Commercial Restoration

4/10/2023 (Permalink)

Pottstown Hospital, water damage

There are many commercial buildings that SERVPRO® Of Pottstown/Soudertown services including Hospitals and Urgent Care facilities. We are not your local mom and pop shops even though we are independently owned and operated. 

We have the backing of an entire franchise system to be able to assist you in your need of time. Our disaster recovery team along with our storm teams are ready to respond and any moment. We service our local community from Pottstown, 19464 to Soudertown, 18964, and everywhere in between. Did your business suffer a fire or water loss? We can help by Utilizing our state-of-the-art equipment! is your building full of mold? We've got that covered as well. Was there a Bio-hazard or trauma that occurred? We strive to provide the best customer service no matter how large or small the job is. We're here for our neighbors 24/7, 365.

Give us a call today 610-327-9644

Why Do I Need to Check My Smoke Alarm?

4/6/2023 (Permalink)

Melted smoke detector from fire

Do I need smoke alarms?

A properly functioning smoke alarm can more than double your family's chances of surviving a fire. 

*Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. In addition, also install a smoke detector in every sleeping area.

*If a family member is hearing impaired, install smoke detector alarms that have a light, flashing light or some other visual aid when the detector is activated.

*Install smoke detector alarms that have a bright light in hallways, stairs and by exit doors to safely and rapidly guide family members out of the structure.

*Test all smoke detector alarms on a monthly basis.

*It is very important to always have fresh batteries in all your smoke detector alarms.

*Change the smoke detector alarm batteries two twice a year. A good rule of thumb to follow: change your clocks, change your smoke detector alarm batteries. 

*Smoke detector alarms due have an expiration date! The typical household smoke alarm has a working lifespan of 10 years. If the alarm has CO detector, the lifespan is about 5 to 7 years. A manufacturing date of the detector should be printed on the back plate of the alarm.

*In case of a fire, always have a preplanned / predetermined outside meeting spot for all household members to meet for a headcount. 

Fire safety tips from:

SERVPRO of Pottstown / Souderton

Tree falls into home

4/3/2023 (Permalink)

Tree fell on this house during a storm causing major roof damage.

Cold weather can have a huge impact on your home or business if you are not properly prepared. To help prevent costly damages due to bad weather, consider taking the following precautions to protect your property.  

Check your property for downed tree limbs and branches. Heavy rain, ice, wind, and snow can cause tree branches to fall which could cause damages to your home or business.

Roofs, downspouts and gutters should all be inspected to ensure they are safe and in proper working order. 

You should always inspect your property, especially walkways and parking lots, for proper drainage to alleviate flood hazards potential. 

Contact us day or night if you determine that your home or business requires our services. We are always here to help. We are open for emergencies 24 hours 7 days a week.

What Size Gutter Do I Need on My House?

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

How to determine the proper gutter size for your home or business

How many of you know if you have the proper size gutter? SERVPRO of Pottstown/Souderton put together this handy guide on gutters.

5 inch K-style gutters or 6-inch half-rounds, are able to handle the rainfall on most houses in most parts of the country.

But houses with big, steep roofs or those located in heavy rainfall areas with heavy downpours may need wider gutters and extra downspouts to keep rainwater from overflowing.

First, you'll need to calculate the square footage of the gutter's drainage area. For a gable-end roof, you'll only need to make 2 calculations, one for each slope. Intersecting roofs have multiple facets. For those you'll need to add up the area (length x width) of each surface within a drainage area to get the total square footage. Contact a home improvement expert to offer help and advice so you don't have water damage. Always make sure down spouts are directed far enough away from the foundation to prevent water damage

We do it all!

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

One of our Crew Chiefs using a fogger.

Here at SERVPRO of Pottstown/Souderton not only do we do fire and water restoration, but all types of cleaning as well. We do soot, mold, bio-hazard, carpet, upholstery, and all flooring. We use many different chemicals and techniques in order to get the truest clean and the best odor removal. We have the best completely plant based, organic cleaners and we also utilize ozone to get the property clean and smelling great! There was a job we did in an apartment building in Collegeville, for a foul odor in one of the apartments. We ozoned the property for 24 hours and she had a fresh-smelling apartment. It's just one of the many things we do here at SERVPRO.

Fire Damage

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

Basement Fire

The national fire protection association recommends that smoke detectors be installed in every bedroom, and outside of all sleeping quarters and on every level of the house. Smoke alarms work best when they are combined with a fire evacuation route that allows your family or customers a way to safety. Smoke detectors should be on every level of the home including the basement. They should be installed away from the kitchen to prevent false alarms and at least 10 feet from all appliances. Test your detectors at least once per month by using the test button at the bottom of every smoke detector. If it begins to randomly chirp change the batteries immediately. Smoke detectors are only good for ten years after that they need to be replaced. If you sleep with your doors closed at night it can help prevent further damage to the bedrooms, and save lives.

Bursting Pipes Have Businesses Feeling Pressure from Freezing Water

2/9/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Pottstown offers a FREE, customized Emergency Ready Plan to Local Businesses

(Pottstown, PA – February 2023) Anyone who has taken fourth grade science will tell you, heat causes matter to expand while cold makes it contract. Unfortunately, there is one very important exception to this rule that we are reminded of each winter.

At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water begins to freeze. When water freezes, it actually expands… nine percent in volume. As a result, an ice blockage may form, and pressure builds in the water pipes causing them to crack and break.

Most of these problems go undetected until temperatures rise, and blockages melt. Once the restored waterflow rushes against the still-frozen areas within the pipe it pries apart small fissures in the material until water escapes causing damage to property and belongings.

For many businesses, down time resulting from water damage could be the tipping point of having their doors closed forever. That’s why SERVPRO of Pottstown/Souderton is offering its expertise to local businesses to develop a free Emergency Ready Plan (ERP).

Emergency Ready Plan (ERP)

When disaster strikes, whether it is a flood, fire, or mold, a business having a plan in place will make all the difference in determining whether it survives. SERVPRO’s ERP will minimize interruption because employees will know what to do and what to expect should any-sized disaster strike.

“Having an ERP is important to timely mitigation and can help minimize how water and fire damage can affect your business,” said Ed Lachowicz, owner of SERVPRO of Pottstown/Souderton. “A SERVPRO expert will create a concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency to get businesses back on track fast.”

There are many benefits to having this no-cost assessment completed, including:

• Having a easy-to-implement guide will help get staff get back into their building following a disaster and minimize downtime.
• Identifying a chain of command for authorizing work to begin, saving time and money to being mitigation.
• Providing facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas, and priority contact information.
• It makes the processes of filing insurance claims easier with SERVPRO navigating the process and coordinating the necessary paperwork for a quicker, easier experience.

If you would like a SERVPRO of Pottstown/Souderton expert conduct a free Emergency Ready Plan for your business, call 610-447-4637 to schedule an appointment. If you have an emergency and need immediate help, SERVPRO offers 24 hour service, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.

About SERVPRO of Pottstown/Souderton Founded in 1967, the SERVPRO franchise system is a leader and provider of fire and water cleanup and restoration services, and mold mitigation and remediation. SERVPRO’s professional services network of more than 2,100 individually owned and operated Franchises responds to property damage emergencies ranging from small individual disasters to multi-million dollar large-loss events. Providing coverage in the United States and Canada, the SERVPRO System has established relationships with major insurance companies and commercial clients, as well as individual homeowners.

How to Prepare Your Home for Natural Disasters

7/29/2022 (Permalink)

How to Prepare Your Home for Natural Disasters

Your home is a central aspect of your life. It is your own personal space that you share with your loved ones, such as your parents, siblings, spouse, or children. Your home is where most of your dearest memories are made and you probably want to protect it forever.

However, natural disasters are common. They can wipe away all the memories you have made in your beautiful home in a split second if you are not adequately prepared for the disaster.

Preparing for a Hurricane

One natural disaster that combines many different disasters is a dangerous hurricane. It can bring heavy rainfall, winds that are faster than 150 MPH, extreme thunderstorms, and even flash floods in areas that are near the coastline.

In the US, hurricanes are especially common between June to November and it is important to prepare for them accordingly.

Hazards of a Hurricane

When a hurricane hits your area, there are many hazards that you need to look out and prepare for. These include

1. Storms: A dangerous storm can affect both human life and property in just a few minutes. In the surge of a hurricane, ocean water is pushed towards the coast. When combined with the high, swirling winds, such storms can cause major damage to the structure of your home.
2. 2. Winds: Hurricanes don’t have normal winds. Instead, the wind is as fast as 150 MPH and has a swirling direction. This can easily destroy entire buildings or cause irreparable damage to the foundational structure of the building.
3. Heavy Rainfall and Floods: When a hurricane hits, it is accompanied by tropical storms that can bring rainfall of more than 6 inches. As the water builds, there can be flash flooding in low-lying coastal areas. This is extremely dangerous for people who live in the inlands, especially because they may not have sufficient time to evacuate in such situations.

Hurricane and Natural Disaster Preparation Guidelines

Here are a few things you can do beforehand in order to minimize the damage caused by hurricanes or other natural disasters in your area:

1. Assess Your Home

Before you start taking any precautions to prepare for a hurricane, it is important to first analyze the risks of your own home. You can check with contractors or damage repair companies to ask whether the foundational structure and landscaping of your home will be able to survive heavy winds and storms. After the inspection, you may be required to have a few repairs made in your home to make the structure sturdier.

2. Removal of Debris and Garbage

Since storms and hurricanes come with intense winds, it is important to remove any dead trees or garbage material such as logs of wood that could be blown into your house due to extreme wind pressure.

3. Make an Evacuation Plan and Kit

If you live in a low-lying coastal area, it is important to have an evacuation plan in place that all of your family members are aware of. Apart from the plan, you also need to prepare a kit that must be equipped with food and water supplies, essential medication, a first-aid kit, and a battery-powered flashlight.

How Can SERVPRO Cleaning Services Help Your Business Become More Efficient

6/17/2022 (Permalink)

How Can SERVPRO Cleaning Services Help Your Business Become More Efficient

Every business is looking for ways to become more efficient. It's a good idea to take care of the little details so that you can spend your time on what matters most: running and growing your business! One way to help with this is by outsourcing certain services, such as cleaning - for example, SERVPRO Cleaning Services. We offer many different cleaning services tailored to meet the needs of any business, from janitorial services and carpet cleaners to upholstery cleaning or window washing. But can such services help your business become more efficient? Well, the answer is actually YES! They can.

A Cleaner Workplace Will Make Employees More Productive

A clean and well-maintained work environment is proven to boost morale and keep employees happy, which leads them to be more productive. Employees will feel better about coming into the office if their desks are tidy and they don't have to worry about clogged drains or dirty bathrooms!

A Cleaner Workplace Will Make Your Business Look More Professional

All of your customers meet you at your place of business - whether it's a restaurant, retail store, hotel, etc. You want those people who come in contact with your company every day (your customer service staff) as well as potential new customers (those visiting for the first time), to experience an inviting atmosphere that makes a good impression on them. From receptionists greeting guests with a smile and a 'how may we help you?' to having clean carpets, updated bathrooms and tidy work spaces.

It Will Increase the Retention Rate of the Employees

When employees have to work in a less-than-sanitary environment, they're more likely to get sick and take off from work. Compared with companies that invest in services such as janitorial or floor cleaning, the ones who don't are going to lose their best people much faster than those who do. Employees want to feel appreciated by employers! By offering them a clean workspace where they can focus on what's important without worrying about being distracted by dirty bathrooms or cluttered desks is one way of showing your appreciation for them.

Your Employees Will Stay Healthy So There Will Be Low Absentees

When employees stay healthy and come to work, they're more productive. By providing them with a clean workspace that is free of hazardous germs like viruses or bacteria found on dirty floors and doorknobs as well as unhygienic bathrooms where they can stop by after lunch without worrying about catching the stomach flu from their co-workers, you'll keep your best people happy and coming back day in and day out!

More Clients Will Be Attracted To Your Business

A professional-looking office that's free of clutter and is kept in good condition will make your business more pleasant for employees, which makes it a comfortable environment to work in. A clean workspace with updated fixtures helps customers feel welcome, so they'll be happier about coming back if they have had positive experiences previously. When you combine all these benefits together, what do you get? An efficient workplace that boosts morale throughout the company as well as being presentable to potential new clients!

Five Steps to Fire Restoration the Best Practices

6/17/2022 (Permalink)

Five Steps to Fire Restoration the Best Practices

Fire restoration is a process that can take weeks or months to complete. That's why it's important to have the right fire restoration professionals on your side from the beginning of the process. Here are five steps for getting started with fire restoration

1. Assess any damages before moving anything, and then contact a professional team to help you remove debris and secure damaged materials.

 The first step is to assess the damage caused by the fire. You may be tempted to try and move or clean up damaged items yourself, but this can damage even more of your property. The right restoration professionals know how to move things safely, and they will have the proper equipment.

2. Remove smoke damage by cleaning walls, ceilings, furniture, carpets, drapes and other items using specialized products designed for this purpose.

 The second step in fire restoration is removing smoke damage. This can be done by using a water-based cleaner to remove soot from walls, ceilings and any other surrounding surfaces. You must also clean all fabrics thoroughly, including furniture, carpets and curtains.

3. Clean out all vents and ducts in your home or business as soon as possible after a fire has occurred

 The third step in fire restoration is to clean all vents and ducts. If you leave this for too long, it can cause more damage to your property. Cleaning out these areas will ensure that smoke does not continue to spread throughout the home or business.

4. Take care of any lingering odors with an air purification system or by opening windows daily to get fresh air

 Once you have addressed all smoke damage, the last step in fire restoration is to address any lingering odors. This can be done with an air purification system or by opening windows regularly so that fresh air flows through your home or business for at least a few months after the fire occurred.

5. Keep your home or business dry by using fans, dehumidifiers and other systems to reduce humidity

 The final step in fire restoration is to keep your home or business dry at all times. This can be done by using fans, dehumidifiers and other equipment that reduces humidity levels in the air. However, you should only use these when necessary since they may damage wood floors if used too often.

You need to hire a professional fire damage restoration company like SERVPRO to help you with the restoration process. We are fully equipped to take care of your fire damage restoration need. A professional company like SERVPRO can assess the damage, remove smoke and other odors, clean vents/ducts, repair any fire or water damage to your home or business, take care of lingering odors with an air purification system or by opening windows for fresh air.