No Such Thing as a Small Disaster

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

There is no such thing as a small disaster, especially when a small leak at the time could blossom into a big claim later. Unseen water can soak through walls, seep through carpet and pool on sub floors, causing major problems over time. You need help-fast. 

Whether it be day or night, contact SERVPRO of Gaylord & Cheboygan to begin emergency water mitigation. Emergency mitigation means under normal circumstances, a SERVPRO franchise professional can be on-site within four hours to begin drying your home and restoring your contents. The faster and the water is removed by a SERVPRO professional, the less chance of a serious damage to your facility. 

At SERVPRO of Gaylord & Cheboygan we are trained and understand how to professionally manage the drying process. By utilizing state of the art equipment and the latest technology, your structure will be quickly and thoroughly dried, which helps prevent secondary water damages. SERVPRO will remove moisture and any contaminants by disinfecting and deodorizing to safely clean and dry your building and contents. Help ensure the value of your property by calling your local SERVPRO today. 

As the #1 choice in cleanup and restoration, we stand on over 50 years of experience and expertise to help ensure your home is taken care of. 

Document Restoration Spotlight

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

As a leader in the restoration industry, SERVPRO knows timely mitigation is the key to reducing severity and recovering damaged items. Let SERVPRO's document restoration team help you recover your damaged paper goods before its too late. 

With the new age of technology, digitizing records and documents has become a standard practice in most industries. This eliminates the need to have massive file storage rooms and allows us to access records at the click of a button. If your file room was damaged by water or smoke and needs to be cleaned, dried, or decontaminated, digitizing might be a good choice. 

Unfortunately, many businesses and government agencies must dispose of counterfeit, faulty, expired, or contaminated materials. All entities need to be certified that their products and materials are destroyed. The guarantee of certified destruction or restoration is to protect one's liabilities, brand image or proprietary information. SERVPRO guarantees certified destruction to give you peace of mind that your documents are either disposed of or restored properly. Give us a call at 989-705-2400 to find out more on how we can help you. 

Understanding Your Insurance

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

There are many simple actions you can take now to prepare yourself and your property for a disaster. Understand your insurance needs is an important step to prepare in advance. 

Getting the right type and amount of insurance may mean the difference between a quick recovery from disaster and years of financial challenges. Take the following actions now to find and secure the appropriate insurance policies to protect your family's financial health. Different lines of insurance are available to cover the many types of potential damage caused by a disaster. Homeowners' and renters' insurance policies usually give you the following areas of coverage.

• Dwelling: coverage of your house
• Other Structures: coverage for structures such as garages, decks, and fences
• Personal Property: coverage for items such as furniture, clothing, and appliances
• Loss-of-Use: payments if you need to move temporarily due to covered damage
• Personal Liability: coverage for accidents happening on your property
• Medical Protection: payments for someone who is injured on your property
• Medical Protection: payments for someone who is injured on your property
• Property Damage to Others: coverage if you accidently break or damage someone else's property

Many landlords and property management companies will want to see proof of renter's insurance when you sign a lease. If you own a business, you will need to purchase business or commercial insurance to protect your property and employees. 

Manufactured homes, condos, and farms have special insurance policies. Your bank or mortgage lender may also have minimum insurance requirements as a condition of your loan. Always make sure you have enough coverage to rebuild or replace what you lose if disaster strikes! 

Understand What's Covered!

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

The insurance industry identifies a cause of loss, such as fire or theft, as a "peril." Insurance only applies when your policy covers the peril that caused the loss. Be sure to check your policy to see which perils it covers, and in what situations. A homeowner's policy may cover different perils for the house and for personal property. The policy may also have different deductibles based on the peril. 

Always check your individual policy for specific details. For example, basic property insurance policies may not cover losses caused by flooding, wind, earthquakes, terrorism, or pollution. 

Flooding is the most common and costly disaster in the U.S.! Talk with your local insurance agent if your property is at risk of flooding or mudflows, including flooding caused by earthquakes or hurricanes. Other flooding impacts, such as mold or mildew damage, can also be covered with basic property insurance, but may have a limited amount of loss payable. A yearly check in with your local insurance agent is recommended! 

Leave the Board-Ups to SERVPRO!

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

Whether after a high wind, storm, or other structural disaster, boarding up damaged property is a burden that no one should ever have to go through? especially if it is your property that has been damaged. Boarding up damaged property incorrectly could cause secondary damages, such as moisture or animal intrusion, making the situation even worse. The process of boarding up after an unexpected storm damage can also be as dangerous as the damage itself. Your local SERVPRO franchise professionals at SERVPRO of Gaylord & Cheboygan can board up the damaged property and mitigate and remediate the original damage, providing you with peace of mind while helping make it "Like it never even happened."

Understanding Wireless Emergency Alerts

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are free notifications delivered to your mobile device as part of a public safety system provided by authorized government-alerting authorities. These alerts are designed to inform you of imminent threats to safety, such as extreme weather warnings, local emergencies requiring evacuation or immediate action, missing persons alerts in your area, or Presidential Alerts during a national event. A WEA can be sent to your phone when you may be in harm's way, without having to download an app or subscribe to a service. A WEA will look like a text message. It will typically show the type of alert including the time it was issued and from what agency + any action(s) you should take. If you experience any type of property damage after a storm give SERVPRO of Gaylord & Cheboygan a call at 989-705-2400. For more information, visit ctia.org/wea.

Post Fire Do's and Dont's

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

Once you have gotten over the shock of a house fire, we want to leave you with a couple of tips that will help out your situation.

What Not to Do After a House Fire

• Do not enter your home until you’re given permission that it is safe.
• Do not turn on gas, water or electric utilities until a professional has deemed them safe.
• Do not start or move your vehicle if it has been damaged.
• Do not try to clean any of the smoke or soot damage yourself. Leave that to professionals who have the proper safety equipment and experience.

What to Do After a House Fire

• Get permission from Fire Department officials before you re-enter the fire-damaged structure.
• Contact family members and loved ones to inform them of the accident.
• Attend to frightened pets and ensure their safety and comfort.
• Call all utility providers (electric, gas, water) and inform them of the fire.
• Call your homeowners insurance company to begin the claim process.
• Call the professionals at SERVPRO to help get the fire mitigation and restoration process started. We are available 24/7/365. 

How to Help Mitigate Mold Growth

7/1/2022 (Permalink)

Until help arrives, there are a few things that you can do to help mitigate the impact of mold grown on your property. We only recommend the following if you feel confident in safely accomplishing the tasks. 

1. Avoid touching or disturbing what you believe is mold growth. This includes attempts to clean the area. Do not attempt to clean or treat affected surfaces. Improper cleaning can spread mold spores throughout the space, potentially creating bigger problems. Additionally, visual inspection is one way we determine severity, so we would like to see potential mold undisturbed. 
2. Limit the airflow in the affected area by turning off ceiling fans, portable fans, and HVAC systems. Minimize the air moving across surfaces that may have mold. 
3. If possible, close doors to the affected area and stay out of the area. 

Once we arrive, we'll help you assess the situation further. If you think you may submit a claim to your insurance company, you are encouraged to locate information such as your policy number and your insurance company's claim phone number if you haven't already. Our highest priority is serving you. We have decades of experience working with property owners and insurance providers, and we strive to ensure both you and your insurance company have everything you need to process your claim.

If you suspect mold in your residential or commercial property, give us a call at 989-705-2400 to find out how SERVPRO of Gaylord & Cheboygan can help you! 

July Fire Safety Tips

7/1/2022 (Permalink)

Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades, and firework displays; but along with all the festivities are plenty of visits to the emergency room-especially during the month of July. 

Each year, around 230 people are injured badly enough to require medical treatment after firework related incidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In addition to causing injury, fireworks are also responsible for thousands of house fires each year with millions of dollars in property damage. 

There is nothing like firing up the grill during the summer months! Did you know, July is the peak month for grill fires? A backyard barbecue can become dangerous quickly if proper safety precautions aren't considered. SERVPRO of Gaylord & Cheboygan wants you to have an enjoyable and safe summer. Consider the following tips to help ensure your summer celebrations are disaster free.

• Propane and charcoal barbecue grills should only be used outdoors.
• The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging brochures. 
• Keep children and pets away from grill area. 
• Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grill and in trays below the grill.
• Never leave your grill unattended.
• When using a charcoal grill, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container.
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear. 
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Keep a buck of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire. Children should never pickup fireworks that may be left over as they may still be active. 
• The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public display conducted by trained professionals. 

If your residential or commercial property suffers from structural fire damage, call us at 989-705-2400! 

Tornado Preparation

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

As we have just learned in our very own Gaylord community, tornadoes can quickly devastate communities. Turning lives upside down, destroying buildings and homes, while producing deadly flying debris. Tornadoes are nothing to mess around with and it is crucial to act quickly if one comes through your area. Here are some tips to prepare for tornadoes in Northern Michigan:  

Under a tornado warning? Find shelter immediately:  

• Stay away from windows, outside walls, and doors.  
• Find a safe and sturdy building.  
• Stay in a low and flat location.  
• It is best to go into a basement or storm cellar.  
• If you do not have a basement, go to a small interior room on the lowest level (avoiding windows).  
• Use your arms to protect your head and neck.  
• Watch for flying debris.  

How to prepare:  

• Know your area’s tornado risk. 
• Sign up for your community’s warning system.  
• Know the signs of a tornado.  
  • Funnel cloud.  
  • Cloud of debris.  
  • Loud roar like a freight train.
  • High speed winds.
• Pay close attention to weather reports.  
• Choose a safe place and practice going there with your family to prepare.  
• Always keep a safe distance away from others in your safe shelter.  

What to do during:  

• Go to your safe shelter immediately.  
• Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car.  
• Cover your head and neck for extra protection.  
• Listen to your local alert systems for current emergency information. You can also listen to EAS and NOAA Weather Radio for information.  
• If you happen to be outside or in your car, cover your arms and body with a coat or blanket.  

What to do after:  

• Continue listening to your local alert system, EAS or NOAA Weather Radio for updates.  
• If you happen to be trapped, cover your mouth with a cloth or mask to avoid breathing dust.  
• Do not enter damaged buildings until they are safe.  
• Save your phone calls for emergencies.  
• Stay clear of fallen power lines.  

For more information, visit ready.gov on how to prepare for tornadoes.