6 WAYS TO PREVENT FROZEN WATER PIPES

2/14/2023 (Permalink)

Freezing Winter weather can cause water pipes to freeze and burst!

Punxsutawney Phil has predicted 6 more weeks of winter so we have some freezing weather to get through before the thaw.

Here are some tips on ways to help prevent frozen pipes:

1. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow warmer air to reach plumbing/pipes.
2. Keep all garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
3. Keep your thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and night, making sure it is never below 55 degrees F.
4. Allow the faucet to drip if it is served by pipes on an exterior wall. Running water through the pipe can help prevent pipes from freezing.
5. Make arrangements to have a neighbor check on your home during a cold spell if you are out of town.
6. Turn the water off at the main if you know you will be away for an extended period of time.

Stay warm neighbors, and remember SERVPRO of Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties is here for any water and/or fire emergencies you may have!

Our emergency restoration technicians are available 24 hours a day.

    Give us a call if you need help at

                   814 849-5653

        SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and         Forest Counties

WINTER IS ON ITS WAY! SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties Offers Tips To Prevent Frozen/Burst Pipes.

11/22/2021 (Permalink)

Unfortunately Winter weather can cause water pipes to freeze and burst!

It’s that time of year to once again remind homeowners and renters to be aware of the potential for frozen pipes.  Every winter season, the pipes in your business and home are at risk of damage from freezing conditions. Low temperatures can cause your water pipes to freeze, and in some cases burst. The following tips can help you safeguard your home before, during and after a pipe freezes.

PREVENT YOUR PIPES FROM FREEZING

• Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
• Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you're leaving the house for an extended period of time.
• Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate.
• Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.
• Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
• Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
• Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows.
• Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
• If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine. Also have someone checking your home daily.

IF YOUR PIPES UNFORTUNATELY FREEZE AND BURST, CALL SERVPRO of Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties TO HELP ASSIST YOU IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS AT 814 849-5653. WE ANSWER 24/7 TO HELP MAKE IT “Like it never even happened.” 

Can Wet Documents Be Dried?

10/13/2021 (Permalink)

Many wet documents can be dried with specialized methods to avoid additional damage.

WE CAN DRY YOUR WET DOCUMENTS!

Many wet documents can be dried with specialized methods, such as vacuum freeze-drying, that restore the prior condition of these materials. Depending on the rarity of documents, books, manuscripts or photographs, you may want to clean and disinfect original items. In other cases, records may be salvaged in the form of paper copies or digitized versions.

SERVPRO uses sublimation-turning a solid directly into a vapor, skipping the liquid stage to avoid causing more damage to the documents.

Mitigate Document Damage
Documents with less damage tend to be better candidates for restoration. Taking the following mitigation measures may improve the outcome of document drying:

• Contain the spread of water
• Move documents to dry location
• Maintain a temperature below 65 degrees
• Fahrenheit
• Keep humidity levels lower than 40%

All of these measures may reduce the damage documents sustain due to water.  Maintaining a low temperature and moisture level discourages mold growth on paper.

Standard drying time is 30-60 days. However, the time of completion will depend on the quantity of the job, services being completed, and how much damage is sustained. The time frame can vary, though, based on moisture content.  SERVPRO's goal is to make the process as simple as possible for our customers.

Restoration companies also offer advanced disinfection services, such as gamma irradiation for killing microorganisms including fungi, bacteria and viruses on documents damaged by flooding.

Have you recently suffered water damage in your home or business?  Were tax records or business files affected?  Call your local SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties (814 849-5653) today to get them well on their way to recovery.  

You've Had a Water Damage..Now What...

6/23/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties has your back!

After walking into water filling your basement or hearing that dreaded noise of water over flowing from some room in your home thoughts of what to do next can make your head spin…..

What do I do? Who do I call?

SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties is always our answer for that at 814 849-5653.  Our phone is answered 24/7.

But as always….we want to give you some good advice! Here are some quick tips on things you can do:

- Shut off the source of water if possible.

- Turn off circuit breakers to prevent any electrical shock.

- Call SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties to get crews headed your way. 

- If you water loss is not a large loss, let SERVPRO come in before submitting a claim to insurance.

- Call your insurance company to see if this particular loss will be covered. 

- If you are able to, mop up excess water to help drying time. DO NOT use a household vacuum to    suck up water. Using a household vacuum could cause electrical shock.

- Remove any important items or documents, move them to a dry area. 

SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties helping make water damage, "Like it never even happened."

Time is of the Essence!

11/5/2020 (Permalink)

Don't delay! It is critical to get the water cleaned up quickly!

Managing Water Damage

Imagine yourself waking up, coming down the stairs to make your morning brew. You’re yawning, mentally preparing yourself for the day not paying particular attention to your surroundings until, “Splash!”

You’re suddenly ankle deep in a large puddle of water.

But is it just a puddle?

OH NOOO!!!   You’re awake now and you realize this “puddle” is covering the entire first floor of your home! Where did all this water come from? What do you do? Who do you call? The Fire Department? The Police?

You have so many questions with exceptionally little time. Once water has entered your home, extraction becomes an essential, time-sensitive matter.

 1, 4, 8...

SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties works hard to meeting or exceeding the “1,4,8” rule. Within one hour of receiving notice of a new loss, the client will be contacted by one of our managers to schedule a time for our crew chief to come scope out the affected areas. Within four hours of scheduling, our highly-trained crew will arrive on-site to begin work. After eight hours, all current job information will be processed, uploaded and relayed to client.

It is with the, “1, 4, 8” rule that SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties effectively performs time-management skills. We are Here To Help! The nature of our business is to help clients get through some of the toughest times they may face. Many of them have just lost their personal belongings or content, or a piece of their history that is irreplaceable. Because of this, we do everything we can to act promptly and begin the restoration process in order to return a sense of normalcy to our client’s lives, as quickly as possible.

If you need help immediately give us a call at 814 849-5653

OH NO! Did your toilet just overflow?

10/16/2020 (Permalink)

Follow The Steps Below If You Have An Overflowing Toilet

An overflowing toilet is a disastrous sanitary issue that can potentially cause massive amounts of damage. Preventing the sewer damage from reaching other areas of your house is key to keeping damage at a minimum. Quickly follow the steps below if your home in Jefferson Clarion or Forest County, PA, has an overflowing toilet.

1. Stop the Overflow.
   Lift the lid from the back of the flooded toilet and press down on the rubber valve to close the tank. Then lift the float to stop more water from entering the toilet bowl. Turn the valve at the back of the toilet clockwise to completely shut off the water supply.
2. Mop Up the Spill.
   Quickly mop up the standing water on the bathroom floor to prevent liquid sewer damage. Once you finish, wring the mop out into an empty bucket.
3. Unclog the Toilet.
   Try using a plunger to dislodge the clog first. If this doesn't work, you can opt to use a closet auger instead. To do this, insert the auger so the curve of its tip faces the same direction as the drain. Crank the auger as far as you physically can in both directions to dislodge the clog. Carefully pull the auger out before switching back to a plunger. If these steps aren't successful, call a plumber.
4. Discard the Toilet Waste.
   If, and only if, you were successful in Step 3, pour the contents of the mop bucket back into the toilet and flush. Use hot water to rinse and clean the mop and the bucket.
5. Sanitize the Area.
   Create a cleaning solution using a gallon of hot water, and 1 cup of bleach. Use this solution to scrub and sanitize any area that came into contact with the toilet water. Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin during this process.

Sewer damage caused from toilet overflow can wreak havoc on your bathroom and the rooms below it.  After you finish cleaning the bathroom, you need to contact water remediation professionals like SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties to help resolve the damage.

Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage Service

11/13/2019 (Permalink)

Our goal is to make it...."Like it Never Even Happened!"

SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

We Answer the Phone Ready to Help
Call Today – 814 849-5653

We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect

When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.

Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:

• Your name and contact information
• Your insurance information (if applicable)
• The street address of the water-damaged home or business
• When did the flooding or water damage occur?
• What caused the water damage (if known)?
• Is there electricity available (on-site)?

About SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties

SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Tips to Prevent Water Damage

6/18/2019 (Permalink)

This has been a very wet Spring!   Looking ahead to Summer very shortly and if Summer is wet as well here are some great tips to help reduce the potential for water damageon your property.

1. Ensure Good Drainage

• Clean your gutters and repair if sagging occurs.
• Direct downspouts 5-10 ft. away from the house.
• Inspect your gutters' capacity - after 15 min. of heavy rain, if water overflows the gutters, install additional downspouts.
• Adjust landscaping and irrigation so that water flows away from the foundation.

2. Test Your Sump Pump

• Run your sump pump every few months and clean it annually before the rainy season.
• Prevent backflow of sanitary sewer water by installing backflow valves and standpipes at all basement drain locations, including sinks and toilets.

3. Fix Water Leaks

• Repair any noticeable dripping pipes & check for dark spots under pipes and on ceilings.
• Repair any cracked caulking.
• Inspect the roof for missing, lose or damaged shingles.

Prepare your basement "just in case" by raising your washer, dryer, water heater, oil tank, furnace, all electrical wiring and personal items above typical water backup levels.

Fantastic Tips from Houselogic: National Association of Realtors

6 WAYS TO PREVENT FROZEN WATER PIPES

2/4/2019 (Permalink)

Despite Punxsytawney Phil's prediction of an early Spring we still have some freezing weather to get through before then.

Here are some tips on ways to help prevent frozen pipes.

1. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets to allow warmer air to reach plumbing/pipes.

2. Keep all garage doors closed, especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.

3. Keep your thermostat set to the same temperature during the day and night, making sure it is never below 55 degrees F.

4. Allow the faucet to drip if it is served by pipes on an exterior wall. Running water through the pipe can help prevent pipes from freezing.

5. Make arrangements to have a neighbor check on your home during a cold spell if you are out of town.

6. Turn the water off at the main if you know you will be away for an extended period of time.

Stay warm neighbors, and remember SERVPRO of Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties is here for any water and/or fire emergencies you may have!

Our emergency restoration technicians are available 24 hours a day.  Give us a call if you need help at 814 849-5653

Faster to your North Central PA Water Damage Event

12/14/2018 (Permalink)

Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.

Faster To Any Size Disaster

Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more.  SERVPRO of Clarion Jefferson and Forest Counties arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.

Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – 814 849-5653

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

North Central PA. 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage Service

9/27/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties and SERVPRO of Clearfield County is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

We Answer the Phone Ready to Help
Call Today -814-849-5653

We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties and SERVPRO of Clearfield County has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration "in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect

When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.

Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:

• Your name and contact information
• Your insurance information (if applicable)
• The street address of the water-damaged home or business
• When did the flooding or water damage occur?
• What caused the water damage (if known)?
• Is there electricity available (on-site)?

About SERVPRO of Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties & SERVPRO of Clearfield County

SERVPRO of Clarion, Jefferson & Forest Counties and SERVPRO of Clearfield County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO™s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.