What are the different kinds of fire damage?

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

Fire damage chart.

Dealing with the damage from a fire can be a long process.  The fire could have been small, but the smoke from it did the majority of the damage.  On the other side, most of the damage could have been from the fire itself.  Lastly, a damage could have been caused when the fire was extinguished.  Here are the main types of fire damage that are commonly dealt with.

Flame Damage - This could be from an electrical outlet that caused damage, all the way to a full-blown kitchen fire.

Smoke Damage - Smoke is literally in the air and can (and will) get into everything.  Even after the rebuild is completed, there can still be a lingering smell of smoke o the property unless it is dealt with correctly.

3rd Party Damage - This type of damage comes from any in-house sprinkler system used to put the fire out or from the Fire Department themselves when they get to the scene.

Heat Damage - Even though a part of the structure might have not actually caught fire, it was probably severely heated up.  This can cause structural damage and possible swelling that you might not notice right away.

After a fire, you could be dealing with flame, smoke, water, and heat damage at the same time.  FEMA has some great information on what to do after the fire.  The best way to e this is taken care of promptly and properly is to contact the team at SERVPRO to get on the job!

Is Bleach Enough to Fix My Mold Problem?

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

Mold on the walls.

The short answer is no. During the height of COVID, we were cleaning and sanitizing everything from door knobs to keyboards.  Anything that was touched by multiple people was getting hit with one kind of cleaner or another.  We should be taking that same approach to getting rid of mold.  Mold has been here much longer than COVID and it isn’t going away anytime soon (maybe an asteroid).  How do we get rid of mold in the home or office?  The CDC says that using bleach to kill mold isn’t always recommended.  Using a bleach/water mixture will most likely destroy the surface mold, but the growth goes much deeper than that.  Bleach cannot penetrate the deeper levels of porous materials, so you will most likely see it come back within a short period of time.

Here are a few things that the EPA says about the basics of mold cleanup.

1. Moisture control.  If you can keep it dry, you can help control the growth of mold.
2. Scrub the mold off of hard surfaces with a detergent and water, then dry completely.
3. Any absorbent materials like carpets, rugs, and ceiling tiles will most likely need to be thrown away.

If you have tried to get rid of mold and can’t seem to keep it away, contact your New Orleans Marigny & Gentilly SERVPRO professionals today.  We have the experience, equipment, and products to help destroy the mold and keep it from returning.

Tips On How To Prevent Home/Office Fires.

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

House burns down from kitchen fire.

Nobody wants to think about their home or office catching on fire.  Sometimes these things happen and they are totally out of our control, but there are a lot of things that we can do to help prevent them.

FEMA’s records show that just over half (50.2%) of residential fires are caused by cooking-related accidents.  The next three biggest reasons are Heating (9.3%), Electrical Malfunction (6.8%), and Intentional (4.5%). 

Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent a house fire and protect your family.

1.  Pay attention when cooking.  If you need to step out of the room, ask someone to watch the food until you get back, or turn off the stove and stop cooking.

2.  Test your smoke alarms regularly. 

3.  Check the dryers’ airflow.  Pull the lint trap and clean it every time you dry a load of clothes.

4.  Be careful with power cords and strips.  Attaching too many appliances to one power strip can draw more power than the cord is able to handle.  This can cause it to heat up and potentially catch on fire.

5.  Store flammable products away from heat sources.

6.  Place fire extinguishers in key locations around your house.  Make sure that everyone in the home knows how to properly use them.

How to be prepared for a Commercial disaster!

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO warehouse.

After a major disaster, businesses suffer a variety of interruptions like:

• financial and emotional stress
• production downtime
• sullied reputation
• a plethora of other strains.

In the time period following a trauma like a fire, flood, pipe break, or another form of disaster, making the right decisions can be taxing and confusing. At SERVPRO of Corpus Christi East, we regularly see local companies go through this and want business owners to know we are here to help after a commercial disaster. Part of that help comes through an emergency readiness checklist and disaster plan.

Creating a disaster readiness plan for your business can save you thousands on your bottom line, and can save your business, entirely. And the planning process does not have to be overwhelming when placed on top of all other responsibilities. SERVPRO of New Orleans Marigny & Gentilly is here to help take the weight off your shoulders by developing an Emergency Ready Profile for your company. Knowing you are, "Ready for whatever happens," will give you, your clients, and your employees confidence if or when your business is affected by a disaster.

We Generate A Plan For You

By developing a SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile, you minimize business interruption by having an immediate action plan. Knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is the key to timely mitigation and can help minimize the severity of water and fire damage to your business.

Why An ERP?

• A no-cost assessment of your facility.
  This means there is no need to allocate funds, giving you a great value at no cost.

• A concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency.
  
  It will only take a little time to complete and will not take you away from current projects, but will save a lot of time if ever needed.

• A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster.
  This helps minimize the amount of time your business is inactive by having an immediate plan of action.

• Professionals at SERVPRO of New Orleans Marigny & Gentilly established as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider!
  You have a provider that is recognized as an industry leader and is close by for an emergency response.

• Identification of the line of command for authorizing work to begin.
  This saves time so we can start cleaning up the damage, so you can reopen your business as soon as possible.

• Specific Facility Details of your business such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas, and priority contact information.
  You will have a quick reference of what to do, how to do it, and who to call in case of an emergency so that you are "Ready for whatever happens."

We Are Here For You!

11/1/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Logo

When you choose SERVPRO of New Orleans Marigny & Gentilly as your choice for restoration, you are choosing a company and team that is compassionate, dedicated, honest, reliable, and trustworthy! 

So many residential and commercial users choose SERVPRO of New Orleans Marigny & Gentilly is because..

24/7/365 Holidays, weekends, before 8AM, after 5PM, we are always answering the phone. What makes SERVPRO special is that even when our office is "closed" we have an answering service to dispatch to our on-call managers. When we are in the office one of our Job File Coordinators, will guide you through the process of what needs to be done to get our team over to your property.

With the 24/7 on-call responsibilities it takes a special type of person. Working with insurance, adjusters, environmental hygienists, local fire/police, and the home or business owners is no easy task! Our team truly is something special, and we are so thankful for them. 

Honestly is our policy SERVPRO of New Orleans Marigny & Gentilly is always honest. We understand how frustrating it is to deal with water, fire, mold, or storm problems. We want to make all our customers feel comfortable before we even enter the home or business. We will always be upfront with what the damage/costs will look like and provide you with options when we can.