Questions to Ask When Choosing a Service Company | SERVPRO® of Fenton/South Ballwin

11/20/2021 (Permalink)

You can rest easy knowing you've got the trusted leader in the restoration industry on the other end of the line. SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin.

If you’ve been a business or home owner for any length of time, you’re probably already familiar with the queasy feeling that one day you might have to deal with the effects of a fire, natural disaster or something that would otherwise damage your property.

Situations like those require quick decision-making as you sift through prospective service companies to help you get recovery underway. But it’s crucial that you are as informed as you can be before making that important decision.

To guide yourself in the right direction, ask these questions of any service company to decide if they’re worthy of your trust.

Are They Legit?

In times of crisis, especially after area-wide disasters, it’s important to protect yourself from scammers. People may come around with business cards and offers for work quotes that seem too good to be true, but truthfully they’re just putting the “con” in contractor. Make sure any company you seek out is based locally, with a reputable service record among your neighbors and friends.

We at SERVPRO have worked hard for over 50 years to establish ourselves as the industry leader, and we’ve done it one satisfied home or business owner at a time.

Our rep is further solidified by national relationships with organizations like the PGA Tour who depend on SERVPRO to maintain and care for some of the most pristine facilities in the entire nation and to help with recovery when necessary.

Will They Be There When I Need Help?

If your water heater explodes at midnight, do you want to wait until the next morning to get somebody on the phone to help? Absolutely not.

That’s why SERVPRO is available for emergencies 24 hours a day, every single day. When you’ve got a problem, we’ve got your back fast.

Where’s a Fleet When You Need One?

SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin is as local as it gets—we’re centralized right here in the neighborhood, and that helps us reach you quickly and provide expertise specific to the area. But if the need arises, we have a massive network of help upon which we can call at a moment’s notice.

When we light the signal, the 1,800-franchise SERVPRO network responds to the call.

When you call SERVPRO, you can rest easy knowing you’ve got the trusted leader in the restoration industry on the other end of the line. When disaster hits home, contact us to get our local experts and nationwide network on your side.

Cleaning and Commercial Services From the Pros | SERVPRO® of Fenton/South Ballwin

11/15/2021 (Permalink)

Are you ready to have the cleanest business in town? Contact SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin for all your cleaning needs

It’s a well-established fact that SERVPRO is the industry leader in providing restoration and recovery services for homeowners who are dealing with the effects of fire, water damage, mold and natural disasters. But did you know we also take care of business owners in the same way?

SERVPRO offers a full slate of programs and help to business owners who encounter disruptions—after all, tornadoes and floods don’t stop at commercial zoning lines.

One important distinct service we offer businesses is the fresh, safe feeling of a Certified: SERVPRO Clean. In an age where customer loyalty is more and more reliant on the upkeep of a clean facility, we’re here to help you maintain the kind of environment your teams and customers deserve.

Commercial Services for Businesses of Any Size

Only SERVPRO makes this kind of high-grade commercial cleaning the new normal for your business, and we can do it for businesses and facilities of all kinds, such as:

Chain and local retailers. Keeping a clean space is important for sellers of all sizes from the big box retailer to the local consigner.

Schools and their athletic facilities. Schools rely on sanitation more than ever, but the cleaning they’re often providing only kills half the bacteria on high-touch surfaces, and less than that on rarely cleaned items.

Senior care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals. A clean facility is an absolute must for businesses that host patients with compromised immune systems, and we can bring the utmost clean to all of them and provide patients and healthcare providers with peace of mind.

Hospitality facilities, convention centers and resorts. Hotels and convention centers are always bustling, and you’ve got to maintain a spick and span operation if you want to protect your rep and the health of your customers.

Restaurants and food production facilities. When food is the ware, sanitation is an absolute bedrock. Let us take care of the germs, and you worry about the munchables.

Property management, apartments and commercial complexes. If you’ve got offices or apartments to oversee, we can tackle the task of keeping them spotless for healthy, happy tenants.

Businesses lose $260 billion per year because of workers who either call in sick or plummet in productivity while they try to power through, passing sickness to others in the meantime. Let us destroy the bacteria that’s keeping your workers sick, so you can break free of the statistics.

When you’re ready to have the cleanest business in town, we’re ready to help. Contact your local SERVPRO to get the pros working on the cleaning so you can work on the work.

Fall Plans That Require Fire Safety | SERVPRO® of Fenton/South Ballwin

11/15/2021 (Permalink)

Be mindful about fall fire safety. Always remember that SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin is the trusted leader in the restoration industry.

It’s autumn again, and it’s easy to tell—temperatures are lower for longer, trees are showing their loveliest colors and the Tigers are back on the field on Saturdays. Pumpkin arrangements are popping up at the local market, and you might even be shopping for Halloween costumes already.

But some of our favorite fall activities can present fire hazards if we’re not careful—so let’s review some of the most common.

Campfire Safety

Fall is the perfect time for a weekend on the campground, but it’s crucial that you know how to build and finish your campfire properly.

Make sure any open flame is at least 25 feet from tents or structures of any kind, and use a pre-built pit if one is available. Never accelerate your fire with kerosene or lighter fluid—stick to the slower but safer method of igniting kindling with a match or lighter.

Embers can stay hot and reignite for a very long time, so make absolutely sure that your ash pile is cool to the touch before you break camp, dousing every last ember with water.

Leaf Burning

If leaves are falling and piling up, you could have them hauled away, or you could, as some residents do, create a burn pile and get rid of them the old fashioned way. First you’ll need a permit from the Fenton Fire District, then you’ll want to let your local fire station know you’ll be hosting an open flame.

Don’t burn anything besides organic yard waste like leaves, trimmings and small limbs—building materials or garbage are both dangerous and illegal to burn.

Use a metal barrel to burn your trimmings if you have one—if not, make sure you’re 50 feet from your house or any buildings, and out from under any low-hanging tree limbs that could ignite. A dirt area is best as well, because there’s less likelihood of any fire spreading with no grass for it to consume.

Halloween

Decorating for fall and Halloween are favorite pastimes for many, but always respect the danger of live candles, especially if any decorations are hanging—those cobwebs are especially prone to catch fire. And if you hang any lights for outdoor parties, be sure to unplug them when not in use, and avoid extension cords if possible.

If a fire hazard should turn from potential to reality in your home, remember the trusted leader in the recovery industry and contact SERVPRO to get your property fully restored right down to the smell of smoke.

What's Causing Home Fires?

11/12/2021 (Permalink)

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin are here for you if your home is affected by fire.

Fires at home are still a problem, despite years, nay decades, of constant education, advances in technology and regular ad campaigns to try and help us put them to an end. You’d think with so much invested in our homes, and their centrality in our daily lives, we’d be doing more to protect them.

Yet somehow a quarter of all reported fires, and more than 75% of all civilian fire fatalities happen in the home.

How can it be that one out of every four fires starts at home? Let’s look at what’s causing these fires, and the specific things making them spark.

Cooking. This is by far the leading cause of home fires and injuries (but interestingly, not fatalities). Some 49% of all home fires start in the kitchen, and the No. 1 reason is unattended cooking. That’s right, the single best thing you can do to avoid a fire at home? Pay attention while you cook.

Heating equipment. Approximately 14% of all house fires in the U.S. begin with heaters. Portable space heaters lead the charge, aided by equipment malfunctions and fires that start because clothing or furniture are left too close to heating elements.

Electrical fires. Modern homes use a lot of electricity, and some older homes don’t have wiring systems equipped to handle it. This leads to short circuits and overloads. Other causes include excess use of extension cords, over-powering lighting elements, faulty wiring, loose outlets and more.

Intentional fires. It’s hard to imagine, but there are some 28,000 intentional home fires each year in the United States. These are fires that began with the intention of burning something, not simply fires set for some other reason that got out of hand.

Smoking materials. Anytime you’re dealing with hot ash or combustible materials indoors, you run the risk of fire. Cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia are often left burning as individuals fall asleep, leading to 5% of home fires, and sadly, almost a quarter of all civilian home fire casualties.

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO is here for you if your home is affected by fire. Contact your local team today to see how we can help.

Why Fenton Home and Business Owners Trust Us | SERVPRO® of Fenton/South Ballwin

11/12/2021 (Permalink)

When you are dealing with any damage, immediate action is crucial. SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin is your restoration expert.

Being a home or business owner means holding a delicate ecosystem in balance. Everything has to be tightly managed, because if something goes off kilter, it throws everything off.

But sometimes an unforeseen event occurs that flips that balance on its side—natural disasters, fires or burst pipes are a few pertinent examples—and you’ve got something on your hands you’re not equipped to deal with.

That’s when you contact us.

We’re Always Ready and Faster to Any Size Disaster

When the balance is broken, we’re ready to leap into action. We’ll be onsite faster than anyone else in the industry, because every second counts when it comes to recovery.

Wasted time means more dangerous black mold, more waterlogged carpet or a smoke smell that won’t go away. A rapid response makes all the difference, and having a SERVPRO team right here in West Kirkwood/Sunset Hills means you get the advantage of an agile local team of experts combined with the muscle and resources of the nationwide SERVPRO network.

We’re Trained to Handle Residential and Commercial Services

One size doesn’t fit all, and your situation will call for specific solutions.

We’ve spent the last 50-plus years learning and crafting plans to meet the needs of millions of customers, and you can rest assured that we’ll give you exactly what you need and burden you with nothing you don’t.

We’ll Make It "Like it never even happened."

While our methods are numerous, our promise is one: We’re determined to leave your home or business better than we found it, with all traces of incident removed, restored and recovered.

We Offer the Services You Need in a Changing World

In the new age of global virus consciousness, part of any business plan is customer safety. Fortunately, we’ve developed the Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned program so you can safeguard employees and customers alike, and they can walk into your business with confidence, knowing you’ve put their health above all else.

Regardless of why you need cleanup or disaster recovery, SERVPRO has the tools, the technicians and the training to get your situation under control. When you’re ready to get help from the best, get in touch with SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin.

Where to Find Common Sources of Water Damage | SERVPRO® of Fenton/South Ballwin

11/12/2021 (Permalink)

A water leak can turn into a big problem. Contact the SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin team if you are dealing with any water damage.

Where to Find Common Sources of Water Damage | SERVPRO® of Fenton/South Ballwin - https://www.SERVPROfentonsouthballwin.com/blg

Chances are good you didn’t wake up this morning with your fingers crossed, hoping you’d get to deal with a burst pipe or water running down your wall. Let’s be real—nobody wants to deal with water leaks, but as homeowners, sometimes we get no choice.

If you’re vigilant, however, you may be able to spot warning signs, or make necessary updates before aging pipes wear down. Here are a few places to keep your eyes on.

Toilets. Your toilet always has water running in and through various seals and tubes, and over time, it’s prone to develop leaks, particularly in the flapper or the valve seal, which are inexpensive and simple to replace.

Appliances. You likely have several appliances that use water hoses—dishwashers and refrigerators often develop leaky water supply lines—and traditional tank-style water heaters have been know to explode when they get over about 10 years old.

Clogged gutters. Shimmying up the ladder is inconvenient at best, but it’s a surefire way to prevent clogged gutters. Otherwise, dirt particles, leaves and other debris settle and compact themselves into an impassable dam, which means water finds its way up into and under your roof and trickling down your interior walls.

Roof damage. Your roof takes a beating. It’s the main line of defense against harsh sunshine, rain and hail, but all those things over time cause shingles to break, bow up or otherwise dissipate.

Pipes. Heavy water pressure or any oxidization can cause pipes to crack or fail, sending water spewing everywhere. And it’s not only an indoor threat—you may not even know that tree roots can find their way into the tiniest cracks in a sewer line or outdoor pipe and end up causing a complete blockage.

Blocked garbage disposals or other pipes. Eggshells, coffee grounds, and even rice or pasta can glob up in garbage disposals or soak up enough water to clog your sink drains. And what’s more, if your p-trap joints aren’t secure, the plunging you may have to do to unclog those drains can cause your pipes to separate and release all that water and gunk into your cabinetry or floor.

You can’t foresee every leak, but with an eagle’s eye, you can see some of them coming. Replacing hoses and keeping an eye on these common leak areas can prevent a number of water damage scenarios.

If a water leak erupts into a big problem at home, you’ve got the best team in the business on your side. Contact SERVPRO today so we can get started.

The Building Envelope - Effects on the Drying Process

7/19/2021 (Permalink)

Building and Materials can affect the outcome of the drying process

Building and material science is an ever-developing field. Our industry understands more about various materials and how to dry those materials than ever before, but there is certainly more for our industry to learn. As a restorer, our understanding of how buildings are put together (residential and commercial) will determine the effectiveness of our moisture inspections, material and assembly identification, and creation of a detailed demo and drying plan. The more understanding about buildings and materials, the more issues we can anticipate (and the more surprises you can limit).

A solid grasp of building and material science separates the “novice” who simply places drying equipment and the “professional” who establishes a drying plan based on project needs and challenges.

The building’s envelope can have a profound impact on the effectiveness of the drying plan. This is more concerning when outside weather conditions are not favorable for drying (high humidity).

The building envelope separates the interior of a building from the outside environment. The building envelope can include roofs, ceilings, exterior walls, doors, windows, finished floors, and foundations. The building envelope has several purposes such as keeping out wind, rain, and ground water, as well as controlling the transfer of energy between the inside and the outside. Some people refer to this energy control as the energy efficiency of the building. Ideally, the building envelope helps maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity for occupants, while providing adequate ventilation inside. When done properly, the building envelope can help avoid problems such as mold, poor indoor air quality, and water intrusion. Because of the potential impact of energy, air, and moisture movement, even small changes to the envelope can have a dramatic effect on the entire structure.

Structures are not airtight, meaning they are going to leak air. The IICRC S500 identifies three types of building envelopes: tight, moderate, and loose. These are based on the envelopes “ability to keep the outside conditions from adversely influencing the drying environment”. The S500 somewhat defines each of these.

Tight envelope – “drying conditions can be     controlled without significant influence by the outdoors”.

Moderate envelope – “drying conditions will be influenced somewhat by the outdoors”.

Loose envelope – “drying conditions will be significantly influenced by the outdoors”.

There are several factors that help our project managers determine whether the building envelope is tight, moderate, or loose. This includes how often doors or windows are opened; as well as damage to the envelope such as roof, window, or weather strip damage. Our project managers and SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin must also consider the building construction such as vapor barriers or insulation. Even the age of the structure is an indicator. Older homes (built prior to 1990) typically have a loose envelope due to the lack of focus on energy efficiency when they were constructed.

Movement of Moisture has a direct effect on the drying process

7/19/2021 (Permalink)

Movement of Moisture in the Drying Process

Water enters materials in two primary ways: (1) from absorption of water in direct contact with materials and (2) from absorption of excessive moisture in the air. To understand how materials dry, we should learn how moisture moves through and from a material. Moisture moves by four mechanical processes: Liquid flow, air movement, capillary suction, and vapor diffusion.

1. Liquid flow. We most often observe moisture movement as water flows in liquid form. Liquid flow occurs as rainwater leaks through a roof, ground water soaks through a foundation, or water pours from a broken water pipe.
2. Air movement. Moisture in the air is carried by moving air. Air moves from high air pressure areas to low air pressure areas and brings moisture with it. Moisture moves by airflow through cracks and small openings in a building’s envelope or as air pressure moves moist air through a chimney. Moisture and air moving from outside a building to the inside is called infiltration; moisture and air moving from inside to the outside is called exfiltration.
3. Capillary suction. Liquid moisture can move through a narrow pathway due to contact between the moisture and the surface of the path. Capillary suction allows liquid moisture to move through the pores of porous materials.
4. Vapor diffusion. Water vapor moves as a gas through materials. Water vapor moves from areas of high vapor pressure to areas of low vapor pressure. Whether moisture moves through a material by vapor diffusion depends on whether differences in vapor pressure exist across the material. How fast moisture moves by vapor diffusion depends on how permeable the material is.

By understanding how moisture moves, our highly trained technicians at SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin can make sense of the pace of their drying efforts (whether ideal or not) and how to potentially speed up the drying process for certain materials.

You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned

7/19/2021 (Permalink)

Before and After Air Duct Clean

Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.

If not properly installed, maintained, and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen, or other debris. If moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth (e.g., mold) is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the air of your home. Some of these contaminants may cause health effects in people if they are exposed to them.

Ventilation systems are often the biggest culprit in poor indoor air quality. Make it a priority to inspect the ductwork of your home.

If your HVAC has been operating for some time without attention, it could be circulating one or more of the following:

• Dust
• Pollen
• Odors
• Dirt and debris
• Other contaminants
• The benefits of servicing your HVAC unit include:

• Helps to restore peak energy efficiency.
• May help to eliminate offensive odors.
• Helps reduce the potential for mold growth.   

For more information on air duct cleaning, call SERVPRO of Fenton/South Ballwin at 636-527-5990.

Be Prepared: Locate Your Water Shut Off Valve

2/4/2021 (Permalink)

Be Prepared BEFORE Disaster Strikes!!!

Water gushing uncontrollably through your house or business is hazardous, unsafe, and will quickly cause major flood damage. If that water is coming from your home's own water supply, and not from outside sources, you can and should shut it down very fast. NOW is the time to locate your Water Shut Off Valve. Once found, make this known to all family members as they may be home alone when disaster strikes! Our office offers FREE Shut Off Tags that you can place as a reminder to all. The quicker the water supply is shut off the less damage to your home or business.

Three Ways to Quickly Locate the Water Shut Off Valve

Find the Water Shut Off Valve on the Inside Perimeter

The first step is to physically search for your house's main water shut off valve on the inside of the home. Typically, it will be located on the perimeter of the house since that is where the water first enters your house. Also, stay on the side of the house that is facing the street. Your water main begins at the street and heads in a straight line to your home. When you find the valve, turn the handle or knife-style valve.

Find the Shut Off Valve on Your Property Inspection Report

If you still cannot find the cut off valve after physically searching for it, one alternative is to check the property inspection report that was completed for you when you were in the final phases of purchasing your home. Look in the plumbing section of the report. This section should locate the shut-off valve for you and have a photo of the valve. Even if the water system was not defective at the time of the property inspection report, the report should still note the locate the shut-off valve as a matter of course.

Find the StreetSide Shut Off Valve

If the previous methods fail, there is another valve located at the beginning of your water main, at the boundary line of your property and the street or sidewalk. Find the ground-level metal or plastic utility box trap door located at ground level. Call the water company's 24-hour emergency contact line. Staff may direct you to shut off the valve by yourself or to wait for an emergency dispatch team. 

Call our office at 636-527-5990 or email us at office@sevprokirkwood.com to request your FREE Shut Off Tag!!! #SERVPROFENTONSOUTHBALLWIN