5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service

11/12/2024 (Permalink)

While a cleaning service sounds very appealing to homeowners who are tired of spending all their time tidying up the house, the process can be quite intimidating as well. A majority of homeowners are unsure of what they are looking for in a professional cleaning service, and why hiring this company would be beneficial for them.

If you are planning to hire a cleaning service but are unsure of whether they are competent enough for the job, you can choose to ask them a few important questions before signing the hiring a contract. Here are 5 questions to ask before hiring the cleaning service for your home:

1. What cleaning tasks will be included?

Since you are paying a significant amount of money to the professional cleaning service, it is important to know all the services that will be provided. You can ask the company to provide you with a schedule that details all the daily tasks included in their typical cleaning routine and whether they are willing to add certain additional tasks such as garage cleaning or window cleaning.

2. What products do you use?

Disinfectants and other cleaning products contain a large amount of chemicals. When you hire a professional cleaning service, it is important to know the products that they will be using around your house and the ingredients that the products contain. This is particularly important if you have toddlers in your home or elderly people who may be sensitive to certain chemicals. It is also important to clarify whether the cleaning service will bring their own products or if you have to purchase them for your home.

3. How and when will you access the house?

Most professional cleaning services prefer to clean houses early in the morning – and you may be at work during those hours. Before you hire the service, it is important to consider how they will access your house and whether it is safe to let them clean the house in your absence. If you are not comfortable with this scenario, you can ask them to adjust their cleaning schedule accordingly to ensure that you are present at home. If you are comfortable with giving them access in your absence, you should discuss how they will access the house – with a key, through the garage door, or with a passcode at the gate.

4. How much experience do you have in cleaning?

It is important to only hire a cleaning service that has experienced staff. This provides less room for any accidents around your house or errors in cleaning methods. In terms of experience, you can ask the company how their staff is hired and whether they provide any special training to the cleaners once they are hired.

5. Is the company insured?

Lastly, you should always inquire whether the professional cleaning company has liability insurance in order to protect the cleaners. This is necessary to keep everything in your home safe from theft and protects you in case a cleaner gets injured on your property. Having insurance papers will help you have complete peace of mind as the professional cleaners clean your entire house thoroughly and properly.

Checklist To Prepare Your Home For Winter

11/12/2024 (Permalink)

The autumn is ending and the winter is approaching. This is why it becomes crucial to winterize your home during this cruel weather. When there are so many things that you need to do, it is quite normal to forget some of them. So, to make sure that you do not forget any of the things that you need to do to prepare your home for winter, you must create a checklist. You can always go back to the list and tally the things that need to be done.

While there are a lot of things that a checklist can cover, we are going to tell you the five most basic things that you need to add to your checklist. Want to know what those things are? Stay tuned then.

1. Check Your Heating System

A heating system is the most important component of preparing your house for the winter season. So, before the winter actually arrives, make sure that you give a test run to the heating system at your place. It is recommended that you change the filters too as the old filters will have dust in them. If you notice anything suspicious, the best thing to do is to have your heating system checked by an expert team.

2. Check The Fireplace And The Chimney

Even though the fireplace and chimneys are mostly ignored during the warm weather, they can play a crucial role in the water. This is why you need to check the fireplace and the chimney at your place checked. There might be a possibility that is some major air leak in there. This air leak can take away all the warm air out and bring the cold air inside.

3. Check Your Patio Furniture

Your patio furniture needs your care and consideration during the winter too or else you will not be able to use it during the next spring and summer. So, make sure that you shift all your patio furniture inside or in the garage when the winter approaches. Not doing so will only damage your precious furniture. You certainly do not want this to happen, do you?

4. Check Your Drain And Gutters

Many drains and gutters get blocked during the winter season due to the snow. This is why you need to check the drains and gutters in your house and get them cleaned before the arrival of the winter. If you are not an expert in it, you can even get the services of a professional cleaner.

5. Check Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The last one on our list is the carbon monoxide detector. Since winter is the time of the year where the houses will be closed up tight, the probability of carbon monoxide at the house increases as well. So, to ensure your safety and the safety of your family members, you need to test the carbon monoxide detectors present at your home.

Preparing your home for winter is crucial for the safety of everyone living in the house. Want to know more about how you can prepare your house for winter? Contact SERVPRO and we will be happy to assist you in any way that we can.

How to Handle a Storm in the Winter

11/12/2024 (Permalink)

Winter storms are common in the US. They have intense winds and even heavy snowfall at times. During such times of crisis, staying safe can become a huge challenge especially for families who live in low-lying coastal areas. Since winter storms bring extreme temperatures and roads full of ice with them, it is necessary to prepare yourself accordingly in case a winter storm is expected to hit your area. Apart from extreme cold, winter storms can also cause power outrages – resulting in cold homes and no source of heat for you or your loved ones. A time of crisis like this requires a clear disaster plan to ensure the safety of your family.

Below are a few steps that you can take to prepare for a winter storm:

1. Weatherproofing the House

Since cold weather is extremely dangerous when there is a power failure, it is necessary to weatherproof your home to ensure that the heat remains inside the house and the cold winds from the outside do not enter through the windows. You can weatherproof your home by installing caulk or strips to the edges of doors and windows to prevent any air or snow from coming inside your home. Another great way to keep the house warm is to insulate all of your walls and especially the attic. It is also beneficial to insulate your water pipes to ensure that your water supply remains warm even during the storm. Since storms are dangerous, you should repair any roof leakages before the winter season arrives.

2. Chimney Inspections

Most houses in the US have a fireplace that they plan to use in case of an emergency. To ensure that your fireplace is safe to use, it is necessary to have it inspected each year by a professional fireplace company. This lessens the risk of a fire in your home in case the chimney had been blocked.

3. Install Smoke Detectors

Lighting up a fire in the fireplace in your home can lead to collection of carbon monoxide in the air. To avoid gas poisoning during extreme temperatures caused by a winter storm, it is necessary to have a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector inside the house, near the fireplace. Other precautionary measures relating to a fire emergency include having a working fire extinguisher available at home and keeping all burning equipment such as coal or oil outside the house.

4. Have an Emergency Kit

In case you need to evacuate your house during a heavy winter storm, it is necessary for you to have a pre-prepared emergency kit that you can keep in the car. This kit should include a spare cell phone that is charged, a portable charger, and a battery-powered radio to keep you up to date on the news. Equipment to stay warm such as coats, blankets, and gloves must also be kept in the kit. Since you may have to evacuate your home for quite some time, it is beneficial to have dry snacks inside the kit such as chips or biscuits that do not turn bad. Since your car GPS or phone may shut down during a heavy storm, it is important to include a detailed road map in the kit in order to guide you accordingly. You can also keep a shovel and a windshield scraper in order to cope with the heavy snowfall.

Home Insurance 101 For New Homeowners

11/12/2024 (Permalink)

As a homeowner, having home insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. That is because it protects your possessions and your home against theft and damage. However, many people find the experience of getting home insurance overwhelming.

If you are one of them, don’t worry. Here is a complete guide to home insurance if you are a first time home buyer.

Various Policy Options

When it comes to home insurance, there are various policy options for you to choose from. Here are some of them:

#1. Actual Cash Value

It covers the cost of your house as well as the value of your possessions after depreciation has been deducted. Depreciation refers to the amount the possessions are worth currently, not how much you paid for them before.

#2. Guaranteed/Extended Replacement Cost/Value

It is one of the most comprehensive home insurance policies out there. It buffers inflation as the policy pays everything it costs to rebuild or repair your home, even if it is higher than your policy limit.

However, there is a limit to this ceiling as many insurers will offer 20 to 25% higher than your policy limit.

#3. Replacement Cost

These types of policies cover the actual cash value without depreciation. That way, you will be able to rebuild or repair your home back to the initial value.

Many experts suggest that first-time homeowners should go for the guaranteed replacement value policy as it covers everything. This policy will absorb the high replacement costs and provide you with a cushion if the rebuilding and repairing prices increase.

What Is Not Covered In Home Insurance?

Not everything is covered under home insurance. These things are called exclusions, including natural disasters or acts of God, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. That is why you must read the policy you are buying and understand the exclusions.

If you live in an area prone to natural disasters and insurers have this exclusion, you will need to go for additional coverage. These are known as riders. They cost more, but if your home is at risk for such disasters, it is worth buying.

Tips To Cut Down On Your Insurance Premium

The cheapest policy is not the best policy. However, there are many ways you can reduce your premium. These include:

• Maintaining a security system
• Being on the lookout for multiple policy discounts
• Raising your deductible
• Planning for renovation or rebuilding
• Paying off mortgage
• Making policy comparisons and reviewing them regularly

These ways will help you cut down on your premium as you will be paying less. Home insurance can be expensive, so don't forget to utilize these ways to cut your cost.

Final Words

That was your complete guide to home insurance as a first time home buyer. Don’t forget to find the best insurance company as they will make the entire process much better. If you are looking to buy home insurance, feel free to get in touch with us now. We will be happy to assist you.

Things That Should Be Present In an Emergency Kit

8/27/2023 (Permalink)

A situation in which human health and security are in jeopardy is typically known as an emergency. In such events, the authorities of the state fail to cope up with the chaos, and the only option left is to evacuate people from their house. Hence an emergency can either be a natural calamity, for instance, tsunami, and earthquake or can be due to the turbulent condition of the state. So, whatever the reason is behind an unanticipated eviction, you should have an emergency kit prepared in your house. 

 The survival kit should be kept at somewhere noticeable, to refrain from getting all worked up. Here are a few things that should be present in an emergency kit:

A Compact Flashlight:

In case of a natural casualty, for example, urban flooding, the very first outcome of such circumstances is the complete power outage. Therefore, it is mandatory to keep a durable and a handy torch or lantern along with other survival equipment.

 It is safe and convenient to use LED lights since they operate without any batteries and give out bright light. These portable devices usually hang at the front or side pockets of the bag to be more accessible.

A First Aid Box:

When travelling overseas or within the domestic region, packing a first aid kit is considered a necessity along with other essentials. Generally, people do keep band-aids in their pants pocket or purses, hence stowing something similar for an emergency shouldn't seem strange.

 Any multipurpose pouch would be suitable to fill in as a handy medical kit. It should contain lots of bandages, medical tapes, alcohol swabs, and medications like anti-inflammatory, antibiotic or antiviral. 

Adequate Quantity of Non-perishables:

To accomplish tasks as basic as walking or writing requires energy. This energy comes only from food that has to be delivered to our body. An emergency kit lacking food supplies is nothing but futile.

 There have been situations where people have starved to death due to no food availability. So, to avoid such dreadful situation, one should always keep non-perishables in adequate amount. The non-perishables supplies include dry fruits, parched and canned foodstuff. They are safe to consume even after 30 years due to their extended shelf life.

Potable Water Supply:

An individual may survive for months without consuming any solid foodstuff, but it is very difficult to spend a day without water. Deficiency of water content in the body causes dehydration followed by fatigue and finally death. Therefore, packing drinkable water should not be forgotten during emergency preparation. Since water usually doesn't last for a prolonged time thus, it is wise, packing a handy water filter device in your emergency kit.

Backup Thermal Coverlets:

These thermal blankets are manufactured exclusively for uncertain predicaments. Since it is not known what kind of emergency one will be facing, therefore, these are made highly durable. Most of these thermal blankets can also be transformed into emergency tents.

When preparing an emergency kit, you need to be precise and think of only those items that will help you survive. Matchboxes, masks, power batteries and a multipurpose knife are some other survival articles that should not be left behind.

6 Disasters, Home/Property Insurance Won’t Cover!

5/9/2017 (Permalink)

6 Disasters, Home/Property Insurance Won’t Cover!

When disaster strikes your home, Property Insurance, is supposed to be there to help you pick up the pieces. Most of the time, it does.

A Bankrate survey found that 81 percent were aware flooding is not covered by regular homeowners insurance. You may have heard earthquakes also require special coverage. Yet you may not know that there are other types of damage that are excluded from most policies as well:

Mold

At least 1,000 species of mold are common to the United States, according to the New York-based trade group the Insurance Information Institute.

Despite the threat, a standard homeowners insurance policy generally either limits coverage for mold damage or outright excludes it.

Some insurers offer an endorsement to expand coverage limits for mold claims but only if you are willing to pay more for your insurance, she says.

The best cure for mold is to prevent it from growing in the first place. If the basement floods after a rainstorm or a pipe is leaking, eliminate the moisture promptly.

Sewer backup

America’s sewer lines are rapidly aging, with some more than 100 years old. As more homes have been connected to these out-of-date lines, sewage backups have followed.

Other sources of backups include pipelines that handle both stormwater and raw sewage — and become overwhelmed in rainstorms — and blockages from tree roots that work their way into sewer-line cracks.

When a sewer backs up into a home, it can damage floors, walls, furniture and electrical systems. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover sewer backups.

The Insurance Information Institute says sewer-backup damage often can be covered for an additional premium of just $40 to $50 per year.

Sinkholes

Sinkholes can seem like something out of a horror movie. For example, there was the Florida man who was swallowed up in early 2013 when a sinkhole opened without warning beneath his bedroom.

Sinkholes are sudden gaps in the earth’s surface that occur after groundwater gradually dissolves rock such as limestone and carries bits of it away, creating large pores and cracks in bedrock. Once large cavities form underground, the land above it may suddenly settle or collapse, creating the sinkhole.

In the United States, sinkholes tend to cause the most problems in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Most home insurance policies will not cover damage associated with “earth movement,” such as an earthquake or sinkhole.

Florida is the only state in which insurers are required to provide coverage for sinkhole damage

Florida insurers must include insurance for “catastrophic ground cover collapse” — which refers to damage so severe, the home is uninhabitable — as part of standard homeowners insurance.

In every other state, earth movement is excluded from the insurance policy.

Termite infestation

Colonies of anywhere from a few hundred to several million termites can quietly and methodically devastate your home.

Wood, paper and dead plant material that is in contact with soil near the house provides termites with a ready source of food and an entry. And moisture accumulated around foundations and in poorly ventilated crawl spaces gives termites a source of water they need to survive.

Over time, termites can damage or destroy support beams and other wood features in a house. The National Pest Management Association estimates that termites cause $5 billion in damage in the U.S. each year.

If these unwanted guests cause wear and tear to your home, do not expect your insurer to bail you out.

Homeowners policies do not pay for termite damage.

Homeowners can avoid structural damage with early intervention.

Nuclear plant accidents

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, says nearly 3 million Americans live within 10 miles of an active nuclear power plant. If an accident at a nearby reactor leaves your home uninhabitable, standard homeowners insurance will not cover the claim. But that does not mean you will be unprotected.

A 1957 federal law called the Price-Anderson Act compensates people in the United States for any damage or injuries resulting from a commercial nuclear accident.

The law was called upon after the nation’s worst nuclear accident, at the Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg, Pa., in 1979.

The insurance paid for the living expenses of families who decided to evacuate.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says an insurance pool of more than $12 billion is available to pay out claims.

Claims covered under Price-Anderson include:

• Bodily injury.
• Sickness.
• Disease resulting in death.
• Property damage and loss.

In addition, individuals evacuated from an affected area can expect reimbursement for reasonable living expenses beyond what you ordinarily pay. The coverage does not pay your mortgage, does not pay for your normal food bills.

Some acts of terrorism

The recent Boston Marathon bombings were a reminder that terror can strike at any moment.

The Insurance Information Institute says terrorist attacks using nuclear, biological, chemical or radioactive weapons are considered “acts of war” that are fundamentally uninsurable. Standard home insurance policies do not specifically reference terror attacks.

However, the policy does cover the homeowner for damage due to explosion, fire and smoke, these are the most likely types of damage a home would suffer in a terrorist incident.

If you own a condominium or co-op, the policy you carry on your individual unit will protect your structure and possessions from damage related to a terrorist attack.

However, damage to common areas — including the roof, basement, elevator, boiler and walkways — is not covered unless your board purchases separate terrorism coverage.

ICE storm facts

1/17/2017 (Permalink)

ice

1. Ice storms are caused by freezing rain. The raindrops move into a thin layer of below-freezing air right near the surface of the earth, allowing them to freeze on contact to the ground, trees, cars and other objects.
2. Ice accumulates when super-cold rain freezes on contact with surfaces that are below freezing point. That can be dangerous, especially for older adults. You can walk a senior’s dog to keep them injury free! Sign up for Dog Days of Winter.
3. Throughout the US, ice storms occur most often during the months of December and January.
4. Ice storms have the bizarre effect of entombing everything in the landscape with a glaze of ice so heavy that it can split trees in half and turn roads and pavements into lethal sheets of smooth, thick ice.
5. Ice can increase the weight of branches by 30 times.
6. Urban areas tend to suffer more economic and physical damage than rural areas because of the concentration of utilities and transportation systems (aircraft, trains, vehicles) — all of which may be affected to a great degree by the ice storm.
7. The Midwest and Northeast are prime areas for freezing rain. In the high frequency band in the Midwest, an average of 12 to 15 hours of freezing rain occurs annually.
8. Driving during an ice storm is extremely hazardous, because ice can cause vehicles to skid out of control, leading to devastating car crashes.
9. The National Weather Service refers to winter storms as the “deceptive killers” because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. In addition to car crashes, people die from hypothermia which is prolonged exposure to cold.
10. In 1998, an ice storm in northern New York and northern New England damaged millions of trees and caused $1.4 billion in damage. Accumulations were as much as three inches thick!
11. The ice storm that struck the northeastern US in December 2008 left 1.25 million homes and businesses without power. Described as the worst storm of the decade, a state of emergency was declared in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and parts of Maine.

Holiday Feasts and Home Fires

12/21/2016 (Permalink)

Avoid being one of the nearly 4,300 home fires this Thanksgiving Day.

With holidays fast approaching, it is crucial that we use caution while preparing our holiday feasts and have a preparedness plan for cooking fires. Cooking is a great way to bring family and friends together but is the number one cause of home fires and injuries. Did you know that during 2009 – 2013 that U.S. Fire Departments handled an average of 162,400 home fires involving cooking equipment per year and these fires caused an annual average of 430 civilian deaths, 5,400 civilian injuries and $1.1 billion in direct property damage?

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States.  In fact, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) states that there are nearly 4,300 fires on xmas day.  That’s more than double the daily average for residential fires.  The leading cause of Xmas Day fires is food that is left unattended while cooking, which is why SERVPRO of Washington / woolwitch asks for you to be aware while entertaining!

Here are some interesting statistics regarding Cooking Fires:

• Forty-Two percent of surveyed consumers say they have left the kitchen to talk or text on the phone, and 35 percent to use the computer to check email while food is cooking. If you tend to do a lot of cooking, invest in a second or third timer. They're an inexpensive way to stay safe while ensuring that your holiday dishes do not overcook.
• Nearly half (45 percent) of consumers say they have left the room to watch television or listen to music. Multi-tasking during the busy holiday season is tempting. If you succumb, it's important not to leave the stove or oven unattended
• Nearly one third (29 percent) of consumers reported that they have intentionally disabled smoke alarms while cooking.
• More than half (56 percent) of surveyed consumers said they plan to cook for family or friends during the holidays this year - with 42 percent of those cooking for groups of 11 or more.
• A large majority (83 percent) acknowledged that they have engaged in dangerous cooking behaviors such as disabling the smoke alarm and leaving cooking food unattended to perform non-essential activities - including watching television, talking or texting on the phone, checking email or doing laundry.
• Looking at the general survey population, a startling one in 10 adults has actually left the home completely while cooking, and others left cooking food unattended to perform non-essential activities.

          (Survey Source: Liberty Mutual Insurance, 2013)

 If you are aware of how to stay safe AND what to do in case you experience a cooking disaster, you should be able to enjoy this time with your family and friends. If all else fails, call SERVPRO of Washington / woolwitch ! We have the equipment, expertise and experience to help make the disaster like it never even happened. Have a safe and happy holidays