Recent Posts

Fire Damage must knows

7/3/2023 (Permalink)

Fire safety written out over fire background Fire Safety

After any fire damage situation, your primary focus should be safety first.

-Is it safe in the house?

-Electrical and "slip and fall" hazards are some of the most prevalent concerns.

-Only do activities that are safe for you to perform.

-Wet materials can be VERY heavy. Be careful!

-Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from being embedded into the upholstery and carpets.

-Keep hands clean so as not to further soil upholstery, walls, and woodwork. 

-Place clean towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery and carpet traffic areas.

-If electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator and prop doors open.

-Clean and protect chrome with light coating of petroleum jelly or oil.

-Wash houseplants on both sides of leaves.

-Change HVAC filter.

-Tape double layers of cheesecloths over air registers. 

-Don't attempt to wash any walls, painted surfaces, shampoo carpet or upholstery without contacting your SERVPRO Franchise Professional.

-Don't attempt to clean any electrical appliances that may have been close to fire, heat, or water without consulting an authorized repair service. 

-Don't use any canned or packaged food or beverages that may have been stored near the fire, heat or water.

-Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet. The wiring may be damaged.

-Don't send garments to an ordinary dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may set smoke odor. 

Tips from IICRC - CARPET Cleanings

7/3/2023 (Permalink)

Carpet cleanings written over carpet background Commercial Carpet Cleanings

The following was copied directly from: http://www.IICRC.org/consumers/care/commercial-carpet-cleaning/

“What steps should I take to maintain carpet in a high-traffic area on a daily basis, and to deal with spills and stains?

·         It's a good idea to keep sand, grit and grass clippings off walkways outside entries to prevent inward tracking of these abrasive soils.

·         Purchase a properly sized entry mat, the bigger the better.  There must be room for at least two steps to sufficiently wipe soil from feet before encountering the installed carpet. A carpet with a nylon face and vinyl back is best for moisture and oils absorption, combined with the resiliency necessary to collect a quantity of particle soil. The IICRC suggests a rental mat, since that guarantees frequent maintenance. Place entry mats on hard surfaces rather than on carpet where they can trap moisture or cause plasticizer migration.

·         Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum daily, especially after major events. The sooner you collect soils from the surface, the easier it is to remove them. For most carpet, you should use an upright vacuum with brush agitation, unless your canister vacuum is particularly well designed. The wider the head, the more efficient.

·         Typically, deep cleaning should be accomplished on at least a semi-annual basis, with no more than two entry and high-traffic area "rinse" cleanings between the deep cleaning. This is dependent on traffic and daily maintenance as well. At a minimum, some attention should be given to primary entry areas on a quarterly basis.

·         If spots are treated immediately, most will respond with plain warm water and very little mild detergent added.

·         Use high-efficiency double-lined poly-fiber collection bags. This reduces periodic maintenance such as dusting of furniture, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) filter exchange.

·         Make sure the HVAC system is slightly positively pressurized as well, which means that air is going out when doors are opened, rather than being sucked in. Proper air exchange rates can be calibrated according to ASHRAE regulations for the building with a trained HVAC contractor.

·         Ensure proper air filtration through the HVAC System. High-efficiency pleated filters, rather than inexpensive fiberglass filters, are recommended.”

Air Movers & Drying Process

7/3/2023 (Permalink)

Air Mover used for drying wet materials Air mover to the rescue

“Structure and contents

When working within a residence, it is often the case that those who are performing the water damage restoration must work with and around the contents of the home. This includes, but is not limited to, furniture, electronics, books, and any other materials that may have been affected by the water damage. The moving around of the said contents is often referred to "contents manipulation." Water damage restoration firms often bill content manipulation on a per hour basis.

Contents may also require treatment due to the effects of water damage. This may include, but is not limited to, sterilization, sanitization, deodorization, drying, and storage of said contents. Other contents may simply be unsalvageable, or the cost of having them salvaged would exceed its current value.

Monitoring

After the water has been extracted and any non-salvageable materials have been removed, water damage professionals should place drying equipment according to industry guidelines for capacity in the affected areas. Industry standards state that drying vendors should return to the residence at regular time intervals, preferably every twenty-four hours, to monitor the equipment, temperature, humidity, and moisture content of the affected walls, contents, or other affected materials. Should one area be dry and another affected area still wet, the firm will relocate or remove equipment accordingly.

Completion

Once temperature, humidity, and moisture content are deemed acceptable according to industry standards, drying equipment is removed and the drying process is complete. There are defining criteria and methods to be used for assessing water damage and establishing restoration procedures, but because of the unique circumstances of every water damage restoration project, it is impractical to issue blanket rules that apply to every situation. In extenuating circumstances, deviation from standard practices is appropriate.

Step-by-step process

Though the water seepage will stop once the source of water has been identified and plugged, the problem does not end there. It is essential to determine the appropriate water extraction method, which may range from the use of a wet-dry vac unit to more heavy duty equipment like submersible pumps. Once this has been completed, the process of drying and dehumidification should start. Oftentimes, affected surfaces and areas look dry once the water has been extracted and removed, but there remains hidden water and moisture.  This would call for the use of drying and dehumidifying equipment. As such, carpets, walls, and flooring require removal, drying, cleaning, and disinfecting."

Damp crawl space

2/23/2023 (Permalink)

Fog gun pumping smoke into crawl space Fogging of the crawlspace

Crawl space moisture is common, so don't sweat it. Expect your crawl space to get wet during hot and humid summer months, when precipitation is high. Moisture will condense on the crawl space walls and other materials inside. Depending on how humid the air is, puddles may form. Condensation in crawl space is a sign that you have a moisture problem. In general, condensation forms when the relative humidity in your crawl space reaches 100%. In other words, this is the point when the air can't hold moisture any longer. While a crawl space moisture problem can be complicated, the solution is fairly simple - seal the crawl space to keep out moisture from the outside air and soil and install a dehumidifier to control the humidity level. Using a dehumidifier will pull the moisture out of your crawl space air before it enters the rest of your home. You can install a crawl space barrier to eliminate odors. This prevents ground moisture from evaporating into your crawl space, which reduces your risk of odors from moisture, mold, or pests.

Moisture in your crawl space can lead to the growth and proliferation of mold. A wet crawl space is ideal for mold growth because of the presence of moisture. There’s also a lot of organic matter like wood that mold can feed on.

You’d be wrong to think that mold is harmless and only an aesthetic flaw. That’s because molded releases airborne spores into the air that find their way into your home. These spores can lead to a variety of respiratory complications, including allergic reactions and asthma attacks.

Don't let this disaster happen to you. Give us a call!

ONE Year SERVPRO of Rio Rancho, Sandoval County & South Albuquerque Celebration

6/28/2022 (Permalink)

One year Celebration with owner photo Happy One Year Celebration

One year ago today SERVPRO OF SOUTH ALBUQUERQUE & SERVPRO OF RIO RANCHO AND SANDOVAL COUNTY was signed under new ownership. Building a strong, knowledgeable, dedicated team and being awarded Top 50 Franchise in the region, we are growing everyday. Join us in recognizing our amazing employees and leadership. #1YearCelebrations #FireWaterRestoration Tonya Smith, Former Marketing Manager, paved her way working and gaining knowledge in the company and in the industry to fulfill her goals of owning her own franchise and to make it even better she bought TWO!  Now, Owner/General Manager Tonya Smith, is developing a team to take over Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and surrounding areas. With Office manager, Michelle Archuleta and Production Crew Lead Manager, Anthony Garza, we are ensuring SERVPRO green is well known and used state wide.  Stop by the office or give us a call - Lets work together to make NM Clean! 

SERVPRO of Rio Rancho/Sandoval County & South Albuquerque Readily Available

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

Green screen with Why Servpro written in the middle Why SERVPRO?

By definition, Readily Available, means able to be used or obtained quickly and easily.That is what we strive for here at SERVPRO of South Albuquerque & SERVPRO of Rio Rancho and Sandoval County.

Our phone lines are "readily available" twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Although our team might not be in the office, a designated on-call technician is scheduled weekly to ensure that you will be taken care of.

Sadly, when disaster hits it not during normal business hours. Night time, early mornings, holidays, it has no specific time.

Give us a call, our on call tech will get more information from you such as level of damage, safety hazards, insurance information.

Level of damage and safety hazard are the most important to determine if our team needs to arrive within the hour or perform the clean up at a more convenient time for yourself and not cut into your sleep.

Late Night Calls!

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

Broken glass doorway Before & After Broken Class Board Up

One of the worst calls that you can receive at night as a business owner is that property damage has been done overnight by vandals or thief's to your property. 

This was the case for one of our customers. 

Broken glass to the entry door that lead all through the showroom hallway. Damage was done by a passerby that threw multiple bricks throw the glass doorway. Little shards of glass were everywhere, inside and outside, the property. Although glass can be swept up, you don't always get it 100%. 

SERVPRO of Rio Rancho/Sandoval County and SERVPRO of South Albuquerque has the high tech equipment needed to ensure 100% clean up. We also have the means to board up the damage until re installment is completed.   

SERVPRO of South Albuquerque COVID Cleanings

2/16/2022 (Permalink)

Employee in PPE outfit cleaning an office desk COVID Cleaning by SERVPRO of South Albuqueque

COVID-19

We all didn't expect to have this pandemic go on as long as it has and I am sure we are all ready for it to come to an end. 

But with rising numbers and everyday being unknown, SERVPRO of Rio Rancho & Sandoval County want to make you feel at ease. We provide preventive and confirmed COVID cleanings 24-7. 

We work around the clock to ensure that there is no disruption to your business or your home. 

When you see that a business has been Certified: SERVPRO® Cleaned, you can be confident it’s been cleaned using the processes and procedures used by SERVPRO for biohazard remediation for more than 50 years.

Contact our office today to receive a free estimate (505) 891.2345 

Ozone!

11/25/2021 (Permalink)

Ozone set in place The higher the ozone, the more it deodorize.

We are back to our Fire Job that we previously talked about on last weeks blog. 

This week we are discussing some of the equipment that is super important to our jobs. 

Ozones!

Ozones are used to oxidize organic odors such as smoke, pet odors, mildew, organic pollutants and more without chemicals. 

HOW IT WORKS:
A transformer shoots several thousand volts of
electricity through a reactor, causing the atom of a
water molecule to change from an O2 molecule to a
very unstable O3 molecule. The extra O molecule
then attaches itself to a contaminant, actually
alternating its structure. The remaining O2 molecule
becomes stable once again.

Once we dry the area fully we recommend removing any living things.

We then set the unit as high as possible since ozone is
heavier than air and will fall. We also set up an air
mover to help circulate the ozone.

Sealing the room to prevent dissipation to areas that do not need to
be deodorized.

Lastly, we plug in the machine, set the timer, and switch the power button on.

Once complete, we ventilate the area thoroughly.

 We will update you more on the progress next week!

Disaster preparation

11/25/2021 (Permalink)

Bucket of items that are listed above Disaster preparation Kit

This year has proven to be a roller coaster of crazy so if you do not have a disaster preparedness kit ready for you home, you can follow these steps to make sure you are ready when disaster strikes.

What should be in your Disaster Kit?

Battery-operated radio and flashlight

Plenty of batteriesPortable phone charges, with full charges

Food and water for at least a few days (make sure you account for the number of people in your household)

Non-electric can opener

First aid kit

Essential medicines (it’s also good to have a list of essential medicines)

Extra clothing and blankets

Hand Sanitizer

Fire Extinguisher

Matches in a waterproof container

Small tool kit

Rope

Duct Tape

Copies of personal documents, such as ID or passport (this is if you are unable to access or reach your original documents)

Family and emergency contact information printed out

Extra cash

Paper map of the area (this is good to have on hand if you cannot access the map app on your phone or if you do not have access to your phone)

Permanent marker