What Is the IICRC?

7/26/2022 (Permalink)

We employ IICRC-Certified technicians

Basic Information About This Organization

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification serves as the primary certifying organization for this industry. If you are searching for a damage restoration company to do work on your business, ensuring they have a mitigation certificate from this organization guarantees that you will receive high-quality work. Here is some basic information about this organization and the rigorous standards certified firms and technicians must meet.

Stats
There are certified companies in many countries around the world. Here are some basic stats about this organization:

• Thousands of companies are endorsed
• Thousands of certified employees are employed in the industry
• Dozens of training courses are available for firms and technicians
• These workers and firms must meet over a dozen rigorous requirements outlined in the organization's standards

Standards

The IICRC is the leader in technological advancements in the restoration industry and ensures that its companies follow a certain set of standards to provide high-quality concepts, terminology, and procedures. These standards are based on the most recent scientific developments and are strictly adhered to by companies who wish to maintain their certification.

Certified Firms

There are certified firms all over the world, even in Lakeland, FL. These are easily identified because only IICRC-endorsed companies can access designated marketing material, webinars, and the firm locator on the organization's website. Only companies with a certification from this organization are guaranteed to provide high-quality work.

Certified Technicians

Additionally, the IICRC offers certifications for technicians who are looking to further their careers. Companies that have certified employees are available in many locations and can provide exceptional work on restoration projects.
When you need a company that will provide high-quality restoration work for your business, it is important to look for an endorsement from this organization. This ensures that you are getting trained employees who use the most recent scientific innovations in the industry to provide your business with the highest quality remediation work available.

Classifying Severe Water Damage and How To Treat It

6/26/2022 (Permalink)

The three types of water damage have varying contamination levels.

Severe Water Damage Classification and Treatment

Water damage can impact any home or business to varying degrees. Water is classified into three categories ranging from contaminant-free to grossly contaminated and unsanitary. Here is what you should know if the most severe type of damage affects your South Lakeland, FL, property.

What Is Black Water?

The three types of water damage have varying contamination levels. The first category is known as clean water and not harmful, while Category 2, or gray water, features some level of contaminants. The most unsanitary category of water damage is also known as black water. This unsafe water features any of the following hazardous properties:

• Fungi
• Bacteria
• Pesticides
• Chemical toxins

Where Does It Come From?

This harmful water can have a few different sources. Any sort of sewage backup features water that is ridden with bacteria and labeled Category 3 water. Flood water also contains high levels of bacteria and toxins so the collecting of sea, river, or groundwater after any storm will qualify. Additionally, the microorganisms within Category 2 water can evolve into this category if left untreated for too long.

How Do You Treat This Type of Damage?

Any type of water can cause significant damage to a building. Therefore, a trusted water damage mitigation company should be brought in. These experts are equipped to perform floodwater or sewage cleanup and will safely extract all water and dry the area. From there, the entire impacted area needs to be strongly disinfected before any necessary building repairs can begin.

Black water is the most concerning type of water damage given its heavy level of contaminants and toxins. If your property faces this damage from sewage or flood water, immediately bring in experts to properly clean and restore the space.

3 Benefits of SERVPRO Storm Services for Insurance Agents

6/25/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Lakeland is here to make things " Like it never even happened"

3 Reasons Why SERVPRO Storm Services Are Beneficial to Insurance Agents

When North Lakeland, FL, is faced with a natural disaster such as flooding, many clients need storm restoration support. As an insurance agent, you have access to a long list of local restoration companies, so how do you choose one for your clients? SERVPRO makes the preferred vendor list for many insurance companies. Here are three benefits of choosing a SERVPRO storm services team for your clients.

1. Dispatch Preferred Vendors for Storm Restoration
SERVPRO has a reputation for trustworthy service all over the country. Each franchise owner can participate in a corporate program that certifies them as a preferred vendor with an insurance company. This process involves meeting many strict quality standards, including regular audits. When your clients are faced with a disaster, you want to confidently dispatch a commercial restoration company that you trust to support your client from the first moment on scene until the claims process is finalized.

2. Rely on Corporate Resources for Efficient Service
Rapid storm response is necessary to get businesses back on their feet when a natural disaster strikes. Each SERVPRO franchise is locally owned and operated, so your clients will work with someone who understands their role in the community. The franchise owner also has the benefit of corporate support, which means resourcing for cleanup and repair can happen quickly since there is a large team of experts working together to help your clients.

3. Work with Trained Professionals to Support Clients
It's essential to have a professional assess flood damage in your client's space. There's a short window in which certain materials can be rescued and restored; otherwise, secondary damages can occur, which can cause more problems. SERVPRO trains its teams in the latest cleaning and restoration practices. They provide continuing education so that they are always ready to use the latest strategies to make it look "Like it never even happened.”

You can rely on a corporate-backed storm restoration company to support your clients after a disaster.

The 7 Steps of Building Restoration After a Fire

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

Experts are equipped with the proper supplies and techniques to effectively remove all traces of smoke from surfaces.

The 7 Steps to Restoring a Building After a Fire

Repairing a business or commercial space after a fire can seem like a daunting process, but there are seven critical steps that typically unfold. Here is what a fire rebuild consists of in the event your Lakeland, FL, business is impacted by flames.

1. Contact Fire Restoration Experts
If a fire has burned through your property, your first step should be to call a fire damage restoration company. These professionals can mitigate the damage and set a roadmap for repairs.

2. Evaluation of Property
An early step in the process is an inspection of the damage. This will dictate how much structural or smoke damage is present and how much repair is needed.

3. Board the Building
Rebuilding services will then board up the property's walls and windows and place a tarp on the roof to ensure safety, as fire damage can leave these structures compromised.

4. Address Any Water Damage
If there is excess water present after being used to put out the fire, it's critical to extract it and thoroughly dry the space.

5. Remove Smoke From Surfaces
The fire restoration process involves cleaning all smoke and soot that has affected the property. Experts are equipped with the proper supplies and techniques to effectively remove all traces of smoke from surfaces.

6. Deep Cleaning
After smoke removal, the rest of the space undergoes deep cleaning and disinfecting. Odor removal may be included in this step depending on the severity of the lingering smoke smell.

7. Restoration Begins
After completing all the previous steps, the building is now ready to be restored to normal. This final step will vary based on the extent of the damage but could include painting, replacing drywall, or even reconstruction of impacted areas.

The fire restoration process involves thoughtful inspection of damage, boarding for safety, removal of water or smoke, and thorough cleaning before any property repairs can take place.

The Secret To Speedy Disaster Response

4/3/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is dedicated to responding quickly to disasters of any size, we have the training, equipment and experience to meet your restoration needs.

The Key To Quick Disaster Response

The disaster response capabilities of a national company with a network of over 1,700 franchises surpass those of any independent restoration company. Independent firms lack the personnel and equipment necessary to respond to large losses in Lakeland, FL. Property owners and insurers can benefit from the resources of a restoration company that is Faster to Any Size Disaster.

Contact Skilled Professionals Located Nearby

It is important to act quickly after a disaster, but hiring the wrong firm can set back restoration efforts from the start. A property owner who plans to make an insurance claim should hire a service that has the following credentials:

• Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and
• Restoration Certification
• Preferred Vendor status
• Response rates under 24 hours

A restoration company connected to many other franchises across North America offers the best experts and equipment. Insurers are also more likely to cover claims based on estimates from a trusted service.

Depend On Restoration Network Resources

In the event of a large-scale loss that affects many properties, it is imperative to rely on a service that is Faster to Any Size Disaster. Independent companies may not have sufficient trained employees or specialized equipment to deal with time-sensitive damage affecting many locations.

Rely On a Single Service From Start To Finish

Hiring separate independent services to mitigate, clean and restore damage is another mistake some property owners make. These services lack the clear lines of communication that are present in a franchise that provides all of these services and has the ability to rely on other franchises that are located in the same region.

When a property owner realizes all of the advantages a large company offers to a franchise located in Lakeland, FL, it makes sense to rely on a service that is Faster to Any Size Disaster. This corporate structure empowers franchises to provide service that meets industry-leading standards.

The 4 Types of Water Damage and Why Pretesting Is Necessary

2/10/2022 (Permalink)

Does your home have water damage? This is no problem for our team! Our technicians are well versed in their areas of expertise. Call us!

The 4 Types Of Water Damage And The Importance Of Pre-Testing

Water damage presents an interesting problem because there are different levels of severity not only to the damage inflicted but also the type of water that caused the problem. There are three basic water types and four levels of classifications to those types. The kind of water can drastically reduce or increase the costs of restoration and the claim filed. For that reason, pretesting is essential to the water mitigation process as it provides an appropriate category and classification.

1. Clean

Clean water, or category one, is the least concerning. This water comes from a clean source and poses no real threat to your health. This level of water damage is the least costly type of insurance claim. However, it is important to note that failure to act fast may result in the water becoming contaminated by other sources or items, thereby escalating classification and possibly category.

2. Gray

If pretesting concludes that the water is gray, or category two, that means there is significant contamination. There are elements of both chemical and biological matter found in this category, meaning that the water has the potential to make you ill if touched or consumed.

3. Category three

An insurance agent and company will likely instruct you to hire a disaster restoration specialist in the Lakeland, FL, area to remove and repair category three, water. This water is considered dangerous. 

Water categorization and classification is an interesting and necessary process, especially in regards to insurance claims. Without having an accurate understanding of the level of contamination, it can be challenging to make an appropriate claim.

Pretesting helps identify the category and level of damage to your home. This early identification means that the claim you make to your insurer is accurate, accounting for the level of loss and restoration that is expected.