Recent General Posts
Safety tips to keep your Christmas season merry!
12/12/2023 (Permalink)
Use these safety tips in your Montgomery County residence or commercial building to make it a safe holiday season!
Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! Can you believe it?
During the winter holiday season, we notice a pattern of catastrophes, many dealing with Christmas trees. While they’re beautiful to look at, Christmas trees can cause a lot of issues if not properly taken care of.
To avoid hazards such as a tree fire, house fire, outlet overload, and even electrocution, follow the tips below to keep you and your family safe and happy during this 2023 holiday season!
- Water your tree daily! A dry tree can quickly transform into a tree in flames.
- Do not connect more than three strings of lights.
- Got cords? Keep them away from heat sources. Do not nail or staple them either. Placing them under a rug isn’t a safe idea. Neither is completely shutting a door or closing a window with a cord running through it. This is a fire hazard.
- Plugging in too many appliances can overload the outlet.
- Before plugging in appliances, lights, yard decorations, etc., make sure your sockets are in good condition and that wires are not bare. Oftentimes, we use these decorations or particular outlets once a year, so it’s important to carefully inspect them.
- Turn off and unplug any lights before going to sleep or leaving your home. Extinguish any candles before leaving the vicinity.
- Cooking or baking for the holidays? Make sure to stay in the kitchen when doing so.
- Use battery-operated candles instead of candles with actual flames.
- Water and electricity do NOT mix well. Be careful your string lights are not touching or partially in the tree’s water bowl. Additionally, snow=water. Make sure you are dry when plugging in outdoor lights. Dry your hands from any falling elements such as rain and snow before dealing with electricity.
- It’s cold! But be careful where you place space heaters. They should always be at least 3 feet away from furniture, etc. and even farther from Christmas trees.
We at SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North wish you a Merry Christmas and safe holiday season!
For more fire safety tips, visit our website:
www.SERVPROrockvillesilverspringnorth.com/fire-damage-tips
Preparing for colder temperature
11/30/2023 (Permalink)
Insulate your water pipes can help protect from cold temperature burst.
With Winter approaching, there are simple steps that can be taken to ensure your home is ready to withstand the cold temperatures. Most steps are inexpensive and take little time, but can help avoid property damage that can be costly to repair.
Following are a few tips to consider before Winter arrives:
1) Seal off drafty windows and patio doors with clear plastic.
2) Insulate the hot water lines around your hot water heater and turn down the temperature to the "warm" setting.
3) Replace your furnace filter.
4) Use a programmable thermostat to reduce heating costs when no one is home.
5) Keep all vents and baseboard heaters clean.
6) Install foam insulators behind the face plates of light switches and electrical outlets.
7) Remove any window unit air conditioners.
8) Shut the vents in rooms that aren't used.
In the unfortunate event you experience a pipe burst or other water damage in your home or business, SERVPRO Team Gutierrez of Rockville-Olney & Silver Spring is here to help 24/7 and just a phone call away. 301-340-1313.
Tips for Purer Air in Your Home
11/30/2023 (Permalink)
There are many benefits to having house plants!
Why not show your home or office some love during this time of year! Not only can plants and candles add beauty and pleasant scent to your spaces, they have health benefits as well, by purifying the indoor air and add a sense of calm.
Below are a few tips to improve the quality of your already amazing property:
- Buy a few beeswax candles (but be sure to never leave them unattended!). Beeswax candles are amazing air purifiers due to their release of negative ions, which cancel out many of the already existing positive ions in the air, which have been released from dust, pollen, etc.
- Not into candles? Salt lamps have the same effect!
- Invest in house plants! Just make sure they are pet friendly if you have a four-legged friend in the household! House plants have numerous benefits, including an increase in oxygen, allergy relief and mood-boosting properties. They also absorb toxins. A few house plants to consider:
- Bamboo
- Spider plant
- English ivy
- Dragon tree
- Peace lily
- Activated charcoal also purifies the air. Additionally, it removes odor.
- Have a smelly refrigerator in the work lounge or in your kitchen? Both activated charcoal and baking soda work as agents to eliminate odor. Just place an opened jar or bowl of activated charcoal or an opened box of baking soda inside the refrigerator, and say goodbye to that smell!
- Smell something different? Something musty? It could be mold! Have your home checked by a professional (such as your SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney & Silver Spring North!) as mold can be hazardous to breathe in.
- Replace older appliance and fixtures with newer, energy-efficient ones.
And if you do have visible mold, our SERVPRO technicians can clean up & mitigate. Just give us a call, 301-340-1313.
Take these precautions to ensure your daycare is safe!
11/6/2023 (Permalink)
Whether you manage a daycare or send your kids to one, we know your primary concerns are their safety & well-being. SERVPRO Rockville-Olney can help.
At SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North, we knows it’s important to make sure your commercial property reaches a high standard when it comes to a clean and safe environment for your clients, employees, etc. Quite often, we help schools and daycares in the Rockville, Olney, Silver Spring North and surrounding areas reach these standards.
It’s very important to ensure your smallest customers are safe and healthy at all times, especially during these post-pandemic times and especially since children are more susceptible to common issues such as mold, as well as bacteria pests such as rodents can leave behind, for instance.
Maybe you own or manage a daycare. Maybe you are considering starting your own daycare, or maybe you are a parent considering which daycare to enroll your child in.
Here's a checklist of what a daycare should include to provide the safest environment possible. Please note this list focuses on a few security measures, emergency safety measures, as well as cleanliness measures. There are many other factors involved with regard to a daycare facility; they can be investigated in more detail on the web.
Here are a few:
- Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers must be present and in excellent, working condition
- Windows in every classroom to provide fresh air and an emergency exit
- Clean sleeping area, play areas and toys (including carpets and upholstery, which can easily become soiled at daycares!)
- All cleaning supplies must be locked away
- Electrical outlets must be covered
- Strict hygiene procedures (important when changing diapers)
- Any necessary safety and cleanliness certifications (state and/or county, depending on local laws)
- Regular health and cleanliness inspections
- Documented emergency evacuation plans
- Mold-free
- Any expired food the center provided must be discarded
- Professional pest removal is needed if you suspect or know there are pests in the building. Mouse traps present a danger, especially to small hands that like to get into everything!
- Pests can carry diseases, bite children, and leave trails of bacteria behind
- Fire drills are necessary in preparing for a smoother evacuation in an unfortunate event when an actual fire might take place
- Similar to drills for potential earthquakes or storms, especially if the region is prone to these acts of nature
- Locking gates at the top and bottom of any stairs
- Exterior locking doors
We have worked around Montgomery County, Maryland and beyond to ensure local schools and daycares are clean and safe places! Whether involved with mold remediation, restoring flood damages, or performing a general cleaning, we make it a priority to keep the children in our community safe and healthy.
If you have any cleaning & restoration needs at your daycare facilities, don’t hesitate to give SERVPRO Team Gutierrez a call today at 301-340-1313.
Working from home?
5/11/2023 (Permalink)
Arrange your workspace at home in a way you’ll be the most organized and least distracted.
Although a growing number of workers have returned to their offices now that the pandemic is nearly 100 percent behind us, there's still a large population of Americans still working from home. The consensus is that the workplaces and how America conducts business may never fully return to the way it was before the Covid-19 pandemic.
So if you have transitioned from working in an office to working in your home, you’ve had to make many adjustments! SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney & Silver Spring North offer these tips to help make the best of working from home:
- Arrange your workspace in a way you’ll be the most organized and the least distracted
- Inform your family members or roommates of your work schedule and create rules to diminish disruptions and distractions. Talking to family and friends is very tempting, so you may need to close your door or drown out chatter with classical music
- Create a schedule that you follow each day, including clearly defined work hours
- Learn something new! Watch webinars or attend a virtual training your company may offer
- Focus on communication! You don’t get to see your boss and coworkers face-to-face for the time being, so call, text, and email them regularly
- Take a break! Make sure you know your company’s break policy, and take advantage of it. Go for a walk to take in sunshine during your break before having to return back indoors to complete your assignments
- Keep an agenda book or calendar. Write down deadlines and meeting dates, as these can be easy to forget when working from home
- Turn off the notifications on your personal phone (such as Instagram and Twitter notifications) to minimize getting distracted from your work
We hope these tips help and wish you much success!
Our Promise: We're Here to Help 365 Days, Every Day!
5/11/2023 (Permalink)
Let's be real: Emergencies don’t wait to happen on a day that’s convenient for you. A house fire or an office flood won’t wait!
Let's be real: Emergencies don’t wait to happen on a day that’s convenient for you. A house fire or an office flood won’t wait until your birthday is over or until Christmas Day comes to an end.
It's why we at SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North have to stand ready for when tragedy strikes, whenever that may be. It doesn’t matter if it’s Easter morning or New Year’s Eve. Life happens, and both the good and the bad come along with it.
At SERVPRO, we want to make sure whatever nature might throw your way, that we are here to help with the cleanup & restoration of your property! Whether it’s water damage, fire damage, storm damage, or an issue with mold, we are ready to help, and “Faster to any size disaster” at that!
That’s why we are here for you 24/7, 365 days a year. Facing a disaster can be terrifying, and dealing with its effects is very stressful. We hope to diminish some of that stress.
We know the importance of reliability. We are a very trusted and widely known company in Montgomery County, as well as Prince George's County, and have been in business for 43+ years. As a family-owned business, we pride ourselves on fast response, quality service and excellent customer care!
If you ever face a disaster, day or night, we are here to help, 365 days a year! 301-340-1313.
National Preparedness Month: Be 'Prepared, Not Scared!'
8/30/2022 (Permalink)
Be 'Prepared. Not Scared!'
September is National Preparedness Month. This year, ready.gov calls us to be “Prepared, Not Scared.”
Did you know you can:
- Download applications on your phone for weather alerts and updates
- Create a financial plan with consideration of a potential storm or other act of nature
- Check to see your insurance’s coverage for damages caused by an act of nature
- Learn more about how to protect your assets, potentially by investing in flood insurance
- Take a course or independently research about how to ensure safety during a storm or other event
The list could go on as there are endless precautions one can take, in addition to the rapid increase of technology. With that being said, SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North make it easy for clients to be “Prepared, Not Scared,” as we stay up-to-date with the latest procedures and techniques to ensure your home or office is ready to face the potential natural force in its path.
Waiting for a storm to pass through before asking for help can have disastrous effects on your property and can leave you and your family overwhelmed.
It's important to know that creating a plan and taking preventative measures will impact your safety and your wallet for the better, but sometimes, these emergencies cannot be foreseen.
Luckily, SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney & Silver Spring North offers 24-hour Emergency Service provided by highly-trained damage specialists who are equipped with stellar knowledge and skill. You can rest assure knowing SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney & Silver Spring North will demonstrate their mastery over acts of nature. You can remain confident as we restore any damages on your property. See our website below for more details.
www.SERVPROrockvillesilverspringnorth.com/storm-flooding-restoration
Please call (301) 340-1313 if you want to plan for an emergency or if you have damage from an emergency that needs to be fixed.
Happy American Business Women's Day
9/18/2019 (Permalink)
September 22 is American Business Women’s Day.
First recognized in 1982, the day celebrates the women of the workforce and female business owners. It commemorates the achievements of working women around the county both now and from history.
Although these women hold diverse occupations, this day unites them due to their dedication and commitment to their careers and their successes and accomplishments in the workplace.
Here at SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North, we would like to give a special thanks to all the women of our team!
Remember to reflect on the contributions of the women you know who are a part of the workplace on the 22nd!
Do you recall a woman from the past or present who has exhibited great leadership skills, innovation, or determination? It could be your mother, your boss or coworker, a past professor, your sister, or a famous scientist, or even someone you’ve seen in the movies.
You can celebrate that woman! Feel free to use the hashtag #AmericanBusinessWomensDay on social media, especially if you’re giving your favorite working woman a shoutout!
If you’re reading this, and you’re a woman of the workforce, we of SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North would like to let you know we notice and appreciate all your contributions!
How to Prepare Your Property for the Fall Season
9/9/2019 (Permalink)
Happy September! It’s important to get your home ready for the change of weather. Below are a few tips for how to prepare your home for fall.
- Test safety devices: Are your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide devices working? Batteries often time die during the winter months as cold temperatures slow or ultimately stop the chemical reactions (the power source) inside the battery.
- Clean your humidifier: Failure to clean humidifiers can result in growth of mold, bacteria, and certain germs.
- Eliminate drafts: Ensure cold air can’t seep through your windows. If you feel a draft, you should consider replacing seals or purchasing sturdier drapery.
- Inspect trees: Are there any broken, overgrown or suspicious limbs? Become a branch detective! Ensure no branches are too close to power lines (which can cause a fire) or to your roof.
- Organize your shed: Clear your garage of summer equipment, furniture, etc. and move it into the shed! Swap your summer items out for fall items for easier access.
- Secure all loose outdoor furniture and prepare to store them inside: Wind gusts blow over your outdoor furnishings, flower pots, parked bicycles, etc. Snow and heavy rains can damage your properties too. If you must leave certain items outside, consider chaining or roping them to a secure foundation.
Make sure the following aspects of your property are clean:
- The roof
- The chimney and fireplace
- The siding
- The gutters
- The water drainage
- The pipes and spouts
Keep in mind that preventative maintenance is cheaper than emergency repairs and damage!
If you need help safeguarding your home, SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and of Silver Spring North are here to offer you there services and expertise. Give us a call at (301) 340-1313.
TES -Thermal Energy System
3/30/2017 (Permalink)
The trailer that houses our Thermal Energy System
The Thermal Energy System more commonly known as TES is a special drying technique our company offers. This system allows us to combine controlled heat with air flow to produce high-speed evaporation for the drying of major water damages.
TES is not a drying method that is used for all of our everyday water damage as it does use high temperatures of heat. For some people experiencing water damage, TES is not ideal, as they are trying to continue living in their homes.
Special Uses
However we can use the Thermal Energy System to aid in the drying process in areas like:
- Crawlspaces
- Hardwood floors
- Increasing the productivity of dehumidifiers
- Supplement drying for hard to dry places
The TES system may raise concerns for you as a homeowner when we say high heat temperatures. Worry not, our Hero Ready Team has put safety switches in place. These help to keep the TES machine from reaching over a certain temperature or air flow rate which we set and control.
IICRC Certified Firm
12/6/2016 (Permalink)
Both SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and of Silver Spring North are IICRC firms. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.
IICRC Certified Firms must
• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.
• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.
• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.
• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.
• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.
The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry
The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.
Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.
About SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and SERVPRO of Silver Spring North
SERVPRO of Rockville-Olney and of Silver Spring North specialize 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 and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: 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.
24/7 Emergency Service
