Grill Cleaning and Maintenance Can Prevent a Grease Fire

11/15/2022 (Permalink)

It is important to deep clean your grill.

Grill Cleaning and Maintenance

Residents of the Atchafalaya Area are looking forward to cooking on a grill. However, summer fun can end quickly if a grease fire damages your home. Frequent grill cleaning can prevent costly fire damage.

Cleaning Supplies
Have these cleaning supplies available when preparing to clean your charcoal or gas grill for the summer:

• Scouring pad
• Grill brush with scraper
• Dish soap
  
  

Grill Maintenance and Deep Grill Cleaning
It is important to deep clean your grill and check for signs of needed maintenance at the beginning of summer. Remove any old ashes from your charcoal grill and scrape the grates with a grill brush and hot soapy water. Rinse with hot water before cooking. 
If you have a gas grill, it is important to check for grease under the firebox. Empty the grease collection tray and clean it with hot soapy water. Check the burner hoods for any dirt or grease, making sure the burner ports are clear so flames can pass through.
Repeat the deep cleaning process at the end of summer and store your grill in a dry place or under a weatherproof cover. Additionally, don't forget to remove the ignition battery from your gas grill so it doesn't corrode.

Fire Damage Protection
Make sure you clean your grill thoroughly every time you use it. Scrape any burnt food off the grates before and after cooking and scoop out old ashes from your charcoal grill. If you have a gas grill, empty the grease pan under the firebox and remove any built-up grease, food or ashes from the firebox and burner hoods.  
Fires can happen even if you are diligent about grill cleaning. If a fire damages your house, enlist fire restoration specialists from the Atchafalaya Area, to coordinate the fire cleanup. Routine cleaning and maintenance will help prevent fire damage, so you can relax and enjoy your favorite summer foods without fear.

What Mold in Air Ducts Could Mean for Commercial Buildings

10/28/2022 (Permalink)

The Potential Impact of Mold in Air Ducts for Commercial Buildings

Mold frequently grows on construction materials for commercial buildings in Atchafalaya, LA. It thrives in hidden, dark spaces with favorable humidity levels and hosts that provide it the nutrients it needs. Mold spores will settle and develop into colonies in any areas that provide these conditions. Hiring an HVAC cleaning service at least twice a year is recommended for commercial buildings. It is common to find fungus growing inside of HVAC systems on:

• AC evaporator coils
• The drip pan
• Inside air ducts
  
  

If you find mold around your commercial property, it is likely there is mold inside of your HVAC system as well. Here's what mold in the HVAC system could mean for your commercial building:

Mold Spores Will Circulate When the HVAC System Turns On

Mold can be found feeding off the dust in your HVAC system. This is because air ducts provide a suitable environment for fungus to thrive. This mold will release mold spores that circulate into every room of a commercial building when the HVAC system turns on. This makes them more likely to attach themselves to the natural construction materials of the building. Regular HVAC cleaning will clear your air conditioning system of dust, preventing mold growth. Cleaning vents frequently will also aid in mold prevention.

Mold in Your Air Ducts Will Cause Unpleasant Smells

A key indicator of mold being circulated through the building is an unpleasant, musky smell. When mold spores are circulated through air vents it makes them more likely to grow on other materials that provide the right nutrients, including water damaged wood or drywall. The smell coming from these materials is often described as humid and earthy.

Mold spores only take about 48-72 hours to develop into colonies. If you have found mold on your property, it is crucial to address it right away by calling an HVAC cleaning service. This will improve the overall air quality in your building and prevent mold damage.

IICRC Certified Firm

10/1/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atchafalaya is a certified IICRC,

We only follow the standards set by the IICRC.

this can help influence a client who is unsure about using their insurance policy after a particular loss.

by following IICRC standards we ensure that all work performed follows these guidelines, as most insurance companies only work with providers who follow these guidelines and are a certified firm. 

The IICRC has 3 categories of water in which most decisions are made in each loss.

category 1-

Clean water source from a clean water supply line, for example an overflown sink or a burst water supply line from a refrigerator.

Category 2-

Water that came from a clean water source but has traveled through building materials and has become contaminated.

Category 3- 

Water that does not come from a clean water source for example a flood or a toilet back up, typically this means all materials that were affected by this water needs to be removed with the exception of core building materials like framing, after removing all contaminated materials, cleaning and disinfecting needs to occur before the drying equipment is placed.  

Commercial Services

9/30/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atchafalaya offers a Free Virtual ERP account.

If you are a commercial owner take advantage of setting up a free ERP account with us!

This virtual account will include a visit from one of our production technicians to start the process, we will take notes of important information about the building like where the main water shut off valve can be located, what your maintenance manager or other employees will be able to do with this information is log in at any time and find the items they are looking for, making emergencies much easier to handle.

The entire program is free of charge, call today to learn more!

For Commercial Use only.

• Small Office Buildings
• Large Office/High-Rise Office Buildings
• Apartment Buildings
• Restaurants
• Hotel/Motels
• Small Retail Stores
• Large Retail/Big-Box Stores
• High-Rise Residential
• Manufacturing & Industrial
• Government/Military

Reconstruction Services

9/30/2022 (Permalink)

This is a home that was reconstructed by SERVPRO of Atchafalaya after it suffered severe damage from a fire.

SERVPRO of Atchafalaya also offers reconstruction services.

We understand how difficult and time consuming it is dealing with the repairs of your home or business after a water or fire damage.

Here at SERVPRO of Atchafalaya we not only clean and mitigate your home, but we can also help in the repair process to truly leave your home or business "Like it never even happened." 

Services include:

Painting-interior and exterior, drywall repair, insulation install, flooring install- porcelain tile, hardwood floor, vinyl floor, engineered floor, carpet flooring, laminate flooring, natural stone, cabinetry/trim, countertops/vanities, baseboard installation, roof repair, and many more. With many years of reconstruction/remodeling experience, you can feel confident knowing SERVPRO of Atchafalaya is the construction company you can trust.

Preparing for Rain

9/26/2022 (Permalink)

Although hurricane season has been pretty quiet, we all know things can change in an instant. Have you ensured your home is protected from the elements as more rain may continue to pass through?  Here are a few tips to help prepare to help avoid potential rainwater intruding into your home use these precautions:

• Check the gutters and make sure it’s clean: Clogged ones can cause rainwater to back up and damage your roof and house.
• Inspect the roof: Look for loose or damaged shingles and keep an eye out for signs of leakage.
• Be sure to check the inside of your house for ceilings and walls: Any water damage could indicate roof leaks or cracked window seals.
• Trim trees and bushes that are close to the house: When doing yard maintenance cut the branches of a tree that can be weighed down with water or strike houses.
• Check street drains near your home: If they are clogged, call your city’s public works department.

Follow your local news source for up-to-date information on weather situations and pay close attention to their warnings. SERVPRO of Atchafalaya is here for you! Give us a call for your storm damage needs at (225) 667-2220.

Quick Response is Crucial for Atchafalaya Business Owners

9/26/2022 (Permalink)

No matter how big or small the damage is, SERVPRO of Atchafalaya is always here to help business owners in our community!

The first 24 hours can make the difference between restoring versus replacing your business’ property.  Property damage, equipment damage, document loss, and temporary business closures are some concerns businesses could experience. Timely response and professional mitigation from a restoration company can alleviate these concerns. Closures for a business do not just impact a business owner but can cause an impact on customers and employees.  Before there is a possible risk of doing further damage by attempting to clean the damage yourself, call the professionals at SERVPRO of Atchafalaya, your local water and fire damage cleanup and restoration professionals. You can reach us all day, every day (including holidays) at (337) 345-8840. When disaster strikes, our team at SERVPRO of Atchafalaya is prepared to help you and your business. 

Fire Clean Up

10/17/2019 (Permalink)

Soot is visible on the surfaces of this bathroom after a fire.

In addition to remediating the damage from fires to residential or commercial properties, the technicians at SERVPRO of Atchafalaya are extensively trained to clean the remnants from a fire off the surfaces of your belongings, including soot and smoke residue. 

When it comes to smoke and soot damage in your home, it can impact many things, including your health. The homeowner of this house had health issues, which the soot and residue left from the fire intensified. SERVPRO of Atchafalaya went to work quickly, deep cleaning the home and removing all trace of the fire. When we respond to a call for fire mitigation, we thoroughly clean and treat all impacted areas - both the visible damage and the unseen. We are equipped to clean surfaces,  textiles, and even air ducts - whatever is necessary to get your home back to pre-damage condition.

Nail Salon Fire

10/17/2019 (Permalink)

When your business is impacted by a fire, we are here to help you.

When SERVPRO of Atchafalaya was called to respond to the aftermath of a fire at this nail salon, we knew there were two primary things our customer would be most concerned with: 

1. That all the fire damage would be cleaned and removed from their property.

2. That their business could reopen quickly.

We were able to reassure them that our crew would be capable of helping them achieve both outcomes.

SERVPRO of Atchafalaya was able to get on site quickly, remove fire-damaged materials, clean up the soot residue, and get the commercial property back to pre-damage condition. In just a matter of days, we were able to mitigate the damage to this nail salon top to bottom, and they were able to reopen and get back to their business.

Faulty Sprinkler System Causes Water Damage

10/17/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Atchafalaya is equipped to respond to water damage of any size.

When a sprinkler system in this hospital malfunctioned, nearly half of the facility had been doused with four inches of water. SERVPRO of Atchafalaya was called out to help get all the water removed and the facility cleaned.

Once our crew arrived at the hospital, water extraction was the first thing that needed to happen. Once all of the water had been properly removed from the property, we ensured that the space was dry and wouldn't incur secondary damage as a result of exposure to the water. Our team then thoroughly cleaned the impacted portion of the facility so that it would be available for use by the hospital. 

After our mitigation was complete, our clients from the hospital were very pleased with the end results; and happy customers make us happy!