore for our fire restoration services.

How to Keep Your Property Safe During a Blizzard

4/4/2022 (Permalink)

Utah is known for having “the greatest snow on earth.” With that title, it’s not surprising that the state sees blizzards every couple of years. These severe snowstorms have heavy winds and last for several hours. Temperatures drop, and visibility decreases, making it dangerous for people to be outside. But even when people stick to the indoors, homes and other buildings must quite literally weather the storm. How do you make sure that your house stays standing during harsh blizzard conditions? Here are several tips to help your commercial or residential property stay safe even during blustery blizzards.

Protecting Your Home from Blizzards

Prepare the Exterior of Your House

Clear Your Roof

Your home’s roof and siding will bear the brunt of the storm, which means you need to give special attention to these areas. Before a blizzard, clear your roof of any existing snow. This might seem counterintuitive since the blizzard will undoubtedly leave your roof with a new layer of snow. But new snow from the blizzard will compact any remnants of snow, weighing down and posing a cave-in risk for your roof.

Keep a Shovel Handy

Although most blizzards don’t have much snowfall, some can drop 2–6 inches of snow per hour. If your area expects the second type of blizzard, you’ll want to keep a shovel (or two) close by to dig yourself out. We suggest keeping a shovel in your entryway or right inside your garage, so you’ll have easy access to it during the storm.

Clear Exterior Vents

The last thing you want during a blizzard is to have your heater quit working. When the vents to your heating system are covered, they can overheat or cause problems. If you have time before the blizzard hits, take a moment to clear any snow or ice on your exterior vents.

Prepare the Interior of Your House

Fill in Cracks

If your home has any cracks, holes, or gaps, you’ll be able to tell during a blizzard. Keep out the cold by caulking any cracks you find, especially around windows and doors.

Stock Up on Water

When a snowstorm is bad enough, utility companies sometimes shut off your water to prevent freezing and bursting pipes. Store some water bottles and jugs of water that you can use to cook and drink.

Know Where the Valves Are

Blizzards can cause electrical problems and natural gas leaks. In those situations, you don’t have time to go looking for the natural gas valve. Take some time before the storm to show all the adults in your home where to find the natural gas valve, water valve, and electrical breaker box.

Protecting Your Business from Blizzards

Have an Emergency Plan

Your company should have an emergency plan already in place before a blizzard appears on the horizon. If you don’t already have one, create a plan that lists emergency procedures like where to gather and which exits to use. In either case, take some time to review the plan with your employees so that everyone knows what to do.

Create Emergency Kits

Homes and businesses alike can benefit from premade emergency kits. Fill these kits with winter necessities like matches, blankets, flashlights, a first aid kit, radios, and non-perishable food. If you have existing emergency kits, check that everything in it is in top shape. If anything isn’t working properly, replace it before the blizzard hits.

Have a Backup Power Supply

Everything from the computers to the break room fridge in your office needs power. If you lose power, you’ll also lose valuable time and efficiency. Even a small portable generator can save your business during a blizzard.

Blizzard & Snowstorm Protection

When a blizzard or another severe snowstorm arrives, you can keep your home and business safe from the howling winds and snow. A little preparation makes all the difference. Prepare both the inside and outside of your building to ensure it stays standing and that everyone inside stays safe. If your residential or commercial property suffers damage due to a blizzard, let SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore help. We have a specialized team that deals specifically with catastrophes like blizzards, tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes. Our SERVPRO Disaster Recovery Team is available 24 hours a day, each day of the year, to help you whenever disaster strikes.

No Job Too Large: SERVPRO’s Large Loss Services

4/1/2022 (Permalink)

There are few events in life more devastating to families, businesses, and cities than large-scale natural disasters. Besides the emotional toll involved, the thought of cleaning up the mess and communicating with insurance companies can become paralyzing.

Should you find yourself in this difficult situation, there is no need to despair. SERVPRO’s Disaster Recovery Team specializes in large-scale disaster relief and recovery. Our highly trained disaster teams are stationed all over Utah to respond at a moment’s notice. SERVPRO is organized and focused on efficient organization and clear communication to ensure complete restoration.

Recovery After Fire Disasters

In 2017, California experienced one of the largest wildfires ever witnessed in the history of the state. Between October to December, the fires forced over 230,000 residents to flee their homes, eventually causing 18 billion dollars in overall damages. Our restoration teams mobilized command centers in Northern and Southern California to respond to the aftermath, aiding residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and businesses.

Even if the disaster only burns down one building, a home or business burning down is no less serious for the victims and for us. No matter the size of the blaze, we perform fire recovery and cleanup operations with the same high level of dedication and service.

Cleaning Services After High Winds

Cedar City, Utah, and Fillmore, Utah, don’t see many tornadoes. In fact, there have only been 136 recorded tornadoes in Utah since 1950, the majority of which caused little to no damage. However, Central and Southern Utah are known for their high wind speeds, some of which are more than strong enough to bring down telephone lines and tree branches.

SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore can cover the complete recovery of areas affected by windstorms quickly and easily, even those that have experienced high damage due to large debris, fallen trees, and other such difficulties.

Relief from Flood and Ice Damage

Utah is no stranger to high flooding and mudslides. Equally common and powerful are the blizzards and frigid temperatures that can cause burst pipes and power outages to entire communities. Should you find yourself affected by strong snowstorms or freezing temperatures, our experienced recovery specialists at SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore will respond with friendly service and a helping hand.

In addition to exterior restoration and water cleanup, we will assist you in mold remediation to ensure that your family, customers, and employees experience positive health despite the disaster.

Choose SERVPRO for Comprehensive, Large-Scale Restoration in Cedar City, Utah

Have you experienced a terrible natural disaster in Central or Southern Utah? Are you worried that a large-scale emergency might happen again? Be prepared for any situation, no matter the size, with help from SERVPRO’s Large Loss Division services. Give us a call at (435) 251-9241 the moment the disaster passes. We are ready for anything!

More Tips on How to Prevent Spring Thaw Flooding

4/1/2022 (Permalink)

Ice on branches Winter thaws can cause a lot of problems for Cedar City residents.

When the cold winter finally thaws into beautiful spring, you likely won’t be thinking about the potential of a flooded basement. Unfortunately, the possibility is quite real, especially if the temperature rises dramatically and suddenly (a common phenomenon in Utah). If unmanaged snow and ice melt too fast, the resulting water can quickly seep into your home’s foundation and cause terrible flooding in your basement.

Before the spring arrives, here are some things you can do to prevent spring flood damage.

Guard Your Home’s Exterior with Sand and Salt

While Southern Utah doesn’t typically experience a flurry of snowfall every winter, any snow that does build up around the foundation of your home can melt and cause unexpected flooding. Just as you do with your sidewalks, salt is a good solution for keeping ice formation and buildup to a minimum.

Additionally, if you have experienced flooding in past winters or want to ensure maximum protection, adding a sand-salt mixture to the ground beneath your gutters will help prevent ice and soak up extra water at the same time.

Prepare Your Yard for Proper Drainage

Every home is built upon a unique elevation and slope. No matter how well your land is prepared during construction, years and decades of settling can affect the direction water flows across your yard. A simple method of guarding your foundation from improper water distribution is to dig a channel that leads “downstream” and away from potential basement entry points. This channel is known as a swale.

If this simple fix is insufficient to solve the problem, you may need to seek professional assistance to adjust the contours of your property. After all, there is no need to live with the threat of basement flooding year after year.

Keep Your Basement Drains Clear

As the lowest point in your basement, your foundation’s drains are your next line of defense against intrusive flooding. These drains directly connect to your city’s sewer system, ensuring your basement stays protected from accidental flooding or burst pipes.

If you have never checked your basement drains before, make it a point to remove the metal cover and examine the interior of the pipe. If flooding has occurred before, debris may be stuck over or inside the drain.

Maintain a Cool Attic

Melting ice during the spring can be handled easily enough. But what happens when all that water refreezes right at the edge of your gutters, ready to cascade down on the first spring thaw?

As strange as it may sound, keeping your attic space cool is one of the best ways to ensure the snowpack on your roof collects and melts evenly. Proper insulation both between the attic ceiling and the roof, as well as your attic floor and the rest of your home, will help. Make sure to seal any cracks and spaces around window frames to keep everything dry.

Restore Your Home from Spring Thaw Flooding with SERVPRO in Cedar City and Fillmore, Utah

No matter how much you prepare for basement flooding, some disasters (whether natural or unforeseen) cannot be avoided. If you have experienced a flooded basement and require professional cleanup and restoration, you can rely on SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore for fast and efficient service. Give us a call at (435) 251-924 if you find yourself in an emergency.

Why Fall is a Great Time for Professional Carpet Cleaning | Deep Clean

10/26/2021 (Permalink)

Basic picture for halloween Many of us may be familiar with spring cleaning, but this doesn’t mean spring is the only time to do deep cleaning. After all, your home is likely to

Why Fall is a Great Time for Professional Carpet Cleaning

1. Your Shoes are Bringing in More Dirt and Grime During the Fall

While there is no shortage of dirt during spring and summer, many environmental changes come with fall. You’re likely to track in more leaves, dirt, slush, and mud during fall months, which don’t help the air quality of your home. Cleaning your carpet will help rid you of dirt and debris, which will in turn improve your home’s air quality.

2. Better Fall Weather Leads to Faster Dry Times

As summer leaves, so do hot temperatures and humidity, which can make carpet take longer to dry. Fall offers cold, but not freezing temperatures, which are ideal to speed up carpet dry times when you have your carpet professionally cleaned. It also lessens the chance of mold or mildew growth. You can open up your windows to let in the nice fall breeze to help dry your carpet as well.

3. Freshen Up Your Home with Clean Carpet for Holiday Guests

With the holidays around the corner, you may be planning to entertain for Thanksgiving or another holiday this year. When your guests arrive, there’s no doubt that you want your home to be clean and fresh for them. What better way to freshen up your home than by having your carpets deep cleaned? Cleaning your carpets in early fall will help you get ahead so that you don’t have to worry about cleaning when the holidays roll around—not to mention it’ll leave your guests with a good impression of your home.

Deep cleaning your carpet can have several other benefits as well, including reducing the risk of you or a family member catching a cold, and it can help restore the softness to your carpets, both of which are great things to have during fall. When you’re ready to have your carpet professionally cleaned, trust the best company in the Cedar City area to get the job done. SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore has a variety of carpet cleaning services to help you prepare your carpets just in time for the holidays.

10 Ways to Protect Your Property This Halloween | Safety and Security

10/26/2021 (Permalink)

10 Ways to Protect Your Property This Halloween

With Halloween around the corner, many families are preparing to celebrate the holiday by putting up decorations, buying costumes for their children, and more. While Halloween is a fun and festive holiday, not everyone who is strolling the streets has good intentions. Some people hide behind costumes to commit crimes, including property damage. Vandals and burglars aren’t the only worry either. With Halloween comes many risks for homeowners, so be sure to be prepared for the holiday this year.

1. Stay Vigilant Against Crime

While you may be seeing many little monsters this Halloween, including vampires, goblins, and ghouls, there may also be some people up to no good. During Halloween, everyone is distracted with trick-or-treating, which makes it easier for wallets, purses, and valuables to be stolen. Stay vigilant this year by keeping an eye on your property and belongings as you hand out candy.

2. Blow Out Candles to Prevent Fires

After a long night of trick-or-treating, you may forget to blow out any candles you placed inside jack-o-lanterns. While using real candles in a carved pumpkin is a great tradition, it can lead to devastating fires. If you do plan to light a pumpkin, make sure to blow the candle out or opt for battery-operated candles instead.

3. Take Advantage of Your Peephole

Most people are expecting excited children dressed in costumes to knock on their door for candy, but sometimes criminals take advantage of this to invade your home. If you have a peephole or window on your door, use it before opening your door to ensure it’s eager children looking for candy.

4. Park Your Car in the Garage

Keep any cars, vehicles, bikes, outdoor supplies, and outside toys in your closed garage for the night. This will help protect your belongings from being stolen or vandalized, and it will put your mind at ease while you hand out candy or take your kids trick-or-treating.

5. Be Careful Where and How You Set up Decorations

If you plan to put up decorations, be mindful and cautious where and how you set them up. Keep an extension and power cords out of the footpath to prevent any trick-or-treaters from tripping and getting injured. If you have any hanging decorations, make sure they are secure so that they do not fall and hit someone. If someone were to get injured on your property, you would be held responsible.

6. Use Motion-Detecting Lights for Security

Use motion-detecting lights to add a little extra security to your yard. Whether you are out with your kids or asleep, installing motion-sensor lights will scare away anyone looking to do no good on your property since it would bring attention to them.

7. Always Lock Your Doors

Whether you’re staying home to hand out candy, going to a party, or trick-or-treating, make sure you keep all your doors and windows locked at all times. While it may seem inconvenient to lock your front door after every trick-or-treater, it’s a better alternative than a burglar or vandal gaining access to your home.

8. Consider Using Security Cameras

Security cameras can give your property added security and video footage to hand to the police should anything happen on your property. You can install these cameras throughout your yard and check your cameras from the comfort of your couch. If you see suspicious activity, it can give you more time to get to safety and call for help than if you didn’t have cameras installed.

9. Be Watchful for Pedestrians If You’ll Be Driving

During Halloween, children will likely be running to and from houses without looking both ways before crossing the street. With the thought of candy on their mind, many may not be thinking about safety, which leaves it up to you to be watchful when you’re driving through residential areas.

10. If You’ll Be Out, Keep Your Home Lights on a Timer

No matter what you plan to do on Halloween, if you won’t be home, consider putting your home’s lights on a timer, alternating which room’s lights are on. Even if you won’t be home, this will help keep the impression that someone is home, warding away anyone that may be looking to break into homes.

While criminal activities are increased on Halloween, this doesn’t necessarily mean something will happen to you or your property. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If something does happen to your property, such as fire damage, trust SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore to clean up your property for you!

Getting Rid of H2Odors

3/18/2021 (Permalink)

H2O Odors - image of fans placed on floor H2O Odors

Water intrusion, leaks, and flooding can ruin a home. Even if there is no structural damage, it’s going to be a major headache for the person who has to clean up what can be an overwhelming mess. Home flooding can come from both exterior and interior sources; a water pipe can bust, rain can seep in, a fish tank can crack (yes, we’ve seen it), or a creek can overflow and enter the house. Wherever the water comes from, you are going to have to dry and clean it.

Once the water recedes or evaporates and you clean and dry the affected area, odors can linger. Bacteria, mildew, or mold growth are the main culprits when it comes to offending smells. The odor is one thing but left untreated, what you may not be able to see can cause serious health problems. Mold, specifically, can have a major negative impact on indoor air quality. Our SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore technicians have doubled over because of lingering mold odors. Mold damage must be addressed or it will only get worse.

What can we do to most effectively clean?

Step One: Remove the Water

Soak it up. Sponge it up. Mop it up. Sweep it out. Use every roll of paper towels you can find. The water must go. Don’t be afraid to bring in the pros. Our team at SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore is equipped with pumps and industrial-strength suction hoses. Before the cleaning and restoration process can begin, the area must be water-free.

Step Two: Clean, and Then Clean Some More

Get some bleach and get to work. Scrub it all and then scrub it again. Be mindful of porous materials. Depending on what type of water you are dealing with, the material will likely have to be removed. Rip it out and install new. It will be far more costly in the long run if you allow mold or mildew to fester. Carpet cleaning may be a needed follow up to this process.

Step Three: Dry it Up

Once the water is removed and you have thoroughly cleaned, do all you can to get air circulating and dry the area as best you can. A fan will help, but this is another area where your best bet is to contact the professionals. We have air movers and dehumidifiers that keep air moving, remove moisture, and help to better dry the area. We also can deploy HEPA air scrubbers that can address small odor particles still lingering in the air.

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore helps in addressing various challenges caused by flooding, high water, and water damage. For more information, call us at (435) 251-9241. Let us make sure that no odors linger after water damage hits your home or business!

How to Prevent Commercial Water Disasters

3/12/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial Loss - image of woman standing on desk in a flooded area Commercial

Water damage in commercial buildings is no light matter. It can disrupt business, pause work, and even close the commercial building for disaster cleanup and restoration. If you find that your commercial building has water damage, it’s important to identify the source as soon as possible and fix the damage.

Why Do Commercial Properties Suffer from Water Damage?

While some water damage may not be avoidable, you may be able to prevent some of it. It’s important to know where water leaks come from, what causes them, and how they can be prevented in commercial buildings.

Much like any building, commercial properties can suffer from water damage for a variety of reasons. Here are some common causes of water damage.

Damaged Windows

If your commercial building has damaged windows, water can easily get into the building. Even if windows aren’t damaged or broken, if they aren’t sealed properly, it can cause commercial water damage.

Damaged or Broken Pipes

If the commercial building’s water supply lines are broken or damaged, it can result in a water disaster. While you may not be able to see damaged pipes, you can look for signs, such as water stains on the floor, walls, or ceiling, bulging walls, and loose tiles.

Leaky Roofs or Sprinkler Systems

Leaky roofs and sprinkler systems can cause significant water damage. If you notice water stains on your commercial building’s ceiling or if the building has been having issues with mold, there’s likely a leak in the property’s roof.

Sewer Clogs

Another common cause for commercial water damage is clogged sewers. Signs that your toilets are backed up include gurgling noises or water backing up when a toilet is flushed.

How Can You Prevent Commercial Water Damage?

Since water damage can come from several different causes, you will need to take proper preventative measures to make sure your building doesn’t have any leaks or plumbing issues. Follow these three steps to help you prevent water damage to your commercial property.

Conduct Commercial Property Water Damage Inspections

One of the best ways to prevent water damage to your property is by having regular inspections. Hire a professional to inspect your building for any water damage at least once a year. While you may not want to spend the money on inspections, they are a lot cheaper than having to restore damages.

Invest in Property Maintenance

Maintaining your building can prevent water damage from taking place. You should regularly care for and clean the plumbing. You should also have yearly door and window inspections, in addition to inspecting and coating your roof at least every five years to prevent leaks.

Have Property Insurance that Covers Water Damage

Having the right amount of property insurance can also help if your commercial building does suffer any water damage. If your property insurance doesn’t cover flooding or water damage, it might be worth looking into water damage insurance.

SERVPRO’s Commercial Property Disaster Cleanup and Restoration

At SERVPRO, we can clean up after any water disaster, such as flooding, at your commercial property. We also clean up water damage caused by plumbing, leaks, damaged pipes, and more. If your commercial building is located in the Cedar City or Fillmore areas, we’re more than happy to offer our services to you!

We can help you with any water damage that your commercial property might be experiencing. Our team is eager to assist you. Contact us to discuss your options for water disaster cleanup and restoration.

What to Do If You Think Your Commercial Property Has Mold

3/12/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial cleaning Commercial

Mold can be a terrifying thing for property owners to experience. It can weaken walls, floors, and ceilings, in addition to potentially causing health effects to you and your employees.

If you think your commercial property has mold, it’s important to know how bad the damage is and whether you will need professional commercial mold remediation. Here are some tips for how to find out if you have mold and what to do if you do.

Inspect for Mold

If you cannot visibly see the mold, your first step should be to test for mold throughout your commercial building.

While mold testing can be expensive, it’s safer to be positive that your building has mold than to go off an assumption. On average, testing can cost around $800. This often only includes a mold inspection and not removal.

Hiring a mold inspection company is the most reliable form of testing and should be considered. But if the prices prove to be too high, mold testing home kits do exist and cost a fraction of the price.

Home kits can cost anywhere from $10 to $50, making them budget-friendly, but they are known to be much less reliable than a mold inspection by a professional company. If you cannot visibly see the mold in your commercial building, the best course of action would be to hire a mold inspection company for the most accurate and reliable results.

Hire a Commercial Mold Remediation Service

The best route to take if you do have mold is to hire a professional commercial mold remediation company, especially if the mold has gotten out of hand. Professional services can be used for mold infestations large and small.

At SERVPRO, our mold remediation services can take care of all your commercial property mold. We’re experienced with mold remediation for commercial buildings, making us an excellent choice to clean your property. With the proper techniques, cleaning supplies, and equipment, we’re able to reduce the risk of cross-contamination while rendering your commercial building mold-free.

Prevent Mold from Returning to Your Commercial Building

After getting rid of any mold in your commercial property, it’s best to take the proper steps to prevent any mold buildup in the future. Here are three tips to keeping your building mold-free.

Conduct a Visual Inspection

Visual inspections are a great way to prevent mold. While you won’t necessarily be looking for mold, you should be checking all the building’s plumbing to ensure it is in working order. Check for leaky drains or other water leaks. These should be treated immediately to help prevent mold from growing in the building.

Prevent Moisture Buildup

While conducting visual inspections, check for moisture buildups. These are a common source for mold to grow and should be eliminated. If you find wet or damp spots, be sure to clean and dry them.

Vent Moisture-Generating Appliances and Areas

Moisture buildup can also be prevented by proper ventilation. Areas with condensation, like bathrooms, should have increased air circulation. Additionally, moisture-generating appliances, such as dryers and cooking areas, should also be given the same ventilation.

Contact SERVPRO for Mold Remediation

If you’re looking for local and affordable mold remediation services in Cedar City and Filmore, we’re ready to assist you! We clean any amount of mold to bring your building back to healthy standards. Reach out to us today to learn more about our mold remediation and commercial restoration services.

Why SERVPRO Provides Quick Disaster Response Times

3/12/2021 (Permalink)

Servpro - text saying "Response Time Matters" Why Choose

When your Cedar City or Fillmore property has been damaged in a disaster, it’s imperative that you select a company with quality services and fast response times to restore your property.

At SERVPRO, we have the fastest response times in the Cedar City and Fillmore areas. This means after a disaster hits your property, we can be over to clean up and restore it as soon as possible!

We pride ourselves in being faster to any disaster than other disaster service companies in the area. Speed is important in any disaster situation, especially if your home is underwater. Not only can our response times make a difference in the damages, but they can help get you back to your daily routine faster than you expected.

Slow Response Times Can Cause More Damage to Property

The longer a company takes to respond, the more damage your property will endure. This goes for any type of disaster but especially flooding.

Our quick response times can mean the difference in saving or losing your furniture, walls, floors, doors, clothing, and other items in your home. Our fast services can also help save your home from further damage caused by disasters, such as fire, floods, hailstorms, snow, and other winter storms.

Quick Response Times Save Money

Not only do our quick response times save your property, but they save you money. The less damage your property endures, the less money it will cost to clean up and restore your building or home.

Longer response times typically mean your property will suffer from more damage. The more damage your property suffers from disasters, the more money it will cost for damage restoration.

How is SERVPRO Quick to the Scene of Disasters?

At SERVPRO, we’ll quickly arrive at the scene of disasters with our 24-hour services. Whether your home has been harmed by hail, endured fire damage, flooded, or damaged from any other disaster, we are available at all times of the day or night to assist you.

But don’t take our word for it, listen to our satisfied customers!

What Do Customers Have to Say About SERVPRO’s Fast Emergency Services?

“I called about 8:30 in the morning, they were here 3 hours later...it is a 2.5 hour drive.  In walked two women named Penny and Felicity.  They greeted us courteously, asked about the damage, and PROMPTLY went to work.  They were very kind, courteous, KNOWLEDGABLE, helpful, and above all, very interested in our feelings and concerns.  They stuck to the task at hand, never wasting a moments time...unless we had a question.  Then, they stopped and answered it to our satisfaction.  When they left, we had all our questions answered and were completely satisfied in every respect with what came next.”

—Bill M.

“The crew was great.  Showed up same day, highly respectful, cleaned up the damage, shampooed carpets and provided follow up service.  Recommended to neighbor....same result.”

—William L.

“Fast and friendly. Very concerned about how I felt and any requests that I had. So glad to have had their help at such a devastating time.”

—ArvaDale A.

Contact SERVPRO for Fast Disaster Response Times

The next time your home or commercial property suffers from disaster damages, hire us for your building damage restoration! With our fast emergency services, we’ll be at your property ready to help you in no time. Contact us today for quick response times to any disaster.

4 Essentials to Know About Fire Extinguishers

3/11/2021 (Permalink)

Image of Fire Extinguishers Fire extinguishers

Fire safety is essential for both commercial and residential properties. It’s important to have safety measures in place for both types of properties, and a great place to start is having the right fire extinguisher at the ready, especially if you’re worried about fire damage remediation.

The first step to properly using a fire extinguisher is to understand it. Let’s begin by going over the different classes and types of fire extinguishers, then discuss when and when not to use them.

Fire Extinguisher Classes

There are five types of fire extinguisher classes. Each class represents the type of fire the extinguisher is capable of putting out. If you have a fire extinguisher, you need to know which classes your fire extinguisher can put out, especially if you want to avoid fire damage.

  • Class A: Class A means a fire was started with typical combustible materials. These types of materials include wood, paper, and cloth.
  • Class B: Fires in Class B are started with combustible or flammable liquids. These liquids include paints and gasoline.
  • Class C: When energized electrical equipment is the source of a fire, it is categorized as a Class C fire. Short circuits in power transmission cables are common sources for this type of fire.
  • Class D: When metals start a fire, the fire is considered Class D. Metals such as lithium, sodium, and potassium are common Class D fire sources.
  • Class K: The last class of fires, Class K, means any fire that was started in a kitchen.

Types of Fire Extinguishers

Just like there are different classes of fires, there are different types of fire extinguishers. Many residential and commercial properties use a basic fire extinguisher, which is often sufficient for the environment. But sometimes a more specialized extinguisher is required for places like laboratories or warehouses.

Water and Foam

Water and foam fire extinguishers use water to eliminate the heat of a fire and the foam to remove any oxygen. This is a basic fire extinguisher and should only be used for Class A fires.

Carbon Dioxide

A carbon dioxide fire extinguisher replaces the oxygen in a fire with carbon dioxide. When the gas is released from the pressurized container, it releases cold, which helps to decrease the heat of the fire. These types of fire extinguishers should only be used for Class B and C fires.

Dry Chemical

Dry chemical fire extinguishers target the chemical reaction of a fire. This is the most common type of extinguisher and can be used on Class A, B, and C fires if it is a multi-purpose dry chemical extinguisher. If it is an ordinary dry chemical extinguisher, it can be used only on Class B and C fires.

Wet Chemical

Wet chemical extinguishers not only remove the heat of a fire but put up a barrier between the oxygen in the fire and the fuel. This prevents the fire from re-igniting. Wet chemical fire extinguishers should only be used for Class K fires, such as those started with oils.

Clean Agent

This type of fire extinguisher uses halon agents to extinguish a fire. By using halocarbon agents, it can interrupt the chemical reaction taking place in a fire. Clean agent extinguishers can be used on Class B and C fires.

Dry Powder

The dry powder in this extinguisher acts as an agent to separate oxygen from a fire’s fuel. While this type is similar to dry chemical extinguishers, it should only be used for Class D fires.

Water Mist

This simple extinguisher targets the heat of a fire to eliminate it. Water mist extinguishers work on Class A and C fires.

Cartridge-Operated Dry Chemical

This is another fire extinguisher that interrupts the chemical reaction taking place in a fire, which in turn creates a barrier between the fuel and the oxygen. It can be used on Class A, B, and C fires.

When to Use Fire Extinguishers

It may seem obvious to use a fire extinguisher in the event of a fire, but before using one, you should take a few fire safety precautions to keep everyone in the building safe.

Check to Make Sure the Fire is Contained

You don’t want to use a fire extinguisher on an uncontained fire. This can put you and those around you at risk.

Do Not Use an Extinguisher If the Room is Filled with Smoke

If the fire is contained, the next step is to check for smoke. If the room is filled with smoke, don’t pull out the extinguisher.

Evacuate the Building

During any fire, the number one concern should be for those in the building. Before putting out the fire with an extinguisher, make sure everyone has evacuated the building.

Once you have made sure the fire is contained, the room isn’t filled with smoke, and everyone has been evacuated, you can use the proper fire extinguisher to put on the fire in the building. Be sure to alert the fire department as well.

How to Use Fire Extinguishers

While using a fire extinguisher isn’t hard to do, you should know how to use one in case of a fire. To put out a fire with an extinguisher, there are four basic steps you need to follow.

1.   Pull the Pin on the Fire Extinguisher

By pulling this, the lock on the extinguisher will be released. You will then be able to spray the fire extinguishing agent.

2.   Aim the Fire Extinguisher at the Base

Aim for the base of the fire. This will help you prevent the fire from blowing and spreading around the building.

3.   Squeeze the Lever on the Fire Extinguisher

Once you aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the lever to release an extinguishing agent.

4.   Move the Fire Extinguisher Nozzle Side to Side

As you’re squeezing the lever, sweep the nozzle from side to side until you have the fire doused. Continue this until the fire is out.

Contact SERVPRO

If you need help determining which fire extinguisher is right for your residential or commercial property, feel free to reach out to SERVPRO of Cedar City Fillmore. We can also help you with fire damage remediation and fire restoration. Contact us for fire restoration services today.

How SERVPRO’s Advanced Restoration Technology Can Save Your Home

3/11/2021 (Permalink)

Image of dryer fire house

At SERVPRO, we use the latest state-of-the-art technology and techniques to ensure we’re providing the best restoration services for your commercial or residential property. We offer professional services for all types of disasters, including water, storm, mold, and fire damage.

If you’re trusting us with cleaning up and restoring your property, you might be wondering what these technologies and techniques are. Here are some of the advanced technologies we use for our restoration and cleanup services:

SERVPRO’s Professional Restoration Services for Water, Fire, Mold, and Storm Damage

At SERVPRO, we have five main techniques and technologies that can restore your home from damage. Our advanced technology helps us restore your home in the quickest, most reliable, and efficient way possible.

Moisture Detection Techniques for Water and Mold Damage

We use a moisture detection technique to detect, monitor, and measure the amount of moisture in a building. Our equipment includes the most recent technology, like infrared cameras, and sensitive moisture detectors and hygrometers.

This state-of-the-art equipment is used to restore properties from water and flooding damages. It can also be used to detect moisture in buildings suffering from mold.

High-Quality Water Extraction Tools for Water and Storm Damages

Another technology we used to restore water-damaged homes is our water extraction equipment. This technology uses up-to-date gas-powered pumps to remove water from buildings, which takes away most of the water in a flooded home.

Drying Equipment for Water and Storm Damages

After your home has suffered water damage, you’ll need special equipment to dry out the building, which is where we come in.

Our advanced drying equipment technology uses high-speed air movers and industrial dehumidifiers to quickly evaporate any moisture left in your home and pull the vapor out of the air. This technology can prevent your home from suffering from any further damages.

Advanced Odor Removal Technology

If your home has suffered damages that have left behind powerful odors, we have just the equipment to deodorize your home. Our odor removal services can be used for water, fire, and mold odor damages.

Our professional restoration services remove and deodorize odors with advanced machines that eliminate airborne contaminants. By using air scrubbers, thermal foggers, and deodorization tools, we offer the most up-to-date techniques to get your home smelling clean and fresh in no time!

Cleaning Techniques and Treatments

After your home has been hit by any disaster, including floods, storms, fire, and mold, consider hiring us for our sanitizing services!

We’ll clean your home with sanitizing agents, germicides, and antimicrobial treatments, which have all been approved by OSHA. This advanced service cleans your home after severe damages and removes any odors and contaminants left by water, mold, or fire.

Contact SERVPRO

Not only do we have the tools and techniques to clean up and restore your home, but we have the professional knowledge to get the job done efficiently and quickly the first time around. Contact us to discuss the type of disaster your home has faced and which restoration services you’ll be needing. We’ll find the right advanced technology and professional restoration services for you in Cedar City and Fillmore today!

When to Use SERVPRO’s Residential Cleaning Services

3/11/2021 (Permalink)

Carpet cleaning clean

At SERVPRO, we offer a variety of residential cleaning services that can be used for any of your cleaning needs. Whether you’re looking for a deep carpet cleaning or wanting something to clean your ceilings and walls, we have just what you need!

We offer a handful of cleaning services to help you keep your home sparkling clean. While we don’t offer a basic house cleaning service like other cleaning or maid companies, our traditional service offers a much deeper clean. This means you won’t need to constantly clean your home. Learn more about our most popular residential cleaning services for homes in Cedar City and Fillmore.

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

Our deep carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning services are perfect for any unexpected messes like pets having accidents on the carpets or children spilling juice on your white upholstery. Not only can we clean any spills or accidents out from your carpets and upholstery, but we’ll also remove all dust and dirt with these services to leave your home professionally cleaned.

Ceilings, Floors, and Walls

We also offer a deep ceiling, floor, and wall cleaning service. Whether you’re wanting to prepare your walls for a fresh layer of paint or just looking to have your walls and ceilings cleaned, we’re equipped to remove all dirt, dust, pet dander, grease, and smoke remnants.

With our industry-approved cleaning methods and supplies, we’re prepared to deep clean your hardwood or tile flooring. We’ll remove any dirt and grime that has built up over time while restoring your floor to its former glory.

Drapes and Blinds

Another deep residential cleaning service we offer is for your drapes and blinds. While these may not be typical areas you think to clean around your house, drapes and blinds are great at collecting dirt and dust, so they should be cleaned regularly. Hire us to deep clean them next time you’re thinking about spring cleaning. We’ll not only remove the dirt from your drapes and blinds, but we’ll dust them as well!

Other Cleaning Services Offered by SERVPRO

We don’t just offer in-home cleaning services, either. We have several other services for you to choose from depending on what area of your home you need cleaned, whether that be your air ducts, odors, or sewage.

Air Duct Cleaning

One of the professional cleaning services we offer at SERVPRO is air duct cleaning. While this may not be high on your list of priorities, if you hire us to clean your air ducts regularly, you might be surprised at how efficient your heating and cooling system will become!

Residential Odor Removal

Basic cleaning services aren’t typically equipped to deodorize a home. While they may leave a home smelling fresh from cleaning supplies, this isn’t likely to last or cover up any odors your home might have. By hiring us to deodorize your home, you’ll be getting rid of any unwanted odors residing in your house.

Sewage Cleanup

We also offer residential sewage and biohazard cleanup. At SERVPRO, we employ expert sewage and biohazard cleanup crews, who will not only take precautions to safely clean your home but will ensure it is done efficiently as well!

Professional Home Cleaning Services

Feel free to contact us for more information on our residential cleaning services. If you need your home cleaned today or would like to discuss options for a cleaning service, reach out to us to schedule a time we can visit your home to professionally clean it.

How to Prevent Water Damage from the Spring Thaw

3/5/2021 (Permalink)

Storm thaw Winter Thaw

As the weather warms, the spring thaw nears closer. Each year, this can pose a threat to homes if proper spring flooding preventative measures aren’t taken, and you’ll want to be sure to take proper actions to prevent home water damage.

Before the spring thaw comes around, be sure to take proper measures to prepare the outside and inside of your home.

Outside Your Home

Clear Ice and Snow around Your House

Clearing three feet of ice and snow from around the sides of your home can prevent water from getting into your home’s foundation. Not only can it protect your foundation, but it can keep water from getting into your basement.

Clear Out Gutters

Although there won’t be any leaves to clear out of your gutters, it’s still smart to clean them out to prevent ice and snow buildup. Your gutters have an important role during the spring thaw: if your gutters are blocked by ice or snow, the gutter water can overflow and cause home water damage.

Inside Your Home

Consider a Sump Pump for Your Basement

Basements are prone to spring flooding, which is why it’s worth considering installing a sump pump if you do not already have one.

Sump pumps that have a battery backup will kick on, pumping water out even if a winter storm causes a power outage. They’re also an excellent preventative measure for spring-thaw flooding.

Unplug & Move Appliances in Your Basement

If you have a refrigerator, laundry machines, or other appliances in the basement of your home, they can pose an incredible threat during a flood.

To protect your appliances and your home from electrically charged water, be sure to unplug all appliances and electronics in your basement during the spring thaw.

Aside from unplugging them, move any appliances and electronics that you can carry out of the basement during spring flooding season. If appliances are too big or heavy to carry upstairs, try elevating them on cement or wood to protect them from floodwaters.

Consider Installing Backwater Valves

Where spring-thaw floods are concerning, you should consider having backwater valves to protect your basement and home from sewage flooding.

If a main swerve backup happens, backwater, or backflow, valves will automatically close to protect your home from flooding. They can be installed in your basement sewer connections to prevent further home water damage.

Home Water Damage Restoration from SERVPRO

Even with your best efforts and preventative measures, home flooding can still happen. At SERVPRO, we can help with home water damage! Our team is eager to assist you, so feel free to contact us to discuss any damage or restoration you may need.

10 Things To Do To Prepare For A Severe Windstorm

3/2/2021 (Permalink)

Windstorm Windstorm

Wind Damage Protection

Weather warnings for a windstorm can bring a host of anxieties and apprehensions. The biggest of them is whether your home will be able to withstand the onslaught of harsh winds. Luckily, there are some things you can do to ease those concerns. We’ve come up with several precautions you can take to ensure that your home will make it through the storm with flying colors.

Preparation is half the battle, they say. So, let’s win this war with these 10 tips!

1)   A Simple Plan

Whether you plan to ride out the storm and shelter in place at home or leave for somewhere safer, you need a detailed plan for either option.

  • If you plan to get out of Dodge, you should have a route mapped out, the safest way to get there, which roads to take, food and supply for the journey, and some spare cash.
  • If you plan to wait it out at home, you should make sure you have enough food in your pantry. Dry foods like beans, rice, and lentils are a good source of protein, take up little room to store, and make hearty meals. If you buy tinned food, make sure to check the expiration dates. You’ll also want a fully-stocked first-aid box, pet food if you have pets, toilet paper, and water bottles.

2)   Out & About

Inspect the area surrounding your house. If there is any equipment outside that could get swept away in the wind, either bring it inside or secure it to something sturdy. Any trees that are in danger of falling over and damaging the house should be cut down and removed.

3)   A Roof Over Your Head

The roof takes a real beating during a windstorm, so make sure the roof of your home is in good condition before the storm arrives. Have it repaired if need be.

4)   Add Fuel

Make sure all your cars and generators have full tanks of fuel. In an emergency, if the power fails, a generator can be a lifesaver.

5)   All That Glass

Windows and doors with glass can be really vulnerable in a windstorm. These can be especially dangerous if they break towards the inside. Make sure to protect all the windows and glass doors in the house with pre-fitted windstorm shutters.

6)   Unplug

All electronics, computers, and anything plugged into a power source can short circuit and cause a fire. Additionally, if power lines go down during the windstorm, the appliances can surge when the power is restored. Unplug all appliances, computers, and electronic equipment before a storm comes. It would also be a smart idea to make backups of all important data on these devices.

7)   Household Chemicals

Make sure that all household chemicals, like cleaning products, are properly sealed, placed in secure plastic bags, and stored somewhere high and safe, like a tall cabinet.

8)   Tune In, Turn Off

Use duct tape on any cracks or spaces around the windows and doors to prevent the winds from entering your home. Turn off the electricity from the main source.

9)   Get In Touch

In the case of a severe storm, form neighborhood communities beforehand. During the windstorm, keep your portable radio close and keep checking for weather updates. Afterward, check in with your neighbors to make sure everyone is okay. Help out if anyone is running low on supplies. Check in on the elderly.

10)               Pets

If you have pets, it’s important to understand that your pet will feel even more anxious and scared than you during a windstorm. Keep toys, treats, and a leash ready to ensure they don’t run and hide somewhere dangerous.

These precautions should ensure minimal damage to your home, and the safety of you and your loved ones during a windstorm. If your property does sustain any damage from the wind, your best bet is to contact Sevpro of Cedar City/Fillmore. We’re the best in the business and will make sure your house is shipshape in no time.

Is Your Home Ready for Monsoon Season?

3/2/2021 (Permalink)

Monsoon Monsoon

Protect Your Home from Flood Damage

Rain conjures up images of splashy puddles, the pitter-patter of droplets on a windowsill, hot cocoa, and a warm fire. But, there can be too much of a good thing. That same rain can ruin the foundation of your house and cause extensive flood damage. It’s important to take precautions before an expected flood to ensure that minimum loss is sustained. If your home happens to lie in a flood zone, here are some flood preparation tips to consider:

1.   Install Sump Pumps

Invest in quality sump pumps. When water reaches a certain level, sump pumps spring into action and drain the water to a designated drainage area. There are two kinds of sump pumps available: battery-operated and the kind that can be plugged into your power source. It’s a smart idea to get both because when an area gets flooded, the power is the first thing to go.

2.   Elevate Your Electrical Components

Get a licensed electrician to elevate your electrical components. This will include circuit breakers, switches, sockets, and general wiring. The recommended height is 12” above the projected flood elevation for your home. Not only does this prevent sparks, a short circuit, electric shock, or fire, it also keeps your expensive equipment safe and protected.

3.   Waterproof Your Basement

The basement is the first place where water collects if it hasn’t been waterproofed. Make sure you clean all the drains and gutters of leaves and debris. Your property should be on a slope that leads water away. All the windows and openings should be sealed.

4.   Have Practice Drills

Just like a fire drill at school, it’s important to have a flood drill at home. Make a checklist of the things that need to be checked and done when a flood hits. This checklist should be in a place with ease of access and high visibility, like on the fridge. Everyone in the house should know the list inside out.

Some important things to include on the list would be:

  • Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances.
  • Turn the electricity off from the main source.
  • Turn the gas off from the main source.
  • Turn off the main supply of water. Water pipes can burst from pressure in flood situations and add to the floodwater.

5.   Make Sure You Have Backflow Valves for all Sewage Connections

All appliances and installations with a connection to the main sewage line, like sinks, washing machines, and toilets, should be installed with a backflow valve. The pressure of the floodwater can cause sewage lines to overflow. Without a backflow valve, this water is going to find an outlet in your home through these installations. Floodwater can be nasty enough to clean without adding sewage to it.

6.   Install Septic Pump Alarms

This alarm lets you know when the septic tank is in danger of overflowing. If the tank is flooded, do not flush the toilet before you’ve had an expert take a look at it. Putting additional pressure on a tank that is already flooded may cause the tank to overflow into your home.

7.   Secure Fuel Tanks

Any fuel container outside of the house should either be brought in and secured or tied and secured to something outside. If not properly anchored, these tanks could float downstream and damage a neighbor’s property, contaminate a food source, or even catch fire.

8.   Have a Supply of Drinking Water

It may seem like there’s an endless supply of water everywhere, but don’t drink water from your well or the city water supply until the water has been tested and declared safe. Have a backup supply of bottled water or invest in a filtration system for your home. You should also have an emergency supply of food and a fully stocked first aid box.

9.   Create a Makeshift Toilet System

Septic tanks are most likely to be unusable in a flood situation. It’s important to have a back-up system in case this happens. A Porta Potty can be used in this situation. A second option is to turn off the valve to the toilet tank, line it with sanitation liners or trash bags, and use the toilet as usual. Tie the bags with secure ties, and double or triple bag them to keep flies and smells to a minimum.

10.               Move Valuables to Upper Floors

Any valuable and fragile goods that are most likely to sustain irreparable damage from floodwater should be transported to the upper floors of the house. If your house floods, these items will likely be safe from the water.

11.               Use Sandbags and Plastic Sheets

Sandbags can soak up water quickly, and plastic sheets can ensure that water doesn’t seep into the foundation of the house. In a pinch, both can deliver quick results. Use sandbags to block water from seeping under the doors.

Flood damage in the monsoon season is a sad reality that millions of people face every year. Despite the best precautions, there is no guarantee against flood damage and water damage. Call SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore, and we’ll take care of any water or flood damage your house sustains. Contact us today, so you can make the best of the rainy season.

When Is Mold Remediation Covered by My Homeowner’s Insurance?

2/18/2021 (Permalink)

Mold on Ceiling Mold

No matter how meticulously you care for your home and prepare against disaster, damage can happen. In cases of water damage, which happen fairly often due to a leaking roof, broken pipes, or other incidents, it’s imperative that the damage is repaired quickly and a qualified mold remediation team is enlisted to ensure your home is free of fungus that can cause financial and health effects.

Dealing with a mold issue is already stressful, and the last thing you want is the added headache of remediation not being covered by insurance.

So when is mold remediation covered by homeowner’s insurance?

The short answer is that it varies by situation. An insurance company will only accept your claim if the need for mold remediation stems from something already covered in your policy.

When It’s Covered

Insurance policies will typically approve claims for mold remediation when the mold growth comes as a result of water damage that would also be covered on your policy. These situations can include malfunctioning appliances such as washing machines or refrigerators, a burst water heater, or as a result of a home fire being extinguished.

When It May Be Covered

Mold remediation may be covered when caused by weather factors. Flooding, a common cause of mold problems, is typically not included in the average homeowner’s insurance policy but can be purchased as add-on protection. This is typically recommended in high-risk coastal areas.

If your need for mold remediation arises from another kind of weather disaster, such as a hurricane, service may be covered depending on your policy and insurance provider.

When It’s Not Covered

Insurance companies will not cover mold remediation when it is necessitated by negligence and poor upkeep in a home. In other words, if the situation could have been prevented, a provider will typically choose not to cover remediation services. Examples of situations that fall under this category include spotting but ignoring a leaky pipe, window, etc. or failing to ensure adequate ventilation or install a humidifier in a consistently damp environment.

Mold remediation coverage may be capped at a specific dollar amount, so talk to your insurance provider to understand the specifics of your policy.

An issue with mold will often continue to grow and can create effects for your health. If you notice mold damage in your home, call a mold remediation team immediately, and read these tips for what to do while waiting for them to arrive.

If you’re located in the Cedar City or Fillmore, Utah areas, contact us at SERVPRO for cleanup and restoration services you can trust. Our highly-trained staff is on call 24/7 to respond to emergency situations, and will even work with your insurance company to streamline your claims process.

What You Need to Know to Prevent Water Damage to Your Home

2/18/2021 (Permalink)

Water leak Water leak

Flooding can happen in a matter of minutes but can cause extensive (and expensive!) damage to your home. Although it’s nearly impossible to totally flood-proof your house, covering the basics outlined below can help shield you from potential flood damage in the future.

Look Out for Water Leaks

Water leaks are one of the top causes of water damage to homes. Water leaks from toilets or other plumbing can cause significant damage over time that can be expensive to repair. If you notice any leaks or a constantly running toilet, call a professional and get it addressed immediately. In addition, keep an eye on your monthly water bill, as any unusual spikes can indicate a leak somewhere in your home’s plumbing system.

Clogged drains can also back up and cause water to show up where it shouldn’t be. As an easy precaution, pour boiling water down the drains in your home’s kitchen and bathrooms around once a month to help clear out any stubborn debris. Remember that animal fats and cooking grease should never go down drains.

Home appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, ice makers, and more can utilize massive amounts of water, meaning any leak that develops can quickly become a huge headache. Check the hoses to these appliances once a year and replace them every 5-7 years, or right away if you spot any issues.

An air conditioning unit can be especially prone to leaks, and water from a malfunctioning unit can be dangerous for basements, as they can soak the ceiling and cause mold damage. If you ever spot discoloration that you suspect may be due to mold, call a mold remediation specialist as soon as possible, as mold may cause health effects to you and your family.

Keep Your Gutters Clear

Keeping your home’s gutters clear and free of debris is an easy yet often overlooked chore. Regularly clearing the leaves, twigs, pine needles, and other gunk from your house’s gutters and downspouts keeps water from pooling up. This avoids water damaging roof coverings, rotting wood, peeling paint, and leaking into basements.

If you have a front and back yard, ensure that your lawn “points” away from your home. Lawns can have imperceptible grades, and even the slightest slope down away from your house can act as an extension to your gutters and carry water away from the walls of your home.

Ensure Your Home’s Foundation Is Strong

Cracks can develop occasionally in the concrete foundation of your home, and if not treated, they can widen with time to let water in and render you extra vulnerable to storms. Do regular foundation check-ups where you walk around the outside of your house and make note of any cracks, which can be filled with masonry caulk and/or mortar as soon as they’re spotted. If cracks continue to develop frequently after repairs, consult with professionals.

Another way to catch any foundational issues as soon as possible is to watch for any water seeping into your basement after a heavy rain, which is indicative of a structural problem somewhere.

Locally-owned and operated, SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore has a team of highly-qualified water restoration technicians ready to get your home back in pristine condition. For more information on how to prevent water damage to your home or for 24/7 emergency response in Fillmore and Cedar City, Utah, contact us at SERVPRO today.

Out of the Ashes? What Can and Cannot Be Saved After a Fire

2/18/2021 (Permalink)

Fire Fire in Kitchen

A house fire is a horrific event. Even if everyone in the home makes it out safely, the physical damage on the structure will be intense. That pain will only be matched by the acute mental and emotional anguish endured by those living there.

There are many factors that will determine what, if anything, can be saved once the flames are extinguished. Our technicians at SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore are often surprised by what survives even the most intense fires. Books, wood furniture, tools, certain types of pottery and stoneware might have a life after the blaze. Even pictures and important family documents have been found fully intact under piles of ash and debris.

How does fire damage things and what needs to be thrown out?

Visible fire damage is not hard to spot. What will not be as evident is what has been impacted by extreme heat and flames. Even if there is no apparent physical damage, get rid of certain materials, including:

  • Insulation
  • All food that was in the house (both perishable and non-perishable)
  • Cosmetics
  • Medication
  • Cleaning supplies

While these kinds of items might have avoided visible fire damage, they may have come in contact with toxic chemicals. Combustion, the process of something burning, releases harmful chemicals like hydrogen cyanide, sulfur dioxide, and tar. That is nasty stuff.

You cannot eat food that has been exposed to heat or the chemicals produced during combustion. Medication, cosmetics, and most cleaning supplies also react negatively with heat and must be discarded. Burned insulation no longer insulates, and it is impossible to clean the accumulated soot and smoke odor. However, our SERVPRO technicians remove the top three to four inches of insulation in case the problem only involves residue deposits.

How we can help?

Fire affects ALL materials at the site. Meticulous and detailed scoping is necessary before deciding what to throw and what, if anything, can be kept. Our SERVPRO technicians consider three main factors:

  • Can it be restored?
  • How much will it cost?
  • What is the sentimental or monetary value of the item?

After a thorough inspection of your property, our technicians can assess when items can be restored. Restoration, not replacement, is always what we strive for initially in an effort to save your beloningings and to save you money.

Contact us today! We're faster to any size disaster to minimize damage. SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore helps in addressing various challenges sparked by fire damage, including making tough decisions on the fate of valuables. Call us at (435) 251-9241.

Your QuaranCleaning Might Not Be Enough

2/18/2021 (Permalink)

Carpet cleaning Carpet

Many of us are home. Restaurants, churches, movie theaters, and even parks are closed. Social distancing is vital to our health and safety, so we’re all making the smart choice to stay inside. Some are baking. Others are binge-watching. But many of us are organizing and cleaning. The Centers For Disease Control encourages cleaning counters, tabletops, doorknobs, and other high-touch surfaces with a hospital-grade disinfectant. Do that. Keep you and your family safe, but what are we supposed to do about our carpets?

Kids, pets, furniture, and regular foot traffic create plenty of wear and tear. If you or your guests fail to leave shoes at the door, who knows what we drag in. Regular vacuuming helps, but here are just a few issues you need to think about:

Mold

Gross with a capital G! What makes a carpet great is how soft and plush it is. That’s also what makes it a haven for moisture and bacteria. In almost every case, carpet will absorb fluid faster than we can blot it dry. That liquid infiltrates deep down into the fibers and pad. That creates odors, leaves behind stains, but, most damaging of all, the dampness creates a fertile breeding ground for mold spores.

Pollen

Spring is wonderful. It is warmer but not too hot. The sun lingers a little longer every evening. And there is nothing better than a sweet spring breeze. Unfortunately, that breeze carries loads of pollen. Open windows, open doors, and even our clothes bring in pollen from the great outdoors and allow it to settle on the carpet. Anyone who suffers from allergies knows how distressing that dust can be.

Skin

People shed skin. It is just a messy matter of human biology. Some medical experts say we shed as much as 1.5 million skin flakes each day. Those flakes fall someplace, and that place is the floor and, more specifically, our carpets. Yuck. But it gets even worse. Most every house has dust mites, a major factor for indoor allergies, and dust mites feast on that stuff.

Dirt

This one is pretty obvious. We track it in. The dog brings it in. Open doors and windows bring it in. Dirt is an inescapable fact of life. If you have darker carpet or flooring, the stains might not be obvious. But they still often harbor all the bad stuff we do not want to ruin our carpets and possibly make us sick.

Keep Carpets Clean!

These are manageable challenges. Vacuum your carpets twice a week if possible. Also, have them professionally cleaned on a yearly basis (maybe more if you have pets, young children, or a lot of visitors or gathering). This not only removes all the allergens, muck, and grime that builds up in even the tidiest of homes, it extends the life of the carpet. They are an expensive investment. A little money spent now can save plenty in the long run. Click here for more information on our residential carpet cleaning services.

Commercial Property Losses don’t have to be a headache.

2/9/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial Building Cedar City, Commercial Buildings

Commercial Flooding and water damage can be more complex than a typical residential event.  The numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response.  With over 13 years’ experience dealing with all manner of loss from relatively small water cleanup scenario or large scale events, we will work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. Our sole purpose is to restore you to full operation.

Our technicians are trained in all areas to ensure that any legal or environmental concerns are addressed up front. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.  Because we are a locally owned and operated business, we have the ability to get to you quickly.  We strive to be the best in our community at both service and communication. 

About SERVPRO of Cedar City

Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification.  We know how to properly restore your business or other commercial property to better than new condition.

6 Things to Consider When Creating a Fire Escape Plan

2/5/2021 (Permalink)

Escaping Fire Escaping a fire. Having a plan

Home fires are scary and spread extremely quickly, so every second counts. Protect your home and family by developing a fire escape plan, and prepare yourself for how to respond in an emergency. For more information on how to prepare yourself and your family for disasters, visit ready.gov.

1.  Ensure Reliable Alerts

Having working smoke detectors in your home is one of the most important things you can do to practice fire safety for you and your family. You should place at least one on every floor of your home, including the basement, and one in each bedroom. Keep the devices working by replacing batteries twice per year and testing them monthly. Never disable your smoke alarm for cooking.

Ensure that members of your household each recognize the sound of the alarm and understand what it means. For individuals who may be hearing or visually impaired, consider getting a smoke detector with a vibrating pad or strobe lights.

2.  Map Out an Escape Route

Next, map out the escape routes from each area inside your home. It’s a good idea to identify two ways to get out of each room, in case one exit is compromised by flames, heat, or structural failure. Make sure that the windows in your home aren’t jammed and that screens can be easily removed.

3.  Involve the Kids

If you have children, it’s important to involve them in your fire escape plan. Home fires are scary experiences, so you should teach them the importance of not hiding from firefighters, as well as common fire wisdom like crawling along the floor in smoke-filled rooms and “stop, drop, and roll” in case of clothing catching fire. Make sure they understand your plan and can take the escape route on their own.

1.  Practice Your Plan

Once you have your fire escape plan set, practice it together twice per year to keep everyone’s memories fresh and to avoid confusion. Consider practicing feeling your way to the outside of your home with your eyes closed.

2.  Safeguard Important Documents

Part of the devastation of home fires is dealing with the aftermath and all the personal possessions that are lost. Make digital copies of important documents like birth certificates, marriage licenses, and property deeds and store them safely online or on a fireproof hard drive. You may want to back up family photos as well.

3.  Keep a Fire Extinguisher

Attain a fire extinguisher and keep it in your home in case of an emergency. Most likely, you’ll want to put it in the kitchen, since cooking fires are more frequent than fires in other parts of the home. Learn how to use it.

Cleanup and Restoration in Southern Utah

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore is your local source for reliable disaster cleanup services. Our trained technicians are available 24/7 to respond quickly to emergencies and are highly skilled at handling damage from water, fire, mold, and other sources. We live in this community, too, and are proud of our reputation for providing honest and effective services at fair prices. Contact us today to learn more.

6 Ways to Keep Your Clothes Dryer from Causing a Home Fire

2/5/2021 (Permalink)

Clothes Fire Dryer Fire

According to the National Fire Protection Association, clothes dryers are the cause of more than 13,000 home fires each year in the United States, causing more than $200 million in damages. No one wants to experience a home fire, and luckily there are several steps you can take to reduce the risk of your clothes dryer causing flames. Follow these six steps to keep your home safe from dryer fires.

1. Clean the Lint Filter

Cleaning the lint filter is the most important piece of dryer maintenance to remember. The interior of a dryer can reach more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit during use, and if too much lint has accumulated on the filter, it can easily spark and ignite. After every use, remove the lint filter from your dryer and run your hand over it to remove lint buildup. Rinse the trap under a faucet and replace it in the dryer once it’s fully dried. It’s also good to wipe down the interior of the machine periodically, and remember: never use the dryer when the lint screen is missing.

Not only will cleaning the lint filter protect you, but it can save your wallet too. A blocked lint filter causes your dryer to use more energy, so keeping it free of debris will save you money on utility bills.

2. Don’t Overload

We’ve all experienced getting behind on laundry and having to catch up all in one day. However, it’s important to resist the temptation to overload your dryer, especially if you’re drying thick items like towels or blankets. Overfilling the drum can cause dryer components to work harder than they’re designed to and reach temperatures that are higher than safe, eventually causing a spark. It may seem inconvenient, but the longer time of splitting a large load into two is worth it.

3. Get Regular Inspections

Consider scheduling an annual visit from a qualified maintenance technician. He or she can clean the interior of your dryer and inspect it for mechanical and electrical failures. The venting and exhaust systems and gas line fittings could all benefit from a professional eye, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that preventative maintenance can identify issues before they become major problems

4. Clean the Dryer Duct

The ventilation duct of your dryer carries excess hot air to the outside of your home, but lint can get caught there, too. These vents should be cleaned at least annually, and more if you have more than a few people living in your home. To clean out the dryer duct, move your dryer away from the wall and detach the large vent, then use a shop-vac or powerful vacuum with a hose to remove any lint that may have settled inside.

5. Don’t Dry Hazardous Chemicals

It’s also important not to dry anything that’s not meant to be put in the dryer. If your clothes have any sort of oil, gas, cleaning products, alcohol, or other flammable substances, wash them with soap and then hang them to dry. Look at the washing instructions on product labels and don’t dry materials like plastic, foam, and rubber.

6. Only Run Laundry When You’re Nearby

It’s tempting to put a load of laundry in the dryer before dashing out the door to run an errand, but you should only run your clothes dryer when you’re at home and awake. This way, in case a fire does start in your dryer, you’ll have time to take action before it can grow and spread.

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore is a professional cleanup and restoration company that specializes in providing quality services to our Southern Utah community. We are on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies like dryer fires and are highly experienced in dealing with damage from fire, water, mold, and more. For more information, contact us today.

Why Winter is the Best Time to Schedule Carpet Cleaning

2/5/2021 (Permalink)

Carpet cleaning Carpet Cleaning, Winter Cleaning

Winter, the time of sledding, winter storms, skiing, and carpet cleaning. While you might not consider deep cleaning your carpets a wintertime activity, you should. There are several reasons to bump your deep carpet cleaning into the winter months. Learn why deep cleaning your carpets is important, how often you should clean them, and why winter is the best time to clean your carpets.

Why Should You Deep Clean Your Carpets?

Cleaning your carpets is a typical household chore, but have you ever wondered why you need to keep up on it? Clean carpets have a variety of benefits for everyone involved, and carpets that are deep cleaned are even better. While vacuuming helps maintain your carpets, it doesn’t entirely pick up the contaminants. A deep cleaning will more fully remove dust mites, allergens, and bacteria that can harm you and your family. Deep cleaning your carpets also offers the following benefits:

  • Reduces risks of colds
  • Improves overall airflow
  • Lengthens the lifetime of the carpet
  • Restores the fibers’ softness

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?

For regular carpet upkeep, vacuuming twice a week can cut down airborne pathogens up to 50%. However, deep cleaning is a different story. The Carpet and Rug Institute suggests that you deep clean your carpets at least once every 12–18 months. Of course, the frequency depends on how much use your carpets get. Areas of high traffic are going to need a deep cleaning more often than those that are out of the way.

A deep clean can be done either professionally or on your own, but in either case, your carpets need to be thoroughly cleaned. Homeowners who decide to take the DIY path should be aware that to get the deep cleaning results you want, you’ll need to follow best practices like using a professional carpet cleaner and airing out the carpet for the right amount of time. While you can deep clean your own carpets, hiring a professional carpet cleaning company means that you’ll get truly clean carpets, hassle-free.

Why Winter is a Great Time for Cleaning Carpets

Most people don’t think of cleaning their carpets in the winter, but it’s actually an ideal time to do it. Here are two big reasons why you should think about moving your deep carpet cleaning to the winter season.

Faster Dry Times

Winters are typically less humid than the rest of the year, meaning that your cleaned carpet won’t retain as much moisture. Additionally, the cooler temperatures help your carpet dry faster, so you have less of a wait before getting back to your routine.

Better Indoor Air

It’s a general rule that people spend more time in their homes during the colder months, especially this year when going out is already limited. The quality of air in your home is an important factor in your health and overall state of wellness.

Your carpets trap pathogens and allergens in the fibers. When you deep clean your carpets, you release them from your carpets, which improves the air inside your house. Though clean indoor air is good for everyone, it’s especially important for people in your home who are asthmatic or allergic to dust.

Better in the Winter

If you’re deciding when to give your carpets the deep cleaning they deserve, consider the advantages of cleaning them in the wintertime. With faster dry times, better indoor air quality, and prevention of colds, cleaning your carpets in the winter is a great choice. Improve your health and the look of your home with a simple deep clean for your carpets when you’re home for the holidays. When you’re ready, contact a dependable cleaning company like SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore to get the job done right.

Why SERVPRO Is a Preferred Vendor

3/31/2020 (Permalink)

Hail hitting on top of roof during storm.  Hail can lead to storm damage in Cedar City, UT.

When your Cedar City, UT, property has been damaged because of failing appliances, natural disasters, or freak emergencies, the last thing you want is to hire professionals to do subpar work. How can you be sure that you'll get great results from cleanup and restoration professionals? One of the best ways to feel confident you've chosen reliable professionals is to get a recommendation from your insurance company. SERVPRO works hard to be a successful part of your insurance company's vendor program.

What exactly does it mean to be a preferred vendor?

Property restoration companies must complete a list of steps to qualify for these programs. After completing all the required guidelines, the company demonstrates:

  • Compliance with the Institute of Inspection
  • Cleaning and Restoration standards
  • Willingness to abide by standardized pricing and discount services
  • Adherence with specific insurance company requirements

Some of the steps required to become a preferred vendor include routine background checks for employees, ongoing maintenance for equipment, and completion of multiple training programs.

Why do insurance companies offer preferred vendor programs?

Ultimately, a professional relationship with a restoration company that upholds high standards and abides by strict compliance standards is good for both parties. The insurance company knows that the restoration technicians are trained to do satisfactory work quickly, so repeat repairs aren't necessary. Cleanup crews that work efficiently for standardized prices keep costs down for the insurance company. In return, preferred companies know that they'll get a referral when an insurance agent meets with a homeowner.
Do These Programs Work in Your Favor?
Your insurance agent must balance the insurance company's desire to maintain a balanced budget with your need to pay for property repairs. When restoration professionals offer top quality services for competitive prices, the agent satisfies both requirements. Ask your Cedar City, UT, SERVPRO franchise for more information about how the program works and whether your insurance company uses preferred vendors.

How To Test Your Smoke Alarms

3/30/2020 (Permalink)

White smoke alarm A smoke detector is important for fire safety.

Fire safety should be at the top of every homeowner's list of concerns. While you hope that you never have to deal with fire damage in your home, having a reliable smoke alarm system in place is essential to protecting your family just in case a fire occurs. There are several things you need to do to make sure your fire alarm system staying in good working order.

Check the Age


A smoke detector can last a long time, but like everything else in your home, it eventually wears out and needs to be replaced. The process for checking the age of your detectors is simple:

Remove the detector.

Look on the back for the date it was manufactured.
Return the detector to the wall or ceiling if it's less than 10 years old.

If the date of your detector is over 10 years ago, you need to replace it. Your smoke alarm system is only as strong as its weakest detector, so check the dates at least once a year to make sure they're all still current.

Check the Alert


Even if your smoke detectors are all relatively new, they can still malfunction. Fire damage experts recommend that you check them every month to make sure they are still working. Push the button on the front of the detector. It should emit an alert. If it does not, you need to replace either the battery or the detector itself.

Check the Battery

The battery in every smoke detector in your home should be replaced at least once a year. Your monthly test may reveal that the battery is weak before the year is up, though. If the alert doesn't sound when you push the button, a new battery may solve the problem.

Your smoke alarm system is your first line of defense against being trapped in a burning home. Test your alarms on a regular basis, and replace them when necessary.

Restoration Professionals and Preferred Vendor Qualifications

2/27/2020 (Permalink)

Laundry room floor flooded due to broken washing machine. Laundry room flooded in Cedar City, UT home.

When it comes to the professionals who provide restoration services, you want to know how well they will do their jobs. Without information about the cleanup and repair company, how could you possibly tell whether you'll get good results? The good news is that your insurance agent can refer you to a preferred vendor who has met specific qualifications.


All Restoration Companies Are Not the Same


Naturally, some restoration companies require that their employees hold more qualifications than others. For example, SERVPRO professionals must abide by 21 guidelines. This focus on meeting the highest industry standards makes the company popular with many insurance companies. As a result, you can expect good results from SERVPRO in the following areas:

  • Customer care
  • Compliance checks
  • Crew and vehicle safety
  • Insurance compliance
  • Accurate documentation
  • Quality assurance


Ongoing training is an important part of participation in the company's vendor program. Although there are many franchises around the country, including Cedar City, UT, you can be confident of a consistent level of quality service because of the company's high standards.

Why Qualifications Matter


Employers in most industries hire applicants who have valuable qualifications. Certifications, licensing, and other credentials show the applicants' ability to do great work and provide great results. In the cleaning, restoration, and mitigation industry, qualifications tend to show a combination of experience and education. This is one of the main reasons your insurance agent will only recommend a restoration company with high standards and professionalism. Naturally, your insurance provider is motivated to work with partners who offer good results while keeping costs low.


Why Choose a Preferred Vendor?


When your home has been damaged by water, fire, or anything else, you naturally want to work with a company that is going to do the restoration work well. Your insurance agent is likely to provide you with a referral to a cleanup and restoration company that maintains high standards and exhibits compliance with industry regulations. Choosing to work with a preferred vendor increases the chances that repair work will be done well and makes it more likely that the insurance company will cover the costs of restoration.

Understanding Mold Insurance Coverage

2/19/2020 (Permalink)

Mold growth found in drywall of residential home Moldy drywall in Cedar City, UT home.

Have you noticed fungus growth in your home, leaving you to wonder about mold insurance coverage? Unfortunately, most homeowner's policies do not cover mold damage in general, but there are specific circumstances where some coverage may be possible. However, to get the full benefit of your policy, it is necessary to understand four aspects of mold insurance coverage.

Mold Insurance Coverage

  • Peril coverage
  • Mold caps
  • Preventable damage
  • Professional inspections



Peril Coverage


When it comes to a typical homeowner policy, the mold coverage is likely limited to listed perils. In other words, if your home develops a mold problem because of a fire or sudden pipe break, then mold removal may be covered, but the specifics will need to be addressed by an adjuster.


Mold Caps

There are some policies the will cover a portion of the removal of fungus growth. However, these specific policies likely have strict caps on coverage limits. Therefore, while your plan may include some of the damage, you will typically still be required to pay a portion of the removal and remediation expense.


Preventable Damage


Regardless of how your policy handles mold claims, a claim is likely to be rejected or denied if the damage incurred is determined to have been avoidable or due to negligence. For example, if you failed to fix a leak or if you didn't clean your gutters resulting in roof damage and leading to mold.


Professional Inspections


While some insurance policies will cover some mold damage, the best option for homeowners is prevention. Therefore, stick to annual home inspections by a professional remediation company in Cedar City, UT. Being diligent about inspections should allow you to prevent most water-related issues, protecting your home from the risk of mold.


While fungus growth is a common problem for homeowners, it is necessary to understand the most homeowners' policies do not cover mold damage. However, there are specific situations where coverage is possible, but the best practice is still prevention.

Cedar City Smoke and Soot Cleanup

2/12/2020 (Permalink)

Room full with belongings with severe fire, smoke and soot damage. Severe fire damage in Cedar City, UT.

Smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Our smoke damage expertise and experience allows us to inspect and accurately assess the extent of the damage to develop a comprehensive plan of action.  

Smoke and soot facts:

  • Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
  • Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
  • The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Different Types of Smoke

There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

  • Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

  • Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire

  • Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor. 

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions.  We have the equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire and smoke damage. We will also treat your family with empathy and respect and your property with care.

3 Ways Electronic Records Can Assist With the Claims Process

1/31/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO trucks on standby ready when the call comes in. SERVPRO is ready 24/7 to help with any type of damage.

When your home is damaged, whether it be by a flood, fire or accident, you will likely need to file an insurance claim to cover the cost of repairing the damage and restoring your house. Hiring certified restoration specialists who utilize an electronic claims service can help you file your claim faster and better. The faster you file, the sooner you can be compensated, so this service can save you a lot of worry. Here are three ways the Claims Information Center at SERVPRO of Cedar City / Fillmore, can benefit you.

Electronic Records Can Assist With The Claims Process



1. Error Reduction

When you have to copy information from one source to another, there is always the chance that you can make an error. One small discrepancy between your claim and the information provided by the repair company can cause your claim to be delayed or even denied. When a preferred vendor such as SERVPRO makes their electronic records available to you and your insurance agent, you don't have to worry about something being written down incorrectly. The fewer hands information has to go through to get to your insurance company, the fewer the mistakes that are likely to be made.

2. Record Retention

Files can easily become disorganized. When records are stored electronically, finding the file needed for an insurance claim is a simpler process. Anyone who can access the records can search for the needed information and find it relatively quickly.

3. Delivery Efficiency

When your home has been damaged, a quick turnaround for getting repairs done and paid for is preferred. Paper-based claim filing can take quite a long time. You wait to get the records from your repair specialists, and then you must wait for those records to reach your insurance company. Electronic records, however, can be accessed and sent immediately, making the time it takes to file your claim shorter.

Getting the money you need from your insurance company is important. When you need to file an insurance claim, SERVPRO is Here to Help.

4 Storm Preparation Tips That Will Help Your Business Survive a Storm

12/27/2019 (Permalink)

Flood damage in green letters with flooded street Storms can cause flood damage in your commercial building in Cedar City, UT.

Storm preparation is vital for any company. A flooded building can disrupt business and stop an inflow of income. Along with that, flood water can cause a lot of damage and may require restoration services. Here are a few ways you can prepare your building to reduce risks of flooding and save money.

4 Ways to Prepare Your Building For Storm Damage



1. Back Up All Critical Information

If important documents or technology get ruined in a storm, this information may be gone forever. Back up anything important on hard drives and have copies of documents in a secure location. That way, once the aftermath has cleared, your company can continue to run smoothly.

2. Consider Flood Insurance

Whether you are in a mapped flood zone or not, it’s a good idea to have flood insurance. Flood water in the building can completely disrupt business if one affects your building. This can help you cover restoration expenses as well as business and employee costs.

3. Have Emergency Kits Ready

The most important part of your business is your employees. Have emergency kits ready for any disaster. A few important emergency kit supplies include the following:

• Enough water to last 24 hours
• Flashlights
• First-Aid kits
• Batteries
• Non-perishable food

If a disaster does occur, you can be confident that your employees will be taken care of.

4. Waterproof Your Building

If your business in Cedar City, UT, is based in an old or leaky building, consider doing any repairs that might stop water from entering the building. Caulk any cracks, install a drainage system, and add waterproof sealant to anything that might result in a leak.

Although you may never deal with flood water in your commercial building, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions to reduce the water damage if a flood were to occur. If a severe storm does affect your business, take care of your employees and call in restoration services quickly. Once everything is repaired and secured, your business can start up again.

The Cost of a Business Interruption Is Covered by Insurance

12/27/2019 (Permalink)

Fire in cooking pan Fire damage in a business can be devastating.

Disaster has struck. It’s a dark day in Kanab, Utah. Your business has completely shut down. Was it fire or storm damage? It doesn’t matter. There is much to be done between now and the day you can reopen. Unfortunately, there was a lot of damage and reopening is a long way off. While you are assessing the situation, your insurance agent reminds you about the interruption insurance portion of your policy and describes some of the costs that it can cover.

Costs Covered by Insurance


1. Costs Associated With Moving to a Temporary Location


If your business can operate from anywhere and your policy covers it, you can restart your business at a temporary location. This can shorten the business interruption dramatically. It will allow you to continue your operation, keep your customers satisfied and make your employees happy that they still have jobs.


2. Lost Profits But Not Lost Revenue


If your business is profitable and you can document profitability, you will be reimbursed for profit lost. Some people mistakenly believe that interruption insurance covers the insured for lost revenue but that is not the case.


3. Fixed Costs


The government wants you to pay your property taxes. Your landlord expects you to pay the rent. Behind them, there are others standing in line to get paid. They don’t care that you are temporarily out of business.


4. Training Costs


Unless you set up your business to operate at a temporary location, it’s a good bet that you will permanently lose many of your employees. New employees will need to be trained to do the jobs, and training costs money.


5. Other Expenses


There will always be other expenses that don’t fit in the above categories. There could be loan payments, utilities, association dues and contractual obligations.


A Short Interruption Is Good for Everyone


Your insurer wants the interruption insurance payments to end. You want things back to normal. If your repairs include fire restoration, consider bringing in a team of restoration experts. You will be happy you did.

How Long Does a Commercial Generator Last?

11/28/2019 (Permalink)

Flood damage in green letters with flooded street Storm or flooding damage can prolong power outages.

A commercial generator can power a building in the event of power loss. Generators run for decades with regular standby operation, inspection, and maintenance to prevent generator problems.

Fuel Types and Longevity



Property owners should factor in the fuel type when deciding on a backup. The operational timeframe of generators depends on fuel availability and heat content in British Thermal Units. Four common fuel types include:

• Gasoline: Gas is easy to obtain under normal circumstances and portable in small containers. This highly volatile fuel has a short shelf life of about 12 months. Gas produces 114,000 BTUs per gallon.

• Diesel: Diesel is less flammable than gas and may be easier to obtain in the event of a prolonged outage. Delivery and tank refilling services are available, and this fuel has a longer 18- to 24-month shelf life. Diesel produces up to 129,500 BTUs per gallon.

• Natural Gas: A generator connected to natural gas can provide uninterrupted backup energy. Compressed natural gas primarily consists of methane and has a heat content of 20,268 BTU per pound.

• Liquid Propane: Propane can be delivered and stored in large tanks or refillable 5 to 10 gallon cylinders. This clean-burning fuel is as much as three times more expensive than diesel. Propane has a heat content of 92,000 BTUs per gallon.

Engine efficiency depends on revolutions per minute. Two common levels for commercial generators include 1,800 RPM and 3,000 RPM. 1,800 RPM models cost more because these units run longer and do not need to be turned off as often to cool down.

Choosing the Right Generator

Property owners comparing commercial generators should factor in the duration and amount of power they may need during prolonged power outages in Kanab, Utah. Standby use and maintenance can increase the operational life of these backups. Contact a commercial damage restoration company if your property sustains storm damage.

Tips to Securing Your Building After a Fire

11/28/2019 (Permalink)

Fire Damage written in white letters with picture of a home with boarded windows Board up your business or home after suffering fire damage in Cedar City, UT.

The effects of a fire in your office building can be devastating. Even minor fire damage can become a burden on your business. In severe cases, you won’t be able to enter your building until cleanup and restoration crews make it safe to do so. In the meantime, it’s important to secure your facility to prevent mischief or thievery.

The Rationale for Board Up



You’re already facing turmoil and stress having to relocate your business and pick up the pieces after a terrible ordeal. You don’t want to have to add insult to injury by dealing with people breaking into your building. Looting is common in temporarily closed buildings.

• Your insurance company will probably require you to secure your facility.
• Emergency services personnel will direct you in how to best secure your building.
• Do not attempt to go inside your building without permission from emergency services.

Close all Entrances

During normal operating situations, you’ll lock your doors and may even have an alarm system deterring suspicious activity around your building. However, fire damage may make these protective measures obsolete, and looters may see a golden opportunity. Board up doors and windows, as many of these have likely been compromised due to the fire.

Board up Other Possible Entry Points

Looters won’t hesitate to find other ways to get inside your building. After the fire, there are likely gaps and holes in the structure where someone could access the facility. Look for any other spots you need to board up and make sure they are secure.

Consider Security

One of the best ways to keep people away from your Cedar City, Utah, building during the fire cleanup and restoration process is to place a security guard or two on site. This extra cost will be well worth your efforts.

Fire damage can be difficult enough to contend with; you don’t want people breaking in your building. Make sure you follow these guidelines to ensure items inside your office remain untouched.

Tips To Quiet Your Pipes

10/31/2019 (Permalink)

Pipe damaged with hole Broken pipes can lead to severe water damage in your home in Cedar City, UT.

You hear whistling and hammering at your home in Cedar City, UT. You peek in on your family and it is not any of them. Who could it be? Surprisingly, it could be your pipes. Ignoring these sounds could lead to a disastrous pipe break in the future. Read below to learn what these sounds mean and what to do next.

Is your Cedar City home making sounds?



Hammering

Hammering or banging sounds occur when water slams into the sides of the pipe when the flow is suddenly shut off. Before a pipe break occurs, solve this by taking the following measures:

• Examine your pipes to see if any pipes are banging against something or missing pipe straps. If this is the case, fix the broken pipe by adding replacement pipe straps or inserting padding where the banging occurs.
• Install an air chamber when the pipe does not contain water. The resulting pocket of air softens the blow of the water slamming abruptly, and lessens the hammering noise. Depending on the location and severity of the noise, these chambers can be installed behind faucets or on the main water line to the house.

Whistling

Whistling noises happen when water quickly flows through a small opening, usually related to faucets or toilet tanks. To avoid a potential pipe burst, take the appropriate next steps:

• First, isolate the problem by turning on and closely listening to each faucet and toilet individually until you locate the source.
• For faucets, turn off the water supply and tighten or replace the interior washer and screw. For toilets, repair, adjust or replace the ballcock mechanism inside the tank.

Be vigilant about the sounds your pipes make in Cedar City, UT. If you do not take action to fix the problem, a pipe break may occur. Once a pipe burst happens in your home, the likelihood of water damage to your home and belongings is substantial. In this event, fix the broken pipe, call your insurance agent and contact a water restoration specialist as soon as possible.

4 Storm Preparation Tips That Will Help Your Business Survive a Storm

10/31/2019 (Permalink)

Professional drying equipment placed on floor of commercial building. Cedar City business suffers flooding due to heavy rains.

Storm preparation is vital for any company. A flooded building can disrupt business and stop an inflow of income. Along with that, flood water can cause a lot of damage and may require restoration services. Here are a few ways you can prepare your building to reduce risks of flooding and save money.

Steps to Reduce Flooding Risks


1. Back Up All Critical Information

If important documents or technology get ruined in a storm, this information may be gone forever. Back up anything important on hard drives and have copies of documents in a secure location. That way, once the aftermath has cleared, your company can continue to run smoothly.

2. Consider Flood Insurance

Whether you are in a mapped flood zone or not, it’s a good idea to have flood insurance. Flood water in the building can completely disrupt business if one affects your building. This can help you cover restoration expenses as well as business and employee costs.

3. Have Emergency Kits Ready

The most important part of your business is your employees. Have emergency kits ready for any disaster. A few important emergency kit supplies include the following:

• Enough water to last 24 hours
• Flashlights
• First-Aid kits
• Batteries
• Non-perishable food

If a disaster does occur, you can be confident that your employees will be taken care of.

4. Waterproof Your Building

If your business in Cedar City, UT, is based in an old or leaky building, consider doing any repairs that might stop water from entering the building. Caulk any cracks, install a drainage system, and add waterproof sealant to anything that might result in a leak.

Although you may never deal with flood water in your commercial building, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions to reduce the water damage if a flood were to occur. If a severe storm does affect your business, take care of your employees and call in restoration services quickly. Once everything is repaired and secured, your business can start up again.

The Cost of a Business Interruption Is Covered by Insurance

10/31/2019 (Permalink)

Wood ceiling removed for fire cleanup. Fire cleanup was necessary for this ceiling in Cedar City.

Disaster has struck. It’s a dark day in Cedar City. Your business has completely shut down. Was it fire or storm damage? It doesn’t matter. There is much to be done between now and the day you can reopen. Unfortunately, there was a lot of damage and reopening is a long way off. While you are assessing the situation, your insurance agent reminds you about the interruption insurance portion of your policy and describes some of the costs that it can cover.

Expenses After a Disaster



1. Costs Associated With Moving to a Temporary Location


If your business can operate from anywhere and your policy covers it, you can restart your business at a temporary location. This can shorten the business interruption dramatically. It will allow you to continue your operation, keep your customers satisfied and make your employees happy that they still have jobs.

2. Lost Profits But Not Lost Revenue


If your business is profitable and you can document profitability, you will be reimbursed for profit lost. Some people mistakenly believe that interruption insurance covers the insured for lost revenue but that is not the case.

3. Fixed Costs


The government wants you to pay your property taxes. Your landlord expects you to pay the rent. Behind them, there are others standing in line to get paid. They don’t care that you are temporarily out of business.

4. Training Costs


Unless you set up your business to operate at a temporary location, it’s a good bet that you will permanently lose many of your employees. New employees will need to be trained to do the jobs, and training costs money.

5. Other Expenses


There will always be other expenses that don’t fit in the above categories. There could be loan payments, utilities, association dues and contractual obligations.

A Short Interruption Is Good for Everyone

Your insurer wants the interruption insurance payments to end. You want things back to normal. If your repairs include fire restoration, consider bringing in a team of restoration experts. You will be happy you did.

Fighting an After-Flood Smell

9/27/2019 (Permalink)

Flooded hall This home flooded due to a storm in Cedar City, UT and suffered severe water damage.

Have you ever been inside a building or car that has recently flooded? If so, you know the stench that flood water often leaves behind. The combination of mold growth and sewage loss can create a foul odor.

Before you learn how to expel this smell, there are a few things you should never try to in Cedar City, UT:

• Cover the odor up with other scents
• Ignore it
• Think bleach alone can work
• Keep the doors and windows closed

Don't Try This at Home


Instead, try the following methods:

Call a Professional

The first thing you should do when you notice that musty odor is to call a restoration crew. Mold growth is no small problem. It can cause structural and health issues. A cleanup company has the necessary tools and experience to solve your problem.

Dry While You Wait

In many cases, professionals from a flood water restoration company can come quickly after you call. However, there are a few things you can do while you await their arrival. First, do your best to dry out the affected area.

You can open doors and windows to get air flowing. If the weather doesn't permit you to open your windows, try firing up the dehumidifier instead. Furthermore, you should keep children and pets away from the area.

Clean Furniture

If your furniture was in the path of the flood, you might wish to start getting the musty smell out of the upholstery. It may seem counterintuitive, but white vinegar can help absorb the odor. Spray some on affected areas and wait for the vinegar smell to dissipate. When it does, you may notice the mold smell has gone with it.

There’s no doubt that the smell of mold growth after flood water affects your home can be sickening. In addition to these measures, be sure to call a professional in Cedar City, UT, to rid your home of mold.

Can a Bad Water Heater Threaten Your Home

9/27/2019 (Permalink)

Water heater It's important to pay attention to warning signs of a broken water heater in Cedar City, UT.

Tucked away in a closet or perhaps living out in the garage, the water heater is one appliance many take for granted. That first cold shower after a failure is often what reminds people what a luxury hot running water truly is, but discomfort during bathing is just a minor risk. It’s important to notice any evidence of a leaking water heater, as this can quickly become a broken water heater, a problem capable of causing major damage to your home.

Warning Signs of a Broken Water Heater


Warning Signs To Watch For

There are numerous red flags that may arise to warn you about a leaking water heater, both inside the home and near the unit itself. These include but are not necessarily limited to:

• Banging or rattling noises when running hot water caused by sediment deposits in the tank
• Rusted or corroded connections extending from the heater
• Clouded or bad-smelling heated water
• Visible signs of water near the tank

Often, homes in Cedar City, UT continue to rely on heaters that are over 10 years old. This is the approximate time frame wherein these appliances frequently begin to fail, so pay extra attention if your home is running an older unit.

What To Do When Problems Occur

The first step is to confirm that a leaking water heater is actually the root of your trouble. Ensure that pipe problems aren’t the origin, and rule out any other possibilities before proceeding. If the heater’s the culprit, terminate its power source (electric or gas) if you can do so safely. The water supply should come next, at which time you can begin necessary repairs or replacement. If a failed water heater has already created any type of flooding, make sure to counteract the effects as soon as possible. Restoration professionals can help remove floodwater and advise you on how to prevent any further damage that may result from excess moisture or humidity in the home.

Cooking Fire Danger

9/17/2019 (Permalink)

fire damage in a cedar city kitchen Unattended fire damage in a kitchen in Cedar City

The holidays are such a wonderful time of the year to spend with your family and cooking is a big part of that time spent together.

It is important to be safe while cooking so here are some safety tips.

  • Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food.
  • If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen while food is cooking.
  • Keep anything that can catch fire— oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains—away from the stove top.
  • Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stove top.
  • Smart phones and other distractions can lead to cooking fires.

If you have a cooking fire, consider the following safety protocols to help keep you and your family safe.

  • Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
  • Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.
  • For an oven fire turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
  • If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
  • Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stove top. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

More than just a restoration company

6/28/2019 (Permalink)

Forest Fire in Brian Head Utah Fires can cause soot and damage to homes in the local Cedar City areas.

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore is often thought of as a great disaster restoration company, but we are so much more than that. We can take care of several different cleaning needs.

For example this last summer we cleaned fire retardant off of several homes in the Brian Head area after a major wildfire. We deodorized the interior of some homes as well to rid of the smoke odor.

We also offer Other cleaning services such as carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, tile, drapes, blinds, Ceilings, walls, hardwood floors, air ducts, deodorization, biohazard, and vandalism clean up. We can take care of your needs for your home or business regardless of the size of the building.

We are proud to be part of a great community that looks out for each other during times of disaster. We will do our part to help with the cleanup process.

What is in your air?

6/28/2019 (Permalink)

Mold is that four letter word that you can’t escape from. Mold is everywhere, outside, inside, and in the air we breathe. Our houses are no exception when it comes to mold. There are different types of mold and mold can be found in different levels of concentration some of types of mold or amounts of mold are not as harmful as other types and amounts.

At SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore we are always concerned about your health, and want to ensure that you are in a safe living environment. We can take air and swab samples from your home and have them tested in a lab to ensure that you do not have an unhealthy concentration of harmful mold in your home. Our technicians are skilled and able to quickly take the necessary steps to ensure that the air in your home is properly tested. If it turns out that you do have an unsafe amount of mold in your home, we provide professional mold remediation services to help ensure you are able to live in a safe environment.

If you are not sure about the air in your home or suspect that you might have mold call SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore today. 435-251-9241

The little things

6/28/2019 (Permalink)

When it comes to cleaning your home and getting ready for winter sometimes it is the little things that matter. Doing some quick simple things that can potentially save you a lot in the long run.

Regularly checking and replacing the filters in your heating and air conditioning units is relatively inexpensive and easy to do, but it can make your heating and air condition units operate more efficiently and last longer.  

Another little thing that is quite important is cleaning the lint out of your dryer and dryer vents. Over time this lint builds up and can be a  fire hazard in addition to reducing the effectiveness of your dryer.

Both of these things can be done easily and neither of them takes an inordinate amount of time. Both of these things can and will make things in your home work more efficiently, last longer and reduce fire hazard in your home.

Emergency Tips for Damage From Contaminated Water

6/28/2019 (Permalink)

When you find that your house has been flooded it is common to feel alarmed, frustrated, devastated, or worried to some extent. Not knowing what has been damaged or how much the repairs will cost can be stressful. However there are things that you can do to minimize the damage to your home and to ensure the safety of you and your family. Here are a few quick tips that can be quite helpful when your home has been flooded by water from a contaminated source.

  1. Avoid all contact with sewage and items contaminated by sewage.
  2. Wash your hands thoroughly after contact with contaminated items.
  3. Don’t spread contaminated water by walking unnecessarily on damaged or affected areas.
  4. Don’t turn on the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system if there is a possibility of spreading contaminated air.
  5. Don’t use household fans to dry the structure they will spread the contaminants even worse.
  6. Don’t use products for personal hygiene and cleanliness if they have been exposed to the contaminants

These tips will help you avoid some dangerous situations and allow you to save money by decreasing the amount of damage that could potentially happen to your home and of course the first and best tip is always to Call SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore at 435-251-9241.

Vandalism-the Do and Don'ts of vandalism

6/21/2019 (Permalink)

Vandalism can be a serious problem for homeowners and businesses. Graffiti can deface and soil both structures and reputations of the structure, while property destruction can cause risk of bodily harm and security issues. Here are a few do's and don'ts in the event you or your business experiences vandalism.

DO:

  • Hose or wash egg damage from building exterior as soon as possible.
  • Vacuum glass particles from carpets and upholstery as soon as possible to prevent possible 
  • Save containers which can say the ingredients of spilled inks, cosmetics and paints to help the figure the chemicals/tools needed to properly clean the damage at hand

DON'T:

  • Attempt to remove ink, paint or cosmetic stains yourself.
  • Operate damaged lamps, lights or other appliances.
  • Discard furniture wood chips, broken pieces from porcelain,Glass, furniture or art objects to prevent injury form potentially happening.

Of course, in the case of a vandalism, the proper authorities should be contacted to investigate and try to prevent future vandalism from ever happening again.

However, when it comes to making it "Like it never even happened." think SERVPRO Cedar City/Fillmore for all your remediation needs. Yup, we do that too.

Tips to stay safe while Having a Campfire

6/21/2019 (Permalink)

The weather is starting to warm up and with chilly nights you may way to add some of that warmth to your night. If you decide to have a nightly fire to enjoy those cool temps, here are some tips to help keep your house and your family safe.

  • Keep fires at least 25 feet away from any structure and anything that could potentially go up in flames.
  • Always clear away any dry leaves, low hanging branches,shrubs and any debris which can go up in flames.
  • Avoid starting fires on windy nights/days. It is much easier for fires to spread in the wind.
  • Always keep a close eye on pets and Small children and animals near campfires to prevent potential harm to your children and your pets..
  • Never use gasoline or other combustible liquids to start or boost a fire up. 
  • Always keep a bucket of water, shovel or a up to date fire extinguisher to  quickly put out a fire if it tends to get out of hand.
  • Always make sure the fire is completely out before you leave the fire site.
  • Next, Always make sure someone is watching the fire and it is never left unattended always put it out if your leaving it is not for long

Staying safe while cooking

6/21/2019 (Permalink)

The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is being left unattended and most of these incidents involve the stove. Here are some tips to help remove the chance of a kitchen accident.

  • Create a kid-free zone of at least 3 feet area around the stove and where hot foods or drinks are made.
  • Always be alert. Never use the stove or stove top if you are tired or have consumed any drugs or alcohol.
  • When using the stove always stay in the kitchen. If you need to leave for any circumstance or amount of time always turn off the stove.
  • Always keep anything that could catch fire away from the stove top. Including, oven mitts, food packaging, towels or curtains, Loose clothing articles.
  • If you do have a small grease fire you can always smother it by putting a lid over the pan and never ever  use water to put it out.

If you ever have doubt about a fire in your home always call 9-1-1. 

Biohazard clean up

11/20/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore can clean up many types of disasters. Some of these disasters are less than comfortable to talk about. An example of such a job would be cleaning up biohazard messes in a home. These can range from blood to fecal matter. SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore is experienced and equipped to handle these types of jobs. We also have the sensitivity to be able to work in this environment while maintaining professional and courteous attitudes. This is important as there are times when the nature of this work can be very sensitive and painful to the client who has called us.

To find out more call SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore 435-251-9241

Biohazard cleaned correctly

11/20/2017 (Permalink)

Why is it so important to have a biohazards cleaned properly? The answer to this question to some may be obvious but people often take on such an endeavor by themselves with no protective gear or professional knowledge of how to properly clean biohazards in their home. The use of proper protective equipment is very important as many types of biohazards can carry contaminates that are hazardous to those who come in contact with them. Preventing the spread of these contaminants is very important and proper cleaning methods and products are essential in cleaning a biohazard so that a home will be safe for people once the biohazard is gone.

To have SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore clean up bio-hazard problems in your home

call 435-251-9241

Mold? In a dry climate?

11/14/2017 (Permalink)

Simply put mold is not something that you want growing in your home. Many people in Southern Utah do not have large concerns about mold and wonder why we spend so much time talking about it. Southern Utah is a dry desert climate many people think that mold is not a problem here. Often mold is not as big of a problem in Southern Utah as it is in more humid areas, but there are situations home owners encounter that drastically increase the potential for mold growth. In Southern Utah one of the biggest causes of mold growth in homes comes from flooding or water leaks in homes that are not mitigated properly.

People often want to save money especially when it comes to an unplanned emergency expense. This is very understandable as proper mitigation for water problems in a home is not always inexpensive. One thing to consider in this case is that the expense of proper mold remediation is usually more expensive than the cost of water mitigation, and the preventable mold growth in your home can create an environment that is hazardous to your health.

When you encounter unwanted water problems in your home it is important to have the professionals at SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore properly mitigate them so that you can avoid the hazards of mold growth from improper mitigation or the water problems. If you find mold in your home, a water leak, or flooding in your home don’t hesitate, call SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore at 435-251-9241.

Safety for the holidays.

11/14/2017 (Permalink)

For many people November is a time to enjoy cooler temperatures, beautifully colored leaves and family oriented get togethers, like Thanksgiving. While you are busy whipping up delicious dishes, it is also important to take time to remember safety.

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire-related injuries in the United States. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 357,000 home structure fires each year. 45% of these fires are attributed to home cooking fires. These fires are also responsible for thousands of injuries and more than $6.9 billion in property damage each year.

Please remember to be safe and take precautions during the upcoming holiday season.

Wind Damage

11/1/2017 (Permalink)

In Cedar City it often seems as though the wind never stops! This is great if you like to fly kites but it is not always so great for your house and property. Here is a list of things that need to be checked for damage after a strong wind storm.

  1. Shingles or roof tiles.
  2. Rain gutters on your house.
  3. Siding on your house.
  4. Windows and window shutters if applicable.
  5. Fencing.

If you do experience wind damage and notice missing shingles or roof tiles call SERVPRO of Cedar City to tarp your roof. We tarp roofs as a temporary solution to help in case it rains before a roofer can get to your property. If you didn't know your roof leaked and you do experience rain damage, well, we can help with that too.

SERVPRO of Cedar City is open 24/7/365 for any emergency big or small. Call (435) 251-9241.

Mold Safety Tips

5/12/2017 (Permalink)

Be careful! Without proper training, you could be spreading mold throughout your home.

 

If you see visible mold, do not disturb it. You can inadvertently spread the mold infestation throughout your home. When mold is disturbed, the mold can release microscopic mold spores which become airborne and can circulate inside your home.

What to Do:

  • Stay out of affected areas.
  • Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
  • Contact SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore for mold remediation services.

What Not to Do:

  • Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
  • Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
  • Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
  • Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.

About Our Mold Remediation Services

SERVPRO of Cedar City/Fillmore specializes in mold cleanup and restoration, in fact, it’s a cornerstone of our business.  Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today

(435)251-9241

 

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