Recent Water Damage Posts
Shield Your Home from Seasonal Water Damage | SERVPRO of Tri-County
9/3/2024 (Permalink)
Safeguarding your home from water damage is easy this Fall with these insights from SERVPRO of Tri-County!
As fall approaches in the Tri-County area, it’s essential for homeowners to prepare for the potential water damage that comes with increased rainfall. The shift in seasons can bring unpredictable weather patterns, and a proactive approach can save you from costly repairs down the line. Here’s how you can protect your home from water damage as the leaves start to change.
Understand the Fall Weather in Our AreaToccoa is known for its beautiful fall foliage, but it also experiences significant rainfall during this season. According to the National Weather Service, the average rainfall in Toccoa in October is about 4.2 inches, with November seeing around 4.3 inches. These numbers highlight the importance of taking preventative measures to ensure your home remains safe and dry throughout the season.
Steps to Prevent Water DamageInspect and Clean Gutters and Downspouts: Leaves and debris can quickly clog your gutters during the fall. Regularly cleaning them ensures that rainwater can flow freely and be directed away from your home. Clogged gutters can cause water to overflow and pool around your foundation, leading to potential water damage.
Check Your Roof for Damage: Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the elements. Make sure to inspect it for missing, damaged, or loose shingles that could allow water to seep into your home. Consider hiring a professional roofing contractor for a thorough inspection.
Seal Windows and Doors: Gaps and cracks around your windows and doors can allow water to enter your home. Use caulk and weather-stripping to seal these areas and prevent leaks. This will also improve your home’s energy efficiency by keeping out drafts.
Maintain Your Sump Pump: If you have a basement, a sump pump is crucial in preventing flooding. Test your sump pump regularly to ensure it’s in good working condition and replace it if it shows signs of wear and tear.
Grade Your Landscape: Ensure the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation. This helps to divert water away from your home and prevents it from pooling around the foundation, which can lead to leaks and structural damage.
Call SERVPRO of Tri-County for Professional HelpTaking these steps can significantly reduce the risk of water damage to your home. However, if you find yourself facing water damage despite your best efforts, SERVPRO of Tri-County is here to help. Our team of experts is equipped to handle any water damage situation, ensuring your home is restored to its pre-damage condition.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. With SERVPRO of Tri-County by your side, you can enjoy the beauty of fall without worrying about the weather.
Visit our website or call us today to learn more about how we can help protect your home from seasonal water damage.
Moisture and Your Home | SERVPRO of Tri-County
5/15/2024 (Permalink)
Water damage can happen anywhere in your home. Call SERVPRO of Tri-County to restore water damage on your property 24/7, 365.
How much water is running in your home right now? Do you have a load of laundry washing or perhaps the dishwasher going for what feels like the third time today? Having water when we need it can make life much easier, but it also leaves our home vulnerable to water damage.
While even a single leak can result in a pretty chaotic mess, there are a lot of things you can do to prevent a disaster. When you know where moisture most commonly affects your home you can keep things safe.
Under Your SinksThe first place you should get used to checking for excess moisture in your home is under the sink. Both your kitchen and the bathrooms in your home are some of the top places that leaks start and go unnoticed. Sinks often have multiple water lines, and we tend to store plenty of items under them as well. This can make finding a small leak challenging.
Check under your sinks weekly. Run your hand along all the water lines, feeling for moisture, holes or other deterioration. Make sure all the connection points are tight on everything under your sink, and replace anything that is starting to wear out.
Beneath AppliancesYour appliances that use water are another common source of hidden leaks. When leaks start in an appliance, it is often under or behind it. Dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines can all be hiding leaks that can do a lot of damage to your home.
Put pulling your appliances out on your calendar every few months. Give the wall and floor behind them a deep-cleaning when you do, and start looking for signs of an issue. Mold growth, water droplets or soft spots in the floor are indicators that your appliance has been leaking.
Behind Your Walls or FloorsOne of the reasons you want to find and correct leaks quickly is because water, even just a little bit of it, can move really quickly. Water will find its way into any crack or crevice nearby, which could leave you with water damage behind your walls or under your floors.
If you find yourself constantly sniffing around to identify a musty odor, it’s time to start doing some digging and looking for possible water behind the walls. A new squeak in the floor can be another sign that something is going wrong, especially when it is near an appliance.
Around Your Windows and DoorsWhen the temperatures swing inside or outside of your home, it can leave your windows covered in condensation. Although this is pretty common, it still isn’t something you want to ignore. Condensation can stick around for a long time, threatening the structure of your home as it drips in between siding or into other cracks around your window.
Check your windows and doors regularly to ensure they are well-sealed. Run your hand along the frame to feel for moisture or weak spots in the seal. Fill in any gaps and update the caulking whenever things are looking questionable.
Don’t let any water damage you do find be a reason to panic. Just give SERVPRO® a call, and we will get your home taken care of fast. Whether you have standing water from a full flood or damage that has happened over time, we’ve got your needs covered.
Don’t ignore signs of water damage! Call SERVPRO for a quick restoration.
Water Leaks Can Be a Smelly Situation | SERVPRO of Tri-County
5/15/2024 (Permalink)
Trust SERVPRO of Tri-County to provide comprehensive services for a full recovery for all your water damage restoration needs.
There are few things worse than stepping into your kitchen or laundry room and finding a puddle on the floor. Even discovering that you forgot to close a single window before that big rainstorm and now everything around it is wet can make for a difficult day.
It doesn’t really matter where water leaks come from, they are likely to leave you with more damage than a regular mop and bucket can clean up. Water can end up in places you would never have imagined.
Professional help in a hurry is crucial when it comes to water damage. The faster you can get things dry, the less damage you will have.
Addressing Water LeaksWhen water gets into the wrong places, it can cause total chaos in a short amount of time. A leak can find its way under your floors, behind your walls and into every hard to reach place around your home.
If a water leak happens in your home, do your best to dry up all the visible water you can. Take special care to note any cracks, corners, cabinets and walls around where the leak was in case you need to later identify more extensive damages. When moisture gets into tight space where there is no airflow, it will not dry on its own. Instead, it can linger for a long time, potentially creating a dangerous situation.
Metal structures near the moisture will rust and wooden beams can begin to break down. Mold will start to grow, and it can spread into an entire colony in less than two days. This means you could be dealing with far more than just some wet spots from a water leak.
Following Your NoseAfter a water leak, if you notice a musty odor, it is a sure sign that mold has started to spread. Try your best to sniff out the source of the smell, but keep in mind that it may not be obvious. Mold loves to hide out behind your walls or under your floor, which can make it hard to see.
Our professionals can handle even the hardest to find mold outbreaks. When you call us, we will not just dry out the area around the leak, we will also replace warped walls, restore soft floorboards and start working to find every single spot of mold. Through drying, remediation and sanitization techniques, we will get your home completely as it should be again.
Even the most well-restored home won’t feel like yours again until every lingering odor is gone. As we clean and restore your space, we will isolate the area in order to filter the air through your HVAC system. We will also disinfect everything, sealing surfaces so that mold cannot return and odors are completely trapped. Our restoration team will ensure you are completely back to pre-water damage condition again.
Don’t ignore signs of a water leak. Contact SERVPRO® for a full recovery.
Water Damage and Your Home | SERVPRO of Tri-County
5/1/2024 (Permalink)
If you discover water damage in your home or business, call SERVPRO of Tri-County right away.
Water is a powerful resource. In our homes, we do our best to control it through pipes and faucets, but even still it can have a surprising force. If you have ever spent time near the ocean or other large body of water, you understand the true raw power that water is.
Water is something that we require every single day, but when it starts getting out of control, it can creep into all the wrong places and create havoc. The Tri-Counties have had a few flooding episodes in the past, with the most historic being the dam break in the 70s. Toccoa Falls is a beautiful place to be, but it also means we all have to be aware of the possibility of flooding at all times.
You can take a lot of steps to prevent damages and protect your home, but there will always be natural disasters you can’t stop. That makes have water damage restoration experts near you incredibly important.
The First StepsShould your home take on water, the sooner you can act, the better your outcome will be. Water moves fast—and creates deep damage fast. Seek out the source of the water as soon as you can and take steps to dry as much as possible.
Once you have found where the water is coming from, see what you can do to stop it. If the flood is occurring because of a natural disaster, you may simply have to wait in a safe space. Internal flooding can be controlled by turning it off at the source. Learn where all the water shut-off valves are in your home so that you can take quick action if a failure occurs.
Never set foot in standing water that could be affecting your electrical system. Turn the power off to the flooded area or your whole home if necessary before you start drying anything.
When it is safe, call us at SERVPRO®. Our phone lines are available 24⁄7, so it doesn’t matter what time a disaster strikes in your home. The sooner you call, the sooner your recovery begins.
How We Dry Your HomeAs soon as you call us, we will start assessing your situation and gathering as much information as possible. While we gather what we need, you should snap as many photos as possible. We will work side by side with your insurance company to ensure the smoothest process as possible, and the more documentation you have, the easier it will be.
We will get a team headed to your home right away, complete with the equipment necessary to start drying everything out. Eliminating standing water and tackling your soft items will be our first priority as we ensure every drop of water and all odors are removed. Your home will be sanitized as we work to save as much of your property as possible.
Our professionals are trained to handle everything your restoration needs. If part of your home is destroyed, we can rebuild it. We will make sure that your house is exactly as you want it to be when everything is finished.
Any standing water greater than an inch requires a professional to ensure that everything is handled correctly. Different kinds of water necessitate different kinds of processes in order to stay sanitary, and our team is trained in all of them. With our SERVPRO team right around the corner, you can rest easy knowing that everything will be done to restore your property fast.
Do you have water damage in your home? Call us for fast and complete restoration.
Our Commitment to Restoration Instead of Replacement | SERVPRO® of Tri-County
4/28/2021 (Permalink)
Have you sustained property damage and feeling overwhelmed? We are here to help, contact SERVPRO of Tri-County.
Having damage in your home is always a disheartening experience, but if that damage is due to a disaster, the emotional impact can be even more severe as your family works to recover and heal. The recovery process, while necessary, can be difficult to handle as you work to recover emotionally and have your home restored.
We have helped countless families restore in the wake of disasters, so we understand how challenging it can be—and how we can be a resource throughout the process. We approach every job with a restoration-first mindset, meaning we will handle all aspects of restoring your home and belongings to their pre-damage condition instead of simply recommending liquidation of your property.
How Our Customers Benefit From Our Restoration-First Mindset
We can help you save money on your insurance. The specifics of what is covered on your insurance can vary, but many types of damage can be claimed—which is helpful for costly incidents, but can also cause your premium to increase accordingly. Our restoration-first mindset keeps the amount you have to claim on insurance lower, saving you money in the long run by keeping your premium from increasing quite as much.
We can protect your sentimental items. When there is an imminent emergency, keeping your family safe is the most important thing to focus on—even knowing it can be difficult to leave behind irreplaceable items. Fortunately, we have invested in the technology that enables us to save items that are sentimental in value, such as family photographs, heirlooms and art that could never simply be replaced.
We make sure your home feels like home again. After an emergency or disaster, the first time you go home after restoration can feel extremely emotional—but when you work with us, we strive to make these emotions completely positive. We work on every aspect of restoration, including the small, cosmetic touches, so you recognize your house as your home when you walk through the door.
If you have damages and are feeling overwhelmed, we are here to help. You can call us as soon as you need to in order to begin the restoration process. Contact us today to learn more.
Highly Trained
10/1/2020 (Permalink)
Our technicians at SERVPRO Tri County are professional, highly trained and certified to handle your Water, Fire, Mold restoration needs.
Smoke, fire, water and mold damage all can devastate structures with unique problems and challenges.
Performing restoration services requires specialized knowledge to return homes and businesses to a safe, clean and odor free condition.
That knowledge starts thru training and deepens with experience. Your hometown SERVPRO of Tri-County provides credentialed and caring technicians to Hart, Franklin, Stephens and Elbert counties.
SERVPRO industries provides a comprehensive training program which corresponds with the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) which maintains a series of accredited classroom study for the restoration industry. These classes are designed to give technicians a firm and workable knowledge with industry standards and starting at a new hires first day that continues throughout their entire career.
SERVPRO Industries has been serving American since 1967 – over 53 years and counting. During that half century, the company has continually collected and trained its teams with best cleaning and restoration methods available.
Substantial experience for your emergency
10/1/2020 (Permalink)
SERVPRO Tri County has been privileged to employ some of the most caring and hard working people our towns have to offer.
SERVPRO Industries maintains an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) accredited school on its campus in Gallatin, Tennessee. This school trains hundreds of SERVPRO professionals each year in the many facets of fire, water, and mold damage restoration.
IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) maintains a series of accredited classroom study for the restoration industry. These classes are designed to give technicians a firm and workable knowledge with industry standards.
Your local office, SERVPRO of Tri-County has a staff with well over 100 years of combined on the job experience.
Additionally, we hold over 21 distinct industry recognized certifications through the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification).
You can rely on your hometown SERVPRO professionals to provide the best in quality restoration and cleanup services.
Good Friday Floods of 2019
8/28/2020 (Permalink)
This boy stands waist deep in amazement of Mother Nature's might. SERVPRO has the tools to help when her power is demonstrated.
On the night of April 18th, 2019 Northeast Georgia experienced lines of heavy thunderstorms that caused massive localized flooding throughout Hart, Franklin and Stephens counties.
Because Good Friday is an important Christian holiday, our local SERVPRO of Tri-County had closed the office and only had a skeleton crew scheduled that day.
About 6:30 am, the phones began to ring as flooded homes and businesses called for help.
In all of our area, rivers were swollen including the Savannah, Tugaloo, Seneca, Chattooga, Tallulah, and the Coleman and of course, the hundreds of creeks and brooks that feed them. But it was the Oconee, Broad, Middle, North Fork, and South Fork rivers that jumped their banks and flooded area structures.
Emergency teams and volunteers were called in to help desperate home and business owners as they battled the rising waters.
Flood waters can be especially challenging as they also can bring mud, silt and bacteria from unsanitary sources. Quick water extraction and cleaning is vital to prevent mold, mildew and other health problems.
By day's end numerous structures had been extracted and professional grade drying equipment had been deployed.
Many thanks to those SERVPRO professionals who braved the storm water to provide critical help to our neighbors.
Flooding/Rising Water
8/28/2020 (Permalink)
If you have experienced water loss, contact SERVPRO of Tri-County for consultation on restoration services.
The mountains and hills of beautiful Northeast Georgia provide tremendous beauty. They also are a natural inhibitor to flooding. Because of the steep and rocky slopes, rain water is typically, quickly shed and moves safely downstream.
Unlike other parts of America that are low lying with flat rivers and large flood plains, our part of Georgia is somewhat sheltered from large scale flooding.
However, that doesn’t mean we are totally immune. Localized flooding of creeks and rivers can and still do occur.
Heavy and sudden thunderstorms can quickly over-whelm gutters, drains and grading causing flood waters to intrude into our homes and businesses. Even if your home is the only home on the street to experience rising water, the impact and disruption can be dramatic.
Flood waters can be especially challenging as they also can bring mud, silt and bacteria from unsanitary sources. Quick water extraction and cleaning is vital to prevent mold, mildew and other health problems.
Fast water removal is first on the list of urgent steps. SERVPRO truck mounted and portable extraction machines can quickly pump out and remove the water. Extraction is 1200 times more effective than surface evaporation only.
Removal of damaged building materials such as carpet, pad and drywall should also be done quickly to speed drying and prevent mold.
Cleaning of all affected surfaces with products approved by the EPA is recommended to remove any pollutants or contaminates that the ground water might have brought in with it.
If you have experienced loss from rising water, contact SERVPRO of Tri-County for consultation on partial or total restoration services.
Ask not for who the pipe drips….
8/28/2020 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Tri-County uses highly sophisticated moisture meters to help you determine both the cause and extent of your water loss.
Water is a life-giving resource that all human beings need.
But that same water can be a devastating force to the structures of our homes and businesses. They must be protected from unwanted water intrusion at all times.
The water that we do invite into our homes can also be a problem. Pipes that leak, especially slowly, can go undiscovered for months and even years.
When a pipe leak is slow enough, the water can be absorbed into the surrounding structure. No puddles or standing water may be noticed. Water can also flow down into the crawlspace, further hiding it from view or quick discovery.
Common problem zones are under sinks, especially inside of cabinets. The toilet seal at its base should be inspected and replaced every 5 years or less. HVAC drain pans often clog and can slowly back up and release water.
Long term seepage can produce rot and mold that are a danger to both the structure and the occupants as well.
Sour smells or musty odors are many times a first indicator of moisture problems. Floors or walls that darken, curl, give or are soft to the touch can also be the result of water intrusion.
Make a plan to inspect your plumbing at least annually to catch these leaks before they do significant damage. Most insurance policies exclude these types of leak as covered events so timely capture is even more critical.
Contact the professionals at SERVPRO of Tri-County to perform moisture mapping by using highly sophisticated moisture meters, we can help you determine both the cause and extent of moisture intrusion at your home or business.
Closer to your Water Damage Event
4/28/2020 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Tri-County provides 24 hour fire and water damage restoration service in and between Hartwell, Elberton, Royston, Lavonia and Carnesville.
Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Tri-County provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.
Faster To Any Size Disaster
Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more. SERVPRO of Tri-County arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.
Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – 706-245-7109
Water Damage Timeline
Within Minutes
- Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
- Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
- Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
- Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.
Hours 1 - 24:
- Drywall begins to swell and break down.
- Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
- Furniture begins to swell and crack.
- Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
- A musty odor appears.
48 Hours to 1 Week:
- Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
- Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
- Metal begins to rust and corrode.
- Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
- Paint begins to blister.
- Wood flooring swells and warps.
- Serious biohazard contamination is possible.
More Than 1 Week:
- Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
- Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.
About SERVPRO of Tri-County
SERVPRO of Tri-County has been established in the local area since 1988, our services specialize in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property caused by fire, smoke and/or water damage. Our staff are all locals and are highly trained in property damage restoration, they carry certifications from the IICRC and are further educated at SERVPRO Head Quarters training facility in Gallatin, Tn. Rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge, technology to restore your property.
SERVPRO assists Quality Foods in Commerce, GA after fire/water damage
6/6/2019 (Permalink)
SERVPRO crews rally to help Quality foods get back on track.
In 2017 during the early morning hours of a quiet Wednesday, Quality Foods grocery store in Commerce, Ga suffered a small fire in the back of the building. Caused by a faulty appliance, the fire was quickly snuffed out by the sprinkler system. Thankfully, no one was injured during this event.
The fire and smoke damage were fortunately minor and limited to a small area. But the sprinkler system that put out the fire also discharged several thousand gallons of water into a larger portion of the store.
SERVPRO of Tri-County was called and responded at 4 AM with emergency crews. By sun up that morning, the standing water had been removed and drying equipment was being placed.
All of us rely on our local grocer to provide a consistent supply of food and other necessary sundries. Disruption to that supply can be a real challenge to any community. Quality Foods was committed to minimize interruptions to their customers and to quickly have normal operations restored.
A plan of emergency cleanup was developed with Quality Foods, the Insurance carrier ‘NationWide’ and SERVPRO. The staff at Quality Foods, SERVPRO and various mechanical trades were able to complete that mission the same day. The following morning, the store was able to resume service to its customers.
SERVPRO continued to assist with drying and odor control in a manner that allowed customers to continue to shop in safety and comfort. Quality Foods also coordinated with various tradesmen to make other needed repairs after hours to further minimize disruption to customers and employees.
Thanks to the alert onsite Quality Foods managers and SERVPROs quick response that night, the water damage was mitigated and limited. The Commerce community was indeed blessed to have only a single day’s interruption to this very vital source.
Faster to your Northeast Georgia Water Damage Event
7/14/2017 (Permalink)
Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Santa Barbara provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.
Faster To Any Size Disaster
Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more. SERVPRO of Tri-County and The Mountains arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.
Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – 706-245-7109
Water Damage Timeline
Within Minutes
- Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
- Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
- Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
- Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.
Hours 1 - 24:
- Drywall begins to swell and break down.
- Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
- Furniture begins to swell and crack.
- Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
- A musty odor appears.
48 Hours to 1 Week:
- Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
- Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
- Metal begins to rust and corrode.
- Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
- Paint begins to blister.
- Wood flooring swells and warps.
- Serious biohazard contamination is possible.
More Than 1 Week:
- Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
- Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.
About SERVPRO of Tri-County and The Mountains
SERVPRO of Tri-County and The Mountains specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
Northeast Georgia 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage Service
5/12/2016 (Permalink)
SERVPRO of Tri-County provides 24 hour fire and water damage restoration service in Northeast Georgia
SERVPRO of Tri-County is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.
We Answer the Phone Ready to Help
Call Today - 706-245-7109
We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of Tri-County has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.
What to Expect
When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.
Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:
- Your name and contact information
- Your insurance information (if applicable)
- The street address of the water-damaged home or business
- When did the flooding or water damage occur?
- What caused the water damage (if known)?
- Is there electricity available (on-site)?
About SERVPRO of Tri-County
SERVPRO of Tri-County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.
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