Third Party Certified: Upholding IICRC Standards and Maintaining Excellence is the SERVPRO Way

6/9/2022 (Permalink)

Upholding Standards And Maintaining Excellence

When homes in Tennessee, need remediation, you want to ensure that the company handling the problem adheres to the highest industry standards. The restoration industry standards are set by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). The IICRC is a third-party certification organization that approves instructors and schools to teach the skills needed to meet its values of expertise, integrity, and excellence.

Expertise

Training programs such as the ones offered by SERVPRO of East Memphis are IICRC-certified. Classes are offered in any of the following categories:

• Applied Structural Drying Certification
• Carpet Cleaning Certification
• Fire Restoration Certification
• Upholstery Cleaning Certification
• Water Restoration Certification

Receiving a mitigation certificate after completing these courses means that the individual can do the job right. When clients hire someone to fix a problem in their homes, they want to verify that the technicians know what they are doing and that they are certified mitigation experts.

Integrity

It is not enough that technicians know how to do their job well—they also need to be honest and trustworthy. When the IICRC certifies a company or individual, you know you have found someone you can trust. They adhere to a strict standard of ethics and can be expected to be upfront about their clients' homes' assessment and treatment. The IICRC’s stamp of approval is a big deal, as they, “Stand at the forefront of the Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Industry,” regarding training professionals.

Excellence

When a certified school or instructor trains specialists, they learn how to exhibit high standards of service. Continuing education courses improve knowledge, turning technicians into industry leaders. These classes also serve to educate insurance and real estate professionals regarding various mitigation processes. Shared knowledge strengthens these partnerships so that together, they can offer more excellent service to the customers they share.

A third-party certification organization sets industry standards that all mitigation professionals must meet. The values of the IICRC are reflected in each training program and instructor it approves. To ensure quality, professional service, recommend certified mitigation professionals to your clients. If you have residential or commercial Smoke, Fire, Water, damage, contact SERVPRO of East Memphis, an IICRC company, for a free restoration estimate.

Clean Up Flood Damage: Call a Pro

5/23/2022 (Permalink)

Professional Flood Water Damage Cleanup

While some water damage events aren’t very predictable, flood damage from storms is comparably easier to forecast. Storm surges, torrential rain, and rising water levels cause massive water damage for those who live along the coast or in low-lying areas. Flood damage is terrible in every instance, but the good news is homeowners and business owners usually have adequate time to prepare their home and/or business for the impending water damage as best they can.

When a storm ends, and it's safe to return to a damaged property, many find the water damage in the home or business worse than they could have imagined. It sometimes seems impossible that water levels can rise so high and cause such devastating damage. In the unfortunate case that this has or will happen to you, follow the following important guidelines for safely handling flood waters and their effects.

Do Not Go Back To the Property Without Permission

Even if your curiosity wants to know how much water is in the property or the kind of water damage; never return to the property without being notified first that it's safe to return by proper authorities. Flood damage and waters can be hazardous, and it's easy to forget that there is so much more than just water on the road or in a home. 

Beware of Bacteria

Before anyone enters a home or office with water damage to begin the water cleanup process, they must know how much danger potentially awaits. The water cleanup process should begin as quickly as possible, but it cannot be done if the area is still unsafe.

1. Live electricity. Don't assume just because the power is out in the town that there's nothing to worry about. The power could come back on at any moment, which means it could cause serious bodily harm to anyone in contact with the electricity or its conductors. Make sure all electricity is turned off at its source before entering any building with standing water.
2. Danger in the water. The second danger is what might be waiting for people in the water. There could be animals like snakes or dangerous bacteria found in feces like E. Coli. Always let the local authorities do a neighborhood sweep before taking steps to prepare for the water cleanup and drying process.

Call the Pros

Restoration companies have powerful equipment designed to allow adequate drying in minimal time. Professional mitigation and restoration are imperative because any missed moisture leads to much larger problems like microbial contamination. Restoration is designed to clear out all the water in places others might not realize it is hiding. 

Call for professional restoration and mitigation rather than handling the drying process without a pro's help to remove water in a business or home. Contact SERVPRO of East Memphis for professional flood water cleanup, professional drying, and content cleaning.

SERVPRO Secures and Restores East Memphis Property Contents After a Flooding while Mitigating the Structural Damage

5/23/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Packs Out Your Business’s Items After Storm Waters Flood Your Property

The chaos and stress of post-storm flooding at your business’s property is paralyzing. With water, debris, and quite possibly severe damage to your roof, windows, doors, and siding—you need fast, reliable help. Our team of disaster remediation experts has proven strategies to help you and your family through this difficult time. 

What is a Pack-Out?

We often recommend a pack-out after flood damage. A SERVPRO pack-out is when furnishings, household or office goods, documents, and personal possessions are moved to a dry and safe space on your property or transported to our production facility to be restored. Removing the items permits our crews to clean flooded areas in your home, unimpeded; extracting water, doing demolition if and where needed. This helps technicians dry out the structure faster without the need to work around belongings.

SERVPRO uses a detailed and secure Content Claims Inventory System (CCIS) to document and track the items we move out. Lists, digital pictures, and barcoding ensure we have a complete record of the articles. We collaborate with your insurance company to make sure the efforts we make to clean, dry, and restore the pack-out inventory are covered to the extent of your contract. It is typically less expensive to restore items than to discard and replace them. We help you save time, money, and memories.

Innovative Restoration

Our production facility technicians are skilled with innovative techniques such as freeze-drying for document and picture restoration. Floodwaters can be contaminated, so we work to ensure the packed-out items receive effective disinfectant treatment. SERVPRO provides temperature and humidity-controlled smaller chambers to dry out furnishings and electronics. Be advised that modern electronics often need precise cleaning from specialty companies. We have piston-driven Esporta washing equipment to clean soft items and immersion tubs and ultrasonic equipment to loosen flood debris soiling from blinds and intricately detailed decor and other items.

SERVPRO crews secure the exterior damage with boards and tarp, moving on to extracting, containing, and disposing of the floodwaters according to local regulations. We can spray and treat soiled areas with EPA-registered disinfectants before using commercial-quality air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers to ready your home for the return of the packed-out items, "Like it never even happened."

Call Us Today

SERVPRO of East Memphis awaits your call at (901) 382-0900. Contact us to evaluate your flood damage and rapid remediation of your home and a professional pack-out of floodwater-damaged items.

The Importance of Fast Water Cleanup

5/23/2022 (Permalink)

How Fast Should Water Damage be Cleaned Up?

You depend on your business to keep money flowing in, and you rely on the building where location keeps business going. However, when a pipe or supply line springs a leak, it throws a kink in your week. The time it takes for you to arrange pipe burst cleanup can make the difference between a simple and fast water cleanup or extensive and expensive water damage.

The First Few Minutes

Water damage begins with a variety of events, including:

• Pipe break
• Supply line leak
• Toilet overflow
• Adverse weather
• Foundation crack

If all you need is pipe burst cleanup or supply line repair, the first few minutes of water cleanup are crucial. If possible, turn off the source of water as quickly as possible.

The First Few Hours

The longer water sits, the more potential havoc it wreaks. Once exposed to humidity, walls can start to disintegrate, and items made of pressed wood—which often includes cheap flooring—can swell and warp. Water from burst pipes and supply lines can also damage furniture and other supplies in your workplace. 

The First Few Days

Damage that is not mitigated quickly will also become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria growth. Prolonged damage can interrupt your business’s daily operations, possibly harming your bottom line. To limit the extent of water damage to your business, call a professional in the restoration industry like SERVPRO of East Memphis. SERVPRO’s highly trained professionals are equipped with knowledge, experience and all tools capable to restore your business to its preloss condition. We know the disruption that results from supply line leaks, overflowing toilets, adverse weather, foundation cracks, pipe breaks and other catastrophes. By calling our emergency team, available 24 hours per day, you may be able to turn a potentially massive setback into an easy and fast fix. For additional information regarding commercial restoration, call us at (901) 382-0900.

How to Protect My Business from Utility Room Fire or Electrical Fire?

5/1/2022 (Permalink)

A business is affected in a uniquely difficult way when the business suffers fire damage. The damage leads to loss, but it destroys the infrastructure for recovering that loss. For example, when a restaurant’s utility room or electrical system catches fire and burns a facility, the income the owners could have made to pay for that loss is uprooted, having a chilling effect on a commercial property. 

This highlights the importance of buying the right insurance.

In an effort against fire loss, most buildings have measures to protect the property from utility room fire or electrical fire loss. A fire sprinkler system is one of the strategies that play an essential role in fire suppression. 

A Sprinkler System’s Job

This system has sensors that detect a change in room temperature. If the temperature reaches a critical level, the alarm turns on, the valves open, and water jets are sprinkled in the rooms. The fire sprinkler system is the first line of defense against fire before the arrival of backup, like firefighters.

You’ll Need More Than a Sprinkler System

The fire sprinkler system alone may not curb utility room fire or electrical fire outbreak from spreading. If no secondary response team comes quickly to help the sprinkler system, the fire can easily consume the building. Calling 911 should be the first thing you do after exiting the building.

Did You Think About Water Damage?

After the fire, the reality of what transpired inside becomes clear. Apart from the fire damage, there is soot damage, water damage, and visible smoke damage. The fire hose pressure can destroy contents and walls, too.

This devastating scene can only be properly rectified by professionals who are familiar with commercial fire damage restoration.

Professionals Know What To Do

Hiring professionals for fire restoration gives peace of mind. Professional commercial fire damage services like SERVPRO® take a record of the items destroyed and remaining. SERVPRO of East Memphis repairs and cleans content that can be salvaged. They wrap and store those items and appropriately dispose of the rest. They also find out where data backups could be salvaged, such as the computer hard drives. 

The soot damage, water damage, and smoke damage are some of the things that must be cleaned fastest to restore the interior. Soot damage is cleaned using a dry brush. Water is drained and vacuumed from the rooms. This drying prevents mold from growing. The smoke is pulled from upholstery and other areas that could have absorbed odor. After the main cleaning is done and our construction team has rebuilt any remaining damage, items that underwent repair are brought back. 

We are Here to Help® when you need us. When fire and water take control of your life, we help you take it back.

How Can SERVPRO of East Memphis Help with Hazardous Waste?

5/1/2022 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of East Memphis anytime for our biohazard removal services.

SERVPRO of East Memphis Cleans Hazardous Waste

Although SERVPRO is well-known for fire and water restoration, you may not know that we offer hazardous waste disposal. Our highly-trained professionals can help you or your business with biohazard, vandalism, and crime scene cleanup.

We specialize in removing and cleaning common hazardous wastes such as bloodborne pathogens, sewage backups, illegal drugs, hoarding situations, crime scene residues, and more.

We are trained to safely decontaminate these situations in accordance with OSHA and CDC regulations. Our sanitizing agents, antimicrobial treatments, thermal foggers, and deodorization agents help us make your property, “Like it never even happened.” 

When you experience a biohazard concern or have hazardous waste on your property, leave the responsibility of hard cleanup to us. Bloodborne pathogens, bodily fluids, and other contaminated waste can put you at risk. Follow these steps after contamination. 

• Call SERVPRO of East Memphis immediately at (901) 754-9061 for biohazard cleanup. 
• Stay out of infected areas. 
• Call first responders if the situation is life-threatening. 
• Treat all areas and/or bodily fluids as if they are contaminated. 
• Turn off the HVAC system if there is sewage damage. 

These situations can leave home and business owners feeling vulnerable, violated, and unsafe. Call us anytime for our biohazard removal services.

Flood Damage and Rapid Response

5/20/2021 (Permalink)

If dealing with flood damage or any other type of water damage, rapid response is crucial. The reality is that water damages are limiting when the mitigation process starts. SERVPRO of East Memphis offers emergency response, quick response time, and services 24/7. Water damage mitigation services provide immediate estimates and can commence work on flood damage cleanup and restoration immediately. When selecting a water restoration and cleanup service, the property owner needs to choose a company that utilizes the latest technology. Also, the property owner must ensure that a provider selects a damage incident. The more damage, the higher the long-term and permanent consequences will be.

For additional information on commercial water damage, contact us at (901) 754-9061 or visit our commercial services page.

Experienced Mitigation Technicians

5/20/2021 (Permalink)

We're the professionals in the industry. Call today!

The single most important thing that any property owner who notices water in their business may lead to water damage is to call SERVPRO of East Memphis, a specialized fire and water damage restoration company. SERVPRO of East Memphis has powerful and sophisticated equipment at its disposal. Our equipment, designed specifically, is used for flood damage restoration and mitigation. Ensuring quality work, we have trained and experienced staff, with countless hours between them, we can successfully carry out water damage restoration and mitigation.

It is for these reasons that a professional restoration company should be your first call. Any time flood damage occurs, time is always the most crucial factor. Waiting too long to begin the restoration and mitigation process of a flooded home or business will all but ensure that the water in the property will cause permanent damage. Worst case scenario, this damage could result in the total loss of the property's value.

Luckily, a set process that's in place has proven results over decades, and every restoration company is knowledgeable of it. Following these established water cleanup protocols is the best way to minimize damage to a flooded home or business. For additional information regarding our services, contact SERVPRO of East Memphis at (901) 754-9061.

Commercial Fire Damage Assessment

5/20/2021 (Permalink)

When the crew of SERVPRO of East Memphis arrives at your Memphis, Tennessee, property, they will begin the assessment of the damage caused as they await the fire truck to finish handling the fire. Smoke damage and soot damage occur when water is present in the building. A firefighter can make a successful fire restoration process. In collaboration with a fire restoration expert, they can do intensive fire damage, smoke, and soot damage assessment of the commercial property.

Sealing and Cleanup 

The company will start by looking for ways to stop the smoke damage and soot damage from worsening. Additionally, they will seal all busted pipes and holes in the roof and walls. Commercial fire damage companies will remove all items with massive soot damage from the property for disposal.

The next process is to remove all stagnant water after the firefighters have left the property. The process ends by using a flood pump and dehumidifier to extract all the water. After extracting the water, cleaning starts, removing soot from items and surfaces and fumigating the room to remove the odor. If carpets are salvageable, they will be professionally clean.

For fire-related questions, contact SERVPRO of East Memphis at (901) 754-9061.

Fire Damage Restoration for Commercial Properties

5/20/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Memphis can handle commercial fire damage. Call today!

After such a tragedy as a fire, buildings should utilize fire suppression mechanisms, such as a smoke sensor. Modern technology has made it possible for an installed fire sprinkler system to go off when the sensor goes off. Commercial properties should install a fire hose, fire sprinkler system, smoke sensor on strategic areas in the property, and at least one fire hose per floor.

It is dangerous to handle an electrical fire with water; a firefighter can come in acknowledging the best options for managing an electrical fire or utility room fire. Most fires get crazy due to human error. A study conducted by commercial fire restoration experts shows that many suffer severe fire damage since the fire suppression systems in place, such as the fire sprinkler system and the fire hose, didn't have any water in them. This can cause a bigger burden on the fire truck.

After the entire process is over, consult the fire department on avoiding an electrical fire or utility room fire. This can include advanced fire suppression instruments, for example, extra fire extinguishers and fire hoses. After the company is through, it is good to consult with the restoration experts and firefighters on the best fire sprinkler system, utility room fire, smoke damage, and avoid an electrical fire that's damaging.

For fire-related questions, contact SERVPRO of East Memphis at (901) 754-9061.

Apartment Fires: Responsibility Versus Ownership

5/14/2021 (Permalink)

An apartment fire in Memphis, Tennessee, can create many victims in the community, leaving tenants scavenging for salvageable items and wondering how they'll rectify the situation. Fire damage for residential owners is straightforward, but it can get confusing when it comes to investment properties and renters.

Who is Responsible During a Fire?

1. Structure 

The property owner is likely responsible for the structure, meaning tenants don't need to worry about rebuilding their dwellings. Unfortunately, restoration work can take a while, which means that renters are responsible for finding another place to live.

2. Electrical and Plumbing

An apartment fire can cause significant damage to the electrical and plumbing systems; the responsibility is on the owner. As the property owner, both the structure and the habitability of that structure are their responsibility. However, this may be troubling if discovered that the fire was intentional or due to renter negligence.

3. Personal Property

The property owner isn't responsible for a tenant's personal belongings. Most renters will have or should have renter's insurance, which should cover personal property loss. These policies will either cover the cost to replace the items or the true value of the items.

4. Restoration

The property is the responsibility of the owner; the restoration expense is their responsibility. Their insurance policy should cover the cost to hire a disaster restoration specialist in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. However, this does depend on whether the fire is an accident, neglect, or criminal intent. While it's difficult to understand which covers fire expenses, it results in ownership. The property owner or landlord is responsible for the building, and the renter is responsible for their personal property. Remember, it does depend on the cause of the fire and whether it's criminal or accidental.

SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile

5/14/2021 (Permalink)

Have you ever felt unprepared when confronted with fire damage or water damage on your commercial property? Maybe, caused by a broken pipe that continued to flow for hours because nobody knew where the shutoff location was.

We want to help your business located in Memphis, Tennessee, be ready for the damaging effects of fire and water. By developing a SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile for your business, 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 how water and fire damage can affect your business. The Emergency Ready Profile (ERP) is a tablet and phone application that allows you to take photographs of shutoff locations for water, gas, and fire suppression systems.

Each photograph can have a written explanation of how to turn off the different utility systems. We hope that your commercial property won't have damaged during a loss and get back into the business. For additional information regarding SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile, contact SERVPRO of East Memphis at (901) 754-9061.