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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Archived Blog Posts

Hire SERVPRO for Storm Flood Damage Repair in Pottsville

11/2/2022 (Permalink)

Water Soaked Carpet Call the professionals at SERVPRO of Pottsville to help with storm restoration to your property.

Storm Damage in Pottsville Calls for Expertise 

Inclement weather can include various activities like severe storms with potent winds or heavy rainfall, leading to over-the-ground flooding. Swollen rivers and storms can also cause flooding in homes. These events can lead to expensive storm damage repair. 

When storm flood damage occurs in your Pottsville residence, it is critical to contact an expert restoration firm like SERVPRO. We have the right tools, knowledge, and qualified technicians to handle the disaster. Our team can take the following steps to restore your property:

  • Inspection
  • Property stabilization
  • Cleaning and disinfection
  • Water removal and drying
  • Drying and dehumidification
  • Reconstruction

Inspection

We can visually inspect your home to assess the damage. Our technicians also locate areas of your home into which water has entered and has absorbed moisture beyond normal levels. We can use devices like moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras to track moisture within your property. 

Property Stabilization

Storms can cause severe destruction to the structural core or the roof of your home, leaving it vulnerable to additional damage from vandalism or weather. Our technicians can secure your property by offering board-up and tarping services to stabilize it during restoration. 

Cleaning and Disinfection

Our SERVPRO team can thoroughly clean and disinfect your property. It includes cleaning furnishings, structural elements, and appliances, among other affected items. We use EPA-registered broad-spectrum disinfects to eliminate microbes. 

Water Removal and Drying

Our water damage cleanup specialists can extract floodwater from your home using gas or diesel-powered self-priming trash pumps. Floodwater often contains debris. If these pumps become clogged, they give restorers easy access to the pump body. We can dry the property using drying and dehumidification equipment. 

Reconstruction

This stage of the restoration process involves repair work to restore your property to its original state. Our SERVPRO team can reconstruct ruined structural elements, install new drywall, carpeting or flooring and paint the affected walls. 

After a storm has caused flood damage in your home, you can count on SERVPRO of Pottsville to restore it effectively. Please call us at any time at (570) 622-8991. 

SERVPRO Performs Fire Restoration in Pottsville Efficiently

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

Flames and Embers SERVPRO is prepared with restoration equipment and experienced technicians.

Fire Restoration in Pottsville Homes Demands Expertise

A fire can leave you feeling devastated. Fire damage can continue for a while after firefighters extinguish the fire. Fortunately, SERVPRO can meet you where you are and provide transparent fire damage repair services.

It is vital to avoid delaying the fire restoration process in your Pottsville residence. You can trust us to act quickly to meet your fire restoration needs. We can handle your belongings carefully, listen to your concerns and restore your property safely. Our fire repair services include: 

  • Fire damage assessment
  • Contents cleaning and pack-outs
  • Odor removal 
  • Reconstruction

Fire Damage Assessment

A fire can damage the interior walls and framing of your house. It is necessary to replace warped or melted drywall. Damage may also be present underneath walls without apparent harm. Our SERVPRO team may open holes in some walls to look for destruction to the framing, mold infestation, or other hidden damage. 

Pipes can also get backed up after you shut off water to your residence. Heat conduction might have weakened connection and solder points. Heating and air ducts may be ruined or might have ash and soot that can circulate through the building. We can thoroughly assess the damage to create a proper restoration plan. 

Contents Cleaning and Pack-Outs

We can clean salvageable contents on-site or offsite. When we choose to pack out items, we inventory, clean, and deodorize them. We can then deliver them back to your home after the restoration process. 

Odor Removal

Your home’s structural elements can soak up smoke odors because a fire’s heat causes pores in drywall to open and fill with smoke. The smoke gets trapped in the drywall as the home cools. SERVPRO can use unique deodorizing products and equipment to remove smoke odors. We can use air filtration devices with charcoal and HEPA filters to remove airborne particles and smells from the air to enhance indoor air quality. We can also use hydroxyl machines to eliminate odors. 

Reconstruction

Fire can cause structural damage that restorers have to address. Our SERVPRO team can provide the necessary repairs and rebuilds. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville has well-trained technicians who can restore your fire-damaged property. Contact us for help at (570) 622-8991. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. 

Flooding In Your Pottsville Grocery Store

8/4/2022 (Permalink)

grocery Cart in Store Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville team a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

Cleaning Tile Floors After Pottsville Grocery Store Flooding

Flooding can leave a considerable mess to clean up in your Pottsville grocery store. However, with the right approach happening immediately, we can get the doors back open quickly for your business. Not all flooding that can damage your facility welcomes potential contaminants and bacteria. However, when it does, it is more vital than ever for extensive cleaning to start right away. Considering that the flooring material in the store is either concrete or tile, cleaning these surfaces can often happen without requiring removal or resurfacing.

Navigating potential contaminants and flood damage to Pottsville businesses are one of the initial tasks for those scoping the work to get completed. Understanding the necessity of designating the right tools and personnel for the drying and cleaning of the building can showcase our commitment to completing recovery efforts as soon as possible. 

Tile and concrete flooring can be the most exposed surfaces to standing water, meaning that after extraction, these are the materials that require the immediate attention of our SERVPRO restorers. Cleaning these floors can reduce the development of microbial and bacterial threats in the property that can worsen with time.

While disinfectants and biocides are vital to eliminating pressing contaminant concerns, our professionals must also consider the staff and customers following in after restoration. Instead of harsh-smelling chemicals like chlorines, we might utilize phenolics or botanical compounds for less of an uninviting smell for whoever enters the property during the final stages of restoration.

We must act quickly after a flood to protect both the building and the products in your store from the harmful effects that can quickly spread. With potent cleaning products and practical cleaning tools and techniques, we can make flood losses “Like it never even happened.” Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville team a call at (570) 622-8991.

Don’t Settle For Anything Less Than The Experts At SERVPRO for Fire Damage Remediation in Orwigsburg

8/4/2022 (Permalink)

Multi-Story Home On Fire When fire damage occurs in your home, turn to our trained technicians to remediate. We make it 'Like it never even happened.'

Fire Damage Experts In Orwigsburg Talk About The Role Of Fire And Smoke Restoration Technicians

It does not happen very frequently, but it is possible that a fire can ignite inside your Orwigsburg home. Once something burns on your property, the flames, heat, and smoke coming from the blaze can cause your house to suffer from extensive fire damage. Flames from the burn can engulf several of your contents and building materials, using them as fuel. The blaze can fully combust some items, but often there will be partially consumed particles that get released into the environment in the form of smoke. Once something burns on your property, it is wise to call a professional fire damage restoration company such as SERVPRO.

Our team of experts can arrive promptly to assess the situation. Our fire and smoke restoration technicians or FSTs at SERVPRO know the best methods to mitigate fire damage in Orwigsburg. We know that restoring items is much cheaper for you and your insurance company than having to remove and replace them. Because of this, we try to do whatever we can to bring your contents and building materials back to their pre-damaged state, "Like it never even happened." Our FST can accomplish such a task by utilizing several specialized soot removal and refinishing techniques.

The first thing our FST concentrates on when arriving at your residence is to assess the situation and determine what got damaged and what did not. All of our FSTs at SERVPRO are certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification program. And, we have experience in handling various types of situations related to fires. We use our training and experience to figure out the extent of the damage. We can do this by taking wipe tests of your building materials and contents to see if soot residues are present.

Once our FSTs know how far the smoke-related issues have spread, we test and clean the affected items. During the test cleaning stage, we utilize various chemicals and methods to know what works best for each affected surface inside your home.

If anything ever burns inside your house, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 24/7.

Why Mold Removal is Best with Expert Help in Pottsville

8/4/2022 (Permalink)

Mold Corner Spot Don't let mold take control of your property. Call SERVPRO today!

SERVPRO is Quick to begin Mold Remediation for Pottsville Residents

You may have heard some people say they have their methods for mold removal, but the facts are there is no such thing as thoroughly removing mold. Additionally, DIY plans are never recommended due to all the possible hazards. Instead, enlisting the help of trained mold remediation technicians gets you the peace of mind your interior is cleaned and disinfected for your family to enjoy once again. With SERVPRO, we have your bases covered and finish the project until your Pottsville property gets the Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned seal of approval.

But why call SERVPRO for mold remediation in Pottsville? Our technicians have been trained extensively following IICRC standards for mold remediation and cleanup services. We know how to determine the cause of your mold problem and best practices for safe and effective cleaning. Our proven processes can give you the peace of mind you need when faced with foul, musty odors anywhere in your living space. 

Why Can’t I Clean Away Mold On My Own?

There are several things all Pottsville property owners should know about mold and mildew growth, including:

  • There are hundreds of various mold types.
  • Microscopic mold spores are everywhere; carpeting, pets, clothing, and the air we breathe. 
  • Many mold species thrive in temperatures between 64 to 90° F.
  • For mold to colonize, there only needs to be increased moisture and organic matter to feed on; building materials, paper, textiles, etc.

In some situations where black mold has taken over your drywall, carpeting, and other building materials, removal and replacement might occur. Controlled demolition lets us restore your property to pre-mold condition, so your interior is “Like it never even happened.” We achieve these results with the help of our network of trusted area contractors and vendors.

Call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 should you require assistance with mold remediation. You can also request help online at your earliest convenience!

Removing Soot from Wooden Floors Is As Easy As 1-2-3 for SERVPRO!

7/5/2022 (Permalink)

flames on hardwood floor Our team is here to clean and restore your wooden floors from fire damage "Like it never even happened."

Removing Soot Residues from Hardwood in Your Cressona Home

Many Cressona homes have original hardwood flooring dating back to the initial construction of the property. While the upkeep of this material can be straightforward, when disasters occur in your home, these are some of the elements that can fall victim to smoke and soot residues. To protect this original flooring, you need to appreciate your need for certified restoration specialists like ours. With fast response and the right equipment for every emergency, we can work to return your home and its construction materials back to preloss condition.

One of the first things that must occur once fire damage happens in your Cressona residence is to assess the full scope of these effects to determine a restoration plan. As tempting as it might be to do this on your own immediately following extinguishment, there are a few glaring concerns. The first of these concerns should be for the affected materials of your home. Without immediate action or the right penetrative approach, materials like your hardwood flooring could become more and more damaged as time progresses.

Soot can come to rest on the hardwood flooring surface, but conventional cleaning efforts are not always the best approach to reducing your risk for irreparable damage. The layer of residue coating the material can stain the hardwood irreparably if left too long untouched. Our SERVPRO team can respond fast to your emergency, bringing along the equipment needed for widespread cleanup and debris removal.

With our high-strength solvents and advanced cleaning techniques, we can quickly restore any home in the area to its original condition. Soot removal begins with our powerful vacuum systems to remove the bulk of the sediment resting atop the affected surfaces. It continues with wet and dry sponging of these damaged hardwood materials to restore their vibrancy and function.

While many homeowners want to protect the investment they have made in their homes, recovering from fire requires the fast and effective response of our SERVPRO of Pottsville professionals. Give our team a call 24/7 at (570) 622-8991.

Water Mitigation Begins with You in Pottsville

7/5/2022 (Permalink)

safety first sign against blue sky Water damage brings hazards. SERVPRO can safely remove the moisture from your home.

What Water Mitigation Steps to Take in Pottsville Until SERVPRO Arrives

After any emergency in your Pottsville home, your first order of business is to ensure all people and pets are safe. If you have flooding in your basement or a burst pipe, how you act in the initial moments after the event begins are crucial to your results. You are already ahead of the game by taking the first steps until SERVPRO arrives for water mitigation and removal services. Once we arrive, we can take it from there and make it “Like it never even happened.”

Can I begin cleanup on my own?

In many situations, yes. If the water emergency falls into category 1 or 2 events with little or no contamination, you might be able to mitigate some of the damage until our Green Fleet is at your door. Safety is vital with any water mitigation situation in Pottsville. Until we arrive, these are some steps you may be able to handle on your own:

  • If possible, stop the water source.When you have a burst pipe, turn off the water to that part of the house.
  • Ensure electricity is off to the water emergency zone.Turn off the breaker to eliminate risks if any area of your home is wet and electrical outlets are nearby.
  • Carefully pick up standing water.If you had a dishwasher, washing machine, or tub that caused the water emergency, try blogging or mopping any pooled water.

Once SERVPRO arrives, our crew chief carefully assesses the situation to determine the best course of action and equipment for the job. Our water mitigation begins by following the path of moisture to eliminate all hidden pockets that could bring mold growth or secondary damage. We begin water extraction and set up drying and dehumidification equipment to reach our drying goals. If necessary, unsalvageable materials get pulled up and replaced with all-new materials like carpeting, carpet padding, drywall, etc.

No job is too much for our crew at SERVPRO of Pottsville to handle. When you require prompt, reliable water mitigation and restoration, contact us by calling (570) 622-8991 or requesting help online. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

Let SERVPRO Manage Mold Damage in Your Pottsville Home

7/5/2022 (Permalink)

Mold growth around window and ceiling With moisture build up comes mold and SERVPRO can treat and remove the mold safely.

Dealing with the Full Effects of Mold Damage Pottsville

Most people only recognize the superficial effects of mold, like the musty smell and the staining of materials it affects. However, mold has other effects, especially if left to proliferate for long without any remediation efforts. For example, it breaks down organic materials like wood as its hyphae penetrate deep into materials devouring the nutrients. We have IICRC-certified AMRT, Applied Microbial Remediation technicians, to help you deal with all the aspects of the infestation in your Pottsville Property. 

The speed at which the infestation appears might determine the level of mold damage in your Pottsville property. After a flooding incident, mold may appear in different places within 24 to 48 hours because of the abundance of moisture. Such immediate growth prompts many people to start remediation immediately; therefore, the damages are only likely to be superficial. However, a small leak in the wall cavity or ceiling space can take a while before anyone notices, leading to severe damage. Our SERVPRO technicians use advanced moisture detection tools like thermal cameras to check all areas and establish any hidden moisture areas. 

In properties, there are areas where mold is likely to develop. These hotspots include shower stalls, bathtubs, the areas beneath sinks, and where there are plumbing joints. Growth also occurs in enclosed spaces such as closets, especially after a flooding incident. When our SERVPRO IICRC trained technicians check the relative humidity levels in your property, we can identify likely hotspots. We use thermo-hygrometers to inspect the property's temperature and relative humidity in the affected and unaffected areas. 

Most people understand that moisture is the main factor that drives mold development and therefore takes immediate steps to dry property if there is a spill. However, it can worsen or transfer the problem to another property area during the drying phase. Mold growth can spread if the moisture evaporates from the contents and the structure remains trapped in the air. Our SERVPRO technicians avoid this by setting a drying goal, which allows us to calculate the number of dehumidifiers and air movers necessary for a balanced drying process. 

Dealing with mold damage is simple when a professional is involved. Call SERVPRO of Pottsville to help. You can reach us at (570) 622-8991 at any time. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

The Issues Accompanying Flood Damage in Pottsville Properties

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Flooded Room When flooding hits your area, you need to call the technicians at SERVPRO.

SERVPRO Helps Probe Flood Damage in Pottsville Homes

Learning that your home is flooded does not usually tell the entire story. It is only after trying to address the flood damage that you realize the significance of the problem you face. After your Pottsville home is affected, you might need expert help in evaluating and restoring the affected materials.

Flood damage cases in Pottsville are usually unique, so you might encounter different sets of problems every time your property is affected. Using the limited knowledge you have might lead to delays or mistakes that prove costly to address. SERVPRO has a wealth of knowledge accumulated over the years that helps quick identification and resolution of problems. 

Common problems that develop from storms include:

  • Roof tears and leaks
  • Shattered windows or doors
  • Heavy contamination

While your focus is on the water accumulating on the floors, you might miss moisture problems in other areas, such as the ceiling. Storms involve different forces, including gale-force winds and hail, which pile significant pressure on the roof of your home. Some shingles may tear off or crack, leading to leaks. Our SERVPRO technicians check for early signs of water accumulation in the ceiling, such as hazy patches or bubbling paint on the surface of the panels. 

Rapid Solutions For Flooding Issues

Fixing flood damage is usually a costly affair for several reasons, including the long time it takes to resolve the problems. Cutting down the timelines saves costs incurred directly or indirectly. An example of indirect cost is paying for alternative accommodation while your place is fixed. Our SERVPRO crews expedite restoration by using sophisticated equipment and special techniques. If water is trapped in the ceiling, drilling small weep holes drains it efficiently. Venting dry, warm air into the ceiling cavity facilitates speedy drying.

Other actions that address flooding speedily

  • Spraying disinfectants over flooded areas to limit contamination
  • Using powerful extractors to remove standing water
  • Doing partial content move-outs

SERVPRO of Pottsville understands flood damage issues clearly. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help address the incident at your premises “Like it never even happened.”

Can Homeowners Replace Damaged Items with Something Different?

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Illustration of Hands Holding a House After you experience a water loss incident in your home, SERVPRO will help make your house feel like a home again. Call now for remediation services.

SERVPRO Works With Homeowners in Orwigsburg to Return Their Homes to pre-damaged Condition.

Water from leaking pipes or overflowing sinks can cause a great deal of damage. Quite often, flooring materials, such as carpets and linoleum flooring, must be replaced. Even cupboards made of particle board may need to be replaced because compressed wood swells and is permanently damaged. Many Orwigsburg clients want to know if they can change or upgrade what they had?

SERVPRO has more than 60 years of restoration experience, providing water damage restoration to Orwigsburg and surrounding areas. We have found that insurance companies will cover damages and replace everything on a like-for-like basis. We aim to return everything in your home to its original condition, “Like it never even happened.”

However, many clients view these disasters as an opportunity to make improvements. Some situations require replacement instead of cleaning. For example, replacement may be needed if:

  • Carpets delaminate
  • Carpets that cannot be sanitized and cleaned immediately often pick up stains
  • Materials are made from particleboard swell.

For example, homeowners may decide to upgrade the quality of carpeting compared to what they had originally or install hardwood floors. Clients must pay the difference between what the insurance company allocated and the cost of the replacement.

Does a Waterlogged Carpet Need to be Replaced?

SERVPRO can respond to water damage events, usually in less than four hours. We immediately assess the situation and begin:

  • Removing standing water,
  • Extracting water from carpeting and
  • Installing air movers and dehumidifiers.

Fast response and immediate cleaning can usually save carpeting and avoid staining.

Water damage from non-clean sources such as sewage backups from toilets requires that the carpeting be removed. If the carpet fibers separate from the backing (delamination), the carpet often must be replaced.

SERVPRO can help you with these situations and answer all of your questions. We are available on a 24 / 7 basis and respond in less than four hours to water emergencies.

Call SERVPRO of Pottsville (570) 622-8991 to help with water damage to your home.

Why Is SERVPRO The Best Choice For Attic Mold Remediation In Pottsville?

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

Mold On Wall For help with mold remediation, do not delay.

Pottsville Homeowners Are Frustrated By The Need For Mold Remediation – But Help Is At Hand

People living in Pottsville know that attics and basements are parts of the home that sometimes get neglected. When it comes to home maintenance, most people focus on apparent issues such as broken gutters, loose tiles, or looking after appliances. The attic is often out of sight and out of mind.

However, a Pottsville attic might need mold remediation as much as any other part of the home. Attics are often neglected and an ideal place for spores to settle. If there is moisture in the attic and a food source such as wood, mold can grow.

What is the Most Productive Method for Cleaning Mold in the Attic?

Customers often ask us the best method for cleaning the mold. SERVPRO’s most crucial piece of advice is not to try cleaning it yourself. Home cleaning methods are not as effective or as safe as professional methods.

SERPVRO technicians use a range of cleaning methods, including:

  • Scrubbing
  • HEPA vacuuming
  • Dry ice or soda blasting
  • Not many people have heard of dry ice blasting, but it is ideal for cleaning away mold in the attic. Our equipment blasts wood with CO2 pellets at supersonic speeds to attack the fungus. Dry ice blasting scrubs away mold but does not damage the wood.

When you choose SERVPRO, you can rest assured that we will use the latest techniques and equipment to cleanse your attic space.

Can SERVPRO Help Prevent Mold from Spreading Further?

Yes. Our technicians understand that it is easy for microscopic mold spores to spread. That is why we:

  • Set up containment using plastic sheeting and tape to prevent spores from escaping your attic
  • Use correct protective equipment and dispose of it carefully
  • Use air scrubbers or negative air machines to suck spores from the air

Because mold thrives in a damp environment, we carefully dry your attic and monitor moisture levels throughout remediation. We also deodorize the space afterward to get rid of that musty smell.

Cleaning is one part of mold remediation. Carefully monitored drying, containment, and deodorization are a must – which is why you can rely on us.

For help with mold remediation, do not delay. Call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

What Should Pottsvile Homeowners Do When Floods Damage Their Homes?

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Equipment We were able dry this water damaged basement quickly using state-of-the-art equipment and prevent secondary damage like mold. Call us today!

Steps for Flood Damage Cleanup in Pottsville 

Water damage from storms happens with little to no warning. Once the water is inside the home, it needs to be extracted as soon as possible to limit the structure and possessions' exposure to excessive moisture. 

When flood damage happens in Pottsville homes, there are some steps you can take to minimize loss before SERVPRO arrives on-site. Your safety is essential. Do not attempt any of these actions if there is any danger of injuries such as slip and fall accidents or if you are unsure about the electric or gas situation. In those cases, vacate the premises until help arrives.

  • If you remain in the home, and it is safe to do so, wear an N-95 mask or N-100 respirator to prohibit the inhalation of contaminants.
  • Turn off the gas and electricity to the home if you can do it safely.
  • Take photos and videos of every room and possession affected by water for insurance purposes. 

Once SERVPRO arrives, we immediately extract any remaining water and test to determine the kinds of bacteria, sewage, or contaminants that reside in the floodwater. If the trim boards are natural wood and not composite in some cases, we can restore them for reuse. 

Carpet, padding, and most porous items exposed to groundwater have no potential to return to sanitary standards for reuse and are discarded according to municipal regulations. Before drying, we measure the water line on sheetrock and cut roughly a foot above that to ensure only building materials remain that were unaffected by floodwater

When our technicians finish mitigation of the flood damage, including treatment for mold and foul odors, the property is left clean and sanitary for the reconstruction of the home. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 stands ready to assist local property owners with cleanup and restoration services from flood damage. Our technicians are available 24/7 and arrive within one hour of your call because We're Faster to Any Size Disaster.

Water Damage Remediation In Pottsville: What The Professionals Do

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

Water In Doorway Water damage remediation in Pottsville is arduous and can be time consuming. Contact SERVPRO today for remediation assistance.

Content Management After Water Loss in Pottsville Homes

After water loss incidents move through your Pottsville home, many of your belongings, furniture, and fabric-based items like your drapes fall victim to these damaging effects. Homeowners need a swift and confident response from qualified professionals if they intend to protect and preserve these affected items. Our response team has a content division capable of addressing pressing issues with your belongings and possessions on-site and in our nearby facility.

Contents protection and management after water damage is never a one-size-fits-all approach for Pottsville residences. Our production management, estimators, and technicians of the content department all determine the best approaches to restoring and recovering each affected item. During the inspection of the property, overly damaged or saturated items get marked for removal. With safe practices designed to protect your belongings at all costs, we can transport these removed items to our nearby warehouse for focused attention.

We understand that there are often many items and furniture pieces that can be in the path of spreading water damage. We have a large facility that can store a high volume of your possessions after cleanup, restoration, and drying occur. If conditions like mold, mildew, or fungal growth have begun, we can address these concerns before this situation gets out of control.

Our vault system in our warehouse can keep your items and belongings safe until it is time to return them to your fully restored residence. Our SERVPRO professionals monitor the climate-controlled facility, keeping these large vault boxes safe from contamination or adverse effects. Once our restoration efforts are complete with our technicians on-site, we can utilize our advanced labeling system to return every individual item to its original location.

There are multiple concerns for water-damaged homes throughout our area, and our SERVPRO of Pottsville’s rapid response team can work quickly to help. We have the experience and the equipment to make water loss effects “Like it never even happened.” No matter when disaster strikes, give our qualified team a call at (570) 622-8991.

Examining Fire Restoration Tactics in

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

Charred beam Fires can produce extensive damage far from the flame. Our team is trained and equipped to restore your home.

SERVPRO Can Help with Fire Damage Repairs in Pottsville

Anytime a fire breaks out inside your home, one of the most significant issues created can come about due to smoke released from the blaze. Once smoke contacts cooler surfaces, it can solidify and leave behind soot residues. In difficult situations, soot can cover nearly all surfaces in your structure, and they can even affect items far away from the source.

When conducting fire restoration in Pottsville, our SERVPRO technicians often spend a significant amount of time cleaning soot residues from the surfaces of your building materials and contents. The hard part is that almost every fire puts out various types of smoke, which often leads to more than one kind of soot present. The type of smoke can change depending on the types of fuels burned. For example, woodworking fuels will produce different residues than when meat gets roasted. The type of smoke also depends on whether the fire has a lot of oxygen and was fast burning or if it was oxygen-starved and smoldered.

When cleaning soot residues from your house's building materials and contents, our SERVPRO team can utilize various chemicals and methods for the cleaning process. Our highly trained team is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) program. We can provide fast 24/7 service and access to the industry's most advanced technology.

Services offered after you suffer from a structural blaze include:

  • House Fire Cleanups
  • Fire Damage Debris Removal
  • Content Pack-outs
  • Content Cleaning
  • Restorative Carpet Cleaning
  • Fire & Water Damage Restorations
  • Smoke Remediation
  • Structural Deodorization

If you ever notice that your walls and ceilings got coated by soot residues after a fire gets extinguished, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

Don't Try and Remediate Flood Damage in Your Pottsville Home Alone-Contact SERVPRO

4/12/2022 (Permalink)

Flood damaged living room; furniture floating Flood damage can take over your whole home quickly. Contact SERVPRO today to handle any size remediation needs.

Decontamination and Disinfection for Flooded Pottsville Homes

Not all flood incidents that could affect Pottsville properties come with contamination threats and hazardous conditions, but this can be the case in some instances. In gray areas where professionals cannot accurately determine the likelihood of this potential contamination, water must get treated as though it has encountered various levels of bacteria and contaminants along its path to flooding your home. With these protocols in place, our professionals must act quickly to protect as much of your home as possible.

There are various potential hazards that water could experience before it causes flood damage to your Pottsville home. In situations like roof damage, rainfall does not have a chance to encounter toxic elements, so our SERVPRO professionals can follow standard water loss approaches to dry and recover the property. Where grey or even black water could exist, disinfection, cleaning, and even controlled demolition must occur.

Knowing what your property needs when restoring flood damages begins with an accurate inspection and assessment of the home. Our estimator and management can walk through the house together to determine the likelihood of contamination and the best approach to prevent these effects from impacting other house areas. We can reduce the spread of contamination through physical barriers with plastic sheeting, extraction equipment, and units like hydroxyl generators and air scrubbers.

Disinfection plays a role in persevering structural elements that do not meet the removal and later replacement requirements. To prevent bacteria's continued life and spread, we have OSHA-approved cleaning agents and disinfection products that can remove contamination from your property's beams, studs, and framework as recovery and restoration continue. In situations like the saturation of construction materials, controlled demolition practices by our SERVPRO team can safely remove these contaminated elements and prepare the area for reconstruction.

Many types of flooding can occur in your home, but our SERVPRO of Pottsville team can help guide your property through the necessary steps to make the damages "Like it never even happened." You can reach our emergency response team 24/7 at (570) 622-8991.

Let Trained Professionals Clean Up Mold In Your Saint Clair Home Today

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

Mold damaged insulation in attic This mold was found growing in an attic and needed immediate attention to safeguard the home.

Attic Moisture Can Lead to Mold Growth in Saint Clair Homes

Heavy snowfall on your Saint Clair home can add immense pressure to structural elements like your roof. While these areas get reinforced and strengthened during construction to withstand this added weight throughout the winter months, your roof can become compromised with persistent pressure on aging components. Once weak points exist in the roof of your property, moisture can penetrate through the material into the attic. 

Attics throughout the Saint Clair area are a common location for mold to occur. Without specific knowledge that your roof has vulnerable points or inadequate insulation in certain areas of the support materials, you might be unaware that this space above the ceiling has become persistently damp. With this added moisture, present mold spores can sit and colonize throughout the environment. 

Our IICRC trained SERVPRO professionals arrive quickly in an emergency to offer you practical solutions designed to prevent the spread of active mold spores to new areas of the property. With many homes installing air circulation equipment in this portion of their property, active mold growth in the area could spread quickly through the HVAC system and affect multiple rooms and areas of your home within a brief period. 

Among the chief concerns with attic mold is the degradation of critical roof supports as the colony grows and spreads. Our team can provide emergency board-up services for the compromised roof as soon as we arrive. Our SERVPRO team can prepare your property for the reconstruction and repair required to prevent further moisture penetration that could allow mold colonization to occur continually. 

Taking care of mold in the attic might not be something that every homeowner expects to contend with, but dealing with it as quickly as possible can help protect your home's construction materials and the occupants. Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville applied microbial remediation technicians a call today at (570) 622-8991. 

How Homeowners Can Help the Fire Damage Restoration Process in Pottsville Homes

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

Flooring Damage Homeowners can help sort through possessions and sweep debris after a fire.

Don't Handle Every Part of Fire Damage in Pottsville On Your Own

Taking care of fire damage can be a complicated and labor-intensive task. Smoke residues and other materials left behind from the blaze carry certain chemicals and moisture contents that can make conventional household cleaning products ineffective. Some standard cleaning techniques may even cause additional damage to your home if done improperly. Specialist companies like SERVPRO exist to handle the more challenging aspects of fire damage that may require specialized training and tools to clean up quickly and without causing further damage. 

However, there are some steps you can take on your own to clean up after a fire.

How SERVPRO Helps

We provide expert care for fire damage in the Pottsville area with multi-featured damage mitigation and reversal services. More advanced tasks, such as deodorizing treatments and the removal of wet mixtures of debris and smoke residues, should be left to our trained and certified fire restoration technicians (FRTs). We use advanced equipment such as powerful handheld HEPA vacuums and portable odor-eliminating foggers designed and refined specifically to handle the small particles and delicate materials involved in many of our fire restoration projects. Our inspectors can also help you to understand the situation better and provide on-the-spot recommendations and advice about how you can help and what the cleanup process might entail.

How You Can Help

Although our FRTs can handle the entire project on their own, you can also lend a helping hand with some tasks if you wish. Here are a few ways you might be able to help us out before and during our work:

  • Sweeping up. Sweeping away dry materials can save us time and is not likely to cause further damage.
  • Turn off the A/C. Turning off air conditioning systems helps keep smoke particles out of other rooms.
  • Separate wet objects. If any objects became wet during or after the fire, try to separate them from
  • Wash houseplants. Washing off the leaves of your house plants can increase their chances of survival after a fire.

Do not try to handle fire damage on your own when SERVPRO of Pottsville stays ready 24/7 to respond to your call for help. Call us at (570) 622-8991.

If Your Cressona Home Needs Water Restoration--Call SERVPRO

3/10/2022 (Permalink)

Pouring Water in Kitchen Don't Ignore Water Damage in Your Cressona Kitchen--We're Faster To Any Size Disaster--SERVPRO

Restoring Water-Damaged Cabinets in Your Cressona Kitchen

The kitchen area of your home is a network of plumbing and fixtures, each holding back a great deal of pressurized water coming from outside the property. As these components age and degrade, vulnerabilities can occur, which allow this water to begin slowly leaking from connection points and joints. While you can often identify these vulnerabilities before they become devastating incidents, nearby structural elements and cabinetry have likely already become affected by the steady leak.

To restore water damage to the cabinets and other construction elements in your Cressona kitchen, you must first reach out to our rapid response team. Our SERVPRO professionals remain available 24/7 to help mitigate losses like these and prevent the situation from getting worse with our quick arrival with the tools to dry out damaged elements effectively.

Cabinets are often among the first components damaged by a steady leak, as many of the exposed pipes that make up the plumbing in the kitchen get encased within the cabinets and woodwork. Depending on the composition of these components, water damage can saturate and irreparably damage it very quickly as with porous thin woods, laminates with pressed board center, or it might take longer to penetrate and warp the material with firmer construction elements like non-composite options.

What occurs with these cabinets depends on the severity of the damage they have sustained. Our SERVPRO professionals on-site perform a thorough inspection of the damaged elements to determine the viability of restoration versus removal and replacement. We always strive to restore and not replace water-damaged fixtures, structures, and contents. For severely damaged cabinets, replacement might be the only solution. In other situations, the application of equipment like our air movers and LGR dehumidifiers can dry out these damaged elements and preserve them and restore their structural integrity. We can also use an injectidry system to dry the wall cavities with small drill holes behind the cabinets.

While many situations could leave your cabinets in the kitchen water-damaged, you need professional restoration to return the affected area to its original condition, "Like it never even happened." Our SERVPRO of Pottsville water restoration specialists are ready for any emergency that your home faces with the expertise and equipment to make a difference quickly. Give us a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

Mold Damaged Pottsville Businesses Can Open During Abatement

3/2/2022 (Permalink)

Wall of Mold Don't let mold take control of your property. Call SERVPRO today!

Explore Commercial Mold Remediation Options in Pottsville with SERVPRO Specialists 

Mold growth already carries a stigma, particularly when found in restaurants or other food production or sale sites or businesses like lodgings or health clubs. Mold damage in Pottsville commercial properties causes concerns not only because remediation can be tricky but also because your business might need to be closed temporarily when dealing with it, detrimental to your bottom line. When mold remediation is in the hands of licensed and certified experts, industry-approved controls can limit the real and perceived hazards, permitting businesses to continue operations in many cases.

What Protocols Does SERVPRO Use for Pottsville Mold Remediation?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed and published a guide to Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, and SERVPRO follows it when addressing Pottsville commercial mold damage. In general, mold inspections, remediations, and removal adhere to the following steps:

  • Locating the mold -- usually depending on owner observation -- (obtaining testing only in rare cases where hidden mold is suspected)
  • Containing the mold
  • Removing the mold from surfaces in the contained space
  • Cleaning up moldy debris with HEPA-filter vacuums or spray and wipe and bagging for lawful disposal
  • Applying EPA-registered antimicrobials to inhibit further mold growth

How Can SERVPRO Help Keep Your Pottsville Business Operating Despite Mold Remediation?

SERVPRO mold remediation crews are containment experts, fortunate because a well-contained mold removal workspace can prevent the drift of moldy contaminants, allowing non-affected spaces to remain open for business. Features of SERVPRO’s containment procedure include:

  • Wrapping the mold-containing room or rooms with 1.6 mil polyethylene
  • Sealing edges of the work area after wrapping
  • Requiring SERVPRO crew members to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) limiting the sharing of moldy materials 
  • Adding a loading/unloading or technician dressing room buffer to minimize the transfer of any spores or mold residues
  • Enhancing the seal using negative pressure air scrubbing technology, which forces contaminants in the contained space through HEPA filters before exhausting to the outdoors -- a bonus is removing musty-smelling mold particles that could catch the notice of your customers. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville approaches commercial mold remediation with your unique business needs in mind. Call (570) 622-8991 to consult with our experts.

Call Our Professionals to Handle Water Damage in Pottsville

2/16/2022 (Permalink)

water leak under sink Water can invade your factory from a multitude of sources. Call SERVPRO for fast remediation.

Prevent Extensive Commercial Water Damage to Your Pottsville Factory

Factories by nature are large structures designed to hold many products. Unfortunately, several problems can arise and allow water to enter your factory, including burst water pipes, holes in the roof, a backed-up water sewer, and a broken HVAC system. Water can be destructive if it gains access to your factory’s HVAC and electrical wiring systems. It could affect their function, causing a total or partial breakdown. In such a scenario, the systems will remain non-functional until competent technicians repair and approve them for use.

To deal with commercial water damage in your Pottsville factory, you need fast cleanup, dry out, repair and restoration services. Coping with water loss in an expedited manner mitigates acute damage. It also addresses the complications of prolonged water exposure, including mildew and mold.

Water removal in factories is usually unique due to the sheer size of such facilities and the specialized equipment on site. If water is pooling in your factory, contact the professional team at SERVPRO. Our technicians respond promptly. We have the industry experience to solve even the most complicated water problems. We understand the value of your workforce and capital investment. Our business is to keep you in business.

Water Removal Services

Here at SERVPRO, we provide complete water damage cleanup and restoration services from start to finish. You do not need to hire several companies to complete the work. To remove water from a building, our technicians use various types of extraction equipment. Most extractors have a heater, pump, and vacuum system. These three components remain in use when cleaning upholstery and carpets. The vacuum component is used during water damage mitigation since the extractor only removes water. We then use dehumidifiers and air movers to dry and dehumidify the building. We also clean and sanitize the areas that water may have damaged to prevent unpleasant odors and mold. Our technicians then start the restoration process to restore the commercial building to its preloss condition.

For prompt water removal from your factory, contact SERVPRO of Pottsville. We can make your factory look like it never overflowed. Call us at (570) 622-8991, and we will respond to your emergency. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Pottsville Flooding!! Don't Wait, Call SERVPRO for Emergency Water Removal and Cleanup

2/9/2022 (Permalink)

snow piled up next to home Raising temperatures, melting snow, and rain can cause flooding.

Winter Threats of Flash Flooding for Pottsville Homes

As many Pottsville homeowners and business owners already know, the winter months offer the area far more than just the threat of heavy snowfall to keep in our minds. With temperature fluctuations and frequent precipitation, the ground can quickly become saturated. This scenario can quickly lead to flash flooding under the right conditions, and this emergency threatens multiple properties along the path the floodwaters are most likely to take.

While you cannot always predict when flood damages can occur to your Pottsville home, having the right professionals available to restore these outcomes ensures an efficient approach that saves you time and money. Often flood-damaged homes are uninhabitable until restoration work completes, so you want to react quickly to the situation so that our trained professionals can start their work as promptly as possible.

Equipment for Flood Damage Restoration

Our SERVPRO rapid response team can roll out from our base with our Green Fleet in these circumstances. These vehicles get stocked with industry-leading equipment designed to extract, dry quickly, and clean up the mess that flooding can leave behind. Once our IICRC certified technicians arrive, we can set up our truck-mounted extraction equipment to remove pooling water from the property at 300 psi. Extraction wands and wet-vacs can take care of what remains or pooling water present in otherwise inaccessible areas. Speed is crucial to pump out as much water as possible to mitigate the degradation of building elements.

Given the mud, debris, and potential contaminants that could exist in the water rushing into your home during a flash flood, the restoration team you choose should also offer complete cleaning and disinfecting. These approaches can preserve elements like hardwood flooring and furniture that become soiled by dirty water or mud and debris left behind in the affected areas once the pooled water is extracted.

Flash flooding presents significant risks to residential properties throughout the area, and worse yet, it can strike with little warning. Whenever your home suffers the effects of flood damage, you can depend on the fast response of our SERVPRO of Pottsville water restoration technicians. You can reach our skilled professionals 24/7 by calling (570) 622-8991.

24/7 Pottsville Basement Flooring Fire Damage Restoration

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

fireman holding hose spewing water Water damage often accompanies fire suppression. SERVPRO has the tools to restore your home.

SERVPRO Fire Damage Restoration Techs Clean Up Pottsville Homes

Basement fire damage can prove challenging compared to other types of disasters, particularly in unfinished basements. Unsealed wood and concrete are porous and absorb soot that leaves behind unsightly stains that require heavy-duty cleanup. Certified professionals can render this service and more to return a fire-damaged Pottsville home to a pre-disaster condition.

Pottsville SERVPRO fire damage restoration technicians can respond to home cleanup needs with EPA-registered antimicrobials and sophisticated technologies. Highly trained techs undergo education modules covering multiple restoration topics, including fire damage and carpet and upholstery cleaning.

Restoring Basement Concrete Floors After a Home Structure Fire

While fire damage residues tend to end up on walls and ceilings, many residues fall to the floor. SERVPRO fire cleanup techs take the following into account during basement concrete floor restoration:

  • The quality of the concrete used is crucial to determining restoration strategies. A well-mixed concrete with few to no cracks or chips is easier to remediate than a heavily damaged floor with signs of damage before the fire
  • Unsealed concrete, especially when improperly installed, can be prone to stains, discoloration, and damage from drastic temperature changes. Cleaning residues off of the surface may entail thorough brushing or vacuuming with a HEPA-filter vacuum
  • If firefighters used water for fire suppression, then the floor may show signs of chalky efflorescence, which is a collection of salts from moisture collecting on hard, porous building materials like stone, brick, or concrete
  • Sealed concrete is often salvageable without resealing via wet cleaning with EPA-registered detergent solutions

SERVPRO technicians can also address wood flooring, vinyl floors, and masonry floors when remediating fire damage. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster and continually available to respond to homeowners' calls. The SERVPRO of Pottsville crew is a phone call away at (570) 622-8991.

Why Plan for Commercial Fire Damage Mitigation in Pottsville?

1/21/2022 (Permalink)

a fire damaged house with yellow caution tape over the door When your business experiences fire damage, quick remediation efforts are required.Contact SERVPRO to assess the situation and formulate a plan.

SERVPRO Minimizes the Business Disruption of Pottsville Fire Damage Response

Few businesses in Pottsville plan fire damage mitigation strategies in advance. Instead, a retail manager or restaurant owner does everything to avoid a scenario where fire and smoke remediation interferes with their day-to-day operations. Fire prevention should remain a high priority, but a blaze can occur despite your best efforts. Preparing a blueprint to lead your business out of a fire disaster is time well spent, even if you fervently hope never to have occasion to use it.

Does SERVPRO Recommend Fire Damage Restoration Preparation for Pottsville Commercial Properties?

Long before the nightmare of fire and smoke damage restoration and cleanup disturbs your dream of successful business operations, partner with SERVPRO to curtail the worst outcomes of fire or other disasters. Collaborate with SERVPRO to develop an Emergency READY Profile (ERP).

  • Our managers learn much from which your company can benefit through assisting other entrepreneurs through the chaos of commercial fire aftermath. 
  • Avail yourself of the expertise we built over our career as water and fire damage restoration specialists, including tips on how to continue meeting your customers’ needs even while recovering from a fire emergency.

Can Creating ERP Help Commercial Landlords Avoid Fire Damage Risks Posed by Tenant Practices? 

Developing your location’s individualized ERP serves as a wake-up call for you as a commercial landlord if our assessment reveals current lessee practices that place your building and other residential or business tenants at risk.

  • The foundation of an ERP is the walkthrough an experienced SERVPRO manager takes throughout your commercial building. 
  • The unique snapshot taken during the assessment can help commercial property owners identify tenant choices that expose a unit or an entire building to heightened fire outbreak potential. 
  • Armed with SERVPRO’s expert opinion you can then work with tenants to reduce or eliminate the identified hazards.

Business and commercial building owners can join with SERVPRO of Pottsville to effectively manage various risk factors and fire damage restoration issues with an ERP. Call (570) 622-8991 anytime to schedule an assessment. 

Can Wet Cabinets Survive After Water Damage Repair in Pottsville?

1/14/2022 (Permalink)

a flooded kitchen with water all over the floor Wet cabinets require quick attention. Team SERVPRO is standing by 24/7 for your water damage remediation needs. We are available 365 days a year.

SERVPRO Uses Clever Techniques for Water Removal Around Pottsville Built-Ins

Shelving and built-in cabinets are beautiful, convenient, and common in kitchens, dining rooms, laundry areas, and other spaces prone to water damage in Pottsville. Water damage restoration of these fixtures is nearly always less disruptive and preferable to tear-outs and replacements, especially if the cabinetry is part of your home’s cozy ambiance. 

How Does Water Reach Cabinets to Damage Them?

Encircling the perimeters of living spaces in your Pottsville home are custom-made units providing places to store items, offering their top surfaces as workstations or displays. Often plumbing runs under or behind these cabinets, and a hidden burst pipe can trap water and damage the fixtures. Other ways water exposes cabinets to water’s swelling and odors include:

  • Condensation from AC coils or drains
  • Overflowing drip pans from freezers or refrigerators
  • Cracked supply lines to ice makers or water dispensers
  • Tucked away, leaky HVAC system components--vents, radiators
  • Malfunctioning garbage disposal, dishwasher, or washing machine hoses, pumps, or drains
  • Unaddressed spills

What Water Damage Do Wet Cabinets Sustain?

  • Wooden framing, shelves, and raised floors swell and distort
  • Supports weaken, and joints loosen or break
  • Doors warp and stick or fail to close cleanly
  • Odors and mold growth develop

Does SERVPRO Have Practical Hints for Water Removal Without Permanent Damage to Fixtures?

Removing the water trapped beneath or behind the cabinets is crucial, even after the remediation of the leaks causing the damage. Here are some ways SERVPRO technicians release the water:

  • Toe kicks at the bases of the cabinets are removable -- prying them off gives access to trapped water and permits the flow of  warm, moving air to accelerate drying
  • Holes drilled in cabinet backs allow for the use of negative pressure systems to extract water and positive pressure systems to force warm, dry air into the wet cavities

Place your confidence and cabinets into the skilled hands of SERVPRO of Pottsville’s technicians. Call (570) 622-8991 if water damage threatens built-in cabinets.

How Can You Manage Mold Damage in Orwigsburg?

1/9/2022 (Permalink)

mold damage on the walls and ceiling of a room When you see or smell mold, quick action is required. Contact SERVPRO to handle the mold damage situation in your family home.

Orwigsburg Mold Remediation Offers a Fresh Start, Why SERVPRO Is a Top Choice

Mold damage in Orwigsburg is the last thing a homeowner wants to confront. Although media coverage of black mold infestation often sounds an alarm, take solace that proven mold abatement methods exist and are available in our community.

Why Does SERVPRO Emphasize Mold Remediation Instead of Mold Elimination?

Mold spores are endemic in Orwigsburg. They are a benign fact of life, microscopic in size and causing no issues until they encounter water. With excess moisture as the fuel, mold spores germinate and explode into rapidly expanding colonies. A company that promises to remove all mold damage and eradicate spores from your property sadly is perpetuating an impossibility. We believe the best approach involves following the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s remediation protocol, which is why SERVPRO is a leader in sustainable mold damage solutions.

What Is the EPA’s Mold Remediation Protocol?

The EPA urges the following steps for mold inspections, remediations, and removal. Considerable research underlies this method, why SERVPRO chose it for Orwigsburg customers:

  • Ensure technicians wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to avoid tracking moldy materials into unaffected home spaces. 
  • Locate the mold, determine the infestation perimeter using visual inspection, and add moisture detection or mold testing if some growth hides in building cavities.
  • Contain the mold remediation workspace with 1.6 mil polyethylene and negative pressure air scrubbing equipment, preventing residue drift. 
  • Remove active mold growth with mechanical strategies, including scraping, brushing, scrubbing, or controlled soda, dry ice, or corn cob blasting.
  • Clear excess spores and residues with wipe downs and HEPA-filtered vacuums.
  • Bag and lawfully dispose of the hazardous moldy waste.
  • Apply EPA-registered antimicrobials to inhibit mold damage rebound. 
  • Eliminate the water sources that could generate repeated mold growth.

Treating mold damage remediation as a sustainable process is why SERVPRO of Pottsville ranks among the community’s restoration leaders. Call (570) 622-8991 to learn about your options, especially how to mitigate the water damage underlying mold damage.

The Importance of a Walkthrough Before Starting Fire Restoration in Pottsville Homes

12/20/2021 (Permalink)

a soot covered wall from fire damage The soot and smoke remaining in your home after a fire can quickly cause further damage. Contact SERVPRO to assess and then remediate the fire damage.

SERVPRO Evaluates Fire Damaged Property to Establish Loss Levels and Homeowner Preferences

When you call professionals to restore your Pottsville home after fire damage, you expect them to take different actions to address the problem. One thing that you might overlook is the need for a walkthrough before the process starts. Alternatively, you might leave the team to evaluate the damage on their own since the step does not seem crucial.

Walkthroughs can significantly impact fire restoration processes in Pottsville homes since they help reveal crucial information about the loss early enough. Our SERVPRO crew chiefs perform the walkthrough immediately on arrival at your property, confirming the information provided during the briefing about the incident. 

The process also helps reveal:

  • Additional issues or items overlooked in the initial briefing
  • Personal preferences of the property owner
  • The layout of the property for optimal planning

Involving a property owner during the walkthrough is crucial since it can help fast-track the other restoration tasks that follow. Completing the restoration in good time helps reduce costs and inconveniences for the homeowner.

The other crucial fire restoration processes include:

  • Staging the loss site for better resource utilization
  • Content management, including manipulation or move-outs
  • Demolition to remove unsalvageable materials
  • Finishing processes such as repainting and deodorization

A significant portion of fire restoration involves cleaning different materials, ranging from fabrics to hard materials. Although cleaning depends on the resources like machines and chemical agents utilized, planning also plays a crucial role in the outcome. For instance, identifying corrosive residues during the initial review allows pre-emptive steps such as pre-cleaning or applying protective oil coatings on vulnerable materials to prevent staining.

SERVPRO of Pottsville can help you take the right action immediately after a fire incident, simplifying fire restoration. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help manage the loss at your property, “Like it never even happened.”

Which Techniques Help With Frozen Pipes and Ice Damming Prevention in Pottsville Homes?

12/13/2021 (Permalink)

icicles hanging off of the gutters of a house When the weather changes to cold, prevention measures for freezing pipes need to be implemented. Contact SERVPRO to help. We are standing by 24/7.

SERVPRO Focuses on Temperature Management Preventing Freezing in Properties

Freezing poses a significant risk of water damage for Pottsville residences. Frozen pipes and ice dams are the two common issues that lead to water damage. With the appropriate information, it is possible to prevent them, thus eliminating water damage, inconveniences and hefty restoration costs.

Most aspects of frozen pipes and ice damming prevention in Pottsville homes must be handled proactively. However, even when the cold season is already underway, it is still possible to take preventive actions. Involving a professional team like SERVPRO can help you take the correct actions before or during the cold season.

Crucial actions that help prevent pipes from freezing include:

  • Insulating pipes in exposed areas such as exterior walls
  • Insulating exposed house sections such as attics and basements
  • Maintaining constant temperatures of at least 55° F

As you might have noticed, temperature regulation is the critical step in preventing pipes from freezing. Our SERVPRO technicians use their expertise to determine whether you have sufficient insulation in the vulnerable sections of your property. We also confirm that your heating systems and accessories, such as thermostats, are fully functional.

For ice dams, the critical step in preventing them is understanding how they form. In most cases, uneven heating of the roof is the genesis of the problem. There are three phases in the process, starting with the first when parts of the exterior roof warm from escaping attic heat. The snow accumulates on the eaves, and on the roof where it is colder. Finally, the water melting on the warm roof forms a dam and can penetrate below the shingles, causing water damage.

Preventing ice dams can take different actions depending on the layout of your property:

  • Sealing and insulation HVAC and exhaust ducts
  • Better attic insulation to keep heat away from the roof
  • Ventilating eaves and ridges

SERVPRO of Pottsville can help you take the necessary actions for frozen pipes and ice damming prevention. Call us at (570) 622-8991 for assistance in winter-proofing your home.

What Does It Take To Complete Water Damage Repair in Orwigsburg Business Premises?

12/5/2021 (Permalink)

water marks on the ceiling of a room from water damage When water damage occurs on your commercial property, the key is quick action to prevent further deterioration. Contact SERVPRO immediately.

SERVPRO Bases Decisions on the Level and Location of Damage Within a Property

Water damage at your workplace can cause significant inconveniences or leave you with massive repair bills. An even bigger headache is not knowing how to plan the response. Failure to provide enough resources or using too many resources can create additional problems that hamper your water damage repair efforts. 

Leaving water damage repair at your Orwigsburg premises to a professional team eliminates most of the uncertainty. Since SERVPRO can evaluate factors including moisture spread patterns and distinguish the implications of materials affected during the incident, it is possible to manage the process for optimal results.

A successful repair process takes:

  • Removal of all standing water and drying the wet materials
  • Replacements of heavily deteriorated materials
  • Addressing any microbial growth processes 

The water removal step plays a crucial role in determining the level of repairs needed in your property. Completing extraction in good time is one way to limit damages since materials keep deteriorating the longer they remain submerged. However, the right approach is still necessary even when trying to expedite water extraction. For instance, if you have carpeted areas such as lobbies or offices, aggressive extraction can delaminate carpets. SERVPRO provides specialized extraction equipment such as weighted water claws or ride-on rovers that squeeze the water out aiding faster, yet safer extraction.

Many structural materials do not survive water exposure because of physical or other changes. For instance, swelling, warping, crumbling, or loss of insulating properties are common outcomes. SERVPRO structural drying IICRC-certified technicians inspect the property to determine what needs replacement. 

Damage from water exposure in structure can manifest as:

  • Flaking of painted surfaces
  • Matting, rusting, and loss R-value for insulation
  • Rusting of metal items

Apart from removing the intrusion water, our SERVPRO technicians help rehabilitate physically damaged areas. When restoring painted surfaces, we scrape the flaking, apply a filler and then sand the area before applying a fresh coat of paint. Other procedures are necessary to address rusting or microbial growth.

SERVPRO of Pottsville ensures water damage repair minimizes the inconveniences and costs for your commercial establishment. Call us at (570) 622-8991 for assistance that makes the incident "Like it never even happened.”

Do Water Leaks Cause Permanent Floor Damage In Your Orwigsburg Home?

11/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment at work. SERVPRO IICRC certified technicians have the training and equipment for any size water damage disaster. No matter the size we have you covered.

SERVPRO Water Damage Restoration Professionals Can Reduce and Restore Floor Damage in your Orwigsburg Home.What Type of Damage Does Water Cause to Flooring?

The floors of your Orwigsburg home are a composite of surface material, subfloor, and framework. Water naturally migrates, which, depending on the length of exposure and quantity of water, can affect your floor construction. Properties with carpeting also include a carpet pad, which typically breaks apart or deteriorate with exposure moisture. Assessing the amount of damage that water causes to flooring requires special measuring devices and, in some cases, removal of physical barriers to gain access to the lower regions of the floor construction. SERVPRO technicians can perform an expert analysis before tailoring a restoration procedure for your home.

What Tools are Used to Assess Floor Damage?

- Moisture probes and sensors for non-invasive inspection methods

- Thermal imaging cameras or Boroscopes to assess hidden cavities or materials within walls

- Deconstruction of the floor or removal of carpets for visual inspection for properties with extensive damage or long-term water exposure

When Should I Consider Replacing Flooring?

Some floor materials are more resilient and therefore respond better to water damage restoration methods in your Orwigsburg home. Expensive flooring like masonry or hardwoods is generally more time and cost-efficient to restore rather than replace. We use a range of psychrometric equipment- like air movers, dehumidifiers, or venting fans- and cleaning methods to regain flooring. Often a hardwood floor can be dried and cleaned before returning to apply a new finish. Where there is extensive damage, SERVPRO can use sandblasting equipment to even out signs of cupping or warping.

What are Cheap Flooring Materials to Replace?

- Carpets and carpet pads

- Linoleum or other vinyl materials

- Laminate flooring

Using a professional technician to restore your home may be cost-efficient after a water emergency. Contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

Does Drying Equipment Need to Run All the Time after Flooding?

11/13/2021 (Permalink)

Here to Help Storm and flood damage mitigation is no DIY project. Call SERVPRO for fast and immediate service. We are here to help.

Pottsville Homes Benefit from SERVPRO's Aggressive Drying Service

After a storm causing flooding, many homes and businesses in Pottsville need the water and debris removed, homes repaired, and restored to their original condition. Our clients often ask us whether the air movers and dehumidifiers need to be running all of the time? Can they turn them off during office hours or at night when they are trying to sleep?

SERVPRO provides flood water removal services to the city of Pottsville and surrounding areas. Our team initially removes all of the debris and water that may have entered your home. We also provide board up services to cover broken windows, damaged roofs, and doors. The next stage involves cleaning everything salvageable and removing the rest. Finally, our moisture removal equipment is installed to dehumidify the air and draw out all of the excess moisture that remains in the structure.

The most efficient approach is to operate the equipment continuously until moisture levels return to normal. Turning the air movers and dehumidifiers off extends the time needed to completely dry your home and increases the risk of mold colonies becoming established and causing more damage.

Everything Was So Damp, and Now the Air in Our House Feels So Dry

The air in your home may feel dry; however, high levels of moisture may still exist in walls, carpets, and your home's contents. SERVPRO monitors the humidity levels and adjusts the equipment to target specific areas that may require further drying. All materials do have a natural moisture content level; this is the goal we strive to reach.

Moisture in these areas can migrate into your home's dry air.  Once your home reaches a standard RH Relative Humidity, all of our equipment is removed. Restoration of the floodwaters' damage can also begin, returning your home to its original condition.

Call SERVPRO of Pottsville (570) 622-8991 to assist with flood water removal and restoration of your home or business.

What Is Necessary for Safer Management of Fire Damage in Pottsville Properties?

11/5/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO logo SERVPRO techs use OSHA-approved gear for every disaster. Fire damage restoration is a job for us.

SERVPRO Uses Simple and Exceptional Resources to Guarantee Safety in Households Affected by Fires

Fire is one of the top hazards in households since it can start in an instant causing severe injury or even death. You may think of the danger as over once all the embers die down. However, restoring fire damage poses some risks too. 

One issue that exposes people to hazards after fire damage in Pottsville is the haste to repair the damaged areas. Health effects can arise from skin contact or inhalation of residues. Injuries are also common from falling objects, or sharp materials that are hidden within heaps of accumulated residues—involving a professional team like SERVPRO rather than rushing to fix things is prudent for safety reasons.

Simple actions drastically improve the safety levels during the restoration, including:

  • Wearing PPE such as rubber boots and heavy-duty gloves during restoration
  • Inspecting structure and fixtures for signs of weakness
  • Proper collection and disposal of debris

The combustion process results in many byproducts, including gases, aerosol, soot, and other fine residues. These materials are deposited on surfaces or remain suspended in the air. While minimal exposure is inevitable on entering the property, the exposure is much worse after disturbance from moving items or cleaning attempts. 

Our SERVPRO teams prioritize inspection at the beginning of the restoration, which helps reveal the type of residues present and other hazards. Vacuuming fine debris and bagging the rest helps create order, safeguarding everyone entering the property. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville can help manage fire damage safely, making it "Like it never even happened." You can reach us at (570) 622-8991.

Can Commercial Water Restoration Companies Prevent Long-Term Damage to Pottsville Businesses?

10/23/2021 (Permalink)

moisture meter Water damage to your commercial property is no easy task. SERVPRO technicians use the latest equipment and technology for every job.

Commercial Water Restoration Companies like SERVPRO Can Rescue your Pottsville Business

Water damages do not always appear as emergencies that cannot be ignored. Sometimes, a slow leak in your place of work can build up slowly over time. At first unnoticed, these slow leaks can increase the relative humidity in the premises, pave the way for bacteria or mold and discolor surrounding materials. With long-term exposure to moisture, materials commonly used in the building assembly can begin to degrade. Acoustical ceiling tiles can lose their color or shape from direct water exposure. Equally, plasterboard can start to weaken or disintegrate under consistent exposure. If you notice unpleasant odors, yellowing of building materials, or low water pressure in business premises, it could be a sign of water damage. Commercial restoration services can help:

  • Identify slow leaks 
  • Replace damaged materials
  • Clean and disinfect cavities

Enlisting commercial water restoration companies in Pottsville can help to secure your premises from permanent damage. SERVPRO uses local, qualified restoration technicians to identify water issues in a property and rectify them or any damage they may cause. We can detect potential water issues in a property by using advanced moisture measuring devices. These devices can test surfaces either through penetrating probes or non-invasively by measuring temperature changes on the surface of a material. We can also assess the impact of humidity or water vapor damage in a property and return it to a safe level to mitigate losses. 

  • Thermal hygrometers can help measure problematic humidity levels in a property that could cause mold or assess the likelihood of vapor damages occurring to ceiling tiles.
  • A penetrating moisture meter can help assess the depth of moisture absorption in soft materials such as upholstery or carpets and subfloors.
  • Moisture sensors can be used on larger areas such as wooden beams or drywall to determine whether water could be affecting the material.

Use professional water restoration services for your business. Contact SERVPRO of Pottsville for commercial water restoration companies at (570) 622-8991.

How Does Fire Damage Restoration Work for Orwigsburg Residents?

10/12/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO fleet on the job late night. No matter the size of the fire in your home, SERVPRO has a team of experts ready at a moment's notice. Fire damage restoration is a job for us.

SERVPRO Fire Damage Restoration Technicians in Orwigsburg Ensure your Property is Cleared of Debris, Odor, and Smoke Residues

While putting out the flames of a burning property may feel like the job done, the reality is that extensive repairs, cleaning, and odor control are required to return the home to its preloss condition. Fires affect property and contents in many different ways and therefore need many different methods to restore successfully. Some damages in the property may occur through direct contact with flames and leave behind charred furnishings or other fire debris deemed to be non-salvageable. Smoke that releases with fire can stain walls, cupboards, and ceilings. Fire odors may linger in a property for several weeks or months and provide an unpleasant reminder of the event. SERVPRO is a comprehensive restoration task force that can help you with:

  • Cleaning away soot and smoke
  • Removing odor
  • Disposal of fire debris

The main factor in fire damage restoration for Orwigsburg residents is the amount of time the fire burned and the temperatures involved. A quick high-temperature event such as when curtains catch fire generally releases lighter, dry soot in the form of smoke. These dry soot are typically easy to remove from walls or windows using vacuums and dry sponges. On the other hand, a smoldering fire that burns for an extended time generally releases greasy, oil-based smoke, which can be much more complex to clean. SERVPRO technicians have experience dealing with both types of smoke in residential properties and have the necessary technical equipment to ensure your home returns to its pre-fire condition. 

  • Our crew chiefs can arrange the rental of dumpsters, the removal of fire debris, and contents stored on your behalf.
  • Working closely with an adjuster and using a pre-testing toolkit, we can quickly understand how much damage a fire causes and a likely time frame for restoration. 
  • Our contents cleaning services use advanced methods such as ultrasonic cleaning tanks and odor removal solvents.

However severe a property fire is, we can return it to its preloss condition. Contact SERVPRO of Pottsville for fire damage restoration at (570) 622-8991.

What is the Fastest Solution to Flood Damage for Pottsville Businesses?

10/6/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO vehicle with trash in the back SERVPRO IICRC certified technicians are trained and experienced in all phases of commercial damage restoration.

SERVPRO of Pottsville Can Help Restore Flood Damage in your Business Premises

Long-term damage can occur to flooded business premises. Often, these sudden events are out of the control of a property manager and can occur at any time throughout the year. The lasting impact of flooding depends upon the ability to respond quickly. Quick responses help to mitigate the losses that usually occur as a result of flooding. Take, for example, a flooded foyer in a busy hotel. The impact of water exposure to flooring, carpets, walls, and the front desk exponentially increases over time. The solution to this problem is to bring in industrial, electric submersible pumps to help reduce standing water to an acceptable level. Commercial restoration services can help to:

  • Drain a commercial premises
  • Perform fast-drying of the affected area
  • Return the property to a sanitary condition

We promise to arrive on-site within four hours of notification of loss when responding to commercial flood damage in Pottsville. Water deterioration can occur overnight, which is why coming quickly and performing emergency mitigation is so important. In a flood situation, it is common to experience a power outage. SERVPRO has gas-powered industrial generators and gas-powered pumping equipment to ensure that vital mitigation procedures can occur even if mainline electricity is temporarily unavailable. We can also provide the necessary lighting to ensure that technicians can accurately inspect and repair the property when producing an estimate. 

  • We can pump warm, dry air into commercial premises using powerful indirect furnaces or external direct expansion(DX) units
  • Typical commercial restoration teams include crew chief, production technician, and specialist water restoration technician (WRT)
  • Contamination in floodwaters can require the removal and replacement of certain materials in a building assembly, including drywall, carpets, and draperies

To quickly resolve a flooding situation, contact SERVPRO of Pottsville for commercial flood damage at (570) 622-8991.

Are Wet Carpets in My Pottsville Home a Lost Cause?

9/24/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment at work. Saturated flooring is no easy task to handle. Call SERVPRO and have their technicians handle all the water damage restoration.

Our Professionals Have Efficient Moisture Removal Techniques to Restore and Clean Damaged Carpeting 

Saturated carpeting in your home can present multiple obstacles for the homeowner and the responding restoration technicians sent to address water damage in Pottsville. Removing surface water and trapped moisture in materials requires a wide variety of advanced technologies and tools. Identifying what your home needs during mitigation and restoration is vital to saving our SERVPRO technicians time and effort on the recovery of your home after a disaster.

When it comes to water removal for Pottsville flooring and carpets, there are multiple approaches that our professionals must take. As is customary with all of the water losses that our team restores, we must first overcome obstacles like standing water before we can assess how damaged other areas of the property might be.

How Can Standing Surface Water Get Removed from My Home?

Extraction is one of the emergency services that you can expect from our response team when we arrive at your damaged address. As challenging as water losses can become as they migrate through a house, tools designed for efficient surface water removal can be critically vital to reducing irreparable damage to structural elements and contents. We have multiple options for water removal, including:

  • Submersible Pumps  

These machines are the backbone of surface water removal because they offer a fast, efficient, and quiet operation wherever they might be necessary for a home. Electric units are among the most commonly used as they require little setup and have a more powerful discharge to allow the machine to span greater distances in water removal. 

  • Wet Vacuums 

Wet vacuums can take over after the water removal abilities of submersibles have gotten exhausted. At a certain depth, usually no more than two inches, submersible pumps cannot draw the appropriate volume of water to maintain prime and wet vacuums take over. By generating a constant suction, these vacuums can remove the remaining surface water to encourage drying to begin as soon as possible. 

  • Truck-Mount Pumps 

In some situations where standing water in Pottsville might be a considerable obstacle for our responding technicians and widespread throughout the property, the best and most efficient removal tool is an extractor truck. These truck-mounted pumps arrive in our Green Fleet and can pull out water at a powerful 300 psi.

Can Water Get Removed from Soggy Carpets? 

The success of water removal and drying of carpets hinges on what our project manager and crew chief learn during scoping and inspection of the property. Using sophisticated tools and technologies like probing moisture meters, we can better determine the damage beyond the surface levels for flooring, like carpeting. Discovering the spread and migration of water loss effects can determine what approaches are most beneficial to restoring the property.

With water damage that exists in the carpet and padding layers exclusively, it is often possible to dry and recover flooring. When water penetrates the pad and begins to saturate into plywood or OSB board serving as subflooring, restoration, and recovery of the carpet and pad layers can be a challenge. It is often more cost-efficient to remove the floor in these circumstances.

What is Necessary to Restore Wet Carpeting? 

Not every situation is the same, so the approach to restore and dry damaged carpets in your home varies. Some circumstances only require our SERVPRO team to remove trapped water in the fibers of the carpet and the porous pad underneath it to recover the damaged flooring entirely. More extended periods of exposure increase the need for removal and replacement.

  • Carpet Wands 

With extraction equipment like wet vacuums and pumps, attachments such as carpet wands can be a powerful tool to focus water removal on absorbent flooring materials like carpets. These implements are even more advisable for use when it is not necessary to worry about the restoration of the carpet padding. When you are only trying to dry the surface layer and intend to replace the padding, carpet wands can remove most of the water threat.

  • Air Movers 

Centrifugal air movers, especially low-profile models, are ideal for drying out wet areas of the carpet. The process known as floating places an air mover between the surface layer of carpet and the padding to dry both simultaneously. This approach is ideal when it gets determined that migrating water has not yet affected subflooring materials.

  • Controlled Material Removal

When the probing moisture meter determines that absorption has occurred at the base levels, protecting your carpet and padding might not be possible. It is vital to reach underlying supports, as these are the most difficult to replace later. Removal of carpeted floors allows for more direct drying access to reduce costlier reconstruction needs for supports, joists, and plywood.

Meeting the demands of your water-damaged home is an area where many have trusted our SERVPRO of Pottsville team. Whether you want fast extraction solutions or efficient drying of carpeted floors, we can help. Give us a call today at (570) 622-8991.

Pottsville Property Owners Can Rely on SERVPRO for Fire Damage Cleaning of Possessions Off-Site

9/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO fire damaged sign When a fire strikes your home, SERVPRO can be there within 4 hours of the initial call. Fire damage restoration is a job for us!

Choosing the Best Way to Pack Up and Transport Fire Damaged Items for Restoration in Pottsville

Many times after a fire occurs in Pottsville, the family decides that they want the restoration of their belongings to happen at our facility. Other times, they want to look over items when they feel less stressed, so they can decide what to do with all of their possessions. SERVPRO understands that there is no one option and is ready to work with you to find the best choices that fit your needs.

After fire damage, your Pottsville residence's interior is covered in blackened soot and showing charred remains, having some control over the fire damage and how we eliminate it can help put things in a brighter perspective for you. One of those options is how your belongings end up where you want them.

Fire Damage Services 

If the destination is SERVPRO's facility, we can provide you with a pack-out service that includes inventorying of each box, as well as the organization of boxes according to not only which room they came from but the type of cleaning and restoration they need. We can use a scanning system and a tagging system for inventory control. Many families who want us to clean these items as quickly as possible often choose this option. We can do a thorough job of off-site cleaning and removing the soot, soil, and smoky residues from the belongings.

Other times, victims of fire damage want to check their belongings after they have settled their families after the disaster. This method works well for those whose belongings only come from a few rooms or when the area damaged by fire contained mainly storage boxes and other rarely used things. 

Some families want SERVPRO to handle all of the details of their property's restoration, from necessary cleaning, demolition, and reconstruction, as well as the soot-covered belongings that made their home comfortable. However, just as we use partners who specialize in electrical components, plumbing, and other aspects of a house, we also partner with trustworthy professional moving companies for massive move-outs. Our goal is to remove belongings while the cleanup work begins and to clean and secure the items at our facilities until the home is ready to receive the belongings back.

One of the benefits of using SERVPRO to provide pack-out services is a continuity of services, while on the other hand, customers benefit from having additional SERVPRO professionals working on their home's restoration.

SERVPRO of Pottsville can explain how each option can help your family recover from fire damage. We serve residents in Saint Clair, Frackville, and Schuylkill Haven. Contact us by calling (570) 622-8991, day or night, any day of the year.

How Can Pottsville Homeowners Tackle Mold Removal Safely?

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO mold sign Mold growth has the potential to cause health effects. SERVPRO uses the latest technology for all mold remediation services.

Pottsville SERVPRO Mold Removal Services

Mold growth–whether from a plumbing leak, a damaged water supply line, or microbes in a Pottsville home’s HVAC system–has the potential to cause health effects in homeowners. Without professional mold remediation and debris removal services, these microbes can impact home structural integrity while impacting air quality.

SERVPRO mold removal for Pottsville properties is performed per Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards with commercial-grade personal protective equipment (PPE). This crew’s careful observation of containment, decontamination, and other safety procedures keeps occupants safe from further mold growth.

SERVPRO Mold Remediation Availability

SERVPRO technicians can come to a Pottsville property to perform mold remediation services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These techs respond during late nights, weekends, and holidays because disasters do not occur on a convenient 9-to-5 schedule.

All buildings and outdoor spaces contain some small amount of mold. However, situations like residential water damage can elevate this above safe levels.

  • Mold can grow in as little as 24 hours after water damage starts. It typically makes its presence known with an unpleasant, musty odor.
  • Between two and seven days after water damage begins, mold can spread to porous surfaces, eating up organic materials and thriving in conditions with elevated temperature and humidity.
  • After more than a week, a water damage situation that has allowed mold to proliferate is much less safe for structures and occupants. Affected areas may require more extensive structural repair and replacement, as well as mold remediation with EPA-registered biocides.

SERVPRO of Pottsville can be reached at (570) 622-8991 when homeowners need a response from a We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster crew.

Pottsville Water Damage? No Problem, Call SERVPRO

8/19/2021 (Permalink)

moisture damage in laundry room, equipment at work Moisture in your home will cause health issues. SERVPRO uses the latest technology and equipment for every water damage restoration job.

Water Damage Technicians In Pottsville Discuss The Importance Of Injection Drying

Problems with moisture are some of the most common types of issues that could ruin items inside your Pottsville townhouse. The most common cause of water damage is a failure with your plumbing system, but there are many other ways moisture can enter your home. Water pipes are bound to leak over time, including your sewage and sink drain pipes. Appliances that use water can also malfunction and spray moisture into your home. No matter the case, any time you notice unwanted water inside your townhome, it is time to call in a professional restoration company like SERVPRO.

Water Damage Restoration

Whenever moisture makes its way into your home, mold can become an issue quickly. After you have a water damage problem in Pottsville, mold can start growing if organic materials stay wet for longer than 48 hours. To prevent mold growth and issues from getting worse, our SERVPRO technicians extract water when it is in liquid form and then dry out wet building materials and contents. Extraction takes place using a heavy-duty truck-mounted extractor with specialized attachments or perhaps just a wet vac and a mop. The rapid structural drying process then commences using air movers and dehumidifiers. This is key to complete return to preloss condition.

It used to be that any time drywall inside a building got wet, it had to be removed. In most situations, when there was moisture detected inside a wall cavity, the drywall was cut a foot or two above the floor so that air could get inside the cavity. These days, in most cases, we can dry out wet materials using the right amount of air movers to create circulation and dehumidifiers to remove moisture from the air.

If the drywall is extremely wet, then our SERVPRO technicians can use an injection drying system to force air behind your drywall and into your wall cavity. To do this, we drill holes in your wall and insert the tubes into the holes so that the machine pumps air into your wall cavity, thus drying it out.

If you ever notice wet materials inside your Pottsville home, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 24/7.

SERVPRO is Your Trusted Choice for Fire Recovery in Pottsville

8/12/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO logo Fire damage causes a lot of obstacles to handle. SERVPRO IICRC certified techs are ready at a moment's notice for the help you need.

What Makes SERVPRO a Wise Choice for Fire Recovery in Pottsville

Immediate and lingering effects from a blaze that began in your Pottsville home can be challenging for a homeowner to experience, and often, they are unsure of whom they can trust to restore their home to its original condition. With so many obstacles to overcome in restoring property after a fire, you need professionals with experience and advanced equipment designed to make the process as efficient as possible.

As soon as a fire damage emergency happens in your Pottsville residence, you have a finite amount of time before the destruction spreads to the point of affecting new areas, materials, and contents within your home. This persistent damage can eventually reach the point where these surfaces and items become unsalvageable. By reaching out to experienced technicians like our SERVPRO professionals, we can implement real-time mitigation tactics that can keep contents in your home out of harm’s way and begin cleaning up effects like smoke and soot damage to keep them from affecting more areas in the house.

Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration and Cleanup

The SERVPRO technicians dispatched to your home come with the full measure of our fire mitigation equipment, such as tools to help improve indoor air quality like our hydroxyl generators. These machines can remove particulates, debris, smoke particles, ash, and other hazardous elements from the environment and make the area safer for our certified technicians and others that might also enter the property.

Our experienced professionals are available to customers in our area 24 hours a day, even on holidays, to ensure that we provide a fast response to any emergency as it happens. Because of the short timeline homeowners have between the initial fire and the degradation of structural elements of their home and other spreading effects, you need a team of highly-trained professionals available whenever disaster strikes.

You might have choices when it comes to professional restoration in the area following a fire in your home, but our SERVPRO of Pottsville offers comprehensive restoration from our initial inspection and mitigation efforts through the completion of entirely restoring your home. “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

What Does Water Damage Restoration of Wooden Materials in Pottsville Homes Require?

8/5/2021 (Permalink)

water damaged  ceiling. Ceiling leaks from water damage are no easy task. SERVPRO water damage restoration services are second to none.

SERVPRO Handles Cleanup, Drying, and Renovation of Wooden Items As Part of Water Removal Services

Wood may be one of the dominant materials in your Pottsville home. However, water intrusion is not likely to leave uniform damages in all the wooden materials within your property. The variations may arise because of the type of wood, its physical state, and its finishing type. Therefore, more than one restoration process may be necessary to reinstate normalcy.

With a professional assisting, you can be assured that the effort put into water damage restoration at your Pottsville home can resolve most of the problems that arise. The condition of the water or the length of exposure are the main determinants of the outcome. For instance, clean water flowing from a burst pipe may seem harmless since it has no contaminants, but if the wood is left to soak for several days, irreversible damages occur. SERVPRO has the resources to fix damages or identify unsalvageable materials early.

The need to save wooden items may arise under different circumstances like:

  • Leaking roof from storms
  • Emergency services water damage
  • Burst pipes
  • Ceiling leaks

When our SERVPRO team responds to an incident at your property, we start by probing the extent of the loss. We can use handy moisture meters and sensors to determine the level of water absorption by materials such as floorboards, door, and window trim, as well as structural supports such as frames, joists, or trusses.

Typical problems after the wood items are exposed to water include:

  • Swelling
  • Buckling and cupping
  • Cracking

Restoration may require controlled drying to diminish swelling without causing warping or cracking. Our SERVPRO technicians set up drying chambers over surfaces such as floors to guarantee this. In the case of cupping, sanding uneven surfaces after drying can help finish the restoration.

SERVPRO of Pottsville handles water damage restoration of any material. Call us at (570) 622-8991. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

How Floodwaters Bring Contaminants into Your Pottsville Home

7/23/2021 (Permalink)

storm damaged home When a flood disrupts your home living. SERVPRO is a call away for all of the storm damage restorations your home needs.

Contamination and Hazards During Flood Damage Restoration

While flooding can often be very traumatic for Pottsville homeowners, many do not understand the full measure of hazard or risk associated with this emergency. With water pouring in through openings of your home without a full working knowledge of where this water has come from, this disaster could welcome contamination and biohazards into the property that threaten those exposed. Our SERVPRO professionals have the personal protective equipment to safely clean up these potential hazards throughout the mitigation and restoration processes necessary to return your home to preloss condition.

Without knowing the path that floodwaters take to reach your Pottsville home, it cannot get said definitively that flood damages are not potentially hazardous for even our trained professionals to overcome. Our SERVPRO flood restoration team has advanced training regarding safety and personal protective equipment that can help us clean up contaminated areas and remove hazardous debris and items from your property that have been carried in with the flood.

Assessment for Flood Damage

Assessment of the damage is a critical stage for determining the full scope of the water damage to the property and determining the levels of the potential hazard that could exist both structurally and with the flood water and residues left behind. With our mitigation tactics, our SERVPRO technicians can quickly extract floodwater from the affected areas of your home and get to work on debris removal and demolition required in light of both contamination and heavy saturation that ruins construction materials like drywall.

Disinfection After Flood Damage

Disinfection of beams, studs, and other primary structural elements is critical if these portions of your home’s construction can get preserved after a flood. We have solutions and detergents that can clean these materials. Even an antimicrobial spray can help prevent these surfaces from becoming inhabitable by mold spores, looking for a home in the moist environment to colonize.

Flooding is rarely as direct as restoring water damage. Still, our SERVPRO of Pottsville rapid response team has the training and equipment to help with whatever the condition of your property is. Give our professionals a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

The Difference Between Flood And Water Damage In Your Pottsville Home

7/17/2021 (Permalink)

dishwasher over flow Water damage of any type is a job for SERVPRO. Our IICRC certified techs are ready at a moment's notice. Call now!

Our Highly Skilled Technicians Explain The Difference Between Flood And Water Damage

Knowing the kind of damage that affects your Pottsville home can be critical in securing the proper restoration work. While it might seem like many of these potential disasters stand out clearly from one another regarding the effects that they can have on the property, situations like flood and water damage present similar effects but from different sources. These variables affect the work to get done in the home and the best approach to restore it and protect the things that matter most to the customer.

Flood and water damage in your Pottsville home might look similar when you see their effects on materials and belongings, but they get approached and restored in different ways. Our SERVPRO professionals must assess the source of the damage to help to provide our customers with lasting solutions to prevent similar occurrences in the immediate future with the next severe weather system or interior problem.

Water damage is often more common for our technicians to contend with in the area homes that we serve. Water damage results from something occurring within the house that has an immediate impact on surfaces, materials, and the environment of affected areas of the property. This disaster can result from several sources such as faulty appliances or fixture leaks but often can get restored without excessive demolition if professionals like ours can get to the situation quickly.

Water Removal Services

Our SERVPRO IICRC certified professionals can quickly set up the proper drying equipment in critical areas to remove the moisture from surfaces and construction elements throughout the house. Often drywall and cabinetry require removal if overly saturated by the water, but elements like flooring and carpeting can often get preserved with drying mats, air movers, and dehumidifiers.

While there are differences in how water damage and flood damage can affect your home, having the right professionals to help you overcome effects is critical to returning your property to normal. Give our experienced SERVPRO of Pottsville rapid response team a call anytime that disaster strikes so we can work quickly to restore your home. You can reach our professionals 24/7 at (570) 622-8991.

What Strategies Reduce the Damage that Flooding Does to Pottsville Homes?

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

storm damaged ceiling Storms have the tendency to cause homes damage. SERVPRO is the team to call for all of your storm restoration services.

Effective mitigation and remediation strategies help Pottsville properties recover after flooding.

Flooding is a time-sensitive situation. The sooner technicians can get started on recovery and cleaning, the less of the structure that requires removal and replacement. SERVPRO employs efficient extraction and disinfection practices to overcome highly damaging flood events in area homes. 

Emergency Services Remove Standing Water Concerns

Because flood damage in Pottsville homes is not uncommon, restoration professionals like ours in the area must stay prepared to mobilize quickly. Reaching a flood situation for restoration and mitigation as soon as possible can often prevent considerable tear-out and reconstruction. Emergency services can range from debris removal to extraction.

Content Cleaning and Relocation Services

Our responding technicians always prioritize protecting your home or business's contents from irreparable harm. On-site relocation and cleaning can play a significant role in this process, though some of these items must benefit from the pack-out process we offer. This moves things to our nearby SERVPRO facility for effective and efficient restoration practices such as:

Flooding is often a devastating situation for area homeowners, namely when your most treasured possessions are in harm's way. Trusting the fast response of our SERVPRO of Pottsville team to help can ensure that even with destructive flooding conditions that the appropriate cleaning and restoration gets underway. We are available 24/7 at (570) 622-8991. 

After a Water Damage Incident in Your Pottsville Property, Call the Experts at SERVPRO

6/18/2021 (Permalink)

rippled carpet, lumpy beige SERVPRO advises DIY Pottsville homeowners call us for professional water removal--do you want this carpet in your closet?

Why SERVPRO for Effective Water Cleanup for Your Pottsville Home

Even without widespread damages, water damage incidents in your Pottsville home still require professional cleaning and drying to ensure that worse conditions are not waiting around the corner. There are many risks associated with inadequately cleaning up and drying out water loss incidents in your house. Understanding how professional assistance can help can ultimately save you time and money over DIY approaches.

No matter the cause of the water damage to your Pottsville home, water cleanup is rarely as simple as mops and buckets to the affected areas. Often water damage spreads quickly throughout the exposed area, penetrating surfaces and saturating materials to the point of requiring specialized drying equipment to recover these areas. Our SERVPRO professionals arrive with a stocked production vehicle and personnel to quickly begin drying out the damaged elements within your home to prevent costlier ventures like tear-out and reconstruction that might not be necessary.

Specialized Tools for Detecting Water Damage

We arrive with moisture detection equipment and thermal imagery cameras that can help to determine where moisture pockets exist out of sight. Understanding the depths and spread of dampness can choose the best positioning for high-velocity air movers and dehumidifiers. This maximizes their effectiveness in returning your home to preloss conditions.

As effective as this strategy is for our SERVPRO professionals on-site, many homeowners might still consider doing this independently. Failure to know the full extent of the damage and eliminate this lingering dampness can facilitate the growth of mold, which can be damaging both to the structure and those living inside. Additionally, lingering moisture can weaken structural elements to the point of failure or collapse, making it a considerable hazard for anyone exposed.

For as many choices as you might have to make when you experience a water damage incident in your home, choosing professional restoration should be an easy decision. Our SERVPRO of Pottsville rapid response team is available 24/7 to help clean up and dry out the water damage in your home. Give us a call today at (570) 622-8991.

SERVPRO Provides Professional Water Extraction During Storm Damage Recovery in Pottsville

6/12/2021 (Permalink)

removed water damaged wall SERVPRO offers "flood cuts," a controlled demolition to minimize cost and build backs in Pottsville storm damaged homes

Flood Recovery for Pottsville Homes After Severe Weather Damages

Storm systems can cause many external damages to your Pottsville property. To make the situation harder, these vulnerabilities caused by high winds, hail, ice, heavy snowfall, and torrential rain can open pathways for water to penetrate the upper levels of your house or also allow water into cellars and basements. Contending with this situation requires an immediate response from the homeowner to experienced restoration specialists that can help. Our team is available 24/7 to help you preserve structural elements in your home and keep the property's contents from becoming unsalvageable.

Many homeowners do not realize when external elements of their home have allowed their property to become susceptible to flooding. Often these situations occur mid-storm, making them troublesome to diagnose right away and harder still to prevent. Our rapid response team can react quickly to the flood damage in your Pottsville home and offer effective solutions designed to mitigate your damages and lessen the time and cost associated with the complete restoration of the house.

Flood Damage Mitigation and Restoration

Risk assessment is a large part of our SERVPRO professionals' work, and this comes along with a thorough inspection of the property to determine the full extent of the damage sustained by the home throughout the event. Often affected areas of your house get earmarked at this point for removal with controlled demolition tactics. With a higher volume of water penetrating your home, the saturation levels can get too excessive for materials like drywall and carpeting to get saved in many instances. SERVPRO attempts to minimize the amount of wall replacement by using "flood cuts." Why remove an entire 8-foot panel when a 2 to 4-foot cut can suffice?

Our SERVPRO technicians offer controlled demolition techniques to prepare your property for the reconstruction that it often needs when exposed to floodwaters. While we can often board up or tarp over vulnerable points on the roof or in other areas of the exterior of your home to prevent further exposure and damage, we leave reconstruction and replacement of materials to experienced residential contractors.

Flooding in your home can happen from several sources, but severe weather can often become a contributing factor. If you experience flood damages in your home, call our SERVPRO of Pottsville rapid response team as quickly as possible at (570) 622-8991.

How Can Mold Removal Happen in a Pottsville Basement?

6/7/2021 (Permalink)

basement walls ceiling coated with mold Don't Let Mold Damage get out of control in your Pottsville basement--Call SERVPRO for remediation and cleanup

SERVPRO Recommends Getting Professional Mold Damage Remediation to Ensure the Problem Ends

One thing to remember when black mold or another type is seen in a Pottsville property, it is always a symptom of a larger issue. Frequently visited reasons include unseen leaks, lack of ventilation allowing humidity to build up, or post-flood damage.

SERVPRO handles mold removal in Pottsville properties and addresses the cause at the time of the remediation. This attention to detail inhibits the issue's return and ensures the homeowner does not have to keep dealing with the mold. Scoping using our equipment can pinpoint the areas of elevated moisture, then the tech can drill a tiny hole to inspect for mold. This prevents the removal of portions of walls or ceilings in finished basements that do not harbor mold colonies.

Removal of dried matter may happen through different methods depending on the surface it is left upon. SERVPRO techs have access to abatement applications such as ice, soda, and glass bead blasting to lift away stuck-on residues without marring surfaces, such as cinder block walls in a basement.

Actions to Inhibit Further Mold Damage During Remediation

  • Lowering interior humidity under 50%
  • The use of antimicrobial sealants
  • Containment to halt the spread of airborne spores during remediation

SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 brings years of comprehensive training to every Pottsville mold damage remediation resulting in the best outcome every time.

Ensure Best Results in Orwigsburg with Skilled Fire Restoration

5/18/2021 (Permalink)

smoke detector opened on a ceiling SERVPRO advices our Orwigsburg neighbors to check and replace batteries in their smoke detectors to help prevent severe fire damage

SERVPRO arrives to your Orwigsburg property fast to start on fire damage restoration efforts!

Odors, charred debris, and stains may fill your interior after you have a fire that blazes through your Orwigsburg property. Good news - the SERVPRO crew is available with IICRC-certified fire and smoke restoration technicians (FSRT) that will get the job underway and completed right the first time. To each fire damage restoration project we get called to, we identify soot deposits to allow for the selection of the best equipment and methods for the task. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster, giving our clients peace of mind that all stress and hassle is removed from the house fire clean up process.

Some of the common steps that we take when called for fire restoration in Orwigsburg include:

  • Odorous element identification – This helps determine best restoration practices or replacement, as needed. Fires leave behind smoke and soot particles that permeate your materials and interior, making it difficult to remove without utilizing technical measures.
  • Detailed smoke deposit analysis – Wherever there are wet, dry, or greasy deposits, our crew has access to many cleaning agents; alkaline, acidic, and oil-based treatments help us return fire damaged homes back to their pre-fire condition even faster.
  • Restoration and replacement – We always work to repair rather than replace, but do offer complete controlled demolition services as needed to make it “Like it never even happened.”

Call SERVPRO of Pottsville today at (570) 622-8991 for help with fire restoration and smoke remediation. We have crews available 24/7 for emergency service!

How to Deal with Water Damage Removal in Pottsville

5/11/2021 (Permalink)

finished basement, axial fans drying carpet SERVPRO has advanced drying equipment to mitigate water damage in flooded Pottsville finished basements

Pottsville Homeowners Trust SERVPRO for Water Damage Removal and Restoration

Are you aware that home insurance does not typically cover flood water damage in Pottsville? Pottsville homeowners have a responsibility to protect their property and contents to minimize insurance claims. Faster removal of unwanted spills can mitigate the water damage caused by burst pipes, damaged taps, or leaking roofs.

How professional water extraction services can help

Whether you are dealing with faulty plumbing, a broken appliance, or floods, just an inch of water is enough to cause havoc and ruin properties worth many thousands of dollars. But not when you seek the right professional water damage removal services in Pottsville. Our SERVPRO team offers professional water extraction services to homes and business premises. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Some of the leading causes of water damage in Pottsville include:

  • Burst pipes
  • Ceiling leaks
  • Leaking Roof from Storms
  • Basement flooding

Need professional water damage removal services in Pottsville? Simply dial (570) 622-8991, and our dedicated team of experts at SERVPRO of Pottsville can be at your doorstep, making you feel “Like it never even happened.”

When Your Pottsville Business Requires Rapid Flood Damage Assistance

5/3/2021 (Permalink)

funny flood stickers Flooding is never funny in a Pottsville commercial property. But, SERVPRO is ready to help make it "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO provides fast, efficient flood damage services – Call us first to assess your Pottsville business!

You will find Pottsville located within Schuylkill County in the state of Pennsylvania. Nestled within the Coal Region in Pennsylvania, you will find stunning green landscapes of rolling hills and quaint village streets filled with friendly, welcoming faces.

Notable Fact: The anthracite coal history for Pottsville began back in 1790 after a coal seam got discovered by a local hunter named Necho Allen. By the time 1795 came around, there was an anthracite-fired refinery established along the Schuylkill River.

Looking for Things to Do When in Pottsville?

Pottsville is a lovely area to explore when traveling, but it is also great for putting down roots. You have a rural vibe yet plenty of places to see within the urban setting. Some of the favorite attractions in Pottsville include:

  • G. Yuengling and Son Brewery – Whether you want to take a historical brewery tour or sample some of this famous craft beer, this is a great stop to break up some of the time during your visit. 
  • Hope Hill Lavender Farm – Come during the right time of the year, and you will experience vast fields of lavender or stunning sunflowers at this local farm. 
  • Jerry’s Classic Cars and Collectible Museum – Whether you are a car buff or want to experience a unique, eclectic museum, this is a stop filled with whimsical, memorable classic car and vintage décor displays.

Diving into Dining Experiences in Pottsville, Pennsylvania!

Whether you are visiting Pottsville or looking for new favorite restaurants to enjoy after moving to the area, there is something for everyone for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or light eats when out on the town. Some of the favorite haunts in the Pottsville area include:

  • Ruby’s Kitchen – Top dishes on the menu at this deli-style restaurant on South 2nd Street include Fish Mac N’ Cheese, Turkey Panini, and Crab Soup. The seating is cozy, and the staff offers a friendly, fun atmosphere. 
  • WHEEL – Pottsville – When you are in the mood for unique, expertly crafted sandwiches, this eatery on West Market Street is perfect. They’re known for bold Grilled Cheese Sandwiches as well as Hand Cut Chips, Hand Cut Fries, and a broad selection of toppings and dipping sauces for an out-of-this-world experience.
  • Roma Pizzeria – Whether you are looking for a quick slice or a few pizzas or dishes to enjoy at home, Roma Pizzeria on West Market Street is a great place to check out. Favorites on the menu include Chicken Wing Pizza, Cheese Steak Stromboli, Filet Mignon Sandwich, and Pollo Rossini. 

Flood Damage Control with SERVPRO Gives Your Pottsville Business the Ability to Cut Damages and Loss

Flooding from a faulty appliance, employee error, or burst pipes can turn into a substantial water-related emergency. When this happens, you need help fast at your Pottsville business. SERVPRO features skilled technicians to handle flood restoration and water mitigation to get results quickly, including controlled demolition and emergency services water damage repair, so everything is restored “Like it never even happened.”

Help with flood damage in Pottsville when you need it at your commercial space is what we are here for at SERVPRO. We follow proven steps using water clean up tools like:

  • Truck-mounted and portable extractors
  • Carpet wands/light wands
  • Stationary or self-propelled deep extraction tools
  • Self-priming trash pumps, high-pressure pumps, or electric submersible pumps

Water removal services and flood damage assistance are areas where we shine at SERVPRO of Pottsville. Call us at (570) 622-8991, and we will send a crew to your commercial space as soon as possible to get started!

Pottsville Basement Mold Remediation Services Near Me?

4/19/2021 (Permalink)

black mold Mold will spread like wildfire within 24 to 48 hours. SERVPRO has trained and experienced technicians to handle the mold remediation service.

SERVPRO Can Help You With Your Pottsville Restaurant's Basement Mold Remediation!

When a building is first built, many basements remain unfinished, which can be a double-edged sword when it comes to your restaurant and the mold damage inside. On the one hand, a lack of drywall and flooring can make it easier to clean up fungi that form. However, on the other hand, any microbial growth is closer to the structure of your home, such as the organic wooden framework. 

Here at SERVPRO, we can help you with your Pottsville basement mold remediation! When it comes to fungal growth, it is not always a water loss to blame. Sometimes excess humidity can be the problem. Let us say that high humidity first began to impact the insulation during the summer and got worse throughout the fall. You did not notice until much later when the colony became visually apparent, peeking out around the extra equipment and old files. Not to worry, we can help you with: 

  • Mold Inspections, Remediations, and Removal
  • Black Mold Damage Repairs
  • Mold Inspection
  • Attic Mold Removal
  • Mold Removal

Using advanced technology, our SERVPRO technicians can remove the mold-filled insulation safely without spreading it to other sections of your restaurant. Furthermore, we can use antifungal agents to help prevent regrowth, so you can feel "Like it never even happened." We work whenever you need us, so call us now! 

When you need a mold inspection and remediation services, get help immediately! Contact SERVPRO of Pottsville by dialing (570) 622-8991. We're ready to help you! 

What Can I Do When a Storm Causes Flood Damage?

4/13/2021 (Permalink)

storm damaged home IICRC certified trained techs from SERVPRO are ready 24/7 365 days a year for any size storm restoration service.

Local Orwigsburg Flood Damage Remediation Services Are Ready to Help! 

Many people enjoy falling asleep to the sound of rain, but it's not such a great greeting when said rain begins to drip on your face in the middle of the night. Waking up to a leaking ceiling is no one's ideal situation, but it is the way you deal with the issue that makes the difference. Getting in touch with experts quickly can make a big difference in the comfort of your sleep for the following nights. 

Here at SERVPRO, we're local Orwigsburg flood damage experts. No matter how the flood damage came to be in your home, we can help you get it back to its pre-flood state. Call us when you need help with: 

  • Water Clean Up
  • Ceiling Repairs From Water Damages 
  • Leaking Roof from Storms
  • Water Damage Repairs 

Our IICRC certified technicians use advanced technology designed to tackle water damage quickly. These devices are made to deal with: 

  • ceiling leaks
  • burst pipes
  • flood restoration
  • water damage remediation

Trust our technicians to help your home by using wet/dry vacuums to extract excess water. We can additionally set up drying equipment, such as dehumidifiers, and we can direct airflow to your ceiling with poly-sheeting to ensure your home is suitably dry. 

When you have a water damage emergency, get help! Call SERVPRO of Pottsville by dialing (570) 622-8991. We're ready to help you 24/7! 

Local Orwigsburg Fire Damage Restoration

4/8/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damaged ceiling. Fire and smoke restoration should be left to a professional outfit. SERVPRO has you covered from beginning to end when it comes to restoration service

SERVPRO of Pottsville Can Help You with the Fire Damage Restoration in Your Orwigsburg Home!

In 1823, Orwigsburg was named an official township and had remained a small borough in the Schuylkill County of Pennsylvania ever since. While its population was estimated at only 3,009 people in the 2010 census, the community has a big heart. Here at SERVPRO, we're proud to be a part of the community and help our neighbors! 

Some Facts About Orwigsburg: 

Orwigsburgh was named for its founder, Peter Orwig. Furthermore, it was the county seat until it was moved in 1851 to Pottsville in 1851. It has an estimated 795 families in the borough and 1,158 households. It was founded in 1796 but would wait quite some time before it was officially recognized. 

What to Do in Pottsville: 

Orwigsburg is a simple borough and does not have many attractions. So, tourists and locals must look to nearby cities to go out for activities and fun. When in Pottsville and the surrounding Schuylkill County, look out for: 

Jerry's Classic Cars and Museum: this historic fifties-themed museum is found in the middle of Pottsville and features many historic cars. Many report the museum to feel like the set of Grease! the musical. 

Hope Hill Lavender Farm: Come to this farm to learn about how lavender is farmed! They sell many lavender-scented products as well, which you can take home to your family members. 

D.G. Yuengling and Song Brewery: This brewery dated all the way back to 1829 and was created by a German immigrant. Operations continue today, and crates craft ale and beer that is a favorite of the locals! And nationally!

Fire Damage Restoration in Orwigsburg! 

Here at SERVPRO of Pottsville, we look after the residents of Orwigsburg when fire and smoke damage becomes a problem. Many people picture their house burning to the ground when they imagine fire damage, but often that is not the case. Most home fires are quite small, and the damage can be managed by experts like our technicians. We aim to restore, not replace, so we can leave your home like it was in its pre-fire condition. We can help you with: 

  • Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration and Cleanup
  • Smoke Damage
  • House Fire Clean Up
  • Fire Restoration
  • Water & Fire Damage Restorations

Picture the fire in your home was caused by a cooking accident. Grease fires can quickly get out of hand, and many people automatically try to smother them with water. Unfortunately, water can make them more reactive and spread the flames faster. Here at SERVPRO, we can use advanced technology to reduce the fire damage in your home. We can provide solutions for: 

  • fire damage restoration
  • fire and smoke damage
  • smoke remediation
  • fire damaged homes

We can begin the remediation by addressing smoke and soot at the same time. Our technicians can set up air scrubbers to help purify the air while we clean up soot and remove debris. Our technology works in conjunction and helps the process go much faster, so we can get you back to your life as quickly as possible. 

When you need professional fire damage restoration services, act! Dial (570) 622-8991 to speak with SERVPRO of Pottsville. We're available 24/7!

Can Cold Snaps Cause Water Damage for Pottsville Businesses?

3/8/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment at work. Your commercial building needs the service of SERVPRO when water damage restoration issues occurs. Our IICRC certified technicians are ready 24 /7.

Our SERVPRO professionals respond fast to water damage emergencies in area businesses. 

Pottsville is home to the oldest operating brewery and hundreds of historic properties in a commercial district in the downtown area. Protecting these structures with a fast response in an emergency is vital. 

Protecting the Largest Commercial Properties

If Pottsville is known for anything, it is known as the Yuengling Brewery's proud home. This product is historic in its own right, as the business continues to operate the D.G. Yuengling & Son facility - the oldest brewing company in America - established in 1829. Producing nearly 3 million barrels of beers a year in their two main production facilities, Pottsville has proudly been the original birthplace of this national treasure.

Cleaning and Drying Damaged Historic Structures

The city has always been one to protect its oldest and most prominent features of the cityscape. These same structures have often switched hands multiple times from business to business in their lifetimes, all while retaining the same architectural allure. The time that many of these buildings have stood, considering some predate the town, which was officially established in 1819. The Pottsville Downtown historic district has 336 properties in the central business district of the growing cities, and the National Register of Historic Places recognizes this subsection of the municipality. Some of these properties and other noteworthy structures throughout the town include: 

  • Sovereign Majestic Theater - Compared to venues today, the theater is small and only seats 224. You can find this historic property on North Centre Street and still catch multiple live stage/Broadway performances every year. 
  • Cloud Home - This residence was built in 1851 and featured a unique architectural style to this Pennsylvania region - especially for its age. It is one of the few Greek Revival-style properties with Corinthian columns and a pedimented portico. 
  • The Burd Patterson House - This residence was built around 1830 and is a brick mansion added to the National Register in 1995. The property was built with a Federal-style and has a Queen Anne porch addition constructed just before the turn of the 20th century. 

How Can Professional Water Restoration Companies Help Pottsville Businesses? 

When you need water restoration companies for Pottsville businesses, the situation can get out of control quickly. Unlike residences, the spread of water can mean a considerable hit to your wares and investments without the appropriate water removal services and management of the situation. We have stocked trailers to mobilize quickly with:

  • Extractors
  • Dehumidifiers 
  • Air movers
  • Portable heaters

Our SERVPRO IICRC certified professionals have a fast response to Pottsville businesses ranging from the small shops found in the historical downtown area to significant production facilities the size of the Yuengling brewing complex. We are a large loss recovery team capable of responding quickly when you need it most. We're Faster to Any Size Disaster. 

Water disasters do not have to be devastating for your business. Let our SERVPRO of Pottsville team help by calling (570) 622-8991.

What Efficient Drying Practices Exist for Orwigsburg Homes?

3/8/2021 (Permalink)

water damaged kitchen Efficient drying begins with the proper company. SERVPRO techs are IICRC certified and trained for any size water restoration project.

Our SERVPRO team has effective drying and moisture removal tactics to restore damaged homes. 

The Polar Vortex and then the continuing snowstorms and frigid temperatures have stressed the stability of many structures. Fortunately, our large crew has the equipment and supplies to assist our neighbors.

When water disasters occur in Orwigsburg homes, the effects can spread quickly throughout the property. Standing water and surface moisture become the most immediate threats to the structure but can often get resolved by applying several extractions and water removal tools in our inventory. Overcoming widespread moisture concerns involves understanding where damp pockets exist and placing evaporative drying tools in the appropriate areas to maximize production.

What Can SERVPRO Do to Dry Damaged Homes? 

Once moisture has been identified with detection devices, we can daisy chain air movers to improve their coverage and reduce the need for multiple outlets during the restoration process. Centrifugal and axial air movers circulate dry blasts of air to evaporate trapped moisture in structural elements efficiently. Other drying tools include:

  • Floor mats
  • Positive/negative pressure systems
  • Portable heaters
  • Dehumidifiers

Efficient drying begins with trained technicians with leading restoration equipment. You can count on our SERVPRO of Pottsville team to help. Give us a call today at (570) 622-8991.

How Experienced Are SERVPRO Mold Specialists for Pottsville Homes?

3/8/2021 (Permalink)

mold remediation in basement SERVPRO has the techs and equipment for any size mold remediation service needed for your home. Call now.

With extensive training and certification, we can help local homes overcome mold threats.

Mold is not an uncommon threat to Pottsville homes, especially being in the path of winter and summer storms that can leave moist conditions or vulnerabilities in elements like your roof. Because mold can spread so fast through a humid environment, it is essential to have the right team to respond to these emergencies to begin remediating and managing this situation as soon as possible. Our SERVPRO team is highly qualified to help when microbial threats get discovered.

Are SERVPRO Professionals Experienced Mold Remediators? 

Our roster has multiple IICRC certified technicians in mold remediation (AMRT) and related niches like structural drying (ASD) and water restoration (WRT.) Removing mold colonies in Pottsville can be a challenging undertaking and involves the choice of several approaches and practices based on hosting materials and the severity of exposure, including:

  • Controlled demolition
  • Media blasting
  • Antimicrobial cleaning

Removing active mold colonies requires experience and safe practices that you can expect with our SERVPRO of Pottsville team. Give us a call today at (570) 622-8991.

Should You Try and Clean Items after Fire Damage?

2/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO vehicle parked in front of home Call SERVPRO after you experience a fire incident, we have training in fire & smoke restoration, odor control, upholstery & fabric cleaning.

It Is Better to Call In the Professionals

Seeing your home and belongings soot-blackened by fire damage is demoralizing and stressful. SERVPRO understands that you want to get everything clean as soon as possible.

However, it is much better to call in the experts to handle the cleanup after fire damage in your Pottsville home. Different materials react differently to heat during ablaze, and the type of material which burns can make a big difference to how we clean up afterward.

  • Smooth and non-porous services may be easier to clean after a blaze.
  • Porous surfaces often warp and suffer more profound soot damage, and require more specialist cleaning.
  • Antique surfaces and finishes may require special care to restore.

SERVPRO teams will examine soot-damaged items and decide on the best cleaning method for restoration. For example, we might use dry brushing, HEPA vacuums, soda blasting, spot cleaning, or wet cleaning. Calling on us means you can salvage more of your belongings, thanks to our expert knowledge and our emphasis on restoring rather than replacing.

For fire damage help you can trust, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

Why Does Your Garden Matter in Preventing Flood Damage?

2/11/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO vehicles parked in front of home Regardless of the way that your home was flooded, SERVPRO is the effective company for water removal services. Don’t wait, call right away.

Storm Proof Your Garden to Protect Your Home

It is better to prepare for flood damage before it happens. Even if the weather forecast is clear, it is better to take preventative measures sooner rather than later.

One way to help protect your Orwigsburg home from flood damage is to keep your yard well-tended. Several risk areas in your garden can put your house at greater risk of flood damage:

  • Overhanging trees can damage windows or roofs and let floodwater into your home.
  • Overflowing drainpipes and gutters increase the risk of flooding near your home’s walls.
  • Lawns or flowerbeds that slope towards your home encourage floodwater to run to the building.
  • Loose fence posts or gates can blow into your home and cause damage that allows water in.

Keep gutters clean, and call in a tree surgeon if a tree looks like it might be in a dangerous position. In the event of flood damage, call SERVPRO. We will evacuate water from your home, clean your belongings, and dry and deodorize your home to leave it “Like it never even happened.”

If you need help with flood damage, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

How Can Pottsville Businesses Get Help with Mold Damage?

2/5/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO vehicles parked in front of business plaza If mold damage strikes your business, you’ll need a team to help you. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 for professional remediation and mitigation services.

SERVPRO Knows How to Tackle Commercial Mold

Pottsville is a small, friendly city in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. With just 14,324 residents at the last census, Pottsville is the perfect size to explore on foot or by bike, without needing to drive for miles or spend hours on public transit. The city is situated beside the Schuylkill River in the heart of Pennsylvania's coal-mining country.

Charles II granted lands to early Quaker William Penn in the early eighteenth century. Pottsville's fortunes were significantly improved when a hunter named Necho Allen discovered a coal seam in 1790. Local folklore tells that Allen found the seam by way of waking to see a large fire. His campfire had ignited the seam in the night! Allen set up a refinery, and Pottsville became a key coal refining location. A small but booming textile industry followed in the nineteenth century, along with a brewery. Pottsville also became a popular site for traveling entertainers such as Vaudeville acts.

There is Something for all the Family in Pottsville

For a relatively small city, Pottsville still boasts plenty to see and do. Bring the family and explore, and do not miss:

  • D. G. Yuengling & Son is the oldest family-operated brewery in America. A young German immigrant started the brewery, which has now become synonymous with American beers. Yuengling has been in the family for generations, and they plan to keep it that way! The brewery tour is a delightful step back in time – you can even see the hand-dug tunnels used by brewery workers 200 years ago. You also get to sample fantastic local beers at the end of the tour – sometimes, you even get to taste a beer that isn't available to the public yet.
  • Jerry's Classic Cars and Collectibles Museum is an excellent attraction for the whole family. Step back in time to the days of sleek character cars, pinball machines, and soda fountains. There is even a reproduction drive-in movie theater for a truly authentic experience.
  • Hope Hill Lavender Farm offers a relaxing afternoon out, all while admiring Pennsylvania's rolling green hills. You can stroll among the beautifully scented lavender plants, browse for gifts in the shop, or stop for a refreshing tea at the cafe. Do not forget to sample the lavender ice cream! Tours are mostly by appointment, so do call ahead.
  • Mud & Maker is a small gallery and studio where you can buy locally made pottery items – or learn to make your own! Mud & Maker offers regular classes for both children and adults.

Does Your Business Need Mold Damage Help?

Whether you run a gallery, a cafe, or a museum, you do not want mold in your building. Mold can:

  • Eat into drywall or wood.
  • Damage wallpaper or paint
  • Cause health effects
  • Look and smell unsightly.

Mold is bad news for your staff and your customers. Mold is not your fault, but it can make business premises less welcoming. Thankfully, SERVPRO is on hand to help with any mold issues you have.

Our expert teams will set up containment and use negative air machines and air scrubbers to prevent the spores from spreading. We use powerful HEPA vacuums, dry scrubbing, and wet cleaning or soda blasting to remove visible mold from your premises.

For help with mold damage in your business, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

Five Tools Fundamental Fridays

1/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment at work in bathroom. If your home is damaged by water. Call SERVPRO for the water damage restorations services needed for the job.

One Hour Sessions to Help You Hone Your Baseball and Softball Skills in Pottsville 

Softball is considered a relatively easy game to learn. However, it can be frustrating when you keep missing hits or getting strikes out - baseball is even easier. However, you might lose interest in the two sports if you fail to grasp the primary skills such as hitting, catching, throwing, and base-running. Regular practice is the best approach to help you overcome the initial difficulties faster. Athletics In Motion, Inc. organizes special sessions in Pottsville to help you work on your baseball or softball skills. 

If planning to take advantage of the event to hone your skills, you should note that:

  • Participants can work on various fundamental skills, including pitching, hitting, and other skills
  • Each participant pays $10 at the door
  • Softball sessions are held between 6 PM to 7 PM
  • Baseball sessions are held between 7 PM to 8 PM

SERVPRO of Pottsville performs water restoration exercises in affected residences returning them to their preloss condition. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help with major or minor incidents at your property.

Thursday Storytime for Cressona Children

1/11/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment at work in living room. Storms may cause flood damage when all is said and done. Call the professionals. SERVPRO has the team you need for the water restoration service.

Cressona Kids Can Learn New Things or Fine Tune their Skills in One-Day Fun Events

Reading, storytelling, and coloring are some great activities to keep kids in Cressona occupied. Such activities are not only entertaining but also an excellent way for them to learn some new skills, including improving fine motor skills. Coloring can also help in related aspects such as improving handwriting. At a younger age, children tend to lose interest quickly, so proper scheduling is as essential as finding the right activities. Barnes & Noble Booksellers has a storytelling and coloring event for kids on Thursday 21st, 2021, starting from 10 AM. 

Some of the main highlights of the event include:

  • 30-minute sessions of fun activities
  • A variety of activities including coloring and storytelling
  • The event is open to all kids
  • The event is scheduled frequently so you can pick a date convenient to you

SERVPRO of Pottsville is an established flood damage restoration service that helps restore Cressona homes after flooding incidents. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help take steps that minimize or reverse the damages caused by such incidents.

Local Service Offers Sufficient Fire Restoration Resources in Pottsville

1/6/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damaged ceiling. Fire restoration is no DIY project. Call SERVPRO and their IICRC certified technicians for the job. They have the latest equipment and knowledge.

SERVPRO Helps Pottsville Homeowners Access Equipment and Trained Personnel

Pottsville lies on Schuylkill River's western bank. The river is one of the crucial natural resources in southeastern Pennsylvania. One of the river's memorable contributions to the region's history is the role it played during the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolution when it was the main transportation artery for manufactured goods and coal. Another unique aspect of the Pottsville area is the hilly topography. It stretches over several hills, including Mount Hope, Forest Hills, Cottage Hill, Lawton's Hill, and Bunker Hill, which provide excellent views in different city sections. 

The city traces its origins to a land grant by King Charles II of England when he granted lands south and west of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers to William Penn. William was the son of Sir William Penn, an admiral and politician. He distinguished himself early on as an advocate of democracy by establishing treaties and good relations with the Lenape people, the area's native inhabitants. One of the lasting legacies of William Penn in the area is the names he chose for different places. For instance, the name Pennsylvania translates to "Penn's Woods."

Pottsville had a bit of violent history during its formative stages. For instance, in 1780, some of the early settlers were massacred. During the mid-1800s, the town was the rallying point for a secret miner's society known as the Molly Maguires in the United States. The society, which was also active in Ireland and Liverpool, agitated for better mining conditions but often used violent methods. The city was named after John Pott, who arrived in 1806, acquired and expanded the existing ironworks in the area. He also laid out the town in 1816. However, it is the coal discovery in the surrounding area that transformed it into a boomtown. 

Monuments and Other Places of Interest in Pottsville

The city has many monuments and buildings put up over the years that visitors and residents can explore for relaxation purposes or to learn about the history of the city. Some of the outstanding ones include:

  • The Schuylkill County Courthouse located on North 2nd Street was constructed over three years from 1849 to 1851. The building was designed by Beebe, who drew inspiration from New York State Capitol in Albany done by H. H. Richardson. Beebe was a prolific designer of courthouses, working for several counties, including Huntington, Cambria, and Warren Counties. Some of the outstanding features of the courthouse include the round-arched windows in its upper stories and its mansard roof. 
  • The Garfield Square Monuments is on North Fifth and West market streets. It honors the Spanish-American War veterans, most of whom were volunteers called to arms by the then president McKinley. The statue in the monument is called the "Hiker" since the veterans called themselves the hikers.
  • D.G. Yuengling & Son Brewery, located on Mahantongo Street, is the oldest brewery in the United States. When established in 1829, it was located on Center Street and moved to Mahantongo Street when a fire gutted the original plant in 1931. The site was chosen because it was at the side of a mountain allowing tunneling to create natural cooling chambers for fermenting and aging beer.

Recreation Areas and Parks

Recreation is a serious aspect of life in the city of Pottsville. The government constitutes the recreation commission to oversee, equip, operate, and maintain recreational places. The commission is constituted of nine members appointed by the mayor. Some of the established recreational areas include: 

  • Barefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, a three-acre complex located on Terry Reiley Way, features horseshoe pits, a court for sand volleyball, a full basketball court, and a putting green. The park is free for public use. 
  • Yuengling Park is a peaceful spot for relaxation close to the hub of the city. It is located at the site of the Old Spring House used by the Yuengling brewery. It features benches, flowers, grass, natural fountains, and a large pavilion.   
  • The John F. Kennedy Memorial Recreation Complex is considered the city's central park and features several amenities, including a jogging path that connects to the nearby Railway Park. The JFK memorial pool located in the complex is a non-membership pool for the community. Other exciting aspects include benches in shady, wooded areas, two basketball courts, one volleyball court, and four tennis courts. 
  • Henry Clay Park gives visitors a vantage point to explore the south side of Pottsville. The small park has no equipped recreational fields or benches, but the numerous trees surrounding it provide a cool relaxation spot.

How Does SERVPRO Handle Fire Restoration Projects In Pottsville?

Properties affected by a fire can be restored to their preloss state if the damage is not extreme and if the right processes are utilized in the restoration effort. SERVPRO provides highly trained teams of technicians to help Pottsville property owners clean up and repair the damages caused by fires restoring properties to their preloss state.

Training makes a difference in identifying which damages can be fixed and whether the costs involved are justifiable. It also helps in choosing the right processes or equipment when fixing damages. Typical restoration tasks involve:

  • Cleaning up vast surfaces such as walls and ceilings
  • Tearing down damaged materials to reach into cavities
  • Drying moisture introduced during firefighting and cleanup
  • Removing odors caused by surface residues or those embedded deep into materials

SERVPRO technicians also work to fix or prevent damages that occur after the fire is put out. Damage can develop from the effects of corrosive residues such as soot, especially on metallic or stone materials leading to deep staining or other forms of deterioration. Moisture can also lead to bad odor or mold development. Preventing steps, including pre-cleaning surfaces or applying oil over surfaces to counter the effects of corrosive residues. Setting up dehumidifiers, on the other hand, helps manage moisture levels in the air. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville provides various resources necessary to ensure smooth fire damage restoration. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help start the necessary processes immediately after fires are put out.

Enjoy A Bingo Night Organized by Amvets Pottsville

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

Bingo balls in a basket. Go have fun and support our local veterans with a fun night of bingo.

Have Fun and Help Support Veterans in Pottsville 

Appreciating veterans and their families for their sacrifice and service to the country is essential. The support you offer can help cater for shelter, hospital bills, or other needs, especially for the disabled veterans. In case you do not know any Pottsville veterans near you or you may prefer a discrete approach when supporting them, channeling your contributions through a charity organization might be a great approach. Such organizations even plan events where you can have fun while offering your support. Amvets Events Pottsville is hosting a bingo night on December 19th, 2020, to support its operations.

Some of the essential things to note about the event include:

  • Different participation packages priced at $18, $20, and $25. Special packages are also available at $1 and three jackpots for $5.
  • The doors open at 4 PM for the event held at 1300 Senica Street
  • All standard COVID rules apply, including temperature checks at the door

SERVPRO of Pottsville helps businesses in Schuylkill County complete water mitigation processes efficiently. Call us at (570) 622-8991 whenever you need assistance.

Timely Response from A Skilled Team Helps manage Flood Damage in Pottsville

12/2/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment in a work out room. SERVPRO of Pottsville always has their community's best interest at heart, especially after damage to a property. You can always count on SERVPRO.

SERVPRO Provides the Resources Needed to Save Pottsville Businesses Affected by Flooding

Pottsville is an impressive city and the birthplace of many famous people, including novelists such as John O'Hara, who wrote novels about the lifestyles of affluent Americans, and war heroes like George Joulwan, who served in Vietnam and rose through the ranks to become the Commander in chief, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Command. Businessmen, too, like David Gotlieb Yuengling, who started America's oldest brewery in 1929, called Pottsville home. David emigrated from Germany, where his father was an established local brewer. After his elder brother inherited the family brewery, his career prospects dimmed, thus prompting the shift to America, where he set up a new brewery.  

Initially named Eagle, the regional brewery later changed to adopt the founder's name, Yuengling. It has also overcome many challenges over the years, including surviving the tribulations of the prohibition era. At the time, the company opted to make ice cream as an alternative income source. Even after prohibition was lifted, the company still makes ice cream, and today customers can enjoy a mix of 13 unique classical and modern flavors. The company's former headquarter, located on Mahantongo Street, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. People visiting Pottsville can experience close to 200 years of America's brewing history by taking a tour of the facility. There are hand-dug caves at the bottom of the building used as coolers for beer fermentation before the development of refrigeration.

Historic Buildings in Pottsville

Apart from the Yuengling Brewery and museum, other historic facilities in the city provide a glimpse of the diverse aspects of life at different times in its development journey. Some of the notable ones include:

  • The Schuylkill County Historical Society, Museum, and Gift Shop, located on North Center Street. Incorporated in 1903, it holds a vast array of historical records that visitors can pursue for entertainment purposes or genealogical research. The facility is situated where Centre Street Grammar School, constructed during the civil war, used to be.
  • The Pottsville Armory was a National Guard facility constructed in 1913. The main structure is a T-plan brick building. It features a combination of Late Gothic Revival and Romanesque architecture. Currently, the building hosts the Schuylkill YMCA. 
  • The Frank D. Yuengling Mansion, which was opened in 1913, is a Tudor Jacobean-style house built by the grandson of the Yuengling brewery founder and is a physical manifestation of the financial might of the family.

Apart from the historic buildings, there are several other attractions in the city, including the Majestic Theater, one of the only two remaining reverse screen theaters in the state. Jerry's Classic Cars and Collectibles Museum is another exciting location where people can experience life from a past perspective by exploring things like pinball machines, soda shops, drive-in theaters, and a collection of various fast cars from yesteryears. Visiting the facility is a great way to explore the development story of Pottsville and the country in general.

The Great Floods of 1850

Although Pottsville has steadily developed since it received its charter as a city on March 22, 1911, there have also been setbacks. Among the notable incidents are two major flooding episodes in July and September 1850. A tropical storm on July 18th-19th moved north from Virginia, leading to flash floods that affected various sections along the Schuylkill River.

Another episode of flooding from a rainstorm happened on September 2, 1850, causing rivers to burst their banks and leaving widespread damages to properties and infrastructure in the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. Although the event did not cause significant damages in Pottsville, other areas in the region fared much worse. For instance, the Penn Street Bridge in Reading, which was built in 1815, was entirely swept away by the flooding. At the Schuylkill Canal, the whole lower gate and an arm of the upper gate at lock number 45 were carried off by the raging waters. 

Flooding incidents have also affected the city in recent years. For instance, in August 2018, heavy rainfall soaked Pottsville leaving many areas inundated. The rising water was as high as two feet in some areas, leaving roads like Norwegian street and Progress Avenue resembling overflowing creeks.  The water encroached into many properties forcing emergency services to evacuate people from their homes. The floodwater waters did not spare infrastructure either. For instance, parts of Progress Avenue, along the 400 and 500 blocks were ripped apart. 

How Does SERVPRO Help Pottsville Businesses Affected by Flood Damage?

Most flooding incidents occur when least expected, thus catching Pottsville business owners unawares. An incident can have wide-ranging implications, including leaving significant amounts of water or moisture inside buildings, widespread contamination, and deterioration of various materials. SERVPRO provides comprehensive solutions to address all aspects of the loss.

The most vital aspect of the response to flooding is timely action since most of the initial damages worsen with time. For instance, moisture migration happens steadily as the water stagnates in the property. Contamination can also worsen because of microbial growth processes, which lead to the multiplication of fungi or bacteria. SERVPRO manages a faster restoration of affected businesses because of three main aspects:

  • Proper preparation of the restoration teams, which guarantees arrival at the loss site within a few hours after receiving notification about the incident. The team is segmented into customer service and work crews. Customer service is reachable 24/7 while the work crews keep production trucks prepared for immediate deployment on short notice.
  • The use of state-of-the-art equipment and other technology also helps speed up the recovery. Our teams have access to high-speed water extractors and commercial grade dehumidifiers.
  • In most cases, the aftermath of flooding incidents is chaotic. Understanding the situation is essential for one to take the correct remedial steps. SERVPRO technicians undergo training in various fields such as Applied Structural Drying, Water Damage Restoration, and Health and Safety, making it easier to understand a loss site.

SERVPRO of Pottsville organizes a timely response whenever flood damage incidents affect Pottsville business premises. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help restore normalcy.

Orwigsburg Holiday Gift Making Event

12/2/2020 (Permalink)

Four wrapped gifts and scissors on a table. Come take part in the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity DIY gift making, you get to make your gifts as well as support local businesses.

Make Handmade Holiday Gifts for Your Orwigsburg Friends

The year 2020 has revealed the importance of spending time together with other people. One exciting way to socialize with family and friends is by partaking in pleasurable activities on December 8th. You can end the year on a high note at The Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, where you can make or collect DIY gifts for your family and friends. The event is organized with a great goal of helping local businesses. 

There are 7 different kinds of items that people can make, including fuzzy sock heating pads, evergreen infused room sprays, gnome star ornament, Vanilla Chai Lip Balm Tins, Manly Man Beard Oil, or luxurious bath soak bliss. Every participant can make as many of these items as possible.

If interested in the event, you should:

  • Reserve a spot by buying a ticket which costs $15
  • Prepare to pay-as-you-go for DIY items
  • Indicate how many of each item you may want to make when booking to ensure the supplies provided are sufficient

SERVPRO of Pottsville helps perform thorough fire damage restoration in Orwigsburg properties.  You can reach our support staff at any time at (570) 622-8991.

Orwigsburg Enjoys Renninger’s Farmers Market Year-Round

11/18/2020 (Permalink)

Borough Logo Come out and enjoy the experience at Renninger’s Farmers Market. We look forward to seeing you.

Orwigsburg Residents Know it is More Than Just a Farmer’s Market – It’s Antiques & More

If you enjoy shopping at the local farmer’s market, Renninger’s Farmers Market is the place to be on the weekends. They feature an indoor market Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8 AM. On Sunday you can shop at the outdoor market, also starting at 8 AM. Shoppers will find all kinds of great deals on groceries, meats, snacks, and produce. But shopping isn’t limited to food items. Their vendors also have:

  • Household items
  • Collectables
  • Antiques

The outdoor flea market takes place on Sunday and is a bargain hunter’s delight. If you enjoy auctions, Gilbertville Auction house hosts them Friday – Sunday. You can find them on Facebook for upcoming auctions. They also have a great café – The Auction Café.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is proud to be locally owned and operated. We are an experienced puffback cleanup company serving the Orwigsburg area. Contact us at (570) 622-8991 if you are having problems with your furnace and puffback residue. We can get that cleaned up for you in no time.

Make a Light Up Dandelion Canvas in Pottsville

11/13/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO van Let SERVPRO work on their art of mold removal, while you work on art for your walls.

Create a Beautiful Work of Art at this Pottsville Event

The Art Barn is where the fun begins. You do not even have to be an artist to create a stunning canvas. The Dandelion Lighted Canvas event is hosted by Created by Corks and Canvas. It was supposed to happen in spring, but like many things got moved to the fall. But dandelions seeds are works of wonder, blowing in the wind any time of year. The event includes:

  • Making and 11x14 painting – step by step instructions provided
  • All supplies included
  • Different colored lights to customize your painting

The cost is $40, and you do need to preregister. It takes place on November 20, 2020, at 6 PM. Register now and take time to step away from the worries and stress of the day. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville provides mold removal services for homes and businesses with mold problems. Our technicians are certified in mold removal and can mitigate the problem by cleaning up existing mold, repairing damaged structural elements, and sanitizing impacted areas. Contact us at (579) 622-8991 for professional mold remediation services.

SERVPRO Provides Professional Water Extraction in Pottsville

11/6/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Equipment and technicians SERVPRO has technicians with the tools and reliability your home needs after a water intrusion.

Pottsville is a Town Rich in Culture with Homes that Experience Water Intrusions

Fall is coming to an end in Pottsville. The area is flooded with vibrant colors as the leaves change. Although the times are challenging, residents are gearing up to celebrate the holidays. This can mean diverse traditions with the many blended cultures that are in Pennsylvania. 

William Penn Founded It – Coal Kept It Going

William Penn was granted the land that would become Pottsville by Charles II.  In 1752 the city became part of Berks County. The quaint town sits on the edge of the Schuylkill River.

 In 1790, Necho Allen discovered a rich coal seam, which begins a long history in anthracite coal. Legend has it that Allen, who was a hunter, nodded off with a lit campfire. The next thing he knows, he is awakened by a large fire. Supposedly his small fire ignited a coal outcropping on Broad Mountain. 

John Pott purchased a forge that was started in 1795. It was an anthracite-fired finery forge along the Schuylkill River. The town would eventually be named Pottsville, after John Pott. In 1811, the town became part of Schuylkill County.  The town formally began with:

  •   Henry Donnell, a local surveyor, laying out the town in 1816.
  •   It was established in Norwegian Township as a village in 1819.
  •   Pottsville was incorporated on February 10, 1828.
  •   Becomes the county seat in 1851. 

Oldest Family Brewer in the US

D.G Yuengling & Son began a brewery in 1829. It is now the oldest brewery that is family-owned and continually operated in the United States. Highlights include:

  •   Prohibition Period -Yuengling stops making beer, starts making “near beer”.
  •   Yuengling Dairy – Created to help with income during the prohibition. Sold ice cream and other dairy products.
  •   Three brews were produced, Yuengling Special, Yuengling Por-Tor, and the Yuengling Juvo.
  •   In 1933, sent a truckful of Winner Beer to President Franklin D Roosevelt to thank him for repealing the prohibition.
  •   The dairy folded in 1985.
  •   2nd largest American-owned brewery in the US.

Business & Industry Comes to Pottsville

The Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company acquires vast amounts of coal lands. This leads to it becoming one of the most prominent and profitable coal companies in PA. The anthracite coal industry eventually died out after WW II. 

The Schuylkill River is an ideal location for the textile industry, and in 1881 the Phillips Van Heusen business was established. It was an amazing story of local folks growing the area. Moses and Endel Phillips began the business by hand sewing shirts. They sold their wares via pushcarts to the local miners. Although many of these textile companies would leave the area in the ‘70s, it allowed the city to flourish. 

Another textile business was the Tilt Silk Mill. This company imported silkworms from China and produced silk. The mill had mulberry trees in a solarium that fed the worms. Eventually, nylon stockings pushed this type of industry out, but the building is still in use today by another company.

Moving Into the 20th Century

As history moved along, so did Pottsville. Events shaped and changed the area to what it is today. Local happenings included:

  •   Hosting the National Football Franchise from 1925 to 1928.
  •   The Pottsville Maroons were a top team in early football history. They eventually moved to Boston and became the Boston Bulldogs.
  •   Popular spot for vaudeville performers and traveling acts through the mid-20th century.
  •   Pearl Bailey resided in Pottsville in her early career.
  •   The city was the theme of a Laurel & Hardy film called Berth Marks.
  •   Because of the “illicit” activities in town, WWII soldiers at Fort Indiantown Gap were forbidden to come to town.
  •   Pottsville Crimson Tide football team is a prep football team and one of the oldest programs in the US.
  •   Dial telephones were introduced in 1956.

Modern History

Centre Street was redone in a streetscaping project in 2007. The city became the Schuylkill Transportation System (STS) transportation hub for the county. The Union Station Intermodal Transit Center was built for $16.1 million. It houses both Greyhound and Trailways bus services. There are many places of interest that are part of the National Registration of Historic Places, including the Pottsville Downton Historic District and Burd Patterson House.

Pottsville is still a thriving town today. It is a culturally diversified town with a background of African-American, Chinese, Italians, Pennsylvania Dutch, and many more. This makes for exciting celebrations around the holidays. Visitors are amazed at the mix of culture that is in the area.

SERVPRO is Committed to Our Community

No matter the ethnic roots of the family, they all live in homes that can experience water intrusion. When this happens, professional help is required to mitigate the problem. SERVPRO provides experienced, well-trained technicians who not only understand water extraction but the needs of the community. It is our home, too, and we care when residents need assistance. Water restoration includes:

  •   Emergency mitigation if needed.
  •   Water extraction with powerful pumps and other extraction methods.
  •   Drying the home with air movers and dehumidifiers.
  •   Cleaning surface areas and content of the home.
  •   Restoration to the residence.
  •   Returning your home to preloss condition whenever possible.

Homeowners should get professional assistance as soon as possible to prevent secondary damage, such as mold. Mold can happen quickly and spread just as quickly. Water is corrosive, and if let stand, can cause severe damage to whatever it touches. 

If you have a burst pipe, overflowing dishwasher, or other water intrusions, SERVPRO of Pottsville can provide water extraction services you can trust. We are available 24/7 if it is an emergency. In any situation, we arrive as soon as possible. Contact us at (570) 622-8991. Our staff can answer any questions you might have on what we can do for you. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. 

What Equipment Do Professional Use for Fire Odors?

10/15/2020 (Permalink)

heavy soot and smoke damage on wall and ceiling Smoke and soot easily spread throughout the home. SERVPRO has the cleaning agents and manpower to restore your home.

Fire Damage Can Fill your Pottsville Home with Unpleasant Burnt Odors. SERVPRO Technicians Have a Range of Equipment to Ventilate and Deodorize your Property.

Why are fire odor problems tough to resolve?

Fire odors can come from numerous sources and materials in your Pottsville home. Some of these sources may be immediately noticeable, but others may reside in cavities within the home or materials and contents. The core methods of controlling odor are through deodorizing with chemicals and ventilating a property. Scents are naturally volatile particles that can dissipate quickly once the source of odor is identified and removed. Deodorant chemicals are typically used to conceal the remaining odors until they dissipate.

What equipment is useful for eliminating fire odors?

  • Pressure spraying equipment can disperse deodorant chemicals directly onto surfaces and are useful for heavily charred structure.
  • Air scrubbers remove particles from the air by drawing them through a series of filters.
  • Ozone machines are rarely used except in heavily damaged properties but can alter the chemical composition of odor particles eliminating them.

Is ventilation effective against odors?

Ventilation can help to reduce the odors of fire damage in your Pottsville home. However, it may take a long time. We typically apply deodorants to the affected area and then ventilate it to ensure that the property is safe to return. A ventilating box fan generates a tremendous amount of airflow. We commonly use this equipment after a thermal fogger to replace the indoor environment to a natural state free from malodor. To return a property to a normal state after fogging, air must be exchanged up to fifty times. Ventilating box fans help SERVPRO technicians to keep odor control efficient.

What tools are used for duct cleaning after a house fire?

  • A powerful vacuum to pull soils and soots out of ducts
  • An efficient filtering system to remove bacteria and odor particles
  • Agitative equipment like air whips, brushes, and augers

Getting odor under control is central to returning your home to a normal condition after the fire. Contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

How Vital Are In-House Contractors for Water Restoration?

10/5/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO restoration equipment being used on water damaged floor When water damage strikes, SERVPRO of Pottsville is ready to restore!

With how Damaging Water can be to Pottsville Homes, our SERVPRO Team can Save Customers Time and Money with a Comprehensive Approach

After a water disaster, your entire Pottsville home could be overwhelmingly damaged. As quickly as water can pool on the flooring or penetrate sensitive materials like drywall and carpeting, it is critical to provide a thorough restoration and recovery approach that encompasses drying the house needs and repairs/reconstruction, as necessary.  

Several individual actions make up the overall heading of water damage repair for Pottsville homes. With in-house contractors available 24/7 to help in these matters, we can utilize their experience and abilities in multiple areas where needed.  

  • Repairs - Once damaged elements like the utilities and appliances cause the water disaster to become identified, our contractors can access these areas and repair the problem before other mitigation steps. 
  • Controlled Demolition - Between structural degradation and deterioration and efficient restoration solutions, controlled demolition can often save customers time and money. 
  • Content Management - By relocating damaged contents and exposed belongings to our nearby SERVPRO facility, we can offer focused cleaning and recovery options. 
  • Reconstruction - After the mitigation has been completed, we must begin the final steps towards a full restoration result: replacing discarded materials.  

Are Repairs Among the First Priorities of Responding SERVPRO Technicians?  

Our professionals can provide critical service after a water damage incident in your home, including repairing compromised structural elements and separated fixtures. An assessment of your property's condition when our team first arrives, conducted by competent professionals like our project manager, can determine the house's needs and when our general contractors might be required. Often, we can expect that repairs and corrective actions are necessary when specific threats or conditions exist, including:  

  • Plumbing
  • Structural Weakening
  • Exterior Wall Damage 

Why Is Controlled Demolition Necessary?  

One of the most traditional roles of responding to general contractors from our SERVPRO team is controlled demolition. Being such a critical water mitigation element in Pottsville, this demolition that our building trade professionals can offer is beneficial to the property in multiple ways. Some of the ways controlled demolition benefits your house include: 

  • Access – When repairs are necessary, such as a broken portion of pipe that needs to get replaced, or a damaged fixture, controlled demolition can provide immediate access to these areas—the more streamlined this approach, the less damage that your home ultimately suffers. 
  • Safety – Oversaturated and deteriorating materials can often be a safety hazard for those in the immediate vicinity. We can prevent injuries to the house's occupants or our responding technicians by removing sagging and distorted construction materials before they collapse. 
  • Necessity – There are situations where the safest and best possible solution is to remove damaged portions of construction materials to restore and recover in a home more efficient.  

Do Exposed Contents Benefit from Off-Site Recovery? 

One of the unknown factors that our contractors provide along with our technicians is the movement and relocation of damaged contents from a job site. Many of your treasured belongings and impacted items can be irreparably damaged without deliberate and fast action taken to get the contents dried and cleaned after water exposure. While some of this work can occur on-site, some of your possessions can benefit from the cleaning, restoration, deodorization, and climate-controlled storage they can receive temporarily at our SERVPRO facility. Our contractors and technicians can ensure that when the time arrives, we have these contents prepared for their return to the recovered property.  

When Does Build Back Begin?  

Understanding the order of events can ensure that you appreciate what tasks will still happen when restoration and recovery are underway. Building back is often an essential element to water restoration when any controlled demolition has occurred or necessary. These measures are often the final steps on returning a property to a preloss condition. While our contractors remain involved with the work in a house from our team's earliest arrival, they are also among the last to leave a job site when the final phases are occurring.  

As you can see, our team technicians have a vital role in the work done to improve the outlook of properties suffering the effects of water disasters. As quickly as these situations can get out of control, the comprehensive solutions provided by the roster of our SERVPRO of Pottsville team can help to manage these scenarios. Our team will make it, "Like it never even happened," after a disaster strike when you call (570) 622-8991.

Torrential Rains Caused Flooding to My Home – Can SERVPRO Help?

9/1/2020 (Permalink)

Home floating in floodwater SERVPRO professionals are trained to handle every level of water damage. Call us today, we are always available to help.

Professional Technicians Understand Storm Flooding and Can Provide Emergency Flood Mitigation to Pottsville Homes.



Pottsville is located along the beautiful Schuylkill River and is home to approximately 14,500 residents. Like much of Pennsylvania, it is prone to flash flooding and severe storms that can send water surging into homes. High winds can damage roofs allowing heavy rains to enter the property. 

My Roof is Damaged – Can You Stop the Water from Getting Inside?

When flood damage occurs in Pottsville, getting emergency water mitigation is crucial. Our professional teams arrive on the scene as soon as possible once we receive the call. Emergency procedures are then put in place to ensure the safety of the home and occupants and to prevent further deterioration from taking place. To prevent more water from entering the home via the roof, the crew can:

  • Temporarily seal the exposed area of the roof with plastic sheeting
  • Tarp the roof over the plastic an added layer of protection
  • Help you find a professional roofer for needed repairs

 Can You Dry Out My Attic?

When a storm causes damage to a roof, it often means water damage to the attic area. The attic may simply be a small area that is barely accessible, or it may be a finished room where household items are stored. Getting the needed equipment in the attic can be a challenge, but SERVPRO’s Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified technicians encounter these types of situations every day. They have the experience and expertise to implement the precise flood damage mitigation needed. 

 Many attics contain sheetrock, which can complicate drying. Controlled demolition may be needed to remove damaged sheetrock. Once this happens, the attic’s structural components are easier to dry. Even if the sheetrock shows no signs of water damage, it may have to be removed to allow access to impacted areas. Restoring an attic often means working with insulation. Wet fiberglass insulation can be restored in particular cases, but the plaster or sheetrock underneath is not always salvageable. We use large insulation vacuums to remove it and save it for possible reuse. 

How is Water Removed from the Rest of the House?

The general process for water removal is the same, whether from flood damage or water intrusion from something like a water heater rupture. It involves:

  • Use truck-mounted or portable pumps to extract the water.
  • Using various types of extractors for carpet, flooring, and furniture.
  • Locating hidden moisture with moisture meters and infrared cameras.
  • Setting up drying equipment to complete the process.

When dealing with any water damage, there are three types of water – clean, gray, and black. Floodwater that surges into the home is considered black water. It is contaminated and should be avoided unless you have the proper PPE equipment. The contaminants found in flood water can include dead animals, dirt, debris, bacteria, chemical waste, and more. Disinfectants and sanitizing agents must be used on the water and anything the liquid has touched. 

What About My Flooring?

In a flooding situation such as this, there can be hardwood floors, linoleum, and carpeting that are soaked. Carpets that have been exposed to flood water typically need to be disposed of due to contaminants. Our technicians handle the removal of loss items as they may require special disposal. Upholstered furniture is in the same category.

Hardwood floors hold up better to water damage than softwood flooring. Its natural composite makes it more resilient. When drying hardwood floors, our technicians strive to prevent buckling, warping, and cupping from becoming permanent. Wood floors need to be dried out as quickly as possible as mold can develop fast. Sanding and refinishing may be required once the floors are completely dry.

Can the Odors be Removed?

SERVPRO technicians move on to cleaning and disinfecting once everything is dry. Exposed surfaces get treated with antimicrobials and, if needed, sealants get used. Everything gets thoroughly sanitized. Part of the process involves mitigating lingering odors. There are several things that can be used, including:

  • Gel pellets – timed release for light smells
  • Hydroxyl generators – Safely remove odors using UV rays
  • Thermal fogging – Used for widespread odors

Giving You Back Your Home.

Our goal is to restore your home to its preloss condition. Storms and floods in Pennsylvania can strike at any time, day or night. We live in PA and understand the hazards. Because of this, we are available 24/7, including holidays. Catastrophes do not ask when it is convenient for them to take place. They simply occur. Making sure your family is safe and taken care of is what you do best. Let us handle the stress of restoration and making your home, “Like it never even happened.”

If storms have you needing professional flood damage services, contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8891. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

How Do I Cleanup Flood Water?

8/11/2020 (Permalink)

Flooded garage SERVPRO professionals are trained to handle all types of water damage. Give us a call, we are available 24/7.

Our Pottsville SERVPRO Team Mitigates Damage Through Prompt Water Removal.

After experiencing a flood in Pottsville, a detached garage may sustain more damage than a house since they are often exposed to the outdoor elements. Imagine coming into your garage and seeing muddy water with lawn cuttings and a sheen of oil on the surface. Just by looking at it, you can tell that the water is category 3/black water. Due to this contamination, it is vital to have professionals with the appropriate PPE and knowledge assist in the cleanup.

How Do Technicians Get Rid of the Sludge?

SERVPRO Uses Trash Pumps to Remove the Contaminated Water

After the flood damage in your Pottsville garage, the SERVPRO team removes any dangerous stored chemicals like paint or gasoline before removing the water. Then, they use a trash pump to remove the contaminated sludge from the garage. A trash pump is an impeller-type pump that can remove larger visible debris while vacuuming up the contaminated water; this way, technicians do not have to come into physical contact with potentially-harming pesticides and other chemicals contained in the water. After technicians use the trash pump for extraction, they move on to scrubbing the concrete pad with squeegees and brooms, ensuring the area is clean and dried.

What Equipment Does SERVPRO Use to Dry the Walls and Ceiling of the Garage?

  • Axial fans: Helps move air throughout the garage, speeding up the drying process near the garage entrance. 
  • Centrifugal Air Movers: Directs air toward the walls, blowing warm air over the surface to aid in the drying process.
  • LGR Dehumidifiers: Removes excess water below 55 GPP (grains per pound) from the air. 

For 24/7 restoration assistance after a flood, contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster. 

More information about Pottsville.

How Does SERVPRO Find the Water Within a Pottsville Home?

8/6/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment on hardwood flooring of a home. SERVPRO can advise as well as assist your Pottsville water damage.

SERVPRO technicians bring a host of advanced water detection equipment to Pottsville homes

After a pipe break, storm damage, or toilet backup, just to name a few standard events, you need professional assistance to ensure that the water in your Pottsville property gets extracted and dried thoroughly. That is why it is crucial to outsource the task to a professional restoration services company, particularly one with advanced extraction, drying, and detection equipment. 

What is the Difference in Consumer and Professional Water Removal Equipment?  

When you need water removal in your Pottsville property, there is no comparison between a consumer-grade shop vac and the professional extraction units that SERVPRO technicians have access to use. To highlight just a few of the perks for using a professional restoration services company in terms of the devices used can have an impact on the outcome through the use of:  

  • Various types of moisture sensors and inspection equipment to track precise locations of water migration within the home
  • Professional water removal equipment for any size or depth water loss situation
  • Access to deep extraction tools for various surfaces
  • Careful attention during the removal process to ensure that nothing gets left behind by using inspection equipment before moving on to drying

Infrared cameras are an invaluable part of the technician's toolkit. While these devices do not measure moisture within the structure, they give an undeniable look at temperature differences and enable techs to compare readings from moisture sensors to nail down anywhere in the home water migrated into. The use of the inspection equipment negates the need for opening walls to determine the location of the water.

What Should I Expect When SERVPRO Dries My Property  

The extraction phase tends to take time because the more water that gets pulled up and taken away reduces the time needed to dry the structure. SERVPRO techs do not use fans but deploy professional drying equipment such as:  

  • Air movers to remove embedded moisture through their high-velocity airflow  
  • Dehumidification equipment to capture airborne moisture droplets  
  • Air scrubbers to capture any mold spores or odorous molecules
  • Drying mats for forcing air into the flooring of all types
  • Injecti-Dry systems for delivery of dry air into small spaces

Special Actions During Drying 

Individual structural elements within the home may require specific treatments for the best outcome. A good example is a hardwood floor that receives a large amount of water. The boards may swell and warp in response to absorbing the moisture, but with the training and equipment the techs have, the outlook is positive for saving the hardwood flooring from becoming a loss. The techs try to dry the boards in place whenever possible, frequently using a method known as tenting where the plastic gets sealed over the loss area, and the use of portable heaters assists in the delivery of warm, dry air that gets forced into the boards. Once dry, the boards usually return to their original shape. In some cases, mainly if the exposure to moisture was for a lengthy period, the floorboards may need sanding and refinishing, but not a replacement.

Carpet is another article in the home that requires special handling. SERVPRO techs have the training and know that restoration of a carpet after a water loss is never a one-size-fits-all job. They carefully test the fibers to determine if they can withstand re-wetting to remove water spots or if any shrinkage may occur from the drying process. 

Actively Addressing the Possibility of Mold  

Because there are airborne mold spores that occur naturally both indoors and out, they float harmlessly around unless conditions are favorable for germination. After that, a colony can establish itself quickly and begin to spread. Air moisture readings get taken throughout the restoration process to ensure that the environment is not supportive for germination or growth of mold. The use of professional antimicrobial solutions and, when necessary, the application of sealants assures that mold is never an issue post-mitigation for water damage. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 serves the local community with any size water removal needs. No matter if the problem is in a single room or an entire home, the certified technicians are available 24/7 to extract the water and bring your home back to its preloss condition.

How Do I Know Where to Begin After a Fire in My Home?

7/21/2020 (Permalink)

Heavily fire damaged home; Roof burnt exposing structure inside Fires are one of the most stressful events a homeowner can face. Call SERVPRO for total restoration.

SERVPRO is Available to Assist While You Restore Your Pottsville Home After Suffering Loss from Fire Damage 

Regardless of your Pottsville structure's size, the damage from a house fire can become quite devastating. After the fire is out, it is reasonable to have a laundry list of questions as you wonder how to proceed. The most significant thing to do is take a deep breath and know that SERVPRO is available with the fire restoration technicians you need to get the job done quickly. We are Faster to Any Size Disaster and available 24/7 to handle your emergency service needs. 

There are several essential steps to help you navigate fire damage in Pottsville

  • You should contact your insurance company as soon as possible to inform them of the fire.
  • Ensure your property is deemed safe for entry by first-responders on the scene before anyone goes into the home.
  • Determine if you would like to have your interior repaired or if demolition and rebuilding is the best option.
  • Always work with the right team of licensed, trained professionals for your fire restoration needs. 

We have IICRC-certified technicians and a vast selection of equipment and products to ensure your fire restoration project goes off without a hitch. You can look to us for your one-stop fire cleanup needs, including: 

  • Water damage/cleanup –We handle the cleanup of all water or chemicals used while extinguishing the fire, ensuring no hidden moisture is left behind.
  • Soot removal and cleaning –Soot must be addressed before it has time to penetrate carpeting, walls, and other porous materials outside the fire zone.
  • Restoration efforts –We salvage whenever possible, but demolition and replacement may be your only option after charred debris gets removed. We handle everything to bring your interior back to preloss condition. 

When you need a crew to help with fire damage, you can trust us at SERVPRO of Pottsville. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to learn more about our services or have a crew deployed to your property to get to work! 

More about Pottsville.

Where Can I Find Water Removal Services in Pottsville?

7/18/2020 (Permalink)

Flooded Floor In Kitchen From Broken Dishwasher We're open 24/7 and ready to help you!

SERVPRO of Pottsville Can Provide Your Home With Water Removal Services!

Discovering that your Pottsville property needs water removal services can shock any homeowner. Accidents happen, and sometimes you may need to take a step back, take a breath, and then reach out for emergency remediation services.

Some of the most common sources of water removal emergencies in Pottsville are overflowing sinks, toilets, or bathtubs. Having young children means needing to clean up after them pretty often. However, sometimes their curious nature can lead them to cause problems inside your home. Imagine a scenario where your toddler puts an entire roll of toilet paper in the bowl and then continually tries to flush it. Unfortunately, it's going to make quite a mess, and it could happen fairly quickly.

What Should I Do Once I Find the Water?

The best thing you can do for your home is to remain calm. If an accident leaves you in sudden need of water removal services, you should:
    •    Call a professional restoration company, like SERVPRO, immediately
    •    Put any pets away, so our technicians can move around your home quickly without worry
    •    Lay down towels to try and prevent the water from flowing into the rest of your home

There is not much you can do on your own to remediate the damage. Once you have called for help, leave the rest to us. Here at SERVPRO, We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

What Can SERVPRO Do to Remove the Water?

Our technicians are highly trained and have access to advanced technology suited for any job they come across. Once in your home, they can:
    •    Use wet/dry vacuums to remove the standing water from your bathroom
    •    Use infrared cameras to check if any water sunk below the floor or underneath the walls
    •    Use drying equipment, such as heaters and axial fans, to draw any excess moisture from your home

We're dedicated to making you feel, “Like it never even happened.” If you need help, don't hesitate to reach out for it. It could help prevent further damages from occurring.

If you need water removal services, call us today! Dial (570) 622-8991 to communicate with SERVPRO of Pottsville. We're open 24/7 and ready to help you!

Is Successful Fire Restoration of My Retail Store Possible?

7/9/2020 (Permalink)

Inside view of SERVPRO truck- Restoration equipoment loaded and ready to go Each vehicle in our Green Fleet is loaded with restoration equipment ready to tackle your restoration project.

SERVPRO Knows What to do When Your Pottsville Store Presents with Fire Damage and Extensive Loss 

Sudden fire damage is devastating to any business owner, especially when the loss is extensive. Depending on the impact, your retail store in Pottsville may be closed for days or weeks, resulting in financial hardship. Hiring skilled technicians to handle the mitigation and restoration after a fire ensures you get back on your feet faster. SERVPRO is available 24/7 to have a team to count on when it seems all hope is lost. Our fast reaction time and proven techniques lessen loss and help you open your  doors quicker than DIY methods. 

How Fast Does Restoration Begin?

Once you have fire damage in Pottsville, calling SERVPRO to your retail location puts a Green Fleet at your door in as little as four hours. We start right in on the assessment after your commercial space is deemed safe for entry. Each day that your business is closed, you may lose clientele, and there is the potential for secondary damage from moisture and foul odors that settle in. We work fast to keep these short-term and long-term damages from taking hold. 

What Makes Your Crew Qualified for the Job? 

We have fire and smoke restoration technicians (FST) that have been through extensive training to handle the debris, soot, and smoke damage left after a fire. These projects call for cleaning off stubborn residues and other soils that become nearly impossible to touch using consumer-grade products. We know what works best on various surfaces to ensure that we achieve our goals while salvaging as much as we can from your retail store interior. The ability to clean residue from shelving, displays, counters and other furnishings inside your store is more cost-effective than needing to replace them. 

Testing Surfaces 

Our team conducts pre-testing on various surfaces to determine what type of smoke in Pottsville caused the damage. We follow the soil composition so that we can select the best strategies and cleaning solutions to be most effective. 

  •   Wet Smoke Deposits - produces a greasy-type smoke signature that responds best to oil-based solvents for cleaning.
  •   Dry Smoke Deposits –this produces a lighter signature, which responds best to dry wiping or brushing and water-based cleaning products or solutions.

Are There Contaminants in the Air?

With any fire damage project, particulates may remain airborne. These odor-causing particles do bond with other particulates in the air, allowing them to linger. Our team remains mindful of these particulates from the moment that we begin the restoration phases. We use a range of air purifying equipment and methods to capture foul odors and particulates that may disperse during cleanup. We follow along with a set of deodorization procedures, that include: 

  • Removal of the source of the odor
  • Carefully cleaning away all odor-causing residues from various surfaces
  • Re-creation of the conditions that lead to odor penetration
  • Sealing of specific surfaces, as needed 

For light smoke odor situations in your retail location, we clean with a solution such as our Wall and All Surface Cleaner. We also work to control vapor odors with the help of Instant Odor Counteracting Beads. Our crew also has access to thermal fogging technology, which disperses a solvent fog to bind with odor-causing particulates throughout the commercial space. 

In a more involved fire damage project where a heavy smoke odor is present, we may use activated oxygen, which helps us concentrate on the most contaminated areas. 

Why Might Pack-Out Services Be Necessary? 

Depending on the layout of your Pottsville retail store, moving out contents may help for several reasons. Limited space calls for the removal of items to allow more room for effective and smooth mitigation. Pack-out services will enable us to relocate contents to our SERVPRO facility for cleaning or a secured storage location while cleaning and restoration commence. Our crew is detailed and careful, working to avoid any breakage while maintaining an inventory of all contents. 

  • We create a checklist detailing which items need moving, which is an instrumental record to have for yourself and your insurance company.
  • Before disposing of any unsalvageable contents, they are cataloged for your records and your insurance adjuster. 

We handle the boxes' packing up, tagging all contents, and ensuring everything is transported safely to the warehouse. If necessary, we subcontract a moving company to handle the move. Once your retail store's interior gets restored, we move items back in and ensure that all areas are cleaned and sanitized so that it is “Like it never even happened.” 

SERVPRO of Pottsville is the team to call whenever you need help bringing your business back to life after taking on fire damage. Call (570) 622-8991 to have a creew deployed to begin assessment and restoration.

How Can I Protect My Pottsville Office from Migrating Flood Damages?

6/27/2020 (Permalink)

interior of an office completely flooded Flooding can literally overwhelm your office space. Contact SERVPRO for water removal and remediation.

Our SERVPRO team can arrive fast during an emergency to establish containment barriers to protect undamaged areas of your commercial structure. 

Flooding damage does not always happen all at once in Pottsville commercial buildings. Whether the threat comes from a breach in the roof or masonry on the walls of the structure or floor drains backing up into the building from flooding conditions outside, some disasters arrive at a slower pace that can allow you to protect your office and other vital areas of the building.

A slower-paced emergency can protect some of your building's contents from irreparable damage, but it can also allow our team to manage commercial flood damage in your Pottsville building before it becomes overly destructive. We can arrive shortly after the first notice of loss, establish containment barriers, and monitor the progress of rising floodwater and migration. As much as we prioritize the recovery of exposed areas of the building, we also make it a point to prevent avoidable damage to the rest of the building whenever possible. 

What Happens if Flooding Damages My Office?

Whether a product of the floodwater affecting your office space immediately upon penetration or through migration from other areas of the structure, addressing these concerns is vital to get you back in business as quickly as possible. With specific approaches, we can work on removing water and moisture from the affected areas and then setting our sights on cleaning up lingering residues. The floor recovery process for your office often follows these steps after we have relocated the contents of the room in the path of the moving water.

Flood damage can be threatening to your building, but our SERVPRO of Pottsville team can arrive quickly during these emergencies to prevent the situation from worsening. Give us a call whenever you need us at (570) 622-8991.


Click here for more information about Pottsville.

How Can I Ensure My Home Regains Its Pre-Loss State After Flood Damage Incidents in Pottsville?

6/14/2020 (Permalink)

interior of the house flooded with water Quick action after flooding can ensure that your property can be restored. Contact our certified SERVPRO team for services.

Assistance from SERVPRO Can Help Ensure Proper Management of All Aspects of the Loss Guaranteeing a Positive Outcome

Storms can cause intense damage to your property in a short time. Even when the structure is left standing, general soiling, shredded paneling, and damaged finishes can lead you to question whether the property can return to normal. SERVPRO helps stricken Pottsville homeowners take a proactive restoration approach that restores normalcy.

What might I overlook that can contribute positively to the restoration of flood damage in Pottsville

  • Taking photos 
  • Retaining pieces of damaged material
  • Meticulously evaluating the loss

Restoring property to its previous condition requires a precise reference point. No matter how skilled the restoration team is, creating the results you want out of thin air is not possible. Photos help provide a definite reference point after everything is torn down or moved during restoration. Another issue that can lead to disappointment after renovation is over is replacement material failing to match what was there initially.

Our SERVPRO technicians help eliminate these problems by taking several photos and videos from the time we arrive at the loss site. We also retain small pieces of material such as carpets, pad, or even drywall so that we choose identical replacements.

What must be fixed to restore flood-damaged property?

Flood damage from storms is rarely uniform even in properties affected during the same incident. However, some problems are common in most incidents, and therefore planning how to address them is necessary.

  • Cleanup of soiled areas
  • Deodorization 
  • Decontamination 

Flooding dirties properties in many ways. The common ones include groundwater depositing silt and mud from outside while the water supplies moisture, causing deterioration of materials inside the structure. High moisture levels can also spark mold development. 

Thoroughly cleaning up the entire house helps reverse the soiling. Our SERVPRO technicians use a combination of conventional cleaning products and disinfectants to remove contaminants as well. 

When you need professional assistance to deal with flooding, SERVPRO of Pottsville can provide the resources you need. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Click here for more information about Pottsville. 

What Happens with All This Debris Left After My Housefire?

6/2/2020 (Permalink)

charred studs from fire damage When fire damages your home, SERVPRO is here to help. Call us today!

We Get Your Pottsville Home Back to Normal and Remove All Debris When You Call SERVPRO to Help with Fire Damage 

The charred remnants and debris left after a fire in your Pottsville's home may make you feel overwhelmed and anxious. All unsalvageable items need disposing of, but there could be areas of your home that call for total stripping down or replacement to ensure safety. Hiring our team of professional restoration technicians gets you the prompt action you need to tackle any messy debris left within the fire loss zone. 

What Do You Do for Fire Restoration? 

When you call us to help with fire damage to your Pottsville home, our team springs into action, and a crew arrives as quickly as possible. We perform an assessment and determine the full scope of the project. What this does is help us to formulate the most efficient steps. Cleanup of your charred debris and unsalvageable materials begin, ensuring everything gets removed so that the next phase may begin. 

Is There any Cleaning I Can Start? 

Burned materials throughout the fire loss zone leave behind smoke particles and soot residue that create strong odors. Additionally, soot residue is tough to remove once it binds to various surfaces. Our skilled technicians have the experience and EPA-registered cleaning products that allow us to restore your interior. 

When called for fire restoration, our team works through the steps to:  

  • Secure your property, ensuring that the structure is safe so that we can proceed with cleanup and restoration.
  • During the walkthrough, we take note of any potential hazards and plan accordingly.
  • Safety issues get addressed promptly, including hanging or burned sheetrock, exposed wires, hanging broken light fixtures, and other risks. 

Once the crew chief wraps up the initial assessment, we begin removing any unsalvageable, severely burnt items. In some fire loss incidents, items and materials sustain damaged to the point that they have to be disposed of and replaced. However, our team does whatever possible to clean and salvage as many items as we can while using our advanced restoration techniques. 

Are All Charred Building Materials Replaced? 

We address building material charring in several ways depending on the situation, such as: 

  • Partial Removal –Should there only be ¼' worth of charring on your wooden studs, we might be able to remove some of it. In some instances, we use slight agitation or steel brushes to remove charring so that the wooden studs can be sealed and refinished.
  • Specialized Techniques –When you have significant charring throughout your home, we may sand it or use soda blasting or dry ice blasting to remove the damage successfully.  

Where Does All of the Debris Go? 

SERVPRO takes debris and garbage removal seriously on each of our Pottsville fire damage projects. Following EPA guidelines, we carefully dispose of all waste products, which helps to cut back on the environmental impact and reduce worksite injuries during the restoration. Our disposal protocols allow us to safely and efficiently remove charred wood, ash, rubble, and unsalvageable materials or belongings.  

How Will You Handle the Smoke Damage? 

Smoke odors pose a challenge after any size fire, but we have the latest methods and techniques for the full removal of smoke particles and soot residue. Hot smoke permeates your interior during a fire, which flows through walls and penetrates porous materials. How we proceed with restoration efforts depend on the type of smoke that developed. 

Both wet and dry smoke need addressing after a fire, so our team tests the residue left throughout the home to determine the damage and to select the best cleaning measures. 

  • Wet smoke is created at a lower temperature and comes from rubber and plastics burning. This smoke residue webs and becomes sticky, making it difficult to clean without specific measures.
  • Dry smoke develops at a higher temperature and is fast burning, which comes from materials like paper and wood.  

Some of the different cleaning and deodorizing tools we use to address foul smoke odors in your home include the following: 

  • Thermal foggers, or dry fogging equipment:This equipment turns solvent-based deodorizers into a vapor that chemically reacts with odor-causing residues to eradicate them.
  • Wet fogging equipment:This works by atomizing liquid deodorizers into a fine mist that combines with the odor-causing particulates to facilitate easier removal.
  • Air scrubbers:These units work to remove any airborne particulates from the environment.
  • Injection devices:These put deodorizers into your carpeting,upholstery, or other confined spaces. 

Odor-causing elements are no match for our fire damage restoration efforts at SERVPRO of Pottsville. Call us at (570) 622-8991 for emergency service, and we deploy a crew to your location as quickly as possible. We are Faster to Any Size Disaster!  

What Can I Expect During Professional Drying Services after Water Damage?

6/1/2020 (Permalink)

infrared camera hand-held point to a two story house SERVPRO Uses advanced equipment like this thermal camera to detect residual moisture in Pottsville Properties. We remove the water and the moisture!

SERVPRO Can Remove Water and Moisture from Your Pottsville Home and Mitigate the Damage

SERVPRO specializes in removing water from structures. After an emergency occurs, our team comes immediately to your Pottsville water-damaged residence. We can do the pumping and extraction that is necessary to remove the water. After this process of water removal in Pottsville, we can go ahead and reinspect the structure. Most houses have permeable building materials, so we need to remove as much moisture as possible before it causes secondary water damage.

Why Do We Need to Be So Proactive?

Water Damage in your Pottsville home can be long-lasting if measures are not taken to get rid of residual moisture. If we do not act immediately and just let the water sit, the following may occur:

  • Drywall disintegration
  • Ceilings that ripple and potentially collapse
  • Paint and wallpaper irregularities
  • Carpets that pull apart from the walls
  • Hardwood flooring that juts out
  • Laminate flooring that buckles
  • Loss of structural integrity for wood structures and metal that rusts

Your home is a massive investment, probably the biggest one you make in your life. You need to make sure that it stays intact so that the value is not degraded.

What are the Next Steps to Ensure the Problem is Resolved?

The SERVPRO crew uses thermal imaging cameras and moisture detectors to inspect for additional areas that need attention. Then, we put in air movers near the wet materials. Our heaters accelerate the process. Finally, the dehumidifiers finish the job, ensuring that your home is restored to equilibrium, "Like it never even happened."

The trained and experienced crews of SERVPRO of Pottsville are structural drying experts. Please call us as soon as the emergency occurs so that we can begin to tackle the damage. The faster that you act, the greater the likelihood that your home will not be wrecked by the water. You can reach our friendly team at (706) 750-0200.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned – a defensive cleaning program

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

Table tent signs describing the Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned program on top of a wooden table. 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 in Pottsville, 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 Pottsville today at (570) 622-8991 for your Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation.

* #1 Choice in cleanup & restoration based Commercial Attitude & Usage Tracking study. Polling 816 commercial business decision makers on first choice for future needs related to cleanup & restoration work. Study conducted by C&R Research: October 2019

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned means professionally trained SERVPRO franchises perform the requested cleaning, sanitizing and disinfection services according to proprietary SERVPRO protocols and recognized industry and CDC standards with EPA approved cleaning products to deliver a SERVPRO certified cleaning experience.  Each SERVPRO franchise is independently owned and operated.

My Pottsville Storefront Sustained Water Damage, What Do I Do with All the Wet Items?

5/12/2020 (Permalink)

Leaking suspended ceiling For assistance 24/7 for any disaster, contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

Our SERVPRO Technicians in Pottsville Address Impacted Items

When your interior design storefront in Pottsville sustains a water leak, you first shut off the source of water to ensure no further damage. Hopefully, the leak did not go undetected for very long. After closing off the source, the SERVPRO project manager assesses the losses and determines a course of action to ensure the contents of your storefront are appropriately cleaned and dried.

Can I Continue to Operate My Business During the Restoration Process?


SERVPRO Works Hard to Create the Least Amount of Disruption to Your Business
Our SERVPRO team understands the importance of quick recovery and getting your business back up and running. Commercial water removal in Pottsville has its challenges; you do not want your business to stop functioning. When the contents of your business sustain damage, it is essential to take care of it right away to make sure restoration is possible. One viable option is to remove the impacted contents to clean and dry them in a secure off-site facility.

What are the Three Phases for Managing Contents?
    •    Phase 1: Move-Out; Here, technicians provide an estimate, remove, and inventory the items.
    •    Phase 2: Cleaning and Deodorization; Here, our technician's clean items with specialty equipment and products.
    •    Phase 3: Move-Back; Here, our specialists perform another inventory and transport restored items back to your business.

Throughout the move-out and cleaning process, our restoration specialists keep careful inventory and communicate regularly, also identifying rush items that require additional care and speed to ensure you get them back as quickly as possible. While the contents are being cleaned, our team also works to remove excess moisture from your storefront.

For assistance 24/7 for any disaster, contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991.

For more about Pottsville click here.

What Tools Do I Need to Clean Up After a Fire in My Pottsville Home?

5/10/2020 (Permalink)

fire damaged kitchen cabinets Fires can occur without notice. Contact SERVPRO to remediate fire damage to your property.

SERVPRO recommends you outsource the task of cleaning up fire loss in your Pottsville for both safety and the best outcome

A little or a lot of damage left behind after a fire in Pottsville needs professional help to clean up, and the reason is simple, soot can spread throughout the home, and with it, fire odors. Plus, with the proper cleaning methods, walls and ceilings may be completely restorable rather than requiring replacement of sheetrock, priming, and painting. 

What Type of Cleaner Gets Used for Smoke and Fire Damage on Walls and Furniture? 

When cleaning up fire damage in your Pottsville home, there are numerous equipment and cleaning agents needed. SERVPRO technicians test the smoke residues and the surfaces getting cleaned to determine the best fit. When homeowners attempt to DIY their fire loss with consumer-grade cleaners, in some cases, they can wind up, causing greater damage than the fire did. Some of the equipment commonly found in the arsenal of the technicians include:

  • Dry cleaning sponges for lifting away dry smoke residues
  • Heavy-duty sponges for working on wet smoke residues
  • Professional cleaning solutions with solvents to release smoke 
  • Air scrubbers to capture airborne soot particles
  • Protective clothing and respirators as soot can be an irritant

Special Considerations for Hardwood Furnishings

Numerous applications assist in lessening the harm done by smoke and the heat in a Pottsville home fire to furnishings. Wood furniture may have restoration potential in many cases. A smoke-covered favorite end table may look horrific when covered in a thick, black residue. However, with the correct application of cleaning agents to release the grip the residue has on the surface of the wood, the table may have strong possibilities of a full recovery after Pottsville fire damage for reuse in the home.

Things that may make the furniture non-restorable include heavy exposure to water that caused the joints to swell and crack and too long of a time frame before the mitigation services began. Another common factor is exposure to high heat that caused the structure to become brittle and unreliable for reuse. 

Upon request, the SERVPRO techs can bring in industry professionals to inspect items such as electronics or furniture for inspection before bringing back into the home. The experts can examine items exposed to fire loss and determine if any repairs are necessary for reuse. Contents exposed to fire, particularly electronics, should never get plugged in and tested without an inspection. 

What is the Process for Removal of Soot from Hardwood Furniture?

When addressing this type of fire loss on furniture, SERVPRO technicians inspect the item to determine it has restoration potential. They then use brushes and dry cleaning sponges to lift away any loose residues. The remaining "stuck on" smoke damage needs the application of cleaning agents specifically designed for use on wood products. In this manner, the techs can remove the black coating on the furniture without marring the surface. In some cases, the furniture may require revarnishing to return it to its pre-fire status.

Resolving Fire Odors in the Home

Once the contents and structure have the evidence of the fire removed, it is time to handle the smoke odors that may remain. Before beginning mitigation, containment of the work area most likely happened, and this includes covering vents. Once soot particles invade the ductwork, odors can spread wherever they go in the home.

The technicians rely on a few critical pieces of equipment such as; 

  • Hydroxyl generators that safely eliminate odors through the use of UV light
  • The use of thermal fogging within the structure
  • Deodorizing cleaning agents
  • The use of sealants on walls to halt any further odors from embedded soot

After confirming the air quality in the loss area has no further fire odors, the technicians inspect the ductwork in the home to determine if it requires cleaning to remove any residual odors. This is particularly likely if the ductwork has dirt, dust, and debris that can trap and hold soot particles

Final Touches After Fire Loss Mitigation

Even in cases of small scale fires in a residential property, there are often repairs necessary for the full restoration of the home. The sealant applied on painted walls to halt the odor still needs priming and painting. While hardwood flooring may have been restorable from the exposure to water and heat, it may need a light sanding and refinishing to return to service for the home. If SERVPRO is not handling these tasks, they can assist homeowners in engaging with local professionals to ensure the job gets done quickly and correctly.

When large or small fire damage situations happen, SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 stands ready to help local property owners clean away the loss and restore their home to its preloss condition. 

What Can I Do If One Of My Windows Breaks During A Rainstorm?

4/29/2020 (Permalink)

Broken window We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

SERVPRO Can Help You Assess Any Problems That May Have Occurred In Your Pottsville House After A Storm Or Flood.

Rainstorms can bring with them excessive amounts of rainfall in a short period and swirling high-speed winds. If the wind picks up enough, it could cause a tree branch or rock to fly into your window and break it. Once a window in your house becomes broken during a rainstorm, moisture can enter your house and cause you several more issues.

What Is The First Step To Take After A Window Breaks?

Call In A Professional Company: SERVPRO can help you mitigate flood damage occurring in Pottsville and surrounding areas by implementing the industry's best techniques and equipment.

Seal The Structure: Once we arrive at your residence the first step we take is to board up and seal your broken window so that water stops entering.

Mitigate Safety Hazards: If there is any broken glass in your house, we can safely remove it as well as mitigate any other potential hazards.

Inspect And Assess The Building: Once the working area is deemed safe, we begin using moisture detection tools to figure out where the H2O traveled and how wet your contents and building materials got.

How Can You Remove Water From My Floors And Carpets?

The first step our SERVPRO technicians take when mitigating moisture-related issues is to remove as much liquid as possible before it evaporates and soaks into the items in your house. If your carpets got wet, we can use a heavy-duty extractor with weighted extraction tools to compress the carpets and squeeze out the moisture.

How Do You Dry Out The Rest Of The Wet Items In My Home?

Air Movers: We can use fans and air movers to create circulation to speed up evaporation.

Dehumidifiers: We can use these machines to remove moisture from the air.

Heaters: Drying best occurs at warmer temperatures so we can increase the temperature in your house if needed.

If your building materials ever get wet after you have a window break during a storm in Cressona or Pine Grove, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 immediately.

Find out more about Pottsville.

Does SERVPRO have a ERP for our Pottsville Fire Damage?

4/20/2020 (Permalink)

An upstairs hallway of a stairwell that has fire damage. SERVPRO has what you need when it comes to your Pottsville fire damage.

SERVPRO Has Emergency READY Profiles for Fire Recovery for Pottsville Businesses.

You cannot predict the time and origin of disasters in your Pottsville school. With the unpredictability and multiple potential causes of emergencies like fire losses, our SERVPRO professionals stay prepared for these disasters as much as possible. Readiness is a staple of the work that we do, and that involves understanding what a property like your school needs to get back to normal and the appropriate containment strategies to prevent cross-contamination of fire loss effects while restoration and mitigation get underway.

Preparing for disasters might not mean predicting them, but it can mean having the right planning in place to address the immediate needs of water and fire damage in Pottsville schools Considering the several hundred students and thousands of family members connected to the school when disasters strike, it is relieving to make the appropriate provisions in advance, so there is no delay in our qualified professionals responding after the first responders turn the property back over.

An Emergency READY Profile Plan (ERP) is a free service that we can offer commercial customers and property management before emergencies occur. Our crew chief and project management can sit down with school personnel to get the layout of the premises and the positioning of vital construction elements like utility shutoffs, exits, and prioritized content retrieval and protection. After extinguishment, there can often be a need for water removal and drying, as well as other emergency services. These tasks can get delayed or entirely stalled by technicians going through the appropriate clearance channels to get approval.

ERPs are an accessible app available to the overseeing personnel for the school and our SERVPRO professionals as well amid a crisis. This application designates our team as the responding technicians in an emergency, making sure that our experts reach the damaged area to begin mitigation and restoration to get children back in classes as soon as possible.

Emergency READY Profile Plans can save money and time for your area school, despite how damaged the structure might be by getting our SERVPRO of Pottsville team there quickly to help. No matter what your institution needs after a fire, our professionals can help when you call (570) 622-8991.

To learn more about Pottsville, click here.

Drying Your Pottsville Home After Flood Damage

3/19/2020 (Permalink)

Rain Storm Storm damage in your Pottsville home? Don’t let moisture take over, call SERVPRO right away.

Our SERVPRO Teams Are Equipped With The Tools And Equipment Specially Designed To Thoroughly Dry Your Property After Water Damage Takes Place

After a flood, the first thought after you confirm the well-being of your family is most likely the well-being of your home. Although there may be some water damage after the flood water recedes, the biggest challenge is often the cleanup and deodorizing the smell left by contaminated flood water if you do extract the water and dry the wet materials quickly enough.  

The most crucial step after flood damage hits your Pottsville home is to thoroughly dry all impacted materials, including carpeting, flooring, and items within the home, such as furniture. Once items are thoroughly dried, there is a much smaller chance of out of control microbial growth. SERVPRO technicians use state-of-the-art equipment to dry the impacted areas and contents within your home. 

The first step to thorough drying is extraction. SERVPRO technicians use both portable and truck-mounted extraction equipment to remove excess water from your home effectively. Portable extraction wands have a backpack-like tank that holds from five to twelve gallons of water. Truck-mounted extractors can hold over 100 gallons for situations where there is a lot of water. In some more rare cases, when there are more than two inches of standing water, technicians employ a submersible pump to remove water. The more moisture extracted, the easier the rest of the drying process becomes. 

Air movement through ventilation and industrial-strength air movers in conjunction with dehumidifiers work on drying the impacted area after extracting the excess moisture thoroughly. Air movers blow air at floor level since cold, moist air is often close to the surface. While the air movers aim air throughout the affected areas, dehumidifiers simultaneously pull moisture in, filters it with HEPA filters to remove any dangerous particles, and then exhaust the air, now dry and warm. The dry, warm air then circulates throughout the room with the assistance of the air movers. 

After a flood, Contact SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 for 24/7 assistance. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

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What to Expect During Professional Fire Debris and Odor Cleanup in Pottsville

3/10/2020 (Permalink)

House Fire You can contact our professionals 24/7. Our fire damage experts are trained in fire & smoke restoration, odor control, upholstery and fabric cleaning.

Our SERVPRO Crews are Trained to Effectively Remove Debris and Odors After a Fire Occurs in Your Pottsville Home

The aftermath of a household fire in Pottsville is stressful and overwhelming. Few other circumstances prepare a homeowner for the toxic mix of debris, smoke and soot residues, and odors that take over every aspect of your life. You need an expert to evaluate the extent of the damage to building materials and contents, and to take the steps needed to mitigate ongoing harm and remediate current issues.

Toxic Residues and Malodors

The fire debris and odors afflicting your Pottsville home are an internal problem, brought about by chemical changes when heat and flames spread and use building materials and contents for fuel. Ordinary household goods and conventional building materials transform into hazardous substances. Cleanup requires safeguards to prevent the debris from affecting the health of you and your family and from further damaging structural components and other articles inside your home. The transformation by fire also spreads smells that make living inside your home unpleasant, reminding everyone of the terror of the flames.

Odors and Debris Are Intimately Related

Our SERVPRO team knows the stench inside your home after a fire is caused by the presence of tiny soot particles. Soot consists of the solids left after fire incompletely consumes anything in its path: wood, paper, drywall, insulation, plastics, rubber, or fibers. Particularly bad-smelling are the residues left behind after a kitchen fire. The protein-based coating is nearly transparent, composed of dehydrated food and grease. Burned rubble to greasy kitchen fire residues, all are forms of fire debris needing management and professional removal.

Professional Cleanup Plan

SERVPRO managers and workers devise a research-based plan to keep your family safe and crews protected during mitigation and remediation. Odor management improves, and drift of corrosive materials ceases when we shut down HVAC systems and contain the work area with negative pressure air scrubbers. Removal of charred items and deep cleaning of surfaces reduces the odor load as well as returning your home to a sanitary condition. Matching types of soot to appropriate cleaning products and methods increase the efficiency of our technicians’ efforts.

Innovations in Odor Elimination

When cleaning and debris removal is inadequate to rid your home of persistent odors, SERVPRO employs special equipment and products to neutralize the odor-bearing particles challenging to remove altogether. We chose from among wet and thermal deodorizing fogging systems, ozone machines, hydroxyl generators, and enzymatic cleaners to eliminate the smells.

SERVPRO of Pottsville takes the lead when you contact us at  (570) 622-8991 for fire debris and odor removal. Our crews arrive within hours of your call, 24/7.

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During Fire Damage Restoration In Pottsville Your Contents Might Have To Be Moved Out

2/18/2020 (Permalink)

"Fire line do not cross" Pottsville, your fire damage needs SERVPRO’s tools and reliability.

SERVPRO Handles the Devastation From Fire Damage so You Don’t Have to

When flames ignite inside your Pottsville home, the problems created can vary. The flames can engulf many of your building materials, and the smoke released can add to the fire damage caused. In many situations, problems with both your building materials and contents could occur. Your contents are considered anything that would come loose if your house was tipped upside down and shook, and your building materials include everything that would stay in place.

When fire damage inside your Pottsville house exists on both your contents and building materials, our SERVPRO technicians can clean and restore them in separate locations. Separating your contents and building materials can help prevent more problems from getting caused by the restoration process. And, since your possessions and structural components both require different techniques to clean, moving out the items in the affected regions of your house can make the overall process more efficient.

However, moving contents out of your house can sometimes be expensive and time-consuming. If possible, our SERVPRO team can implement cost-saving strategies to help reduce expenses. For example, in some cases, we can clean items before they get moved out, so we do not have to pack, clean, repack, and then shelve. We can also conduct partial move-outs in some scenarios so that only a portion of the contents in your building get moved out at a time.

The first steps during a move-out involve an initial scope and estimate and a pre-move-out review. Before anything gets moved out of your home, we conduct an inventory of everything we plan to relocate. We also figure out where everything will be cleaned and where it will be stored while restoration procedures take place inside your structure.

Once everything gets inventoried and staged for removal, we begin packing up all of your affected items. We carefully pack each item in labeled boxes so that they do not get damaged in the moving process. We then pack the truck in a way that will make it more efficient to load the storage area. If your contents are getting cleaned off-location, then we will unpack and clean at the sanitized location and repack the items and stage them for getting moved back into your house.

If you ever suffer major problems after a fire burns on your property, call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 24/7.

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Restoring First Floor Apartments After Flood Loss in Pottsville

2/10/2020 (Permalink)

Flood water in home Flood damage in your Pottsville property? Don’t let moisture take over, call SERVPRO right away.

SERVPRO Can Save Your Property From Flood Damage in Pottsville

Flooding from rising creeks and streams surrounding Pottsville neighborhoods can put your apartment complex at risk. Because the first floor of the apartment units sits below street level, moving surface water can find a fast path through the property and into all of the individual residences on that level. As a preferred vendor in the area for insurance claims and property management firms, we can oversee the restoration of all of these units simultaneously.

Natural disasters can displace residents and can add to the urgency of restoring flood damage in your Pottsville apartment complex. With several feet of standing water in the split level first floor of the building, extraction efforts are vital to get an understanding of how widespread losses are and what contents and construction materials have become affected by the migrating floodwater. We work with your insurance company, your renters, and you to provide a solution that fits everyone’s needs as much as possible.

Even with a shorter discharge distance, the ideal choice for extracting floodwater with expected solids and contaminants is our truck-mount extractor. Given the circumstances, we can direct this continual water flow into a sanitary sewer system to not overload inside drainage systems or potentially clogged or slow-moving culverts contending with excessive debris and other threats. Once most of the surface water has gotten addressed, we can begin muck-out cleaning.

Shoveling and content disposal all help to reduce the presence of bacteria and other microbes that can develop into mold threats. Much of this risk can also get reduced with the application of air movers and other evaporative drying equipment. Our SERVPRO ready trailers at our warehouse have gotten stocked with more than 100 air movers to stay prepared for even substantial drying needs like a damaged apartment complex.  

Apartment buildings can serve as the residence for dozens of families, which can mean a need for moving quickly when disasters strike. When multiple units have suffered the effects of a flood, our SERVPRO of Pottsville rapid response team can arrive quickly to make it “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

Learn more about Pottsville.

Our Team Can Restore Your Pottsville Home After A Fire

1/29/2020 (Permalink)

An electrical fire that started as a result of damaged wiring This home was damaged by an electrical fire that started as a result of this damaged wiring. We showed up right away and began restoration.

Steps Before Cleaning Fire-Damaged Carpets in Pottsville Homes

Smaller fires can leave light residues and soil deposits on the floors of Pottsville homes that can often get restored with the right techniques and cleaning agents. The appropriate response to these conditions varies based on multiple factors, which is part of the advanced and extensive training that our SERVPRO professionals receive both as cleaning technicians and fire restorers for our team.

Pretesting and pretreating carpets can both have positive effects, especially when our technicians believe that flooring fire damage in Pottsville homes is restorable. Even pretesting a carpet to determine the likelihood of cleaning success requires a working knowledge of the restorative practices and their effects on individual styles of carpets, fabrics, and the soiling present. Before one type of cleaning technique gets chosen, our professionals must consider:

  • Colorfastness
  • Type of soil and its severity
  • Type of carpet and fibers
  • Stain resistance
  • Pre-existing damage before the fire

Pretesting 

By pretesting a fire damaged portion of the carpet, we can be assured of presenting the best cleaning method to get the desired results. With restoring carpeting, it is always a priority to preserve the color and feel of the fibers, but ultimately remove all traces of soiling from the most recent disaster. Pretesting can identify the type of fiber and the overall condition of the carpet, showcasing the best methods to suit the current conditions.

Pretreatment

Heavier levels of soiling after a fire can benefit from preconditioning and pretreatment. Our deluxe preconditioning and rinse can help to address present soiling of the carpet by emulsifying or dissolving the present sediment, which can get rinsed and extracted with rotary jet extraction or hot water extraction. That added time with a cleaning agent can often benefit the carpet restoration process and help to keep the flooring installed after a loss incident.

Soot and oily soiling can both have detrimental effects on carpeted floors. However, with a fast response to the situation, it is sometimes possible to restore these damaged areas to preloss condition. Our SERVPRO of Pottsville team can help by calling (570) 622-8991.

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Proper Response Reduces Additional Living Expenses after Fire Damage Incidents in Pottsville

1/20/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage in kitchen For Fire damage in your Pottsville home, you need the best. Call SERVPRO at (570) 622-8991.

Deodorization and Clean Up After a Fire In Your Pottsville Home

Nobody looks forward to a fire incident at his or her property. However, when it happens, you should take it in stride and plan a response that minimizes the inconveniences that crop up after the incident. One set of inconvenience that a professional restorer can help reduce is the additional living expenses that you or your insurer has to cater to, in the aftermath of such a loss.

If the fire damage incident in Pottsville only affects a section of the property, it might be more convenient to stay put during the restoration eliminating the extra cost of seeking accommodation elsewhere. However, staying in a fire-damaged house may not be comfortable because of the odor and residues left on surfaces. Our SERVPRO technicians help by sealing the affected section using boards or plastic sheets. We may also perform some deodorization steps, such as using masking agents, to counter the fire odor. That way, the inconvenience of staying in the house during its restoration is minimized.

After sealing off the affected area, we also clean up the utility areas within the house immediately since they are crucial for the continued habitation of the house. Main areas that require immediate action include:

The Kitchen

A Bathroom

A Bedroom

Laundry area

Some additional costs may pile up from secondary issues such as improper handling of contents affected by the fire. Clothes and other fabric materials collect significant amounts of soot and other residues. In the haste to clean them up, it is possible to damage them permanently if you use a regular laundry or dry cleaning service. Our SERVPRO team can handle or recommend the right cleaning services to ensure that residues do not set, causing permanent stains in your items, thus eliminating the extra cost.

Dealing with a fire incident can be expensive and inconvenient. Call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 to help restore your home to preloss state. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.


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When Your Pottsville Party is Interrupted by Water Damage

1/15/2020 (Permalink)

drying mats on kitchen floor This party was interrupted by water damage. We drying mats to suction water from the kitchen floor.

Why Call SERVPRO to Help with Flood Damage in Pottsville? 

Whether it is storm season or another catastrophic event that has left you with water damage, hiring professionals is the best way to address flood damage in Pottsville. The good news is that you have all of the innovative technologies, proven cleaning methods, and the manpower necessary to get your home or business back to preloss condition when you work with SERVPRO. 

Along with the excessive amount of moisture present with a flood situation, you may also face several potential hazards. Working with the experts to address flood damage in Pottsville is the safest, most efficient way to get the results that you need. As with any water damage situation, the faster you take action, the more significant the difference in the level of damage to your structure, furnishings, and belongings. 

Packout Services 

There can be various contaminants in groundwater, so our team wearing protective gear can get through it to pull out any salvageable belongings. We work quickly to move furnishings to another location in the house and take any porous items or goods from the pantry out that could otherwise absorb floodwater. Typically, groundwater is category 3, contaminated with microorganisms, chemicals, and other debris.  

Testing 

Before starting the full flood damage cleanup, our SERVPRO technicians test the water to see if contaminants and bacteria are present, which allows us to select the best methods and cleaning agents to proceed. In any situation that impacts the home with groundwater, we scope the flooring with moisture detection equipment to determine whether or not the subfloor calls for attention before and after the water extraction process. Water penetration and absorption into structural elements require thorough inspections and final standard moisture content levels before SERVPRO signs off on a job.  

Drying 

The methods used for drying depends on the flooring type in your home. If you have tile glued down, it often disengages with water exposure, calling for full removal. However, inlaid tile and ceramic are typically safe from water penetration. SERVPRO technicians can place drying mats that we move about to dry the hardwood flooring. The joints harbor moisture that these mats can suction out. We also use high-power air movers and dehumidifiers to ensure the drying process is a success. 

Deodorization and Disinfection 

Once drying is complete, we commence with cleaning and disinfecting all of the surfaces impacted by water. We use high-strength disinfectants to eliminate unpleasant odors to restore your home to preloss condition, “Like it never even happened.” 

SERVPRO of Pottsville is ready to help whenever you need assistance with flood damage. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster, and available 24/7. Give our team a call at (570) 622-8991, and we can send out technicians as soon as possible. 

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Water Cleanup In Pottsville

12/29/2019 (Permalink)

water damaged home “Like it never even happened.”

Call SERVPRO for Complete Water Cleanup in Pottsville Properties

The two areas in the home with the most potential for water damage are the kitchen and bathroom. However, water may come from many different sources such as a leaking roof, flash flood, or a slow-leaking pipe in a wall or ceiling that suddenly gives way. The one thing all of these scenarios have in common is they require fast action to limit loss.

A portion of the Pottsville water cleanup calls SERVPRO technicians receive after the homeowner has done as much as they can to remove the water. However, musty odors or water appearing on floor tiles clues them in; there is more to be done.

Tracking Water Migration
When removal begins a period after the initial water loss event, there is very little standing water left to find visually. The techs use their moisture detection equipment to determine if they need to address issues behind baseboards, within the subfloor or ceilings and walls.  These are all standard places to find residual moisture that requires professional drying.

Professional Drying Equipment
The use of specialized equipment for drying is an essential part of the cleanup process. If the subfloor needs drying, SERVPRO techs carefully remove only the tile or floorboards necessary. Drying mats, air movers, and dehumidification equipment create a cycle of progressively drier air circulating and rapidly reduce air moisture levels allowing for complete dryness. The InjectiDry system is excellent for forcing air into small spaces such as wall cavities after removal of the baseboards. This access to advanced drying devices lets the area dry without the need for a controlled demolition to open the wall space.

Mold Prevention
Any time elevated moisture levels exist in a home, the formation of mold colonies is a threat. SERVPRO techs perform proactive treatments of surfaces and structural elements affected by water to ensure that mold is not an issue during or after the restoration services.

SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 stands ready to assist local property owners with any size water cleanup task needed and make it, “Like it never even happened.”

For more about Pottsville click here.

Why We Are The Leader In Cressona Fire Damage Restoration

12/16/2019 (Permalink)

An electrical fire that started as a result of damaged wiring This home was damaged by an electrical fire that started as a result of this damaged wiring.

Effective Deodorization for Smoke Odors in Cressona Homes

Lingering odors present some of the most troublesome obstacles for Cressona homeowners to overcome after a fire loss. Addressing these concerns requires both the potent cleaning products available to our SERVPRO teams and the effective line of deodorizing equipment stocked in the production trucks of our Green Fleet. As challenging as many structure fires can become, many homeowners reach out to our professionals before the responding firefighters have even finished their work to ensure that our team is alert and prepared to begin mitigation and recovery as promptly as possible. 

Mitigation plays a substantial role in the successful recovery of Cressona fire damage. Our initial efforts can help to reduce the severity of the fire loss effects and to reduce both the overall losses to contents and construction elements throughout the residence. Our fast response, including our efforts to improve air quality and reduce present odors, can save our customers time and money on the restoration that the house needs after a fire. Deodorization involves the use of many practices, most of which depend on the severity and spread of the condition. 

Cleaning Surfaces

The focused fire damage removal of residues and soot throughout the house can help to reduce the severity of odors. In areas where the fire damage was most concentrated, wiping and foam cleaning practices, as well as more abrasive tactics like soda blasting, can noticeably limit the presence of strong smoke odors. 

Reduction Products 

Our SERVPRO team utilizes several products that can help to quickly reduce the severity and the spread of these smoke and noxious odors left behind after a fire. An excellent example of these products would be odor counteracting beads. These porous beads can absorb foul odors they attract and replace it with a pleasant odor. 

Deodorizing Equipment 

The most effective strategy to remove harsh odors left behind after a fire is the use of capable deodorization equipment, including thermal foggers, hydroxyl generators, and ozone machines. Many of these tools have dual functionalities, offering both filtration through onboard HEPA filters as well as varying deodorizing techniques. From UV spectrums to the creation of ozone, we have the right deodorization solution for your fire-damaged home. 

Odors can be a challenge to overcome after a fire, but our SERVPRO of Pottsville team has the equipment and expertise to help. Give us a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

See more about Cressona.

We Have The State Of The Art Equipment Necessary To Restore Your Pottsville Home

12/3/2019 (Permalink)

Our drying equipment set up in a hallway drying the carpet Our team quickly got on site and began the extraction process and once all of the water was removed, we placed drying equipment out.

Water Damage Pottsville – Leaking Pipes for Clothes Washer

Many new two-story home builders are installing the washing machine and clothes dryer on the second floor of new homes. Builders also place the washer in a basin designed to catch any water leaks that might occur. But when a hose breaks or a connection works itself loose, water can quickly fill the basin and overflow onto the surrounding flooring. Before homeowners realize what is going on, water is pouring down the stairs or into adjacent rooms.

SERVPRO responds to many different water damage events in Pottsville and surrounding areas. We have over 60 years of combined restoration experience and have operated in the area for over two decades. We also have the equipment to remove moisture from difficult to access areas such as inside walls and under subfloors.

Removing Water from Flooring

Whether it is carpeting or hardwood flooring, SERVPRO can remove water damage and moisture that may have penetrated these areas. Hand operated vacuums can vacuum up water that may have pooled on hard surface floors, such as hardwood, linoleum, or tile floors. Weighted extractors are used on carpeting to remove water from carpets and under padding.

Difficult to Reach Areas

Occasionally water seeps into the subfloor or between walls as it travels to lower points in the home. SERVPRO has several moisture detectors available to assist in finding these moisture hot spots and avoid future mold problems. Infrared cameras, moisture sensors, and meters, as well as thermal hygrometers, are used to find these areas. We may need to drill holes in the walls to vacuum any water from the area as well as blow dry air into the cavity to dry the space.

Drying Hardwood Floors

Water can cause hardwood flooring to expand. Expansion may cause the wood to cup or in some cases, splinter and crack. SERVPRO may use desiccant dehumidifiers to remove humidity in rooms with hardwood flooring. It is more efficient than traditional dehumidifiers and works well with low evaporation materials.

Call SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 for 24/7 service. We proudly serve Orwigsburg, Cressona, Schuylkill Haven, and the surrounding areas. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

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Give Our Experts A Call As Soon As You Need Us In Pottsville

11/25/2019 (Permalink)

A ceiling caving in after a storm hit We put a tarp on the roof to prevent further water incursion, and then dried out the attic and walls with our advanced equipment.

Roof Breaches That Flood Pottsville Attic Spaces

During the winter months, especially, Pottsville homes can fall victim to several extreme weather conditions, including heavy snowfall to torrential rains. It does not take long for one of these compromising weather events to damage a roof, especially when heavy snow weighs on a roof for several days before the rainfall begins. Once any breach in your roof exists, water can begin to penetrate your attic space.

Stopping the flood damage to Pottsville homes is a combination of several divisions of our SERVPRO team working together for a common goal. Regardless of the severity of the situation, several steps must get taken immediately to prevent further migration of the flooding and to get the current conditions under control. In most cases, our mitigation team can work alongside licensed residential contractors to temporarily seal off penetration points in the plywood backing of the roof while we set up drying implements.

With more than two decades helping out flood-damaged homes, we have built relationships with reputable contractors that can help us to see your job to completion quickly. We know how traumatic loss incidents can become when you have to spend weeks or more waiting for someone to help. Especially with higher water volumes like flooding scenarios present, every moment counts.

Depending on how much water damages have spread throughout the attic space, we can usually address most of this saturation and higher moisture content with a chain of air movers positioned throughout this upper level. Smaller refrigerant dehumidifiers that are easier to maneuver take the place of our larger desiccants in these tighter spaces. Some exposed material might be too compromised to protect, including insulation in the direct path between the roof breach and the attic below. Our SERVPRO team can utilize our insulation vacuum to safely remove these damaged portions of material without sending considerable debris into the environment.

It is always a good idea to inspect your attic space after substantial, lingering snowfalls and torrential rains. The sooner you can recognize roof leaks and penetration points, the faster that you can address flooding and water losses. Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville team a call to help when you need us at (570) 622-8991.

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Our Water Damage Professionals Can Help After A Disaster In Your Pottsville Home

11/17/2019 (Permalink)

water damaged room Call (570) 622-8991 to have a team at your home within hours.

Tackling Dishwasher Water and Odor Removal in Pottsville

One appliance that homeowners are often blindsided by when a disaster occurs is the dishwasher. Damaged hoses or a cracked, dry gasket are enough to allow water and odors to seep into floors, walls, and adjacent fixtures. This can leave you with more on your hands than a simple appliance repair.

If an appliance failure means you need water and odor removal for your Pottsville kitchen, SERVPRO technicians are ready to step in and lend a helping hand. This team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to clean up when disaster strikes in your home, including weekends and holidays, because disasters do not happen on a 9-to-5 schedule. These professionals focus on minimizing the damage to your home can be restored to a preloss condition.

Preventing Dishwasher Water Damage
Homeowners can reduce damages and minimize disaster with a few simple tips:

    •    Maintain your dishwasher. Check the seals, look for signs of rust or clogged nozzles, and make sure hoses are not compromised or in a position that can cause damage.
    •    Check your water lines every 6 months. Call a professional if either line has any issues.
    •    Run the dishwasher when someone else is home with you. If a flood occurs, the best way to mitigate flooding is when someone else is with you. Dishwashers can flood without warning, leaving you with more damage to clean up if you are home alone.
    •    Install the right hardware. Make sure seals, hoses, and other items are made to fit your appliance, and that items like steel-braided hoses are made with the correct size and materials.

SERVPRO Focuses on Restoration
If you have water seeping into your kitchen floor after a dishwasher leak, SERVPRO can use infrared imaging to detect moisture in the subflooring or behind walls. Floor drying may be done from underneath the subfloor, depending on the extent of the damage. Laminate or vinyl floors may need some replacement after long-term exposure to water. Wooden fixtures, like cabinetry and furniture, can typically be dried back to normal with centrifugal air movers and industrial-grade dehumidifiers. SERVPRO's EPA-registered cleaners can ensure that your home is free of mold and other odor-causing issues.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is committed to serving the community with disaster mitigation, so you can enjoy a home that looks, “Like it never even happened.” Call (570) 622-8991 to have a team at your home within hours.

For more about Pottsville click here.

We Have State Of The Art Equipment Necessary For Pottsville Flood Damage Restoration

10/31/2019 (Permalink)

A family room floor covered in a mess of materials after a storm blew through Contact our SERVPRO team to make it "Like it never even happened." Call us right away for best results.

Gas-Powered Pumps for Fast Flood Extraction in Pottsville Homes

Flooding scenarios can be devastating for homes and businesses throughout Pottsville, especially when property owners get taken by surprise. Instead of battling the effects of this disaster on your own, you can lean on the experience and cutting-edge equipment available to our SERVPRO team. We have numerous extraction devices ranging from smaller-scale light wands to the high-capacity truck-mount pumps for supreme water removal.

Choosing the right tool for the job might not seem complicated, but it is one of the critical factors in efficient flood water extraction for Pottsville homes. Our team of professionals has extensive experience in overcoming flood loss effects, as this disaster can follow storms and weather events happening in the area year-round. From heavy snowfalls and rains in the winter to prolonged soaking rains of the summer, many properties can suffer the destruction of fast-moving floodwater.

Rushing flash floods and rising natural flooding can quickly compromise area utilities, especially when electrical substations and transformers become submerged. Without power, our SERVPRO team can still help our customers to manage the hazardous effects within their homes, by utilizing both the power we can create with our trailered generators and our fuel-powered extraction machines. Implementing the generator opens up a much more extensive range of potential tools and equipment that we can use, but it is not always practical for the speed that work needs to begin.

Our professionals can also utilize our gas-powered trash pump to begin removing higher volumes of standing water from the flood damaged regions of your home. Because this runs on fuel and not electricity, we can begin extraction quickly after arriving. The feed of these extractors is continuous, so a single unit can often remove the majority of the standing water threat in a brief period.

There is never one single way to accomplish anything in the restoration world, and when situations have taken critical utilities like your electric service, we must think on our feet to provide the same high-quality result differently. Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville team a call to help anytime at (570) 622-8991.

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Real Risks of Floodwater in Your Pottsville Basement

10/28/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment on the floor of a room. SERVPRO knows the severity of your Pottsville floods and the damage that comes with it.

Let us help your Pottsville home from flood damage.

Flooding is not something that many Pottsville homeowners take lightly, but many put themselves at risk working to find the fastest route to drying up the damage. Instead of securing professional assistance, DIY restoration is on the rise. The more you know about the actual risks of doing this work yourself, the safer it can get accomplished, or you might see the benefits of having legitimate trained aid in your time of need.

There are distinct advantages to choosing our SERVPRO professionals to address flood damage in Pottsville homes, and it begins with the expertise of our technicians. Even in the realm of premier recovery services, few specialists have extensive training and education that our team does. From the earliest stages of developing and growing our roster, we have our entire staff accredited through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) in Water Restoration (WRT.) These endorsements ensure that you always have qualified and knowledgeable experts available 24/7 if disaster strikes.

Numerous risks exist with addressing flood loss effects on your own, and in the basement level of your house, these hazards can be even dire. As a hub for your utility services, your electrical system can cause a harmful charge to the immediate water in the basement if the service is still live. You should always look to temporarily disconnect services before entering standing water that could have become electrified.

Because contaminants could exist in the water pouring into your home as well, especially from rising waters or flash flooding, you need to avoid direct contact without the appropriate personal protective equipment. Our SERVPRO team has a safe and thorough approach that can begin extraction with our initial arrival and work to get the area dried and disinfected as promptly as possible.

As tempting as it might be to attempt DIY restoration after a flood, many issues could be harmful to you or your family. Our SERVPRO of Pottsville team is always here to help however you need, from our full restoration packages to a second opinion on the work you have done to restore your home. Give us a call anytime at (570) 622-8991.

If you would like to know more about Pottsville, click here.

Our Experts Discuss Three Tips To Help After A Flood In Your Pottsville Home

10/9/2019 (Permalink)

Burned furniture and charred walls in black soot. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

Three Tips to Help When Your Pottsville Home is Going to Flood

There are many situations in which flooding can and does occur, but not without more than a day of notice for Pottsville residents. The worst of flooding must often wait for the steady rainfall to reach bodies of water and cause them to overflow, which does not always happen instantaneously. When you have some time before flooding could occur, there are some ways that you can keep your property safer before you leave.

Knowing what to do with looming disasters can be a stressful time, as for many residents, flood damage to their Pottsville home is inevitable. Even with preventative measures, many lower-lying properties are at too considerable of a risk for damming and sandbags to have the desired effect. There are several measures that you can take to reduce your personal loss in this overwhelming situation before our SERVPRO professionals arrive to help.

Gather What Is Most Important
Keepsakes, heirlooms, and photographs might not always have monetary value, but they can be a priceless possession to homeowners. If you know a flood situation is coming, gather up these belongings and take them with you if possible when you vacate the premises. You can better protect these belongings if they remain in your possession.

Turn Off Utilities in Your House
A considerable risk for recovery specialists after flooding is the unknowns about risks that could exist in the floodwater, such as an electrical current. By severing your service in your home, you can keep professionals safe as they work to remove standing water from your property and begin the steps of recovery.

Move Your Belongings
While you cannot take everything with you when you leave the house before the flooding, you can take some steps to move all of your belongings to a higher elevation, such as the second floor. By finding a place unlikely to become affected by the flood, you prevent the loss of these items as our SERVPRO team works on extraction and drying.

We strive to provide every customer with helpful information during a crisis because your safety and wellbeing is our priority. Flooding can be a challenge, but our SERVPRO of Pottsville team can show you that We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster. Give us a call at (570) 622-8991.

For more about Pottsville click here.

Take the Stress Out of Fire Damage Remediation and Lingering Odors in Pottsville

9/29/2019 (Permalink)

fire damage in part of a home Fire damage has many components including soot and lingering odors. Take care of these and other issues with one call to SERVPRO.

Using Thermal Foggers to Address Smoke Odors in Pottsville Homes

One of the universal symptoms left behind after most fires that affect Pottsville homes is a foul odor. Through the combustion of certain materials to the light smoke odors that persist after much of the cleaning as completed, scents play a substantial role in whether a family can move forward after a disaster or not. It is because of this that our professionals have invested so much into the inventory of recovery tools at our disposal, including industry-leading deodorization machines.

While we have multiple tools and equipment that we can choose from when addressing fire damage in Pottsville homes, the choice of these tools relates to the specific conditions. We can make determinations of deodorizers based on the severity of the smell, where in the house these conditions exist, and the materials and contents of your home that have allowed odor permeation. In many cases, the best tool for both portability and versatility in odor removal is the thermal fogger.

Our foggers run on high-quality deodorization concentrate that we vaporize as we walk through the affected areas. Unlike some of the other odor removal practices that we have, thermal foggers rely exclusively on the product that you supply them with, and the production of fog helps to get into porous surfaces, soft materials, and textiles. For other affected materials and contents, we have ozone and hydroxyl generators.

Among the chief reasons that thermal foggers get used regularly is the portability of these units. Being much lighter than the other deodorization tools, we can move from one affected area of your home to another quickly without needing to disassemble or reset stationary equipment throughout the property. We can focus the densest concentration of fogging in the ignition area and lighten its use when moving to adjacent rooms and areas.

As many deodorization tools that we have in our deep inventory can ensure that we have the right machines for nearly any situation we encounter. When it comes to helping you get back to normal after a loss incident, you can trust that our SERVPRO of Pottsville can show We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. Give us a call today at (570) 622-8991.

Click here for more information about the city of Pottsville.

Why Cross-training Matters to Pottsville Residents in need of Home Restoration Services

9/20/2019 (Permalink)

The words cross-train on a piece of paper with a green background  SERVPRO is always learning and training to help you and your Pottsville community the correct way.

We are prepared to take on Pottsville no matter the incident or damage. 

Here at SERVPRO of Pottsville, we have established ourselves as a leading restoration service provider over many years working in the region. Operating in a coal-mining region like Pottsville means our community is used to working hard on extended hours. Property damages can be the final straw for most homeowners who want to get on with their everyday lives with as little inconvenience as possible. Our restoration service boasts a diverse roster of mold, water, fire, and storm recovery technicians. We operate locally, which means we can mobilize both our technicians and our extensive equipment inventory at a moments notice to help you restore your home, and get back to your normal life. 

Fire

Incidents involving fire can be extremely tough for homeowners who have spent years accumulating possessions and personal effects. Hot smoke can seriously harm structural contents like drapery rods, fittings, electrical appliances, furnishings, and ornaments. SERVPRO provides experienced restorers to help you overcome fire damage in your Pottsville home quickly with a stress-free claims procedure that allows us to handle the paperwork which can then be passed on to your insurance adjuster. 

Our inventory for restoration service equipment features cutting edge technology that can help to restore the property to a preloss condition, allowing you to avoid the costly replacement of items and fittings. Before entering your Pottsville property after a fire, you should get an all-clear from your fire officer and shut off power to the affected area. Wiring and electric appliances can become unsafe with prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures and pressure, causing permanent damage to the appliance itself or a risk to your safety. 

SERVPRO fire and smoke damage restoration technicians (FSRT) can work quickly to restore fittings and contents. In severe incidents, we can store possessions for you at the climate-controlled warehouse while ongoing restoration services take place. Our restorers can carry out essential cleaning and drying of the affected area as well as preliminary restoration of specialist items like electrics. These procedures can help to ensure no further damage is caused while electric restoration experts are brought in for repairs. Whether you need standard or specialist restorers, SERVPRO can liaise with third-parties on your behalf so that you only have to deal with one point of contact from start to finish. 

Water

Drying a property is vital in ensuring that water damage in your Pottsville home does not become an ongoing battle. SERVPRO water restoration technicians (WRT) are trained in a variety of proper drying techniques that allow us to confidently restore your home to its preloss condition without secondary damages like mold growth or structural weakening occurring. One of the core principles that our restorers work with is the restore over replace mentality that helps to keep our customers claim rates manageable throughout the restoration service. 

Water does not standstill. In fact, the longer that water is left in property, the further it spreads and the more damage it causes. Most household items are not designed to sustain prolonged exposure to moisture, therefore reaching out to a professional restoration service promptly on the discovery of a water incident is essential to reducing the possibility of irreversible harm. Cleaning and removing excess quantities of water is necessary, but it is the drying of your Pottsville home that is essential to making a full recovery. 

SERVPRO restoration services incorporate advanced structural drying equipment to remove moisture from inside wall cavities or the subfloor. Our trucks are stocked with a full inventory of desiccant and refrigerant dehumidifiers to ensure that, should the drying process requires overnight service, the likelihood of microbial growth issues is kept to a minimum. In scenarios where drying procedure is predicted to take several days, SERVPRO restorers can return to your Pottsville home daily to ensure that drying outcomes are being achieved as expected. Drying property guards against malodors, microbial growth and structural weakening, our technology allows us to be a leading supplier of water restoration here in Pottsville.

Storm

Flash flooding is a common cause of storm damage in Pottsville, which requires professional care and attention to restore effectively. Floodwaters enter the home with little or no prior warning, and once in the home, can begin to cross-contaminate floors, walls, and furnishings. Large amounts of water can create uneven ground surfaces as well as increasing the likelihood of slips or falls. Before entering the property, seek assistance from a professional with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) and experience.

Groundwaters can be extremely harmful to your health. Due to the health hazards present in floodwaters, SERVPRO technicians need to examine all porous materials in your Pottsville property to remove and dispose of contaminated materials. These materials may even include structure such as drywall which needs to be cut away at least a foot above the standing water level to avoid any chance of contaminated materials remaining in the home. 

Once the offending porous materials are removed, standing water drained from the property and drying procedure set up. SERVPRO can begin disinfecting the area. Using a combination of bleaches, Biocides, and chemical agents our technicians can clean the area several times over to ensure that any harmful pathogens are destroyed and your home restoration service delivers on creating a sanitary environment. If personal possessions were removed during the cleaning procedure, SERVPRO could return these items to their original positions in your Pottsville home after service is complete.

Mold

Microbial growth issues can often be the result of an ineffective water loss or flood restoration carried out that left behind moisture pockets in your Pottsville home. Over time, these moisture pockets become breeding grounds for microbial fungi, which eventually becomes a problem by affecting indoor air quality as well as producing an unpleasant odor. Cleaning the surface using household bleach or disinfectant can quickly become a daily task, which is why most homeowners seek professional remediation services to deal with mold damage in their Pottsville homes. 

It is essential to understand that mold is a natural part of the home environment; therefore, a full restoration is not possible. Instead, SERVPRO offer experienced remediation technicians that can control microbial growth to an acceptable level, remove colonies as well as tackling odor- essentially making the issues "Like it never even happened." There may be many physical barriers that restrict access to the source of mold which SERVPRO can remove and replace during the restoration service.

Mold remediation is an ever changing industry that adapts to new understanding and technology. SERVPRO is committed to providing advanced equipment that can help with microbial growth issues like injectidry systems- for wall cavities- as well as Esporta washing machines that can help to restore precious fabrics that would otherwise have to be discarded due to mold infestation. Our technicians are here to get your Pottsville home back to its preloss condition and can mobilize an extensive inventory of restoration equipment in a short amount of time.

SERVPRO of Pottsville operates a roster of technicians with extensive knowledge in the restoration of fire, water, storm or mold incidents. Contact us today, at 

To learn more about Pottsville, click here.

Four Questions to Ask When Considering a Fire Damage Restoration Company in Pottsville

9/16/2019 (Permalink)

firemen fighting fire on roof After the fire is extinguished, call SERVPRO to restore you home to its pre-fire condition.

Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Fire Damage Cleanup Company in Pottsville 

Fire damage requires fast action to stop the spread of soot and odors throughout the home. If there is water left behind, that compounds the issue with the need for extraction and drying the property before the water causes the weakening of building materials or contributes to the establishment of mold colonies. 

When your Pottsville home requires fire damage mitigation, there are some specific questions you should ask the restoration services company before beginning any type of cleanup of your home. In doing so, you can drill down to make the best decision to fit your needs. 

Do You Work With My Insurance?

SERVPRO works seamlessly with both insurance adjusters and homeowners to ensure everyone is up to date with everything that is happening during fire loss cleanup and each phase of the home restoration process. 

How Do I Know What Items are a Loss to Fire Damage?

The unique Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS) provided by SERVPRO catalogs each item handled with a detailed report of its condition, notations if discarded including who approved the action, and before and after photographs if restored. This service establishes a firm chain of custody for any item handled by the technicians and assists in expediting insurance claims. 

Is the Removal of Smoke Odors Possible?

A commonly held belief is after a fire, residual smoke odors are something the household just has to deal with. SERVPRO technicians utilize both cleaning techniques and specialized equipment that works to remove odor-causing particles at the molecular level - effectively neutralizing foul scents left behind by the fire loss. 

What is Cross-Contamination and Why Does it Matter?

After a fire in a home, foot traffic in the area allows the soot to travel, which is both unhealthy and spreads odor around the property resulting in the need for more odor control and cleaning. Containment encloses the work area using heavy plastic sheeting or in some cases negative air chambers and works to inhibit the potential for cross-contamination in the home. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville at (570) 622-8991 works to assist local property owners with the cleanup and restoration from fire damage to make the fire loss in the home "Like it never even happened." 

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Water Removal Techniques Used During Mitigation of Pottsville Properties Also Reduce Water Vapor in the Air

8/29/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO equipment in a home. SERVPRO knows all the techniques when it comes to your Pottsville water damage.

Let us help your Pottsville property through the water.

After an appliance in your home springs a leak overnight, the area involved can start showing signs of damage almost immediately. SERVPRO's technicians know how to get your Pottsville residence restored. We use effective mitigation methods that prevent unnecessary additional damage that can result in higher restoration costs. 

Our customers in Pottsville rely on our water removal expertise after problems with water-using appliances. Plumbing leaks and other crises involving water that invade their living space require an experienced team who can respond immediately. Many times, this water spreads so quickly that a good portion of it evaporates into the air. Not only does this water vapor does not exit the home, but we actually work more efficiently by using the air as a way to dry out the property.

We set up air movers that work steadily on pulling moisture to the surface of water-logged materials like drywall, paneling, and flooring. The increased airflow across the objects in your home causes them to give up the moisture hiding at the surface. Water moves from wet to dry, causing the moisture to steadily reverse its direction and head for the surface closest to the air currents. The air soon begins to feel more humid as it holds more and more moisture.

Adding heat to the mix keeps condensation from happening. Instead, warmer air can hold more water vapor than cooler air can hold. We use other air movers to direct damper air toward our powerful desiccant machines. These extract the water vapor from the air as it passes through. Upon exiting, the air no longer contains excess moisture.

Rapidly drying out a home starts with knowing that an emergency exists. When we start shortly after a disaster involving water, we can prevent a lot of damaging effects from occurring. The chances of microbial infestations, stains, and odors plaguing your property decrease significantly with a prompt response.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is proud to serve Orwigsburg, Cressona, and Minersville. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster, including yours. When you need water removal services to dry out your residence, call us at (570) 622-8991. We are always here, 24/7, 365 days a year to help you.

To learn more about Pottsville, click here.

Is Flood Damage on the Menu of Your Pottsville Restaurant?

8/26/2019 (Permalink)

Inside of restaurant Storms can quickly cause flooding in basement storage areas in restaurants. SERVPRO can dry it in a jiffy!

Preventing Flooding from Closing Your Pottsville Restaurant 

Many of the Pottsville properties have underground levels for cellar or basement storage. Subterranean floors are still a common element to new construction in the area, and yet, these same spaces are always the most susceptible to flooding and other disasters. As the owner of a restaurant, a flood can be devastating in multiple ways. While it puts your entire investment in furniture and fixtures at risk, it also presents the possibility of contamination depending on the circumstances. 

When flood damage in a Pottsville restaurant gets contained exclusively to this lower level, the main floor of your business is still at risk from hazardous effects and conditions. While immediate threats of standing water against your booths and tables are less severe, professionals like our SERVPRO team still must act quickly to protect your restaurant with fast extraction, drying, and disinfection efforts. 

It can be impossible for the average property owner not only to address standing water within the lower levels of their building but to understand the spread of this condition entirely. Our team arrives with sophisticated discovery devices to aid in identifying moisture pockets and damp areas beyond the surface. Our full understanding of where moisture exists can reduce the need for tear-out and reconstruction. 

Flooding can quickly develop secondary conditions like mold growth, so our SERVPRO team sets up containment as soon as possible.  Barriers prevent the spread of this organism beyond the damp depths of the basement. You can continue to operate your restaurant provided that these services do not directly interfere in areas that need drying, repairing, or remediating. 

Because We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster, we can help to protect supports, joists, and other exposed materials from saturation and deterioration from the flooding. We can utilize powerful antimicrobial sprays to limit the growth of mold spores.  We also work to disinfect structural elements in case contamination is an issue. 

We look out for your business in every way that we can, and it is our priority to work to keep your doors open throughout the restoration or to get them back open immediately following the recovery efforts. You can count on the fast response and experience of our SERVPRO of Pottsville team. Call us 24/7 at (570) 622-8991.

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Fire Damage Remediation in Pottsville? It’s Easy If You Do It Smart

8/5/2019 (Permalink)

Don't let fire damage take over your store. Call the professionals at SERVPRO today for remediation assistance.

Professional Restoration of Commercial Fire Damage in Your Pottsville Electronics Shop is Crucial

Fire does not discriminate, and if your electronics shop in Pottsville is affected, you can incur severe financial losses. The bad news about fire is that even a small fire that is suppressed quickly can still have a significant impact because of smoke and heat action. Fast action after the incident can help save items and restore normal operations at your store.

Superficial yet Nagging Problems after a Fire

Fire damage in your Pottsville electronics shop can leave superficial effects such as staining of casings due to smoke and soot. Even though such effects do not interfere with the operations of your items, customers expect the appliances they purchase to be in pristine condition, so such an outcome can affect your sales. Cleaning electronics is not an easy task considering how sensitive they are to water exposure. Our SERVPRO technicians can use special techniques such as wiping items with cleaning sponges or vacuuming to remove deposits without creating other problems.

Addressing Long-term Threats 

The effects of soot and other smoke residues are not restricted to the outer surfaces of your items only. The smoke that penetrates the item can cause long-term problems because soot is corrosive. If left unaddressed, it can lead to further deterioration, which can affect the operability of the item. Soot also conducts electricity, so items saved from the fire might be prone to malfunctions. Our SERVPRO technicians help with evaluation and determine which items might need professional cleaning.

Dealing with the messy Aftermath

The effects of the fire and water or other agents used to quell it can leave your shop looking like a war zone in the aftermath of the incident. Sorting through the mess is necessary, although it is not easy. Our SERVPRO technicians help in many ways. We extract any water remnants allowing free access to materials. We also sort the items into groups of salvageable, unsalvageable, and questionable ones, thus completing the task quickly. We can also help move items offsite to ease the restoration process.

Fire loss incidents in Orwigsburg, Cressona, and Minersville can present several challenges, but with help from SERVPRO of Pottsville, it is easier to address them. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to help. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Click here to see more about Pottsville. 

Even Minor Water Damage In Your Pottsville Home Should Be Handled By A Professional

7/12/2019 (Permalink)

Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville team a call anytime that you need us at (570) 622-8991.

Restoring Small Water Damage Incidents In Your Pottsville Home

Not every water loss emergency that threatens a Pottsville home must be out of control and come with devastating conditions. In many cases, with the right reaction to potential damages, the threat of water loss situations can get lessened dramatically. In circumstances where the conditions exist from a steady leak in a certain point of the plumbing or a fixture, much of the exposed area can stay contained to immediate materials surrounding this breach. This limited spread makes both mitigation and drying efforts much more efficient and effective.

Multiple steps must get taken when contending with water damage in Pottsville homes, and this begins with fully understanding the situation. There is little that can get done in your property without a working knowledge of the extent and spread of these effects, and for small water loss incidents, you might not require the full measure of our SERVPRO professional resources and expertise. Instead, you can manually and visually inspect affected areas to determine the best approach for drying and later clean up.

For smaller damaged areas, you can often avoid a need for extraction and specialized equipment by getting the right drying and dehumidification started as promptly as possible. While many homeowners do not have powerful dehumidifiers and forced heat air movers as you can expect from professional recovery our SERVPRO team provides, there are several ways to accomplish similar results.

Often renting equipment is the best approach that homeowners can take, as this gives you access to many of the professional-grade tools and machines. Home improvement and hardware stores often have multiple unit types and sizes that you can choose from, so talk through your project with these employees to ensure that you are leaving with the right gear to overcome damaging water loss effects.

We know that many homeowners want to save time and money on doing restoration and recovery work themselves. Know your limitations, however, as inadequately cleaned and dried damages can lead to harmful mold growth and other potentially hazardous conditions. Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville team a call anytime that you need us at (570) 622-8991.

For more about Pottsville click here.

Pottsville Needs Dry Cafes for Serving Coffee and Sweets--SERVPRO Removes Flood Waters to Keep the Cups Full

6/26/2019 (Permalink)

Flooded Cafe in Pottsville? Call SERVPRO to Keep that Cupa Java Flowing--Not the Water!

Professional Cleanup Is Crucial for Commercial Flood Damage in Pottsville

Commercial flood damage in a brick and mortar business with foot traffic such as a coffee shop can be the kiss of death for the company if cleanup efforts do not happen quickly and adequately. The minute water enters, it spreads swiftly, wicking into sheetrock and can easily wind up within floor joists, wall cavities, and other hard-to-reach areas. If any areas of excessive moisture remain, both mold and foul odors have the potential for causing further damage to the shop weeks after the cleanup.

Before SERVPRO arrives on-site to clean up commercial flood damage in a Pottsville coffee shop, we usually ask business owners to stay out of the damaged areas due to the danger of dangerous slip and fall accidents on wet floors. Groundwater carries a rating as a category three biohazard, for health and safety reasons we advise avoiding the water.

Upon our arrival, we scope the site to determine the scale of the water loss on the property using our advanced moisture detection technology to measure and monitor moisture levels within the structure, including:

?    Infrared cameras allow technicians to visualize water through walls, ceilings, and floors with thermal imagery
?    Hygrometers to measure saturation levels
?    Soft probes
We can then use blue painters tape to mark off areas of saturation and dampness. These areas can be addressed as the process continues.

SERVPRO technicians extract water with portable pumps for speed and raise tables and chairs on blocks for drying in place when possible to limit the disruption to the building during restoration services. Controlled demolition techniques such as flood cuts to remove damaged sheetrock and weep holes for draining and air flow are tactics that help the water loss affected areas dry faster.

Our employees hold certifications as Applied Structural Drying Technicians, and we know how to set up air movers to pull deeply embedded moisture for thorough drying. SERVPRO techs pay special attention to wall cavities and floor joists with drying mats and InjectiDry setups to force airflow within and inhibit mold growth and odors through complete drying. Once done, we disinfect the surfaces using antimicrobial solutions to ensure they are sanitary and ready to serve customers lattes and cappuccinos at the counter again.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is available to mitigate commercial flood damage in any business or organization. Just call  (570) 622-8991, we are open 24/7 to serve the local community and make water damage to your building, "Like it never even happened."

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Your Pottsville Home Flooded. How Should You Begin to Clean Your Home?

6/19/2019 (Permalink)

This home suffered water damage after flooding. We removed the flooring and made flood cuts to dry the home.

Cleaning Up Your Pottsville Home after a Flood

Flooding can leave any Pottsville home damaged in multiple ways, but one of the most insurmountable tasks is cleaning up the mess this disaster can leave behind. Our team has an entire division of cleaning technicians with experience and continued training with the latest products, equipment, and practices to make sullied areas of your residence like new again. These same professionals arrive to help set up mitigation and continue their efforts through the restoration phases of recovery. 

A significant flood damage effect for your Pottsville property can be the mud, debris, and potential contaminants in all exposed areas of your house. While our SERVPRO team can work initially to remove any standing water and begin to dry up the saturation and exposure of specific construction materials and areas of the house, these machines do little for the residues and dirt film left behind on surfaces, contents, and structural elements. 

Our professionals work to wipe down all of the exposed surfaces for materials that can stay installed after light exposure to natural flooding. Many of the heavily saturated areas must get removed and replaced, which can take much of the debris, mud, and potential contaminants with them. When these materials get reinstalled shortly, our cleaning technicians also provide post-reconstruction cleanup. 

For exposed contents in the damaged areas, many of these items must get removed from the property and transported to a nearby facility of ours with our contents department. Here, these items can get focused on cleaning, drying, disinfection, and storage until it is the right time to return them to a fully restored home. The determination of which items are a loss, and which can get preserved, happens during the initial inspection and walkthrough of the property. 

While cleaning might not always be the first thing that homeowners consider when they want to restore their property after a flood, it is an essential component to making flood effects “Like it never even happened.” You can trust in the experience and equipment of our SERVPRO of Pottsville cleaning technicians to help you through every phase of recovery. Give us a call anytime at (570) 622-8991. 

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We Are The Leader In Pottsville Water Damage Restoration

5/21/2019 (Permalink)

When you face water damage. call us right away, once on site, we quickly extract all of the water, and then get our drying equipment in place.

Commercial Water Damage in Pottsville Retail Stores can Leave Walls and Ceilings Stained and Ugly

The architecture in many stores and shops in retail sections of Pottsville can help create dramatic displays and backdrops. Creating appealing scenes increases customer demand for such featured products. Keeping the areas involved clean is essential to maintaining not only the building but also the increase in profits.

The walls in retail stores in Pottsville that harbor commercial water damage might not have the crisp appearance required for beautiful displays. Ceilings in these areas can also look dull, spotty, or otherwise full of stains. Painting over stained areas only works for a short time until the stains bleed through and ruin the last coat of paint.

The water damage specialists at SERVPRO know how to trace water damage back to its source. Without this knowledge, the effects and signs of water damage often reappear a short time after workers finish mitigation and clean up work. Bleeding through new paint happens because of the particles that continue to discolor newly painted surfaces as they work their way back to the surface.

With moisture meters, we can check to ensure that the surfaces hold no moisture before repainting, but we first use infrared cameras that provide us with a clear image of the temperature variations in the building's interior. Cooler areas indicate damp sections, and we can, in real-time, use this to locate leaks, drips, or other openings in the structure that let rain or snow into the building.

We repair these areas as part of our mitigation services, helping keep future problems from affecting your retail store in the future. We want your business to succeed and flourish. We use the latest technology available because we want to provide our customers with results they can rely on for years after we finish.

SERVPRO of Pottsville has teams who also serve businesses in Ashland, Pine Grove, and Schuylkill Haven, helping keep water damage from harming commercial sites of all sizes. Contact our emergency services line by calling (570) 622-8991, day or night, year-round.

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SERVPRO Serves Up Rapid Response to Commercial Flood Damage in Pottsville Diner

4/22/2019 (Permalink)

No matter what flood disaster you have going on in your business, we have the team to restore it "Like it never even happened."

Commercial Flood Damage is Our Specialty At SERVPRO

When commercial flood damage happens, we know the clock started ticking on water loss to the structure and contents plus revenue loss from the moment the water intrusion occurred. This is especially true for brick and mortar businesses that rely on foot traffic in their establishment for sales such as a diner.

Heavy rains can bring on flash foods causing commercial flood damage that should always be professionally mitigated. SERVPRO technicians are certified explicitly in a diverse array of restoration sciences and can handle any size water loss situation. Our goal is to restore your flood-damaged Pottsville business to its preloss condition as quickly as possible.

Even though our emergency response teams arrive within hours of the initial call, often there is little to no standing water. Technicians use extraction wands to remove any remaining water. The problem then becomes tracking where the moisture has gone. Drywall is very good at wicking moisture upward and becomes damaged as it does so.

Water can seep under flooring and saturate the subfloor while the area on top appears dry. All of these scenarios are a perfect set up for both mold and foul odors which become more significant problems later. That is why our technicians spend additional time carefully extracting and tracking moisture before we dry the property. Drying goals are set, and the process carefully monitored until completed to ensure mold is not an issue after the fact.

SERVPRO technicians are certified in the science of psychrometry, or the study of air and water vapor. They use this expertise to angle powerful air movers to cause water vapor inside flooring and other areas to rise and then it is captured by dehumidifiers and removed from the property. In this way, we can deeply dry structures quickly and save more building materials from the need for replacement in the process.

Once dry, our technicians wipe surfaces affected by water with our professional-quality solutions that both disinfect and deodorize. We know businesses that serve the public food items have specific sanitary standards they need to meet for health department regulations for safety, and we meet or exceed those goals.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is available at (570) 622-8991 when you need help eliminating commercial flood damage in your property. Our emergency response teams are available 24-hours a day to make your water loss "Like it never even happened."

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Pottsville Properties, Fire Loss, and SERVPRO Safety and Caution

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

Fire Fighters and SERVPRO Techs Don Protective Gear for Fire Damaging Events in Pottsville

Staying Safe During Fire Damage Mitigation in Pottsville

Restoring your home in Pottsville to its previously safe condition, “Like it never even happened” after a disaster can put our specialists in some risky situations. While we want to make your home safe for you and your family, we also need to ensure that our working conditions do not contain any unnecessary dangers. To do this, we use special gear, including personal protective equipment (PPE), so we can safely work.
 
When we work on a home in Pottsville that requires mitigation of fire damage, we use additional pieces of equipment to help us determine where hidden dangers might exist. Some of our equipment weighs considerable amounts, requiring a solid floor wherever we place these items.
 
To ensure that the floor does not contain excessive amounts of water from firefighters, which could significantly weaken it, we use moisture sensors to tell us of the presence of water. When we detect water, we use moisture meters to give us a percentage. If the numbers are incredibly high, we know that the floor's strength could diminish significantly from normal.
 
With fire damage, water from fighting the fire is only one of the risks. Soot and smoke residue can create health effects when inhaled, so part of our PPE includes face masks and respirators. Charred and partially burnt wall trim can leave nails and screws exposed, making the use of heavy leather gloves critical in protecting our hands from deep scratches and puncture wounds. Carpeting poses similar risks when we remove it because of the use of tack strips along edges.
 
Removing materials and possessions destroyed by the fire requires the use of double bags. These protect your home's undamaged areas, as well as our technicians from the risks of handling items one-by-one. Carrying these closed bags outside for disposal becomes safer instead of using boxes that might not close entirely and permit contents to spill out. We also use boxes to contain items slated for cleaning and restoration at our facility, helping keep salvageable contents from becoming confused with destroyed items.
 
SERVPRO of Pottsville can help you restore your Pine Grove, Minersville, or Frackville home from the effects of fire damage. We work safely to ensure your house become safe and livable again in as short a period as possible. Call us at (570) 622-8991 to see how we can help you with making your house suitable for your family again.

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SERVPRO Provides a Steady Hand to Pottsville Homeowners for Mold Cleanup

3/24/2019 (Permalink)

Pottsville Property Often Need Mold Cleanup and Remediation--Trust a Leader in the Industry--SERVPRO

Does Insurance Usually Cover Mold Remediation in Pottsville?

Mold can grow in any home in any part of Pennsylvania. The spores that produce fungal growth exist in most parts of the world.

In Pottsville, mold and fungus growth are generally not covered in a homeowner’s insurance policy. If a home has a history of mold issues, mold coverage may be impossible to get. Part of the reason mold insurance is so rare is because of the level of damage this spore can do to a home. Not only can it be destructive, but it is also costly to remove. If you notice any signs of mold, it’s best to work with mold removal experts as soon as possible to help mitigate the damage done to your house.

Depends on the Damage Source

Some policies cover mold caused by certain water sources. For example, sudden catastrophes, such as burst pipes or sewer backups, are more likely to be covered than lingering maintenance issues. However, fast action to mitigate the water damage is needed not to break your part of the agreement with your insurer. SERVPRO can respond quickly to any water or mold issue. There are policies that put a small limit on the liability to repair, usually only about $5 to 20 thousand dollars. This may be just a drop in the bucket for the actual cost of a mold remediation project.

Your mold coverage likely will not include the following sources of water damage:

Continuous faucet leaks, ignored by the homeowner
Drainage problems in the yard, exterior issue
Condensation buildup from lack of proper ventilation
Flood waters

Because coverage can depend on how the mold was caused, it is critical for the full discovery of the source. SERVPRO provides AMRT applied microbial remediation technicians to mitigate the mold damage, but an outside, independent source should provide an official inspection report if required by your carrier.

Review Your Policy Regularly

Insurance policies can change as the years go by. Many providers choose to reword their coverage for fungus growth because this problem can spread so quickly in homes and lead to huge claims. To best understand your policy, you need to review it annually.

Look for a Change in Policy

You may be able to revise your coverage to get protection from the damage mold, and fungus growth can do to your home. Some insurance providers may have a mold cap, which would limit the amount of mold coverage or the items the coverage pays for. Other providers may allow you to pay a higher premium for limited coverage related to mold.

For professional help in removing, with never a guarantee of eliminating all the mold damage and organisms from your property, consider SERVPRO of Pottsville. (570) 622-8991.

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Hidden Hazards and Toxins Are in Groundwater from Flooding in Pottsville--SERVPRO Can Help

3/24/2019 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO to Pottsville Property for Floodwater Extraction and Disinfecting

What Makes Flood Water So Dangerous in Pottsville Properties?

It is a common misconception that restoration after a flood is just a matter of getting the water out of the home and drying things out. The reality is that flood water is far different than having a burst pipe sending clean water into your home. The potential water damage from Black Water is messy, smelly and dangerous. It isn’t just threatening to your home and belongings.


The groundwater that enters a Pottsville house during a flooding can often contain numerous pathogenic organisms along with debris and other chemicals.

Here are a few of the contaminants that you need to be concerned about.

Soil

At first appearance, you might not think of soil as being dangerous. After all, you have plenty of it in your yard. However, soil contains fertilizers and other chemicals from lawn care and other activities. These may be rated safe for outdoor use, but they aren’t so safe when they are in your home and absorbed by your belongings. It is also challenging to get soil and its hidden contaminants removed, which is why a professional water damage restoration team like SERVPRO is needed to deal with the Black Water from a flood. Also, referred to as Category 3 water.

Microorganisms

There can be high levels of microorganisms in that water as well, in part because overloaded sewer lines back up and introduce fecal matter to the slurry. The longer the water sits in your home, the more these contaminants can grow and become even more of a problem. Typically, contact with interior porous building materials means a controlled demolition.

3. Other Materials

Water can pick up any number of dangerous materials during its path into your home, including sharp materials such as metal and glass. A nasty scratch from a large piece can become infected because of the other contaminants in the water. However, it is not only large chunks that pose a danger, as just a small shard of glass entering into the bloodstream can be deadly.

While you are right to be concerned about water damage when contaminated enters your home during a flood, don’t forget about the hidden dangers involved.

Seek professional help to restore your home safely by calling SERVPRO of Pottsville at (507) 622-8991.

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We Can Handle Any Mold Infestation That Takes Over Your Pottsville Home

2/26/2019 (Permalink)

We are available 24/7 at (570) 622-8991.

Cleaning Mold Damages From Your Pottsville Residence

Pottsville residents are all too familiar with the often wet and damp conditions present throughout several seasons every year. While this is a common condition to endure, it can pose some risks and concerns for your home when these damp conditions affect structural elements and areas of the property. An area that becomes particularly difficult to keep dry is the basement of your property, as there are groundwater influences to combat as well that can leech in through concrete flooring, blockwork, and other possible vulnerabilities.

As troublesome as microbial growth might be for your home, finding the right professionals for mold cleanup in Pottsville is vital to protecting your property from further damages. Our SERVPRO applied microbial remediation technicians have extensive training in the removal of colonies, as well as identifying penetration points for moisture in your home to provide solutions to prevent recurrences once remediation efforts complete.

Identifying the source of the moisture and dampness is essential to work not only to remove the present threat but to keep your home safe from mold growth moving forward. We can establish these vulnerabilities with moisture detection equipment during our initial inspection and installation of containment barriers and equipment to prevent the spread of mold throughout your property.

Cleaning up the damage that mold can create often involves cleaning of the entire affected area, beginning with the application of an antimicrobial solution to unaffected surfaces to make them uninhabitable to mold growth, and cleaning up the debris, dust, and other particulates that generate during the demolition of severely damaged construction materials. It is also a common practice of ours to entirely clean up our work area, including wiping down all surfaces and materials following reconstruction that mold remediation often demands.

Mold growth might not be entirely uncommon to area residents, but it is nothing that you should allow to continue unhindered in your home. Give our SERVPRO of Pottsville mold remediation specialists a call today for our effective removal and restoration strategies. We are available 24/7 at (570) 622-8991.

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How To Protect Your Employees and Company From Fire

11/21/2018 (Permalink)

Prepare your evacuation plan in your Orwigsburg,PA business

Evacuation and Protection

Preparing for a potential fire is one of the most important tasks you can do to protect your company. A thoughtful contingency plan provides peace of mind; you can protect both your employees and your business assets and data from fire with effective preparation. As you strategize, you should focus on two elements: evacuation and protection.

1. Create an Evacuation Plan

Prepare your evacuation plan first. Determine how your employees will leave the building and where they should meet. Assign people to monitor the evacuation, ensure the building is clear and perform a roll call to make sure everyone is safe.

Review the plan with everyone regularly, and introduce it to new hires as part of their training. Then conduct fire drills at least once per year. Your diligence will be crucial in a real emergency.

2. Eliminate Workplace Hazards

Do not allow hazardous items in the building, such as candles, space heaters and personal kitchen appliances. Keep aisles clear of boxes and storage items. Avoid desk clutter that can add fuel to fires.

3. Install and Maintain Fire Prevention Devices

Install smoke alarms and change the batteries twice each year as part of your contingency plan. Larger buildings should have a sprinkler or fire suppression system tied to fire alarm boxes. Keep fire doors closed at all times.

4. Protect Your Assets

Check your insurance policies on a regular basis to maintain adequate coverage. Take pictures of your facility, equipment and storage areas annually to support potential fire insurance claims. Maintain a disaster recovery plan for your computer systems and back up your data to an off-site location. Include a reference for cleanup and restoration services in your plan.

5. Become Friends With the Fire Department

Develop an ongoing relationship with your fire officials in Orwigsburg, PA. Have them inspect your facility and include their recommendations in your plan.

You never want to experience a fire in your business. However, adequate planning and a good contingency plan will speed up the recovery process and are crucial to protecting your employees and your firm.

Will Your Solar Panels Survive a Severe Storm?

11/13/2018 (Permalink)

Panel Damage

Solar panels are becoming popular in Cressona, PA, for home water heating, pool heating and electricity. Their green energy helps the environment, but what happens when Mother Nature strikes back? Panel damage can take many forms, from many types of weather. Here are four of the most commonly beat-up areas:

1. Solar Cells

Individual cells and the glass protecting them may be susceptible to cracking, holes and broken connections within a panel. This type of destruction can be caused by strong hail or other impacts during a storm, such as falling tree limbs. Severe wind, heavy snow, or ice can also flex panels in damaging ways.

2. Wiring Connections

Photovoltaic panels that produce electricity are wired into your home's power system. Even if they’re inside a panel's casing, these connections can be broken or exposed by the same things that affect solar cells. Severe hail, falling tree limbs, and heavy wind, snow or ice can all cause panel damage.

3. Water Connections

If your panels are the kind that heat water for your home or swimming pool, a bad storm can damage the pipes that feed the panels. Leaking or broken lines will cause further water damage to the roof beyond what the storm is doing directly.

4. Structural Roof Damage

Your cells and panels are part of a large structure that's physically attached to your roof. Heavy wind gusts or sustained wind from a hurricane or tornado can cause this structure to pull on the roof supports with a lot of force, exposing the interior of your roof to the elements. As a result, water may damage the roof during this weather or in future storms.

While home solar panels are becoming more durable, they may not survive a severe storm in perfect condition. After a major weather event, you should have your system and roof inspected for panel damage and repaired by an experienced storm damage restoration service. Keep your panels in top shape and they'll continue to produce maximum energy for your home for many years.

Salvaging Items After a Fire

10/25/2018 (Permalink)

After a house fire in Cressona,PA, fire cleanup clean up can seem like a chore. Smoke damage can occur to personal items as well as the home, meaning everything has to be sorted and cleaned. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to salvage these items.

1. Use a Wet Cleaning Option

A wet clean often involves soaking or dampening an area in order to remove soot and other fire residue. While quite effective, not every item is suitable for being cleansed this way.

2. Use a Dry Cleaning Method

A dry cleaning option is often used for items that should not be soaked, or only suffered light damage. A dry cleaning may also be used as preparation prior to another method

3. Using an Immersion Cleaning Method

For cloth or non-mechanical items it may be possible to dunk and wash away smoke damage in a special cleaning solution. A smoke damage professional may be able to offer advice on which items will be best salvaged by this method.

4. Using an Abrasive Cleanser

Some items need to be scrubbed to get rid of the smoke odor. An abrasive cleaner is the best solution for this job.

5. Use Cleaning Sprays

Finding a fire cleanup solution for solid surface items, such as wood or metal furniture, can be difficult. However, there are several spray on cleansers that are easy to apply to these items and then wipe off safely.

6. Using a Foam Cleanser

Many fabrics, like those used for upholstery, can shrink or bleed if they become too damp. Foam cleaners are designed for use with these items.

With the right options fire cleanup can go smoothly and leave your items smoke free. The exact cleaning method may vary by object type and amount of smoke damage. A professional may also be able to make recommendations for the successful salvaging of personal items.

3 Flood Prevention Methods for Cities

10/19/2018 (Permalink)

City sewage system in Orwigsburg,PA

Damage from high water impacts businesses in areas like Orwigsburg,PA, all over the world. Traditional flood prevention methods can be quickly overwhelmed in a large downpour. Innovative city planners are considering methods to stop flooding. These methods fall into the following general categories:

  • Increasing the availability of natural flood defenses
  • Installing improved systems for control of water
  • Improving and maintaining sewage systems

1. Natural Flood Defenses

Natural methods for flood prevention are popular because they are self-sustaining and environmentally friendly. These methods include such large-scale projects as restoring rivers to their original channels and recreating floodplains lost to urban sprawl as well as smaller projects such as using permeable materials to build sidewalks or pavement.

2. Water Retention Systems

A variety of methods to hold or redirect flood waters have been created for urban areas. Some cities that experience regular flooding have installed large underground culverts to hold excess ground water. Other permanent forms of retaining high water until it can be harmlessly dissipated include raised embankments. Temporary sectional or frame barriers can enhance permanent flood defenses when needed.

3. Sewage Systems

Urban sewage systems are particularly vulnerable to being overwhelmed in a severe storm. Many cities are improving their water management systems by separating rainwater from existing sewage systems and water treatment plants. Maintaining existing sewage pipes and drains by clearing debris improves water flow and reduces the adverse effects of storm waters.

The severe damages caused by flooding have made flood prevention a priority for city planners all over the world. While these steps can make urban areas more resilient to the effects of high water, when flood waters hit, the services of restoration specialists can quickly put businesses back to work. These efforts can be improved by preventive measures such as raising electrical outlets, replacing plaster board with water-resistant materials and installing waterproof seals on doors and windows.

Quick Guide What Happens to Building Materials After a Flood

10/11/2018 (Permalink)

Damaged wood floor in a Pottsville, PA home

When water fills your home in Pottsville, PA, it can be hard to know what's going to happen next. You may have a lot of questions, such as the following:

  • How long will the restoration take?
  • What furnishings are you going to have to replace?
  • Will your home ever be the same again?
  • Can you salvage your flooring even if there's swelling wood?

When you work with a residential restoration team, you can get easy answers to your toughest questions. These experts will even help you figure out what will happen to your building materials.

Fixtures

Swelling wood is rarely a good sign. If your cabinets were damaged in a flood, you will have to replace them if there is swollen wood. Other fixtures, such as toilets, sinks and faucets, will likely be okay to reuse after a flood. Most of the fixtures will have to be inspected to determine whether they should be thrown away or kept.

Flooring

Not all flooring can survive a supply line leak. Some real wood floors can be dried and saved even after they are damaged by water. Carpets, subfloor and carpet padding, however, may need to be replaced if the damage is too bad.

Walls

Even the walls and ceilings in your home may be affected by water. During a water pipe repair, drywall may have to be stripped away to get at the leaking plumbing. If your drywall is damaged during a pipe burst, there is a chance it can be dried out and salvaged. However, the insulation behind it will have to be replaced if it got wet. If you do have to replace drywall, you typically only have to replace the portions that got wet during the high waters.

Not all water restoration cases are the same. If you notice warping or swelling wood, you may have to replace a building material even if it can normally be saved.

Preventing Construction-Related Water Damage

9/27/2018 (Permalink)

Water loss on a facility in Cressona, PA

If you are a construction business owner in Cressona, PA, you might have had concerns about water damage during the building process, and for good reason. Flooding or a broken pipe can lead to liability issues as well as costs related to the removal of wreckage related to water damage. Unforeseen expenditures and labor-intensive work related to water pipe repair or other structural matters can also creep up. Understanding why these flood incidents occur during construction and how you can prevent this destruction in the first place will help you be better prepared to lessen the potential for any moisture issues moving forward.

Why Does It Happen?

Water damage usually occurs when water enters the structure from outside or from problems such as pipes that break suddenly. As stated above, this can cause financial, time-related and even legal concerns for worksite employees as well as construction company owners such as yourself. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to prevent such damage during construction. Read on to see what they are.

Steps to Prevent Flooding Issues

There are several measures that you can take to stop water issues from hampering you and your construction team’s job. They are as follows:

  1. Mitigate water issues as they come up with help from a dedicated team of water mitigation professionals
  2. Figure out what structural flaws are present before beginning any work; take care of any necessary water pipe repair ahead of time
  3. Take time throughout the process to test the building for weak spots
  4. Keep the property fully closed and secure throughout construction, and use tarps or other protective coverings to keep out as much moisture as possible

Final Thoughts

It is important to remember how crucial it is to take care of any wetness-related problems that arise as soon as possible so that you do not run into an issue with floods, damage or mandatory water pipe repair. A mitigation company can truly help you get everything back in order in most situations so that you can prevent legal or other issues during construction.

Can’t Get Lift off Tonight: How to Prepare and Plan for a Canceled Flight

9/20/2018 (Permalink)

Had a cancelled flight due to storm situations in Orwigsburg, PA.

While in most severe weather situations you can look for experts in the Orwigsburg, PA, area for storm tips and advice, you will likely not find much valuable information when conferring about flight cancellations, even though a canceled flight, depending on the time a year, can be devastating. However, the following four tips can help make the cancellation process more manageable.

1. Preplan for Inclement Weather

As with most issues, taking preventative action is usually the best measure; therefore, if possible, plan around weather and plan for direct routes as often as possible to avoid potential layovers in areas prone to severe storms.

2. Don’t Wait, Call

Preparation doesn’t always work, and in the case of a canceled flight you should never line up with the hordes of other people as instructed by the airline. Most of the time, it is more beneficial to call the airline directly and arrange another flight. You will likely find that you are helped quicker over the phone, allowing you to jump the line sooner.

3. Ask for Possible Reimbursement

While being bumped from a flight can earn you a little compensation, airlines don’t necessarily have to provide you with the same courtesy when your flight is canceled for unforeseen circumstances. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask, and some airlines will reimburse a portion of a purchase to keep the customer happy.

4. Go to Bed

In the worst case scenario, after you’ve had a frustrating day, it may be best to wave the white flag and surrender. Find yourself a nearby hotel and wait out the storm until morning, this allows you to reschedule your flight in the comfort of a hotel suite.

A canceled flight can be a nightmare for most, depending on the time of year, but with a little bit of preplanning it is possible to avoid the likelihood of cancellation; however, when it happens, the best thing is to remain patient and follow the above steps.

5 Fun Facts About Moldy Bread

9/13/2018 (Permalink)

Bread mold is a fungus it can grow on your food and cause damages in your Pottsville, PA home or business

It's happened to all of us: you take out a loaf of bread to make a sandwich, only to find that it's covered with fuzzy blue-green stuff. You bought it only a few days ago, but now it's covered in bread mold. So how did it get like that?

1. It's a Fungus

Like all mold, bread mold is a fungus. It belongs to a category of life forms separate from animals and plants, part of the same group as mushrooms. A fungus can be thought of as a type of plant that isn't able to get energy from sunlight, as it contains no chlorophyll. Instead, fungi must derive their nutrients from animal and plant sources.

2. Mold is All Around You

Though they are invisible, there are millions of fungal spores, including bread mold spores, in the air around you all the time. The spores are settling on surfaces all the time, and if they find a food source, they will grow.

3. Mold Can Grow Quickly

Once mold finds something to eat, it can reproduce very quickly. Some types of mold can double in size in an hour!

4. Mold Likes Warmth

Mold can grow on many different food products, but bread provides a wealth of nutrients for it to grow on. Mold is also well-adapted for growing in a warm, moist environment. If you put the bread in a cupboard or breadbox that's warm, you're providing a perfect place for the spores to grow.

5. You Can Prevent Bread from Getting Moldy

Putting your bread in the refrigerator will slow down the growth considerably. Unfortunately, fridge mold will eventually get to the bread, so your best bet is to put the bread in your freezer. Then, you can take out slices of bread as you need them, and either thaw them on the counter, or toast them lightly.

Preventing bread from getting moldy is a pretty easy task, but fungus growth might be a bigger problem than you realize. If you think you have a mold problem in your Pottsville, PA, home, you may want to check with a professional to get an inspection.

How Water Damage Can Follow Fire

8/21/2018 (Permalink)

Water cleanup is just as important as taking care of fire and smoke damage.

Sometimes fire and water really do mix. When you consider the destruction a fire and smoke can leave behind, you might not realize water also comes into the equation. Depending on the size of the fire and how much area it covers, firefighters can use a considerable amount of water to put it out. Not only will you have to deal with fire and smoke damage, but the water cleanup can be extensive.

What Can the Water Do?

When a Pottsville, PA, firefighter battles a blaze, his or her focus is to control and eliminate the fire. The firefighter isn’t worried about water damage. However, once the fire is gone not only do you have to contend with smoke cleanup, but the leftover water poses some challenges.

• Can damage furniture, flooring and walls.
• Can damage documents and personal items.
• Can damage electronics such as televisions, DVD players, computers and copy machines.
• If not properly cleaned up, water can introduce mold growth.

How to Clean it Up

As if fire cleanup isn’t stressful enough, you also need to get rid of water as soon as possible. You should immediately contact a reputable flood cleanup company to properly remove any water from your office. The best companies not only have the experience and skill you’re looking for, but they also have the right equipment. The team will extract water from carpet and furniture. It will also use a wet vacuum to remove any water left behind.

Clean and Replace

Next, the professionals will thoroughly dry and sanitize the affected area to discourage the appearance of mold. Another important step in the water cleanup process is removing damaged areas. This usually involved ripping out carpet and drywall. The technician will then replace these areas so you can get back to your office.

Water cleanup is just as important as taking care of fire and smoke damage. As you act quickly and hire the best cleanup company, you can get your business back to normal soon. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com/.

Fixing a Leaking Faucet in 7 Steps

8/14/2018 (Permalink)

Most homeowners have faced this scenario before: You’re almost asleep when you hear the soft drip, drip, drip of a leaking faucet. By following these seven steps professionals use to fix a dripping faucet, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve properly handled the plumbing issue and your sleep will no longer be threatened.

1. Turn off the water. No one wants a small leak turning into a flood. Turn off the water supply valves beneath the sink. The hot water is usually on the left, and the cold water on the right. To ensure that there won’t be any leaks or surprises, also turn off the main water valve. In many homes throughout Pottsville, PA, the main water line is in the basement or garage.

2. Plug the sink drain. Faucet parts are small and could go down into the trap below the sink. No one wants unnecessary work or additional costs.

3. Put on gloves. Many faucets have built-up residue, and the smell can linger on your skin even after a good scrub.

4. Remove the fixture. If your faucet model has a cap, then remove the cap with your finger or a small screwdriver. Then unscrew the handles. Next, use an adjustable wrench to loosen the handle knob. Then remove the cartridge.

5. Assess the damage and replace broken parts. Depending on the model of your fixture, your leaking faucet may need to have the cartridge replaced. If that is the case, many professionals suggest upgrading to a ceramic cartridge as they have a longer use life. In other cases, sometimes only an O-ring, spring or seat will need to be replaced. If you’re unclear about what needs to be replaced, call a professional plumber, who will usually have the parts on hand.

6. Reassemble the handle. After the damaged parts are replaced, put the faucet back together in the reverse order you disassembled it.

7. Turn the water supply back on. To test whether you’ve repaired the issue, turn on the faucet and turn it back off. If there aren’t any drips, you will have fixed the leak.

When you have a leaking faucet or other plumbing issues, swiftly taking matters into your hands or calling a professional plumber is imperative to avoid flooding or water damage. If you notice the leak already has led to water damage, a water restoration service in Pottsville, PA, can help. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com/. 

Why Did My Sewer Back Up?

8/14/2018 (Permalink)

Water on floor Your best defense against a future sewer backup disaster is keeping your sewer well maintained and cleared.

If you have a sewer at your Pottsville, PA, business, you may be dealing with sewer backup that is disruptive to your operations. While this is going to be an emotional and stressful time for you, it is important to keep your cool as best you can and start forming a remediation plan. You need to take a couple of steps to remedy the situation:

1. Identify the most likely cause of the backup.
2. Figure out how you can clear the sewer.

If you are not sure why this particular backup occurred or what you should do to fix your circumstances, read on for some advice to guide you to a solution.

Storms Can Cause Backup

If your commercial building recently suffered through a storm, you have identified the most likely cause of the backup related to your sewer. Heavy storms lead to extremely large amounts of water going into sewers, which usually cannot handle such high volumes of liquid. As a result, the rain water backs up and you have a sewer issue on your hands.

Sewage Cleanup and Restoration

A storm cleanup team can help you fix your sewer backup and clean up any messes caused by all of that water overwhelming the structure. These technicians can even handle matters related to the destructive and aggressive black water that may have formed, as professionals experienced in black water removal know how to find and eradicate it quickly and efficiently.

Prevent Future Sewage Issues

Your best defense against a future sewer backup disaster is keeping your sewer well maintained and cleared. You can also install different components to prevent backups from becoming a recurring issue. As in most cases, research is your friend when it comes to preventing storm-related damage. Since no approach is going to guarantee that your sewer will be able to handle another storm-related flood, remember to always be prepared for another misadventure so you can keep your commercial property in Pottsville, PA, safe. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com/.

Protect Your Home From Water Runoff With These Creative Ideas

7/24/2018 (Permalink)

After a heavy downpour, you may have noticed a torrential river carving a path around your house carrying away fresh mulch, soil and delicate plants. Over time, your home in Pottsville, PA, can sustain damage from poor rain drainage that wreaks havoc on your landscaping. Fortunately, there is something you can do about it. The following three ideas can help you manage outside flooding.

1. Install a French drain.

Also known as a trench drain, a French drain is simply a trench that is dug into the ground and fitted with a pipe that has a grate on top to collect and reroute water. The pipe funnels water away from places you don’t want it, such as your foundation. A French drain also works well on a sloped driveway. Once installed, the drain collects the rain storm runoff and diverts it away from your house.

2. Add river rock to your mulch bed.

A great way to keep outside flooding from carrying away your mulch is to add river rock to your garden beds. When it rains heavily, gutters get overwhelmed by the amount of water hitting the roof and the overflow floods your flower beds. In those areas, replace the mulch with river rock that is large enough to not get displaced by an intense rain storm. It will help disperse the water and protect your beds from erosion.

3. Place rain barrels under downspouts.

Another great way to protect your home from excess water erosion is to place rain barrels beneath the downspouts of your house. They collect and store water from heavy rain storms and have the eco-friendly advantage of being a source of water for your lawn and garden during dry spells. Water is diverted away from the foundation of your home by collecting in the barrels and stored for future use.

Using these creative options can help alleviate outside flooding. If you have a particularly steep slope in your yard or other concerns about dealing with rain drainage, consider getting the opinion of a quality residential flooding specialist in Pottsville, PA, to see what other options you have.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Tips for Making a Fire Claim

7/17/2018 (Permalink)

In the unfortunate event of a house fire in Pottsville, PA, feelings of not knowing where to begin the fire restoration process would be natural. Once you are certain that everyone is safe, there are steps to take to organize your response. After the fire trucks leave, it is important to seek professional help to assess the damage and secure the structure instead of trying to do this on your own.


Simplifying the Insurance Process.


Home fire expenses can mount up quickly, and that is where your insurer steps in. To achieve the maximum benefit of your fire insurance policy, there are a few important tips to keep in mind.

• Call your insurance company to ask for an advance against your claim if you find that you have immediate expenses to cover out of pocket. This will be deducted from your overall claim once it is settled.
• Obtain a copy of the police report.
• Make a detailed list of losses, and don’t discard anything until after the adjuster’s visit. Documenting damage and losses is essential to a fair settlement.
• File your insurance claim without delay.
• Track all expenses related to fire restoration, and keep all receipts.
• Collect accurate and appropriate repair estimates in writing.
• Do not feel compelled to settle unless you are satisfied with the insurance company’s response. It is likely to be a negotiation.


Recovering From a Fire.


Replacement, repair and restoration are all part of the process of rebounding from a house fire. However, feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done does not have to be inevitable. A methodical approach will go a long way in making the process run smoothly. Documenting all expenses and keeping the lines of communication open with your insurer will help keep things moving in the right direction. Fire restoration is not complete until you are resettled in your home with all remediation, including smoke cleaning, finished to your satisfaction.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Let Infrared Thermography Uncover the Mold Hiding in Your Building

7/12/2018 (Permalink)

Perhaps there is no visible mold on the walls or carpet, so you believe that your building must be free and clear of mold growth. Not so fast! You know that musty, dank smell that hits you square in the nose when you head down to the basement of your building in Pottsville, PA? That odor is typically a dead giveaway that mold is lurking somewhere out of sight. But what is responsible for that mold smell? Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) are gases produced by mold. While some gases may be odorless, others carry that unmistakable scent that tells you that mold is hiding somewhere inside your building.


When Should You Use Infrared Thermography for Moisture Detection?


That telltale fungus smell may tip you off to the presence of mold, so you may want to consider using an infrared thermography camera to look for water leaks and potential mold conditions. This can be a valuable tool in a number of circumstances:

• You believe doors or windows may be leaking.
• Your building suffered an event that caused substantial water damage.
• You suspect a plumbing leak.
• You want to check for wet insulation.
• Your new construction warranty is about to expire.
• You’re interested in buying a property with suspected moisture damage.


Technology Goes Beyond the Mold Smell To Reveal the Moisture. 


Infrared imaging may help locate your unwelcome tenant – don’t rely on that mildew smell alone. Employing an infrared camera is an efficient way to help detect moisture lurking behind walls, under floors, and even inside ceilings. Images of heat radiation that are invisible to the human eye help a trained technician identify moisture inside of walls and other hidden areas. When this information is used in conjunction with temperature measurements taken by the camera, a technician can determine whether the proper conditions to produce mold exist and take appropriate action.


Bring in the Professionals.


If a mold smell causes you to suspect water damage in your building even if you can’t see it, call on a qualified technician in Pottsville, PA, to utilize infrared thermography. Don’t take chances when it comes to mold growing out of sight.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

3 Steps To Minimize Damage From a Leaky Kitchen Sink

6/28/2018 (Permalink)

Leaks under the kitchen sink aren’t always immediately noticeable. If the area is crowded with cleaning supplies and tools, water or flooding under the sink might be hidden by those items. A slow leak can cause damage to cabinets and flooring for a long time without being noticed. Here’s what to do to prevent any more damage once you find water under your sink.


1. Shut Off the Water.


Dripping from faucet use adds up quickly and can cause damage or flooding in a cabinet area. You can prevent further damage by turning off the water immediately.
Depending on the source of the leak, water can drip even when the faucet is not in use. Remove everything under the sink, and look for a knob on both the hot and cold lines of the piping. A counterclockwise turn of each knob should shut off the water delivery. This step will stop water in your home from continuing to leak under the sink.


2. Call Your Insurance Company.


Your insurance company can tell you what kind of kitchen repair is covered by your policy, depending on the source of the water and the kind of policy you have. An insurance adjuster may assess the leak and the damage and figure out how your policy applies to any repairs. Be aware that flooding will often be covered by a separate policy from the typical home insurance package.


3. Call a Restoration Company.


Restoration companies in Pottsville, PA, can inform you of the best solution to the leak and whatever damage may have occurred. Flooring repair or cabinet repair might be necessary. Other likely steps are dehumidifying and drying services. Kitchen repair might also include dealing with mold or rot caused by damp conditions.

Following these steps can help take some of the stress out of dealing with leaking water in your home. Confronting the problem head-on will make the process much faster and reduce the likelihood of extensive damage to your kitchen.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Drying Specialists: What Certification Means and Why It Is Important

6/21/2018 (Permalink)

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification sets the industry standards in restoration services. When you hire a drying specialist to conduct water cleanup for your business in Pottsville, PA, it is worth the effort to verify that the specialist is certified by the IICRC. Certification tells you that the professional is trustworthy, well-trained and insured.


Trust.


In the ideal world, no one who is not trustworthy would be in the restoration business. They assist people at some of the worst times in their business history. Certification requires that service providers prove their trustworthiness. At the very least, this means adherence to certain requirements:

• Documented proof of necessary training
• Proof of insurance
• Clear policies and procedures
• Proper customer complaint system with procedures for follow-up

When you need water cleanup from a broken pipe, you want someone reliable whom you can trust to do the job quickly and correctly. Seeing that the technician is certified can ease your mind.


Expertise.


The IICRC requires a certain number of hours of training to qualify for certifications. For example, an applied structural drying technician must complete a three-day course on drying procedures alone to become certified. When you hire certified drying experts, you know they have had at least 21 hours of training. Ongoing training is available as well so that specialists can learn new technologies and fine-tune their knowledge.


Insurance.


Finally, certification requires proof of a solid insurance policy. This is not just a one-time requirement. In order to remain certified, business owners must maintain their policy and keep it in good standing. They cannot let coverage lapse, which not only protects their business but also offers assurance to yours as well.

When you need water cleanup, don’t settle for just any technicians who call themselves experts. Find an IICRC-certified technician who specializes in flood restoration techniques. Certification can make a world of difference.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

The Ins and Outs of Storm Safety for Your Business

6/16/2018 (Permalink)

It’s thunderstorm season in Pottsville, PA, and you are prepared at home with a good plan and a well-stocked emergency kit. What about your business? Sure, you have already designated someone at the office as the unofficial meteorologist to provide regular storm updates to your team, but does your plan include more than just communicating when you are in a storm watch or a warning? Put on your inspector hat for three areas where you can keep your business safe in a rain storm.

1. Check for safety risks inside. With lightning and high winds, the most dangerous indoor areas include those near windows, skylights, external doors, and reinforced concrete (remember, concrete has metal bars running within). Remind your employees to stay clear of these areas as well as to avoid phones, computer equipment, and plumbing during a thunderstorm.

2. Get outside. Be sure your building has a lightning protection system. These may not seem as obvious as the old-school lightning rods from the early years, but these systems help provide a path of least resistance when there is lightning in the area. In addition to lightning, a rain storm can also bring high winds. Walk your property, inspecting shrubs and trees, and have dead limbs trimmed to help reduce damage from debris. Make a note of items that need to be secured or brought indoors before a storm begins.

3. Don’t forget electronics. Your printers, copiers, and computers can add up to a significant amount of money. In addition to the small surge suppressors you already use indoors, you can use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect your server or any other irreplaceable machines. You may also add a voltage arrester to the lines coming into your building to help minimize damage from voltage surges due to local lightning strikes.

A rain storm can bring on a multitude of hazards, but knowing your risks and having a plan for recovery can help protect your business and the people who work for you. A little physical preparation now can help you get back to work more quickly.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Who Covers What Costs in an Apartment Fire

5/31/2018 (Permalink)

If the tenant or one of their guests caused the apartment fire, the cost of repairing structure damage becomes the tenant’s responsibility. However, even in this scenario, the landlord’s homeowner policy is vitally important. Through that policy, the landlord will need to coordinate the necessary property restoration and repairs. If the policy contains a liability portion, the landlord’s insurance company usually contacts the tenant’s insurance company for compensation up to the liability limit for the fire damage. 

In other cases, a fire might be the result of landlord negligence or factors beyond the control of the landlord and tenant. It will usually be the landlord’s responsibility to cover expenses related to repairing structure damage. While homeowner insurance may pay for structure repairs under a number of circumstances, it will not cover the following: 

• A tenant’s damaged or lost belongings (content damage) 
• Tenant relocation 
• Temporary housing for the tenant 

In the case of a fire resulting from something the landlord did or failed to do, the landlord may be obligated to pay a tenant’s hotel bills.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Different Types of Smoke In a Fire

5/31/2018 (Permalink)

There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Pottsville will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

  • Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

  • Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire

  • Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com. We are a certified fire restoration company.

Securing A Home After Fire

5/31/2018 (Permalink)

How do I keep my home from being looted after a fire?

When a home is devastated by a fire there are many gapping holes. Fire fighters may have broken windows or broken doors. These openings to your home are easily taken advantage of by looters.

SERVPRO of Pottsville will work with your insurance to secure your home by adding boards to the openings. Securing your home will help keep costs down for the insurance company. The adjuster will not want to have to make a separate claim for theft or vandalism.

Part of the Emergency Services for a home that suffers from a fire is to keep it secure. Along with securing the home we can also put up tarps and boards on the roof to keep the elements out of the damaged home.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Landlord and Tenant: Who Pays for What in an Apartment Fire?

5/20/2018 (Permalink)

Being a landlord in Pottsville, PA, requires that you know more than just general information about your responsibilities, especially in the event of an unforeseen disaster. When it comes to an apartment fire, it’s important to be knowledgeable in order to understand your potential obligations.

Structure Damage vs. Content Damage

To better comprehend your financial responsibilities in the aftermath of a fire, it’s necessary to distinguish the difference between structure damage and content damage:

• Any fire damage that impairs the building’s structural integrity can be considered structure damage. Examples include the building’s interior walls, frame, windows, heating system and plumbing system.
• Content damage refers to the tenant’s personal property within the unit that experienced the fire. Personal property might be items such as furniture, clothing and electronic devices.

Be Prepared

Even if an apartment fire is a headache to contemplate, knowing ahead of time what kinds of costs you might need to cover is essential to being prepared and equipping yourself to protect your investment.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Stopping Bathroom Mold Before It Starts

5/13/2018 (Permalink)

Unless you live in a highly humid environment, you’re likely to find mold in your bathroom before anywhere else. Even if you don’t have any leaks or flooding leading to water damage, you’re still dealing with splashing water, standing water, and humidity – all of which encourage mold to grow. So how can you prevent mold from springing up in your Pottsville, PA, home?


Steps to Prevent Bathroom Mold Growth


To keep your bathroom mold-free, just follow these simple steps for mold prevention:

1. Use your fan. The humidity after you bathe or shower can activate mold spores in the air and turn them into an active infestation. Run your fan during and after your bath or shower to remove humidity from the air.
2. Wipe down sinks, toilets, and shower walls. Condensation and splashes can accumulate on all these surfaces, and invite mold to breed.
3. Wipe down the bathroom walls and floors. These surfaces, too, are likely to sprout mold if water is left condensed or puddled too long on their surfaces, not to mention water damage weakening the drywall and tile to make it easier for mold to take root.
4. Frequently check your pipes and the seal around your toilet. Leaks also lead to water damage, and the more water damage you suffer, the more mold you’ll find.
5. Check and seal your grout. Grout is meant to act as a seal to prevent water from leaking past tile and into close, dark spaces full of things mold loves to feed on. Grout can age, though, and can crack. You should periodically check your grout and re-seal it as needed to ensure it’s watertight.

You can also speak to a mold remediation specialist. Even if you don’t actively have mold, a specialist can assess your bathroom and determine what areas could be problem areas – and provide invaluable pointers on managing them.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Rites of Spring: Time To Clean Your Barbecue Grill

5/8/2018 (Permalink)

Spring is full of traditions, and everyone has their favorites. Some love spring cleaning to welcome impending summer days, and others celebrate by grilling everything from fruit to seafood. Before you throw your first shrimp on a barbie in Pottsville, PA, make grill cleaning your top priority.


Grate Cleaning


Grates take the brunt of grilling on both gas and charcoal grills. Good grill maintenance makes cooking outdoors so much easier and safer the next time around.

• Continuous grill cleaning with a wire brush during cooking helps prevent a grease fire from flaring up and avoids transferring tastes between foods.
• At the end of the grilling session, while the grate is still warm, use the wire brush to clean the entire surface of the grill to remove food debris. The heat makes the grill cleaning process easier.


Gas Grills


Many gas grill cooks believe the “Clean” setting on gas grills is all they need to avoid contamination. That setting only burns up debris and food in the bottom of the grill, so additional steps are needed.

• Besides cleaning the grate, use your wire brush to gently remove the ash and dirt from the lid and sides of the grill.
• Remove the grate and clean the shelf above the burners that holds ceramic briquettes, lava rocks and/or metal plates.
Charcoal Grills
Most charcoal grill fans dump the ashes and partially burned briquettes after each use, but that isn’t all the cleaning you need to do.
• After cleaning the grate, remove the food debris from the bottom of the grill to prevent flare-ups during the next cooking session that may infuse newly grilled items with noxious tastes and odors.
• Every few cleanings, dig deep into the bottom of the grill with a garden spade or spatula to remove residue composed of grease and sauces. This not only makes your freshly grilled food taste better, but it also improves the airflow vital to keeping the coals burning long and evenly.

Regular grill maintenance can prevent fires. If you do have a fire, however, contact a restoration specialist in Pottsville, PA, to help with renovations.

For more information, please visit us athttp://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Mold Grows Faster Than You Think

4/27/2018 (Permalink)

Mold particles are attracted to damp surfaces, especially in areas of low air circulation. Spores will often start growing as soon as they’ve found a wet spot to land, resulting in rapid growth within 24 to 48 hours of any kind of water damage. Heavy rain in Pottsville, PA, can lead to flooded storerooms or utility areas in the lower floors of your commercial property. Quick assessment of any damage can be crucial to stopping the spread of mold growth.


Detect Issues Early


It’s not uncommon for moisture to go unnoticed for several days in some buildings. By the time there’s visible discoloration on ceilings or drywall, mold may have already been present for weeks. Business owners can catch potential infestations early by implementing good maintenance and observation practices:

• Thoroughly inspect the property for water damage following any significant rainfall.
• Keep up with regular maintenance on the roof to prevent rain seepage.
• Make sure plumbing is well maintained and contains no leaks.
• Educate staff on signs of mold growth.


Dry Out Wet Areas


Many people use fans to dry out wet flooring or walls, but it’s important to note that once mold has been attracted to a wet surface, it can still colonize even if moisture is eliminated immediately. Spores can feed on the surfaces they’re attached to, whether the surface is wet or dry.


Address the Problem Quickly


In as little as one or two days following a water incident, you may have an issue that will only escalate the longer it’s left unattended. Typically, the best option for mold prevention is to practice hyper vigilance of areas of the property where moisture may accumulate. Should you or your staff discover water damage to walls, ceilings, or floors, it’s likely mold has already started growing. Remediation experts can assess the damage and guide you in the most efficient ways of containing the infestation so it doesn’t spread during the abatement process.

For more information, please visit us athttp://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Drying Out After a Flood

4/24/2018 (Permalink)

Dealing with a flood in Pottsville, PA, can be bad enough, but trying to handle the aftermath may be the worst part. Drying out a building after a flood, whether from a pipe burst or storms, can be a hard and lengthy process. On the positive side, these are damage tips that can be extremely useful to help get started, plus a few things to see to first.
• Patch any leaks to prevent more water from coming in.
• Ensure the area is safe to enter.
• Make sure any electrical systems are not damaged.
• Acquire any necessary protective or safety gear.


Documentation and Relocation


Before anything else, it is often best to take pictures of the affected areas for insurance purposes. Then it can be time to move everything out. Furniture, carpeting, even vinyl and linoleum tiling all should be removed in order to keep the moisture in the room down and to open up the spaces for better exposure to the air.


Inspection


The next damage tips include taking note of what kinds of damage a building has suffered. Building materials react very differently when exposed to water. For example, wet insulation is useless and should be replaced entirely, but drywall, depending on how wet it is, may be salvaged. In the meantime, cleaning tips include using clean water to clear out mud, and commercial cleaners or a weak bleach solution to wipe down surfaces and features.


Air Circulation


One of the biggest factors in drying out after a flood is to not use forced air like HVAC systems provide. The heat or cold can be even more damaging to the building and be more expensive in the long run. Instead, regular air circulation is often best. Opening all windows and placing fans around can speed up the process, but without it being too fast to be damaging.

Having a better idea what to do in the days and weeks following a flood can make it easier to move forward. Damage tips can be a good resource to find the best way to proceed in drying out after a flood.

For more information, please visit us athttp://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

4 Ways To Avoid Flight Cancelations

4/19/2018 (Permalink)

If you’re a frequent flyer from Pottsville, PA, you’ve likely experienced a canceled flight. If not, there is still a good chance you may encounter this in the future. These tips should stop you from having to endure the inconveniences that delays and cancellations can cause.


1. Get Non-Stop Flights


The odds of missing a connecting flight or coming across additional cancelations grow for every pitstop on your route. Booking a non-stop flight can help increase your chances of getting where you need to be in a timely manner. More stops often mean less airfare, but non-stop is usually worth the extra cost.


2. Take the First Flight


As the day goes on, the probability there will be trouble with your flight can also go up, especially if there is inclement weather. If your flight is canceled due to maintenance, you may be more likely to find a comparable flight quickly early in the day. Providing yourself time to make alternate flights in the morning can be a better alternative than a canceled flight late at night. In this case, you will probably be flightless until morning.


3. Choose the Big Airline


Smaller airlines can often have better deals for flights, but they may also have fewer routes available should you need to select a new one. Checking into the airline’s additional flights beforehand can help you be prepared should something arise. Having awareness of alternate plans available means not relying on airlines to know what’s best for you.


4. Know the Fees


Before booking your flight, know the airline fees and policies for making changes. If you’ve been provided storm tips and know your flight is likely to be canceled because of the storm, being able to change your flight without cost is a great perk.

Having a delayed or canceled flight may be inevitable and can be frustrating, but persevering does not have to be difficult. Arming yourself with knowledge can make a difference in your experience.

For more information, please visit us athttp://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

The Right Steps to Take

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

In case of fire damage there are some steps you can take that will make the process easier.

  1. Contact your insurance provider immediately to start off the claims process.
  2. Remember to take photos of all your damaged and undamaged property.
  3. Create a video walkthrough of the damaged and undimmed areas of your property.
  4. Call a restoration company to secure your building.

A fire outbreak comes with other forms of losses including soot damage and compromised air quality. The soot will cover walls and ceilings which will need to be cleaned up quickly to avoid more damage.

Smoke and fire losses can have irreversible implications to any property. The insurance adjuster and SERVPRO of Pottsville will help in the decisions of what to keep and what will need to be replaced.

Dealing With Flood Damage and Water Loss in Pottsville, PA

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

Pottsville, PA is a thriving community, but this place is prone to occasional flooding. There are a number of old buildings in this area with old pipelines for water distribution and sewerage. As a result, an accident such as water loss, water damage or flood damage is a common situation in the city.

Most of the people here have suffered from water in home or water in business in their life. But the good thing is that there are great professional water cleanup companies in Pottsville with quick drying mitigation solution. Just look for water cleanup services or mitigation in PA, and you will find them right away. However, in case you are suffering from issues such as water damage or flood damage, then you should be aware of a couple of things before the professionals arrive. Here are those things which will come in handy for you:

  • Turn off the water to stop the flooding
  • Shut off the electricity
  • Remove wet items and hang to dry
  • Place wood furniture on blocks to keep the stain from running

Try to locate the sources of water in business.

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

Whenever you see that there is water in business, you should cut off the water valve to stop water flow from the sources. This way, you will prevent further water loss and damage to the building. You can also ask the caretaker of the building to stop the water line.

In most cases, the water usually comes from leaking pipe. So go through the pipeline and find out the leaking sources. Shutting off the water and using a shop vac can be seen as quick mitigation.

Try to drain out excess water from the office. If the water amount is low, you can use a mop or a cloth to wipe out the water. You should also open up the doors to allow the water to drain.

If possible, turn on the AC with the highest drying settings and ensure there is enough air movement. This will help the room to dry up soon.

Visit our site for more information on Commercial Water damage.

Mold Damage in Pine Grove

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

Finding Black Mold in Your Home

There are many different things that someone can do if they happen to unexpectedly find mold in their home. Unfortunately, it could be a sign of a much bigger problem than what they see at that present point in time, especially if they have found just one area that has the form of microbial growth in it.

What many do not necessarily realize is that if microbial growth is found in one area within a home's premises, it's very likely that there are more elsewhere. A mold cleanup specialist of the Pottsville and Pine Grove areas of the state of Pennsylvania will be able to arrive at your home upon making an appointment during the time that works well for you. 

Feel free to call SERVPRO of Pottsville if you have any questions about mold damage (570) 622-8991.

My Water Damage Caused Mold to Grow

3/30/2018 (Permalink)

Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed.

Otherwise, the mold may return. Continual leaking will cause the mold to grow more quickly the next time.

SERVPRO of Pottsville can also be refer you to an environmental hygienist as the work that they specialize in consists of them sanitizing the environment in which you live in. Should you experience any instances of smelly odor within any of your living areas, it is highly recommended for you to contact an environmental hygienist who specializes in determining the type of mold growth.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

What You Need To Know About Mold

3/28/2018 (Permalink)

When many homeowners in Pottsville, PA, hear the term ‘black mold,’ they automatically panic. However, black mold actually includes over 2000 species of mold, most of which are relatively harmless. The fact is, mold is everywhere. Related to mushrooms and yeast, mold is a type of fungus that decomposes decaying organic materials, like wood, plants and fallen leaves. Depending on the species of mold and its nutritional source, mold can appear:

• Black
• White
• Green
• Pink
• Yellow
• Blue


Where Mold Grows


Mold spreads by releasing spores into the air. These are like microscopic seeds that travel on the wind and they are found everywhere, outside and inside. If they settle in a damp area with available food, they will grow and replicate into a large mold colony.

If you have a moisture problem in your home, whether it’s a leaking pipe or a poorly ventilated bathroom, then you have the perfect conditions for mold growth. The paper in your drywall, your wood floors, even the fine layer of dust, shed skin cells and other microscopic debris found on concrete walls provide enough nutrition for mold to thrive if water is present.


How To Get Rid of Mold


Because mold spores are airborne, it’s virtually impossible to have a 100% mold free home. However, if you keep your home well-ventilated and free from leaks, you can usually avoid the type of moisture problems that lead to black mold growth. If you do notice a small amount of mold on bathtub tile, bleach-based over the counter cleansers may be sufficient to remove it.

If the mold returns, however, or if you find black mold growing elsewhere in your home, like on walls or carpets, around fixtures or in your basement or attic, you shouldn’t attempt to address the problem on your own. Instead, contact a mold remediation professional in Pottsville, PA. Sometimes a larger mold problem is lurking inside the walls of your home and a professional will know the safest and quickest way to handle a serious mold cleanup.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

What You Need To Know About Filing a Water Damage Claim

3/21/2018 (Permalink)

If your home has been devastated by water damage in Pottsville, PA, you’ll need to file a homeowner’s insurance claim to have some or all of the damage paid for. Filing a claim can be an involved process and there are some things you’ll need to do beforehand. Follow these basic steps to make sure you receive the maximum coverage possible.


1. Call Your Insurance Company


The sooner you inform your insurance company of the damage, the sooner you can begin the process of filing your claim. Make sure you have your policy number on hand and be prepared to answer any questions.


2. Make a Record of the Damage


Use photographs or video to record the damage to your home. Be as thorough as possible, gathering images of every item that has been affected, including furniture, electronics, flooring and walls. This will be important evidence when you file your insurance claim. Most importantly, do not throw anything away or make any repairs until an insurance adjuster comes to investigate the damage.


3. Review Your Insurance Policy


It’s important to know exactly what your insurance covers before you file a claim. First, find out what type of water damage it covers, for example from a flood, storm or pipe burst. If you need to vacate your home until repairs are complete, does your insurance cover temporary housing costs? Many policies do not provide for mold remediation or require you pay extra for it.


4. Make an Inventory


You’ll need to make a complete inventory of everything damaged during the flood. This should include each item’s make, model, age and condition.


5. File Your Claim


You’ll have to file a written insurance claim with your insurance company. Make sure you speak with your insurance agent to ensure that you have provided all the necessary information in your claim to avoid delays. Your property will need to be evaluated by an adjuster. If you can afford to hire a public adjuster in Pottsville, PA, you may be better off than if the adjuster works for the insurance company.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Prevent Financial Loss With Business Interruption Insurance

3/16/2018 (Permalink)

There are countless measures you can take to make your commercial property in Pottsville, PA, safe and protected in extreme conditions such as heavy snow, flooding or even wildfires. If minor damage is sustained, a professional service can get you up and running quickly. However, if the damage is severe, you may have to close business operations entirely for a while. The money you lose can start to add up if it takes a long time to rebuild. Business interruption insurance helps you with exactly these situations.


A Different Kind of Insurance


Fire or flood insurance entitles you to some reimbursement to recover after accidents or natural disasters. Business interruption insurance doesn’t pay out to cover the cost of repairs; instead, it makes up for the potential money lost due to a closed business. For example, customers who are unable to visit your establishment may seek out a competitor’s business, or if you own a hotel or rental property, you may miss out on rent. This insurance also covers any utilities like electricity that may still be running while you rebuild.


The Right Purchase


Business interruption insurance is designed to keep you afloat during disasters that are beyond your control. It can be purchased as part of an insurance package or alongside your property insurance policy. The price of your policy may vary depending on certain factors:

• The building’s location, if that puts it at greater risk
• The purpose of the property or business
• The difficulty level of relocating the business

It may take longer for you to get up and running again than you expect, so ideally choose a policy that will cover you for a few days. Coverage often doesn’t start until 48 hours have passed.

You shouldn’t be punished while you’re struggling to rebuild. Professional contractors and cleaning services can get your building back in shape, and insurance can help keep your finances stable in the meantime.

For more information, please visit us at http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

What To Do When You Smell Mold But Do Not See It

2/22/2018 (Permalink)

In many situations, a building owner will notice a distinct mold smell but not actually see it. This fungus smell is a serious issue in a commercial building because it prevents people from doing their jobs effectively. However, it is also entirely possible that the musty odor is coming from something else other than mold. The only way you can get any kind of peace of mind is if you hire a professional team in Pottsville, PA, to come out to inspect the entire property.


1. Contact a Professional Remediation Company


The last thing you want to do is tear your building apart trying to find the mold on your own. Mold can grow in some precarious places, such as the basement and attic. It may be dangerous for you to try to access these areas on your own, so instead, have a professional who knows what precautions to take to inspect the mold smell.


2. Use an At-Home Mold Testing Kit


There are mold testing devices you can acquire on your own when you notice a significant mildew smell. These kits are relatively inexpensive, so they are worth it as a preliminary measure to see if you have mold at all. They may tell you there is mold in the building, but they will not indicate where it is located.


3. Act Fast


Whether you want to test for mold on your own or hire professionals for the task, you need to do it quickly. It is very easy for your nose to become acclimated to various scents, and over time, you may not even register the pungent odor.

Mold can grow in crawl spaces, insulation and basements, so it is extremely likely that if mold ever grows in your building, it will be out of sight. Take care of a mold smell before it leads to greater complications.

For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

3 Expected Damages After a Fire

2/15/2018 (Permalink)

Fires can strike at any time and for a multitude of reasons. Kitchen accidents and electrical fires are two of the most common fires that business owners suffer from. Do you know what to do in case of fire damage? Some owners aren’t even sure what damages they may face after a fire. Here are the three most common issues faced after a fire.


1. Fire Damage


The most obvious damage done to your business will be from the fire itself. No matter how the fire started, odds are you are going to have some damage from the flames. This could be scorched walls, furniture or destroyed belongings. While you may see visible signs of fire damage, it’s best to leave a closer look to the professionals. In some cases, unseen issues such as damaged wiring may be at work.


2. Smoke Damage


With the flames comes smoke. Smoke not only leaves an odor, but it can spread soot throughout your home. In addition to having to clean your belongings and purify your air, you may also have to check to make sure your electronics still work. Smoke and soot can end up in the internal components and cause electronic devices to overheat.


2. Water Damage


When it comes to fire, many business owners don’t think about water damage. If professionals put out your fire, then odds are you’re going to have some water damage. Keep in mind that a fire hose uses a lot of water to put out flames. This water can settle into carpets, drywall and other belongings.

Restoration efforts cannot begin until you know the type of damage that you’re dealing with and the extent of it. When it comes to a building fire, you will usually have a combination of all three when the flames are put out at your Pottsville, PA business.

For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

Your Annual Furnace Maintenance Checklist

2/8/2018 (Permalink)

Have you ever tried to turn your furnace on in the winter and felt a jolt of panic when it wouldn’t work properly? This type of situation can be both inconvenient and dangerous, depending on how cold the temperature is in Pottsville, PA, when furnace problems strike. Malfunctioning furnaces can also pose a fire risk. If your furnace does catch on fire, you’ll need to hire fire cleaning and smoke cleaning professionals to repair the damage.

Fortunately, regular maintenance can prevent most unexpected furnace problems so you have heat when you need it the most. Here are a few of the top items that should be included in your annual furnace maintenance checklist.


1. Clean All Moving Parts


The moving parts in your furnace tend to stir up air and collect dust over time. As dust collects, it can become a fire hazard and could require you to hire fire cleaning services. Keep moving parts operating efficiently by regularly cleaning the motor housing, all belts and pulleys and the blower assembly. You’ll need to remove the front panel to access some of these parts.


2. Lubricate Oil Ports


Not all furnaces have oil ports, but if yours does, it should be lubricated every year. Simply apply two to three drops of a non-detergent motor oil (10-weight) directly to each port. Be careful not to apply too much oil.


3. Inspect All Belts


If your furnace has a blower, it also has belts that can become worn out, frayed or damaged over time. If you notice any wear and tear, replace the belts with new ones as needed.


4. Hire Professionals


Anytime you are uncomfortable maintaining your own furnace, you can hire professionals to do it for you. If you’ve already experienced some damage due to fire or smoke from your furnace, fire restoration experts can take care of your fire cleaning needs. They have the specialized tools and experience necessary to get the job done right.

For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com.

How To Identify the 3 Types of Flood Water

1/18/2018 (Permalink)

If you’re dealing with flooding in Pottsville, PA you may be eager to start the clean up process as soon as possible. It can be helpful to understand the three classifications of water so that you know exactly what you’re dealing with from the start.

1. Clean Water

Clean water is any water that comes from a source you could safely drink. While it can still cause a lot of damage if it floods into your home, it may not be as difficult to clean up as the other types of water.

These are common sources of clean water:

• Snow Melt
• Rain
• Sinks
• Showers

It is important to remember that even though the water may initially be from a clean supply line, it can quickly become contaminated after prolonged contact with unclean surfaces. It can be best to hire a damage restoration company to help you clean up water, no matter what type it is.

2. Contaminated Water

Contaminated water is sometimes referred to as gray water. This water can con contain harmful microorganisms and substances that are dangerous if ingested. Gray water is usually the result of clean water becoming contaminated. It is not safe for drinking and should be cleaned up as quickly as possible.

3. Black Water

Black water is the most contaminated type of water. It usually comes from extreme outside flooding or sewage leaks. If it gets into your home, serious measures may have to be taken to decontaminate and disinfect the items it comes into contact with. Porous items, carpet, and drywall may have to be replaced after black water flooding.

Flooding can create a serious mess, but its effects can usually be reversed. A damage restoration company should be able to help you handle flooding from any of the three types of water. If contaminated water has entered your home, these professionals can help you with the deep cleaning procedures required to handle it.
Visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com for more information on water damage.

When To Call a Restoration Company

1/18/2018 (Permalink)

After a broken pipe floods your home, flood restoration services are imperative. If you want to save your belongings, you need professionals who know what they are doing, what to look for and how to salvage as much as possible. If you are having trouble deciding whether you should call a restoration company, the answer is usually that you should. Here are a few of the things that they can do for you.

1. Uncover Items That Need To Be Cleaned

A sewer cleanup company or restoration service can extract the water from your home and remove damaged materials. Once this is complete, you will have a better view of the items you need to clean. Floods are a mess. They can be difficult to navigate. Without someone to help, you may wonder how to begin, what to throw away and what to keep. During a pipe burst cleanup, you might not have those answers, but a professional will.

2. Throw Out Items That Cannot Be Cleaned

You will not be able to save all of your damaged items during a pipe burst cleanup. Carpets, stuffed animals, paper products and bedding are among the items that you have to throw away. Once you clear out the trash, you can focus on what is left.

3. Clean Items That Are Left

You do not have to clean your belongings alone. Your restoration company will have the right tools to do a thorough cleanup. These experts may even have cleaning solutions that will help to clean any mold or mildew caused by the flood. Keep in mind that a cleanup company has access to equipment that most people do not.

At the end of the day, a pipe burst cleanup can feel like a long process. Fortunately, there are people who can help. If you have a flood in Pottsville, PA it is never too early to call for help.
Visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com for more information on commercial water damage.

Does Insurance Usually Cover Mold?

11/28/2017 (Permalink)

Does Insurance Usually Cover Mold?

Mold and fungus growth is not often covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy in Pottsville, PA. If a home has a history of mold issues, mold coverage may be impossible to get. Part of the reason mold insurance is so rare is because of the level of damage this spore can do to a home. Not only can it be destructive, but it is also costly to remove. If you notice any signs of mold, it’s best to work with mold removal experts as soon as possible to help mitigate the damage done to your house.

Depends on the Damage Source

Some policies cover mold caused by certain water sources. For example, sudden catastrophes, such as burst pipes or sewer backups, are more likely to be covered than lingering maintenance issues. Your mold coverage likely will not include the following sources of water damage:

Continuous faucet leaks
Drainage problems in yard
Condensation buildup
Flood waters

Because coverage can depend on how the mold was caused, it’s important you investigate the source. This will help you figure out if the damage and cleanup is covered by your insurance policy.

Review Your Policy Regularly

Insurance policies can change as the years go by. Many providers choose to reword their coverage for fungus growth because this problem can spread so quickly in homes and lead to huge claims. In order to best understand your policy, you need to review it annually.

Look for a Change in Policy

You may be able to revise your coverage to get protection from the damage mold and fungus growth can do to your home. Some insurance providers may have a mold cap, which would limit the amount of mold coverage or the items the coverage pays for. Other providers may allow you to pay a higher premium for limited coverage related to mold. You should talk with your insurance provider in Pottsville, PA to learn more. Visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com for more information on mold.

Effectively Using Your Fire Extinguisher

11/28/2017 (Permalink)

Effectively Using Your Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher is a must for every home in Pottsville, PA but you may be concerned about using yours if you’re inexperienced. Luckily, whether it’s fighting a kitchen fire or stopping fire damage in its tracks, this equipment is designed for rapid deployment regardless of the user’s experience level. To familiarize yourself ahead of time, remember these four steps for using an extinguisher effectively.

1. Determine Appropriateness

Different fires, such as grease fires, require different extinguishers, so it’s important to know what yours is – and isn’t – approved for in advance.

While your items can be salvaged with professional restoration services, the same cannot be said for loved ones, so it’s best to evacuate if there’s any doubt. Using the wrong kind of equipment can potentially exacerbate the fire or create additional dangers.

2. Gain Safe Ground

If you’re confident you have the right type of extinguisher, place at least six feet between you and the nearest flames. If there are others in the house, make sure they’re conscious and instruct them to contact emergency services once they’re outside.

3. Remove Safety Pin

Every fire extinguisher uses a small pin to prevent unintentional discharge. Hook your finger inside the pin’s opening and pull it free in one fluid motion. If you’re in a commercial property, there may also be a zip tie, but these are designed to easily break and should snap with a normal level of force.

4. Squeeze and Sweep

Locate the root of the flames, often the stove top in a kitchen fire, while aiming the nozzle. Steady the extinguisher with one hand on the lower lever and the other on the hose, squeezing the handle to disperse the contents while making slow sweeping motions with the hose until the flames are smothered.

Practice and Share

Now that you’re better equipped to use your fire extinguisher, consider practicing by deploying it outside and passing on your knowledge to other members of the household. The more people in your home who can use an extinguisher effectively, the better your chances of staunching a kitchen fire before it grows into significant fire damage. Visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com for more information on fire damage.

4 Essential Storm Preparation Tips

11/28/2017 (Permalink)

4 Essential Storm Preparation Tips

Part of running a successful business involves preparing for difficult events. Severe storms and natural disasters can lead to flooding in your Pottsville, PA business, causing water damage and possibly even suspending normal operations. Although there is no way to guarantee your business’ safety from flood water, there are several ways to prepare for a storm. Here are essential tips that can reduce the risk of a flooded building affecting your business.

1. Protect the Building

There are several ways you can protect your business’ physical property:

Installing shutters or storm windows and doors
Maintaining the roof properly
Anchoring heavy furniture, such as shelves and filing cabinets, to the walls
Placing sandbags in areas prone to flooding
Securing HVAC equipment in raised areas to prevent water damage

2. Back Up Your Data

Along with protecting your company’s Pottsville building from flood water, it’s also vital to secure your data and intellectual property. Make sure to back up all your company’s documents regularly, preferably to an off-site location. Prioritize your contact list in order of importance and make sure to save essential information in multiple locations. Seal physical copies of essential documents in waterproof containers. Develop a plan to continue operations from a temporary location if necessary.

3. Create an Emergency Kit

In the event a flood occurs while you and your employees are in your building, make sure you have the supplies to keep everyone safe. Your emergency kit should include items such as these:

Battery-operated radio
Supply of clean water
Non-perishable food
Flashlights and batteries
First Aid Kits
Blankets and cots

4. Make a List of Contact Information

If you’re dealing with a flooded building, it’s helpful to have essential contact information in one place. Make a list of the local hospital’s phone number, the FEMA hotline, and your insurance agent. Complete your list with the number of a local emergency restoration company so you can get started on cleanup and repairs right away if your building is damaged by flood water. Visit http://www.SERVPROpottsville.com for more information on storm damage.

Winter is right around the corner be prepared!

9/18/2017 (Permalink)

Tips for Preparing your Home for Winter Weather:

    • Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells. This allows warm air to circulate around pipes. 
    • Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets, especially if the pipes for faucets run through unheated or uninsulated areas of the home. 
    • Consider shutting off outdoor faucets. Find the shutoff valve in the basement or crawl space and turn it to "off".
    • If you follow the previous step, then open the outdoor faucet to help ensure it drains completely and the inner valve is shutoff. 
    • Ensure gutters are clean and secure. Leaves and debris accumulate, causing a damming effect on gutters, which could lead to roof problems and water damage. 
  • Proper maintenance of your furnace can help reduce the risk of puffbacks. 

Keeping your gutter clean to avoid roof damage

9/18/2017 (Permalink)

Dirty gutters?

Take action to keep downspouts running freely before those shade trees start shedding in earnest. One of these guards won’t totally free you of ladder duty, but it could buy you time between checkups.

How to Clean your gutters:

1. Climb a ladder and use a variety of tools to grab and remove the leaves and debris at eye-level.

2. Attach tools to a wet/dry shop vac to suck up the leaves or to blast them out of the gutters.

3. Attach tools to your water hose to spray leaves out of the gutters.

4. Use a long-reaching pole to remove leaves from the gutters while standing at ground level.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is always ready to help clean your home after storm damage. We are available 27/7.

Being prepared when a hurricane or flood happens.

9/12/2017 (Permalink)

Tips for flooding

During a Flood Watch or Warning

  • Gather emergency supplies.
  • Listen to your local radio or television station for updates.
  • Have immunization records handy or know the year of your last tetanus shot.
    • Store immunization records in a waterproof container.
  • Fill bathtubs, sinks, gallon jars, and plastic soda bottles so that you will have a supply of clean water.
    • Sanitize sinks/tubs first by cleaning them using a solution of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water. Then rinse and fill with clean water.
  • Bring in outdoor possessions (lawn furniture, grills, trash cans) or tie them down securely.
  • If evacuation appears necessary: turn off all utilities at the main power switch and close the main gas valve.
  • Leave areas subject to flooding: low spots, canyons, washes, etc. Rememberavoid driving through flooded areas and standing water.

After Flooding Has Occurred

  • Avoid driving through flooded areas and standing water. As little as six inches of water can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
  • Do not drink flood water, or use it to wash dishes, brush teeth, or wash/prepare food. Drink clean, safe water.
  • If you evacuated: return to your home only after local authorities have said it is safe to do so.
  • Listen to water advisory from local authorities to find out if your water is safe for drinking and bathing.
    • During a water advisory, use only bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking, etc.
  • When in doubt, throw it out! Throw away any food and bottled water that comes/may have come into contact with flood water.
  • Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Use generators at least 20 feet from any doors, windows, or vents. If you use a pressure washer, be sure to keep the engine outdoors and 20 feet from windows, doors, or vents as well.

For more tips on flooding contact your local SERVPRO. 

Like it never even happened 

Is your roof ruin after a storm

9/12/2017 (Permalink)

After your home is damaged by wind, hail, or other natural elements, the storm isn't necessarily over in fact, it might be just the beginning. Here's what you need to know about the storm-induced insurance process from diagnosing the damage to filing a claim and making repairs so that weathering your home's recovery is as painless as possible. 

  • Know what is cover before the storm hits. Call you insurance agent. 
  • Document potential damage.  
  • Make Temporary repairs 
  • Make sure you hire a creditable contractor.
  • Check with your local SERVPRO to see if they have a contractor or teams that can help..
  • Work with your insurance agents to go over claims. 

Are you ready? Be prepared!

9/5/2017 (Permalink)

Be ready!

Severe weather can happen any time, anywhere.  Each year, Americans cope with an average of  the following intense storms*:

  • 10,000 severe thunderstorms
  • 5,000 floods or flash floods
  • 1,000 tornadoes
  • 2 landfalling deadly hurricanes

Approximately 98 percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather-related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $15 billion in damage.  * Knowing your risk of severe weather, taking action and being an example are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared to save your life and assist in saving the lives of others.

How to be prepared:

  • A gallon of water per person per day.
  • Supply of non-perishable packaged or canned food and a manual can opener.
  • Change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes.
  • Blankets and sleeping bags.
  • First aid kit and prescription medications.
  • Battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra batteries.
  • Credit cards, cash and extra set of car keys.
  • List of family physicians. 
  • Special items for infants,elderly or disabled family members.

Call SERVPRO of Reading for to get a ERP in place for your facility can help minimize business interruption in the event of a disaster.

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Does your home have a mold problem?

6/23/2017 (Permalink)

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

  • Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
  • Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
  • Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
  • Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
  • Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

Restoring Commercial Properties Presents Unique Challenges

6/23/2017 (Permalink)

Flooding and water damage events at Pottsville commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we're dealing with relatively small cleanup scenario or a large scale event. We work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. in many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility. 

Restoring Commercial Properties Presents Unique Challenges

Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints.We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in you business, give us a call and we'll be there fast with help you need. 

About SERVPRO of Pottsville

SERVPRO of Pottsville specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. SERVPRO's corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assure the knowledge to restore your property.

Red Cross Sponsors

6/23/2017 (Permalink)

The Red cross helps nearly 150,000 military families and veterans annually with emergency communications and access to community resources.

March 2013, SERVPRO and the American Red Cross began a partnership that would grow into a community base program. We recently renew this partnership last year in 2016 on a brand new out look on how we can help our communities. SERVPRO does (ERP) Emergency Response Plans. This helps home owners, business owners, property owners when a disaster occurs. 

This is a new way to help us prepare our community and help first responders when a disaster happens. With our support with the Disaster Responders, it will make it possible for them to assit affected families quicker. 

Moving forward SERVPRO of Pottsville works close by with the Schuylkill County Red Cross. Our marketing Manager is getting involved to help make changes by making up bags to donate to the Recross,volunteering, Donating blood at blood drives and attending monthly meetings. 

SERVPRO of Pottsville will also be working closely with local fire companies to help spread the word about the urgent need to be prepare in a disaster. SERVPRO of Pottsville also hope to continue to provide excellent service for existing services within the program, like ERPs and Community based Fundraisers are just a few examples of the work we provide. Be on the look out for us at local Fair, school  functions, city fairs, safely nights, and much more.

For other community events coming up look under our events on our website or like us on Facebook. If you have any questions call us at 570-622-8991

Founder of SERVPRO

6/23/2017 (Permalink)

Ted and Doris Issacson launched SERVPRO in 1967 as a painting business in Sacramento, Calif. With a background in cleaning and restoration, however Ted and Doris soon transformed the company into a franchise of cleanup.

After selling its first Franchise in 1969, SERVPRO continued to grow, acquiring 175 franchises in 1979. 

Finally SERVPRO relocated the corporate headquarters from Sacramento to Gallatin, TN in 1988 in a strategic move to place itself within 600 miles of 50% of the U.S population. At the time of the location SERVPRO consisted of 647 Franchises. 

Today, SERVPRO is proud to say has more than 1,700 Franchises and growing. SERVPRO of Reading and Pottsville been operating for over 22 years. We our locally owned and operated and will have a location in the Pottsville Area by the end of 2017. We value are customers!

If you have any questions feel free to call 570-622-8991

Dryer Fires

6/16/2017 (Permalink)

2,900 residential fires per year identify a clothes dryer issue like lint or electrical malfunction as their cause.

An estimated 2,900 residential fires per year identify in a dryer issue like lint or electrical malfunction as their cause. 

A clothes dryer work by forcing hot air through a turning drum. The wet clothes are then pass through the drum to be dried by the hot air. Most wet clothes contain one and half gallons of water. While most of the lint goes into the lint filter some of lint is carried through the vent system along moist air.Lint is a very combustible material that can accumulate both in the dryer and in the dryer vent. Accumulated lint leads to reduced airflow and can be a potential fire hazard.

Here are some tips to keep your dryer clean:

  • Have your dryer clean and installed by a professional. 
  • Do not use your dryer with a lint filter 
  • Make sure you clean the lint filter before and after every load of wash.
  • Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap willopen when the dryer is operating.
  • Make sure the right plug and outlet are used and that the machine is connected properly.  
  • Don't leave the house when the dryer is on. 
  • If your clothes are not drying then call a professional to come look at your dryer. 

What to do before SERVPRO arrives.

6/13/2017 (Permalink)

If you have a water damage from a clean source such as water supply lines, sink overflows, tub overflows, or appliance malfunctions, here are some things to do before SERVPRO arrives.

  • Shut off the source of the water.

  • Turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building if the access panel is safe from electrical shock.

  • Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting

  • Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items

  • Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying

  • Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting

  • Remove to a safe, dry place any paintings, art objects, computers, documents and other materials that are valuable or sensitive to moisture.

  • Use wooden clothespins to keep furniture skirting off damp floors

  • Hang draperies with coated hangers to avoid contact with wet carpeting or floors

Emergency Response Plans

6/13/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's new Emergency Ready Profile (ERP) system allows business owners to keep track of all properties and locations during a fire or storm, and respond appropriately. Using the tools, you can have multiple individualized profiles and information sets for each property you own or manage, and with a (ERP) our technicians will have all the information they need to get your business running back to normal. As a result, they can save owners of multiple properties, such as landlords, hundreds in repair costs after a fire by responding fast to each location.
 
During a fire,water damage,apartments and rental properties can physical damage. Usually, our technicians have to spend time evaluating the building and formulating an approach, but this process is a great way for SERVPRO's response quickly. Through it, we can access relevant contact information, building plans and layouts, and critical information about utility systems. This is especially useful to fire chiefs, who can response quickly to help locate the fire source.  
 

 
SERVPRO of Pottsville operates on the principle of mitigation to respond around the clock and save landlords thousands in restoration costs. Call us at (570) 622- 8991 for our help or to learn more about the Emergency Response Plan.

Smoke and soot facts

6/13/2017 (Permalink)

Smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Our smoke damage expertise and experience allows us to inspect and accurately assess the extent of the damage to develop a comprehensive plan of action.  

Smoke and soot facts:

  • Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
  • Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
  • The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Different Types of Smoke

There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Reading will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

  • Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

  • Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire

  • Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor. 

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions.  We have the equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire and smoke damage.  We will also treat your family with empathy and respect and your property with care.

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?
Call Us Today – (570) 622-8991

Lightning

6/13/2017 (Permalink)

Staying safe during a thunder storm!

Lightning is one of the leading causes of weather-related fatalities. Though the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are only around 1 in 500,000, some factors can put you at greater risk for being struck. 

What cases lighting- Heavier, negatively charged particles sink to the bottom of the cloud. When the positive and negative charges grow large enough, a giant spark - lightning - occurs between the two charges within the cloud. This is like a static electricity sparks you see, but much bigger.

What to do after lighting strikes-

  • Never drive through a flooded roadway. 
  • Stay away from storm-damaged areas to keep from putting yourself at risk from the effects of severe thunderstorms.
  • Continue to listen to a Weather Radio or to  television stations for updated information or instructions, as access to roads or some parts of the community may be blocked.
  • Help anyone who needs help, check on your neighbors.
  • Stay away from downed power lines and report them immediately.
  • Watch your animals closely. Keep them under your direct control.
  • Make sure you have your Emergency kit near by.

Schuylkill County Chamber

6/13/2017 (Permalink)

How is one way we get involved in the community? What's their mission?

Our local chamber provides endless opportunities for networking, business development and active involvement through committees. 

Schuylkill County Chamber, developed working relationships with communities county-wide that share a common vision; built a Schuylkill Leadership program; sponsored a Jobs Creation Grant Program that offered equipment grants to area employers for hiring handicapped workers; created a solid benefits program for the membership which included comprehensive health care and extensive member networking; actively pursued transportation facility and service improvements; and worked to establish Schuylkill County as an active participant in the new regionalism that will have a significant impact on our communities in the future.

SERVPRO of Pottsville is proud and honor to be apart of the Chamber. We takes great pride in being involved with our local community. We are excited to see how many friendships we make over the years. The Chamber is a great place to meet local business that want to provide Schuylkill County with jobs, and new businesses in area.  

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