Do you know where your shutoffs are?

8/23/2019 (Permalink)

Do you know where your main water shut off is?

Knowing where your shutoffs are in your commercial building could save you thousands of unnecessary damage to your building.

Often times building owners will rely on the Fire Department to come in and shut off the water to the building once a loss has occurred.

Knowing where your shutoffs are and clearly marking them enables the building owner to shut off water several minutes before first responders can.

In the case of sprinklers that malfunction and turn on, just 1 minute less of water flowing could cut days off of a drying project.

If you don't already, make sure you put together a plan of where the following shutoffs are:

• Gas

• Water

• Electricity

Commercial buildings often times require elevated training and equipment to dry and repair. Our professionals here at SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns. 

SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls understands that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. 

Call SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls at 406-458-6008 when an emergency situation arises in your business. 

Clogged Dryer Vents a Possible cause of Fire Damage in Helena & Great Falls Apartments

8/10/2018 (Permalink)

Always keep dryer vents clean.

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Damage After Fires as Well as Offer Preventative Tips

Dryers come equipped with a lint trap to catch and collect the lint and tiny threads that come off of clothing when residents in Helena or Great Falls do their laundry. Over time, larger items, such as broken zippers, can wear tiny holes into the trap. These holes can permit lint to pass through the trap and into the duct. When clogs develop in the interior of the duct, heat can build up and result in a fire. 
 
When a home or Apartment suffers fire damage because of a clogged duct or exterior vent, fire damage can occur. This is not the only way that a fire can occur, though, and clothing that ignites while in the dryer causes almost as many fires. SERVPRO technicians can help you undo the damage and restore your home.
 
Just like we remove charred materials like burnt drywall sections, wooden trim, and destroyed personal belongings, we also remove and replace ducts and vents. SERVPRO helps homeowners prevent such fires by cleaning out ductwork and all related vents. A fire can start in other ducts, unrelated to the dryer, and we can reduce the risk in these areas, also. 
 
Cleaning up and removing any destroyed materials makes it much easier for repair work to happen. Doing so also removes any dangers present that could harm you or your children. Pets can also end up injured when they wander into areas that contain fire damage. A fire, no matter how small, causes a family to experience enough stress without the added crisis of an injury. 
 
Sorting through the laundry, both unwashed and already laundered, reveals which items suffer from fire-related defects. We can often remove smoke damage on unique or one-of-a-kind clothing items. The fire's heat can also cause other problems to items in the immediate area. Drying racks and shelves can become unsightly messes, but the small endeavor of installing new ones can help make everything "Like it never even happened." 
 
Call SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls if you need our assistance with fire cleanup in the Helena & Great Falls areas. 406-458-6008

Are you a tenant with a water damage?

8/30/2017 (Permalink)

We know how frustrating a water damage or fire can be for a renter. Call SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls and we can help. (406)-458-6008

Are you a tenant with a water damage?

Do you rent an apartment or a house?  These are the steps you should take if a water damage were to occur in your home or apartment.

1. You need to contact the owner or property manager and make them aware of what happened. Homeowners and property managers know that water damages are likely to happen so it should not come as an immense shock to them.  Keep in mind that if you prolong telling them the extent of the damage will continue to increase so it is important to tell them immediately.  Also, in order for a restoration company to be able to come in and mitigate the water damage the owner of the property or someone that is authorized to make decisions for the property must approve for that company to do so, include sign the initial paperwork.  Tenants are not allowed to authorize a company to come in and work on a property that does not legally belong to them. 

2. The next step would be determining if you would be filing a claim with your renter’s insurance for your contents if they were affected from the loss. Typically contents would not be covered by the homeowners insurance but on rare occasions it may be.  Also, depending on the contents that you have you may not have to worry about it at all.  For example, if the affected area is a living room with an average amount of furniture that you would expect in a living room the technicians would likely be able to work around, they can simply put your furniture on blocks and shift it off the wall about a foot to get air flow around the room and your furniture will dry using the same equipment needed for the structure.  However, if you have an extensive amount of affected contents that have to be moved in order for the structure to be properly dried out, the homeowner’s insurance might not cover moving out and drying your contents.  Ultimately it depends on the specific situation and the parties involved.  

Whatever the case may be, our technicians are trained to handle and properly document throughout the entire process ensuring that all parties involved are kept informed.

Please feel free to contact our office at 406-458-6008 if you have any questions on how a water damage should be handled if you are