Indoor Flooding: What To Expect and How to React

12/12/2024 (Permalink)

No matter the flood source, SERVPRO has you covered. Rely on us for fast, professional help when disaster strikes!

We know that every second counts when disaster strikes. That’s why we have a fast, reliable process designed to prioritize your needs. Within four hours of your call, we’ll be at your doorstep with a plan in hand. Eight hours later, your insurance will be in touch to start the claims process.

Why so fast? Here’s the breakdown:

1–24 hours:

• Metal tarnishes and rusts
• Drywall swells and deteriorates
• Furniture cracks from water absorption
• Musty odors spread
• Dyes and inks stain

48 hours to 1 week:

• Doors/windows warp
• Metal corrodes
• Paint bubbles
• Wood floors warp
• Mold growth begins

How to Limit Damage Until Help Arrives:

• Shut off the water source if possible, or contact a qualified professional to stop the water flow.
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping or blotting.
• Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and other tabletop items.
• Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture or wet carpeting.
• Move any paintings, art objects, computers, documents, and other materials that are valuable or sensitive to moisture to a safe, dry place.
• Don’t use a household vacuum to remove water, as this could cause electrical shock or damage the vacuum.
• If sewage is involved, avoid all contact. Also, do not use HVAC systems or fans to dry the structure, as this could spread contaminated air.

Don’t wait—call us right away if you see these signs. We’re here 24/7, 365 days a year. 

ERP: Saving You in More Ways Than One

11/7/2024 (Permalink)

Applicable to commercial buildings such as schools, hospitals, factories, restaurants, apartments, and more!

An Emergency Ready Program (ERP) is a free, pre-planned strategy designed to help your business respond quickly and effectively in the event of a disaster. Whether it’s a fire, flood, mold, biohazard, or storm, an ERP ensures that we have all the crucial information we need to act fast and minimize damage.

By creating an ERP, you provide us with key details like:

• Shut-off valve locations
• Priority areas and contact information
• Electrical panel locations
• Key vendors and service providers

Having this information at the ready allows us to respond without delay, saving valuable time—and ultimately, reducing damage. In turn, this means less downtime, lower repair costs, and less stress for you.

At SERVPRO®, we are available 24/7 for mitigation, restoration, cleaning, and construction services. No matter the disaster, we’re here to help you get back on your feet. Set up an ERP today, and rest assured that if the unexpected happens, we'll make it "Like it never even happened."

Fire Safety Month for Central Illinois!

10/22/2024 (Permalink)

Fire Restoration Service in North Central Tazewell County, Galesburg, Macomb, and Peoria. We are available 24/7 for disaster mitigation.

Accidents Don’t Happen on Purpose, But You Can Be Prepared!

In light of Fire Safety Month, we want to equip you with essential tips for safely returning home or to your business after a fire.

Safety First:

• Walk as little as possible through affected areas to prevent soot from embedding in carpets.
• Cover fabric items and carpets with old towels or sheets to minimize damage.
• If the electricity is turned off, empty your fridge and freezer to prevent spoilage.
• Wash houseplants from top to bottom to keep them healthy.
• Change your HVAC filter to ensure clean air circulation.
• Tape two layers of cheesecloth to all air vents to capture particles.
• Clean chrome items and coat them with petroleum jelly for protection.
• Avoid contact with any water or fire-damaged items.

Leave It to the Pros:
For cleaning your home and clothing, trust the experts! Regular cleaning methods can set smoke smells and lead to other issues.

It’s our mission to help you know what to expect after the unexpected happens. If you need assistance getting back to normal after disaster strikes, give us a call anytime at 309-346-5600.

More Winter Water Damage Tips

1/9/2024 (Permalink)

Keeping your thermostat running while away can save you from frozen pipes

Although it hasn’t been too long since we shared some tips for staying dry in the winter, we thought we should let you know about some other things that homeowners should be aware of to keep your property safe from water damage this winter.

Don’t freeze the sump pump!

Something many people overlook is protecting their sump pump from the elements in the winter. Sump pumps can malfunction if exposed to the harsh cold of winter, so a winter storm could render your pump useless. What good is a sump pump if it can’t drain water when you need it to the most? You can wrap the discharge line with insulation tape or foam to keep it from freezing. Check the discharge pipe regularly to make sure it isn’t clogged by any residue or ice.

Utilize your thermostat

If you’re leaving for an extended period of time, don’t simply turn your furnace off and leave! You can put your thermostat at a very low temperature, but warm enough that pipes in your home won’t freeze. Good insulation is key, but keeping your thermostat at around 55 degrees Fahrenheit could make the difference between a dry home and an unfortunate pipe leak.

What about appliances?

Appliances that have a water line or hose should not be neglected in your winter water damage walk-through. Make sure these are connected securely and aren’t exposed to the elements of winter; a small leak can turn into a big problem over time.

Check your pipes

While taking action to keep your pipes well insulated from the weather, you should check the integrity of your pipes while you’re at it. Check the areas around your water pipes to make sure there are no signs of moisture, such as water stains and condensation. If you’re unsure about what you’re looking at, ask a professional to check your plumbing for you. The earlier you can detect a faulty pipe and fix it, the less water damage you have to deal with in the future.

Even if you follow all our tips to a T, disastrous weather can bring water damage to even the most prepared homeowners. If you find yourself in this situation or have any questions about winter water damage prevention, please give us a call at (309) 346-5600.

How We Support Our First Responders

11/14/2023 (Permalink)

Just a few of the ways that SERVPRO supports First Responders

Although SERVPRO® gets credit for helping people get their life back and making it "Like it never even happened" after a disaster, we must appreciate and thank our first responders for making our job much easier. Law enforcement officials, emergency medical technicians, and firefighters run head-first into danger every day to keep people in our community safe. Simply put, because of what they do, we are able to do what we do. Because of this, SERVPRO makes it a priority to give back whenever we can to those who gave us so much, both on a local and national level.

Our franchise has a few ways that we give back to first responders in our area. Most recently, we are collaborating with our local hockey team the Peoria Rivermen to introduce and acknowledge 12 First Responders with a SERVPRO First Responder Recognition Award. First Responders who made a difference in their community can be nominated by their peers or loved ones to get recognized in front of the crowd at a home game. It’s a small gesture but can mean a lot to those brave men and women who normally don’t get thanked for the work that they do.

We also add value to our local fire departments through giving them unique training opportunities. In addition to helping regular live burn training by furnishing burn cells, we travel to local fire departments with a Palmer Fire Training Doll Houses to support them with extra training (and a well-deserved supper on us from Mission BBQ). These specially designed “dollhouses” are a great way to demonstrate a fire’s behavior during a house fire and how to manipulate the flow path through opening and closing the doors in the doll house.

SERVPRO recognizes first responders on a national level through our continued support for the First Responders Children’s Foundation  and hosting the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, which shares stories of first responders on a national stage and gives back to first responder organizations across the country. Both of these initiatives have helped out countless families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty, and we are proud to be a part of them.  Starting this year, SERVPRO is also the national sponsor of Firefighter Challenge League. A grueling obstacle course specially designed for firefighters to challenge firefighters in a competition against other departments.   

First responders do so much for us and the communities we serve, so we’re happy to show our appreciation any way that we can. If you want to help us support our local heroes, please consider donating to the First Responders Children’s Foundation, nominating someone for the SERVPRO First Responder Recognition Award, or just reaching out and saying thank you. Your appreciation and support can make a big difference!

What It Takes to Clean Contents

10/20/2023 (Permalink)

We have the equipment to clean just about anything

When people talk about restoration, the conversation usually revolves around the damage to the building itself. In the promotion efforts from a restoration company, you will see hundreds of before and after photos of water damaged floors, smoke damaged cabinets, and the occasional mold remediation job, clearly showing where the damaged property has been restored to its former glory. This describes a reasonable picture for someone interested in property restoration, but there’s one thing that most people don’t think about until they find themselves in the unfortunate situation of needing restoration work done: contents. What exactly happens to your belongings (clothing, shoes, linens, pillows, sofas etc.) when it needs to be restored?

Contents Assessment and Storage

The contents in a damaged area might be able to be restored depending on condition and type of damage. We use our expertise and the guidance of your insurance adjuster to determine which contents can be salvaged and which ones need to be replaced. Because we do all our own contents processing, SERVPRO Team Fletcher will work diligently with you and your insurance provider to address any concerns you might have. Communication is key, and if your restoration company is outsourcing their contents processing to another company, you will lose that direct contact and trust that comes with working with a company like SERVPRO.

Cleaning—Procedures and Equipment

Using industry-standard equipment is just a starting point at SERVPRO Team Fletcher. We go above and beyond to make sure our customers’ contents are being treated with the upmost care. For example, we have invested in an Esporta machine at our location which drastically increases cleaning degree as well the type of soft contents we can clean after a fire or flood. This computer-controlled machine knows exactly what cleaners and processes are needed to return the type of content in it to its original condition or better. Other specialized equipment we have on-site includes ultrasound machines and a dedicated ozone room to remove lingering smells such as smoke from clothes and furniture. We also have dedicated “fine detail” cleaning stations, plus a vast collection of specially formulated proprietary cleaners and deodorizers developed by SERVPRO chemists to be the best at what they are intended to do. We make sure to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in contents restoration procedures to ensure your valuable belongings are guaranteed to be in the best care possible.

Final Customer Walk-Through

Of course, only you are the expert when it comes to your own stuff, so we invite you to come to our facilities and inspect your belongings before it’s decided they are ready to transport it back to your home. If anything doesn’t meet your standards, we may then try to clean it again or work with your insurance to replace it. After everything has been approved, we will move everything back to where it belongs so you can return to your life, “Like it never even happened.”

Getting your life back on track after a disaster can be a complicated process, but at SERVPRO Team Fletcher we aim to make it as seamless as possible for you. If you have any questions about contents cleaning, don’t hesitate to reach out to us any time at (309) 346-5600.

A Guide to Staying Dry Through The Winter

9/22/2023 (Permalink)

Winter water damage can get costly--be prepared!

After the hot and humid summer we survived this year, there’s no better feeling than opening up your windows and feeling the fresh air throughout your home. But this feeling won’t last too long as we look towards another freezing winter ahead, and with winter comes more extreme weather and more opportunities for moisture to enter your home. So with that being said, we think it’s never too early to start protecting your home from winter water damage. ­­­Here are some things for you to check so you can be sure you’re fully prepared for the upcoming winter:

Give melted snow a path to drain

Your roof and gutters might have handled normal rains in the summer with ease, but it’s always a good idea to check on them before the winter weather rolls in. Make sure your gutters are clean, structurally sound, and drain to appropriate channels that move the melted snow away from your house.

Stop ice dams in their tracks

What are ice dams? Ice dams are buildups of snow and ice that can prevent water from draining properly on a roof. Because of this, pools of water accumulate on your roof which can lead to messy roof leaks. Typically, they form on roofs of houses that have uneven heating. This can occur because of issues with insulation or windows and walls that are not sealed properly. Make sure your house is properly sealed and insulated if you want to prevent ice dams from forming.

Don’t let pipes freeze on you

One of the most common causes of water damage in the winter is from broken or burst pipes due to freezing. You should make sure that all pipes are protected from the outside elements by using insulation, and when the outside air reaches extremely freezing temperatures, always keep a trickle of water run from the faucet. This can help you prevent a costly pipe repair and flooding of your home.

Pack up your outdoor hoses

If you leave your hose screwed into the spigot, there’s a good chance that there’s some water sitting in both the hose and spigot, which can cause damage to them and even the pipe leading to it. It’s best to unscrew the hose and put it in storage for the winter until you need it again.

As long as you take steps to protect your home from moisture today, you’ll have a lot less to worry about when winter strikes in central Illinois. If you have any questions about winter water damage, please call us at (309) 346-5600.

What NOT to do After a Fire

7/27/2023 (Permalink)

By reducing secondary fire damage, you can minimize cleanup time and costs

There are a lot of things that we’re told we should do when experiencing a fire in our home: exit the building safely, get low to the ground if there’s smoke, and call 911 as soon as you get out. But after the fire has been put out and the smoke clears, most people don’t understand the dangers that may still be present on the premises. When you eventually return to your home to try to put your life back together, follow these tips to make sure you and your property are safe from any additional damages.

Don’t turn on any electronics until advised to do so by a professional

If any of your electrical wiring was damaged by the fire, it could be extremely dangerous to try to turn anything on. Wait until a professional has reported no damage before you touch or operate anything connected.

Don’t attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces

While you think you might be getting a head start on cleaning up soot from a fire, you will most likely be only spreading it around and staining your painted surfaces further. Leave these surfaces to the professionals to get the job done right!

Don’t use any fans in an area where soot is present

If you move the air around soot, the soot is going to move as well. To minimize the amount of affected contents and areas, don’t turn on any fans unless advised to do so. Ceiling fans can pose an additional risk if the wiring is wet, so it’s best to not touch them.

Don’t shampoo carpet or upholstered furniture

Professionals know which specialty products and procedures should be used depending on the material. It’s always best to wait for a restoration technician to restore these items to their original condition.

Don’t consume any food or beverages that may have been stored close to the fire

Increased temperatures and chemicals in the smoke have the potential to contaminate any consumables that have been near the fire. Be on the safe side and discard any food or beverages that were around during the fire.

If you recently had a fire and still have questions about what you should do about your home or belongings, you can always call us at (309) 346-5600 and a professional will be happy to give you expert advice.

Work at SERVPRO®!

7/19/2023 (Permalink)

Two Restoration Technicians on a job

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work at SERVPRO®? You might have seen our trucks on their way to jobs or our techs moving equipment and thought to yourself: “maybe I would also look good in green (and make some green, too)!” Well, the good news is that green looks great on most people, and the training and opportunities for growth help those who work at SERVPRO be proud to wear the color. Disastrous weather seems all too common nowadays and households are turning to restoration companies more frequently every year. To keep up with the increasing demands of the industry, our team is constantly looking for individuals who have what it takes to be part of one of the top performing companies in restoration.  

Trained to Be the Best

SERVPRO values education and requires its franchises to train well and train often. But we at SERVPRO Team Fletcher like to go a bit further with this philosophy and give our employees an even more robust training experience. In addition to hosting IICRC classes at our campus year-round, we have the only IICRC-certified flood house in the state of Illinois and a smoke house for fire demonstrations. With these opportunities available in-house, our employees are always just around the corner from taking their next step in their development journey in the restoration industry.

Help People Get Their Life Back

Although our training program and other benefits are the hook for most employees at SERVPRO, there’s something that keeps people working with us. When our techs are going out to help a customer, they are making a difference in that person’s life for the better. Helping people during one of the most difficult times in their life is a truly humbling experience that most people don’t have the opportunity to be a part of. We hire people who love to help others in their time of need and encourage them to spread their kindness to anyone on any job, no matter how small.

Work With the Best

It’s easy to see why the restoration industry is one of the best industries to start a career in, but why choose SERVPRO over other companies? It’s impossible to overstate the dedication to education that goes beyond the minimum that other companies settle for. We also boast one of the most robust national restoration systems in the country, with more than 2200 franchises established and still counting. SERVPRO knows what it takes to grow, and that includes a similar vision of growth for every franchise employee out there.

If you want to be part of this amazing team, check out our Careers Page to see if there’s a position that’s right for you. We hope to see you soon as the newest member of Team Fletcher!

What Can An ERP Do For You?

7/12/2023 (Permalink)

Call us today to learn more about our ERP!

SERVPRO is all about preparedness. We prepare ourselves to always be ready at a moment’s notice whenever disaster strikes to provide swift assistance across the whole country, and we want to help other businesses prepare themselves for the same. One way we can help is providing them with an Emergency Ready Profile, or ERP. The ERP is basically a file that has all the information a building operator needs at their fingertips in the event of a disaster.

Did you know that as many as 50% of businesses close after experiencing a major loss? We have found that those who were able to act on an already established preparedness plan have a better chance of reopening after a loss, so SERVPRO decided to provide the ERP as a free service to help those businesses recover and stay open. Although some businesses might already have a contingency plan in place, an ERP guarantees that all the information that they need access to is in one place, plus some other benefits that they might not have thought about. But what are those benefits?

A map of every key shut-off in the building

No one wants to be in the middle of dealing with a major leak only to realize they don’t know the first place to look for the main shut-off. Having this information readily available is key to getting a head start at mitigating any damage. We will provide a floorplan showing exactly where each shut-off is so anyone with access can easily find those shut-offs at a moment’s notice.

A full map of the facilities

In addition to gathering the important information needed to respond to a loss, we offer a full 3D map of the building to go along with the ERP. Since SERVPRO creates a 3D map of every loss we work on for our quoting software, we can use the map we make for the ERP as a “before” reference for our project managers to work from. Additionally, the map can be used for more than just emergency preparation, and again, is completely free!

Special instructions and notes

Getting started on the mitigation process as early as possible is key to getting a business back on their feet, but that doesn’t mean that we need to skip over the important details and requests a business might have. Notes about where to park and which entryways to use can be put in the ERP and any SERVPRO franchise can review the info at any time.

Peace of mind

Knowing that a plan is in place and ready to be acted on, even if it never has to be used, is a huge intangible benefit to getting an ERP. When the details are already agreed upon and the ERP is easily accessible to anyone who might need it, no one needs to lose sleep imagining the worst happening to their building. Having a reference of what to do and who to call that anyone on the team can access will save countless hours of playing phone tag that could be spent on starting the mitigation process.

If you have any questions or want to set up an ERP for your building, let us know! Give us a call at (309) 346-5600 and we’d be happy to tell you more.