Commercial Loss after Water Damage

10/17/2023 (Permalink)

We are Here to Help 24/7/365

Commercial Loss after Water Damage

Business interruption disrupts normal operations due to unforeseeable circumstances, such as natural disasters like flash flooding. When businesses experience water damage, it can lead to a significant loss of revenue due to the inability to operate as usual.

The effects of business interruption can be long-lasting, causing damage to a company's reputation and reducing employee morale. In some cases, businesses may have to close their operations permanently, leading to job losses and financial strain on owners.

To mitigate these risks, business owners should have a plan to deal with potential disasters, including water damage restoration services. By having a comprehensive program that includes business interruption insurance and a partnership with a trusted restoration company, businesses can reduce the impact of unforeseeable events and quickly return to normal operations.

Professional water damage restoration services can help businesses to speed up their recovery time and minimize the negative impact of flood damage. It's always a good idea to partner with a local water damage restoration company you can trust to get your business back up and running as quickly as possible.

Choosing the right water damage restoration company is crucial to restoring your property to its pre-flood condition as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are some essential factors to consider when choosing a water damage restoration company:

1. Certification and Licensing:

The company you choose should be certified and licensed by the appropriate authorities, like the IICRC. Certifications ensure they have the necessary training and experience to handle water damage restoration effectively. While on-the-job training and experience are essential, you want to avoid running the risk of all new technicians training on your damage.

2. Response Time:

In situations involving water damage restoration, time is of the essence. A good restoration company should be able to respond to your emergency within a few hours, ideally less than two. Delaying the response could lead to further damage and pose a risk to your health and safety.

3. Availability of Equipment:

A reputable water damage restoration company should have access to the latest equipment and technology to help them deal with any water damage emergency, including water extraction, dehumidification, and drying. When choosing a water damage restoration company, ask them about quantity and ability. If you have a large commercial property, you must ensure the company you work with has the right amount and capacity equipment to dry it properly.

4. Expertise:

Water damage restoration can be a complex process, and not all companies have the same level of expertise. Be sure to choose a company with a long-proven track record and positive reputation. Many restoration companies are also cleaning companies, so when you look at their public reviews, ensure they are about large water restoration jobs rather than simple cleanings.

5. Insurance:

You will likely have to file an insurance claim to restore your property after water damage. When choosing the best restoration company, ensure the company has experience and trained personnel on staff that can and will know how to work with your insurance adjuster to manage your claim. Ask for proof of pre-existing relationships and agreements with major insurance carriers.

Likewise, a reliable water damage restoration company should hold adequate liability and workers' compensation insurance. Insurance coverage protects your property from any damage during the restoration process and ensures that no one has you liable in case of any accidents.

6. Customer Service:

Excellent customer service is paramount when choosing a water damage restoration company. SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg is strong in all the areas listed above, but we pride ourselves on customer excellence.

Contact SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg 24/7 at 904-861-8870 to schedule your estimate at no cost TODAY!

Don't let Water put your business on hold

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

Don't let this be you! We are Here to Help 24/7/365

If you have a large commercial flood in your Clay County Office building, SERVPRO of North Clay County / Oakleaf / North Middleburg is here to help! We have many years of large loss experience and have resources available that not many other companies have. 

It is important that every large loss is properly handled with documentation and proper steps taken. Doing the job correct the first time is important to prevent secondary damages from occurring. 

We strive to be an education company in the disaster restoration industry. With that said if you have any questions on what to do or how to even be better prepared, feel free to reach out to us at any time. We have several team members that are trained and specialize in different areas of large loss restoration. We will make it “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at our Orange Park office at 904-861-8870!

Should I have my Ducts Cleaned?

6/13/2022 (Permalink)

Excessive Dust vs Cleaned System

Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.

You should inspect your ducts if your furniture is excessively dusty or if you notice your registers (vents) are dust filled.  After a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary.

On the other hand, if someone in your household suffers from allergies, unexplained symptoms or illnesses you may want to consider having your ducts cleaned.  It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.

Contact SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg located in Orange Park, Florida (904) 861-8870 to have your ducts cleaned today!

What's that Smell?

6/13/2022 (Permalink)

Call your local SERVPRO for odor removal

Business owners, property managers, realtors & homeowners may be totally unaware that their business or home has an unpleasant odor.  It can be unrecognizable to them but immediately apparent to visitors on entering their work places or homes.

Candles, aerosol cans or cooking good smelling baked goods cannot get rid of the smell.  To eliminate the odor, the source of the smell first must be found and then removed.  Once this is done the affected area can be treated to rid the home of the unpleasant odor.

Realtors, as you know one of the most offensive odors to people looking for a new home is cigarette smoke.  Most buyers will not even look at or consider buying a home where smoking is allowed.  This odor will penetrate all porous materials in a home; such as carpets, furniture, window treatments, clothing, drywall, cabinets, and doors. 

Although most people love animals and consider them a part of their family, there is still an issue with pet odors.  No matter how “trained” an animal is there are always accidents, and as animals age these accidents always tend to be more common.  Urine is a bio-hazard and has to be treated as such.  And it just does not absorb into the carpet, but also the padding and subfloor.  Sometimes, the walls and floors have to be clean, sealed and treated before new paint or floor covering can be installed.  Remember!  Urine is a bio-hazard and most over the counter products will not effectively clean a bio-hazard substance. 

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg has professionally trained technicians that are committed to help you rid your home of offensive odors.  Our technicians are trained with different processes to remove these odors from wherever you might need help.  Call us at (904) 861-8870 for assistance in helping with all of your cleaning and deodorization needs.  We also cover McClenney and a small portion of Jacksonville in our coverage territory so call us if you need assistance.  

Once You Call SERVPRO to Your North Florida Home, We Arrive Within Hours to Begin Water Cleanup and Drying

10/13/2021 (Permalink)

Rubber ducks are cute, but they belong in the bathtub

If your duck has found a new pond in a place a pond shouldn’t be, call us.  Our professionals will get it back to the proper water and make sure your home is dry land, once again.

Many water incidents take place that cannot get cleaned up with a mop and bucket. Even if you have a wet-dry vacuum at your Clay County home, most standing water calls for skilled technicians for rapid cleanup to keep secondary damage from setting in. With a single call to SERVPRO, we are Faster to Any Size Disaster, and we can get to work right away so that you have the rapid water removal you need. 

How Does Water Cleanup Work?

Once water cleanup in Orange Park is underway, our team works to repair and restore your interior wherever water damage has set in. The work performed here may include repair or replacement of:

• Drywall
• Baseboards
• Flooring 
• Insulation
• Carpeting

Our crew utilizes a broad range of controlled demolition techniques to bring your business back to preloss condition so that everything is just “Like it never even happened.” We always work with a plan to restore rather than replace so that we can save you the most time and money for your water cleanup project.

We adjust our cleanup protocols based on each unique job that we get. For large amounts of standing water, we use truck mounted pump extractors to pull up thousands of gallons promptly. We also have specialized tools for handling water removal from your carpets to salvage as much as possible. Once standing water is gone, we implement drying techniques using:

• Centrifugal Air Movers – Sometimes called a ‘snail shell’ or turbo dryer, these fans produce focused, powerful air movement.
• Axial Fans – Powerful fans force air to move with high dynamic pressure while being light, small, and easy to move around to adjust drying protocols.
• Dehumidifiers – Specialized units that help to remove moisture from the air to bring down humidity.

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever you need help with water cleanup. You can reach us by calling (904) 861-8870.

Understand your insurance choices prior to the need for it

8/27/2021 (Permalink)

Like any natural disaster, a flood can become very problematic as a disruption to business operations. It’s imperative that it is handled efficiently, so business can continue as soon as possible. While considering the best process, you likely think of commercial insurance for floods. To know if commercial flood insurance is worth the cost for your business, you must first understand its scope.

Flood insurance may or may not cover water damage that was nonexistent before the flood event. There are several flood events where losses are usually covered depending on your policy such as:

• Overflowing bodies of water
• Excessive or extended rainfall
• Storm draining blockage
• Broken dam
• Broken levees
• Storm surge
• Melting snow

If the damage is due to a burst pipe or precipitation overfilling gutters, the flood policy may not be necessary.  Those events often are covered by regular commercial insurance if negligence cannot be determined.

Is Flood Coverage Standard in Business Insurance?

Flood damage is not traditionally rolled into a baseline package. The federal government offers coverage through the Nation Flood Insurance Program, known by its abbreviation of NFIP. NFIP is offered by FEMA alongside private options in the market.

There is a caveat to the necessity of flood insurance. Any business mortgaged by a federal lender in an area with a major flood risk is mandated to buy flood insurance. Outside of flood prone areas, it is not required.

How Do I Remedy Flood Damage Once Insurance Takes Effect?

A local commercial storm recovery company will send out experts to evaluate and create a plan to repair the damage. If you have flood insurance, the policy provider will work with connected partners to fix up your business from the storm damage.

Even if you don’t have an appropriate commercial insurance policy, you can contact a restoration company for estimates of repair costs. Depending on the area, it may be more economical to keep a flood policy rather than wait for a costly disaster to hit your business. Checking the flood risk and prices in the area gives you a cost-benefit analysis to determine if it’s appropriate for your business.

For more information, visit our website at www.SERVPROnorthclaycountyoakleafnorthmiddleburg.com

What are the Most Common Reasons For Commercial Water Damage in Clay County?

6/2/2021 (Permalink)

The technicians are available 24/7 to restore your property and make it, “Like it never even happened.”

SERVPRO technicians have comprehensive training for handling all kinds of water damage in commercial properties

It is easy to get busy and keep putting off inspecting your Clay County commercial property for water damage. However, this can enable slow leaks to go on and cause a greater amount of damage to the building materials and contents. Some incidents happen suddenly, such as a sewage backup or floodwater issues after heavy storms in the area. Other frequently seen reasons for water cleanup restoration services by SERVPRO include:

    •    Broken or damaged pipes
    •    Leaking sprinkler systems
    •    Damaged roofs and windows

Can a Business Stay Open During Commercial Water Damage Cleanup?

Whether or not an Orange Park, Middleburg or Oakleaf business can remain open during commercial water damage restoration services depends on the type of water in the structure and any safety concerns. For example, a sewage backup would result in closure due to the toxic nature of the water. Simultaneously, a sprinkler malfunction that drenched an office may also require closure because of the need to move out the contents of the area even though this water-type is clean.

The construction materials that make up the property can contribute to whether the business can remain open if the water spill is a level one or categorized as clean. Wet slab or tile flooring can also present significant slip and fall hazards. SERVPRO techs put up security tape to cordon off the worksite and inhibit unauthorized persons from entering.

Before reopening, the commercial property needs to verify it is dry according to readings on the technicians moisture detection equipment and then sanitized to ensure both employees and customers enter into a clean and healthy environment when the business reopens.

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg at (904) 861-8870 is the place to call when you have commercial water damage that needs cleanup and drying pronto. The technicians are available 24/7 to restore your property and make it, “Like it never even happened.”

Standard services offered with Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned

11/18/2020 (Permalink)

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned logo

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned is a program that was developed by SERVPRO to allow employers to give its employees peace of mind about the cleanliness and safety of their office space. Standard services with this program focus on cleaning and disinfectant application to frequently contacted touch points.  These touch points may include:

• Door knobs, pulls, and locks, as well as 1 square foot around the knob, pull or door jambs
• Push doors
• Light switches, switch covers, and accessible outlet covers
• Countertops, tabletops, vanity tops, and desktops while taking measures to control overspray and limit potential damage to other items (e.g paper products, electronics devices, personal property). Disinfection of accessible surfaces without moving contents
• Chair arms, backs, and height/swivel controls
• Faucets, sinks, soap dispenser, towel dispenser, dryer, water fountains, napkin dispenser
• Cabinet door and drawer exterior, door and drawer pulls/knobs
• Toilets, urinals, bathroom stalls around locks and handrails, handrails, bathroom fixtures (e.g. toilet paper dispenser and paper towel dispenser)
• Telephones, computer equipment, shared office equipment

Cleaning Area Rugs

8/11/2020 (Permalink)

Cleaning Area Rugs

An area rug can be used a few different ways. To designate a certain area of a room or to protect the flooring underneath.

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg offers a few different options for cleaning area rugs.

Our fantastic team can clean your area rug where it is located in your home but we also have options for having it cleaned at our warehouse. We can either bring the rug to our warehouse or you can drop it off and then we can begin the process of steam cleaning your area rug.

Once your area rug is cleaned, SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg can either deliver the rug to your home or you can stop by our warehouse and pick up the area rug.

Whichever option you choose, feel free to call SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg and we will be more then happy to assist.

Flood Factor

7/6/2020 (Permalink)

High rising water

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/Middleburg is always keeping an eye out for resources that we can provide to our community to help with any issues that may arise.

Our latest find is https://floodfactor.com/ , which is a website where you can input you Florida Zip code and that map will designate whether your home is in an area where there is a high possibility of flooding.

Flood Factor has a few different resources such as a flood risk explorer which allows you to see an estimate of the flood risk in your area as it changes as far as 30 years in the future.

Flood risks are increasing because of the environment. Flood Factor also has an area on its site where you can how environmental changes will be affecting a larger area.

The final section listed is a community solutions section which provides ideas on how you can lessen the risk of flood in your area in the future.

Covid-19 Has Changed What It Means To Be Clean. Is Your Business Ready?

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS RELIES ON GETTING YOUR CUSTOMERS BACK THROUGH THE DOORS.

While SERVPRO here in Orange Park wishes safety and good health for all, you must be prepared for cleaning after a case. Do you know who you will call to clean after a case? SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg has the staff with experience and the tools to decontaminate your business. We are used to helping before, during and after challenging and unfamiliar events. Trust SERVPRO to thoroughly decontaminate after a positive case or if no case just to offer some reassurance to your employees & customers. We can help make it safe again and/or offer some peace of mind.

Put your trust in the nations #1 choice for cleanup and restoration.  SERVPRO Cleaned is a defensive program that goes way beyond janitorial or carpet cleaning - always adhering to the cleaning and decontamination standards set by the CDC.  SERVPRO professionals have been on the frontlines of proactive and reactive COVID-related cleanup and are Here to Help as your business begins to reopen.

Call us at 904-861-8870 to answer questions regarding services we can offer!

Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility

4/29/2020 (Permalink)

A Guide to Employers

As much as we are here for you if you need our services we also always attempt to advise our customers on things they can do themselves.  We are here to help!  SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg located in Orange Park is always interested in helping our community in anyway possible.  Here are some recommendations from the CDC.

How to clean and disinfect: 

Clean surfaces using soap and water. Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces. High touch surfaces include: Tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc. 

Disinfect

Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty. Then, use disinfectant. Follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product.

Many products recommend:

Keeping surface wet for a period of time (see product label)
Precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product. 

Download CDC Employer Guidelines 

Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol may also be used.  

Additional Considerations for Employers

• Educate workers performing cleaning, laundry, and trash pick-up to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19.
• Provide instructions on what to do if they develop symptoms within 14 days after their last possible exposure to the virus.
• Develop policies for worker protection and provide training to all cleaning staff on site prior to providing cleaning tasks.
? Training should include when to use PPE, what PPE is necessary, how to properly don (put on), use, and doff (take off) PPE, and how to properly dispose of PPE.
• Ensure workers are trained on the hazards of the cleaning chemicals used in the workplace in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard.
• Comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens, including proper disposal of regulated waste, and PPE. 

For facilities that house people overnight:

• Follow CDC’s guidance for colleges and universities. Work with state and local health officials to determine the best way to isolate people who are sick and if temporary housing is needed.
• For guidance on cleaning and disinfecting the bedroom/bathroom for someone who is sick, review CDC’s guidance on disinfecting your home if someone is sick. The content of this email is republished from the Center for Disease Control website at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/.

Please refer to their website for more detailed information.  We provide services in Orange Park, Oakleaf and Middleburg.  

Are your employees complaining?

2/14/2020 (Permalink)

Is your ductwork causing employees to call out sick?

Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every business are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your business would be beneficial.  Sometimes if you have noticed an above average amount of employees experiencing sickness this could be a quick fix to help with making sure the building is "clean" of allergy promoters.

You should inspect your ducts if your furniture is excessively dusty or if you notice your registers (vents) are dust filled.  After a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. On the other hand, if someone in your business suffers from allergies, unexplained symptoms or illnesses you may want to consider having your ducts cleaned.  It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.

Contact SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg @ (904) 861-8870 to have your ducts cleaned today!!  We also provide services in West Orange Park & MacClenney.