Electrical Fire Damage in the Home

7/31/2024 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of North West Montgomery County is ready to respond when you need fire damage restoration.

Residential Electrical Fires in Nort West Montgomery County

There are approximately 24,000 electrical fires per year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Many of these are caused by faulty wiring and over loaded power cords. Other fires are started by issues in appliance cords, receptacles and switches. Never use an appliance with a worn or frayed cord, this can start a fire. By sending heat onto combustible surfaces like floors, curtains, and rugs you put your home at risk of fire. Running cords under rugs is another cause of electrical fires. Removing the grounding plug from a cord so it can be used in a two-prong electrical outlet is also an issue. The reason appliances have the extra prong is so they can be only used in outlets that can handle the extra amount of electricity that these appliances draw.

Professional Fire Damage Restoration Services Are Available

For more than fifty years people have been able to trust SERVPRO® for all of their restoration needs. SERVPRO provides cleaning, restoration and construction services. From residential issues to large loss commercial jobs SERVPRO technicians are ready to respond. SERVPRO experts have the knowledge, experience and advanced technology. Fire damage restoration should be done by professionals. SERVPRO's technicians are trained in all of the different areas of fire damage restoration. This includes cleaning up water damage from the fire fighting efforts. Water left behind could lead to mold in the home. Technicians are also trained in smoke odor removal and how to handle soot.

Understanding Professional Mold Remediation

7/25/2024 (Permalink)

If you suspect mold in your home call the experts at SERVPRO of North West Montgomery County.

When there's an unexpected water issue in your home or business, mold can quickly become a significant problem. Mold can cause issues for your family and cause damage to your property. SERVPRO of North West Montgomery County technicians have the training and expertise to inspect, contain, and remediate the mold. Specialized filtration equipment capture microscopic mold spores out the air. SERVPRO techs use powerful air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums. Various containment procedures are used to prevent the spread of mold and isolate the contaminated areas. SERVPRO experts use powerful air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums. The mold remediation process depends on the amount of mold and the types of surfaces on which the mold appears. Anti-fungal and anti-microbial treatments are used to eliminate mold colonies. Removing and disposing of porous materials like drywall and flooring, may be necessary to remediate heave mold growth.  If you suspect you have an issue, please contact SERVPRO of North West Montgomery County.

Fire Damage Requires Professional Restoration

7/25/2024 (Permalink)

A fire in a home is one of the biggest fears of being a property owner. After a fire there is usually plenty of damage that you can see, but what about the damage you can't see or smell. An example is damage to your property’s HVAC system. When a dwelling fills up with smoke as a result of a fire, this same smoke is pulled into he HVAC system and is circulated throughout the system. Whether it's smoke from grease, food, plastic, wood, or furniture, that smoke gets inside the HVAC system’s air ducts. The offensive smoke odors will contaminate the ducts as well as attaching odor to any debris or dust within the ducts and filters manifesting into a lingering smell. An offensive smell that will definitely lead to poor air quality within the dwelling. Clogged HVAC air filters will cause the HVAC system to work harder. The cleanup and fire damage restoration will require the professional response from SERVPRO of North West Montgomery County. People have been trusting SERVPRO for well over 50 years. Trained SERVPRO technicians respond with state of the art equipment.

Commercial Restoration

4/10/2023 (Permalink)

Pottstown Hospital, water damage

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

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

Give us a call today 610-327-9644

Why Do I Need to Check My Smoke Alarm?

4/6/2023 (Permalink)

Melted smoke detector from fire

Do I need smoke alarms?

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

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

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

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

*Test all smoke detector alarms on a monthly basis.

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

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

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

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

Fire safety tips from:

SERVPRO of Pottstown / Souderton

Tree falls into home

4/3/2023 (Permalink)

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Size Gutter Do I Need on My House?

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

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

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

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

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

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

We do it all!

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

One of our Crew Chiefs using a fogger.

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

Fire Damage

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

Basement Fire

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

Bursting Pipes Have Businesses Feeling Pressure from Freezing Water

2/9/2023 (Permalink)

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

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

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

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

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

Emergency Ready Plan (ERP)

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

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

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

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

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

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