Reliable Water Removal for Your Omaha Business

3/2/2023 (Permalink)

Water intrusion in an Omaha commercial property can certainly come from a number of different sources. Some are external issues such as storms. Others include circumstances where the plumbing, mechanical systems, or appliances experience a malfunction. When a water emergency occurs in your Omaha business, a professional water removal service is the best option for remediation.

Any water leak can quickly turn to flooding in your Omaha business, sometimes even spilling into elevator pits or underground parking structures. Quickly removing the water is critical to avoid health and safety issues. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is a trained commercial water removal service. We will help prevent progressive deterioration and secondary damage due to prolonged moisture.

The aim of SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is to help business owners achieve the best outcome as quick as possible. The crew of SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has equipment for removing water quickly and for monitoring the drying process. Our tools allow us to scan areas behind walls and under floors where unseen moisture can accumulate.

Upon arrival to a water emergency, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest will extract standing water. Once the water has been removed, air movement and dehumidification are strategically placed. The drying process is monitored daily. When necessary, the contents of an affected area are packed for cleaning, drying, deodorization, and storage until the property is ready for re-occupation.
 
During the water removal project, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest works with insurance carriers to ensure proper documentation and claim submissions are completed. 
 
When water threatens your Omaha business, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest stands ready to help. Call (402) 800-2134 as soon as possible to schedule an assessment and develop a water removal plan.

How SERVPRO Remediates and Restores Your Fremont Home After a Fire

3/2/2023 (Permalink)

Reasons to Seek Professional Help After Fire Damage In Fremont

Fire can damage your Fremont home in many ways, and its impact is both immediate and progressive. The heat the fire itself, as well as the toxic, acidic soot and debris left afterward harm surfaces, structural components, and personal property from the first minutes of exposure, and cause additional damage the longer they remain. The water or chemicals used to extinguish the fire and the effects of lingering odors further complicate matters. Our fire damage remediation services can help. 

The spread of smoke and soot throughout your Fremont house means fire damage needs evaluation everywhere. Air movement through open windows, via an HVAC system, and from the churn of heat from the fire distributes the residues swiftly and house-wide. Our IICRC-trained technicians are aware of the potential for fire damage to spread. We track the effects of the fire in every space of your home, implementing remediation plans to remove residues and prepare surfaces for final restoration by your chosen contractor. 

We are a full-service remediation company, able to manage the overlap fire damage almost always shares with significant water damage resulting from firefighting efforts. With SERVPRO onsite, we complete water mitigation with due speed making for a safe, hazard-free environment. Our crew makes the affected spaces ready for reconstruction by your chosen contractor. 

SERVPRO crews clean efficiently and safely, working with you to keep the toxic effects contained during remediation if you remain in the home during the project. Our state of the art equipment and SERVPRO Professional Cleaning Products clean residues thoroughly, stopping the corrosive action caused by fire damage. We collaborate with you and your insurance company during the job to streamline the process and limit out of pocket costs. 

Our expertise assists us in helping to determine items that might seem ruined to the untrained eye are recoverable. SERVPRO can guide the homeowner to resources that provide cleaning and refurbishing of fire and water damaged personal belongings and furnishings. It is not always necessary to dispose of fire and water damaged items given contemporary processes that can return soiled and odiferous articles to preloss condition. 

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is ready to mitigate the damage done by a household fire with just a call to (402) 800-2134. We can handle all aspects of fire remediation, including water, soot, and smoke clean up.

Midland University is located in Fremont.  Click here for more information.

Why You Need SERVPRO To Remove Water Quickly And Thoroughly From Your Hardwood Floors In Valley

3/2/2023 (Permalink)

Hardwood Floor Water Cleanup In Valley

Cleaning up water from a small flooding incident in Valley might seem to be a simple task. Getting out a mop and bucket or a shop vac is definitely not going to be the solution for restoring a hardwood floor.  Not only will the water that goes between the seams continue to migrate, seeping into joints between floorboards and soaking the subfloor, but the hardwood boards themselves also absorb a significant amount of moisture, especially when they remain wet for an extended period.  This type of moisture saturation needs professional cleanup and restorative drying to prevent long-term damage to hardwood floors. We can help.

When you need water cleanup in your Valley home, the moisture you see is just part of the problem. Construction materials almost always absorb moisture, swelling and even crumbling. The damage frequently shows up in hidden spots behind walls, above ceilings, and beneath floors. Our trained and certified technicians use advanced moisture monitoring tools to locate hidden water before we employ effective water removal and structural drying techniques.

If you try to do water cleanup yourself, an unfortunate result can be permanent hardwood floor damage. Some of the water you toiled hard to mop and vacuum up can flow down into the subfloor during your efforts. Mopping and a household wet vacuum is an inadequate response to gravity and the tendency of cellulose-based building materials to take the water into their fibers. SERVPRO has specialized equipment and well-prepared crews who take water cleanup to another level.

The planks of hardwood floors become deformed when excess moisture lingers, referred to as "cupping." After an assessment by our crew chief, SERVPRO employees take the steps necessary to remediate the damage done and restore your floors. Our service vehicles have industrial level pumps, extractors, air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers onboard. We also innovative floor mat drying systems, that lay flat on the floor, pulling water from all levels of your particular flooring configuration.

The floor drying mats clean up and remove water through a vacuum created when SERVPRO technicians secure the mats to the wet floor and connect them to powerful extraction equipment.  Our high-powered extractors create a high vacuum that extracts the moisture and draws warm, very dry air into all of the micro spaces around the floorboards. This process accelerates the drying of hardwood floors significantly, removing the moisture often before permanent damage can occur, and saving many hardwood floors that might otherwise have to be replaced.  This represents not only a significant cost savings but also significantly reduces the disruption that tearing our your floors would cause to your home life.

Throughout the process, trained SERVPRO technicians monitor moisture levels and reposition the mats to clean up the remaining water quickly and thoroughly. Failing to reduce the moisture at each level risks continued warping, buckling, crowing, or cupping of the top layer of hardwood.

When you need water cleanup for hardwood floors, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is ready with trained technicians and cutting-edge equipment. Call  (402) 800-2134 as soon as practical to arrange for an assessment and development of a water cleanup plan.

Click here for more about Valley.

Mold Damage and How to Protect Your Commercial Business From It

3/2/2023 (Permalink)

Mold growth can certainly happen on any surface given the right conditions. The main three ingredients mold needs to grow include moisture, food, and temperatures from 32- 120 degrees. Mold spores need moist or damps areas to be able to grow and reproduce. Things to look for are leaky windows, pipes, and appliances. Other areas susceptible to mold include bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms due to the higher humidity levels and the possibility for leaks.  

While moisture is just one factor, a food source is also needed for mold to grow. Mold can grow on cotton, leather, wood, and paper products as well. In your commercial property some common materials mold can grow on can include Drywall, Carpet, Drop ceiling tiles, and Caulk or grout. One of the most common materials mold loves to grow on are porous materials. When these items get affected it is almost impossible to remove and clean the mold from these types of products.

Finally the third thing mold needs is temperatures above 32 to 120 degrees. With that being said temperatures from about 70- 90 degrees are the most conducive for mold growth.

How To Prevent Mold Growth

• Improve air flow
• Inspect plumbing
• Service HVAC
• Keep humidity lower than 50%
• Direct water away from building

Why Professional Fire Damage Remediation Is Necessary For Your Omaha Home

2/1/2023 (Permalink)

Why Professional Fire Damage Remediation Is Necessary

After a fire in your Omaha home, it may be natural to try to inventory the damage on your own. If the blaze was short-lived and the harm to structures and contents appears minimal to an untrained eye you might be tempted to handle the cleanup personally. Fire mitigation is best performed with professional assistance for your and your family's safety and to prevent progressive damage to the structural components and contents of your home.

It takes an expert to locate all areas in your Omaha house affected by fire damage. The residues from the flames are sometimes obvious as when thick layers of soot coat surfaces including furnishings, ceilings, and walls. Other types of residue can be almost invisible, as when the fuel consumed by the fire was protein or grease. Although it is a thin layer, this latter type of soot spreads widely, is difficult to remove, and usually carries a distinctly unpleasant odor. Our technicians are familiar with practical strategies and products that loosen and clear away all types of fire debris.

SERVPRO technicians train extensively concerning the various ways smoke, soot, and odors infiltrate a home. We know what kind of evidence to seek when looking for the damage and where it is likely to be found. Failure to address damage in the first hours or days after a fire increases the severity of the harm. A delay might require the homeowner eventually to arrange for more costly remedies and risk irreparable harm. You might need to replace portions of the structure or discard personal possessions that the timely efforts of a professional remediation company could restore. A homeowner often finds responding to a disaster is a solo affair, but SERVPRO can increase the speed of your disaster cleanup and other mitigation tasks with a team approach.

Attempts to clean using conventional methods and cleaning agents meant for ordinary soiling can smear the residues and set stains that come from a fire. SERVPRO technicians match the characteristics of the soots observed with appropriate cleaning solutions, equipment and processes. Even the direction and order of cleaning a surface or furniture item has a proven best practice, taught to our employees in IICRC training and certification. Fire residues can also contain toxic elements, and our employees are well aware of ways to protect themselves and the inhabitants of a fire-damaged residence during remediation.

Put your trust in the skills and training possessed by the professional technicians at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest after fire damages your abode. Call us at (402) 800-2134 as soon as the local authorities signify the fire is out, and remediation can begin.

Click here for more about Omaha.

Summer Storms Contribute To Water Damage In Fremont

2/1/2023 (Permalink)

High winds and heavy rains may be a common challenge in Fremont during summer. Usually, your home will be up to the challenge, shedding the water and maintaining its integrity against the power of the gales. If the force of a storm pulls up a portion of the roof or brings a tree crashing down, taking out part of a wall or some windows, a massive quantity of water can enter your house. We have every resource to remove the water and dry the structure in preparation for further repair and restoration.

Sudden and severe water damage to your Fremont dwelling can happen in an instant when a summer storm bears down. You as the homeowner must seek an immediate solution. Our crew will assess the water damage and develop a plan to remove standing water and dry the structure in anticipation of your contractor's rehab and restoration.

SERVPRO focuses first on fast and thorough water removal. Our technicians master IICRC courses in Water Damage Restoration and Applied Structural Drying to ensure we complete our water damage mitigation to the highest disaster recovery industry standards. We utilize submersible pumps and commercial grade extractors to extract the water swiftly. As the storm borne water flowed from upper levels to lower in your home, saturating recesses along the way, we must be sure that we find and remove all traces.

Our crews use moisture meters and scanning devices to determine the extent of water migration and set appropriate drying goals for each area of the house. Our SERVPRO Green trucks have a full complement of air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers onboard, enabling us to move directly from extraction to drying. We position the drying equipment according to our training and experience for the fastest and most efficient results and continuously monitor the decrease in moisture levels so we can return your property to you when it is ready.

Turn to SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest when storm damage leads to standing water and saturated structural components. Call us at (402) 800-2134 for a response day or night, 365 days a year.

Click here for more about Fremont.

Professional Fire Cleanup for Your Elkhorn Home

2/1/2023 (Permalink)

After a Significant Fire in an Elkhorn House, SERVPRO Can Clean Up the Mess

Among the most traumatic events that might impact your Elkhorn home is an unforeseen disaster that threatens the structural integrity of the house and/or the health of those living in it. Fire is an excellent example of one of these occurrences. With widespread damages that vary significantly from one instance to another, most homeowners lack the experience and equipment to restore this type of damage on their own.

Regardless of what started the fire in your Elkhorn home, your focus after extinguishment is working on getting all of the fire damages restored to return your home to its previous condition. This goal might seem like an uphill battle, but with the right choice in professional restorers, you have training and expertise on your side to get the job done correctly.

Our SERVPRO management team can work alongside the representatives for your insurance to make the claims process more efficient for you. While this is often one of the most daunting and troublesome aspects of getting the restoration costs covered by your insurance provider, our professionals can help to properly document the damage and continually provide the insurance adjuster with updates regarding progress.

It is vital that you do not attempt to enter your home immediately after a fire has been extinguished, even if the first responders can assure you that the flames have been put out. There could be substantial damage to structural components that make navigating your home dangerous. Additionally, chemical or toxic environments could exist within your home that needs to be cleaned and deodorized before they are safe to breathe normally. Our SERVPRO technicians are safety-oriented and have extensive training in the use of protective equipment to enter environments like this to assess the risks.

You might not always think of professional restoration when it comes to smaller scale incidents within your home, but when you have faced a fire, restoring these effects requires experience and the appropriate equipment. You can count on our SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest restoration technicians to work efficiently to clean up the debris and prep your property for a rebuild. Give us a call anytime at (402) 800-2134.

More data about this area by clicking here

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest Storm Damage Clean Up and Restoration

1/17/2023 (Permalink)

When a storm hits you can have little to no notice of damage to your home or property. Some storms that can cause damage include high winds, hail damage, lighting and thunderstorms, and even storm flooding. Wind and water can be a major threat when combined. High winds are able to rip off siding or shingles allowing water to enter the inside of the structure and eventually cause mold. While Hail is also able to damage a roof, it can allow water inside as well. This is why having a reliable storm restoration company to help is always a good plan in case of an emergency.

Winter storm damage

In March of 2019 much of our surrounding area had experienced this, it had caused major flooding that affected whole towns. The amount of late snow combined with warmer weather and rain not only flooded rivers and lakes but affected people’s homes as well. Most of the time this can be unexpected because it doesn’t have much warning, so it is always important to have a plan in place. Winter storms impact much of the United States and are able to cause damage to your home or even cause flooding into spring.

Hail Damage

The most common time for hail is in the summer months. It can happen anywhere under the right conditions but is more common in the Midwest than anywhere else in the country. Hail can cause serious damage to your property including shingles, siding, gutters, and windows. After a storm it is important to check for exterior damage for all the areas mentioned above. After you have checked the outside of the house, go inside and check for leaks in the attic and water damage on the ceilings. It is important to check after a storm to prevent further damage to your home.

When heavy precipitation and high winds strike the Omaha area, commercial and residential property can take a real beating. If your home or business comes under assault, you need the help of a company that is serious about its reputation as a cleanup and remediation service provider. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest provides the Northwest Omaha, Blair, and Fremont areas with professional water damage services after severe storms.

Have Storm or Flood Damage?
Call Us Today (402) 800-2134

Why Leaving Water Damage Untreated is Always a Bad Idea

1/17/2023 (Permalink)

Leaving water damage untreated can be a very costly mistake down the road. It can damage materials and lower the value of your home. Besides damaging your property, it can also cause some health risks. Even a small water leak that isn’t properly dealt with can turn into a major issue causing thousands of dollars in damage. When you have a water loss or water intrusion it is important to assess the situation and deal with it in a timely manner. Below we are going to talk about what can happen when water damage goes untreated.

• Important to do it sooner than later
• Dealing with the situation immediately rather than waiting a few days can help restore your materials instead of replacing them. Water can break down dry wall, carpet, and rot wood. In most cases when you are proactive you can restore vs replace which will help save money during the process.

• Prevent mold from growing
• Wet drywall is a breeding ground for mold growth if left untouched after water damage. When dry wall gets wet it becomes weak, warps, and discolors over time. After dry wall has sat in water for a period of time the only way to fix it is cut out the affected sections and replace them. If completely left untouched after a major loss, mold will grow and will only get worse over time which can be a major health hazard for you and your family.
• Lower value of home
• Not only will water damage lower the value of your home but is a major turn off to buyers as well. Inspectors will spot and document water damage if not already documented. Buyers will also assume that you haven’t taken care of the house and could be a possible liability to buy.

As water damage specialists, we have the experience, expertise, and advanced training that enables us to get your property dried quickly and thoroughly. We use scientific drying principles and provide validation and documentation that your property is dry and the job is complete.

Have Water or Flood Damage?
Call Us Today – (402) 800-2134

Common Misconceptions about House Fires

1/17/2023 (Permalink)

When you have a fire, it can be a very devastating event to your home and family. It can happen in a moment’s notice whether you are there or not and it can start in a variety of ways. In the blog we are briefly going to talk about the common misconceptions of house fires and how they can start.  SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is a trusted leader in fire damage restoration. A fire can cause serious property damage and a fire restoration company has the experience needed to perform the proper fire restoration process. 

Myth #1

Smoke alarms provide enough protection against house fires

Fact: Smoke alarms are able to warn people when a fire is happening but will not stop the flames from burning. It is smart to have other things in place to protect you and your home against house fires.

Myth #2

Fires don’t spread quickly

Fact: In around 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a huge fire. It only takes a few minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house. In just two minutes a fire can be life threatening and I just five minutes a house can be engulfed in flames.

Myth #3

Older homes are more likely to catch on fire rather than newer homes

Fact: This is a common misconception because people think the wiring may be outdated, but that's not always isn’t the case. In newer homes the material’s they use are actually more flammable. On new homes they use lightweight wood and engineered lumber which increase the fuel load and burn easier.

The Dangers of Snowmelt to Your Omaha Business

11/2/2022 (Permalink)

Rapid Melting Conditions

The heavy amounts of snow this winter combined with rapid melting conditions creates the perfect scenario for water intrusion in your commercial building. Depending on your building's design, these leaks may or may not be immediately noticeable. If your business includes low-traffic areas--such as a storage room containing inventory or important documents--it is wise to intentionally inspect these areas on a regular basis for potential water intrusion.

Some Tips

Leaks from snowmelt and trapped rain-water runoff can enter your business from both above and below. Frozen drain pipes, blocked drainage systems, and ice dams are common culprits. Raking the snow from the roof of your structure is a first step in helping prevent water damage. Additionally, cutting channels through ice dams on the roof by applying calcium chloride is sometimes an effective option.

Snow removal on the ground is another important preventative measure. Clearing a 5-foot path around the perimeter of your structure helps prevent snowmelt and rain water from seeping into your business at ground level. Finally, removing packed snow from drainage areas allows water to run away from your business instead of into it.

The Inevitable

Sometimes water damage from a snowy winter season is inevitable. If you discover a water leak, it is important to start the drying process immediately. This will aid in preventing further damage to your business, such as a future mold problem.

Call Us Today

The team at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is trained in proper drying techniques. If you find water damage in your Omaha business, our team is ready to assist you. Call us at 402-800-2134.

Stealthy Smoke Damage In Your Omaha Home

11/2/2022 (Permalink)

Smoke Damage In Your Home

When a fire breaks out in a Omaha residence, everyone understandably focuses on the harm caused by the flames. Although blackened and charred materials grab homeowners’ attention, other processes occur during a household fire that can be as destructive to the structure as the burning. This less noticeable damage also can be completely hidden, and continue to damage materials and items in your home.

Smoke and soot damage is a serious problem after a fire. The materials ignited by the fire make up the content of smoke, and the soot deposited as the airborne particles float through the atmosphere within a residence. Depending on what burned, the combustion can create dangerous and toxic byproducts. Inhaling this noxious mixture sometimes results in health issues, including severe injury or death. More people die during a fire from smoke inhalation than any burns inflicted.

The drifting smoke and soot are hard to follow as they make their path throughout a building. Hot air rises during the fire, lifting the smoke to one or more stories above the site of a fire. The smoke can slip through cracks into the areas above ceilings and between walls, filling these recesses while still emitting odors and fumes. The soot deposits a mix of incompletely burned solids, a part of the chemical combination of gases and minute particles of solids and liquids that make up smoke.

Hidden smoke damage corrodes, tarnishes, etches, and deteriorates metals, woods, glass, and other surfaces. It invades and ruins porous materials like insulation and carpeting over time. Its odor lingers, trapped in the tiny bits of combusted plastic, wood, fabric, and a host of other organic and inorganic building materials and contents inside the burned home.

It is imperative that our technicians locate and evaluate smoke damage wherever it migrates. A plan to remove the smoke damage or seal it to prevent continuous vaporization is crucial.

After the remediation of smoke damage, the final task is often odor removal. Airing out of spaces helps somewhat, but the odiferous particles remain suspended and trapped in walls and cavities, furnishings, materials and other places. Advanced technology that replicates the combustion known as thermal fogging shows good results in odor elimination. So does hydroxyl generation and other oxidative processes. These solutions work by sending other particles into the air to seek out odor molecules, They attach to the odor particles and neutralize the smell through a chemical conversion that permanently eliminates the stench.

If your home experiences fire damage, connect immediately with SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for fast and lasting results. You can count on our team to restore your property to pre-damage condition. Call us today at (402) 800-2134. “Like it never even happened.”

Click here for more about Omaha.

Why SERVPRO for Mold Remediation Services

11/2/2022 (Permalink)

There are many different types of molds and they can occur both indoors and outdoors. Molds are a form of fungus and they thrive in environments that are moist and warm and can grow on almost any material. Some common indoor molds include Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. Mold tends to have a rough or fuzzy appearance depending on what kind of mold and what surface it is growing on, and it can also be a variety of colors as well.

• Penicillium mold tends to grow on materials with water damage and it usually has a blue or green appearance
• Aspergillus mold grows on materials such as drywall
• Cladosporium tends to grow on fabrics and it can grow in either cool or warm environments
• Alternaria occurs in damp warm places such as bathroom shower or under a sink

Mold and Health

Molds have the ability to produce allergens and irritants. In this case inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause health effects for people sensitive to mold.

Mold Remediation and Restoration

Permitting mold growth to continue ultimately results in structural damage, ruined personal belongings, and the risk of health effects. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest takes note of the stress and anxiety of finding a mold infestation in your home. We train our technicians comprehensively concerning mold remediation techniques, employing the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) curriculum and or SERVPRO Employee Certification Training Program (ECTP), the industry’s standard.

The crews we dispatch to assess and respond to mold damage complaints hold Applied Microbial Remediation certification. Protocols used were developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and demonstrate success in abating current mold damage and limiting future problems. We want to set our customers’ minds at ease concerning our reputation as qualified mold remediation experts in the Omaha region.

The Many Types of Fire Damage to Bennington Homes

10/4/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Thoroughly Remediates Fire Damage in Your Home After an Incident

A fire in your Bennington home, regardless of its size, can prove challenging to overcome. Even without the substantial structural damage that can occur, your home will not be the same as it was before the disaster occurred. With so many symptoms and lingering effects to overcome, in most cases, traditional cleaning methods will not have the lasting power or effectiveness to restore the damage and remove odors from your home.
 
The fire damage to your Bennington home can present itself in several unique ways. From noxious odors left behind to smoke and soot damage, bringing your home to preloss conditions is a task best designated for trained and certified restoration specialists.
 
The moment our experienced SERVPRO team arrives at your fire-damaged home, we begin assessing the scope of the restoration issues. Our focus will be on restoring a comfortable living area for you and your family again, so communication plays a significant role in determining where to begin the restoration process and which facets of the overall restoration process are most important to you as the homeowner.
 
To begin the deodorization process, air scrubbers are employed to remove smoke and soot particles and from the air down to .3 microns.  We also utilize special equipment such as hydroxyl generators, ozone, or vapor fogging, which can neutralize noxious molecules on contact, leaving no discernable scent behind. This equipment is able to destroy odor-causing molecules deep in porous materials, such as carpet and upholstered furniture, and clothing.
 
If the fire in your home was severe enough to affect its structural integrity, our SERVPRO team is trained in controlled demolition. The structurally damaged areas will be clean and ready for reconstruction by other contractors.
 
While any manner of fire damage can be traumatic, cleaning up the mess does not have to be. You can trust the professional and courteous technicians we have at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest to get the job completed as quickly as possible. You can reach our emergency response team anytime by calling (402) 800-2134.

Click here for more information regarding the city of Bennington.

Rely On SERVPRO For Efficient Water Cleanup In Elkhorn

10/4/2022 (Permalink)

Rely On SERVPRO For Efficient Water Cleanup

The extent to which a water event can cause damage to your Elkhorn home can be shocking. Water can cause great destruction to the building materials that make up the structure and finishes of your home. Fast and thorough water removal can halt or slow the harm, but requires the skilled technicians and advanced equipment we can offer to be properly remediated.

When a pipe bursts or an appliance fails in your Elkhorn home, water cleanup needs to happen right away. Most homeowners do not have access to, nor know how to operate the high-efficiency equipment necessary to get the water out of a residence quickly. A household shop vac cannot remove the vast amounts of water an appliance like a water heater or washer can flood throughout a home, especially if it takes a while for your to locate and turn off the supply line. Our vehicles carry commercial pumps and extractors for our crews to collect and dispose of significant quantities of water in a short time frame.  Responding quickly is important because the longer standing water remains in the structure, the more damage it will do.

When SERVPRO arrives after a water loss, our experienced crew chief uses training and experience to devise a plan to clean up and then dry out the water damage. Responding to water crises is one of our core services, so our crew reacts swiftly, but with attention to the details that makes every job unique. Cleaning up water within the first few hours reduces the risk of microbial growth that increases in potential and severity the longer the water remains.

When you hire SERVPRO to clean up a water loss, you can expect both removal of the moisture and professional structural drying. If you skip the drying step the chance of progressive water and secondary damage is high. Many building materials, including drywall, ceiling tiles, insulation, and flooring, to name a few, absorb water and then begin the process of deterioration fast. Materials swell and warp, losing their strength and developing odors and an unsightly appearance. Our ability to clean up the water and then use air movement, heat, and dehumidification to dry structural components means your home recovers from most of the water’s destructive power.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest should be your first call at (402) 800-2134 if you need fast, professional water cleanup. Let our experts respond with their skills, knowledge, and specialized equipment.

Click here for more about Elkhorn.

Some Mistakes After Water Damage in Valley That You Should Avoid

10/4/2022 (Permalink)

Rely on SERVPRO for an Efficient Response to Your Valley Water Removal Needs

When an appliance leaks or a tub overflows in your Valley home, sometimes the quantity of water that escapes can be deceiving. Depending on the elapsed time between the leak and it's discovery, dozens or even thousands of gallons might be finding their way throughout your home or business. Commercial capacity water removal equipment is required, and we have it available to help you.

Your home can be recovered entirely, after water removal in Valley and structural drying. The key is following the flow of the water, then extracting and drying it completely regardless of where it moves. Our crew members master IICRC training, receiving certification as Water Restoration Technicians. This course teaches the industry standards, preparing our crew chief to devise an effective drying plan and our crew members to carry the plan to completion.

One of the ways we help our employees to help you is by investing in state of the art equipment. SERVPRO service vehicles will arrive at your home loaded with submersible pumps, truck-mounted water extractors, commercial grade air movers, and advanced dehumidifiers. Not a second is lost after our expert assessment. Our crew will jump to the task right away, proficient with the equipment and the confidence that comes from training and previous experience with a successful outcome over a thousand of times.

Essential to the best result is the regular and consistent use of moisture measuring and monitoring devices. SERVPRO technicians follow the lead of the project manager who determines drying goals for each structural element. Psychrometrics is the science of drying, achieving a balance of air movement, temperature, and humidity to hasten the evaporation of moisture from building materials. Our employees must demonstrate the practical application of psychrometrics during the certification process, and then bring that skill to your home while remediating a water loss.

We measure the moisture content of the walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces and materials affected. Because water can seep into cavities between walls, under floors, and in a range of open recesses, SERVPRO technicians also learn to use infrared scanning devices that locate this hidden water, using various techniques to release the water or otherwise make it accessible for removal.

When water intrudes into your home in Valley, contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest to assist in professional water removal. Call (402) 800-2134 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to schedule an assessment and the commencement of removal services.

Click here for more information on the city of Valley.

Tips for Water Damage

9/12/2022 (Permalink)

In the event of a water damage weather it be from an inside source for example a pipe bursting or it be from an outside source like let's say a window well for your basement, either way we are here. One good tip for any water damage need is to turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building/home, when access to the power distribution panel is safe from electrical shock.  Please DO NOT use your TV or other appliances while standing on wet carpets/floors, especially wet concrete floors, or turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet. Also DO NOT enter rooms where the ceiling is visibly sagging from water. The first thing to always think about is safety and if it doesn't look safe don't enter the space.

Tips if Fire damage occurs in your home

9/12/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage Friday tips! Some more of our Do's and Dont's for you. In the event of a fire damage if your electricity is off, empty your freezer/refrigerator completely and prop the doors open to help prevent odor, you wouldn't want to possibly forget that there is meat in your freezer and have it thaw out. Also if your heat is off during these winter months, pour RV antifreeze in sinks, toilet bowls, holding tanks and tubs to avoid freezing pipes and fixtures leading to more unwanted damages. DO NOT consume any food/beverages that may have been stored close to the fire/heat. They may be contaminated and unsafe for consumption. In any situation I hope you find our tips helpful. If you haven't already follow us on Twitter, find us at SERVPRO_OmahaNW.

Patience and Persistence Count in Omaha Water Removal Scenario

9/12/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Provides Professional Technicians, Equipment, and Experience for Mitigating a Water Loss

Although it is critical that water mitigation proceeds with due speed in your Omaha home, rushing the procedure is not consistent with the best practices established by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Remediation of the harm done by water begins with thorough water removal, employing the most efficient equipment available. Our water removal crews are IICRC certified and our equipment top-notch.
 
When we receive a call for water removal in Omaha, one of the first concerns for our professional team is getting the moisture off, and out, of floors and floor coverings. A comprehensive plan to remove as much water as possible with pumps and extractors is usually the most efficient way to manage the crisis. Moving too quickly from extracting the liquid water to less effective drying techniques delays the completion of a water removal job overall and can expose structural components to secondary damage. Planning and execution both play a key role in successful water removal.
 
Drying techniques have their place in nearly all SERVPRO water loss remediations. Shortchanging water removal strategies to jump prematurely to structural drying, however, has the potential to compound the harm done to structural components and fixtures.
 
Research shows that extraction is literally 1200 times more effective than dehumidification when we manage water removal situations. Given this principle, expect SERVPRO crew members to spend as much time as necessary to pull the water out of the carpeting and padding. Introducing air movers and dehumidifiers when significant amounts of water linger in porous materials, like carpeting and upholstery, can prolong the drying process unreasonably. It is harder to achieve the equilibrium necessary among the air movers, dehumidifiers, and heaters when that residual moisture is in the mix. The SH Specific Humidity reduction to standard levels is crucial for water damage mitigation.
 
In some water losses, depending on the water category, carpet padding must be removed and discarded. Fortunately, padding is relatively inexpensive and easy to replace, and its removal also allows for quicker and more complete extraction from the carpet by our SERVPRO crew. Items like upholstered furnishings can be packed out offsite for drying. Another option might be to build a mini-containment area in your home to focus on the drying of severely saturated items and to more quickly restore the home to its preloss condition.
 
Water removal requires the experience and training offered by the professionals at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest. Call (402) 800-2134 as soon as possible to develop your personalized water remediation plan.

Helpful tips for Fire and Smoke Damage

8/9/2022 (Permalink)

In the event of a fire there will be a lot of soot left over and all over your house. The best things you can do is keep your hands clean, soot on your hands can further soil upholstery, walls and woodwork. Also wipe soot from chrome on kitchen/bathroom faucets, trim/appliances, then protect these surfaces with a light coating of lubricant.  DO NOT attempt to was any walls or painted surfaces, or clean electrical appliances (TV's, radios, etc.) that were close to the fire, heat or water without first consulting an authorized repair man. Just think safety first in any situation if it does not look safe it probably isn't. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for any of your fire or water damage needs. 

Hidden Voids in the Building Structures Make Professional Water Removal Crucial in Your Omaha Business

8/9/2022 (Permalink)

Team SERVPRO First Finds the Source of the Water Damage on Your Property

Modern construction methods for commercial properties intentionally design cavities and other recessed areas on all levels and sections to provide insulation and passageways for utilities, but these are also areas where water can collect unnoticed. A musty odor can be the first indication of moisture buildup, and the possibility that dormant mold spores have begun to grow, which can lead to larger microbial colony growth. Your first impulse might be to manage the mold, but our advice almost always is to eliminate the moisture that sustains it before proceeding with mold remediation.
 
Businesses look for a company that can handle both commercial water removal in Omaha and microbial remediation. A streamlined approach makes sense, minimizes downtime, and saves money. Our crews hold multiple certifications from the Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and are experienced in practical strategies for eliminating standing water and moisture, as well as federal and local protocols for mold abatement, even in hard to find and reach places within your commercial building.

Our technicians begin with a rigorous investigation, employing various means for moisture detection including moisture meters, thermo-hygrometers and infrared scanning to locate trapped water stores. Once located, we use a broad range of strategies to release, extract, or drain the moisture, including high-efficiency submersible pumps when necessary. Extensions on the extractor wands permit SERVPRO crew members to extract water from hidden or hard-to-reach spaces like cinderblock cells and cavities between walls. Drilling through mortar joints or cutting and removing portions of the drywall can give water caught in tight spaces a way to flow out and away. Once all standing water has been removed, we use the techniques and equipment specified for Applied Structural Drying to reduce the moisture of the materials to normal levels, and remediate any mold to provide long-term inhibition of microbial growth.
 
Once the multi-step water removal and mold remediation project is completed, your property will be ready for additional repairs or rehabbing by your chosen contractor. SERVPRO leaves the property dry, clean and sanitized for your business success.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest offers the highest-quality water removal and drying services for commercial properties. Call (402) 800-2134 to schedule an inspection of the challenges you face and the development of a custom solution.

Click here for more information on the city of Omaha.

The Steps We Take To Provide Excellent Service To Fire Damaged Commercial Properties In Omaha

8/9/2022 (Permalink)

Fire Damage To Your Omaha Commercial Building Needs Top Notch Professional Remediation

Fire damage can wreak devastation on an Omaha business that can go far beyond the cosmetic harm of soot and smoke residues. Substances emitted into the air and deposited after burning are toxic and highly corrosive. We provide businesses recovering from fires in our community complete cleaning and expert preparation of surfaces for reconstruction.

Fire damage in your Omaha restaurant need not cause your eatery to close its doors for long if you partner with our project crews. Many enterprises that shut their doors for fire recovery work fail to reopen. Statistics support working hard to limit business closures after a crisis. Working with our experienced crews means minimal downtime and a fast turnaround to “Like it never even happened” condition.

The first step in many fire remediation projects is water and chemical removal from the firefighting efforts. Using SERVPRO streamlines the work as our crews are skilled in a wide range of remediation techniques, addressing both water and fire damage issues. Our service vehicles are equipped with pumps and extractors to remove standing water.

SERVPRO technicians are well-versed in specialized techniques to clear away the soot and other debris left after a fire. Commercial kitchen fires often deposit a thin but hard to remove the lacquer-like coating on surfaces due to the grease and high levels of protein among the burned materials. Crew members use special tools and solvent-like cleaning products to break down protein bonds which loosens soot that can then be wiped away.

A tough problem businesses face after a fire is the lingering smell of smoke, a particular turn-off in a place where people gather to enjoy delicious dishes. SERVPRO employees master a continuum of strategies to eliminate smoky odors after a fire. First, we remove burned items for cleaning and restoration and clean the affected areas thoroughly. Then we consider options such as thermal fogging and hydroxyl generators to find and neutralize odor particles in a way similar to how the malodors spread initially. Modern technology like hydroxyl generators chemically changes odor bearing particles left after combustion, eliminating odors by chemical reaction.

When fire devastates your restaurant, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is ready to remediate the damage, readying the property for reconstruction by your chosen contractor. Call (402) 800-2134 as soon as the firefighters leave to get our crews on site fast.

Click here for more about Omaha.

Arrange for Fast and Reliable Storm-Based Water Removal in Omaha

8/9/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Can Provide Water Extraction and Drying Services after Storms

Omaha frequently is in the path of severe storms. Heavy rains exacerbated by wind and tree damage that can expose a home to vast quantities of water that can collect in lower levels and recesses. Attempting to manage water removal on your own is inefficient and usually incomplete. Our technicians have both the experience and equipment to help finish the job professionally.

Water from storm damage that remains in your Omaha home for an extended period of time can continue to migrate further into your home and deeper into the materials.  The longer it is present, the more damage it can do.  Excess moisture can cause mold to begin to grow, causing further damage and presenting potential health effects.  That is why it is important to call us immediately after a storm damages your home.
 
Our SERVPRO crew can arrive at your home with the equipment needed to begin the remediation onboard our trucks. An experienced Production Manager can assess the scenario quickly, meaning there will be no delay in our response. The longer water remains pooled inside your structure, the more likely permanent damage can compromise your home’s building materials and contents. Responding fast also reduces the chance for microbial and chemical contamination of any standing water, which reduces both the potential health hazards and the cost of the cleanup.
 
The SERVPRO crew can extract any standing water, employing several different devices and techniques.  Groundwater flooding that enters your home from outside can generally be pumped directly back outside.  Interior flooding from other sources must usually be captured. Our employees can measure moisture levels in the ambient air inside your home, in the building's structural components and finish materials, as well as the contents of your home.  There are different types of diagnostic equipment and sophisticated scanning devices to locate water that may have migrated into hidden recesses. We may need to remove sections of drywall, drill holes in brickwork, and find other innovative ways to get at and remove trapped moisture.
 
Once the water is invisible to the naked eye, we calculate drying goals based on the moisture meter readings. SERVPRO employees place air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers in the most optimum pattern to achieve the drying goals. When moisture levels return to normal, you and your contractor are ready to take additional steps to repair the now-dried areas.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest wholly and swiftly remediates water losses to your home and outbuildings. Call us at (402) 800-2134 to schedule an assessment and planning session so we can help remove the weather-related water standing in any spaces within your house.

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Storms Brew Up The Need For Water Removal In Omaha

6/17/2022 (Permalink)

After a storm ravages Omaha, some homeowners discover they have a pressing need for water removal services.

Storms Brew Up The Need For Water Removal

Heavy rains, wind, hail, and the potential for tornadic activity is a typical weather forecast in Omaha during the spring and early summer. If your home is in the path of this kind of severe precipitation mix, prepare for the possibility that water incursion can place your home at risk of significant and continuing damage. Professional equipment and technicians can reduce the threat quickly.

After a storm ravages Omaha, some homeowners discover they have a pressing need for water removal services. When several inches of rainfall in a short period, water can find its way to invade the lower levels of your residence. The saturated soil around your foundation can force water up through gaps and cracks, and if wind or hail damages siding, windows, or roofs more rain can pour inside. This scenario is the definition of an emergency; the kind we are continually ready to resolve. 

Once you have stopped the intrusion of additional moisture, removal of the water already saturating the interior is first on our agenda. Standing water must be removed fast, and it can hide in many spaces in your basement, foundation, or crawl space. SERVPRO crews are experts in pumping and extracting the water you see, and detectives when it comes to locating the water that collects in difficult to reach spaces. We use moisture meters and infrared scanners to pinpoint where caches of water can linger. Our training prepares us with strategies to remove all traces, including drilling holes in mortar joints or removing selected areas of paneling or drywall. 

Insistence upon speedy removal on both your part and ours helps reduce the likelihood of microbial growth. Quick removal and drying will also help to reduce the ongoing creep and saturation that happen when standing water is allowed to remain for an extended period.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest prides itself on a fast response to your water disaster. Call (402) 800-2134 immediately to ensure our crews are on site as soon as possible, removing the water before permanent damage can happen. 

What to Do When a Storm Floods Your Omaha Home

6/10/2022 (Permalink)

After Flooding in Omaha, Calling SERVPRO is the Right Road to Water Removal and Restoration

Flooded Omaha Properties Rely on SERVPRO for Water Extraction and Cleanup

The potential of your home to sustain flood damage increases when the city that you live in is adjacent to a river. In the case of Omaha, seasonal storms and the spring thaw can bring flooding from the Missouri River. The flood can carry debris that adds to its destructive force, breaking down doors and windows allowing the water, mud, and debris to enter your home. Once inside, it can soak into the structure of your house and leave you with a significant problem. Fortunately, qualified and professional help is not far away.

Our IICRC-certified technicians are trained to handle the damage from the flood waters in your Omaha residence. After receiving your call, we can send our technicians to your home as soon as possible to inspect the damage. Unfortunately, flood water can contain pesticides, toxins, and sewage, and the area must be treated as biohazardous. The unclean water can damage your belongings and make porous materials such as carpet unsalvageable.

While the final decision on what to keep and what to discard rests with you, SERVPRO can help you sort through what is safe to keep and recommend what to throw away. We even provide a CCIS; a claims form for cataloging. Afterward, we can assist you with the process of filing a claim with your insurance company to make the entire situation more comfortable and less confusing. After completing the cleanup, our technicians can start the drying process.

Here at SERVPRO, we use a variety of advanced technologies to dry out your home. Using a combination of air movement, low grain refrigerant dehumidifiers, and desiccant dehumidifiers, we can ensure the ideal environment for evaporation. Creating the proper conditions in the affected areas is crucial to the drying process, as your property cannot be rid of the moisture without assistance.

When your home sustains flooding damage from a storm, do not hesitate. Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134. As soon as possible, we can send our technicians to your home to help make you feel "Like it never even happened."

Commercial Water Damage Cleanup for Your Omaha Business

6/6/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial Water Loss in Omaha? Call SERVPRO We're Faster To Any Size Disaster!

SERVPRO Strives to Extract the Water and Dry Your Business Rapidly

Commercial buildings in Omaha have pitched roofs due to the high potential snow loading in our climatic zone. They are ideal for large structures and warehouses but need more attention and maintenance to stop leaks from skylights and maintaining clog-free gutter systems for drainage. If there is anywhere on your roof where the roofing materials are damaged, deteriorated, or missing, you may wind up with leaks in your roof. Leaks like this can damage the ceiling, walls, and flooring inside your building. Roof leaks can, however, be avoided by properly maintaining your roof and having repairs done in a timely fashion.

A rood leak in your Omaha building can result in significant damage to its contents and the building itself, and quickly. As soon as you realize it is there, you want to act to prevent further commercial water damage. Calling our SERVPRO team is a good start. We are experienced in handling these situations and can work hard immediately to start the water removal and drying of your building. We understand that the purpose for our drying goals is to protect your inventory and capital investments.

Once the standing water is removed, the key to the restoration process is control of the moisture content of the ambient indoor air and in the materials. Our SERVPRO water damage restoration and structural drying technicians will strategically place dehumidification and air movement. For us to calculate dehumidification requirements, we consider both the capacity of the dehumidifiers and the nature of the environment. 

A factor that helps SERVPRO technicians define the nature of the environment is how much affected porous material is present, both in contents and building materials. The more absorbent materials there are, the more moisture they contain, which means more moisture evaporates once negative vapor pressure has been established. Water damage, which affects a large number of porous materials, increases the need for dehumidification to balance evaporation. It is crucial to capture the water vapor that is liberated from the materials to maintain continuously low vapor pressure until the materials have reached drying goals. 

The capacity of the dehumidifier is measured by the number of cubic feet of air it can condition per minute, and by how many gallons of water is removed in twenty-four hours under the AHAM test conditions. Grains per pound is a convenient system for gauging progress and setting up the right equipment. Our inventory includes large desiccant, smaller gel-based, and LGR low grain refrigerant dehumidifiers. We can mix and match to attain maximum drying time thus mitigating secondary water damage to unaffected areas of the building. 

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is the answer for your building in Omaha, Fremont or Valley for professional restoration. Contact us at (402) 800-2134. 

Prepare Your Elkhorn Home Against Flood Damage

6/6/2022 (Permalink)

Dealing with flooding can be overwhelming. For cleanup services and prevention tips, contact SERVPRO right away after an event.

SERVPRO Offers the ERP Program to Help Prevent and Mitigate Damage Caused by Flooding to Your Elkhorn Property

Flooding is a common disaster that leads to millions of dollars worth of damage for homeowners every year. Although it is nearly impossible to protect your Elkhorn home altogether, there are many ways for expertly trained flood damage restoration specialists to help you avoid or reduce damages a flood may cause.

Working with an expertly trained local professional can drastically increase your home's chances of surviving flood damage in Elkhorn. Having a pre-existing relationship provides you with access to IICRC certified technicians who know your property and have the personnel, equipment, and resources available to help during an emergency. 

Your SERVPRO team can help mitigate flood and water damage. We offer a mobile app for both residential and commercial customers. Ask us for a free consultation regarding the ERP, Emergency Ready Profile Plan for your property. Many valuable tips, contact information, and chain of command for decision-making are a few factors that arm you against the unexpected. Our goal is to prevent on-going damage as we extract the flood waters and any accompanying debris.

Negative grading often affects the flow of rainwater, which can gather along your foundation, rather than moving away as intended. Taking the opportunity to slope the ground away from the structure, making adjustments to existing landscaping, installing interior and exterior backflow prevention valves, sump pumps, and other drainage measures can help prevent flooding or sewage backups.

SERVPRO strongly advises implementing these suggestions as part of the ERP Program. We strive to provide excellent restoration services and help you limit the many ways water has to enter the home, protecting your home, contents, and personal belongings from flood damage whenever possible. 

Remember, flooding can occur any time of year. However, storms are more common during Springtime and often lead to flooding in your home. We can help you extract unwanted flood water from your property, clean-up and restore salvageable items while drying, disinfecting, and deodorizing to complete our flood damage restoration service. Rebuilding or reconstruction of flood-damaged structures by a licensed contractor can then begin. 

Contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for full details regarding cleanup and restoration services available to homeowners throughout Omaha and Bennington as well. We are proud to serve every member of our local community and strive to provide you with detail-oriented, trustworthy restoration services you can count on, call today. (402) 800-2134 

Tips if Water Damage Occurs in Your Home

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

In the event of a pipe bursting in your home or even something as tragic as an outside water source, you are going to want to make sure to shut off the source of water if possible or contact a qualified party to stop the water source. Dealing with an outside water source is always difficult, so put your stress into our hands. DO NOT enter rooms with standing water where electrical shock hazards may exist, and DO NOT enter affected areas if electrical outlets, switches, circuit breakers or electrical equipment are exposed to water. "Let's go out there and care!" Stay safe and prepare for the seasons. Follow our Facebook page SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for more fun updates and tips on fire, water prevention.

Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for Water Restoration Services

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

This picture is showing what a major water loss would look like in a residential home.

A water problem can happen in your home or business without any future notice. When and if that happens you need help quick, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest! Our crew is highly trained in water damage restoration. We are equipped with the best equipment and knowledge in the industry to help restore your home in the event of a water loss or intrusion. 

During the water restoration process, we focus on establishing and tracking drying goals to make certain the structure and contents are handled appropriately. When dealing with valuable documents or personal belongings we treat them with the upmost care to bring them back to the condition they were originally in.

We are part of a national network of over 1,600 franchises with special disaster recover teams placed throughout the country. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest can respond to your commercial or residential water loss regardless of the size or damage. 

Water Damage or Flooding? Call us Today (402) 800-2134

When the Plumbing Creates Water Damage to Your Omaha Salon

5/4/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial spaces that require more plumbing than other businesses are at greater risk for water damage caused by leaks and pipe breaks.

Call on the Professionals at SERVPRO to Restore Your Salon after Water Damage

Your Omaha salon might have all of the bells and whistles and the best staff that you can imagine, bit it still cannot adequately prepare for an unexpected water damage emergency that might occur. Salons and other businesses with plumbing requirements that extend significantly beyond the norm are obviously at greater risk for problems with leaks, drain backups and pipe breaks that can lead to water damage and mold issues. 

While it may be difficult to determine the likelihood of sudden pipe break, there are several scenarios that cause stress on small diameter pipes that can cause them to rupture. Winter in Omaha can bring very cold temperatures, and frozen pipes may soon follow. If plumbing is installed near exterior walls that are not well insulated, or should the climate control systems in the building fail, cracked pipes may soon follow causing water damage. Allowing debris (such as hair in a salon) to find its way into the drains will eventually result in a back up of contaminated water, which can result in an expensive restoration. Water hardness is also a problem in some areas of Omaha, which can result in long-term degradation of pipes and fixtures. Installing a water softener could be a worthwhile investment for your Omaha salon.

Knowing whom to call in case of a water damage emergency is a decision you should make far in advance. Our SERVPRO team has the expertise and state-of-the-art equipment designed to restore damage quickly and help your business to re-open its doors with minimal downtime. Depending on the severity of the damage, it might even be possible for our experienced restoration technicians to allow you to keep your scheduled appointments and not lose any of your profits.

Considering that s significant percentage of pipe ruptures occur within a wall, our SERVPRO professionals utilize thermal imagery to detect hidden moisture to help ensure none is left behind to support microbial growth.

Our SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest certified restoration specialists work hard to mitigate your profit losses and out-of-pocket expenses. Call us today at (402) 800-2134.

Overnight Plumbing Overflow Requires Fast Water Removal In Omaha

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

Whether a toilet or sink overflowed and flooded your school, calling SERVPRO immediately is the best option. We will arrive quickly to remediate.

SERVPRO Technicians Arrive Equipped to Remediate Flooding Situations of Any Size

Once the work or school day is over, most Omaha businesses and educational centers lock the doors and send everyone home. It is difficult to be sure that every faucet, fountain, or toilet in a commercial building or school is shut off as the doors close. Unexpected plumbing overflows discovered the next day need professional remediation.

A continually running toilet poured hundreds to thousands of gallons of water inside an elementary school, the need for commercial water removal in Omaha is discovered early in the morning by engineering staff. The toilet located outside the cafeteria caused deep water to collect in low lying areas of the school's basement. Water removal must proceed immediately for safety reasons and to reveal any damage done to the HVAC systems located in the affected areas.

SERVPRO crews are uniquely qualified to respond to this type of water disaster. Heavy-duty submersible water pumps and powerful water extractors are stocked on each responding truck, ready to operate even if power must be cut in the commercial building for safety reasons. Technicians train regularly to keep their skills sharp when presented with a large water removal request, holding IICRC certification in moisture extraction of this magnitude. 

Moisture level readings are necessary throughout the process to ensure that the excess water is eradicated. If the water arose from a toilet and food service or preparation areas are involved, it is imperative that highly-qualified technicians like those working for SERVPRO respond. They receive advanced instruction in proven strategies to manage potentially contaminated water.

If the water is determined to be gray or black according to industry standards, SERVPRO crews contain and dispose of the tainted mixture as required by local codes. When the standing and other evident water is gone, scans and moisture meter readings are done to locate moisture trapped between walls, under floors, or in the cells common in the cinder block construction frequently used in schools.

SERVPRO crews continue to remove water in these recesses until testing shows no hidden pockets of moisture. Then clean up, and sanitization completes the remediation services provided by this experienced and skilled company. 

Water removal services are a specialty of SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest. School spaces suffering from standing water need remediation, and one call to (402) 800-2134 gets expert water removal help on the way. 

For more information about the City of Omaha, Nebraska visit: https://www.visitomaha.com/

Speed is Essential to a Successful Water Removal Project in Omaha

3/15/2022 (Permalink)

Basement water damage can be overwhelming. Contact SERVPRO immediately after you notice flooding in your basement or crawl space.

SERVPRO Technicians Arrive Quickly to Dry Out Your Water Damaged Basement

The lower levels of most homes in Omaha contain several appliances and mechanical systems that can malfunction or overflow. These accidents occur without regard to a homeowner's schedule and present an overwhelming situation when discovered. Although it can be tempting to wade in and try to get rid of the damage without professional help, only water remediation experts have the equipment and training necessary to eliminate the problem.

When water overflows from a washing machine, leaks from a water heater, or pours into a basement when an outdoor faucet freezes in cold weather and the supply pipe bursts, a home in Omaha needs immediate water removal. The equipment most homeowner's have available are not powerful enough to extricate possibly hundreds of gallons of water. A wet-dry vacuum and a mop and bucket are inadequate, unable to eradicate water within the 24 to 48-hour window recommended by industry standards to limit long-term and secondary damage. The high-efficiency submersible pumps and extractors used by professionals are crucial to fast water removal. 

The crews from SERVPRO are thoroughly trained in water removal techniques and in the operation of the heavy-duty equipment that delivers the needed results. Often power is cut off in the area where the water collects for safety reasons. Truck-mounted extractors and pumps, with gas-powered options, permit the technicians to complete water removal swiftly even without access to a home's electricity for a time.

Water removal in basements and crawl spaces can be tricky as pockets of moisture can hide behind walls and within the cells of cinder blocks. SERVPRO technicians receive extensive training in the use of advanced moisture metering and scanning devices to locate residual water. Strategies such as drilling small holes in mortar joints, cutting through wallboard or paneling or accessing water from above with long extraction wands ensure none remains to cause further damage and encourage mold growth.

Baseline moisture levels inform SERVPRO employees as they set drying goals. Throughout the removal process, the moisture levels are monitored to ensure their use of high-efficiency air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers result in proper drying to complete the remediation.

When water in a basement, crawl space or lower living level surprises you, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is up to the challenge. Call (402)8002134 for an inspection of the damage and creation of a plan to remove the water quickly and efficiently. 

Commercial Water Damage in Omaha can Destroy More than the Interior of a Home Furnishings Store

3/2/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is the Solution to a Water Damaged Business in Omaha

Keeping Your Doors Open During Cleanup After a Water Incident

Showing customers how your products can beautify their homes is much easier when the setting is as perfect as possible. Unless someone has water-stains on their ceilings and peeling wallpaper offset by discolored draperies, displaying your products with a similar background is going to cause your sales to plummet. 

Local residents love to decorate their homes in a variety of ways using different themes, but the 'look' of commercial water damage in Omaha is not on a single interior decorator's list. Just as walls can peel and painted areas can become stained and discolored from being inundated with water over time, many items that are sought after by customers are made of materials that can easily get damaged by water.

Glossy metallic finishes tarnish; paperboard and particle board items can swell and warp; glue used in the production of some items can become weak, and framed items can become foggy-looking. In addition to all of that, water can create the perfect environment for mold to develop, and this can also affect your inventory and your store's interior structures. Water damage can easily and quickly become extensive.

When water damage stems from a one-time event such as a broken joint on a water line, carpets and low-lying pieces of inventory are typically the hardest hit. Caring for these items should begin as soon as possible, of course, and during that time, drying building materials should also commence. If products are ready to be returned before the floors and lower walls are dried, inventory should be stored in a dry location, so as not to become damaged again.

When a situation involving unwanted water occurs to your store, it might be tempting to tackle the job without professional assistance, but doing so can become overwhelming very quickly. Coordinating the clean-up of a disaster can entail much more than is commonly known or expected. Most retail businesses do not have the specialized knowledge, equipment or Professional Cleaning Products that SERVPRO IICRC industry certified technicians possess.

As a locally owned and operated company, we are Faster To Any Size Disaster. As a part of the SERVPRO system, we have access to a nation-wide network which we can rely on when the situation warrants. When you have water damage that might harm your sales and profits, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134. We can help keep your business in business.

Tips for your home in a Fire or Smoke Damage

3/2/2022 (Permalink)

In any instance of a fire in your home you are going to want to limit the movement in the space to prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery/carpet, this will keep whatever soot particles are in the affected area from leaving that affected area. Limiting the movement in the space will also keep your cost to a minimum because there will be less to clean. DO NOT attempt to shampoo carpet or upholstered furniture, an improper cleaning may set the smoke odor. Let SERVPRO use our state-of-the-art equipment and cleaning supplies to properly clean your furniture/carpet or even toys/other home goods. If you think it smells like smoke let us handle the rest. We have cleaners for all types of furniture finishes that handle the scent of smoke damage. 

Common Complications After Fire Damage in Valley

2/18/2022 (Permalink)

Dealing with fire damage can be overwhelming when you factor in having to deal with the water

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate ALL Aspects of Fire Damage in Order to Prevent Secondary Damages.

Remediation of fire damage in Valley often requires services that may be surprising if the fire loss is your first. Mitigation of the effects of fire also take into consideration the need to respond to the damage caused by firefighting efforts. Lingering issues such as unpleasant odors or mold also require skilled intervention for resolution.

Fire that damages a home in Valley through combustion of building material and contents, can result in charring and the deposit of ash, soot, and smoky residues throughout the dwelling. Before remediation of these issues begins, however, trained technicians must also remediate the damage done to the house by chemical agents or large quantities of water that were employed to extinguish the fire. The full spectrum of services SERVPRO crews offer allow them to remediate the water damage before focusing on the fire cleanup.

The devastation potential of water damage cannot be denied. Removing standing water and drying out structures is an immediate necessity when sorting through the tasks required to remediate fire damage. Water damage unresolved continues to deteriorate the framework, walls, stars, floors, and ceilings of a house. Many safety issues can result from unmitigated water damage, including the risk of electrical shock, slips, trips, and falls.

Once the water damage challenges are managed, SERVPRO crews move on to a thorough cleaning of the soot and smoke residues spread throughout the home. The IICRC training mastered by the technicians guides their decisions about the combination of procedure, tools and SERVPRO Professional Products that will be most efficacious in returning the home to pre-fire condition. The compassion and caring of the team as they listen to concerns of the homeowners assure the highest level of customer service.

Final considerations for any fire damage scenario would include an inspection for any mold damage, especially if water incursion remained unremedied for more than 72 hours. A mold remediation will follow when indicated. If the thorough cleanup of the soot and smoke damage does not eliminate unpleasant odors, SERVPRO crews have a protocol they follow to rid the home of the smell, including the use of advanced technologies that neutralize the offending odors, not merely concealing them with other smells.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has experience in the range of services needed to return a home to the condition enjoyed before the fire. Call to schedule an assessment of your needs at (402) 800-2134.   

Remediation of Contaminants Complicating Flood Damage

2/9/2022 (Permalink)

Contact the specialists at SERVPRO after flooding in your home. One call starts the process from an assessment to restoration.

SERVPRO Technicians Assess the Type of Water that Has Flooded Your Property Before Beginning the Drying Out Process.

Heavy rains can cause concentrations of flood waters in the Omaha area. Proper handling of flood water that may contain hazardous materials and sewage can be a complicated problem. Simple removal of the water is not always adequate, requiring instead containment and disposal of potentially contaminated mixtures of rain runoff, infectious waste, and chemicals. Professional water removal and damage remediation is a must under these circumstances.

Homes in the path of flood damage in Omaha need intensive efforts to minimize the dangers posed by potentially contaminated water. If the water invading residences are not handled properly, your family risks illness, chemical hazards, and injuries. The structure and contents of your home can also suffer a range of catastrophic consequences as flood waters flow through and collect in living spaces. Our technicians master techniques to help safeguard your personal health and building integrity even after a significant flooding event. 

Local codes require gray and black water that has been extracted and contained to be disposed of using methods to protect individuals and the greater community. Pumping and extraction equipment must have the power and capacity to clear enormous quantities of fouled and potentially hazardous water quickly. SERVPRO service vehicles carry submersible pumps, industrial strength extractors, and emergency power generation equipment to operate under storm conditions. 

The flood remediation team takes baseline moisture readings for structures and interior air as the majority of standing water exits via pumping and suctioning technology. 
Advanced scanning technology can identify pockets of moisture in wall cavities, under flooring, within foundation structures, and in other recesses. SERVPRO workers use their training and experience to remove this trapped moisture, opening up sections of drywall or paneling and drilling holes in cinder block, concrete, or mortar joints to expose and release flood water. Periodic moisture level re-measurements reveal if drying techniques utilizing air movers and dehumidifiers are succeeding on achieving industry drying target standards. 

Drying wet materials and applying professional antimicrobial treatments helps to inhibit the growth or spread of potentially harmful microbes such as mold, bacteria, and viruses. SERVPRO presents your cleaned, dried, and sanitized home after our crews complete flood damage remediation.

Transforming your home from contaminated, watery chaos to a dry, clean, and infectious waste-free space is the mission of flood damage specialists at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest. Call (402)800-2134 day or night for an assessment and project plan.

For more information about the City of Omaha, Nebraska visit: https://www.visitomaha.com/ 

Mitigation of Your Fremont Home Removes Smelly Evidence of Fire Damage

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

When a Fremont home endures a disaster, changes to its appearance also happen.  Fire causes both physical and chemical changes to take place to the interior and often, to the exterior, of a home.  Physical changes can mean once-beautiful aspects to your home become charred or dirty.  Chemical changes often mean horrible odors permeate the air.

Homeowners in Fremont with fire damaged homes start the restoration process through mitigation.  Cleaning and preparing the home by removing all safety hazards ensures that complete restoration happens quickly and smoothly.  When something shows damage in your home after a fire, we first try to save the material.  Only when that fails do we opt for removal of the material.

When a fire causes your home to burn, many changes take place.  When we remove fire-damaged materials, odors often dissipate and become much weaker.  Carpeting and rugs absorb a tremendous amount of soot but can remain reasonably clean-looking.  However, below the surface can hold staggering amounts of soot and other debris.  Our technicians can discuss options with you regarding the amount of damage sustained by the carpets in your home.

Cleaning the surfaces inside of your home removes the soot that creates the signature odor of a house fire.  Soft materials absorb soot and steadily give off odor-causing particles.  Specialized cleaning and laundering of these items at our facility ensure they remain out of the way while work progresses.  When finished cleaning these items of soot, returning them to you happens at your convenience.

Eliminating any remaining odors decreases the number of memory triggers your family experiences, and helps make the memory of the fire fade much more quickly.  Our technicians work with customers individually because odor detection varies from person to person.  While one person may not smell an odor at all, another person might smell an overpowering scent.  We want to ensure your satisfaction with how your home smells and looks before we consider our work finished.  

There are many other ways that the technicians at SERVPRO can help you and your family recover from fire damage.  SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest wants to help you every step of the way.  Call us at 402-800-2134 whenever you need expert services.

Omaha Businesses

1/25/2022 (Permalink)

An unexpected fire or water loss can wreak havoc on your local Omaha business.  According to FEMA, 40% of businesses never reopen following a disaster.  Omaha business owners can protect their commercial property and the future of their business by being proactive in emergency preparedness.  Establishing a relationship with SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest helps ensure timely and efficient services in the event of water or fire damage.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is a trusted leader in the restoration industry.  We are certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).

IICRC certified firms provide:

• Accurate and honest information
• Formally trained technicians
• Continuing education programs to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry
• Liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident
• A written complaint policy to the Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration for the purposes of dispute resolution

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is dedicated to helping you recover from a disaster "Like it never even happened."  We offer a free Emergency Ready Profile (ERP) for your Omaha business.  Contact us today at 402-800-2134 for more information.

Does Your Bennington Home Have Mold?

1/21/2022 (Permalink)

Upon Discovery of Mold

Have you found mold in your Bennington home?  Mold growth is commonly found in older Bennington basements, specifically in flood plains.  If you discover signs of mold, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest.  We will assess the amount of damage, remediate the current problem, and help prevent future occurrences.

What Can Be Done?

A finding of mold might be limited to a small area of the home, or it might be part of a bigger unseen problem.  It is wise to have all mold assessed. Mold can cause health effects.

If mold is discovered in your home, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest  will begin remediation by preventing contaminated air from traveling to other parts of the structure.  Every job is unique, but in most cases the SERVPRO team will set up a containment barrier and employ air scrubbers to filter spores from the air.  SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest will remove and discard contaminated drywall, carpeting, and ceiling tiles.  These items contain spores that will be redistributed if left in place.  Mold spores exist naturally in the environment, but our technicians can apply products that discourage microbial growth from occurring at rapid levels.

Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for Mold ASAP

Remember if you see mold, you might not be seeing the whole problem.  Contact our team at 402-800-2134 for an assessment and estimate.  Our technicians are trained in spore containment, air scrubbing, tear-out of contaminated materials, and prevention.  We are here to make your mold situation seem "Like it never even happened."

Proper Drying is Essential in Your Omaha Home

1/18/2022 (Permalink)

Basement Flooding

A flooded basement is a traumatic event for a homeowner.  Unexpected flooding can happen to anyone at anytime.  Attempting to handle the damage without proper training or equipment can be ineffective and dangerous.  A wet-dry vacuum is helpful for removing small amounts of water but should be avoided in instances of major flooding.  Homeowners should not wade into a heavily flooded basement but instead call a professional to handle the situation.

The Industry Standard

The industry time standard for removing water from a property is 24-48 hours.  The technicians at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest have equipment ready for rapid water extraction.  Additionally, moisture can hide in pockets behind walls or within cinder blocks, so technicians are trained in drilling small holes in mortar joints and opening wallboards to allow adequate air flow.  Technicians will use moisture meters and scanning devices to locate residual water.

Call Us Today

The team at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is trained to proper equipment usage so your home can dry safely and efficiently.  We are locally owned and operated and ready to meet your needs immediately.  If you have experienced flooding in your home, do not hesitate to call us.  We are available 24/7 for all your water damage needs.  Call us at 402-800-2134.

Why SERVPRO Can Help With Winter Flood Damage In Northwest Omaha

12/22/2021 (Permalink)

Flooding scenarios are not limited to the warmer months in Northwest Omaha.  The wintry mix of rain, ice, snow, and sleet we can experience here can impact your home with water damage due to flooding.  Lower temperatures and ice complicate matters, making it even more important to use a reputable remediation company when a storm, plumbing failure, or appliance malfunction floods any area of your home during the winter.

Heavy, wet snow can lead to flood damage in Northwest Omaha.  If your home falls victim to the effects of an ice storm, roofs and siding may be unable to hold the weather at bay, allowing moisture to intrude.  As the icy coating melts, it can seep in through the slightest openings, or flow in through gaping holes opened in the structure by falling tree limbs or downed power poles.  Waste no time when this scenario presents, as a rapid and professional response is essential.

SERVPRO can assist you with roof-tarping and board up services, the first step to remediate the damage done by frozen and liquid water during the storm.  Once your property is secured, our crew chief will assess the damage.  Water naturally moves through the structure to lower levels, collecting on floors but also hiding in cavities can be detected with penetrating and non-penetrating moisture meters, thermohygrometers, and infrared cameras by our IICRC-trained team to establish the dimensions and severity of the flood damage.

Our crews match equipment to the various phases of ground water flood damage mitigation.  Pumps and extractors clear large quantities of standing water, containing and then disposing of it outside the building's structure.  We can detect and remove hidden caches of water using a variety of strategies, including holes drilled through drywall behind base boards, through mortar joints, or flood cuts.  Access to dry out all wet spaces is critical to minimize secondary damage such as mold growth.  Familiarity with all possible aspects of flood damage is why SERVPRO is an industry leader.

The final phase of flood damage remediation is structural drying.  Air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers are stocked on all our service vehicles, preventing delays as the abatement plan progresses.  Our thorough preparation makes most projects seamless, another reason why SERVPRO is the best choice of ready your home for eventual rebuilding and restoration by your chosen contractor.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest helps manage the effects of flooding any season of the year.  When water intrudes, make your first call to our team (402) 800-2134.

Protect Your Home from Winter Weather

12/19/2021 (Permalink)

With the temperatures dropping and snow falling make the right decisions on keeping your home safe from fire and water damage this winter.  If you live in an area with harsh winters consider the following: 

-Make sure to clean your gutters every spring and fall.  If your gutters aren't clean snow melting off your roof will back up in your clogged gutters and potentially cause water to back up under your roofline.  The snow melting on your roof occurs when either the heat from the sun or heat from your house escapes and the attic warms the roof.  Snow then melts off the roof and refreezes making an ice ridge that traps water on your roof.  That water stuck in those ice ridges can leak into your home and can cause some serious damage.  To prevent heat from continuously ventilate the attic air.

-Plumbing...the dreaded frozen pipes! Plumbing located on exterior walls or unheated crawl spaces is most likely to be your culprit for a bursting frozen pipe.  All interior pipes should be insulated and exterior pipes should have weather resistant insulation for protection.  Don't forget to disconnect hoses from your outside water faucets.  If you believe there is a frozen pipe somewhere in your home, shut off the water main and call a plumber to resolve the problem before more damage occurs.

-Fireplaces and other indoor heating systems with poor maintenance can cause fire, puff-backs and smoke damage.  A fireplace is beautiful and keeps your home warm with low electricity bills but without proper care it can cause a house fire.  Clean chimneys and flutes on your fireplaces annually.  Get your furnaces checked once a year and keep space heaters 3 feet or the recommended length away from any flammable objects.  This includes window blinds/curtains, furniture, bedding, and decorative rugs.

-Take further precautions by changing your smoke alarms batteries every 6 months and don't forget to replace your smoke alarms after 10 years.

Not everything can be prevented but take the steps to prevent as much of the damage as possible.  Have a safe winter season.

Smoke and Soot

11/17/2021 (Permalink)

After a fire damage there is always that smoke smell.  There are two different types of smoke, wet smoke and dry smoke.  It sounds weird I know but a wet smoke is from your plastics and rubbers.  This is a low heat, smoldering, sticky and smelly smoke typically leaving smoke webs, these are a bit more difficult to clean.  A dry smoke is your paper and woods, this is a fast burning, high temperature where heat rises (aka smoke rises).  Knowing the smoke type helps figure out the soot residue type left behind.  There are 3 types of soot residue after a fire, fuel oil soot (furnace puff backs), protein fire residue (produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire), and other (tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residue).  SERVPRO  of Omaha Northwest professionals are trained to handle the toughest of losses.  If you have any questions or need our 24/7 services, call us at (402) 800-2134.

Hotel Laundromat Water Woes in Omaha

11/9/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Technicians Arrive Equipped to Handle Large Scale Water Damage at Your Hotel

Hotels now often provide laundry facilities for guests, and larger hotels frequently have laundry rooms on every floor.  Since washing machines and other water appliances can overflow or the supply hoses can break, many hotels are now at increased risk for water damage.  Whether the affected area is localized or has spread from floor to floor, SERVPRO responds and restores water damage caused by this traveler's convenience.

Tucked away an unattended, a guest laundry room is a prime candidate for commercial water damage to your Omaha hotel when appliance malfunctions.   Operator error due to unfamiliarity with the particular model is also a factor that can increase the possibility of flooding.  Inexpensive top loading washers can use up to 50 gallons of water per wash -- enough to spread and saturate more and more of the surrounding materials.  If called out quickly, our water damage restoration crew will extract the standing water to reduce spreading, minimizing the damage and helping keep the majority of your property open and available for guests.

Large quantities of water with large affected areas need well planned strategies by experienced professionals to ensure complete and timely restoration; this is especially important in commercial water damage situations, where time is of the essence.  SERVPRO technicians are certified in water restoration, and train extensively in the industry's best practices.  Our trucks carry powerful, industrial grade pumps and extractors to remove standing water.  The job is incomplete, until our investigative team conducts a thorough assessment of water migration from the original site of the overflow.  Water flows across floors, through ceiling, down walls, and along structural components, plumbing, and wiring.  Damage from a broken hose or pump malfunction can often show up hundreds of feet or several stories from where the problem originated.

The water extraction is step one.  Then we move to drying out the floors, walls, ceilings, and structural elements soaked from the washing machine flooding.  There is no guessing when it comes to achieving drying goals; our staff applies our state-of-the-art moisture testing equipment and their training in moisture measurement and monitoring to determine when the affected areas of your property are adequately dry.  It is crucial to reduce the moisture level of walls and floors to below 16 percent to avoid microbial growth.  Ambient humidity must fall below 60 percent, with a preferred range of 30 to 50 percent to remove excess moisture and prevent mold spores from growing.

SERVPRO crews use a variety of techniques to remove moisture from the air and damp materials, including air movers, dehumidifiers, and heat.  Moisture readings continue throughout the restoration phase, informing our technicians when to cease drying efforts.  Materials such as carpet padding, insulation between walls and floors, and laminate flooring often must be replaced as they are generally not restorable.

If a weary guest or a defective machine causes a hotel laundry room flood, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest responds fast and professionally.  Just remember that a call to (402) 800-2134 will bring technicians and equipment needed to abate the water damage.

SERVPRO's Training and Experience are Just Right for Your Water Damaged Omaha Home

11/1/2021 (Permalink)

A Local Omaha Water Cleanup Company with Nationwide Connections

Through a combination of national training and restoration standards, and our local Omaha-based water damage mitigation techniques and experience, SERVPRO provides some of the best service available to local homeowners facing a potential catastrophe.  Whether you are looking to reverse damages from a ruptured water line or dealing with the damaging effect of a storm or other catastrophes, our experienced crews help people like you all across town recover from water damage and get their homes back to the way they were before the disaster occurred.

Keeping Things Local...

Owner Rick Hovanec has lived in the area for years.  He founded our franchise and brought to Omaha water damage mitigation services the highest quality.  Many of our crew members, representatives, and managers have lived in the area for decades and appreciate the opportunity SERVPRO provides them to give back to the community.  They ensure the safety and comfortable living for their neighbors and friends through quality service and professionalism.  Hiring SERVPRO means engaging locally owned and operated services, along with smiling technicians who could live just down the street.

...Plus Some National Resources

By being part of the nationwide network of SERVPRO franchises, we have the resources to deal with any water damage problem with the kind of precision care and expertise not possible from a standalone business.  We have the advantage of the SERVPRO network of neighboring franchises, as well as a handpicked list of specialists and contractors who can provide care for more delicate items not usually handled by our technicians.  Our national backing also allows us to train our crews to a superior standard and exchange knowledge and experiences with other franchises that could be up to thousands of miles away.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is as much a part of the local community as you are, with ties and connections to happy customers across the city.  If you have any questions or need 24/7 services, call us at (402) 800-2134.

Wood Flooring

10/25/2021 (Permalink)

The faster water is removed, the less damage occurs.  Wood flooring expands as it absorbs moisture.  Typically you would notice in wood flooring that it warps or buckles.  If proper drying is not done those floors may need to be removed.  There are two noticeable warping effects on wood floors, cupping and crowning.

Cupping:  this occurs when water is absorbed from the bottom of the wood.  The edges of the wood floor will slightly raise hence the name "cup" in cupping.  This is often fixed with sanding.

Crowing:  this occurs when the top of the wood contains more moisture than the sides and bottom.  This makes wood flooring arch in the middle.  If the bottom of the wood is over-dried this will occur.  You may not be able to sand this out and floors would need to be replaced at this point.

If you have an questions or concerns about your flooring and moisture contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for any of your water, fire and mold needs.

SERVPRO Technicians Arrive Equipped to Dry Out Your Water Damaged Property

10/15/2021 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for an evaluation of your situation at (402) 800-2134.

Water intrusion into the basement or foundation of your Omaha home can be the result of a variety of causes.  Groundwater flooding is one cause, with an increased incidence of this when the ground becomes saturated with runoff from several storms in the space of a few days or weeks. Finding a reliable remediation company to help you restore the resulting water damage is the key to a satisfactory resolution.
 
When groundwater enters your building, the initial step in the remediation of the water damage in Omaha will usually be to extract standing water and pump it back outside from whence it came. Removing any standing water is necessary for SERVPRO employees to determine the extent of damage and whether any repairs or reconstruction will be required. Only when substances inside the building contaminate intruded groundwater is it necessary to retain the fluid for disposal in a sanitary sewer system. Such contaminating substances may include sewage backup, chemicals, or other hazards that cannot be spread back out on the ground.
 
Once the extraction is complete, the SERVPRO remediation team will address other questions to move the water damaged property back to preloss condition. Decisions must be made as to what materials can be remediated by the technicians. A detailed plan will be developed and discussed with the owner, and every step will be followed before the project is considered complete for the customer.
 
The SERVPRO remediation team members have received extensive training in sorting through water-damaged structural materials and personal possessions. Their education received guides their efforts as they help the homeowners understand which items that were damaged by the water can be cleaned and returned to preloss condition. They diligently make sure all articles and surfaces determined salvageable are restored. Materials and items too damaged with moisture or contaminants to remediate will be recommended for disposal.
 
The highly-qualified employees of SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest are ready to help community members move on after water damages foundations and basements. Call for an evaluation of your situation at (402) 800-2134.

SERVPRO Technicians Handle Many Aspects of Fire Damage Restoration From Clean-Up to Removing the Odors

10/5/2021 (Permalink)

Dealing with the aftermath of a fire can be overwhelming. Contact SERVPRO after the fire fighters leave for remediation and restoration efforts.

When a home endures a disaster, changes to its appearance also happen. Fire causes both physical and chemical changes to take place to the interior and often, to the exterior of a home. Physical changes can mean once-beautiful aspects to your home become charred or dirty. Chemical changes often mean horrible odors permeate the air.

Homeowners with fire damaged homes start the restoration process through mitigation. Cleaning and preparing the home by removing all safety hazards ensures that complete restoration happens quickly and smoothly. When something shows damage in your home after a fire, we first try to save the material. Only when that fails do we opt for removal of the material.

When a fire causes your home to burn, many changes take place. When we remove fire-damaged materials, odors often dissipate and become much weaker. Carpeting and rugs absorb a tremendous amount of soot but can remain reasonably clean-looking. However, below the surface can hold staggering amounts of soot and other debris. Our technicians can discuss options with you regarding the amount of damage sustained by the carpets in your home.

Cleaning the surfaces inside of your home removes the soot that creates the signature odor of a house fire. Soft materials absorb soot
and steadily give off odor-causing particles. Specialized cleaning and laundering of these items at our facility ensure they remain out of the way while work progresses. When finished cleaning these items of soot, returning them to you happens at your convenience.

Eliminating any remaining odors decreases the number of memory triggers your family experiences, and helps make the memory of the fire fade much more quickly. Our Odor Control Technician works with our customers individually because odor detection varies from person to person. While one person may not smell an odor at all, another person might smell an overpowering scent. We want to ensure your satisfaction with how your home smells and looks before we consider our work finished.

There are many other ways that the technicians at SERVPRO can help you and your family recover from fire damage. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest wants to help you every step of the way. Call us at (402) 800-2134 whenever you need expert services.

Storms in Omaha Can Cause Water Damage

9/7/2021 (Permalink)

If you need our services, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134 today

This past summer we were reminded that storms can cause water damage and sometimes significant damage. In the Midwest, storms can develop and pop up with only a few hours’ notice. With that being said being prepared for this type of situation could keep you safe and even help with preventing damage to your property.

Sometimes these storms are able to bring hail, heavy winds, and a lot of rain in a short period of time. When this happens, you should be prepared for flash flooding especially when you’re in a flood zone. Some things to also look out for is branches that could fall down and hail.

How to Prepare:

• Bring anything inside that you don’t want damaged
• Make sure gutters are flowing and foundation of home is pushing water away
• Trim trees so nothing is hanging over your home
• If you are in a flash flood zone or in an area prone to flooding, get to higher ground

Returning your home to its pre-flood condition takes a lot of time and effort, but it is necessary to prevent further damage or potential health hazards. A professional remediation service will not only restore all of the water damage but make sure you understand each action and why we do it. If you need our services, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134 today. We are here for you.

More Than Just Storms Lead to Water Removal in Omaha

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

Leaks and other events can bring either a large amount or accumulating droplets of water into your home. Contact SERVPRO for remediation efforts.

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Water Damage After Any Type of Incident

Even if your home has never been flooded, excess moisture may still be wearing down its materials and creating ever-costlier damage to your property. SERVPRO's water removal services in Omaha include more than just catastrophic water damage remediation. A significant proportion of our calls are for more moderate, subtle examples of water and moisture wreaking havoc in a home. Cases like these are some of the most common water removal projects we take on without any storms or flooding.
 
Excess Humidity
When a home's atmosphere is too humid as a result of excess water intrusion, airborne water droplets can start to cause damage to metals, wood, certain finishes, fabrics, and other materials common in American homes. Long periods of exposure to humid conditions can encourage mold growth in fabrics and building materials. In the course of standard water remediation techniques, we remove standing water first by pumping and extracting, then reduce the relative humidity in the air and the moisture content of materials by deploying air movers and dehumidifiers. This dehumidification process also improves overall indoor air quality (IAQ). SERVPRO offers various types of equipment such as low grain refrigerant (LGR) and silica gel based (desiccant) dehumidifiers.

Appliance Malfunctions
Even the most stalwart appliances can malfunction on occasion, and objects that use large volumes of water in their normal operation are susceptible to flooding or dampening the area around them. Even if no standing water is created, small mishaps can still saturate porous materials and cause long-term damage if the cause of the dampness is not addressed and a proper water restoration procedure conducted.
 
Leaks
Leaks and drips in other areas in your home can also develop into problems significant enough to warrant a full water removal effort.  Even small leaks are left unrepaired left unprepared for an extended period can allow the water to seep deeply into materials to create a soaked, mold-vulnerable area, often hidden behind walls or beneath flooring materials.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest provides water removal solution for most any water or flood problem you may have. For fast, 24/7 service, give us a call at (402) 800-2134.

How to Be Prepared: Fire Safety Tips

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

We’re available 24/7 to help you recover from a house fire. Call us if you experience a fire or any other type of disaster at 402-800-2134. We’re here

A house fire can happen suddenly, so it necessary to do everything possible to keep your home safe from fire hazards. Being prepared if a fire does break out is important as well. In this blog we will talk about a few safety tips to keep in mind.

Inspect smoke detectors regularly

This is one of the most important steps and could save your life in a fire. Your home should have a smoke detector in every room on every floor. Not only will this help save your life, but it could also allow for less damage. It is recommended that the batteries be changed once a year in every smoke detector. Doing these routine checkups can help keep your home safe.

Family Fire Escape Plan

When a fire breaks out people can become very overwhelmed and panic. Having an Escape plan set up will prepare your family for exactly what to do in order to get out of your home efficiently as possible. Things to plan include meeting spots, exit routes, or special provisions to any family member may need it. It is recommended to assign one person to specific tasks.

How to: Operate a Fire Extinguisher

Everyone in your household should fully understand how to use a fire extinguisher. Knowing the word PASS should help with remembering the steps:

• Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you and release the locking mechanism.
• Aim low; pointing the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
• Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
• Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.

Open Flames

Open flames are common in a household and many people forget the dangers if left unattended. This can be a candle or cook top and it is possible for a flame to spread to other surfaces quickly. Always extinguish all flames when you’re not in the room.

Have A Plan

For the reasons I listed above you can see why it is important to have a plan in place. In addition to the fire escape plan, consider what you will need to do after a fire is put out. Thinking about what fire restoration company to use can help make a hard time a bit easier. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has a staff of trained professionals to assist you in this time of need. We’re available 24/7 to help you recover from a house fire. Call us if you experience a fire or any other type of disaster at 402-800-2134. We’re here to help!

Cleaning Up Flood Damage after Storms Hit Omaha

8/13/2021 (Permalink)

Recent flash flood in Downtown Omaha

SERVPRO Mitigates Omaha Area Storm Damages with a Fast Response

There are many reasons why a storm can create localized flooding in Omaha. As the open land areas around your neighborhood are developed more and more into homes, offices and retail, the soil beneath them that once absorbed rainfall is now covered with roadways and buildings that shed rain run-off. During storms local drainage systems, creeks and rivers can be overwhelmed by the rapid run-off and begin to overflow. Recent construction can change the way rainwater flows, affecting areas that have never experienced flooding problems in the past, and torrential downpours can simply douse an area too quickly for the rain to disperse harmlessly. A "wet microburst" is a small storm event, usually no larger than a few square miles, that can bring both high winds, torrential rainfall and hail in a very short time which can quickly overwhelm local flood control systems.
 
Homes in or near Omaha can suffer flood damage and other harmful effects from microbial and chemical contamination during severe storms. Between the state of flooding and any resulting reconstruction work that must be done, a flooded home needs mitigation to reduce potential water damage and restore building materials that can be saved. Rapid water extraction can significantly reduce reconstruction costs. Our SERVPRO technicians are trained, certified and experienced in flood damage mitigation.  We start by using both truck mounted and portable pumps to remove the standing water on non-porous surfaces and extract it from carpeted floors. We then employ drying equipment for rapid drying to reduce the amount of water damage the materials inside your home can suffer.
 
Since flooding brings in more than water, we also thoroughly clean and sanitize each home during the remediation process. As rainwater travels away from where it fell onto the ground, the run-off picks up pollutants such as automotive fluids, fertilizers, pesticides, and even raw sewage. Groundwater flooding that enters your home can bring pollutants from these and other sources that can seep into porous materials such as carpet and padding, drywall, insulation in exterior walls, upholstered furniture, and anything else that flood water saturates. Homes can also have substantial amounts of washed-in debris such as garbage, tree branches, leaves, silt, and other objects that require fast and complete removal.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has the tools, skills, and IICRC certificates to prepare your flood damaged home for reconstruction, saving you time, money, and aggravation. No matter the time or day of the week, you can contact us by calling (402) 800-2134.

Fire Damage Remediation Help in the Omaha Area

8/9/2021 (Permalink)

Regardless of what area of your home is affected, SERVPRO remediates and deodorizes your property so that you will forget there was ever a fire.

Certified Technicians Remediate Your Home Efficaciously After a Fire

Recovering from a fire in the Omaha community needs to be a team effort. Many different things are required to take your fire damaged dwelling from a sooty, wet mess back to the clean and comfortable home you deserve to enjoy with your family. Hiring a remediation company that is committed to being your partner is your first step.
 
The fire damage to your Omaha home may have many causes. The way the fire started and the type of materials that burned will impact the techniques your SERVPRO remediation team uses to bring your home back to its pre loss condition. The project manager takes the time to assess safety issues after your dwelling is released by your local fire department for remediation evaluation. Any reconstruction issues that must be addressed are referred to contractors licensed and certified to repair and replace vital structural components. After the needed outside work is completed the SERVPRO supervisor creates a step by step plan to clear your home of soot and smoke residues and odors.
 
Now your home is stabilized and ready for deep cleaning and other treatments required to abate the damage. A SERVPRO work team is dispatched to move throughout your home, cleaning each area affected by the fire and smoke thoroughly. The work crew members have all completed advanced training in SERVPRO Employee Certification and IICRC courses that guide them through every process needed to bring your home back to life.
 
The grime and coatings that combusted materials leave behind can be tough to remove, but the SERVPRO team has both the training and the on the job experience to choose the correct SERVPRO Professional Products, tools, and techniques to give you a professional job. Hard work and patience go a long way toward achieving the desired results, as the crew manages each surface and article in turn. These dedicated workers will not be satisfied until your home is clean and smells fresh, just “Like it never even happened.”
 
No group of fire remediators takes more pride in their work than the crews at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest. Give them a call at (402) 800-2134 and rely on their skill, experience, and ethical approach to arrive at your desired result after fire damage.

Plan Ahead For A Quality Water Removal Service In Omaha

8/9/2021 (Permalink)

The Emergency Ready Profile and Plan (ERP) puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to your unique disaster needs.

Water Removal Service

A successful central Nebraska business makes a wise choice when partnering with a water removal service before the need arises. The possibility of flooding from natural or accidental causes is real and waiting for the crisis to happen before preparing is foolhardy when SERVPRO offers the chance to develop an Emergency Ready Plan.

The need for water removal services for your Omaha warehouse is predictable, although it is impossible to determine exactly when the crisis will strike. Heavy rains and storms breach roofing or push water through doorways or foundations. The question becomes which of many disaster restoration services is your chosen partner to abate the flood and extract the water? If planning for this potential problem, it makes sense to go with the company that offers to work out a solution with you ahead of time.

SERVPRO extends a unique opportunity for the business owner to work with an experienced restoration company to create an individualized blueprint for water removal and other tasks necessary to protect your building and its contents when water damage threatens. The Emergency Ready Profile and Plan (ERP) puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to your unique disaster needs.

First, contact SERVPRO to send out an experienced project manager to assess your physical plant. Expect suggestions to limit exposure to water damage once this trained expert views your specific situation. Then take the time to complete an online checklist designed to uncover weaknesses and allow you to identify your trusted personnel, so that disaster response teams work with the employees you choose should you be away when a water crisis strikes.

The ERP allows you to use your mobile device to send a request for assistance when a water removal issue arises. Your careful attention when answering the app's questions gives SERVPRO all the information needed to locate utility shutoffs and to honor your pre-planned priorities when responding. Restoration staff knows exactly your preferences and hit the ground running when you raise the alarm.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest awaits your request to create an individualized Emergency Ready Profile and Plan. Call (402) 800-2134 to schedule a no-obligation assessment today.

Plan Ahead For A Quality Water Removal Service In Omaha

8/9/2021 (Permalink)

The Emergency Ready Profile and Plan (ERP) puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to your unique disaster needs.

Water Removal Service

A successful central Nebraska business makes a wise choice when partnering with a water removal service before the need arises. The possibility of flooding from natural or accidental causes is real and waiting for the crisis to happen before preparing is foolhardy when SERVPRO offers the chance to develop an Emergency Ready Plan.

The need for water removal services for your Omaha warehouse is predictable, although it is impossible to determine exactly when the crisis will strike. Heavy rains and storms breach roofing or push water through doorways or foundations. The question becomes which of many disaster restoration services is your chosen partner to abate the flood and extract the water? If planning for this potential problem, it makes sense to go with the company that offers to work out a solution with you ahead of time.

SERVPRO extends a unique opportunity for the business owner to work with an experienced restoration company to create an individualized blueprint for water removal and other tasks necessary to protect your building and its contents when water damage threatens. The Emergency Ready Profile and Plan (ERP) puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to your unique disaster needs.

First, contact SERVPRO to send out an experienced project manager to assess your physical plant. Expect suggestions to limit exposure to water damage once this trained expert views your specific situation. Then take the time to complete an online checklist designed to uncover weaknesses and allow you to identify your trusted personnel, so that disaster response teams work with the employees you choose should you be away when a water crisis strikes.

The ERP allows you to use your mobile device to send a request for assistance when a water removal issue arises. Your careful attention when answering the app's questions gives SERVPRO all the information needed to locate utility shutoffs and to honor your pre-planned priorities when responding. Restoration staff knows exactly your preferences and hit the ground running when you raise the alarm.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest awaits your request to create an individualized Emergency Ready Profile and Plan. Call (402) 800-2134 to schedule a no-obligation assessment today.

Restoring Flood Damaged Flooring In Omaha

6/30/2021 (Permalink)

This picture shows what water can do to hardwood floors

Flooding costs Nebraska homeowners millions of dollars every year. It can often be a seemingly small incident, such as a malfunctioning dishwasher or a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink that surprises residents with how much damage can occur over time.

Mitigating flood damage in an Omaha home means inspecting and remediation. When water goes unnoticed or ignored for an extended period, floors can buckle, carpets rot, and even worse can happen. With our floor mat drying system, we find we can restore most wood floors, but if it has remained saturated with moisture for too long, it may have to be replaced.

If water has penetrated the sub-floor and the structural materials are also saturated, we can usually dry the floor cavity with a cavity drying system or heated drying system that forces warm, very dry air below the subfloor. The subfloor materials can also be accessed from the crawlspace, or from a lower floor by removing the drywall from the ceiling beneath.  These types of drying jobs usually take longer to dry - from 4 to 7 days. In rare cases, it may be necessary to remove the subfloor, such as when mold has damaged the subfloor or structural materials beyond remediation.

Although we want to get residents back in their homes quickly, we also want to restore it properly the first time. Our technicians and work crews check and recheck each area to ensure all the water damage has been restored and the humidity is within a safe range.

Returning your home to its pre-flood condition takes a lot of time and effort, but it is necessary to prevent further damage or potential health hazards. A professional remediation service will not only restore all of the water damage but make sure you understand each action and why we do it. If you need our services, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134 today. We are here for you.

Call SERVPRO for Assistance After A Flood In Omaha Flood Damage

6/29/2021 (Permalink)

Flooding can cause significant damage to your property.

We help homeowners deal with flood damage or other water damage events on their property nearly every day. In fact, flooding in home and businesses happens frequently enough that an entire industry has grown to help people recover from it.

Omaha area residents can benefit from flood damage information provided by a local mitigation company, giving them their best shot at repairing their home should an incident occur. When flooding takes place in your home or business, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest can provide valuable information that can make the difference between a fast recovery and a long, tedious project that never seems to end.

The question that everyone has in mind when their home or business floods is whether their insurance coverage will be sufficient to repair the damage to their home or office and personal items.  While flood insurance is usually a separate policy from your standard home or business insurance, only your insurance provider can answer that inquiry for certain. Contact your insurance agent BEFORE a flood occurs to ensure you have the proper coverage, especially if you live in a flood-prone area.

If a flooding event occurs on your property, of course, your first move should be to make sure that your family is safe. You can notify your insurance company after everyone reaches safety. Then call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest as soon as you can gain access to your property, and the flooding has subsided. Remember that the sooner the mitigation process can begin, the less damage will be incurred by your home or office and your belongings.

Homeowners also like to know how much our services cost, or if they might experience any costs themselves. For most situations, your insurance company covers most, if not all of the expenses associated with your restoration process. SERVPRO understands how important your home is; we take working with you and your insurance company seriously, providing you with the results you deserve while keeping costs as low as possible.

Start things off on the right foot: contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for preparation information such as an Emergency Response Plan (ERP), an initial inspection, or to begin your home's mitigation process today. We are available 24-hours a day, every day of the week prepared to put qualified technicians to work for you (402) 800-2134.

Need Professional Flood Restoration Services? SERVPRO Can Assist

6/25/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has the experience and expertise to restore your home from flood damage!

Many modern conveniences inadvertently become liabilities when they break or fail to shut down or cycle off. Often these systems involve water -- water heaters, washing machines, ice makers, dishwashers, tubs, pools, and much more. The overflow of water can flood your home, requiring a call to a highly rated restoration company for mitigation and restoration.

Flood damage to your Omaha kitchen can happen when indoor ice and water servers malfunction in your refrigerator. Gallons of water can spread over your floor, under other appliances, and into additional rooms. You need a speedy, professional response to such a disaster, including well-trained technicians to make educated decisions and use the proper equipment to set your home back to preloss condition.

Water pulsing out of the ice maker on your refrigerator door will be clean initially, but the widening pool can pick up the dirt, grease, and hidden food particles caught beneath and between the stove, dishwasher, cabinets and refrigerator. Experienced flood and water damage responders such as SERVPRO know that water can swiftly turn from clean to tainted the longer it stands without removal. Any organic material that was affected and remains wet gives microbial growth a boost once the water activates the growing process. A team that extracts the standing water fast is vital to limiting potential health hazards and damage to the structure and contents of your home. Ensuring that moisture dries out before mold gets a toehold is one of the core missions of a high-quality water damage restoration company.

High-efficiency water extraction equipment and trained technicians pull the standing water out. Drying goals determined by the same skilled staff achieve completion through the addition of air movement and dehumidification. Throughout the process the restoration company’s staff evaluates the progress, checking for leaks to other levels of your home and the condition of porous materials such as drywall, carpeting, and cabinetry. This evaluation involves a complex series of steps, informing the water restoration technician's decisions on what to clean, dry, and restore, versus what items and structures require removal and replacement for health and safety reasons.

Selecting the correct alternative demands familiarity with the water damage restoration industry. Trying to manage without professional help risks secondary damage to your house and possible health hazards to your family where potentially infectious microbial growth remains unabated. Acquaint yourself with a top-notch flood damage restoration company to move past this disaster.

SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile

6/21/2021 (Permalink)

Call Us Today To Get Started! 402-800-2134

As many as 50% of businesses many never recover following a disaster. A fire to a business is devastating and can cause it to completely to shut down. It is said as many as one in four business that suffer is some kind of major disaster do not reopen afterward. However, the ones that do survive usually have a preparedness plan in place. One-way SERVPRO helps business be prepared is with the ERP profile. Not only will this minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action, but it will help you plan in advance in the case a disaster does strike. Having this will ultimately affect how fast the cleanup process will be.

The SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile Advantage

• A no cost assessment of your facility.
• A concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency.
• A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster.
• Establishes your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider.
• Identification of the lone of command for authorizing work to begin.
• Provides facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest Helps Keep Your Omaha Business Doors Open

5/20/2021 (Permalink)

A water or fire disaster can take your business by surprise.

Even a minor flood or fire can devastate your Omaha business. Everything from inventory to customer orders can be affected, leaving you wondering who to call for help. When your Omaha business experiences a water or fire disaster, the need for quality assistance is a must. You deserve a company that has the resources and training to provide you with professional restoration services. You need SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest responds immediately to any fire or water emergency. Trained technicians begin the remediation process to prevent further damage to your business. A fast response time helps you save company assets. Additionally, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest provides move-out services for many of your items--such as inventory and equipment--as your property undergoes the restoration process.

Whether your emergency is large or small, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest understands the stress of the situation. Call us today to receive the help you deserve. (402) 800-2134

Tricky Water Damage Issues In Your Historic Omaha Home

5/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has experience restoring and preserving older homes no matter how the water damage occurred.

SERVPRO Helps Preserve Priceless Historical Structures

Older homes are the preference of many people including you and your family. Beautiful polished wood and original lathe and plaster walls give warmth and elegance modern materials can try to match while rarely succeeding. It is sometimes hard to give up modern conveniences when dealing with century-old plumbing, no matter how quaint, so you have rigged up a DIY shower in an upstairs bathroom, originally outfitted only with a huge bathtub. All seems to be going well, but you occasionally notice a musty smell in your bedroom, located next to the bathroom. One day after your morning shower you walk into the dining room downstairs and are surprised to feel a wetness on the hardwood floor. You look down and see that in addition to the dampness, the recently refinished honey oak hardwood floor is a bit darkened and cupping, the planks curving up and pulling away from each other in a two-foot line about six inches across. This degradation has been happening for awhile, you immediately realize.

When you look up a drop of water splashes onto your face. The high ceilings in this room were recently repainted with a stain blocking compound, covering decades of wear. You notice a swelling in the ceiling along with a two or three-foot line directly above the area of hardwood floor that is damp and wavy. There is no discoloration, yet, so you had not noticed this before. Your first impulse must be to get on the phone to our SERVPRO water damage professionals as soon as possible as you see evidence of the strange way water damage can manifest itself inside your stately Omaha home.
 
Not all severe water damage issues occur only after a harsh storm or rising flood waters. Sometimes it as insidious as old plumbing and worn caulk being pushed beyond their limits to keep water where you want it. Before you drive yourself mad trying to figure out a solution, invite us at SERVPRO to investigate the problem. Our technicians are highly qualified and continuously trained on the ways water flows, seeps, or trickles into your home. We will evaluate the situation and discover where the water was dripping through the ceiling. When we find the dried out caulk that allowed water to seep through the tile joint with the heritage tub, or the backflow through the diverter you installed to power the handheld shower head, we will give you options for repairing the situation. Then once we are confident the leak or seepage is resolved, we will dry out the wooden substructure between your bathroom and bedroom. This remediation action against mold is for household safety and to erase the musty smell. The ceiling will be dried and restored as will the flooring, which may need sanding or even replacement of a plank or two if the cupping is severe.
 
Do not despair when your historic home shows signs of water damage. Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134 instead, relying on our track record in restoring and preserving older homes no matter how the water damage occurred.

Mold Remediation for Your Commercial Property

5/5/2021 (Permalink)

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – (402) 800-2134

Mold starts to form when you have airborne spores contact moisture and food sources. Food Sources can include wood, dirt, and paper. Mold starts with some type of leak from roof, pipes, or flooding and most of the time it won’t even be visible from the outside. Mold is most definitely a threat to the structure and can cause health effects. It is important to be on a lookout for potential mold growth Any place where water is found will most likely develop mold if not taken care of properly. Listed below are common places where mold can grow.

• Basements
• Attics
• Under sinks
• Crawl spaces
• Furnaces
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms

It is important to keep an eye on these areas as they can obtain moisture and eventually produce mold. If you suspect an area is wet bring in a professional to properly assess the situation. If something like this is ignored it can cause more damage and could become costly.

Expert Water Removal: A Critical Step When Omaha Pipes Freeze in Commercial Buildings

3/23/2021 (Permalink)

Frozen pipes are a fact of cold winters unless they are insulated. Should you have damage after pipes freezing, contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest.

SERVPRO Technicians Expertly Remove Water From Your Business

Record low temperatures across the country this winter put commercial buildings in Omaha at risk for frozen and broken pipes. When a broken pipe occurs, the misery from the bitter cold can be amplified by the intrusion of large quantities of unwanted water in your Omaha business or public place. Finding a company that reliably removes water and dries the structure regardless of the cause is the key to starting the remediation process.
 
Before any plan can be developed to get your commercial property back to normal, commercial water removal must be completed in the Omaha business affected. SERVPRO crews are uniquely qualified to take all professional measures to move the water out quickly and thoroughly. Specialized training to measure and monitor moisture and scan for hidden pockets of water ensures that the removal is comprehensive. Only when all of the water is evacuated can the damage caused by the intrusion be observed and appropriately evaluated.
 
Water removal needs to be completed as soon as possible after the plumbing failure due to frozen pipes. If the power in the waterlogged area has been shut off as a safety precaution, the SERVPRO vehicles responding have onboard power options for their truck mounted equipment. Submersible pumps and high-efficiency water extractors are precisely matched to the challenges posed by standing water.
 
When operated by technicians trained according to water remediation industry standards developed by the IIRC, this equipment does its job quickly and thoroughly. The SERVPRO team members who respond to a frozen pipe disaster have mastered the use of this state of the art equipment and deliver the highest quality results.
 
The SERVPRO production managers and technicians who work with the business owner after a water loss realize how devastating and overwhelming the aftermath of frozen pipes can be. A business can prosper in the future only if the damage done by the water is remediated quickly after removal. An essential part of their job is to listen carefully as customers share their concerns. Answering questions and explaining the process is crucial in the SERVPRO crew’s effort to offer the very best in customer service.
 
If frozen pipes due to recent plunging temperatures fill your commercial space with water, SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has the skills and tools to remove the water. Call (402) 800-2134 anytime day or night for expert assistance.

Restoring Water Damage in Omaha Homes

3/16/2021 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest today if you have water damage in your home

SERVPRO Technicians Report to the Flooded Scene with Equipment to Properly Dry Out the Property

Omaha homes are vulnerable to flooding from weather and more common accidents. It is especially true for carpets and wood floors. No matter where the water comes from, a professional restoration service can deal with removing, cleaning, and remediating the ill effects a flood causes.
 
Treating water damage to Omaha homes first requires stopping the flow and removal of any standing water as soon as possible. SERVPRO certifies each member of our 24-hour response team on every piece of equipment needed for this and every action we take to return a home to its original state.
 
Since most house flooding comes from failed plumbing, stopping it is relatively simple. Upon arrival to a job site, one of our technicians first turns off the water main to the house. With that accomplished, the response team performs a complete inspection. If the weather permits, we open every window and door to the residence to enable crossflow of air.
 
Now, SERVPRO technicians bring in the equipment needed to remove water; commercial grade pumps and water extraction wands. The pumps remove water down to the surface of carpets and floors and then we use the wands to draw out water trapped either in or under both.
 
Once the carpets are free of water, they are now light enough to lift. It allows technicians to examine the floor for any remaining moisture. If there is, we use a combination of air movers and exhaust fans to force warm, dry air under and over the carpet to dry it. If there is a pad underneath, they remove and dispose of it.
 
The same fans and air movers work well for wood floors as well to dry them. If a moisture meter test still indicates the presence of water, it may be necessary to drill holes into the floor in corners or under the baseboards to allow additional ventilation for drying. In cases where there is water pooled under the floorboards, SERVPRO technicians may have to remove one or two boards to use the extraction wands.
 
Most of the effects from water damage can be eliminated or significantly reduced by quickly removing the moisture and drying out the affected property. For more information about what SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest can do for your home, call us today at (402) 800-2134.

SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile

3/4/2021 (Permalink)

Call Us Today To Get Started! 402-800-2134

As many as 50% of businesses many never recover following a disaster. A fire to a business is devastating and can cause it to completely to shut down. It is said as many as one in four business that suffer is some kind of major disaster do not reopen afterward. However, the ones that do survive usually have a preparedness plan in place. One-way SERVPRO helps business be prepared is with the ERP profile. Not only will this minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action, but it will help you plan in advance in the case a disaster does strike. Having this will ultimately affect how fast the cleanup process will be.

The SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile Advantage

• A no cost assessment of your facility.
• A concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency.
• A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster.
• Establishes your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider.
• Identification of the lone of command for authorizing work to begin.
• Provides facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information.

How to Safely Start a Campfire

3/3/2021 (Permalink)

Check out these 4 steps to start a campfire safely

With spring slowly approaching we are all looking forward to doing more outside. This includes a lot of outdoor activities but one I am going to talk about specifically is campfires. Campfires are a great way to kick back and relax on any day of the week, but it is important that we start one safely. With starting any fire there are many risks and many things to consider before starting one as well. Below I am going to list 4 steps from starting to properly putting out a campfire.

1. How to Prepare a Campfire

Preparation is key when starting a fire, check with your county’s local restrictions. They should also have information on their website and will tell you if the conditions are ok to start a campfire. You will also need wood, a water source, shovel, and a way to start the fire. 

Picking a safe location is something to consider. If you have the opportunity to use a premade fire pit that will be your best bet. If you have to build one from scratch make sure you dig a hole about a foot deep where the dirt is dry. Also make sure there is not anything flammable within 15 feet and look for things that can catch fire above it.

2. How to Build a Campfire

One of the most common campfires lay is called the Teepee. To build this type of fire, lay tinder sticks in a teepee formation with enough space for air to get in. This formation will keep the fire burning steady as long as you add when needed.

3. How to Maintain

Now that your campfire is burning it is important to keep an eye on it. Accidents can happen in an instant when fire is involved. Watch children and pets to make sure they do not get close. As the fire continues to burn keep adding larger pieces of wood until the fire gets to the size you want it at, but make sure you keep it under control.

4. Extinguishing the Campfire

Properly extinguishing your campfire is the most important step. If any part of your campfire is still lit, embers can blow and start a fire. The best way to extinguish your fire is wait until it is burned down to ash. If you need to leave before it gets to that point pour water on to the fire slowly and stir in some dirt with your shovel. After these steps see if your fire is still hot, if it is repeat these steps.

How to Prepare for the Possibility of Flooding

2/10/2021 (Permalink)

Nebraska floods from March of 2019

Storm season can certainly keep you on your toes. When you have a business the Omaha area it’s good to know how to prepare for the possibility of flooding. Here are five tips to help you be well prepared for anything a storm may send your way.

Have an Emergency Plan

A big part of preparing for flood damage is simply having a plan of action in place. Evacuation paths should be mapped, and those maps should be posted on every level of your building so that people know where to go in an emergency. Designate emergency responsibilities before the disaster occurs so that people know what is expected of them.

Waterproof Your Building

Make sure you have good drainage for your building. It is also good to have your building inspected regularly to find cracks or spots that are worn so that you can get the necessary repairs.

Elevate Equipment and Furniture

Electrical equipment and furniture can both be damaged beyond repair during flooding. Elevate furniture, sockets, electrical panels, appliances and all wiring where floodwaters can’t get to them.

Have Sandbags Ready

A good way to stave off excess water is to put up barriers. Set sandbags near doors, windows and other vulnerable entry points to your building. Barriers may delay the flow of water enough that you can avoid storm damage altogether.

Update Your Insurance Coverage

It’s a smart idea to check your insurance policies periodically to make sure that all potential problems are covered. If you don’t have a policy that pays for services from storm cleanup experts, you may have to pay for a lot of damage out of pocket the next time a storm heads your way.

Flooding is a common occurrence when there is a storm in your area. By making sure your employees, your building and your insurance is adequately prepared, you can prevent a lot of damage and handle the problems that do occur with relative ease.

SERVPRO's Principles of Fire Damage Restoration in Omaha

2/2/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO professionals follow procedures for fire damage cleanup. Call today for us to get started.

From Soot to Residues: Cleaning Up After a Fire Requires Professionals

The largest percentage of damage after a home fire is usually from smoke and soot. Restoration cleaning can reduce the cost of this damage by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Professional cleaning costs only a fraction of replacement of property or resurfacing of items such as tables, chairs, and upholstered furniture.

When it comes to cleaning up fire damage to an Omaha home, SERVPRO follows some very specific principles in how we deal with smoke and soot residues. These principles provide the guidance we use to return your house, apartment, and personal property to its original state.

First, our restoration team inspects each room in the home. Our inspectors and technicians determine which surfaces have been affected. This process starts at the source point of the fire and working their way outward to determine just how extensive the damage has spread.

Identification is next. Different types of residue can exist in the same room and even on the same item of property. Without proper identification, the team member cannot select the most effective cleaning method to remove it.

Along with residue identification comes surface identification. It is not enough to simply clean the surface; the restoration team also has to preserve the surface if at all possible. For example, certain cleaning chemicals are unusable on surfaces with a lacquer or other type of finish. Some methods are incompatible with fabrics found in curtains or furniture.

Finally, residues must be captured and removed. A dry residue on a hard surface such as marble can be easily wiped off. Conversely, a damp residue on a wood surface or a piece of fabric requires more difficult procedures which can involve agitators, vacuums, extractors and other machines that separate the residue from the surface. To increase the effectiveness of the machines, they often use one or more of the cleaners we have available from our on-hand inventories.

Restoring your home after a fire or other disaster requires a professional service. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has the experience, training, and equipment needed to quickly and efficiently clean your home while keeping the costs as affordable as possible. Call us today at (402) 800-2134 to get started.

Why Online Reviews Are Important

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest Review score

In todays world we can find out almost anything on Google. Where we want to eat, things we want to buy, and even how to get there. Google is also a great platform for people to share their experiences with companies, both the good and the bad. This is a great way to make a decision and it is also great for companies to see what the customer wants and expects. At SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest we take pride in our reviews because it allows us to adjust the way we do business to help service our customers the best way possible.

It is said that Online customer reviews and testimonials have tremendous influence over the purchasing decisions of other consumers. According to Pew Research Center, 82% of American adults say they at least sometimes read online customer ratings or reviews before first time purchases, including 40% who say they always or almost always do so. This is why we encourage customers to check reviews before using a service. If companies aren’t giving an effort to make them right chances are it will keep happening. We hope this information will encourage you to pay attention to companies reviews before using their service. We also encourage you to check out SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest reviews to see what customers are saying about us.

  Mention, Blog, Media Monitoring  “The 6 REAL Reasons Behind Why People Write Online Customer Reviews.” Spectoos, 5 Aug. 2019, www.spectoos.com/5-real-motivations-behind-people-write-customer-reviews/.

SERVPRO Can Reduce Smoky Odors

1/21/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest can help restore your home after you have a fire, call us today 402-800-2134

Whether you live in an apartment or a free-standing house in Elkhorn, fire is a word that sends chills into every Nebraska resident. Walking through your home after having one, can leave you in shock and completely unprepared for what to do next.

Fire damage in Elkhorn homes doesn't mean a total loss of property and possessions, though. Unless flames have directly touched something, it is the smoke that causes the problems. SERVPRO has the experience, training, and equipment to restore property that has suffered both visible and odor damage. Few companies in the U.S. have our reputation for eliminating smoke odors (malodors) and returning your property to its original state.

Our response teams accomplish this using what we call Multiple-Phase Odor Control. There are three; Chemical Containment, Vapor Odor Control, and Thermal Fogging.
The goal of Chemical Containment is to block odor molecules from vaporizing into the air. Technicians spray one of our counteragents (Smoke Deodorizers) on all areas that are charred or covered in smoke residue. Depending on the size of the area, they will use either spray bottles or pump-up sprayers like the type use to spray insecticides.

Vapor Odor Control deals with those odor molecules that are already airborne when our team arrives on site. First, technicians release deodorant vapors into the air to act as counteragents to the malodors. Two of our primary counter agents are pellets with a fruity smell or counteracting beads that release a cinnamon scent.

Finally, our teams use thermal fogging to penetrate furniture, walls and other property to counter malodor particles in these items. Solvent based deodorants dispersed with these specialized foggers are broken down to a size of about one-half micron. This tiny size allows the deodorant to go just as far into the property item as the malodors have penetrated.  An additional benefit to thermal fogging is that it generates a 'dry fog' which evaporates in only a few hours and leaves just a tiny amount of residue. This dry treatment means that the chance of moisture stains on your property is very low.

Removing smoke odors after a fire has damaged your house or apartment is not a simple process. Our goal here at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is to counteract and eliminate these malodors in a thorough and fast manner to return you to your normal life. Call us today at (402) 800-2134 to get started with an initial inspection.

Mold Warning Signs

1/19/2021 (Permalink)

This picture shows mold on the surface but the problem could be much more severe

It may be hard to tell if you have mold in your home but if you have been suspecting mold there are a few things you can do to find out. Mold can be very bad for your health and it can be a persistent issue if it isn’t taken care of by a professional. It is important to know the early warning signs of mold so you can take care of it sooner rather than later. Over time mold can get worse, so it is best to take care of it as soon as possible.

What is Mold?

• Mold is a fungus that thrives in a warm, damp, and humid environments. In a house the most common place mold can grow is in basements and bathrooms. More specifically under sinks, around plumbing pipes, and even on or inside drywall.

How can you tell if you have mold?

• Musty or stale odor
• Visible signs of mold growth
• Past water damage
• Condensation or consistent moisture
• Water leaks

How can you prevent mold?

• Keep humidity down, under 60%
• Mold grows quick, dry up wet materials
• If surfaces are prone to mold growth

The Mold Remediation Process

Every mold infestation is different, from the amount of mold to the types of materials affected. Each scenario requires a unique solution, but the general process stays the same. The steps listed below illustrate our process for a “typical” mold remediation infestation:

1. Emergency Contact - (402) 800-2134
2. Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment
3. Mold Containment
4. Air Filtration
5. Removing Mold and Mold-Infested Materials
6. Cleaning Contents and Belongings
7. Restoration

Driving in Winter Conditions

12/24/2020 (Permalink)

17% of all vehicle crashes happen in winter conditions.

If you get caught in the cold during the winter the consequences are serious, you are vulnerable to things like frostbite, hypothermia, and even heart problems. With cold weather right around the corner it is best to be prepared for winter storms and the things that come with it. Make sure to monitor road conditions before you get in your car to make sure the roads are ok to drive on. Listed below are some tips that can help you be prepared for driving this winter.

Make Preparations

It is always important to prepare before you travel, some things you can do to make sure you arrive safe include

• Check/ Replace windshield wipers
• Check/ replace tire (winter tires may be necessary)
• Pack an emergency kit
• Make sure you always have enough gas

Before leaving you house:

• Clean off the snow on your car. Having snow on your car while you’re driving is putting yourself and other drivers at risk
• Let someone know when you’re heading out
• Check the weather forecast/ road conditions before heading out

How to drive during snowy conditions

Snowy conditions bring low visibility and with winds it can be even worse. When you are driving be sure to keep your distance between you and other vehicles, this will allow some stopping distance in case the roads are slick.  Some other things to watch out for include black ice, reckless drivers, and isolated ice patches.

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Many Types of Damage After a Fire

11/18/2020 (Permalink)

Kitchen fire damage happens everyday in homes around the country. If a fire gets out of control, contact SERVPRO after the firefighters leave.

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Many Types of Damage After a Fire

Fire damages not only the structure and contents of your home, but the event can be frightening and affects your sense of refuge and safety. Homeowners who face the chaos after a fire need the compassion and experience an established leader in the remediation industry brings to the scene of their disaster.
 
Just a few minutes of inattention can result in kitchen fire damage in Omaha from an overheated pan bursting into flames in your residence. Smoke and soot fill that room and move through your home very quickly. Even if you have a functioning fire extinguisher nearby, it takes a few minutes to find and engage it to extinguish the flames, permitting the substances created by the combustion to spread in the meantime. Once the fire is out, you now confront the chemical residue from the extinguisher in addition to the damage from the fire itself. Highly skilled and IICRC trained abatement technicians employ effective strategies to clean all surfaces coated with fire damage and chemical residues.
 
SERVPRO fire damage remediation crew members swiftly assess the damage to the kitchen and the rest of your home. A seasoned manager devises a plan accounting for all the tasks needed to clean the walls, ceilings, floors, appliances, furnishings, and other surfaces soiled or otherwise harmed by the fire and its extinguishing. The team matches appropriate cleaning solutions and tools to the residues throughout all spaces in your dwelling.
 
Ash and light, dry soot respond well to cleaning techniques like vacuuming, with HEPA filter equipped models, and dry sponging. Stickier coatings require wisely chosen cleansers or solvents sprayed on the damaged surfaces and then wiped or scrubbed clean. Fixtures or objects featuring intricate details like blinds or chandeliers may require immersion cleaning. SERVPRO workers are familiar with a broad range of methods that leave the structure and contents or your home cleaned and refreshed after fire damage.
 
An inspection and cleaning of the HVAC system in your fire-damaged home may be recommended by SERVPRO if the fire blazed and smoked near open vents. This step helps assure that the cleaning done eliminates as much of the fire damage residue as possible and prevents the continuous spread of hidden soot when heating and cooling occurs.
 
Rely on SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest to respond to your fire damage remediation needs with professionalism and empathy. One call to (402) 800-2134 delivers the help you need fast any hour of the day or night.

Covid Cleaning for Businesses- Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned

11/10/2020 (Permalink)

Our defensive cleaning program gives your business a way forward by providing your employees and customers ongoing safety and assuredness.

Covid cases are still going up in our communities and it is important to do everything we can to slow the spread. This has been something that we have been dealing with for most of the year, but we can’t stop taking precautions just yet. Right now, in the Omaha area, positivity rates are upwards of 30%. This means as a community we have to step up to do everything we can, this includes wearing masks, cleaning/sanitizing business and restaurants, and social distancing as much as possible. One-way SERVPRO is trying to help during this pandemic is by offering Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, our new defensive pathogen cleaning program, goes way beyond standard janitorial cleaning practices. This is proactive viral pathogen cleaning. With over 50 years of experience in biochemical spill remediation and decontamination, you can trust SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest Professionals to bring a higher standard of clean to the places we gather.

So how does it work? It’s grounded in our unique 3 C’s:

• Consult: Not all businesses are the same, so we’ll tailor a bespoke cleaning program based on the unique needs of each facility.
• Clean: Based on the agreed plan, an expert deep clean is initiated using our proprietary EPA-Approved Hospital-Grade cleaning solutions and always adhering to the leading level of cleaning and decontamination standards set by the CDC.
• Certify: You’ll know a business is Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned by the shield posted on their front window. Along with digital emblems and other collateral, this beacon represents their commitment to the comfort and security of their employees, customers and community.

So when you see the Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned shield, you can walk in with confidence. Because you’ll know the #1 choice in clean up and restoration was there.

Winterize Your Home to Help Prevent Water Damage

10/26/2020 (Permalink)

Protect your home from ice dams by cleaning your gutters before winter

Winter is right around the corner and from the looks of it so far it is coming quicker than expected. With this being said you have to be prepared before the real cold weather arrives. Most people don’t think about preparing their home for the winter because it isn’t something that we normally think about, but it should be. If you and your house are prepared this winter you most likely will avoid damage but if you don’t, you are putting yourself at risk for a variety of things that could happen. Today I am going to list a few things that you can check so you can be ready for winter and whatever it brings.

Trim Tree Branches

            Make sure tree branches are trimmed before the snow comes. Keep tree branches at least three feet from your home to prevent them from breaking and falling on your home.

Check the Roof

• Inspect broken or missing shingles
• Inspect rubber boots around vent pipes
• Cracked caulk or rust spots
• Check for moss or any decaying part of the roof

If you suspect this could be happening and don’t feel comfortable checking yourself, consult a specialized roof inspector.

Check Gutters and Downspouts

Clean out gutters and downspouts, otherwise they could cause ice dams or damage your foundation due to improper draining. Late Fall is a good time to go up to make sure everything is clean and working properly.

Insulate Windows

It is always good to double check your windows before the winter, check if there is a draft coming through. If there is, you may need to seal up any cracks with rope caulk, shrink film, or weather stripping. Doing this can also lower your energy costs.

Prevent Fire Damage With Home Fire Alarm Maintenance

10/13/2020 (Permalink)

Fire alarms and smoke detectors help secure life and property

Fire Alarms for Personal and Property Protection

There can be no doubt that every home needs a fire alarm. A home fire alarm system protects you and your family in Omaha by alerting you early to fire so you can get out. Having a system in place is particularly important in case a fire breaks out overnight when you are asleep and might not notice right away. Fire damage to your home is distressing and can also be costly. You can help prevent damage by investing in fire alarms for your house and maintaining them properly.
 
SERVPRO recommends that every home in Omaha has fire alarms in place to help to avoid fire damage, injury or death. There are regulations regarding the number of fire alarms, and some older homes might not meet these, so it is important to fit your home with the correct number of warnings. You need an alarm on each floor of your home (this includes the basement and attic), plus one in every bedroom, and one in the area adjacent to the sleeping area.
 
All smoke alarms should be wired together in such a way that if one goes off, they all go off.
 
It is important to test your home alarm system regularly. After all, if a fire alarm is not working it cannot alert you in the event of a blaze, and the consequences of that could be catastrophic.
 
Most fire alarms can be tested by simply pushing the test button. If the alarm sounds it is working; if not, then it is not operating properly. It is common for checking the batteries when you change your home clocks for seasonal time changes.
 
If you have a battery operated fire alarm, try replacing the battery and then testing again. If it still does not work, replace the unit. If you have a hard-wired fire alarm and it does not make a sound, then it is faulty and needs to be replaced.
 
You should be aware that most fire alarms are only good for around ten years and need to be replaced at the ten-year mark, regardless of whether they pass the sound test or not.
 
In the event of fire damage to your home, SERVPRO is on hand to help with cleanup and restore your home as quickly as possible, “Like it never even happened.” We take care of soot cleanup, washing and spot cleaning soft furnishings, scrubbing hard surfaces, and deodorization, so your home feels like yours once more.

Water Damage Remediation Process at Your Home

10/6/2020 (Permalink)

Leaking water heater

When pipes or a sump pump fails, or a bathtub overflows, rooms in your Omaha home can accumulate several inches or more of water quickly, filling surrounding wall spaces or other extended areas as well. In cases like this, you will need professional assistance. A significant amount of unwanted water requires powerful equipment and skilled operators to extract. We offer both the equipment and the certified work crews to remove water fast, no matter the source.
 
A common scenario is an aging water heater that cracks, pouring 50 gallons of hot water into your utility room. You may not realize it until you notice no water is coming from the hot water tap and investigate. Meanwhile, the water continues to run, accumulate and spread. Emergency water removal services from an experienced Omaha water damage restoration firm are necessary to remediate this situation. With SERVPRO's nearly 50 years in the business, engaging one of our crews is a solid choice for speedy resolution of your problem.
 
SERVPRO is a leader in the water damage restoration industry, staffed with highly qualified technicians and offering the latest in industrial strength equipment. Our team and truck will arrive ready to start the necessary work, with submersible pumps and powerful extractors.  Lack of electrical power is also a common problem when your home is several inches deep in water, but we bring the power with us.
 
An experienced project manager will assess your plight and soon the crew will commence pumping and extracting the water. Sometimes paints and other chemicals stored near the heater taint the water. SERVPRO has considerable familiarity with potentially contaminated water and collects and disposes of contaminated water according to waste disposal laws and guidelines.
 
After extracting standing water from the floors, our team continues to search for pockets of trapped moisture. Foundations and basements are often made of cinder block which can trap water in hidden cells. Partitions, drywall, and paneling also hold water, but we use penetrating and non-penetrating moisture meters as well as infrared detection to identify unseen, trapped moisture. Drywall may have to be partially removed.  Extraction can also take place from above, or through holes drilled through wallboard or mortar joints to release water for removal.
 
The final step in a water removal and remediation process is choosing appropriate drying method to avoid secondary damage such as mold growth, crumbling building materials, and warped floors or supportive structures. SERVPRO crews use high-efficiency air movers, dehumidifiers, and injection drying systems to reduce moisture to normal levels.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has the trained staff, equipment, and experience to remove water in your home quickly and efficiently. Call (402) 800-2134 to have a remediation team scheduled to begin work as soon as possible.

For more information regarding Omaha, click here.

Get Help with Water Damage in Your Omaha Area Home

9/23/2020 (Permalink)

Kitchen water loss

Basements and crawl spaces in your home are some of the most common places in the house to have water damage, and they can also be some of the hardest to keep dry. Trying to fix the problem yourself is always difficult because the exact problem is not always clear.
 
Without professional training, locating drainage problems or water leaks in small confined areas of your Omaha area home often leads to additional water damage forming in areas that are even harder to reach. Water becomes your enemy when it plays a role in compromising the safety and security of your home.
 
Contacting expertly trained professionals within the water damage restoration industry, like SERVPRO, helps you deal with the consequences of water intruding in your home. Our technicians have years of experience and infrared moisture detectors to assist with locating moisture problems and can provide you with the water removal, restoration, cleaning and deodorization services you need to get back on your feet quickly.
 
SERVPRO can also help in situations where you notice a strange, musty odor in your crawl spaces, or find excessive moisture that can lead to damage from mold. Although internet self-help forums can be a great source of information, they are not always your best resource. Contacting a professional company to help eliminate problems that can lead to property damage from water or mold is your best bet.
 
We offer many services that assist with improving your indoor air quality including advanced air purification and water extraction equipment to help remove contaminants from your living environment. 

Contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest today for answers to your questions and further explanation of many of the services we have available for the greater Omaha area. (402) 800-2134.

Kids and Fire Safety

9/3/2020 (Permalink)

A house fire that is in the process of being put out by the fire department

Children at a very young age are curious about everything and playing with new items are their way to learn. It is important to keep children educated about fire and how dangerous they are even if it is a fire as small as a candle burning. Kids playing with fire has caused 14,500 buildings to go up in flames in one year.

• Children accidentally cause fires by playing with either matches, lighters, candles, and even fireworks. 

Many young children do not know how to respond to a fire. Take precautions and prevent access to the tools that can start a fire, talk to your child about how dangerous a fire is and how it can hurt them and even other family members.

• Never leave matches or lighters in a space where a child can be unsupervised
• Keep children at least 3 feet away from the stove while it is on.
• Educate children. Teach them how to Stop, Drop and Roll.

Be a good example and teach a child the appropriate ways fire is used. For example: lighting candles, a campfire, or a fireplace. Do not use fire to amuse kids, they may want to imitate you.

Local fire departments may have programs designed to teach kids about the dangers and consequences of playing with fire.

Keep your home safe and help ensure your entire family stays safe as well.

How to Prevent Water damage

9/1/2020 (Permalink)

A flooded kitchen caused by a water loss

In today’s blog I am going to talk about the steps you can take to prevent water damage in your home.  Most of these things can be prevented with proper maintenance and attention but sometimes get overlooked by homeowners. Follow these tips to prevent a water loss in your home.

Main water shut off- This could be one of the most important steps of them all. Knowing where the main shut off is a must if a pipe happens to brake. Being able to stop the water right away can prevent a lot of damage.

Check appliances- Keep an eye on kitchen appliances like refrigerators and dish washers, as sometimes they are able to have leaks.

Investigate leaks- Look under sinks, check bathrooms and storage rooms regularly. It is essential to check these areas; the sooner you find out there is a leak the less damage it will cause.

Monitor water bill- If there is a random spike in your water bill this could mean you could have a major problem. Check your water bill month from month to make sure there are no major spikes.

Check water pressure- Check to make sure your water pressure is between 40-70psi; if it is set too high pipes may break.

Disconnect Hoses- This is extremely important to remember in the winter months. In freezing temps, the standing water in the hose can freeze back into the pipe, expand, and break the pipe. This will cause damage to walls, floor, and foundation.

Clean Gutters/ outside drainage- We have mentioned in past blogs about cleaning gutters and downspouts, so water is able to drain away from your home. If this isn’t maintained it can affect your foundation and leave water in your basement.

Ways to Prepare for Storm Season

8/12/2020 (Permalink)

Aftermath of a storm that caused a tree to fall on this house

Preparing for storm season can easily get overlooked, but you can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting yourself and your home. Summer storms can happen in a moment’s notice and if you haven’t prepared you could have a tree falling on your house due to high winds or could even end up with water in your home due to poor drainage. Below I am going to talk about some of the things you can do to help prepare for things that could happen.

Have a generator ready- Having a generator ready to go when you power goes out is essential. If a big storm happens to come through your town the power could be out for days. Leaving you without air conditioning, powered appliances, or electronics.

Prepare an emergency disaster kit- If possible, prepare an emergency disaster kit. This should include a battery-operated radio, flashlights and a cell phone with a portable charger or other source. It is also smart to keep at least 3-5 days of food supplies if you get stranded, it’s possible things could be shut down based on the severity of the storm.

Trim trees- Trim your trees around your house before storm season, otherwise it could be a costly mistake. Flying branches and falling trees are some of the most common causes of damage during this season.

Clean gutters- Before the season remove leaves and other debris from your gutters. This will help properly drain all of the water and prevent your house from getting water damage.

Waterproof your house- This step refers to checking for holes and leaks in your home. Check your roof and other small holes that could cause problems during a major storm.  

Omaha Businesses Can Turn To SERVPRO For Help With Fire Damage

8/7/2020 (Permalink)

Downtown Omaha Businesses

A relatively minor fire can have devastating consequences on your business. Everything from machine inventory to customer orders and other assets can be affected, leaving you wondering whom to call to get the help you need.
 
When your Omaha property is affected by fire damage, it becomes necessary to find quality assistance. Take the time to research a local company that has the resources and training needed to provide you with the professional restoration services you deserve.
 
Reaching out to SERVPRO means that we respond immediately, sending the right technicians to control the fire, smoke, water, odor, and content damage on your property. Our technicians use their experience and training to produce excellent results for our customers.
 
Our fast response helps save many your company assets affected by a fire. We can even restore important documents and machinery while providing you with the move-out services you need to save inventory and stored orders that were waiting for customer pick-up.
 
SERVPRO technicians arrive quickly, ready to get to work. Starting with an initial inspection to assess the extent of damage that exists on your property. If necessary, we provide board-up and tarping services to help mitigate exposure to compromised areas and handle any water issues caused by firefighting efforts.
 
The extraction equipment we use for water removal consists of both portable hand-held units and truck-mounted water extractors. This equipment is capable of displacing massive amounts of standing water. If more than two inches of water exists, we also have access to submersible pumps that handle an even larger volume.
 
SERVPRO offers document drying restoration services to assist with saving wet, damaged books, paper products, and relevant documents. While we cannot remove damage that already exists, we can prevent additional damages from occurring. Saving valuable resources for your company that you rely on to provide products to your customers. We even provide off-site freeze drying and document restoration.
 
We can also help you with damage to electronics, such as computers, monitors, and other machinery. While we concentrate on the associated restoration services, your electronics get sent to a qualified professional for evaluation and restoration services needed to keep equipment from being a total loss due to exposure.
 
Contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for help with managing your restoration process and obtain the services you deserve. (402) 800-2134

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

8/6/2020 (Permalink)

Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguishers can be very helpful in case of an emergency while adding another layer of safety to your home. Fire extinguishers are also more effective than water when putting out fires, so it is always good to have one handy in an emergency. When a fire occurs the faster you put it out the less you will need to restore.

The difference types of fire extinguishers include

• Class A: Puts out fires on ordinary materials
• Class B: Puts out grease fires and other flammable liquids
• Class C: Puts out electrical fires
• Class D: Puts out flammable metals

Using a Fire Extinguisher

The following steps should be followed when responding to incipient stage fire:

• Sound the fire alarm and call the fire department, if appropriate.
• Identify a safe evacuation path before approaching the fire. Do not allow the fire, heat, or smoke to come between you and your evacuation path.
• Select the appropriate type of fire extinguisher
• Discharge the extinguisher within its effective range using the P.A.S.S. technique (pull, aim, squeeze, sweep).
• Back away from an extinguished fire in case it flames up again.
• Evacuate immediately if the extinguisher is empty and the fire is not out.
• Evacuate immediately if the fire progresses

P.A.S.S. technique explained

1. PULL…Pull the Pin
2. AIM….Point the hose at the bottom of the fire
3. SQUEEZE…Squeeze the handle to spray the extinguishing agent
4. SWEEP… Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire until it is out, if the fire starts back up repeat steps two and three

What To Do Before and After a Flood

7/1/2020 (Permalink)

This picture is showing what a house looks like after a flood or water loss

During a flood making sure you and your family are safe should be your number one priority. While your home and property remain as one of your top concerns it is easy to lose sight that safety is more important. In today’s blog, we are going to talk about things you can be doing to prepare, as well as what you should be doing before, during, and after.

Before

To prepare for a flood that is a potential threat you should:

• Build an emergency kit and communications plan
• Avoid building in a flood zone
• Elevate things like the furnace, water heater, and electric panel
• If possible, construct barriers to stop floodwaters from reaching your home

During

• Listen to news sources to stay updated with what is going on
• Be aware that flash flooding can occur in a moment’s notice if it happens to move to higher ground
• If you have to leave, secure your home
• Bring in outside items that could be damage
• Turn off utilities
• Move important items to a higher level

After

• Call Your Insurance Company
• Take pictures of the damage
• If serious damage a restoration company is recommended
• Remove Water

What To Do If Your Basement Floods

7/1/2020 (Permalink)

Aftermath of a flooded basement

Have you ever had your basement flood or have some water get inside after a storm? Some basements are more common to flood and it can be a very overwhelming experience. If your basement is flooding all of the time, then there could be serval issues causing that to happen. In this storm blog, we are going to talk about the things you can do once your basement is flooded. Being prepared and having a plan can help prevent a lot of damage to your home as well as your things.

Below Listed are a few things to do before help arrives, if the basement is finished you may not be able to complete some of these steps because a lot more material will be affected.

• Shut off any power or gas around the area. Never enter an area that is flooded while the power is on.
• Take action after the storm has passed
• Wear protective gear
• Make sure all floor drains are not covered, this will help drain the water
• Start to remove the water from the basement; If there is a lot of water use a sump pump or a pool pump. Once that is complete use a wet/dry vacuum and mop and bucket to clean up what you can.
• Next move on to your items that are affected by the water damage. Move your items that have water damage to a place where they can dry out, otherwise, bacteria will grow like mold and mildew.
• Pull up carpets and dry/ toss
• Give basements several days to dry with equipment

With major water damage, it is best to call a restoration company for help. Things like drying/ removing carpet, drying furniture, drying walls is not an easy task for a homeowner. It is very time consuming and there can be a lot of uncertainty if you are doing it yourself. If it is not restored properly you can leave yourself with mold and mildew issues down the road. Restoration companies have the experience, training, tools, and equipment to fully restore your basement.

Advanced Planning Can Save Time and Money After a Disaster Strikes

6/25/2020 (Permalink)

Don't let flooding devastate your home in Omaha. SERVPRO will help you to remediate and reconstruct.

SERVPRO strives to be an industry leader in technology and innovation, employing systems, equipment, and communication techniques that give us an edge over any water damage situation. Our lineup of equipment includes advanced moisture detectors, monitoring equipment, well-optimized and planned drying systems, and more high-tech solutions to age-old problems. These are all intended to save both us and you time and money on restorations, as we can better understand the situation and deal with it in a more time-effective manner.
 
Moisture Detection
 
One of the most important steps we take when evaluating flood damage in Omaha is moisture detection. Using sensitive, top-of-the-line thermal moisture detectors, our crews are able to detect and map out pockets of water and moisture throughout your home. With this data, we can understand where to target our efforts and how much time and effort will need to be expended in each room. As a result, we don't waste resources on rooms that are mostly dried already, and don't end up missing spots of concern that may be hidden elsewhere in the home.
 
The ERP System
 
SERVPRO has recently introduced our new Emergency Ready Profile system, which allows you to create an online profile of your home and any other properties you may own that give us access to critical information in the event of a disaster. Time is often wasted trying to get critical information on floor plans, utility locations, contact lists and more, but all of these can be uploaded beforehand through the ERP system so that our technicians can have all the information they need before they even arrive. We strongly recommend taking advantage of the system so that future accidents can be handled with only the touch of a button.
 
Specialty Drying Setups
 
One of the most important steps in mitigating damage from floods is getting the home dried quickly. Fast drying means that water doesn't have time to seep in and cause lasting problems such as warping or cracking. We use industrial-grade equipment such as air movers to accomplish this goal, taking care to arrange them in specific formations so as to maximize their efficacy in dealing with the problem.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest carries a slew of advanced technology and strategies to help get your home back in shape ASAP after a flood. Call us 24/7 at (402) 800-2134.

Preparation is Key to Quick Response in a Water Damage Emergency

6/22/2020 (Permalink)

Having the floor plan specifications on hand before our team reaches your warehouse can potentially save your inventory.

To keep up with the times and make the best use of modern technology, we at SERVPRO have rolled out our new ERP system. The Emergency Ready Profile system allows a user to upload individualized profiles for each commercial location, with relevant information such as contact numbers, floor plans, utility info, and other documents that may be critical when disaster strikes. When it comes to water damage, warehouses are often tricky business for our technicians due to their size and layouts. However, how much does the ERP system really help in these situations?
 
Saved Merchandise
 
Although we always strive to secure merchandise as part of the commercial water removal process for Omaha warehouses, more can ultimately be saved with more information provided in the ERP system. When our technicians have access to information on what's stored in the warehouse, where it is located, and other relevant information, they are better able to judge what needs to be moved and tended to first. You can also help us to skip or hasten some safety procedures by informing us if hazardous materials are present.
 
Quick Drying Setup
 
The SERVPRO drying process relies on carefully considered placement of dehumidifiers and air movers to create the strongest and most effective airflows, maximizing drying rates. If our technicians have access to floor and building plans beforehand, they can plan these setups ahead of time and reduce time spent surveying. The faster we can start drying, the better, and mere minutes shaved off this time could lead to big monetary savings later on.
 
Contact with Relevant Parties
 
Warehouses often have dealings with multiple businesses, depending on their purposes, specifications, and ownership. Many warehouses have dozens of relevant businesses that must be contacted, from suppliers to insurance companies to maintenance contractors. Providing contacts and information on these businesses through the ERP system helps us to contact anyone relevant, and ensure that the water removal and restoration process goes smoothly.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is a local franchise with national backing that helps businesses to pick up and dust themselves off after a disaster. Call us 24/7 at (402) 800-2134 for our services or a quote.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned – a defensive cleaning program

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

Our defensive cleaning program gives your business a way forward by providing your employees and customers ongoing safety and assuredness.

Let us help you get back to business

As our communities re-open, we’re all moving back toward a new kind of normal. The expectations of visitors, customers, and employees who come into our establishments have evolved, and staying safe and well is a top concern. The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed what it means to be clean, and we’ve developed a program to help your business meet the new higher standard of clean that is now expected.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned is a defensive cleaning program we’re offering to businesses and commercial locations to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. This proactive viral pathogen cleaning program goes well beyond janitorial or carpet cleaning. By choosing Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, you, your employees, your customers, and your community can rest assured that you’ve selected a higher cleaning standard – you are Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.

Extensive training and specialized products

As the #1 choice in cleanup and restoration*, we stand on more than 50 years of experience and expertise to help your business become Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.  Beyond fire & water, SERVPRO professionals are trained and experienced in biohazard decontamination and chemical spills – always adhering to the cleaning and decontamination standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities. 

From formulating and creating our proprietary cleaning products, like SERVPROXIDE, at our headquarters in Gallatin, TN, to taking the utmost care while disinfecting, we will ensure you and your business are set up to inspire consumer confidence as the economy continues to reopen.

3 C’s – Consult, Clean, and Certify

When the stakes are this high, you want a partner who has developed an industry leading, proprietary training program, cleaning solutions, and remediation processes over decades. We’ve cleaned up some of the most challenging biohazards imaginable. Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned reflects our unique experiences and capabilities. The program is grounded with our unique 3 C’s: Consult, Clean, and Certify.

• Consult – Every business is different, which is why you’ll be assigned a Cleaning Protocol Consultant who understands your business and will create a cleaning program to meet your specific needs. This program will be developed based on your business type, size of space, amount of high frequency touchpoints, foot traffic and congestion points.
• Clean – Based on your specific business needs, your location will undergo a thorough, deep clean, using exclusive cleaning products, according to protocols set forth by the CDC. Our employees have years of experience, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform. Cleanup procedures generally include cleaning of porous and non-porous surfaces, disinfecting of non-porous surfaces, cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, tools, and/or supplies used for cleanup process, and disposal of hazardous materials.  In the event of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 event, we will be there cleaning within 24 hours to ensure you get back to business as quickly as possible. 
• Certify - Once your business location has been Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, you will gain access to proprietary signage, digital emblems, and other collateral that communicates that you’ve selected a higher standard of clean available to help protect your employees and customers. And because we add the day, month, and year to that proprietary stamp of clean, your guests will know that not only did you choose Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, but that your location is being cleaned regularly at this standard.

Call today for a Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation

We’re Here to Help – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – until life is back to normal in the communities we all call home.

Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest today at  402-800-2134 for your Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation.

Call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest for Water Restoration Services

5/19/2020 (Permalink)

Flooded kitchen

A water problem can happen in your home or business without any notice. When and if that happens to you need help quick, call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest! Our crew is highly trained in water damage restoration. We are equipped with the best equipment and knowledge in the industry to help restore your home in the event of a water loss or intrusion.  

During the water restoration process, we focus on establishing and tracking drying goals to make certain the structure and contents are handled appropriately. When dealing with valuable documents or personal belongings we treat them with the utmost care to bring them back to the condition they were originally in.

We are part of a national network of over 1,600 franchises with special disaster recover teams placed throughout the country. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest can respond to your commercial or residential water loss regardless of the size or damage.

Water Damage or Flooding? Call Us Today (402) 800-2134

Commercial Cleaning for Covid-19

5/6/2020 (Permalink)

Commercial Cleaning for Covid-19

Covid-19 and social distancing have currently put the world on hold. People are working from home and staying home a majority of the time to prevent the spread of this disease. Another important part of keeping the disease contained is disinfecting on a regular basis to prevent further spread as well. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is being called by numerous business owners and community leaders to perform necessary bioremediation services to clean, disinfect, and sanitize their facilities. Our cleanup procedures are in accordance with the CDC recommendations. The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line meet this standard and carry the EPA-registered emerging pathogens claims. We are here and ready to aid you in your time of need, providing these services so your facility can be cleaned and ready for business to resume.

We are Cleaning Experts

3/24/2020 (Permalink)

If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts today – SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest, 402-800-2134

SERVPRO is Here to Help during this time of need

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

Specialized Training

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform on a daily basis.

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:

• Kitchen/Food Areas
• Bathrooms
• Schools/Classrooms
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Water Fountains
• Shelving/Racks
• Sales Counters
• Carpets and Rugs
• Stair Handrails
• Elevator Cars
• Playground Equipment
• Fitness Equipment

Specialized Products

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.

Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning

If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts today – [SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest, 402-800-2134]

What Causes Water Damage?

3/12/2020 (Permalink)

Shown above is a kitchen that had a appliance issue, causing the entire area to flood

When you have a water loss it is important to catch it as fast as possible. When water pools up and soaks building materials it can cause a lot of damage and after the water has been sitting for some time materials will have to be replaced. If you have a water intrusion any standing water should be cleaned up immediately to prevent further damage. Water obviously can cause damage to your home but if action is taken place sooner than later it may be possible to dry instead of replacing, saving you money. Below listed are somethings that can cause water damage. 

• Plumbing issues
• Leaking or bursting pipes
• Appliances
• HVAC issues
• Weather/ natural disasters

Plumbing Issues

These problems can occur at any moment and can cause serious damage. This could be leaking or bursting pipes and could even be a problem with the toilet. When this type of problem occurs, it is important to act fast. If this happens, turn off the water and clean up what you can. Once this is taken care of call a restoration company to assess the damage, so they can start the drying process.   

Appliances

Appliances that can cause water damage include washing machines, refrigerators, water heaters, and dishwashers.  They can cause problems as they get older including rusting pipes and weakened hoses. If you have older appliances it is important to keep an eye on them as they are more susceptible to break.

HVAC issues

HVAC units are another common cause of water damage. Particularly AC units can cause moisture build-up and eventually develop problems over time with mold/water-related issues.

Mold Remediation Process

3/5/2020 (Permalink)

In this short blog we are going to talk briefly about the process of mold remediation and the steps we take to safely remove it from your home or commercial property. Any place where water is found will most likely develop mold if not taken care of properly. Listed below are common places where mold can grow.

• Basements
• Attics
• Under sinks
• Crawl spaces
• Furnaces
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms

It is important to keep an eye on these areas as they can obtain moisture and eventually produce mold. If you suspect an area is wet bring in a professional to properly assess the situation. If something like this is ignored it can cause more damage and could become costly. The steps below explain the typical SERVPRO mold remediation process.

SERVPRO Mold Remediation Process

1 .Emergency Contact - (402) 800-2134

The mold cleanup and restoration process begins when you call us. Our representative will ask a series of questions to help us determine the necessary equipment, resources, and personnel.

2. Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment

We carefully inspect your property for visible signs of mold. Mold feeds on cellulose and water and can be hidden from plain view. We use various technologies to detect mold and hidden water sources.

3. Mold Containment

Our professionals use various containment procedures to prevent the spread of mold. We may use advanced containment procedures like negative air chambers to isolate the contaminated area with physical barriers and negative air pressure to keep the mold spores from spreading during the cleanup process. All fans and heating and cooling systems will be turned off to prevent the spread of mold.

4. Air Filtration

Our specialized filtration equipment allows our Professionals to capture microscopic mold spores out of the air. We utilize powerful “air scrubbers” and HEPA vacuums to prevent the spread of these mold spores while the mold remediation is in process.

5. Removing Mold and Mold-Infested Materials

The mold remediation process depends on the amount of mold growth and the types of surfaces on which the mold appears. We’ll use antifungal and antimicrobial treatments to eliminate mold colonies and to help prevent new colonies from forming. It may be necessary to remove and dispose of mold-infested porous materials, like drywall and carpeting, to remediate heavy mold growth.

6. Cleaning Contents and Belongings

We clean your furniture, decorative items, curtains, clothing, and other restorable items affected by mold. We use a variety of cleaning techniques to clean and disinfect your belongings. We’re also trained to remove odors and deodorization using fogging equipment.

7. Restoration

Depending on the level of mold damage, drywall, subfloors, and other building materials may have been removed. Restoration may involve minor repairs, such as replacing drywall, painting, and installing new carpet; or it may entail major repairs such as the reconstruction of various areas or rooms in a home or business. The restoration step gets your home or business back to normal.

What to Do After a House Fire

3/3/2020 (Permalink)

Aftermath of a kitchen fire

After a house fire you may not know what to do first after the fire department leaves. It is an overwhelming and stressful experience and is hard to decide what you should do first. Being prepared and knowing what to do can do before it ever happens can make a stressful time a little bit easier. Below I am going to talk about the 5 things you should do after you have a house fire.

Contact Your Insurance Agent

• This is one of the most important steps you should complete shortly after the fire. This will get the process started of restoring your home and getting you moved back in asap.

Contact the Police

• If the fire is so bad where you’re not able to live there for some time it is necessary to let the police know. This will prevent things from getting stolen and will make sure there is no activity for people that don’t belong there.

Plan Your Finances

• During this situation you should plan what to expect financially. This includes talking with your insurance as well to see what they are going to cover as far as temporary relocation expenses, restoration services, and possessions.  

Save Undamaged Possessions

• If your home was only partially damaged it is good to go back and remove anything that wasn’t affected by the fire. Professional restoration companies have the experience and tools to restore fire affected items.

Wait to Turn on Utilities

• When you have a fire in some cases firefighters will turn off your utilities to prevent damage. You may need to have your house inspected to make sure nothing was damaged before you turn them back on.

Storm Blog- Winter Conditions

2/13/2020 (Permalink)

Driving conditions during a blizzard

Each year Americans die from harsh winter conditions. This includes road accidents due to poor conditions, subzero temperatures and fires started by heating elements. Take winter warnings seriously and do not put yourself at risk if conditions are bad. Words to listen for include wind chill temperature, winter storm outlook, winter storm watch, and winter weather advisory. Listed below are some tips to stay safe and be prepared.

If under winter storm warning

• Stay off roads if possible
• Prepare for power outages
• Stay aware of emergency information
• Have a source of heat if electricity is not available

Prepare

• Make sure you have enough supplies to last at least a few days
  • Food, water, etc.
  • Warm clothing and blankets
• Be ready for a power outage
  • Have other sources for heat
  • Have supplies for fireplace or generator
  • Have a source to charge phones and communication devices

During

• Keep your heat on as long as possible
• Limit travel and stay inside
• Wear warm clothes
• Be informed on weather updates
• Wait out the storm

Fire Safety: Being Prepared

2/3/2020 (Permalink)

This is what a fire escape plan should look like.

In today’s blog we are going to talk about preparing for a fire emergency and how to prevent a fire. A fire can start in a variety of ways, being aware of the things that can start house fires may save you from having one at your home. Having an escape plan in place as well as working smoke alarms are extremely important to have in place.

Prevention

• Never leave cooking unattended (#1 cause of house fires)
• Make sure all smoke alarms are working and are on every floor and in every bedroom (50% of fires are at night)
• If possible, avoid space heaters as they are a major fire hazard if left on unattended
• Check electrical cords and don’t plug a lot of cords into one outlet
• Check dryer/ clean lint as this can start a fire
• Be cautious with candles/ make sure to put out before leaving home

Preparing

• Have a fire escape plan from every room of your home/ Make sure everyone knows how to get out
• Make sure all smoke alarms are working/ change battery’s twice a year
• Sleep with doors shut
• Have a fire extinguisher on each floor
• Store flammable chemicals properly and away from any heat source

Tips to Prevent Basement Flooding

12/26/2019 (Permalink)

This is an example of what a flooded basement can look like after a flood or water loss

If your home is near a flood zone it is important to take all the correct steps to protect it. Having a plan in place can help prevent serious damage to your home. You should carry out a range of preparations and renovations. This includes maintaining gutters and downspouts, properly landscaping your yard, and inspecting and repairing foundation cracks. Follow some of the tips below to help protect your home.

Maintain gutters and downspouts

Cleaning and maintaining gutters are an essential part of making sure water can drain away from your home. Downspouts should direct water at least three feet away from your foundation to prevent pooling around your home.

Repair foundation cracks

It is very important to keep up with cracks with your home's foundation as this problem can become more serious over time. To prevent water damage and flooding, inspect the exterior of your foundation, floors, and walls on a regular basis. If you do notice any cracks, fill them epoxy.

Properly Landscape your yard

Make sure your landscape around your house is sloping away from your home. This will help direct water away from your house. If your landscaping is running towards your house there is a chance water will make its way into the basement.

The Most Common Types of House Fires

11/25/2019 (Permalink)

This photo shows a home that caught fire by an electrical issue

In this blog, we are going to talk about the most common fires and how you can help reduce the risk of a fire starting in your home. The 4 most common types of fires include kitchen, electrical, heater, and smoking fires. With that being said fires can start with cooking, heating equipment, anything electrical, smoking, and candles. It is extremely important to keep an eye on these things that can start potential fires as you can help prevent having a house fire. Below listed are the 4 most common types of house fires.

Kitchen Fires

Cooking fires are the #1 cause of house fires and usually start in the kitchen. This accounts for 42% of all reported incidents. Grease fires are one of the most common causes of kitchen fires and can get out of hand quickly if unattended. Be sure to never leave your cooking unsupervised because it doesn’t take long for a fire to start.

Electrical Fires

Every year there are about 50,000 electrical fires every year due to faulty wiring. A majority of the fires start because of short circuits, which causes sparking that light building materials on fire. These are one of the deadliest fires as well. Most residential fires that start this way are in hidden areas, so it takes a while for the homeowner to realize there is a fire. Electrical systems that are installed correctly are very safe, however old faulty wiring systems can be susceptible to short circuits.

Heating equipment

Heating equipment is responsible for 15% of all residential fires. Usually, heater fires start by having fabrics and other combustibles close to them allowing them to catch fire. Never leave your home with a heater running and be sure not to leave anything close to them.

Smoking Fires

While smoking only accounts for 5% of house fires it is extremely dangerous. Most homeowners usually fall asleep before the fire starts. Since these are deadly fires it is important to be extremely cautious when you smoke inside.

Preparing Your Commercial Property for Winter Months

11/11/2019 (Permalink)

As we get into the colder months, it is important to do everything possible to prevent property damage during cold weather. Frozen pipes are one of the main things to watch out for, and it is important to never turn your heat off when you leave the building for a period. This includes at night or during the weekends. When a pipe freezes and bursts, it is likely to lead to serious damage from flooding. You would usually think frozen pipes are only an issue for homes/ properties in cold climates, but it is actually the opposite. Properties in warmer climates tend to not have some of their pipes properly insulated or sometimes located outside or are even in unprotected areas. It is necessary to protect the water pipes in areas where it can get cold, this sometimes means adding insulation to pipes or even getting heat into that room to prevent any pipe breaks. Below are a few tips you can try at your property to help prevent anything from happening. 

Add Insulation

Pipes located either in a basement or attic may need some extra insulation to help prevent freezing temperatures. Add foam or fiberglass sleeves to help keep pipes up to temp. 

Open the Faucet

If you think your pipes may freeze overnight, you can open your faucet so its drips slightly. This helps relieve some pressure on the pipes, allowing this open will prevent pressure from building and keep the pipe from bursting. 

Keep the Heat On 

If you are gone for a long period of time, always keep the heat on. If the inside of your home drops in temperature, it won’t take long for pipes to freeze in certain parts of your house. 

Open Interior Doors

Keeping your interior doors open will allow heat to flow throughout the home or commercial property. Some rooms may not get as much heat as other rooms.  

Frozen Pipe Prevention

10/21/2019 (Permalink)

This photo shows what insulating a pipe looks like

In the winter months it is somewhat common for pipes to freeze when outside temperatures drop below freezing. In some cases, pipes go through areas of the home that are not heated which leaves them at a higher risk to break. When your pipes do freeze the water expands causing an increase in pressure and eventually a rupture. Listed below are some recommendations to prevent frozen pipes as well as some tips if your pipes do break.

Preventing Frozen Pipes:

If its common for your pipes to freeze there are a few things you can try to possibly prevent that from happening. This includes

• Insulating unprotected pipes
• Seal small cracks that lead outside
• Keep rooms with pipes up to temp
• Never completely turn off your heat when you leave the house for a long period of time.

If a pipe does break:

• Turn off main water
• Open faucet to release pressure
• Clean up standing water
• Bring in a professional restoration company to restore anything that got damaged by water.

National Fire Prevention Month

10/14/2019 (Permalink)

This photo shows what rooms should have smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors.

October is fire prevention month, it is recognized in the United States and Canada to raise awareness about fire safety. During this month the goal is to educate families, communities, and students across the country. It also encourages families to review their emergency escape plans and check fire alarms.

• 3 of every 5 home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no working smoke alarms
• Less than50% of homeowners have an escape plan
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is the #1 cause of accidental death
• 60% of consumers do not test their smoke and CO alarms monthly*
• Only 47% of people report having CO alarms in their home
• Just 43% of homeowners have an escape plan*

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?
Call Us Today – (402) 800-2134

How to Shut Off Water in Case of an Emergency

10/3/2019 (Permalink)

This picture shows what a typical water shut off looks like

Knowing where your main water shut off is essential. It can help you prevent major damage in case of an emergency. Things like a sewage back up, broken pipe, or broken seal can cause thousands in water damage if you aren’t able to shut your water off. In the winter months it is common for pipes to burst, severe cold weather can cause pipes to expand and break but being able to locate and turn off the valve can prevent some damage. It is also good to know where the main shut off is if you leave your house for a long period of time.

Steps to take if this happens to you

• Turn off your water main
• Drain the faucets to release the pressure
• Inspect and fix the broken pipe
• Bring in a professional drying crew

Properly restoring your home after a water damage event requires specialized equipment and products. This advanced equipment helps us to remove the water, even hidden moisture, quickly and efficiently. We then dry the structure with powerful dehumidifiers. Finally, our technicians will clean the affected area with professional grade cleaning and sanitizing agents for your comfort and safety.

Have Water or Flood Damage?
Call Us Today – (402) 800-2134

Common Toilet Problems

9/26/2019 (Permalink)

There are a few main reasons that can cause a toilet to malfunction. These problems can be expensive and a hassle to deal with if it does happen. In fact, one of the top 5 causes of home water damage is caused by a toilet. This can be caused by tank issues, bad seals, or a clog. If the bathroom is located on the second level of your home you are left with a huge mess, affecting everything on the floors below. Listed below are some common causes of an overflowing toilet.

Clogged Pipes

One of the main reasons for clogged toilets is caused by using too much toilet paper. It is necessary to have a plunger on hand in case this does happen. With that being said, it usually happens with older low flowing toilets, but it can happen with conventional fixtures as well. If you aren’t able to fix the clog yourself, you should contact a professional to prevent any more damage.

Vents

A blocked vent could be another reason your toilet isn’t working properly. A plumbing vent usually has an outlet on the roof of your home that replaces the air that goes down your drain every time you flush. Sometime the vent gets blocked with debris on your roof and can cause issues like slow draining. Not only can it cause slow draining, but it can create pressure to your pipes from the lack of airflow.

Sewage pipes/ Septic Tank

Sewage pipes can get clogged over time, if this happens your toilet can overflow. It is important to make sure you are only flushing toilet paper down your toilet. If you have a septic tank you can experience the same issue as well, flushing debris that doesn’t belong can cause your tank to overflow.

Fire Alarm Tips

9/17/2019 (Permalink)

According to the National Fire Protection Association, three out of four in home fire deaths occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. This is usually because the batteries have been removed or have died. With that being said it is good to know that you will be prepared and alerted if a fire ever happens in your home.

Types of smoke alarms

• Ionization Technology- More Sensitive than photoelectric technology at detecting small particles. Also respond faster to smoke produced by flaming fires.
• Photoelectric Technology- More sensitive than ionization technology at detecting large particles. Are also better at detecting smoldering fires.

Tips for testing and maintaining smoke alarms

• Test your smoke alarms once a month
• Change the battery once a year
• Replace smoke alarm every 10 years
• Listen for low battery chirps

How to Prevent Moisture in Your Home

9/10/2019 (Permalink)

Most people think of water damage they usually think of flooding after storms. That isn’t always the case though, somethings you wouldn’t expect what may be causing moisture to build up in certain spaces in your home. Follow some of the tips below to help prevent moisture build-up in your home.

Humidity and Indoor Moisture

When warm air comes in contact with a cool surface it creates moisture. Things like showering, dishwashing, and cooking add moisture to the air. Cold water pipes that are uninsulated can also cause water droplets to accumulate in the summer. When condensation and water droplets occur, they can run down walls and into corners of your home. Once this happens, things can start to rot, paint can peel, and provide a good environment for mold to grow. 

Ways to reduce moisture

• Use a dehumidifier
• Run fans in the house
• Run the A/C
• Clean A/C filters
• Take colder/ shorter shower
• Cover pots while cooling
• Cover aquariums

How to Prevent a House Fire

8/29/2019 (Permalink)

A house fire to your property can be life changing. You may think it may never happen to you, but they are more common than you may think. The National Fire Protection Association states that the U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 355,400 home structure fires per year during 2012-2016.  These fires caused an annual average of 2,560 civilian fire deaths, 11,670 civilian fire injuries, and $6.5 billion in direct property damage. House fires do happen but there are ways to prevent a fire from starting in your home. Listed below are some things that can cause house fires. It is important to keep your eye on these items as they are common for starting house fires.

• Cooking
• Appliance cords
• Candles
• Heating units
• Grills
• Faulty wiring
• Lamps
• Fireplaces
• Smoking

Preparing Your Home for a Hailstorm

8/21/2019 (Permalink)

Hail storms are common in summer months and they don’t provide much warning. During these months it is good to have a game plan in place if hail decides to show up to your home. Hail can cause damage to your windows, gutters, siding, roof, and outdoor items. Follow these tips below to help plan and prevent damage to your home.

Windows

Hail has the ability to break or shatter windows in a major hail storm. One way to protect your windows is to include permanent shutters that can be closed when a storm is approaching. If that isn’t an option and your windows do break be sure to close your blinds to prevent wind blowing glass into your home.

Gutters

It is always important to keep your gutters clean during the storm season. If hail does arrive when your gutters are filled, they will not be able to drain properly. Without proper drainage, melting hail can cause water damage.

Siding

Some hail storms can damage the siding to your home. With that being said there isn’t much you can do to prevent it. On the positive side, homeowners insurance does cover it if you do get into this situation.

Roof

Before or during a storm there is almost nothing you can do to protect your roof to prevent it from damage, although after a storm you should inspect for any damage done by the hail. If nothing is done and it is damaged, you can cause serious problems for your home. Damaged shingles can cause leaks and other major problems down the road.

Outdoor Items

Anything left outdoors during a hail storms will most likely be damaged. It is important to plan accordingly for the storms and bring anything inside that could get damaged. This includes outdoor furniture and tables.

Protect Your Home from Storm Damage

8/20/2019 (Permalink)

Storms can bring all types of different weather and it is important for you to plan for it before a storm does hit. Sometimes storms can bring heavy winds, heavy rains, or even hails that can damage your home or business. Heavy storm rain and high winds can loosen building material including portions the roof and siding allowing water to come in. If this isn’t fixed in a timely manner the water soaks into the framing, foundation, adjoining walls, and flooring causing severe damage and mold. The steps you take to prepare you home before this happens can save in time and costly repairs.  

How to reduce the chance for storm damage:

• Inspect your home and repair before the storm season hits
• Prepare in advance for a big storm or flood by placing sand bags to divert water from entering structure.
• Use tarps or boards to protect areas where structure is damaged
• Repair between storms
• Inspect after storm for damage
• Keep gutters clear
• Trim trees that could potentially fall on your home
• Make sure water can flow away from your home

Flood vs. Rain Damage

8/14/2019 (Permalink)

The difference between water and flood damage

At first glimpse, water and flood damage might seem to be the same thing but how water is getting into your home can be very different. A roof or window that is leaking can cause rain to intrude. Gutter and downspouts can also be a large contributor to rain damage. Flood damage however is caused by rising water. Improper grading, failing drainage, or rising rivers are all examples of how flood damage can occur. Both involve large amounts of water entering your home or business and can cause damage. Unfortunately, one of these types of damages is not included in a regular insurance policy.

Water Damage Insurance Claims

 Water damage is usually covered by the insurance company under a standard policy. Water damage includes:

• Water damage cause by burst pipes
• Gradual water seepage due to cracks in the foundations of your home, business or other structures
• Mold or rot

Flood Damage Insurance Claims

 Most of the time flood damage isn’t considered a type of water damage to the insurance company. For this reason, most businesses or homeowner’s policies do not cover flood damage unless you had purchased a separate policy. If you live in an area where flooding is common it might be worth investing in some type of flood insurance.

Summer Storms and Flooding

8/13/2019 (Permalink)

Missouri River Flooding 2019

It is good to know how to be prepared for storms in order to prevent damage to your home or property. Some factors that can cause flooding include heavy rains, overflowing rivers, and melting snow and ice. In previous months, snowmelt and rapid rainfall have caused catastrophic flooding across the Missouri River and other areas. These types of water related issues can potentially cause severe damage to homes and properties. With that being said, it is beneficial to know how to properly prepare for these types of situations.

Heavy Rains

When flooding does happen, it usually has to do with heavy rains in most cases. Our home structures are designed to move water away from our homes. In some situations that isn't always the case. Sometimes those systems are overwhelmed and that water does not drain nearly as quickly as needed. In short, the drainage systems back up, and the water rises, sometimes into homes. This typically happens only in cases of sustained heavy rains over a long period.

Overflowing Rivers

In some cases, it doesn't even need to rain in your area to cause a river to overflow. For example, if you live along a river and another town experiences heavy rains upstream it can cause a river to overflow. This causes damage to structures, crops, and communities. Larger rivers include a series of dams to help manage large amounts of rainfall. These river systems are managed by government authorities. However, those authorities have to make tough decisions about how to operate dams. They often can manage the water and prevent flooding altogether, but not always.

Melting Snow and Ice

In March, Omaha and surrounding areas had experienced rapid snowmelt. This was caused by warmer temperatures and rain. It not only contributed to a lot of water runoff, but it caused homes and basement to fill with water. House residents in areas susceptible to winter flooding need to prepare in advance for flood conditions.

How to Be Prepared

• Purchase a flood insurance policy if they do not already have one.
• Review their current insurance policy and become familiar with what is and is not
• Make a flood plan, plan evacuation routes and keep important papers in a safe, waterproof place
• Itemize and take pictures of possessions

Fire Damage Remediation in the Greater Omaha Area

2/28/2019 (Permalink)

Service Area

A fire disaster can occur at any moment in any location. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest’s fire restoration service area includes the communities of Bennington, Elkhorn, Fremont, Valley, and Waterloo. We understand the trauma of a fire, and our technicians are available 24/7 to assist you in any size situation.

What We Do

The team at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest provides fire remediation services for any size job. We recognize dealing with any amount of fire or smoke damage causes a significant amount of stress to you and your family. Our technicians have the proper equipment for fire remediation and are well-trained in techniques that will facilitate the restoration of your home to a preloss condition.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest assesses the scope of your restoration needs. We can provide you with the best options for a safe living area during the fire cleanup process. Communication plays a significant role in determining which facets of the fire-damaged structure are most important to you as the homeowner. The team at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest will come alongside you as you navigate the path of home restoration. 

Contact Us

While any degree of fire damage is traumatic, cleaning up the mess does not have to be. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is a trusted leader in the fire restoration industry. Our technicians strive to complete the job as quickly as possible, so you can continue on with life “Like it never even happened."

402-800-2134

When Fire Affects Your Omaha Home or Business

2/3/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is Ready 24/7 

A fire in your Omaha home or business causes both localized structural damage and damage from deposited ash, soot, and charred residue. Additionally, water damage from firefighting efforts adds to the stress of situation. The technicians at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest are trained in smoke, soot, and fire remediation as well as in water damage restoration. We are available to meet all your disaster needs.

The technicians at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest are IICRC certified. The IICRC sets the industry standard for fire and water restoration services. SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest provides the highest quality work and customer service to assure every customer receives the help they deserve in their time of disaster.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is ready to help you restore your home or business to a pre-fire condition. We are available 24/7 and can be reached at 402-800-2134

Waterloo Property Owners Often Rely On SERVPRO For Mold Remediation

1/5/2019 (Permalink)

Issues like mold damage in your Waterloo crawlspace can be initially difficult to detect.

Crawlspace Mold Growth Can Be Detrimental To Waterloo Homes

The crawlspace in your Waterloo home has several purposes, but it is primarily designed to protect it from the elements like soil moisture or flooding, and pests such as termites. However, it can be difficult to prevent moisture from accumulating in crawlspaces. With much of the structure of the building exposed in this area, persistently damp conditions can allow for mold growth to occur.

Issues like mold damage in your Waterloo crawlspace can be initially difficult to detect. Most homeowners do not regularly check this area, and mold growth can go undetected for an extended period, and may not be discovered until another problem requires inspection or a musty odor is detected inside the home.  Indoor air quality can be affected by crawlspace of foundation mold growth. Our SERVPRO professionals can help you to identify the source of the moisture within the crawlspace, remove the mold growth occurring there, and suggest lasting solutions to help prevent the problem from recurring.

First and foremost, our professionals arrive at your address with a plan to contain the affected area and remove unsalvageable components if needed. We do strive to restore and not replace mold damaged timbers and other building elements. Once the mold has been removed, our experts can focus on drying out the affected areas and sanitizing, deodorizing, and sealing the environment. Our SERVPRO professionals can then suggest a lasting solution to prevent further mold damage moving forward.

Crawlspace encapsulation and the installation of a sump pump system can help prevent moisture from accumulating and affecting vital components of your home's construction. Many homes in NE have benefited from this service. SERVPRO recommends that you consider looking into this installation if your home is persistently plagued by dampness and mold infestations.

While you might not always know the condition of your crawl space, our SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest rapid response team can help you to overcome effects that might occur in your home when this area of your property suffers mold growth. Contact us anytime at (402) 800-2134.

Click here for more about Waterloo.

Sprinkler System Overreaches Causing Mold Damage in Bennington

8/10/2018 (Permalink)

Sprinklers are great for grass and plants but if excess water is not absorbed, you can be facing a mold infestation. Contact SERVPRO right away.

Our SERVPRO Technicians Understand That Excess Water can Potentially Cause a Mold Infestation in Your Home

It is ironic but, unfortunately, sometimes true that the labor-saving devices installed in your Bennington home can cause more work than they help you avoid.  Clothes washers and dishwashers can overflow, ice makers can drip condensation, and in-ground sprinklers can misdirect water or over-saturate the soil around your foundation. The result can be a musty-smelling, moldy mess inside your home. We can help.
 
An automatic lawn and garden watering system for your yard can create a real headache when it causes mold to flourish, along with the grass and flowers. If we don't supervise the arc of the spray and we cannot see underground, water damage can occur without our knowledge. Your first sign may be a musty smell in the basement or a puzzling peeling of paint on an exterior wall. Our reputable mold remediation company in Bennington can connect the dots and present a plan to eliminate the active mold colonies that can grow on the building materials of your home.
 
Summer’s warm temperatures give mold growth a boost, but our remediators are highly trained and qualified to manage a microbial infestation fueled by an outdoor water source. SERVPRO will send a seasoned investigator to evaluate the extent of the mold growth and to create a plan to access and rid your home of it. Our Microbial Remediation Technicians will then contain and remove the mold, employing industry best standards.
 
To prevent the spread of mold and ensure the best air quality in your home during the project, SERVPRO will partition off the mold affected areas with heavy duty plastic sheeting and a negative air pressure system. The ducts will be feed the contaminated air through a HEPA-filtered air scrubber. Our technicians physically remove the mold using a variety of techniques -- such as wiping, scraping, brushing, sanding and vacuuming. The moldy debris is bagged and discarded per local codes.
 
We then apply EPA registered antimicrobials to inhibit further mold growth. Our employees clear the area of lingering residues with HEPA filtered vacuums and smooth and otherwise make ready surfaces for restoration by you or your contractor. SERVPRO will restore the air quality in your home to a healthy state.

SERVPRO encourages you to correct any issues with your the sprinkler system to prevent new damage. Adjustment to spray patterns and a check beneath ground level may do the trick to keep excess water away from your home and the waiting mold spores.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is ready to help you recover from mold growth traced to a landscape sprinkler system gone awry. If you need mold damage remediation contact us at (402) 800-2134 to schedule an evaluation.

Click here for more information on the city of Bennington.

Clearing The Mold Damage From Your Elkhorn Home

7/26/2018 (Permalink)

Call the Professionals from SERVPRO for Mold Remediation in Elkhorn

Rely on SERVPRO to Restore Your Home in Elkhorn with Professional Mold Remediation

Dealing with microbial growth such as mold in your Elkhorn home is a job for professionals. Taking the appropriate steps to test for the quantity and type of mold, and then to prevent it from spreading while removing existing colonies requires proper training, professional quality products, and specialized equipment. We have the resources required to remediate mold outbreaks and provide a cleared and sanitized environment for renovations, repairs, or redecoration.
 
Our remediation team arrives at your Elkhorn residence ready to contain and remove the mold damage. The team can delineate zones to help us manage the work projects, using heavy-duty plastic sheeting and HEPA negative pressure air technology to filter any airborne spores and debris and prevent it from escaping to affect other areas of your home.
 
SERVPRO crews wear personal protective equipment in the work zones for safety and containment reasons. Tools such as scrapers, brushes, sanders, and sponges loosen the mold from surfaces. As we move from surface to surface, continual evaluation helps us determine whether we can adequately clean and sanitize porous structures.
 
We bag any materials that must be removed from the containment area for proper disposal per local codes. SERVPRO uses EPA registered antimicrobials to treat the cleaned surfaces with the goal of inhibiting future mold growth. Dust and debris stirred up by our efforts are captured with a HEPA-filtered vacuum. After the cleaning, we again check for mold. Only then can the containment system be disassembled and removed, and the space reoccupied.

Our mission is to leave your premises clean and sanitized, ready for repainting, repairing, and any restoration you may plan on your own or with another contractor. The techniques and products we use are effective, and you can rely on our meticulous and professional approach to remediation.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is a tried and true solution when you need mold remediation for damage to your residence. Call (402) 800-2134

Click here for data on this NE city

Remediating Mold Damage in Your Elkhorn Garage Protects the Rest of Your Home

6/18/2018 (Permalink)

Moisture can enter your garage and cause mold damage that the professionals at SERVPRO can remediate.

Protect your garage and home from mold damage

Microbes exist in Elkhorn homes from top to bottom, including inside the garage. The construction of the garage can allow the correct conditions for the overpopulation of microbes to develop rather easily. When your garage becomes a victim of these damaging microorganisms, dark corners might harbor more than just a lack of lighting.

Elkhorn residents should also check their garages for mold damage. Although mold that grows in this area of the house is much less likely to cause health effects to occupants than mold growing in other areas of the home, experts still recommend homeowners contact a professional remediation company to handle the situation. SERVPRO efficiently remediates mold from a variety of homes in different styles and sizes. No job is ever too large, nor too small for our expert technicians.

Garages often contain much less insulation in comparison to other areas of the same residence. The lack of insulating material in the exterior walls can permit cold and heat to affect the amount of moisture condensing on surfaces. It can also permit mold to enter into adjacent rooms whenever open spaces exist, such as around switch plates and wall outlets.

Attached garages often provide a more direct avenue for microbes to enter into your home's living space. Once inside, spreading out and colonizing in numerous areas can affect your home occurring within 24 to 48 hours. Small in size at first, these can become noticeable soon, all while damaging your home's structure. Belongings can also suffer significantly, as many items contain the organic compounds needed by microbes for their steady growth. Books, many clothing items, leather and suede, and even some plastics fall into this category.

SERVPRO Professionals can perform remediation of your garage and ensure that mold never spreads to the inside of your home's living space. While we perform the work in your home's garage, we also check the interior of your home to ensure that no areas contain concentrated moisture. Locations such as this contain microbial growth at higher rates than non-saturated areas.

Wherever mold damage occurs in your home, we at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest can restore your home to its preloss condition, making it "Like it never even happened." Our service line number, (402) 800-2134, is local to Waterloo, Inglewood, and Bennington, helping ensure that residents can always reach us when needed.

Click here for data on Elkhorn, NE

Ice Dams And Frozen Pipes Can Be A Cause Of Mold Damage In Elkhorn

3/29/2018 (Permalink)

Need Mold Remediation for a Home in Elkhorn? Look No Further than SERVPRO, Local and Ready to Help

In the Spring, Thaws and Rains Invite Mold Infestations

Temperature extremes during the colder months can cause many different water-intrusion problems in the Elkhorn area. Mold issues can surprise residents as most water appears frozen solid at this time of the year. Neglecting the possibility of water leakage during the winter can lead to mold growth in some spaces in a home. Professional mold remediation is the answer for the damage.
 
In an Elkhorn residence, mold damage occurs when moisture activates the mold spores that are consistently present in the air or on surfaces. During the chillier times of the year, certain forces conspire to provide the perfect environment for fungal growth. A highly-qualified mold remediation company understands the dynamics that change exterior below-freezing temperatures and frozen precipitation into the liquid water feeding a burgeoning mold colony.
 
SERVPRO technicians responding to mold growth in an attic or top floor frequently find evidence of ice dams. Gutters and eaves are vulnerable to ice dams and the seepage and leaking into home interiors that follows. If drain spouts clog with leaves, sticks, and other debris, water catches in gutters and freezes. Most gutters are adjacent to the eaves and soffits edging a roof. As the frozen water expands, it pushes under loose flashings and shingles. Warm air rising along poorly or uninsulated walls and framing melts the ice causing it to soak building materials. Mold has then both now, water and an organic surface upon which to flourish.
 
Water supply and drain pipes on or near exterior walls, in foundations, or crawl spaces sometimes freeze, resulting in cracks or breaks in plumbing, sending moisture to saturate structural components and personal belongings. SERVPRO mold remediation crews make the connection when called to abate microbial growth and damage in these areas.
 
Mold remediation requires adherence to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protocols. Trained SERVPRO technicians contain the mold using physical barriers and often negative pressure air scrubbers to prevent the spread of the microbes. They remove and bag the moldy materials, disposing of the collected substances. HEPA filtered vacuums and antimicrobial treatment remove any debris and inhibit future mold damage.
 
For the abatement efforts of the SERVPRO team to work long term, the conditions causing water to leak inside a home during the winter must also be eliminated. Gutters and drains need repair and insulation, and interior ceilings need evaluation. Frozen plumbing requires replacement, and outdoor faucets should be winterized each autumn.
 
SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest offers EPA approved training for its mold remediation teams, the highest industry standard. Call (402) 800-2134 for a mold damage evaluation any season of the year.

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Roof Wearing can Lead to Mold Damage in Your Elkhorn Home

2/25/2018 (Permalink)

Your worn roof is already costing you money in heating the home. The damage can also cause water and snow to seep through. Contact SERVPRO right away.

SERVPRO Technicians Quickly Identify the Cause of the Mold Infestation Before Remediating

Your Elkhorn home may have seen quite a lot of severe winter weather over the years. While structurally it may still be doing its job keeping out the elements, the roof is bound to wear down over time. The trouble with roof wear is that it rarely breaks down and erodes evenly, which can leave some areas more damaged than others. The irregularity can present several immediate issues, but it can also allow for lingering concerns if the structural damage does not get repaired.
 
Worn areas of the roof can allow heat to escape through the attic. While this can be a costly problem regarding keeping your home heated, it can also allow the snow on your roof to melt irregularly, causing an uneven weight distribution that can result in weakening the roof structure over time. Water can also seep through the shingles and the backing material to saturate your attic area. This can cause both water damage and mold in the attic of your Elkhorn home.
 
There are plenty of websites that would suggest that mold is something that you can remove on your own with simple DIY fixes. The trouble with this, is most people do not have the appropriate equipment to remove the mold entirely or to prevent mold spores from spreading throughout the home. The best solution for you is to call a firm with IICRC certified technicians, like our SERVPRO team.
 
Our experienced staff is trained in the varieties of fungal growth and learn strategies to remove colonies successfully. Once we have received the protocol from a certified industrial hygienist, we normally begin the job by sectioning off the affected area in a negative air chamber to prevent the spread of spores into other areas of your home. High-efficiency air scrubbers with HEPA filtration are employed, which are powerful and fine enough to remove 99.99% of mold spore and other contaminates down to .3 microns in size from the air.
 
While this is just a small piece of our complete remediation process, our SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest team is ready for any level of emergency that you might have. Give our remediation specialists a call today at (402) 800-2134.

For more information regarding Elkhorn, click here.

Tackling Mold Damage in Elkhorn

1/12/2018 (Permalink)

Finding mold in your home need not cause a panic. Contact SERVPRO and have our trained technicians investigate the extent of the infestation.

Our Technicians are Experts in Remediating Mold and Preventing Constant Recurrences

Mold spore is a common element of dust in every Elkhorn home. The spore can remain in an inert state almost indefinitely, until it comes into contact with enough moisture to allow it to 'sprout' and grow, seeking a food source and further sources of water.
 
To stop the growth and remove mold damage in Elkhorn homes, SERVPRO carefully follows the guidelines developed by the Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). The IICRC gridlines are based on the specifications developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for schools but are also applicable to private homes and apartment buildings. For mold remediation, there are key steps that we have adopted for our residential customers.
 
First, we must contain the affected area by constructing an airtight barrier around it.  We then set up negative air pressure within the containment area to prevent the spread of mold throughout the building.  

Once the affected area is contained, drying and removing non-salvageable materials can begin.  Mold cannot be safely removed from porous materials such as drywall, insulation, and carpet, so these types of materials must usually be discarded. Some salvageable items must be removed and cleaned off-site, at our facility. Depending on the type of item, technicians can wipe down the surface with a dry sponge or cloth. For thicker layers of mold, we use either water or a mild anti-fungal cleaner to loosen the mold and remove it.

Upholstered furniture can be difficult to clean.  It requires a stronger cleaning agent and a way to agitate both the cleaner and the surface of the fabric to remove the mold. In most cases, SERVPRO technicians can still clean these sofas or upholstered chairs in the home.
 
The items we removed from the home require immersion to clean them. For mold this thick, we take the item, such as window blinds, and place them inside a tank of cleaning agent. This method is effective, but not recommended when there is a risk of color run.
 
As team members clean salvageable property, others dispose of items too infested to be cleaned. We carefully bag or otherwise cover the items and remove them from the home.
 
Stopping and cleaning mold in your home is not an easy task, but at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest, we do our best to make it as simple, quick and painless as possible. If you suspect or see mold in your home, call us today at (402) 800-2134 to schedule an appointment.

For more information regarding Elkhorn, click here.

Should You Search For Mold Damage To Your Omaha Home This Fall?

10/9/2017 (Permalink)

Your air conditioning system can cause water to enter your home and help cause a mold infestation. If you suspect that this occurred, contact SERVPRO.

SERVPRO can Quickly Assess Actual and Potential Damage to Several Areas of Your Home Before the Weather Gets Colder

Many homeowners line up a number of tasks to clean and maintain their homes as the nights grow chill. Managing problems before they become serious makes sense and autumn is the perfect time to inspect your Omaha home for areas showing signs of water intrusion and the mold growth that may follow.
 
Finding and remediating mold damage in Omaha before winter ensures susceptible residents avoid the health effects caused by microbial growth that may spread throughout indoor residential spaces when windows and doors close tight against the elements. Looking for potential mold damage before the heating season makes sense.

One of the most important places to check for mold growth is within your HVAC system. The vents and blowers that have been idle during the milder days of early fall should not be operated until you are sure no mold colonies live inside. Heating systems located in a damp basement can spread mold spore quickly throughout your dwelling when the fan is turned on. If you smell a musty odor near your HVAC intake vents, you may need to have your HVAC system cleaned by an air conditioning professional.
 
Another area that may harbor mold, especially after the summer's rain and hail storms, is the upper levels of your home. Checking your attic or rooms that you don't frequently visit before engaging your heating system in the colder months can help prevent the spread of microbes throughout your home. A musty smell may warrant professional assessment as microbial growth does not need light and may be hiding in attics, plenums or other inaccessible areas of your home.
 
Mold is also common around AC units, where condensate drains can become blocked and cause accumulation of moisture. Poorly insulated walls or single pane windows can encourage condensation when the cold air encountered hot, humid summer outdoor conditions. This can include high ambient humidity and condensation. We offer proven strategies to reduce the water content in the air and on surfaces to shut down mold reproduction. Then we use EPA approved procedures to contain and remove moldy materials before sanitizing the affected areas with effective antimicrobial agents.
 
Move into the fall and winter confident that mold damage in your home is abated successfully through the efforts of SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest’s remediation teams. Call (402) 800-2134 to schedule an evaluation of your mold damage risk.

For more information regarding Omaha, click here

How To Handle Mold Damaged Personal Belongings In Omaha

8/2/2017 (Permalink)

The tiny mold spores also find their way onto furniture, rugs, carpeting, clothing, books, boxes, papers, and more.

How To Handle Mold Damage

Mold does not limit its growth only to the structure of a home. The tiny mold spores also find their way onto furniture, rugs, carpeting, clothing, books, boxes, papers, and more. If moisture is present when they come to rest on any such organic material or cellulosic fiber, fungi can begin to grow and multiply rapidly.  SERVPRO technicians use proven strategies to remediate mold wherever they find it.

In a typical scenario, a leaky roof goes unnoticed until mold damage caused in the closet of your Omaha home’s master suite signals the problem. The drywall and ceilings absorbed rainwater over a period, allowing mold to grow not only on the building materials but also on the clothing hanging and stored in drawers and boxes. Drips of water and the excess humidity caused by the soaked framework of the closet is enough to start a chain reaction, and soon almost every piece of clothing in the whole wardrobe smells moldy. The restoration company you engage needs to be familiar with the challenges of removing mold from all types of your belongings to achieve complete recovery.

The project manager and crew assigned to your job by SERVPRO have the experience and the know-how to create a plan to save as much of your property as possible. Different materials require different approaches. Washable clothing responds well to various additives with the hottest water the fabric can withstand. Dry cleaning can also neutralize mold with the heat used during processing. Hanging clothing out in the sun and being scrupulous about drying the loads completely after treatment is also keys to mold abatement.

Expect SERVPRO, to be honest about the chances of restoring items that do not respond well to laundering or dry cleaning. At the conclusion of their mold remediation job, only those materials they feel are mold free should remain in your home. Any items that retain even a minuscule amount of moldy residue can quickly re-contaminate the surrounding area and contents. Rely on the SERVPRO Team to advise about articles to keep and those to throw away.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest earns the trust of new customers every day with the highly qualified and trained technicians who are the face of this company. Call (402) 800-2134 for a mold consultation with one of their experts.

Click here for more about Omaha.

Mold Remediation -- Not A DIY Endeavor

7/18/2017 (Permalink)

Bleach may remove small patches of mold from non-porous surfaces, but it is not considered an effective remediation product for large mold issues.

Many homeowners want to handle minor maintenance and damage repair themselves. It is understandable to approach minor problems in this way, as an attempt to save money and limit the amount of time any part of your home is unavailable. However, when your DIY effort is a mold remediation, calling the restoration professionals at SERVPRO will likely prove safer and more cost effective in the long run.

Picture, if you will, a clogged condensate drain line on your home air conditioner that has resulted in gradually saturating an inside wall under a discharge vent, creating a mold damage crisis in your Omaha house (this is a common cause of mold damage in Omaha homes and businesses). The wall was obstructed from your view by curtains and a table pushed under the window, so the mold went undetected until you noticed a musty odor. Tempted to handle the remediation yourself, you discuss it with your spouse and discover a disagreement. Like your spouse, we urge homeowners to consult with one of our mold specialists rather than trying to manage mold because of the complexity and importance of successful remediation.

The lay person often believes a judicious application of diluted chlorine bleach is the answer to a mold infestation. Our highly-trained staff knows differently, based upon advanced classes and certifications in the ways mold spores activate, feed, and grow. SERVPRO remediation teams use the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) protocol of containment, removal, and disposal of active colonies, and then disinfection of restorable materials.

After completion of those steps, our SERVPRO crew ensures the source of moisture is eliminated. Mold spores are everywhere, so a firm that makes the dubious claim that it gets rid of mold entirely may be untrustworthy. We understand that the key to limiting mold growth is straightforward, although sometimes a challenge to accomplish. To prevent mold from coming back, the spore count must be held to a minimum, and they cannot be exposed to water, period.

Bleach may remove small patches of mold from non-porous surfaces, but it is not considered an effective remediation product for significant colonies, especially on porous materials. The bleach misconception lies in the chemical composition of liquid bleach and the way it works in that solution. Water composes more than 90 percent of most household bleach products before dilution, and obviously more after mixing. The ionic structure of bleach impedes it from absorbing into porous materials, yet the water in the solution penetrates deeply. Ironically, this feeds the very mold you are trying to destroy. Some antimicrobials do incapacitate the growth of mold even in porous materials, and SERVPRO mold remediators are experts in their use.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

For effective mold remediation, work with the professionals at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest. Call for a mold inspection and implementation of and EPA protocol-based plan at (402) 800-2134.

For more information regarding the city of Omaha, click here.

SERVPRO Proudly Offers Assistance to Our Blair Neighbors

5/11/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Proudly Helps Our Omaha Area Neighbors in Personal and Property Issues

Omaha Area Accident Victim Gets Help from SERVPRO

As Maggie Alvarado, a SERVPRO Sales & Marketing Representative was visiting clients and prospects she came upon an accident involving a semi-truck and a wheelchair-bound individual. Maggie received emergency response training while she was aboard the USS Nimitz during her stint in the Navy. She immediately pulled off the side of the road and was ready to assistance the injured woman.

The driver of the semi-truck was already on the phone calling 911, but even though our team member has certifications in several SERVPRO training programs, she utilized her other talents. Maggie is newly trained in First Aid, CPR, and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and swiftly brought her skills into play.  The 64-year old accident victim from Blair was conscious, but bleeding from her head. Maggie carefully assisted the woman from the damaged and bent wheelchair onto the grass where she ascertained that there were no life-threatening injuries.

The woman's head was cleaned with water that Maggie had retrieved from her Green SERVPRO vehicle visible on the right side of the photograph. The bleeding from the head lacerations was stopped, and a neighbor brought a lawn chair to make the hurt local more comfortable. Our Rep continued to comfort the woman until the EMT arrived. Maggie then brought them up to speed on what she had done to remove the victim from the electric-powered wheelchair, secure her safety and clean her wounds. She informed the first responders of medical issues and medications taken by our hurt neighbor.

Maggie was extremely happy to help a neighbor who was in need of help. She was particularly excited about putting her newly acquired talents to work. She represents what SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest is all about. We strive to offer great service to our customers' homes and businesses after damaging events caused by fire, mold, and water. We proudly look out for our Omaha area communities in any way we can. If you find your property in need of cleanup and restoration give Maggie a call at (402) 800-2134.

Avoid Mold Damage in Omaha With Proper Maintenance

4/6/2017 (Permalink)

Air conditioning ducts can quickly spread mold. Call SERVPRO to investigate if the ducts in your home harbor mold particles.

Servicing Air Conditioning Systems on a Regular Basis Can Help Prevent the Spread of Mold

Springtime is a busy time for most households. Inspecting and repairing heating and cooling systems is a crucial step in maintaining your home, but is often a neglected task. When the weather warms, and the air conditioning begins operation, failure to tune-up your central air or window units makes itself known with mold growth. The SERVPRO remediation team responds quickly when this need arises.
 
Air conditioning is all about moisture. Removing warm, humid air and replacing it with cooler, drier air within your home is the simple explanation of how AC works. Inadequate drainage of the water condensed during the process leads to the risk of mold damage. Omaha homeowners, surprised by how common this link is, find relief from the consequences when our remediation team arrives.
 
Mold is opportunistic, always present in the form of spores in the typical home, waiting for water to grow. If your cooling system is in need of cleaning, especially within the tubes and hoses that carry condensed moisture for disposal, a buildup of water is the perfect breeding ground for microbes. SERVPRO knows each system is differently configured, but all cause excess water to drip, seep, or otherwise leak down walls, into windowsills, or onto floors. Carpeting and upholstery wick up the moisture and then contain all that is needed for growth. Once we are at your home, we take a close look at the problem and plan the cleanup.
 
Mold remediation experts follow an EPA-defined set of steps to contain and remove the mold growth due to air conditioner malfunction. We clean and dry drywall, wood, and flooring affected, replacing areas that appear infiltrated with mold. A thorough cleaning and disinfection are then in order, including the replacement of filters and cracked hoses in the air conditioner itself. Furnishings that stand up to washing, like curtains, survive to be used again. Saturated furniture and floor coverings may be dispatched to the landfill because the mold persists.
 
If your central air conditioning is the source of the water, an intensive examination of the ductwork, with proper cleaning and possible sealing of unreachable areas may be required by a competent HVAC technician. Once all the machinery is reassembled, the air conditioners resume their jobs, ironically a tool in your collection to keep humidity levels low to avoid further mold growth.
 
Next Fall, take the time to clean and maintain the AC to limit microbial growth while you call SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest this spring and summer if mold arrives soon after this season's cooling begins. Our dispatchers respond 24/7 at (402) 800-2134.

Recovering from Mold Damage in Omaha

2/9/2017 (Permalink)

Mold Remediation in Omaha by SERVPRO Eliminates Musty Odors

Your Omaha Home Gets Freed from Mold Odors with SERVPRO's Help

Mold often produces a distinctive scent that many describe as a 'smelly odor' that rarely goes away. This odor might decrease when the humidity decreases or the temperature is cooler, but mold's smell never really goes away. Spores from growing mold are often released, and it is the chemicals that these spores carry with them that can cause an otherwise very clean home to have a musty smell.

Your Omaha home can develop mold damage when moisture levels are high enough to support mold colonies. Fungi require a steady supply of moisture to continue to grow, and SERVPRO crews use this to find where mold is lurking in your home. Our fully trained applied microbial remediation technicians use building moisture thermography (BMT) to detect higher levels of moisture that could be a source of water for mold. Not every area that has greater than normal levels of moisture has mold, but drier areas are much less likely to be able to support living mold colonies.

Removing drywall and other materials from your home that have been damaged by mold is part of the remediation process. Sometimes, replacement of these materials with new materials is sufficient, but other items can be cleaned and then returned. Reinstalling elements and furnishings that have been cleaned and sanitized is typically less expensive than replacing those same items, but this is not always the case.
 
Carpeting is one type of material in your home that needs to be examined before deciding to replace or restore. Changing your carpeting when remediating mold can be a low-cost way to remodel areas of your home. It 's hard to remove mold and spores from carpeting because of the fibrous nature of the carpeting and its backing in cases of severe infestations. Padding itself presents a challenge. Carpeting is very prone to stretching when being cleaned, and this can be very apparent when the carpeting is reinstalled. Our Carpet Repair and Reinstallation Technician (RRT) can assist in this area to ensure you receive the best results.

Other types of flooring can often be restored more easily than carpeting. Wood floors can be sanded and resealed. Our technicians can clean linoleum floors when the damage is not extensive, and then reglue. We typically advise the homeowner to start with a fresh floor covering. SERVPRO knows that every part of your home is important, and we make sure that every area where mold exists in your home is remediated. We easily and accurately locate where water may be entering into your home and causing problems so that we eliminate future problems before they begin.

Calling SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest at (402) 800-2134 when you are tired of experiencing a musty odor. We can end your mold damage problems. We are always ready to take your call, day or night.

Remediation of Mold Damage to Books

1/9/2017 (Permalink)

Since humidity is one of the main sources of water-soaked books and damage, it’s important to keep your books in an area that is cool and dry.

Books Can Also Receive Mold Remediation

The process of restoring a book that has been damaged by water and has mold growing because of it can be time-consuming, costly and complicated. Even though you probably don’t have first edition copies of historical texts like some libraries and other institutions have, a favorite book or old family photo album can be just as important to you. Therefore, you will want to hire a professional mold remediation company like SERVPRO if this happens to your precious books.

Only professional mold remediation services in Omaha can properly determine the extent of the water and mold damage your books have gone through, and which drying technique is most appropriate. There are, however, a few simple steps which you can take right after the disaster which will lower the risk of permanent damage to your books.

Since humidity is one of the main sources of water-soaked books and persistent damage, it’s very important to keep your books in an area that is cool and dry. If necessary during especially humid times of the year, dehumidifiers are a good option, as well as opening some windows in the area after water damage has occurred to prevent mold damage.

The actual salvaging and drying process should always, of course, be left to our professionals at SERVPRO. Our restoration specialists have state-of-the-art technologies and drying techniques which we use that will be more effective every time than anything you can do yourself.

The best technology that is available today comes in the form of desiccant air dry distribution systems. This will lower humidity in the area for drying, letting more water trapped in the books evaporate. These services are quite valuable, as they may even allow you to access your books during the drying process if needed.
Another valuable technique we can use to recover your mold damaged books is freeze-drying. In a vacuum-freeze system, pressure is evenly distributed around the drying book, which reduces warping, keeping the original look and feel of the books, and making sure that future damage does not set in.

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Mold can be very destructive when it has a chance to set into your books. You want to call us immediately at SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest if moisture has gotten to your books and created a mold problem. We can be reached any time that you need us when you dial (402) 800-2134.

Arson and Vandalism

11/16/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO provides general cleaning and deodorization services for situations resulting from vandalism. This includes graffiti, egg residue, spoiled foods and human/animal waste. In any of these situations we would suggest with our Do's and Dont's, to hose or was egg or other residue damage from the building exterior as soon as possible. Also save some of the ingredients of the product used in the vandalism in a container of your choice, and save all recordings from home security systems or any photographs you may have when possible. DO NOT attempt to remove ink, paint or cosmetic stains. If you are unsure of any situations you are always welcome to contact SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest with any questions as to your situation because we "go out there and care!"

Emergency Readiness

11/14/2016 (Permalink)

Is your business Ready? With SERVPRO's Emergency Ready Profile (ERP) you can make your business ready. The ERP is at no cost to you, and it's a guide to help you get your business back and ready to go after any disaster. It provides the critical information needed to begin mitigation and recovery services. It's considered a quick reference of all your building and contact information. With this plan you minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action, knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is key to timely mitigation and how water or fire damage can affect your business. SERVPRO is a leader in water and fire damage response and can help you quickly get your property back in working order. Don't hesitate just contact to set an appointment to get your free ERP.