When Winter Weather Strikes

12/13/2021 (Permalink)

Ask your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional about starting a Disaster Recovery Plan for your business.

When Winter Weather Strikes...SERVPRO Strikes back! Here are some tips for your home when the winter storm comes in. 

Tips for Preparing your Home for Winter Weather 

• Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells. This allows warm air to circulate around the pipe.
• Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets, especially if the pipes for faucets run through unheated or uninsulated areas of your home.
• Consider shutting off outdoor faucets. Find the shut-off valve in the basement or crawl space and turn it to "off.
• If you follow the previous step, then open the outdoor faucet to help ensure it drains completely and the inner valve is shut off.
• Ensure gutters are clean and secure. Leaves and debris accumulate, causing a damming effect on gutters, which could lead to roof problems and water damage. 
• Proper maintenance of your furnace can help reduce the risk of puff backs. 

Frozen Pipes

A Frozen pipe can burst at the point where the ice blockage inside the pipe is located, but typically the rupture is caused by the backflow pressure between the water source and the blockage. A burst pipe can cause considerable damage to your property if not addressed quickly. Your SERVPRO Franchise Professional is faster to any size disaster, bringing the latest equipment and training to help make your water damage "Like it never even happened." 

Ice Dams

Ice dams can be a major problem during the winter season. They form when heated air melts roof snow downward into water dammed behind still-frozen ice. When the trapped water cannot safely flow or run into the gutter system, it can backflow under the roof's shingles and into the structure's interior areas. Your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional can help mitigate water damage caused by ice dams and help you get your structure back to preloss condition. 

Puff Backs

A puff back is a messy furnace malfunction that occurs when an oil burner backfires, sending soot throughout your home or business. It can happen all at once, covering an interior in grimy soot, or a puff back can leak soot particles more gradually. Equipped with the training, tools, and experience to quickly and efficiently clean and restore your home or business, your SERVPRO Franchise Professional will help make your puff back "Like it never even happened."

Flu Season

Help prevent the spread of flu germs. Homes and businesses can depend on their local SERVPRO Franchise Professional to clean and sanitize building materials, surfaces, and contents following restoration industry standards, using professional cleaning products and EPA-registered cleaners and disinfectants. SERVPRO Franchise Professionals are also trained and equipped to clean your HVAC and duct systems to help provide better air quality and help reduce the risk of circulating harmful contaminants. 

Prepare Your Business for Winter Weather

• Check your business property for downed tree limbs and branches. Weather, such as wind, heavy rain, ice, and snow, can cause branches to fall, which could cause damage to the property and potentially cause personal injuries. 
• Inspect property, especially walkways and parking lots, for proper drainage to alleviate flood hazard potential.
• Inspect all handrails, stairwells, and entryways to address and correct potential slippery or hazardous areas. Install mats or non-slip surfaces and post caution signs where water could be present.
• Ask your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional about starting a Disaster Recovery Plan for your business.