SERVPRO of La Porte County is here for you when Storm Damage your Home or Business

9/24/2022 (Permalink)

Abnormal precipitation and violent storms can be a precursor to substantial damages La Porte homeowners can experience. Hailing is a destructive situation, especially when the balls of ice fall with excessive size and velocity. These situations can damage roofs quickly, even causing damage to more stable and structurally sound metal installations. These same storm systems can break windows, destroy siding, and even damage chimneys protruding from the sealed roof. Once vulnerabilities exist in your home’s exterior, it can be a short and easy path for floodwater to get inside your property. 

While many homeowners might not see the direct path between hailing and flood damage for La Porte properties, severe weather systems can carry multiple types of precipitation and storm systems can follow closely after one another. Either scenario presents a situation where runoff and direct rainfall can lead to flooding and moisture damage within your property. Our SERVPRO rapid response team has the expertise in these situations to not only address the damages that a storm can cause to the home but also the likely flooding that exists as well. 

Even with many flooding situations being unique challenges for every home and commercial property that our SERVPRO team works to help, we have a pattern for mitigation that follows closely after the full and thorough inspection of the property. Extraction is a vital element to any recovery because without removing standing water, drying efforts cannot be successful. 

With a production trailer stocked with a full array of drying equipment, we can also quickly address saturation and aid exposed construction materials. Our cleaning technicians can begin the transition between loss mitigation and the restoration of your property. We have certified Carpet Cleaning Technicians (CCT) and other cleaning niches to help quickly make flood effects “Like it never even happened,” for your home. 

As unexpected and damaging as hail can be, the situation can get worse if these conditions permit flooding to occur. Give our SERVPRO of La Porte County professionals a call anytime disaster strikes at (219) 879-1883.

Click here to find out about La Porte County.

Being Disaster Ready in Laporte County

9/20/2022 (Permalink)

When disaster strikes in LaPorte County, the last thing you want to think about is where the spare batteries are or whether your perishables have passed their expiration date. Make sure you're ready for any situation — and how to handle the aftermath — with these top tips.

1. Pack a "Go Bag"

If you have to leave your home in a hurry, you'll want to have some essentials packed and ready to go. Keep the following supplies, recommended by FEMA, in a portable container in the area of your house where you'll take shelter:

• Three days' worth of food and water (at least a gallon per family member)
• Battery powered (or hand crank) flashlights and radio
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Trash bags and duct tape, along with a dust mask
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Regional maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar charger
• Moist towelettes and any personal sanitation or specific family needs, like pet supplies

(For additional recommendations, be sure to check out ready.gov)

We also suggest having smaller versions of your kit stocked with a few necessities like walking shoes, snacks, and a flashlight at work. In general, you'll also need enough cash on hand for five days of basic needs (gas and food), but any amount of ready money will help if ATMs are down.

Once you have your supplies together, it pays to go through them at least once a year too, to weed out expired food and batteries.

2. Make an Action Plan

When things get chaotic, you want to make sure that every family member knows what to do. We suggest designating two meeting places (one close by and one a little further away in your neighborhood) and hang a map with the spots marked near your emergency kit.

It also pays to have important contacts written down if the power goes out and there's nowhere to charge your cell phone. Make a mini contact list — ready.gov has templates you can print out — with important numbers that everyone can stow in their wallets. Leave a copy in your emergency kit, too. Establish a plan for checking in with relatives in case local lines get jammed. Text messages will often go through, even when phone lines are clogged.

3. Prep Your Home

If the power goes out and you have time, unplug appliances and electronics and turn off air conditioners, whether you stay or go. This will prevent damage when the electricity surges back on. Leave one lamp on so you'll know when the power's back.

How you store food can also make a difference when it comes to salvaging items afterwards, according to the FSIS. If there's a chance of flooding, be sure to store dry goods in waterproof containers high enough that they will be safely out of the way of contaminated water.

Grouping food together in the freezer can help it stay colder longer in the case of a power outage. If you have advanced warning, freeze any items you don't need right away, like leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry to keep them at a safe temperature longer and stock your freezer with as much ice as you can fit. Coolers stocked with ice can also be helpful if the power is out for more than four hours.

Though you'll want to minimize the amount you open and close your refrigerator door once the power goes out, FSIS recommends keeping an appliance thermometer in your fridge and freezer to help you determine if food is safe to eat. The refrigerator temperature should be lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer temperature should be below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

After the Emergency

Coming home after a major disaster can be daunting. Call SERVPRO to help you in the event your home is affected. We are faster to any disaster and are ready to help make things "Like it never even happened."

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Professionals Give Safety Tips for Handling Flood Damage in La Porte

9/13/2022 (Permalink)

How to Be Safe When Mitigating Flood Damage in Your La Porte Home 

Flooding is one catastrophe that can ruin your house. It is impossible to predict the extent of destruction that flooding can cause. Unfortunately, barriers and other preventative tools cannot prevent all flood damage. After the initial shock, you should take steps to restore your property promptly to prevent secondary destruction.  

When your La Porte home has flood damage, it is vital to find a flood restoration company like SERVPRO to help you during this difficult time. You need to be cautious when re-entering your house once floodwaters recede. We recommend practicing the following safety tips to prevent health problems and injuries for you and your family: 

Be watchful with electricity. 

Floodwater can ruin wiring and electrical appliances throughout your home. Water and live wires are a dangerous combination. Therefore, turn off the power before entering your home. Have an electrician examine the entire electrical system to identify shorted circuits and damage before you turn it on.  

Be cautious about structural damage. 

Flooding may cause the walls or floors to buckle, creating unexpected sinkholes around your house. Check for these and other structural problems. If there is any damage to the frame or foundation, stay out until you can get a professional to inspect your house.  

Be selective about food.  

Flooding can also destroy food items. Consider most food containers a total loss if floodwater has touched them. You may disinfect some commercially canned goods, but if you are not sure about the safety of any food item, discard it.  

Cleaning up and disinfecting your flood-damaged home is a challenge because of the debris, mud, sand, and chemicals that floodwater may have brought into it. Our SERVPRO team has to tools and equipment required to clean up your home. We can use portable extractors to remove standing water if present. If the floodwater contained contaminants like sewage, our technicians might apply an EPA- registered broad-spectrum disinfectant to control microbes and make the worksite safe to perform other tasks.  

If flooding occurred in just a part of your property, our crew could create a drying chamber. This chamber is an area where we control the temperature, humidity levels, and airflow to increase evaporation within the zone, and dry the damp areas efficiently using air movers and refrigerant dehumidifiers. 

If floodwaters have entered your home in Michigan City, Westville or Trail Creek, call SERVPRO of La Porte County at (219) 879-1883 for restoration services. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. 

More about La Porte.

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Damage from a Leaky Pipe? SERVPRO of La Porte can help

9/13/2022 (Permalink)

When a pipe leaks in a home, the water damage can be substantial. Compounding the issue is when the water is from a leaking washing machine, dishwasher, or other gray water (sometimes called "sullage") sources that may contain contaminants.

A Michigan City homeowner with water damage from an appliance leak contacted our emergency response team. The homeowner turned on the dishwasher before bed like every night and heard a noise in the kitchen and got up in the wee hours to investigate and stepped in a large amount of soapy water. He attempted to clean up as much water as possible but realized it was a bigger job than could be dried with towels.

SERVPRO technicians possess certifications to mitigate all three categories of water spills: clean water, gray water, and black water. Because the water from a dishwasher has the potential to contain oils, food residue, and bacteria, it carries a classification as a category two or gray water, and it requires professional cleaning.

Our probes found water migrated behind the baseboards and under the dishwasher. We pulled the dishwasher out to extract the water from underneath and let adequate airflow in the space. Thanks to fast action by the homeowner before our arrival, no raised moisture levels were found in the subfloor.

We made several passes with our extractors to ensure we removed as much excess water as possible. Then we set up our air movers to dry the kitchen. Our technicians paid particular attention to the area where the dishwasher was installed to ensure complete dryness. SERVPRO technicians removed the baseboards for better airflow as we detected elevated moisture levels behind them. This action inhibits the growth of mold and foul odors.

After drying, we do a wipe down with our professional formulas on all surfaces affected by gray water. This step is essential to leave the area sanitary. After we completed the remediation efforts on the kitchen, the SERVPRO crew chief gave the homeowner a list of the necessary repairs needed to restore the kitchen to its preloss condition.

Call SERVPRO of La Porte County at (219) 879-1883 at the first sign of water damage in your home. Our technicians have the knowledge and experience to restore your home from water loss and make it "Like it never even happened."

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Ask the Experts: How our Mitigation Work can help your Home

9/13/2022 (Permalink)

Many Michigan City homeowners do not consider water loss incidents that occur within their properties to be significant threats, much less something that they might need to contact professional restorers to recover. In truth, even small water loss incidents can penetrate flooring and wall materials almost immediately, and without the appropriate equipment and strategies, can allow persistent dampness that can weaken structural elements and create the opportunities for mold to grow.

While water damage might occur from several potential sources in your Michigan City home from human errors to appliance failures, the result is the same. Within moments of exposure, the water can begin to work through seams and cracks in flooring or saturate through carpeting and into the subflooring. The solution is fast and effective water removal and drying efforts. If allowed to continue too long, the materials can become irreparably damaged and require replacement.

A professional restoration like our SERVPRO team provides is the most effective means of ensuring that all of the lingering moisture gets eliminated. We have advanced tools that can help to penetrate flooring and slowly draw out moisture in a controlled manner, which is ideal for materials like hardwood flooring that could get saturated by a water loss incident. This approach utilizes our injecti-dry technology and drying mats. We can regulate moisture content as this equipment works to ensure that we do not overly dry the planks. This process is very efficient for drawing moisture from the tongue and groove joints.

We can also assess the condition of exposed materials like your drywall with our initial inspection. This wall material can often wick moisture from the floor, causing it to oversaturate at the baseboards quickly. In many cases, our SERVPRO professionals must cut out damaged portions at the base of the drywall structure and replace it to restore substantial water loss incidents fully. Occasionally, hanging light fixtures can contain water from a leak in the above level or the attic.

No matter how simple water damage might appear in your home, the situation can often prove worse than it appears. You can always count on the prompt response and honest evaluations from our SERVPRO of La Porte County professionals. We can work quickly to make it “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call at (219) 879-1883.

Learn about our area by clicking here.

SERVPRO Tips: If Water Hits your Business, SERVPRO can get it Back and Running

9/10/2022 (Permalink)

Owning a business may be your lifelong dream, and you probably invest much of your capital and time in making it succeed. When you face an obstacle in getting it restored after a flood or a fire, it is best to trust experts in the field to perform a thorough assessment of the damage and guide you in the restoration process.

SERVPRO leads all restoration companies with our expert water and fire restoration technicians. Our staff trains with and holds certifications by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC), verifying our expertise in the field. When you reach us at our 24/7 hotline, you gain peace of mind at being in the hands of experts.

How does SERVPRO dry my business after a water incident?

Among our specialists, we take great pride in our water restoration technicians and their expertise. At SERVPRO, we know that water in your business implies a loss of time, customers, and revenue, which is why we work diligently to restore your workspace as soon as possible. Our focus is not only on extracting water but also on removing excess moisture to protect your establishment from the threat of mold and other complications. To restore humidity levels our team may use-

Truck-mounted pumps connecting to municipal sewers as needed

Submersible pumps 

Handheld wand extractors for hard-to-reach corners 

We monitor our progress with state-of-the-art moisture meters and complement our actions with dehumidifiers, air circulators, and drying mats as needed. Our SERVPRO technicians document each step, which could help you if you are filing an insurance claim for the incident.

SERVPRO is your partner when life events threaten your business. Call us today! We are faster to any disaster and are here to make things "Like it never even happened."

Why SERVPRO? We have all the Important Information

9/10/2022 (Permalink)

Do you know that according to the National Fire Protection Association, it is estimated that some 370,000 home fires occur each year, costing close to $7 billion in total property damage? 

In many of these fires, however, the fire starts and is contained in a certain area of a home or business.  Even though containment eliminates the necessity for complete demolition and reconstruction, it is still necessary for proper cleaning of soot and smoke.  Smoke and soot have a way of getting into places that do not seem possible.  Proper cleaning and deodorization are vital in order to restore your business or home to preloss conditions.  

Fires are extremely dangerous, leaving you with nothing.  Always remember to check your smoke alarms to make sure they are working properly.  In business, you need to make sure you check all the outlets and make sure you do not have too much into one outlet. 

There are so many different ways to avoid a fire, but so many ways that can go unnoticed by the average eye.  Make sure you have a Fire Marshall check your commercial building often.  

In the instance of any type of emergency in your business or home please call SERVPRO! We are faster to any disaster and are here to make things "Like it never even happened."

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Why SERVPRO: The Equipment and Expertise for Water Removal

9/10/2022 (Permalink)

Making sure that a responsible and competent company handles water removal work for your Michigan City home is vital to prevent future damages and keep your expenses as low as possible throughout the process. Our technicians train year-round to handle the advanced equipment at their disposal competently and remove water from your home quickly and completely. From emergency water extraction pumping procedures to longer air current and dehumidifier focused drying solutions, you can trust SERVPRO to deliver high-quality water removal and restoration services at an affordable price point.

How We Remove Water
Water removal in Michigan City is a multi-step process that requires care and attention at every point in time to avoid causing further damage or drying the home unevenly. The first step, when necessary, is to utilize water extraction pumps to remove standing water from your home. Flooded basements can sometimes be a challenge to handle, but our portable hand-operated pumps allow us to handle them, too. Once any standing water in the building has been pumped out, we can then set up powerful air movers to create directed currents of air throughout the home that pick up droplets of moisture and keep them suspended in the air. Finally, those droplets of water attach themselves to chemical and thermal dehumidifiers to then be transported out of the home in manageable storage containers.

The SERVPRO Commitment
We can do much more than dry out your home. After the water leaves an area, visible and obvious damage may occur to carpeting, wood, and other materials in your home. We train and certify our technicians to respond to and reverse the damages in these sensitive materials, providing all-around damage mitigation and restoration services to homeowners in need.

SERVPRO of La Porte County has the resources necessary to remove water from your home quickly and at minimal costs to you. Call us 24/7 at (219) 879-1883 for emergency service or a quote.

Click here for more about Michigan City.

You Don't Have Time to Wait, Call SERVPRO After Flood Damage in La Porte

9/10/2022 (Permalink)

Types of Flood Damage Demolition in La Porte

After water enters your home, the clock starts ticking on how repairable the damage is to your home. Sometimes after flood damage, demolition is the only recourse. There are different levels of demolition that can apply to your situation.

Not all water damage from flooding in your La Porte home is automatically a complete loss. When you call SERVPRO to your La Porte home, our technicians can begin the process of determining how widespread the damage from the water is inside the structure and foundation of the home. We use state-of-the-art moisture detecting technology to trace the route of flood water inside the home. Water is opportunistic and can travel to areas of the home initially unaffected by flood waters through both drywall and carpet padding, creating a broader scale of damage and also another place in the home that may harbor mold.

Our technician will remove the water damage through the use of portable or truck mounted pumps and then completely dry the area. Then, they will determine if the affected areas from water damage can be restored or require demolition. We can do a clean demolition where only affected areas are completely removed and then restored, such as buckled drywall that is removed to the studs in a section of a room and then replaced. SERVPRO will restore and remove as many personal possessions as possible before either type of demolition. Our goal is always to restore and repair whenever possible, so you don't have to replace.

Talk to the experts at SERVPRO of La Porte County about the flood damage, demolition or other concerns you have regarding the cleanup and restoration of your home. We are available to help you 24/7, call (219) 879-1883 and get a consultation with one of our certified technicians now.

Make sure you put the La Porte County Fair on the calendar for the summer, click here for more details.

Steps to Drying your Water damaged Michigan City Home Effectively

8/29/2022 (Permalink)

We know how hard it is for your water damage in Michigan City, let us help.

Water damage can occur in your home after plumbing fixtures develop leaks because of a hose attachment or pipe joint failure. Internal wall leaks are hard to notice and can cause severe damage. After a water intrusion incident in your home, there is a process that can help you restore the affected areas to preloss condition.

When there is water damage in your Michigan City residence, contacting a professional restoration company like SERVPRO is a step in the right direction. We understand that water intrusion is a significant disruption to your life. Our Water Damage Restoration Technicians (WRTs) can assess the destruction and start the restoration process to prevent costly secondary damage to your home and its' contents. Standing water can:

•       Cause mold growth within 48 hours
•       Ruin appliances and electrical systems
•       Cause building materials to deteriorate
•       Ruin hardwood flooring and carpeting

Our crew can remove all the standing water using pumps and then dry the affected areas using air movers and refrigerant dehumidifiers. Refrigerant dehumidifiers are ideal to use at the beginning of the drying job when the humidity levels in the building are high, and temperatures are above 50°F.

Our technicians can also use advanced moisture detection tools like borescopes and inspection cameras. They enable us to look into cavities to examine the construction method and identify visible contamination. Many of these tools can take videos and record still images. We can also use thermal imaging cameras to locate hidden moisture in the drywall, floors, and subfloors. If moisture is present, we can dry the building materials to ensure that they are dry according to The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards. We can also speed up the drying process by drilling small holes along the bottom of walls and ventilating the wall cavity. We patch up the holes once the drying process ends.

Water intrusion can also cause health issues because microbes reproduce quickly in water. Therefore, sanitization is essential. We can sanitize your home using EPA-approved antimicrobial agents to prevent the development of microorganisms or limit their growth.

Hiring professionals soon after a water loss incident can make the restoration process quicker and more cost-effective. Call SERVPRO of La Porte County at (219) 879-1883 for an immediate restoration. We’re "Faster to any size disaster".

To find out more about Michigan City, click here.

Dry Out Simply Cannot Wait

7/28/2022 (Permalink)

One of the most important steps we take to reverse the effects of flood damage in your home is to rapidly dry out the area and bring moisture levels back to normal levels. Because floods can involve significant volumes of water spread across a relatively wide area, it may not be a simple matter to start this process without the advanced tools and techniques used by SERVPRO restoration professionals. Understanding how this may affect your home is an essential step in the process towards complete restoration.  

Drying Equipment and Procedures  

We use some of the most advanced and powerful technology in the industry to dry out homes in Michigan City after flood damage impacts the area. Industrial-strength air movers and dehumidifiers remove moisture from both the materials in your home and the air above them, ensuring that no additional damage can happen later on. However, these machines need time and space to work efficiently. Depending on the severity of the damage, our equipment may need to be left running for up to several days in one area, making that room unusable for most purposes.  

After-Effects  

Drying out a home after a flood may often reveal some additional areas of damage. Materials may be warped, discolored, or foster mold growth after removing all moisture can.  You can avoid many of these effects by calling us in as quickly as possible after a disaster, but some damages may be inevitable. SERVPRO technicians are trained to handle a wide variety of situations requiring restorative procedures and can reverse all of these symptoms and leave your home looking "Like it never even happened." However, without these restorative efforts and in the meantime before their completion, your home may suffer some damages that can tarnish an otherwise beautiful room and area.  

SERVPRO of La Porte County has worked for years to help local homeowners overcome the effects of flood damage in their homes. Call us 24/7 at the first sign of damage at (219) 879-1883.

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Flooding comes with destruction, and SERVPRO is here to help!

7/28/2022 (Permalink)

Whether flooding happens after forecast weather events, or it is an unexpected flash flood, it leaves destruction in its wake. Apart from the copious amounts of water inside properties, flooding also dumps toxic wastes and contaminants, necessitating cleanup. Depending on how long the water remains your Michigan City property, it might also affect the structural integrity in parts of the structure. The steps taken immediately after the flood can help limit the damage or restore the property to its preloss state faster.
 
Dealing with contamination is a significant step immediately after a flood in Michigan City. Since floodwaters move over extensive areas, they collect all types of contaminants in their path, which might include industrial chemicals, organic wastes, and fuel oils among other things. Floods might also lead to burst sewer lines and sewage backup. These wastes pose immediate and gradual threats because of their disease-causing properties. Our SERVPRO technicians help control contamination by spraying an EPA-registered disinfectant immediately after arriving at your premises. Our team is also equipped with the right PPE, Personal Protection Equipment, helping us wade into the damaged property safely to remove the water and other contaminants fast.
 
Cleaning the soils left by floodwaters is essential, but also a tedious process. The water pushes debris to all nooks and crannies in the affected area requiring extra effort during cleanup. Our SERVPRO crews handle this process easier because we have the necessary workforce to move things around during cleanup. We also have the right cleanup tools including pressure washers to help remove soiling faster. We also handle the removal and installation of new carpets, pad and other porous materials because cleaning cannot remove all traces of contamination from such materials.
 
Flooding leaves excess moisture in the affected property and increases the relative humidity levels. While these problems might not seem significant compared to the other aspects like soiling and structural destruction, they can lead to severe problems such as mold development and rotting if left unchecked. Our SERVPRO technicians rely on various advanced equipment to detect and remove moisture. Thermo-hygrometers help is measure relative humidity inside and outside the structure while moisture meters help monitor the drying process. For moisture extraction, we have dehumidifiers and air movers.
 
When there is a flood, call SERVPRO of La Porte County at (219) 879-1883 to assist. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

We are the experts in clean!

7/23/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is Here to Help during this time of need!

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of COVID 19, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

Specialized Training

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff performs on a daily basis.

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:

• Kitchen/Food Areas
• Bathrooms
• Schools/Classrooms
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Water Fountains
• Shelving/Racks
• Sales Counters
• Carpets and Rugs
• Stair Handrails
• Elevator Cars
• Playground Equipment
• Fitness Equipment

Specialized Products

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.

Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning! We are here to help, and are ready to use our expertise, equipment, and experience to help you today!

When Fire Hits Your Home or Business, We Are Here for You

7/23/2022 (Permalink)

Any variety of disaster that could affect your home does not always require the intervention or involvement of your insurance provider. While many widespread disasters can get resolved much more quickly with the approval of a damage claim which can afford professional restoration services like our team, there are also many cases that can appear worse than they end up being. The way that you can determine which situation you are dealing with involves a preliminary inspection and assessment of the damages.

Fires can be notorious for providing a scary appearance to your home, but in truth, many of these fire damages can be more aesthetic than actually harmful to the exposed materials. Depending on the severity of the situation, your fire damages could also end up contained to a single area or room of your home before getting extinguished, greatly limiting the work that is necessary to return your home to preloss condition. Our SERVPRO team can help with an accurate assessment of the situation with honest personnel working to make this damaging incident “Like it never even happened.”

This initial assessment catalogs the damages discovered and begins to determine the necessary processes, personnel, and equipment required to return your fire damaged property to its original condition. We can share this estimation of that cost and the work to get performed directly with you to help you make an informed decision as to whether involving your insurance company, paying the deductible, and potentially raising your premium later is wise compared to the out-of-pocket expense of funding professional restoration yourself.

Should you choose to involve your insurance company, we have already comprised the information and documentation of the damages necessary for them to process a damage claim and get it approved quickly.

While you cannot predict when disaster can strike, it is always wise to make the best choice in restoration that is financially smart and efficient for your household. Give our SERVPRO of La Porte County rapid response team a call for our honest assessment of the damage and effective restoration work at (219) 879-1883.

Learn more about a small town just 15 minutes from Lake Michigan worth checking out, click here for more details.

Make Haste & Call SERVPRO If You Need Water Removal

6/29/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Of LaPorte County Meets Water Removal Needs Fast!

 We will be there every step of the way for your water loss. Clean up of minor spills and quickly discovered leaks are certainly within the DIY capabilities of a homeowner who has a bucket and a mop. On the other hand, if a major plumbing fail or an appliance malfunction pours gallons of water into your home, you need to find trustworthy professional help. Not only are the quantities of water in these cases substantial, but the migration of the fluid into building cavities and materials is also a concern. 

We Extract Water Rapidly and Efficiently

All it takes is a broken dishwasher hose, a ruptured water heater, or a clogged toilet to require significant water removal. Our ability to respond fast with a well-trained and equipped crew is why we can extract large amounts of water safely and to dry out spaces thoroughly. Investment in training through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) aligns with investment in up to date, commercial-grade equipment and products to provide our customers with results that meet or exceed industry best practices.

We Follow Research-Based Protocols

A solid understanding of the science of drying, psychrometry, is why SERVPRO of LaPorte County's efforts in removing water and returning your home to preloss condition are successful. Research demonstrates that the more liquid water initially removed, the faster and more efficient drying operations can be. Our submersible pumps clear out water deeper than two inches. Wanded extractors then take on the task of removing as much of the remaining fluids as possible. 

We Are Skilled at Moisture Detection and Monitoring

Mastery of IICRC coursework in the tracing of water migration combined with decades of experience in detection implementation are why SERVPRO can go that extra mile for our customers. Surfaces can look dry, yet hide caches of water in cavities or absorbed into the structural components. We use thermal imaging to find temperature disparities that signal trapped water and moisture meters to set drying goal baselines. Controlled demolition techniques like flood cuts or weep holes release hidden water. Air movers and heaters accelerate evaporation, moving water into the air for our commercial dehumidifiers’ collection and disposal.

Dependable and experienced workers and top-notch equipment are why SERVPRO of LaPorte County meets your water removal needs fast. Contact us today! 

Fires are devastating, know help is on its way, call the experts at SERVPRO today

6/27/2022 (Permalink)

Fires inside your home can be scary experiences. Although the flames themselves are usually under control relatively quickly, the feelings of panic and stress associated with them can last much longer. That is why removing the odor of smoke damage is not only vital to ensuring healthy indoor air quality but also in helping to alleviate painful reminders of the event. Responsible professionals can help you achieve this.

When we enter properties that have suffered from fire damage in Wanatah our immediate concern is safety. A brief but thorough visual inspection alongside a pre-test to establish what types of materials caught fire is essential. Only once we can assure the safety of your property can you return or contractors enter on the site.

SERVPRO use a vast array of methods and equipment to remove residual damages and restore your home. It is more than likely that we send an IICRC smoke odor control certificate holder to your property to help complete the job. These technicians are adept at removing odors with a range of equipment.

The most straightforward route to clean indoor air quality is usually the most effective. SERVPRO can deploy air scrubbers in the affected area. Air scrubbers use vacuum technology to pull contaminated air through a series of filters. We use HEPA filters which are fitted with charcoal and are capable of removing odor particles as small as 0.3 microns. Filtering air quality is far less harmful than releasing chemicals into your home environment and, where possible, is the method of choice for home fires.

In areas of the home that a busy or often occupied, we can deploy hydroxyl generators. Hydroxyls are naturally occurring molecules that remove odor from an outdoor environment. Hydroxyl generators create the same effect but for indoor properties passing odors through a series of filters and naturally removing them. The advantage of this technique is that it removes odor after fire damage without filling the home with chemicals that could be potentially harmful, especially for younger children.

For specialists in odor removal, contact SERVPRO of La Porte County at (219) 879-1883.

Call SERVPRO 24/7 For Our Prompt Response Team

6/26/2022 (Permalink)

You have probably heard of our SERVPRO ERPs (Emergency Ready Profiles). As we conduct ERPs in commercial buildings, we also add water and gas shut off tags to the appropriate shut offs. We add these tags as a helpful indication if you ever have an emergency in your home. For example, if a pipe bursts or a leak happens in your home or business, the first thought to cross your mind should be to turn off the water. 

Next step? Call SERVPRO!

If the leak is from a sink or a toilet, it is easy to turn off the water for that line by turning the valve that is located beneath or beside the fixture. What if you're not sure where the leak is coming from? It could be a pipe behind your wall, under your home, or somewhere that is hard to locate. In this case, you should turn off the water to the whole house. This means locating the water main shutoff. Ask yourself this question, whether in your home or business. Do you know where the shutoff is located and could you locate it in the case of an emergency? If not, don't feel bad. Many people do not know where to locate their water and gas shut offs.

Typically, these shut offs lie on the exterior of the home or business around the perimeter of the building. Once you have found the shutoff, make sure that all members of your household know where it is. This is exactly why we tag these main shut offs during the creation of an ERP. The quicker you are able to turn off the water, the less damage is caused. 

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened." 

SERVPRO is here for you when your commercial business is hit by fire

6/25/2022 (Permalink)

After something burns inside your grocery store, there are several conditions created that can negatively affect your building. Even the smallest burns can require you to call in a professional restoration company such as SERVPRO to conduct commercial fire damage mitigation. As soon as something ignites, it starts to emit smoke into the air.

The type of smoke put out depends upon the kind of fuels that the fire consumes. Smoke can vary from being thick smokes that create large amounts of residues to thinner particles that can penetrate porous materials deeper. The bigger the blaze that ignites, the more of your property the commercial fire damage can consume.

Set aside from the burnt materials and soot residues smoke leaves behind, unpleasant aromas can also become an issue especially when selling products that people consume as food. If the blaze burns for a long time, heavy smoke odors can become a significant part of your commercial fire damage project. Smoke consists of partially burned particles that do not fully combust or turn from a solid to a gaseous state once the heat is applied. These particles not only harden onto cooler surfaces in the form of soot residues, but they can be microscopic in size and penetrate deep into your building materials. These burnt, partially combusted molecules can then stick deep inside the porous substances in your store such as cardboard or paper products.

If foul odors still exist once all burnt materials and soot residues have been removed, then our SERVPRO technicians can conduct further deodorization procedures. To start with, we spray odor counteractants on any surfaces that got affected by soot residues. Then, we can apply vapor crystals to your flooring, attic insulation, and ventilation systems. We then can add a heavy-duty odor counteractant chemical to all of the affected areas and even use a specialized sealant paint to trap in any burnt smells.

As a final step, we can thermally fog your entire structure. If you ever happen to suffer from a severe blaze inside your grocery store, call SERVPRO of La Porte County at (219) 879-1883 24/7.

Call SERVPRO of La Porte County to clean and restore your home from fire damage

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

What to Do Once the Firefighters Leave Your Michigan City Home

Knowing what to do when a disaster impacts your Michigan City home is critical to getting the restoration process started as promptly as possible. The faster that experienced technicians can get to work on recovering the damages to your home, the faster that this process goes. In a situation like a fire in your house, there are some steps that you can take to ensure that you get the help you need as quickly as you can get it.

Fire damages in your Michigan City home can vary significantly from one situation to the next, so there is no telling what a homeowner should expect, or what the technicians that work on the restoration could expect as well. One of the first things that you should remember is that you should wait until a competent individual informs you that it is safe to walk back into your home to see the damage for yourself. Structural weakening or failure is always a persistent possibility depending on the severity of the fire itself.

One of the first things that you should do before you reach out to dedicated restoration specialists like our SERVPRO team is to call your insurance provider. When you get your agent on the phone, you can get all of the details about what you need to provide them and what they need to begin and approve a claim to restore the damages to your home.

The next call that you should make is to our SERVPRO emergency response team. This dispatched small crew of experts can help to mitigate the immediate damages, and our estimator can help to provide the necessary documentation and cataloging of the damages needed by your insurance company to move these repairs and restorations along through approval of the claim.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

Fire damages in your home might seem overwhelming at first, but with the right plan in place, recovering from a disaster like this does not have to be such a burden. You can depend on our SERVPRO of La Porte County technicians and advanced equipment to overcome any effect from a fire that your home faces. Give us a call anytime at (219) 879-1883.

Leaks, Leaks and more Leaks...What's A Homeowner to do?

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

A leak in your shower or bathtub can cause water damage, which is why it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Before the problem can be taken care of, however, you must be able to identify the source of the leak. Here are some tips to help you find a shower or bathtub leak in your home.

First, you need to determine where exactly the leak is coming from. If you are inspecting a shower, you should start by looking at the shower pan, or the base of the shower. 

Look for Other Sources

If the leak isn’t coming from your shower pan, look for any other parts of your shower or bathtub where it may have originated. Dripping faucets or showerheads are common sources of a bathtub leak and are relatively easy to fix. When inspecting your bathtub or shower, make sure you are aware of the severity of the issue so that you are prepared to take care of it.

If you’re still struggling to find the leak, keep an eye out for any signs of water damage. Water damage can help give you a clearer idea of where the leak is. If you do come across any signs of damage, make sure to address it while it’s still early in order to mitigate the effects that it can have on your home.

A leak in your bathtub or shower can be frustrating to deal with, but keeping the resulting water damage under control can ease the situation. Be sure to talk with a water damage specialist to restore damage from a shower or bathtub leak and help preserve the state of your home.

Don't forget, should the need arise for remediation or construction after water damage hits your home or business, we are faster to any disaster and are here and ready to use our experience, equipment and expertise to make things "Like it never even happened."

Recovering After A Fire, SERVPRO Is Here To Help

4/10/2022 (Permalink)

While you might not know all of the steps that go into recovering a Westville home after fire damage, you should leave it to trained professionals like us. The SERVPRO rapid response team that you can reach by calling our number can usually arrive within 4-hours after you reach out, bringing along with us the full measure of our restoration equipment, personnel, and experience to protect your home in this trying time. We can help prevent further damages and costly repairs.

From the time that our team arrives at your home, we can begin an assessment of the property. This inspection can be useful for your home insurance adjuster with the necessary information to process a damage claim. We are not insurers, but we do liaise with you and your agency to expedite the claim. However, it also can identify the areas of your property that require controlled demolition techniques and debris removal. Taking out these problem areas can improve indoor air quality and also provide a seamless transition between mitigation and reconstruction. Smoke odors and soot penetrations can be significant negative effects of a house fire.

Our SERVPRO experts can suggest what contents in your home can get preserved and restored during this initial inspection as well. Those items that require focused cleaning, deodorization and restoration efforts get removed from your home and taken to our nearby facility. Our contents department can restore these belongings entirely, and keep them safe until they can get returned to your home after our restoration efforts. We have industry-leading equipment like Esporta washing machines and ultrasonic baths for cleaning porcelain dolls to toy fire trucks.

Fires are never easy to overcome, and they can be impossible for a homeowner to restore or clean up on their own fully. Trust in the fast response and expertise of our SERVPRO of La Porte County fire restoration specialists. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster. You can reach us 24/7 by calling (219) 879-1883.

The Importance of Fire Cleanup in Your LaPorte Home

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

When your La Porte home has fire damage, you can trust SERVPRO to help you remove the fire-damaged contents, cleanup the smoke residues, and deodorize your property. In most cases, fires also cause water damage because of firefighting efforts. The water can soak everything that was near the fire. Within a few days, drywall can disintegrate, wood can warp, and mold infestation can occur.

You should take action to dry out the walls, furniture, carpets, and other affected items. Our technicians can remove the water and excess moisture quickly using water extraction, air moving, and dehumidification equipment. We also understand how mold grows and how to prevent infestations. Our technician can check for hidden sources of moisture using equipment like:

•  Thermal hygrometers

•  Moisture meters

•  Moisture sensors

•  Infrared cameras

We can then dry the affected areas thoroughly to prevent mold infestation. Our technicians can also use a soda blaster to remove soot and cleanup carbonized wood. Soda blasting is also useful for cleaning up brick, concrete, and stone. A soda blaster uses baking soda as a media to clean dirty surfaces. Baking soda is safe for the environment, cost-effective, less aggressive, and easy to rinse away with water.

After a fire, discomfort and frustration can ensue from the unpleasant smells in your home. Our technicians can remove the lingering odors resulting from the fire using sophisticated odor restoration technology. Our Odor Control Technician (OCT) can pinpoint the source of the odor such as charred debris and eliminate it. If it is impossible to remove the materials causing bad odors, we can wrap them in polythene to prevent odor vapors from escaping into the air.

Smoke and fire damage may have occurred in the HVAC system of your home. In such a case, our SERVPRO crew can clean the HVAC system thoroughly and seal it. We can also ventilate the affected areas by running air scrubbers with activated carbon and potassium permanganate filters to eliminate odors and gases.

After the unfortunate event of a fire in your Michigan City, Westville or Trail Creek home, call SERVPRO of La Porte County for help. We have the expertise and equipment to make the incident seem “Like it never even happened.” You can reach us at (219) 879-1883.

SERVPRO Is Here For You, When Severe Weather Hits

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

It is more common than you might think for severe rainstorms to cause significant damage to your property. High-winds and massive amounts of water easily penetrate roofing materials, light fixtures, and make their way into lower levels of your home. 

Whether you have experienced flood damage in your home before or not, you can benefit from having a local restoration expert inspect your property. Our technicians are IICRC certified and provide you with solutions to help protect or restore your home.

SERVPRO has access to a variety of equipment that makes removing a large volume of water as quick and efficient as possible. With experience dealing with events like this in all shapes and sizes, our personnel can have your home water-free, safely returning water levels to normal sooner than you might think possible.

SERVPRO checks for immediate hazards and helps you locate hidden dangers. It is our job to help you avoid costly repairs, limiting your losses before tragedy strikes. However, if you find yourself in the middle of an emergency, needing immediate help, our technicians are available 24/7 to assist.

We can take control of existing damage, perform any necessary repairs, and get you on the road to recovery fast. With access to water extractors of all shapes and sizes, advanced drying equipment and professionals trained in cleaning and odor removal methods our cleaning and restoration services help you make the most of a dangerous situation.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Is Here For You When Water Damages Your Business

3/30/2022 (Permalink)

Among the most substantial obstacles that business owners face, and one that our restoration specialists must overcome as promptly as possible is drying water damage in Michigan City properties. From the investment you have made in instruments and machines in your kitchen area to the potential compromise of furniture and flooring in the dining area, significant loss incidents need to get addressed right away. Our SERVPRO professionals can help.

While extraction is often the first action taken when it gets decided this approach is necessary, rapid drying solutions keep saturation from becoming a situation that causes irreparable harm to construction materials, contents of the restaurant, and fixtures like wooden chairs, booths, and other porous surfaces. Our team of technicians has multiple tools that can help address saturation and exposure, including:

• High-Velocity Air Movers
• Desiccant Dehumidifiers
• Low Grain Refrigerant (LGR) Dehumidifiers
• Injecti-Dry System
• Drying Mats

With drying being an essential phase of recovery of a water damage incident, we keep multiple units stocked on our production trailers at all times. This readiness ensures that we can remain diligently prepared for any emergency that might compromise your home.

Between our full team of water restoration technicians accredited through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and our fast response to these emergencies, our SERVPRO of La Porte County team can make water losses “Like it never even happened.” Let us help you through every phase of rebuilding and reconstruction. Give us a call anytime at (219) 879-1883.

See more about Michigan City.

Avoiding Water Damage From A Failing Water Heater

3/29/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage from a broken water heater can ruin a home quickly. Fortunately, before they break, these appliances give off warning signs their service life is coming to an end.

Homeowners can avoid water damage from their hot water tank if they pay attention to some of the most common issues that arise before failure, such as:

• There is only cold water emitted from the tap.
• The water gets warm but never hot and goes cold quickly.
• The water heater rumbles or knocks
• The hot water has a muddy look from the tap.
• The water from the tank appears to be rusty.
• You notice a metallic smell or taste, especially when taking a shower or bath.
• There is noticeable water leaking from the water heater.
• Your water has a metallic smell or taste.
• Water is leaking around your water heater.

Expect a Large Amount of Water

A small water tank holds on average around 50 to 60 gallons of water; larger residential sizes run 80-gallons or more. Now, imagine that water on your floor. When the location of the tank is in an upper story in the home, the amount of water on the floor can quickly affect the ceiling and things in lower levels of the house. 

Common Issues to Avoid

Fast extraction is necessary to limit the damage to the home. SERVPRO technicians use their detection equipment to determine if the water is within the floor joists or wall cavities, requiring additional actions such as removal of baseboards or weep holes to assist with drainage. 

At the first sign of water damage, contact SERVPRO! The technicians are available 24/7 to restore your home to its preloss condition, "Like it never even happened."

Our Fire Damage Technicians Can Restore Your Home To Pre-Damage Condition

3/28/2022 (Permalink)

Why SERVPRO Specialists Remove Burnt Items First When Mitigating Fire Damage In Westville

During a house fire, any variety of both personal belongings and structural components can sustain damage. Westville residents might find severe damage in the form of charred and blackened doors or blackened walls and grimy windows.

Why SERVPRO helps families in Westville recover from fire damage quickly is because of the powerful and pervasive odors left behind. These odors can prevent us from restoring your home “Like it never even happened,” so we include odor removal and control methods from the start. SERVPRO specialists used tested and IICRC-approved methods to easily rid homes of such odors.

One of the first steps involves inspecting the many materials that exhibit charring, blackened surfaces, or blistered surfaces. While objects that seem otherwise unharmed except for surface marring, these can also produce foul smells. Plastics can release gases and fumes because of the chemical changes that began taking place during exposure to the heat of the fire. Many items like this continue to produce such gases long after the firefighters put the fire out and left the home.

To make the process more efficient, when we inspect the items inside a fire-damaged home, we consider the ability of these items to come clean again. When we come across damaged items that require replacements, removing them accomplishes the removal of an odor-producing article that may have also contained safety issues such as newly exposed metal fasteners or sharp and jagged edges.

The same is also true for the personal belongings and other furnishings that a house contains. Inspecting the contents of a residence can help us determine the initial costs to replace essential items for your family, as well as remove items that create noxious odors inside the home. Many of the things can become clean again through the use of different techniques while in your home.

SERVPRO of La Porte County helps families in Wanatah, Long Beach, and Kingsford Heights recover from the many changes caused by fire damage. Odor control remains a crucial aspect of restoration and helping families return home after such a disaster. Call us at (219) 879-1883 for expert guidance when your family needs stability and a team they can trust.

Click here for more about Westville.

Overcoming Kitchen Fires & The Downtime That Comes From Them

3/23/2022 (Permalink)

From the time that your La Porte restaurant first opens its doors for the day, your kitchen and its staff are off to the races. You have a steady flow of customers that demand the kitchen appliances and personnel to constantly keep a quickened pace to meet the expectations of these patrons and to increase your reputation throughout the region. A risk of this fast-paced environment is the potential for accidental kitchen flare-ups that can cause fast, yet destructive fires to spread throughout a small portion of your building.

No matter how fire damages come about in your La Porte restaurant, you need professional assistance to get your business running at its full capacity as promptly as possible. We have an experienced fire restoration crew with accreditations through the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) as both Fire and Smoke Restoration and Odor Control Technicians. Our SERVPRO professionals can utilize this training and hands-on experience to overcome the damaging effects of your loss incident. 

With a swift response to these emergencies, our professionals can work tirelessly to prevent your business from closing its doors. In restaurants, you want effective containment strategies to prevent detrimental effects like soot, smoke residues, and even harsh odors from reaching the dining area where customers could get affected. Our SERVPRO team can help with the installation of physical plastic sheeting and the use of advanced equipment like hydroxyl machines and air scrubbers.

We understand how devastating closing your doors can be for your business, so if this is necessary to restore your building, we can work around the clock to overcome the effects of the fire loss incident to get you back up and running right away.

There are many levels to even small kitchen fires that can occur in your restaurant, and our SERVPRO of La Porte County professionals have the skills and expertise to address them all. With our equipment and extensive training in fire recovery, we can make these loss incidents “Like it never even happened.” Give our experts a call anytime at (219) 879-1883.

Click here for more about La Porte.

Restoring Water Damage To Carpets

3/23/2022 (Permalink)

Carpeted areas of your Trail Creek home are already challenging to keep clean and in top form due to the high traffic that they receive and that fibers often act as a magnet for dirt, debris, and sediment. Even with these challenges in flooring, carpets are still among the top choices for new construction. When water loss incidents occur, however, this area of your property can prove uniquely prone to saturation and damages. To restore and protect this investment, you should trust in the experience and equipment available to our trained restoration technicians.

Water damage in Trail Creek can spread quickly throughout your property, and preventing widespread tear out and reconstruction begins with reaching out to trained technicians like ours immediately. While many homeowners believe that they can take care of drying out damages on their own, failing to accomplish this to the level required leaves your home vulnerable to secondary effects like mold growth, not to mention causes irreparable damage to materials like carpeting.

Carpeting can become saturated quickly, soaking not only the fibers in the surface material but also subflooring beneath the mat. Our team must respond to these situations quickly to preserve your carpets, and that begins with efficient extraction. Our team brings in our remote-controlled ROVER weighted extraction equipment which forces moisture to the surface of the carpeting for collection and removal by a high powered vacuum fixed to the base of the machine.

Drying out your carpeting can happen in several ways, but often the most effective is floating the material. This process has our SERVPRO team pulling up the carpet from the edges of the room and starting up our air mover drying equipment underneath the mat backing. This approach helps to force moisture out of the carpets but also can work to dry out exposed subflooring material as well in the process.

Water loss incidents might not always be devastating to your property with the right response and trained tactics for mitigation and restoration. Our SERVPRO of La Porte County emergency team is standing by 24/7 by calling (219) 879-1883.

Click here for more about Trail Creek.

Don't Ignore Damages On Your Roof - It Could Cause Flooding

2/7/2022 (Permalink)

When the damaged shingles on your roof cause flooding in the home, it's time to contact SERVPRO for remediation services.

A Damaged Roof Could Flood Your Westville Boutique

As a shop owner in Westville, you rely heavily on the foot traffic that finds its way through your doors during your operating hours. While business, in general, might have its ups and downs, a water loss incident within your building could derail your profits for the foreseeable future without immediate and experienced assistance from professionals like ours.

Flood damages are a nightmare to Westville businesses because they can cause damage to both the building and the stock throughout the shop that you have already invested in selling. Additionally, water damages can spread throughout the building and cause irreparable damage to construction materials, flooring, ceilings, and other contents. Worse still, this situation could have started from just a small puncture or weak area of the roof on the building.

There is something to be said for regular inspections into the structural integrity of vital construction components like the roof of your boutique. The more that you know about the condition of this defense for your building, the better prepared you are to face potential problems before they allow substantial water loss incidents to affect your business. The trouble is, most often business owners have to call our SERVPRO professionals for cleanup and restoration before they think to inspect the roof.

As water penetrates through a vulnerable portion of the roof in your building, runoff and pooling roof water find their avenue into the areas below. This spread begins with affecting the ceiling and insulation materials, much of which often must get replaced, and then finds its way to the walls and floors of the levels below the roof. Addressing these concerns is much more efficient when our SERVPRO professionals know immediately about the problem and our emergency response team can react.

While no business owner gets prepared to face flood damages from roof breaks in their building, knowing what to do when disaster strikes can ensure that your doors do not have to remain closed indefinitely. Our SERVPRO of La Porte County team has efficient approaches and industry-leading equipment to help tackle complex cleanup and restoration from widespread flooding effects. Give us a call anytime you need us at (219) 879-1883.

Click here for more about Westville.

After A Fire - You Can Count On SERVPRO To Deodorize!

2/7/2022 (Permalink)

You can count on our fire loss specialists to make these effects “Like it never even happened,” by calling (219) 879-1883.

DIY recovery of fire loss incidents that occur in Valparaiso homes is becoming more and more common, yet the risks of doing a poor job are as relevant as ever. Homeowners need to carefully decide their competency against the money that can get saved by seeking to do this alone. Odors can especially prove problematic for inexperienced DIY enthusiasts, yet the right equipment employed at the appropriate times can help.

While many have come to expect our SERVPRO professionals to have the leading industry equipment for fire damage in Valparaiso homes, these same powerful tools are not readily available at any hardware location. The best options that many homeowners are likely to find are limited in power and capacity to our commercial-grade units. They can be nearly as effective at eliminating the odors present in the house, however, with the appropriate applications.

Make the situation easier on yourself by turning off air circulation systems to prevent access to all areas of your home. If possible, seal off lightly affected or unaffected areas with plastic sheeting or other barriers to prevent odor compounds from traveling to new areas of your property. Once you have the effects contained in a specific region of your home, you can get to work with the deodorization equipment you have acquired temporarily.

In most cases, multiple units of varying types can lead to more effective results as our SERVPRO team has seen. You can rent a hydroxyl machine, for example, which can work to reduce airborne particulates as well as present odors after fire damage. Additionally, you can use a thermal fogging machine. This unit has a dense chemical compound it expels, which can seep into construction materials, contents, carpeting, and other surfaces to break apart odor molecules and neutralize them on contact.

Fire odors can be a very challenging effect to overcome, especially when it has moved throughout the majority of the property. Even with the acquisition of powerful equipment, the situation might still feel overwhelming for some homeowners, and our SERVPRO of La Porte County team is here to help. You can count on our fire loss specialists to make these effects “Like it never even happened,” by calling (219) 879-1883.

See more about Valparaiso.

After A Flood In Your La Porte Home Let Our Experts Help

12/31/2021 (Permalink)

We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster!

Flood Damage Can Bring Odorous And Hazardous Water Into Your La Porte Home

When heavy storms hit land, they can bring flood damage with them and cause intense destruction too many La Porte homes. In the case of your home, the intense storm flooded the streets and backed up sewage drainage. In just a few hours of storming, intense wind, and rain, your home had become the host to foul-smelling black water.

Whenever your La Porte home experiences flood damage, it is wise to reach out for help right away. After all, water-based damages get far worse as time goes on, as they become a breeding ground for mold damage. However, because of the black water in your home, the urgency to get help is even more pressing.

Black water is a categorization of standing water. It is water filled with potential contaminants, such as biohazardous materials, sewage, and petroleum gas. Here at SERVPRO, our highly trained technicians know exactly how to combat black water.

Once we arrive at your home, our SERVPRO technicians can get to work straight away. Due to the sheer volume of black water, we must remove it to inspect the damages to your floors, furniture, and walls. We can use truck-mounted extractors and wet/dry vacuums to remove the water and then dispose of it safely away from your home. Once the water has been removed, we can investigate and begin to take inventory.

Due to the nature of black water, anything carpeted or upholstered cannot be clean, as it cannot be guaranteed safe. All affected carpets and fabrics must be thrown away, but SERVPRO can help you make an insurance claim. Once belongings are removed, we can focus on demolishing the damaged materials inside.

Our water damage restoration technicians can make flood cuts to drywall and remove any affected flooring. Afterward, before a rebuild, our technicians can set up ozone machines inside of your emptied home to combat the foul smell the black water brought into your home. Once finished, we can leave your home to you, as if the flood never occurred.

If black water spills into your home and causes flood damage, never wait. Immediately contact SERVPRO of La Porte County by phoning (219) 879-1883. No matter what, remember that We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster in:

• Michigan City
• La Porte
• Westville
• Trail Creek
• Kingsford Heights
• Wanatah
• Long Beach
• Rolling Prairie
• Hudson Lake
• Mill Creek

For more about La Porte click here.

Winter Weather Storms Can Cause A Lot Of Damage

12/31/2021 (Permalink)

There are steps you can take to limit damage to your home during a winter storm. We are faster to any disaster!

Winter Weather Woes

Those who are used to warmer weather climates may not realize how much damage a winter storm can do. However, a blizzard can create lots of destruction.

In fact, winter storms can cause thousands of dollars of damage. This damage can result from:

• Ice dams
• Destroyed roofs
• Frozen pipe

Ice Dams

As its name implies, an ice dam is a buildup of ice on the roof of your home. It occurs when melting snow refreezes and blocks other snow from draining properly. This can lead to a buildup of standing water that can then leak into your walls or ceilings. Ice dams can even loosen shingles or gutters.

Destroyed Roofs

A winter storm can cause roof damage in other ways, as well. Ice and high winds can rip the gutters or tiles off your roof. These same winds can also blow tree branches on top of your roof. Heavy branches, in particular, can fall through the roof and harm the inside of your home.

Frozen Pipes

Even if there is no snow outside, cold weather alone can be harmful to your house. Freezing temperatures can cause unheated pipes to freeze and subsequently burst. This can lead to severe water damage.

How To Prepare

There are steps you can take to limit damage to your home during a winter storm. Cleaning gutters in advance can prevent ice dams. You should also secure your roof tiles and trim any tree branches that are too close to the house.
Before the storm arrives, you should head to the store and get emergency supplies such as shovels and non-perishable food.

  Finally, make sure to insulate any pipes that are outdoors or in low-heat areas such as basements and garages.
Even if you prepare accordingly, a winter storm can destroy parts of your house. An emergency restoration services company can repair your home and prevent any damage from spreading.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO of La Porte County has the Experience to Handle Any Disaster (Part 1 of 2)

11/7/2021 (Permalink)

A lightening strike cause this fire which required 70% of the house to be gutted. We have the expertise and experience to handle large and small jobs.

The La Porte County SERVPRO Team Has the Experience That Matters for Michigan City Restoration Services 

We have spent decades serving La Porte County, and Michigan City residents have come to find out that we are a name in restoration services that can get trusted. With specific members of our management, we have more than a century of combined industry experience, giving us confidence and a skillset unknown to many of our competitors. To provide our customers with the best possible experience, we have a full-service contracting team led by seasoned professionals to offer a comprehensive package for every emergency that your home or business faces. 

Fire 

Fires remain a persistent threat to the area, and we have to continue to evolve our approach to combatting these detrimental effects in Michigan City properties with changing practices, products, and equipment. As a premier restoration company, we have an ear to the ground for changes in the restoration techniques and equipment for fire recovery. We encourage our professionals to continue their education in this niche, beginning with the acquisition of their Fire & Smoke Restoration accreditation from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC.) Once acquired, our professionals can continue expanding their knowledge and their abilities in fire restoration through additional endorsements, such as: 

- Odor Control (OCT)

- Carpet Cleaning (CCT)

- Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning (UFT)

- Content Management

Many effects exist in a Michigan City home after a substantial fire loss incident, and our SERVPRO team must address each of these promptly to keep the situation from getting out of control. Conditions like soot and smoke residue particulates threaten surfaces with their acidic composition, and our skilled technicians have numerous products and tools to help with this intricate cleanup. We even have Esporta Washing training to help recover damaged contents on-site when possible. 

Fire damage for Michigan City residences can be an overwhelming situation, but our professionals can make it “Like it never even happened.” With our experience in this niche combined with more than a century of experience with our project management, we can quickly overcome any obstacle in returning your property to preloss condition. 

Water 

From leaking faucets to full plumbing breaches and appliance failures, Michigan City homes are almost always at risk for water loss incidents. With the high volume of these calls that we receive every year, we have dedicated the most substantial portion of our roster of technicians to water restoration and recovery. Beginning with our IICRC certifications as Water Restoration Technicians (WRT), many of which have additional accreditations in Applied Structural Drying (ASD) and Commercial Drying (CDS), we have a skilled team of professionals with the course training and hands-on experience to make a difference quickly in your residence.

The experience that our professionals bring to the table exceeds decades, and when combined with the more than 100 years of combined restoration expertise in six of our management employees, we can quickly mitigate water damage in Michigan City properties. This experience helps to fuel our professionals through high-stress recovery projects where entire households and their contents are at risk.

To protect your Michigan City home or business from the destructive spread of water damage and moisture in the property, our technicians rely on our steadily growing inventory of recovery equipment and restoration tools. From our fast extraction machines through our thorough drying products and devices, we can recover many saturated materials and structural elements without the need for reconstruction.

SERVPRO of La Porte County has the Experience to Handle Any Disaster (Part 2 of 2)

11/7/2021 (Permalink)

A lightening strike cause this fire which required 70% of the house to be gutted. We have the expertise and experience to handle large and small jobs.

Mold 

Our team has led by a remediation specialist who alone boasts decades of industry experience. With this knowledge at the helm of the work that we do with colony removal and restoration of damaged areas of your Michigan City home, we can efficiently manage even complicated recoveries. We offer a comprehensive approach to addressing mold colonization in your residence, beginning with a thorough inspection and assessment of the damage. With a better understanding of the spread and severity of the situation, we can work to customize a plan specific to your address to limit the further spread and start vital mitigation efforts. 

We have a restore before replacing mentality, and with mold damage in Michigan City homes, this practice and approach can save our customers a great deal of money and time. Our successes in protecting these installed construction materials can help to reduce the length of time reconstruction, and remodeling takes. If some areas are unsalvageable, our remediation professionals can work alongside our general contractors to implement controlled demolition solutions. 

We pride ourselves on the knowledgeable technicians that we can offer Michigan City homes when facing mold and microbial growth. From inspections to cutting-edge removal strategies, our SERVPRO of La Porte County team can help whenever you need it. 

Storm

The area is not known for favorable weather conditions throughout the year, which can lead to many circumstances to test the abilities of our SERVPRO storm relief team. When storm damages threaten Michigan City homes, from heavy snowfall to torrential rainfalls, we can respond quickly to help. Knowing how quickly flooding can occur when windows get broken, roofs get damaged, and other structural concerns occur, you need a team of professionals that can do it all.

Our success in this niche of restoration hinges on our ability to offer a comprehensive recovery solution to our Michigan City customers. We have a full team of contractors that can handle repairs and emergency services like tarping and board up to prevent flooding and other elemental damage from persisting.

We received national recognition for our exemplary services in storm response both for Michigan City homes and businesses, as well as disasters that have affected the entirety of the east coast over the last several years. As a large loss recovery team, we can help other franchises and communities across the country in their time of need.

We are a team that works every day to live up to the reputation we are building in our communities across the entire county. We have qualified IICRC-Certified technicians in every niche of the industry, making our SERVPRO of La Porte County team a wise choice for any emergency that threatens your property. Give us a call anytime at (219) 879-1883.

Get Damage Remediation Success With SERVPRO

9/27/2021 (Permalink)

Suffering through fire damage can be quite overwhelming. Team SERVPRO is the service company that you need to make it "Like it never even happened."

Assessment and Estimation for Fire Damages in La Porte Homes

Fires and other unexpected disasters that can affect your La Porte home requires dedicated professionals with the ability to respond to the situation quickly. Part of understanding the severity of the damage to your home is getting the right assessment done by trained technicians with the experience to understand what has to happen to restore a property entirely.
 
When it comes to overcoming fire damage in your La Porte home, the first logical step is to determine how bad the damage is throughout your house. From the point of combustion through the lingering effects spreading throughout the rooms, damages rarely remain isolated to a small area of the property. Our SERVPRO estimator can begin the thorough assessment of the property beginning the moment that we arrive at your address with our mitigation equipment.
 
Additionally, this estimator is working to provide a realistic look at the work that is necessary to return the home to its original condition most cost-effectively and efficiently. We catalog damages, document the work to get performed and take photographic evidence to present your insurance company to help expedite the claims process. We work closely with many of the major and local insurance companies to understand what they need to approve a claim on your behalf to get your home restored after a fire has taken place.
 
Damage assessment is also designed to identify risks present throughout the home as well. After a fire, structural concerns are among the chief potential problems that our SERVPRO professionals face, as many materials become overly damaged and unstable. This inspection of the property helps to identify potential hazards with structural elements, indoor air quality, debris and destruction, and other areas that could threaten the safety of the home’s occupants or our technicians on site.
 
Our SERVPRO of La Porte County technicians take great pride in the thorough nature of the work that we do, while still being able to provide our customers with an efficient restoration result that can save them time and money. If a fire has occurred in your home, reach out to our professionals today at (219) 879-1883.

SERVPRO Is Ready For Storms or Floods Occur In LaPorte County

9/27/2021 (Permalink)

Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition

SERVPRO of LaPorte County specializes in storm and flood damage restoration.  Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition.

Faster Response

Since we are locally owned and operated, we are able to respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost.

Resources to Handle Floods and Storms

When storms hit LaPorte County, we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams that are strategically located throughout the United States.

Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today 219-879-1883

Basements Benefit from SERVPRO Water Extraction and Drying Services

9/20/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Says French Drains and Tiles Can Help Prevent Storm Penetrations into Westville Basements

Many Westville homeowners have french drains surrounding the perimeters of their house. This effective water diversion equipment helps to keep pooling water from collecting against the foundation of the home, which can ultimately find a way inside. Maintenance of your french drain system is nearly impossible without professional support from plumbers with long snakes. Even with this hired help, you still likely have flood damage to contend with in the lowest level of your property.

Caring for flood damage in your Westville basement must happen as quickly as possible. While you might not even use this area of your home as readily as you could, lingering moisture and dampness create a breeding ground for fungal growth and mold damage. Our SERVPRO team is available 24/7 to offer fast mitigation solutions for your flooded home and work to dry the area thoroughly and efficiently.

From the time that our professionals arrive at your home shortly after your initial call, we can work quickly to identify the points of penetration to seal off further access of water with hydraulic cement. This action prevents further damages from water pouring through cracks and creases in the blockwork unabated and provides an opportunity for our technicians on site to begin extraction and drying efforts without delay.

Our SERVPRO technicians have advanced technology and equipment for effective extraction that allows us to remove excess water pooling in areas of your basement fast. This action paves the way for vital drying efforts to follow immediately after. We also have tools that can monitor moisture pockets and identify the ideal location for air movers and other drying machines essential to reducing and eliminating the risk of mold growth and colonization.

While flooding in your basement might feel overwhelming, you can depend on our SERVPRO of La Porte County water restoration experts to help you through every step of this process. Our dedicated response team is available 24/7, with the equipment and experience to recover flood damage quickly, by calling (219) 879-1883.

Westville Welcomes you to our Town!

When Floods Happen - You Have To Deal With It As Soon As Possible!

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

When flooding strikes your home, our technicians have the expertise to make it “Like it never even happened.”

When flooding occurs in buildings it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible in order to combat and prevent the litany of issues that come with a water damage. Flooding brings with it structural degradation, outside contaminants and bacteria, odor, warping, and possibly mold growth.  All of which threaten both your home or business and the health of the people who reside within. 

In order to take care of your flood damage in your home make sure you hire professionals who know how to prevent mold and deal with water, toxins and odor. Our technicians here at SERVPRO are specialized in handling the challenges posed by flood damage and know what needs to be done to ensure the highest standards in restoration service. 

Going through any kind of damage to your home is a stressful experience that can put any homeowner on the edge. This is why we train our technicians to treat every job they go on whether it is a big or small damage with compassion and respect. We find that walking our customers through our process puts them at ease and lets them know they are in competent and responsible hands who will take care of their issue. 

When flooding strikes your home, our technicians have the expertise to make it “Like it never even happened.” We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to preloss condition. 

It Is Best To Leave Water Extraction to The Best There Is- SERVPRO

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

Fast Water Extraction from Your Westville Home by SERVPRO Can Make It "Like it never even happened." Don't Let This Happen to Your Home!

Why Homeowners Need Professional Water Cleanup in Westville

When an emergency sends vast quantities of water into your Westville home, it becomes apparent quickly that ordinary cleaning methods are inadequate. Water that remains soaked into structural components for more than a few hours exposes a home to the chance of permanent damage, including the risk of mold growth. It is doubtful that moisture levels return to normal without the help of our expert technicians and commercial grade equipment.

Affirmative water cleanup efforts are necessary after a water crisis in Westville. It is not sufficient to hope and wait for the water to drain away on its own. Any excess moisture is exceptionally destructive to building materials, furnishings, and fixtures, with progressive deterioration beginning within the first hours after a pipe ruptures, a tub overflows, or the roof leaks.

Water that enters a home also migrates from the initial source, frequently involving areas far from the original leak or accident. SERVPRO technicians receive comprehensive instruction in the science of moisture level measurement and thermal scanning, using these sensitive devices to map the travels water takes throughout your dwelling. Failing to clean up all the places where water infiltrated and collected is an unacceptable outcome for our team.

 SERVPRO sends an experienced project manager to evaluate your water cleanup scenario. We leverage both our Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) training and our on-the-job experience to develop a practical plan to remove the water and dry out your premises. Our resources include submersible pumps and high-efficiency water extractors, along with the technicians to operate them.

This equipment is critical to efficient water cleanup because it removes many gallons quickly. SERVPRO crews have access to multiple pumps and extractors usable at the same time to increase the speed and thoroughness of the water removal, emphasizing the benefits of professional water cleanup. We follow up standing water removal with applied structural drying techniques and equipment that move moisture out of structural components into the air as vapor, soon to be condensed or absorbed by dehumidifiers.

 SERVPRO of La Porte County can have a team of professional water cleanup specialists arriving at your house within hours of your first contact with us at  (219) 879-1883. We're Faster to Any Size Disaster, ready to combine our training and experience to restore your home after a water disaster.

Our town is expanding and growing, click here.

Water Removal and Drying Means a Call to SERVPRO!

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

Turn the Tide and Don’t Ignore Water Damage to Your Westville Home—SERVPRO is Ready to Help

Turn the Tide on Water Damage to Floors in Your Westville Home

A water mishap might seem simple to clean up in your Westville home. Unfortunately, a mop and bucket or the wet/dry vacuum used to clean the garage or workshop are not likely to deliver the results needed quickly or thoroughly enough. The damage moisture, seen and unseen, can do to your dwelling requires professional intervention. Our crews are quick to respond and thorough as they work to mitigate and restore the damage water can inflict.

Floors are one of the components in your Westville home most vulnerable to water damage. Advanced water removal and drying techniques mastered by our technicians in IICRC courses produce remarkable results for our residential customers. A key to the best outcome is requesting an assessment as soon as you note the damage. Our crews respond 24/7, every day of the year because water damage increases in severity the longer the wait.

Our seasoned managers and crew lead assess the damage to your house, closely inspecting the floors where the wetness tends to collect. SERVPRO® crews arrive with the equipment needed to address the damage, using pumps and extractors to remove visible water and then utilizing moisture meters to determine the extent of the water migration. We then turn to other strategies to reduce moisture to normal levels in both building materials, contents, and ambient humidity

Depending on any contamination in the water, rugs and carpeting might be removed, for cleaning and drying elsewhere or disposal. Some carpeting responds well to in-place drying, and our workers have the skills and heavy-duty weighted wand extractors to complete that task. You can rely upon SERVPRO’s expertise in deciding the needed action for your floor coverings. We have perfected the "float a carpet" technique for salvaging floor covers that our customers thought were lost.

Tile, concrete, and vinyl flooring often recover well from water damage. Laminate floors frequently require removal and replacement, but the hardwood floors you treasure can return to “Like it never even happened,” condition if SERVPRO employs methods such as drying mats, top and bottom focused air movement, and other carefully considered strategies. Removing surface sealants, drilling holes, and lifting planks to direct warm air flow can all help in the hands of professional water damage technicians. We can even enter crawlspace foundations to dry the floor joists and boards from below.

SERVPRO of La Porte County is ready to bring your floors and their coverings back from water damage caused by a range of sources. Call (219) 879-1883 as soon as possible for the most successful outcome.

Welcome to Our Town and all it has to offer by clicking here.

Don't Worry - Call SERVPRO For Water Damage In Your Michigan City Home

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

Even a small amount of water can cause big issues. SERVPRO can remove the water and return your home to its preloss condition.

Fast Recovery for Water Damage in Your Michigan City Home

When disaster strikes your Michigan City home, you need assurances that things can return to the way they were before within a reasonable amount of time. While water incidents tend to convince some homeowners that they can handle the effects themselves, the issues often lie below the surface of materials affected by the water that pose the most significant threats. Our emergency response team can help to mitigate the situation and work efficiently to restore your home to its preloss condition.

One of the things that you have to understand about water damage to your Michigan City home is that there are many sources where it can originate. With so many possible avenues for it to occur, the likelihood of it affecting your home is higher than you might have initially believed. Knowing how to clean up the mess thoroughly and dry out the damage that matters most in these situations, and our SERVPRO technicians can help.

From the moment that our team arrives at your house, we get to work on establishing the spread of the water damage throughout the affected area to determine the best approach to removing the moisture and preventing the situation from getting worse immediately. If there is excess water to contend with, extraction efforts help to reduce the threat of this pooling water while other facets of our restoration get set into place.

As with any water damage, drying is one of the most critical steps that our SERVPRO team can take. We utilize all of the equipment at our disposal for forcing the water out of saturated materials and removing it through the use of industrial strength dehumidification equipment. Moisture detection tools can determine the effectiveness of our drying efforts and identify which areas require more attention.

As a homeowner, you want that assurance that restoration can work and is not going to draw out forever. The focal point of our franchise has always been to minimize the effect of restoration on your daily life, so every choice we make is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our work on your property. You can trust our SERVPRO of La Porte County restoration technicians to respond quickly and limit the spread of these effects to other areas of your house. Give our emergency response team a call today at (219) 879-1883.

Michigan City once manufactured railroad freight cars.  Click here for more information on Michigan City.

Big Water Loss? No Problem--Call SERVPRO for Terrific Cleanup and Restoration

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

This is Why SERVPRO after a Water Loss. "Like it never even happened."

Cleanup Following Widespread Water Damage in Westville Homes

Water incidents that occur in your Westville home spread quickly throughout the property to affect multiple areas with a damaging presence. From the moment that the materials become exposed to this water, the composition of these surfaces can begin to saturate and ultimately warp and distort in as little as 24 hours. While many water loss incidents can get contained to a certain area, it is still vital to take care of this situation effectively the moment that you recognize a problem.

Part of addressing the water damage in your Westville home quickly is reaching out the appropriate professionals with the experience and equipment to help. Our SERVPRO professionals undergo extensive training to obtain their water restoration certifications from the IICRC and continue that education through in-house training opportunities and e-learning experiences to be a valued asset to the industry and practical assistance for all of the customers we serve.

Even with our extensive knowledge of water restoration and the most efficient approaches to restoring properties, it would not be possible without the industry-leading equipment that our SERVPRO technicians have at their disposal when we get dispatched out to addresses in an emergency. From efficient extraction systems like our truck-mounted pumps and wet-vacs with extraction wands to our effective drying techniques with air movers and dehumidifiers, we come prepared to make a difference quickly for your water-damaged home.

Without our 24-hour response to emergencies that you discover, your home becomes more susceptible to irreparable damages that require tear out and removal in place of restoration and preservation. Our team commits to working towards preserving original materials over choosing reconstruction where possible to make the entire restoration process faster and cost-effective for our customers.

When you contend with water damage in your home, you might not immediately see all of the potential threats and damage that the situation can cause. If you reach out to our experienced SERVPRO of La Porte County rapid response team right away, we can work to preserve construction materials in your home and save you money on making it “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call today at (219) 879-1883.

Westville Information by clicking right here.

When Your Westville Home Floods You Need Professional Remediation Services -SERVPRO

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

It looks like it is going to be a very wet day. Do you know what to do if water enters your home?

The Dangers Within Floodwaters at Your Westville Residence

Many emergencies which threaten your Westville home are not cut and dry situations with only one effect that damages the property. With circumstances like flooding, you can find yourself contending with several threats simultaneously, leaving you no other logical choice but to leave it in the hands of professionals with the experience, training, and equipment to overcome it.

A chief concern for Westville homeowners dealing with flooding is the effect of the rising water on their property, but this is not exclusively the extent of the damage that this situation can cause. While our SERVPRO technicians can respond quickly to this emergency and provide effective mitigation tactics to preserve your property and its contents, these other potential effects also present a risk to both our restoration professionals and the occupants of the house.

When waters rise from creeks, streams, and rivers, they often have a set path from this point to your residence. Along with that route, the water collects all manner of debris, mud, and potential contaminants. Even with our advanced equipment like portable pumps and gas-powered machines to extract the water from your property fast, our team must also contend with the conditions left behind once the water gets removed.

Our IICRC training for water restoration helps each of our experienced technicians to provide an educated approach to mitigation and restoration to return your property to you fast. Even beyond our rigorous training required to achieve certifications through the standard-setting IICRC, each of our team members gets encouraged to continue improving their knowledge and techniques through continued educational opportunities presented both in-house and online. Our goal is to afford each of our customers the best possible solution for the flooding in their home, and that starts with confident and knowledgeable technicians.

Finding the right solution for flood damage in your home might seem overwhelming at first, especially when the effects leave a need for professional cleaning as well as extraction and drying. You can trust that our SERVPRO of La Porte County response team can provide a comprehensive approach to restoring your home from its initial assessment to its completion. Call us anytime at (219) 879-1883.

Click here for historical pictures of Westville.

SERVPRO Is Your #1 Water Removal Services After a Storm

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

Water removal is the primary concern for homeowners facing flooding after a storm. Call SERVPRO and put our effective services to work for your home.

Through the expected harsh winters to come, the roof on your Michigan City home gets asked to withstand a great deal of strain and weight. Even reinforced or newer roofing materials can weaken and slouch under a heavy snowfall, leading to vulnerable points throughout this defense on top of your house. While you cannot control the effects of the weather on the roof of your home, you can work to ensure that it is fully functional and ready for further severe weather systems in the future through annual inspections.

The trouble with regular inspections into the quality of your roof is that many homeowners do not think to have these done before flooding in Michigan City has occurred and required professional water cleanup for their house. Once a roof gets damaged to the point of allowing water and moisture to pass through, your attic space becomes the first to experience water flow or microbial growth. Our SERVPRO professionals can help.

At the first signs of flood damage on the lower levels of your home beneath the attic space, you should notify our rapid response team. We can arrive quickly to help mitigate the situation as much as possible through emergency board-up services to prevent further water penetration and the removal of contents in your home at risk of exposure and damage from the invading water.

Our emergency response team can also employ our equipment like truck-mounted pumps from our SERVPRO Green Fleet and wet-vacs with extraction wands for pulling up the excess water throughout the affected areas of your house. This removal can help our technicians to adequately inspect the property for a full assessment of sustained damage and the required steps to restore it.

When flooding begins in your home, you do not have a moment to lose. Water damage can spread quickly and begin to affect exposed materials immediately. Give our SERVPRO of La Porte County rapid response team a call at (219) 879-1883 to help you overcome the immediate effects and work efficiently to restore damaged elements of the property.

We service:

• Michigan City
• La Porte
• Westville
• Trail Creek
• Kingsford Heights
• Wanatah
• Long Beach
• Rolling Prairie
• Hudson Lake
• Mill Creek

We are ready to help you make things "Like it never even happened."

After Water Damage Happens, Keep Calm & Call SERVPRO

8/16/2021 (Permalink)

When an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.

Flooding and water damage events at LaPorte County commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we’re dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large scale event, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility.

Restoring Commercial Properties Presents Unique Challenges

Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that 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.

About SERVPRO of LaPorte County

SERVPRO of LaPorte County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a 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.

SERVPRO - Protect Your Family From Water Damage

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

Make sure to cover all of your bases.

SERVPRO can cover you.

Owning a home is full of responsibilities. Mortgage payments, insurance policies, and landscaping are but a few of the items we need to pay attention to keep the roof over our heads. However, sometimes, we are responsible for the homes of our loved ones as well. Have you ever thought that your elderly relative may need professional help in keeping up with his or her home? It is not uncommon for an older person to be unaware of water damage on their property until it is too late. 

Whether the water damage to a home in La Porte is yours or your relative's, SERVPRO is here to help. With our Green Fleet, you can rest assured that you are receiving the benefit of formal education in water damage restoration along with the know-how from being out on the field. Our water restoration technicians (WRT) apply the latest methodologies to removing excess water from your home and restoring it to mint condition. 

The most crucial step homeowners need to take is calling our 24/7 hotline. The damage to your home worsens with every minute the water is left unattended, potentially causing buckling of wood floors, a saturation of drywall and complete loss of carpet and upholstery. Our goal is to minimize your losses and prevent future problems, such as the proliferation of mold. Depending on the severity of your event, our SERVPRO team may pick one or several tools to extract water from your home. These might include- 

-Truck mounted pump 

-Submersible pump 

-Drying mats 

-Extraction wand 

-Dehumidifiers 

Regardless of the size of the problem, SERVPRO is here to help. Even when you feel like you can handle the extraction and drying yourself, equipment available at your local hardware store could leave behind water deposits invisible to the naked eye, posing a risk for the future. 

Protect your home and your loved ones by calling a professional team when there is water damage. SERVPRO of La Porte County is available at (219) 879-1883 and ready to spring into action. Call us and let us leave your home, "Like it never even happened." 

If you would like to learn more about La Port click here.

Our SERVPRO Team Is Here To Help After A Flood Has Destroyed Your Home In LaPorte

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

Flood damages can spread quickly throughout your property, presenting many concerns and hazards to those living in the space.

The Right Restoration For Flood Damage To La Porte Homes

Once natural disasters affect your La Porte home, the clock begins to get the right restorative actions started before irreparable damage results. With situations like flooding, contamination can prove to be a significant factor as well, as rising waters can carry all manner of bacteria, sewage, and chemicals with it. The longer that homeowners wait to secure professional restoration services the more damage that could result in their property.

When it comes time to restore flood damage in your La Porte residence, there are many steps between your currently damaged property and your fully restored home. Our SERVPRO professionals have a 24-hour response to emergencies like flooding, offering our customers the full measure of our mitigation practices at any hour of the day. From extraction to drying, we can get to work quickly on protecting your property as much as possible.

With flooding situations that introduce bacteria and contamination to your home, the best approach is to remove exposed materials like drywall, carpeting, flooring materials, and other exposed elements to prevent health effects for those exposed and to make restoration, as a whole, more efficient. During the removal of these exposed materials, our on-site technicians can get a look at the spread of the floodwater and prevent unexposed materials and areas of your house from becoming damaged.

Drying efforts follow extraction of floodwaters and play a critical role in helping to preserve structural elements of your home such as beams, studs, and framework that can often stay in place once outside materials have gotten removed. These areas still require disinfection and cleaning, but can often provide the skeleton for reconstruction to begin immediately following mitigation.

Flood damages can spread quickly throughout your property, presenting many concerns and hazards to those living in the space. Let our SERVPRO of La Porte County rapid response team show you the full measure of our training and industry-leading equipment to return it to preloss condition. Give our professionals a call anytime at (219) 879-1883.

Click here for more about La Porte.

Why SERVPRO? Our Crew Of Specialists Can Help You Understand Mold Damage In Your Home!

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

The more that you can understand about mold damages in your residence, the better prepared you are when the situation calls for swift action.

The Truth About Mold Growth In Your La Porte Residence

One of the most troublesome things that professional restoration teams like ours contend with in the La Porte communities we serve is bad information. With myths and false statements readily available on the internet, many homeowners are not getting the entire picture when it comes to significant threats to their home and their families from occurrences like mold and microbial growth.

The more that you can understand about mold damages in your La Porte residence, the better prepared you are when the situation calls for swift action. From the moment that a discovery of mold growth occurs in your home, the damaging effects of the organism are already occurring to construction materials, the contents of your home, and the occupants of the house that might be at risk for exposure.

Once our dedicated and experienced SERVPRO remediation specialists arrive at your home, we begin by isolating the affected area to prevent the issue from spreading to new areas. This approach also helps to debunk a popular belief that mold growth is a slow process that does not require immediate reactions. Mold damage can spread quickly throughout the primary affected area, but also, spores can travel through air vents and ductwork to reach new points to seat and colonize.

Another misconception that homeowners tend to believe is that mold growth can go away on its own. Without the appropriate actions taken with precision and the industry-leading equipment our SERVPRO professionals have in our arsenal, the mold colony continues to grow and spread. The bigger this colony becomes, the more it can affect both the structural integrity of the materials that it feeds on and potential health effects associated with a higher volume of active spores in the environment.

When you discover mold growth in your home, it might seem like something that you could handle on your own, or you might believe some of the myths about mold that you can find on the internet. The solution for overcoming this presence lies with the highly trained, IICRC-certified remediation technicians at SERVPRO of La Porte County. Our emergency response crew is available 24/7 by calling (219) 879-1883.Click here for more about La Porte.

SERVPRO Is Your #1 Professional Water Damage Restoration - Here 24/7!

6/11/2021 (Permalink)

When More Than Paper Towels Are Needed to Dry Out Your Westville Home After a Water Loss--Call SERVPRO

How Professional Water Damage Restoration Works In Westville

No matter what the source, damage to your Westville home from water causes a broad range of problems. Unlike many home projects where the savvy homeowner collects bids and takes all the time desired to choose a contractor and develop a plan, water loss remediation must happen quickly. Waiting even a day or two exposes your home to severe deterioration and secondary damage such as mold growth, rot or rust. Our team is ready and capable of taking on your project immediately.

Westville water damage can occur when pipes break, appliances wear out, or momentary distraction results in tubs or sinks overflowing. Water is extremely destructive to the structural components of a house, crumbling drywall, warping flooring, and bubbling paint among other harmful outcomes. Our crews of IICRC-trained technicians assess your water loss scenario and plan for water removal and structural drying.

The SERVPRO team gets right on the job because we stock all of the equipment needed on our signature green service vehicles. Our crews pump out standing water deeper than two inches with our submersible units. We also use truck-mounted extractors for lesser amounts or water trapped in cavities or recesses. Our team uses moisture meters and thermal scanners to locate water hidden behind walls, under floors, or above ceilings for a full removal.

Extractors can pull water out of carpeting as well. Our SERVPRO technicians master the methods to remove water with weighted wands. We complete multiple extraction passes expertly to avoid stretching and delamination during the process. Once the extractors pull all possible moisture out of building materials and fixtures structural drying begins.

SERVPRO trucks also carry air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers. Our crews deliver services based on industry best practices, positioning the drying equipment carefully to achieve the balance needed to move water out of the porous structural components into the air to be condensed and absorbed for removal. These devices are monitored throughout our service. To inhibit fungal growth, we also treat affected areas with EPA registered antimicrobials, leaving the formerly water damaged areas clean and sanitized.

SERVPRO of La Porte County is ready and able to respond to your need for professional water damage restoration. Call us as soon as you note the water loss at (219) 879-1883.

Here is city-data for Westville

SERVPRO of La Porte County Is Your #1 For Water Restoration!

6/11/2021 (Permalink)

When your warehouse faces the effects of water damage, it is time to contact SERVPRO for mitigation services.

As a Westville business owner, your primary focus for the company is doing things efficiently so that you are not cutting too deeply into potential profits when something goes wrong. The warehouse you can supply your wares or someone else’s, but a water loss incident in the facility can put these items at risk immediately. While you no doubt have a capable custodial staff, water loss incidents often require a fast response from trained professionals like ours to prevent unnecessary damages.

Even smaller scale incidents that only require water cleanup services for your Westville warehouse can still get done inadequately, which poses a significant risk to the contents of the building and the structure itself. Our SERVPRO team can work to provide you with the most cost-effective and efficient solutions for immediate mitigation to prevent loss and for the full cleanup and restoration of any existing damages.

Effective water removal is often the first step in this process once our team arrives at your facility after the incident. We can bring in portable pumps and other advanced extraction equipment to remove excess water quickly from the affected areas. This removal provides the opportunity for our SERVPRO technicians to assess the damage to structural elements and contents, even opting to remove items from the facility for a short time to protect them against potential damages while restoration work gets underway.

Excessive water damage often comes with cleanup duties, and our training in restoration work allows us to provide commercial customers with premier cleaning services that can return their facility to its original condition quickly. Whether it is the carpeted office space within the building or concrete flooring out on in the shop and storage areas, we have the advanced equipment and expertise to make it “Like it never even happened.”

We can respond quickly to a water damage emergency in your warehouse to help protect its contents and prevent unnecessary expenditures on prolonged restoration processes. You can reach our SERVPRO of La Porte County rapid response team anytime by calling (219) 879-1883.

For more on Westville, click here. 

Flooding & Water Emergencies Don't Wait For Anyone - Contact SERVPRO For 24/7 Emergencies

6/11/2021 (Permalink)

Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. SERVPRO of LaPorte County 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 LaPorte County 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 – 219-879-1883

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.

About SERVPRO of LaPorte County

SERVPRO of LaPorte 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.

Ask The Experts: Things You Should Know When Unpredictable Weather Is Upon You

4/5/2021 (Permalink)

Spring is the time of year when many things change—including the weather. Temperatures can swing back and forth between balmy and frigid. Sunny days may be followed by a week of stormy weather. Sometimes extreme weather changes can occur even within the same day. Mark Twain once said, "In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours."

Thunderstorms cause most of the severe spring weather. They can bring lightning, tornadoes, and flooding. Whenever warm, moist air collides with cool, dry air, thunderstorms can occur. For much of the world, this happens in spring and summer.

Reduce injury risk and plan ahead

Because spring weather is so unpredictable, you may be unprepared when severe weather hits—particularly if you live in a region that does not often experience thunderstorms, tornadoes, or flooding. And when severe weather hits unexpectedly, the risk of injury and death increases. So planning ahead makes sense; prepare for storms, floods, and tornadoes as if you know in advance they are coming, because, in the spring, they very likely will.

Advance planning for thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, and floods requires specific safety precautions. You can follow many of the same steps that you would for all extreme weather events. Keep an emergency kit on hand. Some items to include are:

• A battery-operated flashlight, a battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio, and extra batteries for both
• An emergency evacuation or shelter plan, including a map of your home and, for every type of severe weather emergency, routes to safety from each room
• A list of important personal information, including:

-telephone numbers of neighbors, family, and friends

-insurance and property information

-telephone numbers of utility companies

-medical information

According to the American Red Cross a first aid kit may include:

-non-latex gloves

-assortment of adhesive bandages

-antibiotic ointment

-sterile gauze pads in assorted sizes

-absorbent compress dressings

-tweezers

-scissors

-adhesive cloth tape

-aspirin packets (81 mg each)

-first aid instruction booklet

 (NOTE: Customize your first aid kit to meet your individual and family needs.)

• A 3–5 day supply of bottled water and non-perishable food
• Personal hygiene items
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• An emergency kit in your car

Prepare your family members for the possibility of severe weather. Tell them where to seek appropriate shelter as soon as they are aware of an approaching storm. Practice your emergency plan for every type of severe weather. Show family members where the emergency supplies are stored, and make sure they know how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity in your home.

Often by the time we are aware of an approaching storm, we have little if any time to prepare for it. But we do know that when spring arrives, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and floods are real possibilities. So why not take the surprise factor out of severe weather and prepare yourself, your family, and your home? If thunderstorms, tornadoes, and floods do occur, you'll be ready for them.

https://www.cdc.gov/features/springweather/

After the storms, if you find you have damage to your home, don't forget SERVPRO is here to help 24/7. We are ready for whatever the weather leaves behind!

Ask The Experts: Things you might not know, but should!

3/31/2021 (Permalink)

Many workplaces always call on the boss or the maintenance man when something goes wrong. What if they were home sick, or in a meeting and you need to locate the water shutoff, where do you start?

SERVPRO can help commercial property managers in planning for a water, fire, storm damage. How? With a free Emergency Response Profile created by the SERVPRO Marketing Department.

By having a plan of action, and including it in your regular training at your office, you can minimize the cost of an unplanned event happens like a busted pipe, fire or any other type of disaster.

Some property managers use this as a tool to keep everything organized in one central location.

Is your business ready for a disaster? Even a simple pipe burst can cause a lot of damage and headaches. With a SERVPRO Emergency READY Profile it can have the critical information to minimize damages, provide the resources for the employees of the company, and provide property details and information. This is a FREE service that we provide to commercial properties.

Make an appointment today to get started!

If the unthinkable happens, call your local SERVPRO seven days a week 24/7 to help you avoid the cost and hassle of secondary damages. We are faster to any disaster and will help make it "Like it never even happened." 

Ask The Experts: Things You Should Do If Disaster Hits Your Business

3/31/2021 (Permalink)

When disaster strikes your Michigan City bar, you need fast and effective cleanup and drying efforts to keep this water loss incident from getting out of control. With the right response from trained professionals like ours with effective mitigation and restoration equipment, you can get the doors back open quickly to your establishment to continue serving your faithful patrons.

Water damage can affect your Michigan City bar in many different ways, but overcoming these effects almost always requires the expertise and advanced equipment of certified professionals. Our SERVPRO team remains available 24/7 to provide a fast and effective response to emergencies that threaten your business. We have mitigation solutions to keep your out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum and ensure that the complete restoration is as fast as possible. This process begins with a thorough and honest assessment of the damage to your bar and what must occur to overcome these effects and get your doors back open.

A smaller leak in a fixture or pipe might be challenging to spot at first, but the effect that it can have on cabinetry, countertops and nearby structural elements become evident a short time later. When you diagnose water damage in your bar, you can trust in our professionals to arrive quickly with the necessary equipment to dry out these saturated materials fast. The quicker we can address this saturation into structural components and fixed shelving or cabinets, the less likely it becomes that these areas require replacement or reconstruction.

Our SERVPRO team can even locate the specific point of the break in the pipe or a broken fixture and work to repair this damage. Once the area has gotten thoroughly dried, we can work on ensuring that all of the affected areas and surfaces have gotten cleaned and sprayed with an antimicrobial solution if they became at risk of facilitating mold colonization.

You work hard to be available for your faithful and loyal patrons every day of the year, and we understand how important it is to get the doors back open after a water loss incident. Let our SERVPRO of La Porte County team show you that We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster with our effective mitigation and restoration solutions. Give our crew a call anytime at (219) 879-1883.

The Importance of Fire Safety In Your Home

3/23/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damage can be caused in many ways throughout your home. However, forgetting to lock your lighters or matches away from small and curious children makes a fire significantly more likely. Of course, these actions are never maliciously done, but children are children; sometimes, they get into things and cause trouble. By the time you noticed a burning smell coming from your living room, your child was already trying to get your attention about what they had unknowingly done. The floor rug had sustained quite a bit of fire damage, as well as the floor directly below it. Fibers of the rug had adhered to the floor as soot, and scorch marks stained the wooden floorboards as well.
 
While this fire was relatively small in nature, and was put out swiftly, it is still important to seek out professional remediation services for the fire damage in your Westville living room. The scorch marks on your floor may be hard to remedy on your own, as the very particular temperature the fire burned the rug at must be addressed with a specific remedy. Professionals can tell precisely what solution to take, and they can do it swiftly, allowing you to live in your house in its pre-fire state.
 
SERVPRO knows how to deal with the fire damage inside of your home. Our IICRC-certified technicians are excellently trained and always make sure to travel to your home as soon as possible after your initial call for assistance. Upon arriving, SERVPRO can jump right into work, removing the floor rug for you and then addressing the soot and scorch marks on the floor.
 
Our SERVPRO techs can use a lubricative cleaning solution to clean the soot away, designed for the type of debris that was left behind by the fire in your home. The solution gently lifts the dirt away from your flooring, allowing it to be wiped away with a cloth. This process may take a few repeated tries until all of the soot is mopped up. Once the soot is gone for good, SERVPRO can leave your house "Like it never even happened."
 
Should a small child accidentally cause fire damage inside of your home, never hesitate. Phone SERVPRO of La Porte County by calling (219) 879-1883 with your phone. Our technicians are always ready to travel to your home swiftly.

Click here for more about Westville.

Westville Basements Benefit from SERVPRO Water Extraction and 

Why SERVPRO? The SERVPRO Advantage!

11/27/2020 (Permalink)

Since its founding in 1967 SERVPRO has expanded to over 1,700 locations across the United States and Canada. Since then SERVPRO has also greatly expanded the array of services we offer. Since those services range from carpet cleaning and deodorization to large-scale disaster recovery and with SERVPRO’s 1,700+ locations our collective knowledge and experience is one of the greatest assets SERVPRO has and we know how to use it. 

SERVPRO locations provide all kind of support to each other ranging from equipment to people-power and technical advice. Sometimes we might run into an issue that we have not encountered before or possibly elements to a job which prevent our normal methods for jobs. This is when we have been able to rely on the knowledge base which our corporate office and other SERVPROs have accumulated. 

There was one deodorization job where a skunk got into a Wichita church’s HVAC system and sprayed in it. The odor was strong throughout the building and the HVAC systems vents were inaccessible due to the construction of the building. Being unable to do much else the church wanted us to come up with a completely chemical-based deodorization method for the HVAC systems vents. 

Since most of the EPA registered chemicals we use are invented and manufactured by our chemists at SERVPRO we can reach out to them for help. The advice they provided in both chemical combinations to use and equipment to pair with it proved effective. The skunk odor in the church had an immediate and significant reduction with almost total elimination of the odor coming by the end of the week. 

We are known for taking care of the big problems and disasters, but we also are adept at helping people with the strange problems. If you have a problem which makes you think “I don’t even know who does this” if it’s not us we probably know who, try giving us a call. 

So if disaster strikes, give SERVPRO a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

Why SERVPRO? We are the efficient professionals

11/11/2020 (Permalink)

Few things are more complicated than having to deal with fire damage in the home. Sometimes, the steps that you as the homeowner take after the fire damage determine the speed at which the home will be restored to the state it was in before the fire damage happened. Below is a guideline outlining the steps you ought to take after an electrical fire or another type of fire breaks out in your home.

Evacuation

The very first thing you need to do is ensure that all the people who were in the building have gotten out. In case there is someone still trapped in the building because of soot damage or smoke, you should call in emergency services such as the fire truck, fire sprinkler systems, fire hoses, and firefighters to help rescue them and put out the fire. Do not try to get back into the house once you are out where it is safe.

The fire suppression

The fire trucks and firefighters will arrive and assess the situation. The firefighters, fire hoses, and fire trucks will do their best to try and put out the fire within the shortest time possible after getting to the scene. You might see a firefighter going into the house and trying to rescue people who are trapped in the soot damage. They use equipment such as fire hoses, fire sprinkler systems, and other appropriate equipment to help them achieve fire suppression within the shortest time.

If fire strikes your home or business, give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

Why SERVPRO? We follow every step of proper mold remediation

9/3/2020 (Permalink)

Here at SERVPRO, we follow every step of proper mold remediation to ensure your safety as well as ours.  It is crucial to use qualified specialists who can safely handle and clean mold.  Listed below are the steps we follow when performing both Level 1 and Level 2 mold remediation:  

• Isolate all contaminated areas.
• Remove all wet and mold-damaged porous materials.
• Discard all wet and moldy materials in plastic bags.
• Properly clean all non-porous materials and wood surfaces that have been contaminated.
• Treat all affected materials with anti-microbial.
• Visibility Test – all areas should be visibly free of contamination and debris
• Cleaned materials should be professionally dried to allow leftover moisture to evaporate.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are ready to get you back to "Like it never even happened." 

Why SERVPRO? Because we are the cleaning experts!

7/13/2020 (Permalink)

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

Specialized Training

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff performs on a daily basis.

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:

• Kitchen/Food Areas
• Bathrooms
• Schools/Classrooms
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Water Fountains
• Shelving/Racks
• Sales Counters
• Carpets and Rugs
• Stair Handrails
• Elevator Cars
• Playground Equipment
• Fitness Equipment

Specialized Products

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.

So give us a call today! We are faster to any disaster and are here to put our expertise, equipment and experience to work for you!

When Water Attacks Your Business, SERVPRO Is Here For You

7/10/2020 (Permalink)

Many situations can create a need for commercial water removal. For instance, when the water main outside the local bakery malfunctions. The highly pressured water can quickly surge into the building carrying along with it mud and debris. This can prevent normal foot traffic and baking from carrying on as usual. We are here to let you know how we deal with such events when they happen in La Porte.

Any La Porte-based bakery or retail shop needs water removal services when water and mud quickly enter the building.  Our SERVPRO technicians can respond almost immediately and access the site. After that, we can come up with appropriate procedures to extract excess water from different parts of the building. Our goal is to quickly mitigate the muddy water flooding from damaging equipment and cooking appliances.
 
By using shovels, we can remove the mud and use water extraction procedures such as the use of submersible pumps to remove the excess water. If the bakery has soaked drywall, our SERVPRO technicians can remove a layer of the drywall – usually a few feet up – to expose the wall cavities for efficient drying. We can then place air movers and dehumidifiers within the building to enhance the drying process.
 
Since a bakery is an operation where food is prepared, our SERVPRO technicians eliminate conditions which may favor the growth of mold. Sacks of flour, sugar, condiments and such are very susceptible to absorption via high humidity, so we work extra hard and fast to extract water vapor from the kitchen area, the front counter area, and also any dining zone. We do that by ensuring the area is completely dry, and we apply disinfectants to deactivate the spores. Our Water Damage Restoration Technicians (WRT) adhere to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards to guarantee the safety of your customers.
 
SERVPRO of La Porte County can restore your commercial property to its preloss state whenever possible. Call (219) 879-1883 to have those cakes and donuts ready for the next buyer.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned – a defensive cleaning program

5/21/2020 (Permalink)

Let us help you get back to business

As our communities re-open, we’re all moving back toward a new kind of normal. The expectations of visitors, customers, and employees who come into our establishments have evolved, and staying safe and well is a top concern. The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed what it means to be clean, and we’ve developed a program to help your business meet the new higher standard of clean that is now expected.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned is a defensive cleaning program we’re offering to businesses and commercial locations to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. This proactive viral pathogen cleaning program goes well beyond janitorial or carpet cleaning. By choosing Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, you, your employees, your customers, and your community can rest assured that you’ve selected a higher cleaning standard – you are Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.

Extensive training and specialized products

As the #1 choice in cleanup and restoration*, we stand on more than 50 years of experience and expertise to help your business become Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.  Beyond fire & water, SERVPRO professionals are trained and experienced in biohazard decontamination and chemical spills – always adhering to the cleaning and decontamination standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities. 

From formulating and creating our proprietary cleaning products, like SERVPROXIDE, at our headquarters in Gallatin, TN, to taking the utmost care while disinfecting, we will ensure you and your business are set up to inspire consumer confidence as the economy continues to reopen.

3 C’s – Consult, Clean, and Certify

When the stakes are this high, you want a partner who has developed an industry leading, proprietary training program, cleaning solutions, and remediation processes over decades. We’ve cleaned up some of the most challenging biohazards imaginable. Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned reflects our unique experiences and capabilities. The program is grounded with our unique 3 C’s: Consult, Clean, and Certify.

• Consult – Every business is different, which is why you’ll be assigned a Cleaning Protocol Consultant who understands your business and will create a cleaning program to meet your specific needs. This program will be developed based on your business type, size of space, amount of high frequency touchpoints, foot traffic and congestion points.
• Clean – Based on your specific business needs, your location will undergo a thorough, deep clean, using exclusive cleaning products, according to protocols set forth by the CDC. Our employees have years of experience, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform. Cleanup procedures generally include cleaning of porous and non-porous surfaces, disinfecting of non-porous surfaces, cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, tools, and/or supplies used for cleanup process, and disposal of hazardous materials.  In the event of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 event, we will be there cleaning within 24 hours to ensure you get back to business as quickly as possible. 
• Certify - Once your business location has been Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, you will gain access to proprietary signage, digital emblems, and other collateral that communicates that you’ve selected a higher standard of clean available to help protect your employees and customers. And because we add the day, month, and year to that proprietary stamp of clean, your guests will know that not only did you choose Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, but that your location is being cleaned regularly at this standard.

Call today for a Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation

We’re Here to Help – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – until life is back to normal in the communities we all call home.

Call SERVPRO of La Porte County today at  219-879-1883 for your Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation.

SERVPRO of La Porte is here for you when disaster strikes

5/18/2020 (Permalink)

Storms can seem like terrifying ordeals to young children when they hit the La Porte area. When heavy torrential rainstorms cause flooding to happen to homes, stress, and anxiety about the situation can last a lot longer. SERVPRO's technicians put their training to work for our community, so recovering from disasters becomes more organized and less chaotic.

The benefits that training and experience combined with compassion give to families are why SERVPRO makes sure that communication with the customer continues during the entirety of any flood damage mitigation in La Porte. Our technicians want to know how we might help you and your family recover after any size flooding disaster.

Flooding ruins many things that your family uses every day. Other items hold memories and sentimental value. However, only when you tell us about these belongings do we know to perform additional restorative work with them. Some articles come clean only with specific techniques, such as our ultrasonic water bath. Others might need longer times in one of our deodorization chambers.

Sometimes, the boxes your family placed items within can become damp. We recommend changing these for new boxes. Our workers can do this repacking for you. When soiling exists, we also clean this away from affected items before moving them into new cartons. Afterward, we carefully stack these boxes in an unaffected area of your residence or move them to our secure facility for safekeeping. The second option often happens when a residence contains excess water vapor, as is often the case after a flood.

SERVPRO's specialists can help point you in the right direction with both the work we do and with outside help. Just like we partner with experts in the electrical, plumbing, and many other fields, we also network with different agencies That can simplify efforts towards restoration after a disaster.

Working in the Wanatah, Hudson Lake, and Kingsford Heights communities, SERVPRO of La Porte County is always ready to help make sense of things after flood damage brings chaos to your life. Call (219) 879-1883 to work with an experienced team who sees your family as more than just the current customer, but as people who deserve to have their home and belongings restored and made whole.

Click here for more about La Porte.

SERVPRO of LaPorte County is here to help in this time of need

3/23/2020 (Permalink)

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

Specialized Training

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform on a daily basis.

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:

• Kitchen/Food Areas
• Bathrooms
• Schools/Classrooms
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Water Fountains
• Shelving/Racks
• Sales Counters
• Carpets and Rugs
• Stair Handrails
• Elevator Cars
• Playground Equipment
• Fitness Equipment

Specialized Products

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.

Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning

If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts at SERVPRO of Laporte at 219-879-1883.

We Can Help Solve Your Mold Issues In Your La Porte Home

12/21/2018 (Permalink)

Mold can grow in any home, even your well-maintained and clean residence in La Porte.

How Professionals Find And Remediate Mold Damage In La Porte

Mold can grow in any home, even your well-maintained and clean residence in La Porte. Understanding the life cycle of the hundred thousand fungi so far identified results in one conclusion -- if your home has excess moisture, mold damage is a possibility. Our technicians complete extensive IICRC training in microbial abatement so we can assist if mold damage sneaks up on you. Do not despair -- give us a chance to help.

Spores exist in both outdoor and indoor environments, and mold damage in your La Porte home is common even if a small amount of moisture is present. The water needed can come from unnoticed spills, slow leaks in pipes hidden in cabinets or behind walls, condensation under appliances or on cold exterior walls, or even in rooms with high humidity. Our team of mold remediation specialists determine the extent of the infestation and identify the moisture source.

SERVPRO professionals know that mold damage recurs if we ignore the moisture problem. When we assess your mold damage, first we help arrange for repair of the water problem. Then we contain the moldy area, protecting other spaces in your home from the drift of moldy debris as we move into the removal phase of the project.

Containment can be as simple as creating a physical barrier with heavy plastic sheeting. Often we add air scrubbing equipment that filters and then vents the contaminated air disturbed during the cleaning process. SERVPRO technicians use mechanical means to scrub off the mold, brushes, and scrapers working well on solid, non-permeable surfaces. If porous materials are infected, all is not lost. Although severely infiltrated structural components and easy to replace items like carpet padding might be removed and replaced, we use innovative techniques like soda blasting to clear mold.

Once the moldy materials are removed and bagged, SERVPRO disposes of them following local rules and regulations. Our customers rely on our finishing steps which include thorough cleaning and vacuuming with HEPA filtered equipment to eliminate all moldy debris. We also treat affected areas with EPA registered antimicrobials to inhibit subsequent mold growth.

SERVPRO of La Porte County is ready to support residents of our community with EPA-approved mold remediation services. Call us at (219) 879-1883 for a mold assessment and implementation of a remediation plan.

Click here for more about La Porte.

Does Your LaPorte County Home Have A Mold Problem?

1/25/2018 (Permalink)

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – 219-879-1883

For Immediate Service in LaPorte County, Call SERVPRO

1/25/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of LaPorte County provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in LaPorte County. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
• Faster to Any-Sized Disaster
• Highly Trained Restoration Technicians
• A Trusted Leader in the Restoration Industry
• Locally Owned and Operated
• Advanced Restoration and Cleaning Equipment 

Have Questions? Call Us 24/7 – 219-879-1883

Residential Services

Whether your LaPorte County home needs emergency flood damage or your upholstery cleaned, you can depend on us.  Our technicians have extensive cleaning and restoration training and can make your property look its best. Learn more about our residential services:

• Water Damage Restoration
• Fire Damage Restoration
• Mold Remediation
• Storm Damage Restoration
• Cleaning Services
• Building/Reconstruction Services

Commercial Services

There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your LaPorte County commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business. 

• Commercial Water Damage Restoration
• Commercial Fire Damage Restoration