Recent Posts

Water damage? What you can do until help arrives.

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

However big or small the damage left behind, flooding is the last thing any homeowner wants to deal with. With ruined floors, items being washed away, and damage around every corner, you may look around and wonder: what now? Let SERVPRO guide you through the next steps, call (813) 867-2445.

Until Help Arrives

While getting a jumpstart on the restoration process is important, even more important is your safety. First and foremost, decide if it is safe for you to remain inside your home, or if you’d be in less danger outside of your home. Regardless of your location, be careful that the activities you perform don’t put you in a position to get harmed. Post-water damage, some actions which may have been inconsequential before are now potential hazards. Be cautious as you move around, as the most severe dangers water damage can leave behind is electrical damage and slick floors which increase the risk of falling. Be careful when handling wet materials, as these may become heavier than expected. 

After a Flooding

Now that you’ve taken the necessary steps to secure your safety, it’s time to deal with the aftermath of the flood. There are various actions you can take to minimize damage. Likely, you will find plenty of excess water around your home. Mop this up as you find it, especially when found on wooden furniture. Then you’ll want to begin moving items. Wet upholstery should be moved and put away to dry, as should art, loose items found lying on the floor, and colored rugs. With this done, there are a few more precautions you can take. Use wood blocks or aluminum foil and wedge them between furniture legs or wet carpeting. To dry out any remaining moisture in your home, turn on your air conditioning.

What no to do

Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. Keep these tips in mind to avoid making costly mistakes. 

Don’t leave items lying around on the floor, especially not colored items like books which can leave behind stains. Move wet fabrics to a dry place, and if you have furs or leathers, hang them up to dry. Don’t use household appliances like your TV, or use your vacuum to try to remove excess water you discover. Avoid turning ceiling fixtures on if you have wet ceilings, and be sure to steer clear of rooms where the damage is so severe that the ceilings have begun to sag.

Let SERVPRO guide you through the next steps, call (813) 867-2445.

Storm Damage to your business? Choose SERVPRO.

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

Storms and inclement weather can be devastating to any business. Wind damage, heavy rain, and flooding can occur suddenly and cause substantial damage in a matter of minutes. There’s never a convenient time for flooding or storm damage to strike your business. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.

Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today (813) 867-2445.

Commercial Restoration Presents Unique Challenges

SERVPRO of Sun City Center / Ruskin South has the training, experience, and equipment to handle large commercial storm or water damage emergencies. Regardless of your property type or size, we will respond quickly to clean the property and manage the restoration project through to its completion. Learn more about our training and certifications.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

SERVPRO of Sun City Center / Ruskin South will respond immediately to the storm or flood event affecting your commercial property, regardless of the size or scope of the damage. We are part of a national network of over 1960 Franchises with special Disaster Recovery Teams placed strategically throughout the country to respond to large scale events and disasters.

Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today (813) 867-2445.

No job is too large for SERVPRO's Disaster Recovery Team.

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

When disaster strikes, it can be a confusing time for everyone. What should you do next, how much damage has been done, how much will it cost, has anything valuable been lost? There’s so much to consider and so much to worry over but finding help shouldn’t be on that list. With the SERVPRO commercial loss division, you can rest easy knowing that your loss case, no matter how big or small, will be expertly handled by trained industry professionals. 

Commercial Loss Division

The commercial loss division was designed with the needs of our clients in mind. We know that when disaster strikes, you need help to arrive as soon as possible. Delays only serve to make your stress, and the damage to your home, worse. With SERVPRO’s vast network of over 1960 franchises across the country, no matter where you are, a commercial loss specialist will be nearby, ready, and eager to help. A wide selection of clients has enjoyed the division’s services, including the hospitality industry, property managers, universities, municipalities, and the Pentagon. 

At SERVPRO, we ensure that the communication between our clients and the commercial loss division is easy by having a commercial operations manager oversee each large loss case taken on by the division. These managers can see to it that actions taken by the division lead to your large loss being handled swiftly and expertly. Contact SERVPRO at (813) 867-2445 to make the restoration process easier, simpler, and faster. 

Major Event Responses

With SERVPRO, you’ll know that you’re in good hands. In addition to the commercial loss division, we have teams made to address even the most extreme cases. Our catastrophic storm response team has a track record of lending services to respond to major destructive events, from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the polar vortex in 2014, and even the California wildfires in 2017.  Our disaster recovery team is dependable, available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, ensuring that no disaster, whether it’s a tornado, hurricane, blizzard, or flood, goes unaddressed. SERVPRO works to ensure that no matter the circumstance, we can meet the needs of our clients. 

Understanding Storms in Florida

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

Did you know that there are 10 different common storm types? Each with unique causes and unique damage.

SERVPRO knows how important the safety of a house is, especially when a storm hits. This blog is meant to provide basic information about different types of storms - and hurricanes in particular - and their damaging effects.

The 10 most common storms are:

  • Hurricanes
  • Tornadoes
  • Flooding
  • Snowstorm
  • Hailstorm
  • Thunderstorm
  • Lightning storm
  • Tropical storms
  • Ice storms
  • Derecho storms

On the Florida Gulf Coast, it’s safe to say that we won’t be expecting ice or snow storms any time soon. Derecho storms are unlikely too. These monster storms are so vast that they are actually composed of multiple storms that cross 240 miles and can reach speeds of over 58 miles per hour. They are as rare as they are big.

The Gulf Coast is more likely to experience a hurricane or tropical storm, even a tornado. Hurricanes can be strong enough that their effects can be felt far inland as strongly as they are felt on the coast. (Hurricane Sandy impacted 24 states)

Because life on the coast comes with obvious risks thanks to the likelihood of a hurricane, it’s very to be familiar with how hurricanes cause damage.

These are the common causes of storm damage from hurricanes:

One: Storm Surge

Storm surge affects the coast most directly. This weather event happens because wind pushes more and more excess water toward the shore with nowhere for it to go. Eventually, all that water piles up far higher than the predicted tide level. Then it shoves onto the shore and even inland. Storm surge is powerful enough to damage buildings, roads, and other structures.

Two: Floods

Hurricanes cause floods in two main ways: rainfall and storm surge. Both have the ability to cause floods to happen across a wide geographical area. Rainfall from hurricanes can spread farther than 100 miles from where the hurricane landed. A tropical storm does not even have to be classified as a hurricane to cause destructive and widespread rain and floods.

Three: Wind

Hurricane wind can reach speeds anywhere between 74-155 miles per hour. This wind is powerful, fast and destructive. Hurricane winds can knock down power lines and trees, carry debris far and wide, and even cause a domino effect of damage. Roofs can be lifted from homes.

Storm damage can spread wide, especially on the coast. There are several precautions that you can take to prevent storm damage, such as adding weather resistant features to your home. Every home, office, and vehicle should include an emergency preparedness kit.

Cleaning up in the aftermath of a storm can be overwhelming and dangerous. Call SERVPRO of Sun City Center, Ruskin South (813) 819-8609, for help from the leading experts in storm damage restoration.

How Do I Eliminate Offensive Odors?

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

What’s that smell? When you are hit with a major disaster like a storm, water damage and storm damage are likely the first things that come to mind. And although both of these issues are important to tackle as soon as possible, there is one more issue disaster victims have to deal with: offensive odors. SERVPRO of East Bradenton / Lakewood Ranch offers odor removal services which may just be what you need.

Signs you may need odor removal

You might have already read some articles online about how to address horrible smells in your home. Common suggestions include using baking soda, coffee grounds, and apple cider vinegar on the offending area in order to absorb and eliminate the smells.

For smaller issues, this just might work. However, the odors caused by water damage or storm damage can be particularly stubborn. When an offensive odor issue is very persistent, you may find that simple sprays or opening the window just isn't enough. In fact, nasty smells just seem to linger and won’t go away. In such a case, you should contact us as soon as possible for odor removal. The worse the smell, the more dedicated we are to get rid of it!

Why Choose SERVPRO for Home Odor Removal?

SERVPRO of East Bradenton / Lakewood Ranch is a leader in the cleanup and restoration industry. Our professionals not only get the highest quality of education, but they also have years of industry experience. Odor removal is something which we can respond quickly to. A fast response means less potential damage to your property, and far fewer costly repairs. Once our professionals arrive, they will use a variety of products and procedures designed to remove those odors as fast as possible. That means easy breathing for you!

Not to mention, SERVPRO will help you with the insurance claims process, which means less reading through bureaucratic red tape. Interested in getting help quickly? Contact us through our 24/7 service hotline.

Commercial Cleaning in Sun City Center, Ruskin South

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

Business owners need professional commercial cleaning too! Perhaps even more so, when we consider the need to impress customers with a clean location. The types of businesses which we clean include:

  •  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

Worried about noise or customer disturbance? No need. SERVPRO of Sun City Center, Ruskin South has the training and expertise to help make any of your cleaning issues look “Like it never even happened.” We pride ourselves on providing superior results while minimizing customer disturbance.

Three Types of Commercial Cleaning Services

When disaster strikes, the last thing that a business owner should worry about is their business falling apart due to mold, or being destroyed because of fire and water damage. SERVPRO of Sun City Center, Ruskin South has two methods of helping commercial properties in the case of such disaster events.

First, we send our commercial restoration specialist to your location before any disaster. This professional’s job is to create an emergency plan for your property based on your utilities, account numbers, and unique needs. The Emergency Ready Profile will always be available to you, whether you print it out and keep it in your desk, or if you choose to save it on your SERVPRO Ready Plan App.

Second, we mobilize our specialists to come to your aid after a disaster has struck. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to prepare before a disaster, which is why our commercial cleaning experts are always ready to help. There are two ways that we can help post-disaster: through our Commercial Large Loss program, and our Commercial Restoration Services.

Commercial Large Loss Program

The elite class of our loss specialists are strategically positioned throughout the United States to handle disasters of any size. We’ve worked with:

  •  The Hospitality Industry
  • Property Managers
  • Universities
  • Municipalities
  • The Pentagon

Trained commercial cleaning operations managers are dispatched to your location. Their job is to cut costs of disasters through the strategic placement and management of temporary labor. This strategy has allowed our response teams to help clients through major events, such as the 2005 Katrina, Wilma, and Rita hurricanes. In 2010, we secured companies against the Nashville floods. More recently, we saved many a business make it through the 2017 California wildfires.

The SERVPRO System has a network of strategically positioned storm teams on standby should a disaster strike near you. Available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, we are prepared for the unpredictable!

5 Causes of Commercial Water Damage

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial water damage can destroy more than just your physical property. It can also destroy your company’s revenue for a period of time and pose a health risk to customers and employees if the water damage is not handled properly. Mitigating the water damage quickly is critical in order to minimize its impact on your business. 

The most common five causes of commercial water damage are: 

  1. Storm Damage

Severe weather from hurricanes, thunderstorms, and flash floods can cause significant water damage to your property. Before a storm hits, make sure that your building is prepared for possible severe weather. Keeping your gutters cleaned out and free of debris is an extremely important part of being prepared for a potential storm. In addition, it is important that your property has a functioning drainage system to help water drain away from your building. 

  1. Roof Damage

While high winds or heavy rainfall can cause roof damage, your roof can also be damaged due to improper roof maintenance, such as missing shingles or cracked caulking. If a large tree branch or a tree trunk falls onto your roof, it can cause structural damage as well. At the same time, heavy rooftop equipment—common with commercial buildings—can create entry points for water intrusion due to missing screws, punctures from maintenance tools, and ventilation panels not being 100% waterproof when hard, driving rain occurs. 

  1. Broken Pipes

Commercial water damage due to broken or damaged pipes is extremely common, unfortunately. Due to the pipes usually being inside walls, floors, or ceilings, it can be difficult to identify the exact issue or even where the leak is occurring within your building. Water damage professionals, such as ourselves here at SERVPRO, can help you find the leak with leak detection tools and equipment. If you notice any signs of water damage with an unknown cause—water stains on walls or ceilings, loose tiles, and musty or moldy smells—call a professional right away in order to keep the damage from spreading even further within your building.

  1. Leaking Sprinkler Systems

Like broken or leaking pipes, your building’s sprinkler system can also cause water damage due to leaks. Inspect your system regularly to help avoid potential leaks. By routinely checking your sprinkler system and keeping an eye out for wet carpet or walls, you have a better chance of finding a leaking sprinkler system before it creates bigger problems in your walls or ceilings. 

  1. Window Damage

Broken windows or windows that are not sealed properly can allow water or moisture to seep into your building. This could be the result of poor installation or a lack of maintenance. It is important to routinely check to make sure that your windows are not cracked and the sealant is still in place and undamaged. 

Do You Have Water Damage?

If you do have commercial water damage occur, call SERVPRO of Sun
City Center, Ruskin South at (813) 867-2445. Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours, and neither do we! Our team provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all holidays.