Damage from a Leaking Toilet

10/25/2022 (Permalink)

A toilet leaking or overflowing can lead to water damage and possible containments in your residential or commercial space. A situation like this requires swift action and the right team doing the job. Luckily, SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville offers emergency services 24 hours a day and is committed to making a fire, water or storm disaster “Like it never even happened.”   

There are various reasons why a toilet may leak, and steps should be taken immediately to prevent further damage. The supply line, which brings new water into the tank and is part of the flush mechanism, may become worn or cracked which leads to leaking. A malfunctioning flapper or valve could also be the culprit. If this happens in your property, make sure to turn off the water supply to prevent further damage. This can be found behind the metal supply line with the valve near the wall's connection point. Then, remove all the water from the tank.   

Our SERVPRO team has the skills needed to handle a job of this type. We are able to safely clean an affected area and restore it after damage. We are here to help! 

Fall Fires

10/25/2022 (Permalink)

The colder months can mean more house fires. Be prepared and know SERVPRO is here to help.

When the cold weather comes around, more residential homeowners begin to use heating elements to warm their space. Incidents and mishaps with these elements can lead to fires that damage the property. The American Red Cross even notes that the amount of house fires increases in the fall and winter months. 

SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville knows how frequent fires occur, so we want you to know tips to stay safe this season. If a fire does occur in your residential or commercial space, know that SERVPRO has the professionals to restore the damage. Our teams use their expertise and experience to make a fire disaster “Like it never even happened” and provide 24-hour emergency services. To stay safe this fire season, make sure to test your smoke alarms. Also, check that space heaters are clear of surrounding objects and do not leave them unattended. If you will be using a fireplace, be sure to have it inspected and cleaned of debris. Additionally, replace furnace filters and keep the area clean.  

National Preparedness Month

9/9/2022 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville at (319)338-8550 and ask to speak to marketing on getting an ERP set-up.

Hello Everyone, It’s Jacob, Digital Marketing Support Coordinator for SERVPRO Team Meyer! 

September is an exciting time not only for our team but for the industry as a whole as we enter National Preparedness Month. This is a brief personal story, a couple of months ago I was getting ready for a marketing golf tournament 45 minutes away from where I live. We loaded up the cars and headed off. 

During the event, we heard of a fire in the town where I kennel my dog. Then an image was posted on the app Nextdoor, which I recognized was in the area of my parent’s home, where I kennel my dog. Okay, I started to panic because of client stories I have heard. I was considering driving back home just to make sure but right as I was about to leave the address came through internal communication. The brick on my chest, that feeling is something I will never forget.

A flame can kindle and grow anywhere from 30 seconds to 7 hours, which is why I am so passionate about our Emergency Ready Profile Program. This is our way to help our clients before disaster strikes. This profile shaves time off from the disaster clock by storing shut-off locations, emergency contacts, and more. This helps because if a disaster struck your property at 3:00 am on a Tuesday mourning you would know where exactly the water shut-off is located if the fire sprinklers were set off. 

Let’s have those what-if conversations because it’s better now than after the fact.

First Hand Experience: Thankful for the Team!

7/22/2022 (Permalink)

If you want to feel like your concerns are getting heard, please call SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville at 319-338-8550.

Hello Everyone!

It’s Jacob here, and I wanted to talk about something that I’m currently dealing with, which is microbial growth in my apartment. Although I am renting and have to wait for the property manager to take care of it, I am very thankful for my team. 

Being a Digital Marketing Coordinator, I often don’t get out into the field, but I can notice when something doesn’t look right. I am very thankful for my SERVPRO Production team, who responded to the videos I sent seeking advice. When I expressed my concerns about having myself and my dog exposed, they brought me some of our proprietary products and explained this could be a good line of defense as I waited for the property manager.

Our staff is very busy as some work in the vehicles as they go from job to job, but I am truly blessed that they took my concerns to heart. You should choose SERVPRO because the amount they care for will be hard to find elsewhere.

The Fire. Stops. Here!

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

Call our SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville office anytime at (319)338-8550!

Hello Everyone! 

It’s Digital Marketing Coordinator, Jacob, and I was on Tik Tok when I came across a video discussing the current situation of wildfires causing significant issues for states like Alaska. Growing up I would never forget seeing the Smokey The Bear ads and I just thought all fires were started from an ignited cigarette or even a gender reveal gone wrong. 

We have experienced a very humid summer which causes the ground to dry out making it more capable of igniting. Although wildfires aren’t a common issue in the Iowa City area we wanted to make sure you all know how to prevent fires from spreading to your home.

1. Clear the home’s surroundings of any debris or combustible materials.
2. Maintain your lawn by trimming all trees and bushes.
3. Practice safety measures when having campfires. (Make sure you see if there is a fire ban, dryness of campfire area, etc.)
4. Create a Fire Safety Plan. 

Our SERVPRO Promise is that we will have someone there for you, whether that be Lisa our Marketing Representative, or one of our many amazing Project Managers.

Purifying the Water Source

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

If you are in a storm that causes damage to your property/business please stay safe and call our SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville at (319)338-8550!

When powerful storms leave behind major chaos, you should always check your property for damage once it is safe. Even if your property isn’t directly affected, you might have to deal with some consequences of such extreme weather.

One of those topics is clean water and knowing what is safe to drink and what isn’t. We hope that you have a supplied storm shelter that you have stocked with water bottles, blankets, and nonperishables, but if you haven’t, it’s okay. We at SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville are here to tell you how to purify and store contaminated water. 

Finding the Perfect Container is the first thing you will want to do is find containers that have a narrow neck which would make it easier to pour. You should never use a container that has been used for cleaning supplies or other toxic chemicals. 

Ways to Purify Water

1. Boiling the water is one of the safest ways to kill germs, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. You will want to continue boiling for one minute for elevations 6,500ft or less and for three minutes for higher elevations. After that, you will want to let the water sit and cool before transferring it to a storage container. 
2. Using Water Purification Tablets

The other option we will discuss is using water purification tablets to help purify the water when you cannot bring it to a boil. How it works is the active ingredient is usually chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or Iodine. All of which deactivate harmful pathogens by rendering them harmless. We suggest purchasing a bundle and storing them in your storm shelter with a 3-year shelter life; these will be handy during storms and hiking trips; click here.

I'MMMMM READY! To Complete Your Emergency Ready Profile!

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

If you want to protect your business, please call SERVPRO of Iowa City at 319-338-8550, and we will have someone come Create this resource for you.

Hello Everyone!

It’s Digital Marketing Support Coordinator here, and I wanted to discuss a new SERVPRO skill set I’ve learned.  An Emergency Ready Profile is a free service we provide that I can’t get enough of. As a business owner, you know that anything can happen, whether storm damage or fire. You must be on top of every challenge a season may bring. 

The ERP program takes less than an hour or so to complete but what it does is combine all the information that your staff may need during a disaster. For example, let’s say a water pipe burst in your hotel, and you need to shut off the water valve… How many of your staff will know where that is? 

You don’t have to worry about that, as the ERP app will literally have a picture of where the valve is located. This, in return, cuts down the time that the disaster has to continue. The app also has all the contacts you will need if your business isn’t operational, so you don’t have vendors bring in shipments.

THOR! Turn down the lightening It’s too close to the house

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

If your home is damaged by a high voltage of electricity please call SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville at 319-338-8550!

Lightning has this effect of excitement, but when those bolts strike too close, it makes you panic! Lightening can cause your home damage in multiple ways; some you can control, and other’s not so much. Here are some ways that lightning causes damage and how you can protect your home. 

One of the biggest dangers of intense lightning is the routes it can take to enter your home through simple access points. Some of these access points are gas/water pipes, electric lines, phone/cable lines, metal frames, and more. If the current is moving through your electrical system, it has the opportunity to create an explosive surge which could destroy the wires. One way to combat this is by using surge protectors on your outlets. 

The most common way that causes significant destruction to your property is when the bolt goes through the roof. When this happens, the heat from the bolt runs through the wall, which causes a fire to start. The only solution I suggest is to have a fire extinguisher/sprinkler system prepared by placing it in an area that is easy to reach.

Sump Pump Failure, Can We Not?

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

If you wake up to a flooded basement call our SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville office at 319-338-8550.

It’s Jacob, Digital Marketing Coordinator, and I recently went to the Job File Coordinator’s Office to ask them a simple question: What is Causing Our Water Jobs?

“Sump Pump Failures with all the rain we’ve been getting.” So I thought, let me explain some of the most common ways that cause sump pumps to fail.

The Clogged Discharge Pipe

If you haven’t checked your sump pump recently, I recommend checking to see if it is draining thoroughly. A lot of people run into the issues when the drain is clogged, and the flood water flows back down the pipe and into your basement. A simple way to combat this is by ensuring the opening of the discharge pipe has a grate. This prevents any chance of clog from forming.

Power Failure

The weather we’ve seen in the Midwest region has created the perfect situation to fail your sump pump. When intense storms pass through your area, it can cause power outages and excess rain. When you combine those two factors, you allow yourself to fall victim to a flooded basement. No power means the pump won’t work, causing the water backup. To avoid this, purchase a backup generator that allows you to turn it on manually.

Cupping... Warping… This is Nightmare

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

If you notice this type of damage please call our team at SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville at 319-339-8550.

When our Project Managers go to a job site and the scope of the property, they are looking for multiple factors to present themselves. One of the most common indicators of this damage is cupping or warping.

Cupping is when the floor boards create a concave shape with higher sides than the center. Cupping is associated with a change in moisture content levels. Warping is more severe than cupping because it involves the floor buckling/popping off of the subfloor. Water vapors can cause this to happen.

If this doesn’t get taken care of by professionals, it can cause microbial growth from the layer of paper that goes in during the installation process to prevent squeaking. If you let this continue without restoration, it can permanently damage your floor.