Why SERVPRO of Society Hill for Water Damage Restoration

9/16/2022 (Permalink)

Property damage doesn’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Society Hill provides emergency cleanup and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays. No damage is too big or small for our team! 

Why is immediate response time crucial?

The short answer: to keep a bad situation from getting worse. In many cases an immediate response will help contain and minimize damage, thus reducing cleaning and restoration costs. The sooner the cleanup process starts, the better.

Here are a few immediate steps you can take to help speed up the process:

1. Call your insurance company as soon as possible. Once you have filed a claim with your insurance company, SERVPRO of Langhorne/Bensalem can take it from there to determine next steps. 
2. Call SERVPRO of Society Hill, who provides 24 hour, 7 days a week emergency service by having a network of strategically positioned storm teams on standby should a disaster strike near you.
3. Document the damage by taking pictures or videos for the insurance claim. 
4. Shut off the water source so no further damage is created.
5. Turn off circuit breakers. 
6. Don’t enter affected areas! 

Use technology such as alarms and/or smart home monitoring systems that can be managed and monitored even when you aren’t home! 

Is you Philly Business Emergency Ready?

9/16/2022 (Permalink)

ARE YOU READY FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS?
No one plans for disasters, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have too. Partnering with SERVPRO of Society Hill, ensures you’re ready for whatever happens to your business or commercial property. By preparing now, you demonstrate excellence in readiness planning by compiling a comprehensive information resource to use in case of a disaster. 

WHY SERVPRO’S EMERGENCY READY PLAN?

By having an immediate plan, you minimize potential business downtime when disaster strikes. Here’s why SERVPRO’s ERP is the way to go! 

1. 50+ years in disaster recovery experience
2. 2,000+ service provider locations
1. This means there is a SERVPRO in your area within a two-hour distance
3. 20,000+ SERVPRO Personnel
4. No Retainer/Upfront Costs
1. SERVPRO’s Emergency Ready Plan is completely free to utilize. We will come out to do a free assessment of your property while storing all the property information in one place.
5. Largest Supply of Owned Equipment

Our Ready Plan is designed to be a start-up approach that provides critical information needed to begin mitigation and recovery services. 

If you and your business are interested in learning more about our ERP profile, please contact our offices at 215-772-1203.

What Your Homeowner and Renter's Insurance Covers

9/12/2022 (Permalink)

Do you live in Philadelphia with renter’s insurance or homeowners insurance? Do you know what your insurance covers if you are hit with water damage?
No worries, SERVPRO of Society Hill has your back. Our partnership with State Farm has allowed our professionals to understand the ins and outs of insurance. Here is what renter’s insurance covers - in short, it covers all the things you own.
1. Accidents - this includes objects damaging your property
2. Weather impacts - any damage resulting from a natural
3. Malicious mischief - this includes vandalism, theft, riots, & vehicle damage
4. Loss of use - if your home or property is damaged and uninhabitable after a covered loss, living accommodations and expenses that accrue will be covered by this type of insurance.
According to Forbes and the Insurance Information Institution, every year about one in 50 homeowners file water damage claims, accounting for 29% of all homeowners insurance claims. It is important to be aware of what your insurance covers and the steps to take in the event of water damage.
SERVPRO of Society Hill takes pride in relieving stress from our customers and clients. Our professionals are equipped with the knowledge and resources to be the middle person between our business and their insurance claims.

What To Do Before, During and After Water Damage

9/9/2022 (Permalink)

We cannot control Mother Nature; when she hits Philadelphia, we need to make sure we are ready to go for whatever damage she leaves behind. We can’t control the weather but we can control what we do to prepare for the before, during and after water damage.

Here are the things you should do before, during and after water damage to make the remediation process easy for you.

BEFORE:

• Make a list of all the things you own; furniture, clothing, valuables
• Fill out a Family Emergency Plan (list of all emergency contacts), or if you are a business owner/property owner - fill out our Emergency Ready Plan
• Have a To-Go Bag that you can grab if you are rushing out in a hurry
• Be aware of what your insurance company covers when damage unexpectedly hits your home or business.

DURING:

• Turn off water valves and electricity circuits 
• Call you insurance company to file a claim
• Stay away from any flood water whether it’s from a storm or a leaking pipe. You’re unfamiliar with where the water came from.
• Call SERVPRO of Society Hill, give them the insurance claim number. After communicating with the insurance company, our crews will be dispatched out to your home to assess the situation and discuss next steps.

AFTER:

• Depending on the damage will determine what happens after the damage is assessed by our professionals. We take pride in making sure the water damage remediation process is as smooth as possible for our customers. 

Flooding is the most common U.S. natural disaster, and Pennsylvania has the highest flooding rate of any state.

If your home or business is suffering from water damage, don’t hesitate to call SERVPRO of Society Hill now at 215-772-1203.

SERVPRO Host The First Responders College Bowl Game

9/9/2022 (Permalink)

It’s that time of year! Football season is upon us and SERVPRO hosts The First Responders College Bowl Game on December 27th in Dallas, Tx. SERVPRO takes pride in supporting their local first responders and SERVPRO of Society Hill is proud to be a part of that initiative. 

SERVPRO has been sponsoring the bowl game since 2014 and has given our franchises the opportunity to honor local first responders on a national level. Rick Isaacson, CEO of SERVPRO, said, “The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one way we celebrate these dedicated first responders and their families as the hometown heroes they are.” 

Each franchise will nominate a local first responder to be considered for special recognition at this year's game. One nominee will be selected to experience an all-expenses-paid trip to the game where they will be presented with an award. 

The SERVPRO First Responders Bowl also has a virtual Everyday Heroes Wall that honors these courageous people in our community. If you know someone who has committed to risking their lives every day, view the Everyday Heroes Wall page to submit a photo of your frontline hero!

PA Launches Flood Zone Mobile Tool

9/9/2022 (Permalink)

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States so it is super important to know your local flood zones. Do you know if you are residing in a floodplain? If not, you're in luck! 

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency recently released a mobile tool to help residents learn more about their flood risks. PEMA released this tool to allow all data released from FEMA to translate into an all-access application. Residents can use this tool via their desktop computer, mobile phone, Ipad, etc. 

If you are living in a low-lying area, expect flooding after excessive rain storms. This area of land is called a floodplain. There are four common types of flooding:

1. Riverine floods occur when excessive rain overwhelms water streams which leads to runoff flooding into the adjacent lower leveled areas. According to PEMA, areas in Philadelphia most impacted by this type of flood include, Eastwick, Manayunk, East Falls, Delaware Avenue, Kelly Drive, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and watershed parks.
2. Overland and street runoff occurs when excessive rain flows across roads and streets. This tends to happen when sewers are unable to handle the volume. Areas in Philadelphia most impacted by this type of flooding include Chestnut Hill, Roxborough, Andorra, Germantown, Torresdale.
3. Groundwater occurs when the ground is saturated with flood water and it ends up seeping through floods and walls of building structure basements. Areas mostly will impact exists citywide, but ultimately will depend on rainfall and snow melt.
4. Basement backups occur when underground sewer systems are overwhelmed by excessive rainfall. The overwhelming amount of rain and sewage gets forced into basements through drains, sinks or toilets. If you live in Germantown, Kensington, Northern Liberties. Center City, South Philadelphia and Port Richmond, you may experience this type of flooding. 

To learn more about your local flood zones, click here to access the flood risk tool! If you are suffering from damage after a storm/flood surge, call SERVPRO of Society Hill now for water damage restoration services at 215-772-1203. 

4 Tips To Finding Household Water Leaks

8/18/2022 (Permalink)

Did you know that the average household leak can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water waste every year, and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more a day? MIND BLOWN!

Consider these 4 tips for finding household leaks, according to the Environmental Protection Agency:

1. Have you taken a look at your water bill recently? If not, it’s time to see how much water you and your family are using per month. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons, there is a serious leak somewhere.

2. Check your water meter first, then one or two hours later after not using any water. If the number has moved then you have a leak somewhere.

3. Dye test in your toilet! Drop food coloring into your toilet tank and if any color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak. Immediately flush to avoid staining the tank.

4. Call the water restoration professionals at SERVPRO of Society Hill to help!

Our team recently got a call of a water leak from the top floor to the lower level. Once our crew got in there, they quickly realized the caulking around the shower was deteriorating, which caused water to leak onto the floor when used.

If you are experiencing leaking in your home or property, call us today for an estimate!

5 Common Causes of Kitchen Fires

8/9/2022 (Permalink)

This unattended stove caused a fire in an apartment in Philadelphia, PA

We’ve all been there before. Half of your attention is on making food and the other half is worrying about a completely different task. Kitchen fires are one of the leading causes of home fires. According to the NFPA, between 2015-2019, cooking caused 49 percent of reported home fires, 20 percent of reported home fire deaths, and 42 percent of home fire injuries.

Here are five common causes of kitchen fires.

1. Leaving cooking unattended.
2. Frying with oil. Oil can be tricky because oil gets very hot, very quickly. Once you see signs of smoke emanating from the liquid and a strong smell, be prepared for a fire to ignite, though it may take several minutes before it begins to burn. 
3. Setting the cooking temperature too high. Philadelphians are known for their impatient behaviors, so it's common for people to put their cooking temps too high to speed up the process. But according to the home improvement experts, it’s extremely dangerous to do this.
4. Loose fitting clothing. For those who grew up during the 90s, you remember from the famous scene from the movie, Mrs. Doubtfire, where she leans over the stove and her blouse catches on fire. Did we just show our age?
5. Flammable compounds left near an open flame or other heating materials. SERVPRO of Society Hill was recently called in by the property manager of an apartment building. One of the units on the ninth floor went up in flames when a flammable object was left onto a hot stove.

Any one of these things can happen in the blink of an eye. Be aware of your surroundings and try to keep your full attention while in the kitchen.

Electrical Fire at Jim's Steaks in Philadelphia, PA

8/2/2022 (Permalink)

First responders quickly try to contain flames at Jim's Steaks on South St. in Philadelphia.

If you are a true Philadelphian, you know cheesesteaks are a staple in our city and they need to be protected at all times.

     So when the famously known Jim’s Steaks on South St. went up in flames last Friday morning - the city was in a panic. Our team was quickly on the scene to assess the situation along with 125 first responders. 

     According to Action News, the fire is believed to have started in the electrical system. Employee Christina Lawlor knew something was up when she opened for the day and realized how hot it was inside.

     When the owner, Ken Silver, entered the building two days later, he feared the damage was a lot worse than it actually was. According to the fire department, the blaze was difficult to put out because the flames were moving rapidly through the HVAC system.

     Silver credited the fire department, who remained on the scene for 10 hours. After city officials searched the century old building, it was determined that the building is structurally sound, bumping up the timeline of rebuilding.

     The staff is determined to start rebuilding as soon as they are allowed to by city officials. He is anticipating reopening by Memorial Day 2023. 

     Jim’s Steaks celebrated their 46th year anniversary in the beginning of July and while this will set them back a year, the city is rallying behind the locally famous cheesesteak joint. 

WHY SERVPRO? | Operations Manager Sean Tells Us Why

8/2/2022 (Permalink)

In order to go into big mold restoration jobs or biohazard sites, you must have one of two things, one: a strong stomach and two: experience. Our operations manager, Sean Sormilichhas both!

Sormilich has more than 10 years of experience in the industry and with SERVPRO specifically. He runs all day to day operations while assisting on larger losses, program work uploads and estimates.

Being in this type of industry for as long as Sormilich has, you can imagine he’s seen some pretty crazy losses. He has traveled all over the area for our storm team, helping people during hurricanes and flash floods. Making a difference in other’s lives from the moment they call in a panic, to the property being put back together, is what Sean loves the most about working for SERVPRO.

SERVPRO of Society Hill is equipped with a ton of experience in the cleaning and restoration industry. Along with our staff having experience, our equipment is the best in the business and is a huge advantage when it comes to picking a local restoration company.