What's that smell in my London home?

9/8/2023 (Permalink)

Specializing in Residential and Commercial cleaning and deodorization.

Have you ever had a small kitchen fire, and after the cleanup of the general area wondered why there was still an odor? 

If there is a lingering smell left after fire damage in your home, it is essential to address it promptly. The odor can be persistent and unpleasant due to the various materials that burned during the fire. Smoke and soot can stick to a variety of materials in your home.

Consult professional help: If the smell persists or the fire damage is extensive, it may be necessary to contact professional home restoration companies, such as SERVPRO® of Pulaski and Laurel Counties that specialize in fire damage cleanup. They have the expertise and tools to thoroughly clean and deodorize your home. Our team of trained technicians can not only clean your contents, but we also have a storage area on site that can house your home items that need extra cleaning. Or store them while your home is being properly cleaned and deodorized. 

Remember, fire damage restoration can be complex, and it's essential to ensure your safety during the process. If the fire damage was significant or you have concerns about the cleanup, consider contacting professionals to assess the situation and provide appropriate recommendations. They can help ensure thorough restoration and deodorization of your home. Another aspect of cleaning after a fire is getting your HVAC system cleaned. Most of the time that smoke or soot could have traveled into your duct work. We have specialized equipment to help clean that odor out.

Call our offices in London today at 606-877-2160. We always have teams on standby, even after regular business hours. Let our team of trained and certified technicians get your home back to "Like it never even happened."

Fall Safety Measures in your London Home

8/29/2023 (Permalink)

It's that time of year when summer turns to fall and with that comes fireplaces, heater use, fire damages, and needing a fire safety plan. We want your home and family to be safe this fall. SERVPRO® of Pulaski & Laurel Counties brings you safety tips to prevent fire in your home. 

Be aware when burning wood in your fireplace or wood stove.

• Have your chimney and flue cleaned by a professional. Buildup in your chimney can create a perfect storm for fire damage. 
• Clean your wood stove and remove any clutter that has accumulated on or near the stove or fireplace. You want to make sure nothing can catch fire. 

Test your smoke alarms and CO₂ detectors.

It is that time of year to change your CO2 detectors and smoke/fire alarm batteries. With a heightened chance of fire damage during the fall always keep in mind, that when fall hits it is time to change those batteries. 

Make a fire safety plan.

One of the best ways to keep your family safe is to have a plan. When a fire occurs make sure your family is equipped with how and where to go in your home. Fires and smoke from the fire spread quickly, especially among children or senior citizens.

• Designate a meeting location away from the home where everyone knows to go, so it's easy to see who has been accounted for from the home.
• Always make sure you have one person to call the fire department if a fire breaks out in your home. 

If you need help from fire damage restoration professionals in London, Corbin, Somerset, Pineville, and surrounding areas call SERVPRO® of Pulaski & Laurel Counties at 606-877-2160 today.

Safeguard Yourself Against Severe Storms | SERVPRO® of Pulaski & Laurel Counties

5/19/2023 (Permalink)

Severe weather can happen anytime. Make sure you're prepared and remember, SERVPRO of Pulaski & Laurel Counties is here to help when disaster strikes.

We are right in the heart of peak severe weather season in the Somerset area. Some of the most volatile weather passes through our community from March to June, though we all know that Kentucky weather is anything but predictable.

In order to keep your family safe from severe weather, it is important that you are prepared ahead of the weather warnings and projected forecast.

Our SERVPRO of Pulaski & Laurel Counties team explains how to get ready now before the next severe storm hits, so read on to learn how to prepare yourself.

Have a Plan in Place

Have you ever heard that the best offense is a good defense? That applies to preparing for severe weather, too!

You should discuss your family’s emergency plan regularly and communicate where you should go and what you should do during a weather warning. Pick the lowest and most interior room in your home as the location that you will shelter, or explain how to get to your underground storm shelter quickly.

You should also take the time to update your emergency contacts and your family’s contacts so that in the event that you get separated, you can easily connect with one another.

Finally, you should ensure that your alert systems are ready to go. You should have at least two reliable ways of receiving weather alerts with one of them not being dependent on electricity in order to work.

Prep Your Space

In your safe shelter location, you should have an emergency kit that is stocked with whatever you would need to live safely for a couple of days in a disaster situation. Pack a first-aid kit, batteries, flashlights, a battery-operated weather radio, ponchos and a three-day supply of food and safe drinking water.

Remember, while a lot of these items do have long shelf-lives, they can still expire. You should be going through your emergency kit each season to check for expiration dates and swap out anything that is old or compromised. Don’t forget to include food and water for your pets as well!

What to Do After the Storm

As you stay hunkered down in your home with your family, don’t go outside until you are sure the storm has passed. Once it is safe to do so, take a walk around your home and property to look for damage. If damage is discovered, call SERVPRO of Pulaski & Laurel Counties immediately.

We will arrive at your home quickly and will get to work securing the rest of your house to prevent more damage in the meantime. This can include laying tarps or boarding up windows and doors.

Then we’ll move on to the rest of the project! We can dry up water, remove debris, clean up messes, and sanitize your space. After that, we can address any necessary repairs to bring your home back to its preloss condition. Even though experiencing storm damage may be scary, our restoration team is here to ensure you experience a full recovery.

Storm damage is common at this time of year. Contact us at SERVPRO of Pulaski & Laurel Counties if your home suffers damage.

Reduce Your Risk of a Fire This Spring

3/6/2023 (Permalink)

If you experience fire damage as a result of a wildfire, SERVPRO® of Pulaski & Laurel Counties can help make the damage "Like it never even happened."

Spring is finally making its way to the Somerset area! It can be a relief to us that the colder months of the year are finally behind us.

Now is the time to start preparing our homes for the change in season, the warmer days and much more time spent outside. With the arrival of spring and summer, it is necessary to take extra precautions around your home to prevent house fires and reduce your risk of contributing to spring forest fire season.

Keep Wildfire Fuel to a Minimum

Spring forest fire season is from Feb. 15 through April 30 in Kentucky. That means there is an increased risk of starting a wildfire on your property at this time of year, so there are different burning regulations and restrictions in place.

It is important to follow all safety guidance laid out by our counties and individual cities in order to keep your risk of starting a fire as low as possible.

Since spring is a great time of year to address any spring-cleaning needs and head into the warmer months with a fresh start, yard projects are common for a lot of us. This includes trimming trees, removing branches or leaf piles from around your property and shaping hedges or shrubs.

If you do any of these tasks, make sure you are not stacking the debris near your house. All that debris is fuel to a fire! Choose an area far away from your home or consider removing it from your property completely.

Address Your Garage

Be mindful about storing anything that is combustible in your garage. Any gas cans that have sat dormant during the winter have the potential to leak, so be sure to toss them right away and clean up any spills.

As the temperatures rise with the change in season, it can create a dangerous and high fire risk environment if there is any improperly stored fuel on your property.

In addition, now is a great time to give your outdoor grills and lawn equipment a full inspection. A small leak in your gas line or a dent in your propane tank can create a dangerous situation, and all it takes is a single spark to start a full blaze. Inspect the gas tanks of your outdoor equipment and address any holes or leaks as well.

Keep Your Vents Clear

With summer arriving, you may be doing more laundry since your children will be home and there are more opportunities to get dirty, go swimming or just have fun running around outside. Because of this, it is important to clean out your dryer vents thoroughly.

Lint can get caught within your vents and can cause your dryer to overheat or even catch on fire. If lint builds up and blocks the vents from working properly, it can even cause a backup of carbon monoxide in your home. Clean them frequently, and make sure the vent leading outside is free of blockages as well.

Reducing your fire risk is all about prevention! These simple steps can help you avoid either sparking a wildfire or starting a fire in your home.

However, we understand that disaster can occur in any circumstance, so we are ready to respond to your call for help when you need us. Our fire damage restoration team is available 24/7 to return your home back to its preloss condition as soon as possible.

If you suffer fire damage, know that you are not alone. Contact us at SERVPRO of Pulaski & Laurel Counties right away.

The Three Ways of Fire

9/7/2022 (Permalink)

Fire Damage to your London Home 

Fire can uproot so much in your life after causing fire damage to your home. There are several ways to combat fires by knowing what can cause them. We have collected a few ways that fire damage can occur and how to avoid them: 

Lightning Rods are made to attract lightning to a contained, grounded metal avenue and prevent fires. Make sure your lightning rod is in good condition and have it professionally installed. Trees can also act as a lightning rod, but be careful that they are trimmed up during the down season.

Lights Off is another way to keep the risk of an electrical fire low. Sometimes light bulbs can create a spark or catch fire during a power surge, or burn out. Try to use LED lightning when you can, and even flip the lights off when you do not need them. 

Avoid Candles is one of the biggest ways to keep a fire from accidentally starting in your home. Make sure you always blow out your candles before even leaving a room for an extended period of time with a lit candle in it. 

We want you to keep your home safe, so follow these tips from SERVPRO® of Pulaski and Laurel Counties. 

Fire Damage Clean-up: What to do Before Help Arrives

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

Our fire damage clean-up process begins when you let us know that we have been called for help.

At this point, it is important to keep some things in mind, as the fire itself can cause further damage, if not handled properly.

Some things to watch out for include but are not limited to:

1. You want to have someone tarp or board up your roof or windows if they were damaged enough for entry from the elements or other people. 

2. You want to make sure your home has been cleaned by professionals for professional cleaners and yourself to enter to begin the cleanup process. 

3. Try to salvage any items you can before starting to throw away everything. 

4. Hire a professional team that can help you during your time of need!

We understand that when faced with a fire loss there are many additional concerns beyond simply repairing the damage caused by the fire. Our team specializes in protecting you, your home, and your investment.

The Most Common Types of Storm Damage

8/17/2022 (Permalink)

What at the most common types of storm damage?

A storm can be a stressful event to deal with. When storms occur in the London, Corbin, or Somerset areas: there may be property damage caused by wind, flooding, and lightning. Our restoration experts are here for you after each storm has passed to help mitigate any long-term damages that may have occurred. We have full training on each category. Here are some common types of storm damage that can occur to your Corbin, London, or Somerset home.

The most common one is roof damage which could result from strong winds that loosen flashing, causing leaks or even a missing roof due to the aforementioned.

Another common issue is flooding; when heavy rains occur, municipal water systems can get disrupted causing leakage within pipes.

Finally, there's lighting damage, which can have objects attached to trees or other structures within a property struck by lightning. This can result in further damage to that property and could even cause electrical malfunction or explosions.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

Flood Events and PPE 

During seasons of major events, what is brought to the forefront of everyone's mind is how to keep workers who have to stay on the front lines, safe. The answer: PPE. 

The use of PPE is important for a few reasons most notably, the safety of our staff and the safety and sanitation of the property we are working with and the customers we are working for at the time. 

We do daily and weekly assurances that our staff is trained in the proper use and knowledge of PPE. We make this a main priority because, without our technicians, we cannot do our jobs for our customers. This allows them to be safe and focus on the job at the end, rather than worry about exposure to possibly toxic materials. When our staff knows they are safe, they can focus on providing superior service to our customers.

We value our employees and the safety of others on the job sites. We especially want to make sure they are staying safe during flood events when the toxins in the water that sticks to surfaces are dangerous. PPE protects our team.

Commercial Capacity: SERVPRO® of Pulaski and Laurel Counties is Here to Help

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial Capacity

It's never a good time when your property experiences fire, smoke, mold, or water damage. With SERVPRO® of Pulaski and Laurel Counties, we are here to help. We want to help you return to business. We know that takes time and energy, so let us take the load off.

Our Fire Damage Restoration Specialists are trained in content removal and restoration. Depending on the damage level, we can take your inventory and can expertly clean them to return to your business. 

Our Damage Restoration Specialists can minimize the risk of mold growth after water damage by removing excess moisture, installing fans, and providing black-limed drywall while ensuring that building materials are properly cleaned and returned to their original state as soon as possible.

To learn more about our recovery services, click here. Or call our offices at 606-877-2160.

Storm Damage in Eastern Kentucky

8/10/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO® of Pulaski and Laurel Counties is here to help during recent flooding events. Our team is on the ground ready to help those in need. Our own community has been hit by the flooding, and we want to help our community rebuild.

In the past several years, our team has traveled thousands of miles to reach our customers. Our national brand has a way to reach all of our customers in need. We get calls and dispatches from the local office, and we send a team and supplies as soon as possible. 

This past month our team has been in Eastern Kentucky. Small eastern Kentucky communities were impacted by record-breaking flooding. 

At home and on the road, our team and hero technicians are here to help! We will continue to be in EKY to help with the huge amounts of people who need assistance.