Where is the Water Shut-off?

6/6/2022 (Permalink)

Imagine you’re a nonprofit property manager and you receive a frantic call from a tenant who has water flowing from a burst pipe with no immediate shutoff valve inside the home. Gallons of water are flooding the home each minute. What do you do? How can you get the water shut off to stop further damage that could easily affect adjoining units? These are important questions that should be contemplated during crisis.

Having a plan and addressing these issues is advance can minimize damage and save thousands of dollars. Failing to plan is planning to fail, which is why SERVPRO provides a complimentary service known as an ERP or Emergency Ready Plan. The ERP is the solution to having all your emergency shut-off information, location of such, directions, and special notes at your fingertips. The SERVPRO Ready Plan is an app which is available for Android and Apple devices. When implemented you have all the required information you need to minimize the damage, including vendors and direct contact to your local SERVPRO franchise for quick 24/7 mitigation.

SERVPRO of Orange County offers a free assessment of your facility where shut offs are located and documented within the app. Photos along with notes, local police, fire, hospital, and your company direct emergency response contacts are imputed, giving you the peace of mind that you are ready for whatever happens.

IF you have multi-tenant properties in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Cedar Grove, Efland or Mebane call SERVPRO of Orange to schedule your free ERP assessment at 919-245-0788.

Let’s Play the Feud- Category Top Causes of Commercial Water Damage

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

One of my favorite game shows of all time is Family Feud, where two families face off to answer the top answers in each category.  This version was played by four SERVPRO of Orange County office team members, Yvonne, Holly, Rachael, and Sarah.  Two per team with Yvonne and Holly as one team and Rachael and Sarah as the other. With the winning team buying lunch for the winner. In the spirit of the former host Richard Dawson and current host Steve Harvey- Let’s play the Feud.

Today’s category, Commercial Water Damage Causes. 

Top 5 answers are on the board

Yvonne vs Sarah.  Sarah hits the buzzer first and blurts out HVAC units. 

HVAC units #4.  Leaking HVAC units can cause significant water damage. 

Yvonne has a chance to steal.  Her answer: Pipe and Sprinkler Damage.  Her answer ranks #2. 

Pipe and Sprinkler Damage – can cause serious damage to property and profitability.  Burst pipes and sprinklers can affect multiple floors and large amounts of square footage, causing significant business interruption. With a choice to pass or retain, Yvonne decides to retain.  After conversing with Holly.  Holly answers: Roof Leaks.  Her answer ranks #1.

Roof Damage and Leaks is the top cause of commercial water damage.  Having proper maintenance can prevent a large amount of interior water damage.  However, some roof leaks can not be prevented and having a great relationship with a restoration company, like SERVPRO of Orange County, that can fix the roof and dry the structure is a blessing that can minimize business interruption and help you get back to preloss status.   

Yvonne continues the streak of no strikes with her next answer, Storm Damage. Storm Damage is the #3 answer on the board.  Storm events such as hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes cause millions of dollars of damage to commercial properties each year.  

Yvonne and Holly high five each other knowing they are one answer away from sweeping the board.  Confident in her next answer Holly states, “leaky windows and waterproofing.”  Leaky windows and waterproofing ranks as the #5 answer completing the sweep.  

Sarah and Rachael glare menacingly at the victors knowing their loss will require them to purchase lunch for the winners.  Yvonne and Holly celebrate, and Yvonne yells, “Don’t Hate-Congratulate!”

Although this fun game of Family Feud only cost lunch, the impact of commercial water damage can be significant.  SERVPRO Orange County makes it "Like it never even happened." with mitigation, restoration, and construction.  Call (919)596-1242

Medical Document Drying

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

A medical office space that experiences a water damage emergency, one of the most critical elements for restoration is the drying, restoration, and preservation of client medical records.  These documents contain sensitive personal information and cannot be handled by just anyone due to their sensitivity and the regulatory controls on handling such items.  This is where SERVPRO of Chapel Hill and North Orange County is here to help.

The SERVPRO Restoration and Drying System:

• HIPAA Compliant: SERVPRO is certified in and HIPAA compliant, meaning the company is approved to safely handle and protect health information. 
• Chain of Custody: Sensitive documents are inventoried and barcoded to assure their protection and preserve the proper chain of custody.
• State of the Art Drying System: Documents are protected from additional damage through a sublimation system using dry ice.
• Cleaned: Documents are cleaned of debris.
• Sanitized: Documents are sanitized for safety purposes.
• Deodorized: malodors are removed using the latest in deodorization processes.
• Digitized: Documents are digitally scanned so information can be preserved.
• Destroyed: Documents that can not be salvaged are safely destroyed.

If your medical facility in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, North Carolina, or the surrounding areas has need for restorative drying due to water damage of either the structure, contents or documents call SERVPRO of Orange County at (919) 245-0788. 

School of Rock Sings SERVPRO Praise After Hitting Sour Note Due to Water Damage

2/11/2022 (Permalink)

North Carolina weather in RDU during the month of January sometimes brings ice and snow as was the case on January 23, 2022, when Durham and Chapel Hill were blanketed with several inches of ice and snow. Unlike a heavy rain, when water turns to ice it expands and often exposes weakened areas of roofing systems as was the case with the School of Rock in Chapel Hill. Ice Damming caused a roof leak damaging ceiling tiles and poling water onto the floor. Water damage especially in a commercial setting such as this can affect revenue through business interruption, making it imperative to return things back to normal as soon as possible.  SERVPRO of North Orange County, North Carolina was called in save the day so the future musical stars of tomorrow can hone their craft.

The School of Rock located at 1500 North Fordham Blvd Chapel Hill, NC 27514 provides group and one on one lessons from trained musicians. They teach everything from the classics of singing to piano, bass guitar, drums, and more. Students can learn popular local styles such as indie, folk, and blue grass. At School of Rock, students can perform live shows and develop their skills in a supportive and encouraging learning environment. To learn more about their programs call (919)338-1011.

SERVPRO of North Orange County was honored to assist our fellow Chapel Hill /Carrboro Chamber of Commerce member in their time of need.

Super Hero Ready Your Commercial Property

1/20/2022 (Permalink)

Imagine it’s 4:00pm on a Friday afternoon and your work week is about to come to an end, when an employee runs up in a panic telling you that water is spewing everywhere flooding the hallway and adjacent rooms .   The squiggly thought bubbles of inappropriate words swell to the forefront of your conscious mind, Murphy’s Law of what could go wrong has occurred. Are you built for this moment, like a super hero ready to save he day? Do you know what to do or will a bad situation get worse?  Have you planned for the unexpected?  Do you know where the water shut-off valve is or will you hope and pray you can get maintenance on the phone?

 If the answers these questions are unsettling because there is no plan, or the plan is in a binder somewhere not easily accessible, SERVPRO of Orange County has a solution to calm your anxiety- The SERVPRO Ready Plan App.  An App that’s like having a super hero on speed dial.

The SERVPRO Ready App Benefits:

• No Cost Facility Evaluation – a walk through to assess critical information that is often overlooked and not readily accessible in critical moments of necessity.
• Minimizes damage and lost revenue due to business interruption, helping you keep the doors open for business
• Identifies key shut off valves for water, gas and electrical services
• Provides key contact information, accessible instantly
• Identifies key line of command for emergency services to begin
• Establishes SERVPRO as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider
• Puts information at your fingertips on cellular platforms for Apple and Android
• No Cost for Service

With the SERVPRO Ready App installed on your smartphone you will be empowered by having the critical information you need readily available to act quickly to avert disaster by minimizing the impact of an unfortunate situation.  You will not be at the mercy of hoping you can reach the maintenance engineer because the app will tell you where the shut off is, so you can stop the water flow.  What makes it even more powerful is that your employees, equipped with this app, upon seeing the flooding will be empowered to stop the water flow prior to alerting you of the situation.  Every second and minute matters in a disaster situation and time saved, is money saved.  Don’t let another day go by without scheduling a free facility assessment. Call (919)245-0788 and be prepared for the unexpected.