Fire Safety Tips to Protect Your Home and Business – A Guide from SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties

2/5/2025 (Permalink)

Fire Safety Tips to Protect Your Home and Business – A Guide from SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties

When it comes to fire safety, preparation is key. Fires can spread rapidly, putting your family, employees, and property at risk. At SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties, we understand the devastation that fire damage can cause. Our goal is to help you prevent fires before they start and ensure you're ready if the worst happens.

Here are some essential fire safety tips to protect your home or business:

1. Create a Fire Escape Plan

Planning ahead can save lives in the event of a fire. Sit down with your family or staff and create an escape plan. Make sure everyone knows multiple exit routes from each room, where to meet outside, and how to call for help. Practice the plan regularly to ensure everyone knows what to do if disaster strikes.

2. Install Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are one of the most effective ways to alert you in the event of a fire. Test your alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year. If your smoke alarms are older than 10 years, it's time to replace them. In business settings, be sure to have alarms in all areas of the building, including storage rooms and hallways.

3. Inspect Electrical Systems Regularly

Faulty electrical systems are a leading cause of home and business fires. Make sure your electrical wiring is up to code and get it inspected periodically. Avoid overloading outlets or running cords under rugs or furniture, as these can lead to overheating and fires. If you notice frayed wires or other signs of electrical problems, call a licensed electrician immediately.

4. Keep Fire Extinguishers Accessible

Make sure fire extinguishers are placed in easily accessible areas in both your home and business, especially in the kitchen, near the fireplace, and in areas where flammable materials are stored. Be sure to check the expiration date on your fire extinguishers and learn how to use them properly. If you don't have one, consider investing in a multi-purpose fire extinguisher that can handle different types of fires.

5. Maintain Fireplaces and Chimneys

If you use a fireplace, regular maintenance is essential. Ensure the chimney is cleaned at least once a year to prevent the buildup of creosote, which can ignite and cause a fire. Always use a metal screen in front of the fireplace to catch embers and prevent them from escaping. Never leave a fire unattended and make sure the fire is fully extinguished before going to bed.

6. Practice Safe Cooking Habits

The kitchen is often the most dangerous room in the house when it comes to fire safety. Never leave cooking food unattended, especially if you're using oils or fats, which can easily ignite. Keep flammable objects like dish towels and paper towels away from the stovetop, and ensure that your kitchen appliances are regularly cleaned and well-maintained.

7. Stay Alert with Seasonal Safety

Seasonal changes bring different fire hazards. During the winter months, heating equipment can be a fire risk. Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything flammable, and never leave them on when you leave a room. In the summer, ensure that grills are used safely, and that all combustibles like gasoline, propane, or charcoal are stored properly.

8. Know How to Respond to a Fire

In case of a fire, remain calm. If you’re inside a building, leave immediately and go to your designated meeting spot. Do not stop to collect personal items or valuables. Call 911 as soon as you are safe. If you can't leave because of smoke or flames, use a cloth to cover your nose and mouth and signal for help through a window.

SERVPRO’s Role in Fire Restoration

At SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties, we don’t just help with fire prevention; we’re here to assist you after the damage has been done. Our certified technicians are experts in fire damage restoration, offering services such as:

• Board-up services to secure your property after a fire.
• Smoke and soot removal from walls, ceilings, and belongings.
• Cleaning and deodorizing to eliminate smoke odors.
• Rebuilding and reconstruction to restore your property to its original condition.

Our team understands the urgency of fire damage and works quickly to mitigate the effects, so you can get back to normal as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Fire safety should always be a top priority in your home or business. By following these tips and staying proactive about fire prevention, you can help protect your loved ones and property from the devastating effects of fire. And remember, if disaster does strike, SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties is ready to provide expert fire damage restoration services to get you back on your feet.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us today. We’re here to help you keep your property safe and secure.

How SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties Can Help After Flooding From Frozen Water Pipes

2/5/2025 (Permalink)

Winter weather brings many challenges, and one of the most damaging to homes and businesses is the risk of frozen water pipes. When temperatures dip below freezing, water inside pipes can freeze, expand, and cause pipes to crack or burst. This often results in flooding that can severely damage property, ruin belongings, and even disrupt daily operations for businesses. If you’ve experienced flooding from frozen pipes, SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties is here to help restore your property to its preloss condition.

1. Emergency Water Removal

When frozen pipes burst, water can quickly flood areas of your home or business. SERVPRO’s team is available 24/7, ready to respond immediately to mitigate the damage. We use state-of-the-art equipment to extract standing water, even from hard-to-reach areas. The faster the water is removed, the less damage there will be, so timely response is crucial.

2. Water Damage Assessment

Once the water is removed, we will conduct a thorough assessment to determine the extent of the water damage. This includes inspecting walls, ceilings, floors, and even insulation to identify any hidden moisture that could lead to mold growth or structural issues. SERVPRO’s trained professionals are skilled at detecting all sources of water damage, ensuring nothing is overlooked.

3. Drying and Dehumidification

Frozen pipe flooding can leave a lot of moisture behind, even in areas that seem dry. Our team uses high-powered air movers and dehumidifiers to dry out every affected area, helping to prevent further damage like wood warping, mold growth, or mildew. This drying process is critical to ensuring your home or business is safe and ready to be fully restored.

4. Mold Prevention and Cleanup

Excess moisture is a breeding ground for mold, which can begin to grow within 24–48 hours. After we dry the affected areas, we also inspect for signs of mold growth. If we find any, we use advanced mold remediation techniques to safely remove it and prevent it from spreading further. This is especially important in areas where water may have been trapped, like behind drywall or under flooring.

5. Restoration and Reconstruction

SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties doesn’t just stop at cleaning up the water. We also offer full restoration services, from repairing drywall and flooring to replacing damaged insulation. Our team has the expertise and resources to restore your property, making it feel like the flooding never happened. Whether it’s a minor repair or a major reconstruction project, we are committed to getting your space back to normal.

6. Insurance Assistance

Navigating insurance claims after a flooding incident can be confusing and time-consuming. Our team at SERVPRO works closely with insurance companies to ensure that the claims process is as smooth as possible. We’ll document the damage, provide the necessary reports, and assist you in securing the coverage needed to handle the restoration.

Why Choose SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties?

SERVPRO is a trusted name in disaster recovery, with over 50 years of experience in helping homeowners and business owners recover from water damage. Our team is fully licensed, insured, and certified, ensuring that your property is in good hands. With our commitment to quick response, thorough restoration, and customer satisfaction, SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties is your go-to source for flood recovery after frozen pipes.

Contact Us Today

If your home or business has been affected by flooding from frozen pipes, don’t wait to get help. The longer water sits, the more damage it can cause. SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties is here to help you recover quickly and safely. Call us anytime for emergency water damage services.

Welcome to our Team, April!

2/3/2025 (Permalink)

April Bennett, Contents Restoration Manager

We’re excited to introduce April Bennett as the new Contents Restoration Manager at SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties! April comes to us with extensive expertise and is IICRC certified in Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration (FSRT) and Contents Processing (CPS). She understands the unique challenges of property damage restoration, especially when it comes to cleaning and restoring both hard and soft contents.

April’s passion for helping others and her commitment to quality service make her the perfect fit for our team. Whether it’s delicate fabrics or treasured furniture, she’s here to ensure your belongings are thoroughly cleaned, deodorized, and restored to their pre-damage condition.

At SERVPRO, we know that property damage is stressful, but with April leading our contents restoration efforts, you can trust that your belongings are in expert hands. She’s ready to help you get your home or business back to normal—contact her today for assistance!

How Do I Get Rid of this Soot and Fire Damage?

11/6/2023 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO, our goal is to restore your belongings, home or business to it’s pre-fire condition. Depending on the amount of damage and its severity, our SERVPRO experts must assess the needs of your property and find the most efficient clean up solution. But where do we begin? 

First, our highly qualified team locates smoke residue by inspecting the affected area. This inspection starts at the source of the fire. We then follow its path and trace the distance of the smoke throughout your property. Next, we identify the type of residue left behind. Depending on the type of fire, residues may be powdery or sticky.  Several types of residue may exist even within the same affected area. 

Additionally, the type of affected surface is identified. Our restorers will choose the best cleaning solution to address each type of residue based on the type of material affected.  Some examples include sheetrock, metal, plastic, wood, brick, cloth, granite, concrete, etc.   We carefully inspect each aspect of this process to ensure that your materials are preserved. Using wet and dry cleaning processes, we are then able to remove residue particles from your surfaces before carefully disposing of all cleaning waste used in the process. 

Each step of our Fire Restoration process is important to bring your property back to it’s preloss condition. Our detail-oriented team ensures that all of these steps are applied appropriately and that the most efficient methods are used to best ‘SERV’ you. 

How Does a Water Damage Occur?

11/6/2023 (Permalink)

If you own a  home or business, you need to know the risks of flooding and take measures to avoid it all costs. This is because flooding can bring significant damage to your home. When flooding does occur, a homeowner or business owner should be prepared to take quick action to reduce secondary and long-term damage that may arise if left unattended.  

CAUSES OF WATER DAMAGE

Water Damage can stem from several different sources. Frozen and broken pipes, supply lines to hot water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and sinks are among the most common. Groundwater, rainwater and storm flooding can even creep in causing mild to extreme damage.

Regardless of the originating cause of the flood, water can not only damage your home or business structure, but it can damage your personal belongings, lead to the growth of mold colonies, as well as pose various electrical or fire hazards.  It is essential for you as the homeowner or business owner to resolve water damage as quickly as possible and take steps now to prevent it from occurring whenever possible.  

WHAT TO DO WHEN WATER INVADES YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS

When flooding occurs in your home  or business, it is essential to address it as soon as possible. To what extent you can, mop up the moisture from the flooded areas and remove it as quickly as you can. Then look to hire a consultant that provides flood remediation services like SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly, & Richmond Counties. We will inspect your home and initiate services that will remediate the visible and hidden water.  From extracting all the water, to setting the proper amount and kinds of drying equipment, removing affected materials and personal belongings, to applying anti-microbials, and providing recommendations for repairs and other services, SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly, & Richmond Counties can tackle any size disaster and help bring order back to your home or business.

I Didn't Know You Did THAT!

11/6/2023 (Permalink)

Many times we hear, "I didn't know you did THAT!!!!"  Home and business owners are always amazed at the numerous different services our franchise offers aside from routine fire and water damage cleanup and restoration.  

As part of our detailed fire and water damage cleanup and restoration services, we often times clean personal belongings that we call CONTENTS. What exactly is a content you ask?  Well, if you could turn your house upside down, anything that would fall out and is not physically attached to the structure, is considered a content.  That goes for furniture, mattresses, bedding, clothing, draperies, free-standing appliances like refrigerators, washers, dryers, freezers, countertop microwaves, storage bins shelving racks, wall decorations, as well as all the "do-dads" and "knick-knacks" that we all have in our homes.  More times than not, insurance covers the cleaning of such items because it falls under policyholders' content coverage.  If you are not sure if you have that type of coverage, contact your insurance agent for more details.  

As part of the content cleaning process, our expert professionals will assess the type of item needing to be cleaned to determine if it in fact is salvageable, aka "cleanable".  Most of the time, we can save items that you may think are beyond saving!  Our proprietary cleaning agents and methods can get even the stinkiest water or fire smell out of your belongings.   The next step in the content process is to inventory and packout the contents to either a storage unit onsite, or to our warehouse where we have dedicated cleaning rooms and deodorization chambers. That includes soft contents too!  Clothing, bedding, luggage, shoes, backpacks, rugs, etc. can be cleaned as well!  We are a CERTIFIED ESPORTA operator and our patented washing system can process items of all kinds!  Football uniforms & pads, firefighter uniforms, boots & helmets, and porcelain dolls are just a few of the unique kinds of things that can be cleaned and sanitized in our ESPORTA machine.  We wash, dry, iron, and package many soft contents from all kinds of losses, even from sewage and mold losses.  Once cleaned, deodorized, and packaged, your belongings are securely stored in vaults until your home or business is repaired and ready for return.

Our trained professionals are available to remove the stress from your work load and in return, you can focus on growing your business or managing your family life during the upset of a water or fire damage.

Reach out to our office with any questions you may have & we will make sure you speak to someone that can help!

SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties

704-474-7190

Commercial Duct Cleaning

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

Here at SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly and Richmond Counties we are available for your commercial needs when it comes to duct cleanings.  

We service the entire three counties in our franchise territory.  We have performed numerous duct cleanings during our years of service.  

We have a team that can assist you in the cleaning of the duct systems at your business.  

Give us a call today at 704-474-7190 to schedule for our estimator to come out and access the duct systems at your office, warehouse or distribution sites.  We will perform the assessment, offer and detailed estimate on the cleaning and review the cleaning process.  

Once the estimate has been approved, scheduling is usually done within the same week of approval.

So get your office ready for spring and summer, give us a call today.  

Carpet Cleaning Tips from SERVPRO of Anson Stanly & Richmond

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly & Richmond Counties offers carpet cleaning services to residential or commercial companies. When it comes to carpet stains be sure to attend to the situation as soon as possible. The longer a stain sits, the harder it is to remove. Here are some helpful hints on spot cleaning carpets:

Always pre-test before you begin cleaning! Choose an inconspicuous spot to use your cleaning solution. Dampen a white cloth with your cleaning solution, and blot carpet and inspect carefully for dye transfer or other changes in appearance.

Food – Drinks – Blood

Rinse the area with hot water and blot with a clean white towel. Mix 1 tablespoon of #485 StainZap into 16 oz. of hot water and apply to the affected area. Allow to dry 15 to 30 minutes and the stain should “disappear”. Rinse the area thoroughly with water and blot dry.

Sticky Spills

Scrape or blot up the excess spill. Dampen a sponge with a carpet and upholstery cleaner, and blot the area with your sponge until the residue is removed. If some color remains, follow the outline above for food and drink.

Urine – Feces

Rinse the area with hot water and blot dry. Apply a carpet and upholstery cleaner to a sponge and apply to the affected area. Blot up with a damp towel. If an odor persists, apply an odor and stain remove product. If the stain remains, follow up with the steps outlined for food and drinks.

Candle wax – Nail polish

For wax, melt and absorb wax with a warm iron over an absorbent cloth and blot with SERVPRO Solvent Spotter. For nail polish, blot with a non acetate nail polish remover until the stain is gone.

Cosmetics – Ink

Rinse the area with hot water and blot. Apply a carpet and upholstery cleaner to the area and blot it dry. If any stain remains, follow up with the steps outlined above for food and drink.

If all else fails...let the professionals handle those carpets while you relax!! Call your local SERVPRO today at 704-474-7190

Cleaning and Restoring Damaged Items

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

Fire and water emergencies can bring homeowners many checklists, worries, and questions. The question of whether they will have to replace all clothing and textile items may plague many homeowners. During the process of cleaning and restoring, personal items and valuables are sorted to determine what is salvageable and what is not. Cleaning salvageable items is a part of the restoration process.

Traditional washing machines, home-owned or industrial, do not have the capability to properly clean water, mold, or fire damaged clothing. The Esporta Washing System cleans twice as much than a dry cleaner can. The Esporta cleans 90% of all damaged soft contents including clothing, bedding, stuffed animals, leather shoes or purses, and more.

The Esporta Washing System uses a hydraulic cleaning method. This method uses water as pressure to force contaminants out of any items. This system differs from a traditional washing machine, as a traditional machine uses blades or paddles to press against the items, proving to be ineffective against organic or inorganic contaminants.

The detergent used in the cleaning process is also what sets this washing system apart from other methods. The proprietary detergent is harsh on contaminants but gentle on the environment. The blend is free of any hazardous chemicals, proving to be kind to those using the washed items, anyone operating the machine, and to our planet.

SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly, & Richmond Counties has accessibility to the Esporta it gives us an edge on our competitors in providing quick, quality service and ensuring as much of our customer’s contents are restored. Restoring and cleaning your salvageable items usually helps to expedite the process of dealing with an insurance claim and returning back to your normal life. SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly, & Richmond Counties also eases the worries and many steps that comes with a fire or water damage emergency. We offer inspection, cleaning of both buildings and items, along with restoration.

For your next fire or water damage emergency, contact the pros at SERVPRO of Anson, Stanly, & Richmond Counties.

Tornado Safety

5/26/2022 (Permalink)

If you're in a building:

• Have a portable radio for weather alerts and updates nearby.
• Get to the lowest level of your home, such as a basement or storm cellar. If you don't have a basement, go to an inner hallway or a closet.
• Keep away from all windows and glass doorways.
• Do not use elevators because the power may turn-off, leaving you trapped inside.
• Cover your head and eyes with a blanket or jacket to protect against flying debris and broken glass.
• Keep pets on a leash or in a crate close by.
• Stay inside until you're certain the storm has passed!
• Do not leave a building to attempt to "escape" a tornado.

If you're in a mobile home:

• Do not stay in a mobile home during a tornado. Even mobile homes equipped with tie-down systems cannot withstand the force of a tornado's winds.
• Heed all local watches and warnings, and leave your mobile home to seek shelter as quickly as possible before a tornado strikes, preferably in a nearby building with a basement.
• If no shelter is immediately available, find the lowest-lying area near you and lie down in it, covering your head with your hands.