Finding a Restoration Company for you in Aiken

9/11/2024 (Permalink)

Experiencing significant damage to your home can be a traumatic event, even for those who are prepared for it; however, a lot of the time, no one ever really is. Not only are you dealing with physical damage, but there is also the unanticipated emotional toil that comes along with seeing your home and precious keepsakes damaged. That is why finding a reliable restoration company that is sensitive to your needs is key.

Tips for Finding the Best Restoration Company

1. Read Reviews Online

Getting an unbiased opinion of people that have gone through something similar will always be helpful. Try checking out Google, Yelp, and local neighborhood apps.

2. Licensed and Insured

Arguably this is the most important tip because accidents can happen. If an accident happens on your property, if the company is not properly licensed or insured, you may be held liable.

3. Ask your Friends and Family

While looking at reviews is helpful, speaking with family and friends that you trust is also a good resource.

4. Experience

After speaking with your insurance, you should seek out a company that has a history and successful reputation of working on property claims.

5. Expertise

While it may seem like a good idea to call the builders of your home when something goes wrong, seasoned restoration companies are the experts when it comes to damages. Restoration contractors also fully understand the claim process, which is critical during any type of loss. 

SERVPRO® is a high rated and top-quality restoration company.  If you experience water, fire, storm, or mold damage, we are the one-stop shop to call at 706-750-0200 for all your restoration needs.

Emergency Ready for your Aiken Business

9/11/2024 (Permalink)

Disasters happen in commercial buildings unexpectedly all the time. As a business owner, it is important to be prepared for anything that can happen - from pipe bursts to tragic fires, having a plan is imperative. SERVPRO® can help you prepare an Emergency Ready Profile for you and your business. This profile will organize contact information, insurance information, shut off locations and any other information that you may need "on-hand" when tragedy occurs. Having an Emergency Plan can help expedite the mitigation process and in turn help you get your business back open.

While being prepared is important when protecting your commercial building, prevention is also key. One key to prevention is making sure that your property has functioning fire extinguishers, smoke/carbon alarms, and a sprinkler system. These are all extremely important things to have in the event of an emergency. We also suggest having your HVAC system regularly maintained to avoid potential additional damage. If you need some assistance creating and implementing a plan, SERVPRO® would be happy help you. 

SERVPRO is ready, equipped, and available 24/7. In the event of any disaster, there is no one faster. If your business needs emergency services, call our office at 706-750-0200

What’s better than a summertime smore? Keeping your bonfire contained and safe!

6/28/2024 (Permalink)

Make sure that marshmallows are the only thing getting toasty warm this summer!

Practice Fire-Safety This Summer

Summertime is known for fun with family, friends, food and laughter! Whether you are barbequing, grilling out or toasting up some yummy smores- make sure you keep your summer festivities safe! Here are some tips to make sure that your marsh mellow is the only thing getting crispy: 

• Keep your fire small 

• Check the forecast – if you live in a region that is prone to droughts and dry summers, avoid building fires 

• Never leave the fire unattended, always make sure an adult is present 

• Make sure you are at least 50ft away from your home. Avoid areas with low hanging branches, dry leaves, and dry grass 

• Build fire in a fire pit – never build a fire on flat ground, surround area with rocks 

• Keep plenty of water and a shovel on hand to be able to douse fire if needed 

• Do not burn waste, it’s bad for the environment and your health 
• Make sure the fire is properly and completely put out when finished, a small gust of wind could reignite a fire that was thought to be put out if not done properly 

Has your summer fun caught a spark and gone up in flames? Give SERVPRO of Aiken a call at 803-648-3936 to schedule a consultation.   

Combatting Damage from a Toilet Overflow in Your Aiken Home

5/9/2023 (Permalink)

Professional Water Damage Services for Your Home

One of the most common sources of water damage in homes in Aiken is overflowing toilets. Most homeowners thankfully are quick to discover an overflowing toilet, meaning they can act quickly to alleviate the issue.

Depending on the location of the bathroom in your home and the type of overflow you are dealing with, you must approach the situation from different angles. A second-story bathroom or an overflow that contains sewage presents obstacles that are unique in handling this kind of damage.

When it comes to sewage, you want the expert help of the professionals at SERVPRO. Not only can we clean up all the water and dry your home back out, but we also need to combat the smells of the mess left behind.

The first step in getting rid of odors is to of course get rid of what is causing it – in this case, the sewage. Odor problems from water damage occur because wet materials are not dry. Once the moisture level returns to normal, a lot of the odor problems go away as well.

In most situations with deodorization, odors are coming from multiple sources. To find all of them and figure out the specific methods to fight each of them requires technical equipment and much knowledge. Instead, SERVPRO techs use various methods to combat the smells.

One kind of deodorization agent does not work on every odor, so we use more than one type to treat the various odors we encounter in these situations. Plus, we ensure that you as our customer like the smell of the professional product we choose to apply.

When it comes down to it, SERVPRO of Aiken is the one to trust with a water overflow disaster. Not only can we clean everything up, but we ensure that your home is back to normal again when you call us at (803) 648-3936 .

What to Know About Fire Damage in Your Aiken Home

5/9/2023 (Permalink)

The most extensive part of fire damage to a facility is not usually the fire itself. Most commercial structures and many private homes now have fire suppression systems in place. It is the hidden damage from that which can wind up costing more than actual flames.

Fire damage in Aiken homes and businesses caused by flame and heat is readily visible and for the most part, quickly demolished and removed. Soot damage is also easy to see and either remove or clean depending on how extensive it is and how long it has been left in place. SERVPRO knows that smoke damage has to be sought out and found the same way an inspector examines a home or facility before it goes into escrow.

Every room and closet have to be checked. Ceiling tiles have to be examined and removed so crawl spaces can be examined. HVAC systems must be inspected and cleaned before they are reactivated. If not, then the damage can be blown into areas that previously had no damage from the fire. All of this, especially the crawl spaces, must be accomplished in appropriate safety gear which can range from a basic mask and gloves to a protective suit and breathing apparatus.

This is why fire suppression is so important. Flame and heat damage can be stopped quickly with the right setup, and water damage can be ameliorated if caught quickly enough. Smoke and soot damage, once it occurs, usually requires extensive cleaning and repainting at best or removal and replacement at worst.

SERVPRO of Aiken has been in the business of restoring the effects of fire damage to commercial facilities and private residences for many years. We are proud to serve our South Carolina communities with some of the best trained and experienced inspectors and restoration crews in the industry. If you have need of our expertise or wish to schedule an inspection to determine a preventive plan, contact us at 803-648-3936 today.

The Importance of Using Proper Equipment after a Water Damage

5/9/2023 (Permalink)

Disasters can strike Aiken homes without much warning, from flooding to storm damages. However, there are also concerns that can happen within the home that can allow for damages of their own. Leaks to fixtures, failing appliances, and user errors are among the top culprits for water loss incidents that occur within the house, and our team can help to ensure that these occurrences are not devastating to your home and its contents.

While many Aiken residents might not view water damage as a serious occurrence, it can have severe effects on property without the right drying and moisture removal efforts. To adequately clean up the mess and dry out the saturated materials affected, you need advanced equipment and the expertise of professionals like our SERVPRO response team. We arrive quickly to emergencies to ensure that the right steps get taken to protect the structural elements and contents of your home from impending irreparable water damages.

One of the ways that we can ensure our success when we get to work on water damage incidents within your home is through our advanced technology. We have tools like leak detection equipment and thermal imagery cameras. These devices can help to locate concerns within the plumbing where there might be potential leaks, and the cameras can help to identify moisture pockets in wall cavities, flooring materials, and more to ensure that we set up our drying equipment in the right locations for maximum results.

Our focus from the moment that we arrive is to protect and preserve installed materials when possible. When this is not possible through our conventional restoration techniques, our SERVPRO professionals can utilize controlled demolition strategies to remove irreparable portions of material without needing to take down entire walls or remove entire floors.

Finding the right professionals to help you overcome water damage in your home is simple. If you want to make the damage “Like it never even happened.” give SERVPRO of Aiken water restoration technicians a call today at 803-648-3936.

Restore your Aiken Home after Storm Damage

5/9/2023 (Permalink)

When a tropical storm or hurricane bears down on a community, water can enter your home from a wide range of sources. The rain often measures more than 12 inches and flood damage can spread to all Aiken counties. Rainwater is relatively clean, but the waters from rivers, streams, and the ocean usually must be considered as infectious waste. The storm surge can contain water that has raw sewage, dead animals, and a random mixture of chemicals and toxic wastes. As the water seeps or rushes into your home, it can also loosen building materials within your house that pose dangers such as asbestos in insulation and pipe or furnace coverings. If you store paints, pesticides, and cleaning agents in the basement, the contents of cans and bottles can leach into the standing water in your home.

Because this mix of water can be so dangerous to you and your family, a do-it-yourself cleanup is strongly discouraged. SERVPRO technicians have the experience and the specialized training and equipment to guide you through a difficult clean-up. We will assess the danger of retaining items that are porous and unlikely to be satisfactorily disinfected. Carpeting and upholstered furniture are usually considered too risky to keep. These and other items that have absorbed contaminated water will be discarded according to local codes while non-porous structures and contents will be professionally treated with proper products to abate the danger of contamination. If possible, you and your family will be barricaded away for the areas of your home that contain toxic waste as we clean and remove articles. If containment is not possible, we recommend a temporary evacuation while we manage the flooded areas.

Because of the complications dirty water in the lower levels of your home can bring, be sure to contact SERVPRO immediately after the water infiltrates. It is extremely important that professionals assess the quality of water soaking your walls and flooring before a decision is made to try either to restore them or to remove them because of concerns about potential biohazards and microbial growth.

Choose a Restoration Company You Can Count On

6/7/2022 (Permalink)

If a storm comes through the area, it can be quite scary to endure. If that storm causes damage to your home or business, it can be even worse. The damage that storms cause has increased in recent years, leading to the necessity to be prepared instead of waiting until you have damage to decide what to do.

Damage to your property is a difficult thing to take care of, so choosing the best restoration company possible makes such a big difference in your peace of mind and the quality of work. Doing your research and choosing a company you can depend on is a huge factor in how your overall restoration experience will be.

Choosing the Right Storm Restoration Company for Your Property

Determine how trustworthy they are. Being certain that you are choosing a company that is trustworthy is so important, especially considering the rise of scams that occur after severe weather. Make sure you are choosing a company that is well-regarded both on a local and a national level to ensure you do not fall victim to these scams.

Determine how they can handle demand surges If there is a serious event regarding severe weather in the area, there will likely be many people in need of restoration. If that is the case, ensuring your restoration company can handle this is so important. With our national SERVPRO® partners, you can be certain we can handle disasters of any size as we can scale up our resources and workforce to meet any demand.

Determine when you will be able to contact them. Storms have a knack for causing damage at the worst possible time. Making sure that your chosen company can be there for you regardless of when the damage occurs is so important. That is why we have set up a 24⁄7 emergency service line, so you can call us at any hour and allow us to begin formulating a response to dispatch to you quickly.

SERVPRO® of Aiken is here to help you 24/7/365 with any storm damage and restoration issue.

What To Do If Your Business Floods

6/3/2022 (Permalink)

Taking steps beforehand to prevent or reduce flood damages to your business is a wise business move and can go a long way towards alleviating distress and flood-related costs to your enterprise, but sometimes even the best-laid protection plans don’t stop the damage from occurring. 

Here are some things to consider if your business floods:

RESPONSE. A rapid response to flood-related damages is going to be crucial in reducing secondary damages and restoration costs. Contacting a professional restoration team and getting them on the scene right away will help you stay open for business or get you back on your feet quickly.

SERVICES. If your property has experienced downed telephone poles or utilities have been affected, contact local authorities right away and let them know what has happened. If it is due to a weather event in the area, they will be recording affected properties and areas to schedule service, so this will help them to plan.

WORKFORCE. Make sure you have connected with your workforce to see if everyone is safe. At this point, you can establish methods of completing work from home if possible so that no time is lost. 

INFORMED. Keep a close watch on the weather so that you are as well-informed as possible. If there are new storms coming or if any dam-releases are scheduled, for example, you will be able to plan ahead. 

DOCUMENTATION. You should be storing your business-related documentation in the cloud as well as in hard copy form. If floodwaters damage or destroy these items, you always have your cloud copies to pull from. 

Contact the experts at SERVPRO of Aiken!

Firework Safety

6/3/2022 (Permalink)

Each 4th of July, thousands of people, often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks which includes sparklers and firecrackers. 

Sparklers burn hot enough to cause third degree burns. Sparklers account for roughly one quarter of the emergency room firework injuries.

Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 16,900 outside and other fires. These fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries and an average of $43 million in direct property damage as per the NFPA's Research, Data & Analytics Division.

Be careful and be safe by not using consumer fireworks. If you want to see fireworks, go to a public show put on by experts in your town and keep a close eye on children at events where fireworks are being used.

Let's keep the spark in our patriotism and not on our homes, friends and family members.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!