Decorate Safely In Your North Prince William Home

11/13/2023 (Permalink)

Pretty lights, candles, and decorations are just a few of the items bringing charm and cheer to the holiday season; however, if they are not used carefully, your holidays may go from festive to frightening. 

The American Red Cross offers the following safety tips to help great reduce the fire risk in your home or business this holiday season: 

• Place Christmas trees, candles, and other holiday decorations at least three feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, portable heaters, radiators, heat vents, and candles.
• Make sure light strings and other holiday decorations are in good condition. Do not use anything with frayed electrical cords and always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Always unplug tree and holiday lights before leaving the property or going to bed.
• Never use lit candles to decorate a tree. Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or before going to bed.
• Use only sturdy tree stands designed not to tip over. Keep curious pets and children away from Christmas trees.
• Keep anything that can catch on fire - like potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains - away from your stove top.
• Designate one person to walk around your home or business to ensure all candles and smoking materials are properly extinguished after guests leave.

SERVPRO of North Prince William County professionals wish you all a safe and happy holiday season! 

Christmas Safety Tips | North Prince William County

11/13/2023 (Permalink)

Winter holidays are a time for families and friends to get together. But that also means a greater risk for fire. Following a few simple tips will ensure a happy and fire-safe holiday season.

Holiday decorating:

• Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
• Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn. The recommendation is at least 3 feet away.
• Make sure to water your live trees on a regular basis.
• Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect.
• Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.
• Keep decorations away from windows and doors.

Holiday Entertaining

• Test your smoke alarms and tell guests about your home fire escape plan.
• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
• Keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet.
• Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.
• Ask smokers to smoke outside. Remind smokers to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them.
• Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers. Wet cigarette butts with water before discarding.

Before heading out, or to bed:

• Blow out lit candles when you leave the room or go to bed.
• Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.

Not So Fun Facts

• More than one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles.
• More than two of every five decoration fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source.

And Remember, SERVPRO of North Prince William County is here if the unfortunate happens 703-368-4399.

Standard Homeowners Insurance Coverage

11/9/2023 (Permalink)

A standard homeowners insurance policy provides coverage to repair or replace your home and its contents in the event of damage. That usually includes damage resulting from fire, smoke, theft or vandalism, or damage caused by a weather event such as lightning, wind, or hail. Other covered damage could come from external forces like a falling tree.

That coverage includes your heating and cooling systems, along with kitchen appliances, furniture, clothing, and other possessions. Coverage for outbuildings on your property, such as a garage, barn, or shed, along with outdoor grills or fireplaces, swing sets, walls, or fences is also included. A swimming pool or other recreational equipment may also be covered, but those higher-risk items may require additional liability coverage.

In addition, you’re typically covered for living expenses if you need to find alternate lodging while your home is rebuilt. Liability coverage is typically included as well. That means you’ll be reimbursed for medical expenses and legal fees if people that are not living in your home are injured on your property.

SERVPRO of North Prince William County understand the details of your policy, and how much coverage you can expect in the event of a claim. Some lenders only require sufficient homeowners insurance coverage to pay off your mortgage, but in most cases that will not be nearly enough to rebuild your home and replace everything in it.

It’s also important to consider that rebuilding costs may increase. Improvements or additions to made to your home, increased labor or material costs, and changes to zoning requirements might require more coverage.

For all these reasons, you may want to consider a replacement cost homeowners insurance policy rather than an actual cash value policy. The former provides coverage to make repairs or replace your home and its contents at current costs. A cash value policy factors in depreciation due to age, wear and tear, and other factors.

As an example, let’s say a falling tree damages your roof, which was last replaced 10 years ago. A replacement cost policy will pay to replace the roof at today’s cost for labor and materials. An actual cash value policy will deduct 10 years of depreciation. The same logic applies to your furnace, washing machine, and other possessions. Replacement cost is more expensive, but industry experts say it is worth the added cost.

“Know the difference between an actual cash value policy and a replacement cost policy,” says Lynne McChristian of the Insurance Information Institute (III), “The former pays the depreciated cost, so you get less at claim time. With replacement cost, you may pay 10 to15% more for coverage, yet you get much more when you file a claim.”

To estimate how much homeowners insurance coverage you need, multiply the square footage of the home by the local building costs per square foot in your area. For example, if your home is 2,200 square feet and local building costs average $80 per square foot, the cost to rebuild your home would be about $176,000. A local insurance agent should be able to help determine costs in your area. You’ll calculate costs the same way for any outbuildings.

Next, take an inventory of all your possessions with an estimated value. Take photos or videos to provide a visual record. Make a note of where and when you purchased things on your inventory, especially big-ticket items. This will not only provide a record, it will also help determine how much coverage you need, and what items might require additional coverage.

According to the III, most homeowners insurance policies typically cover your belongings at a rate of about 50% to 70% of what your home is insured for. Meaning that if your home is insured for $400,000, you can expect to be reimbursed for somewhere around $200,000 to $280,000 for your furniture, clothing, and other possessions. If your inventory determines that isn’t sufficient for your needs, consider additional coverage.

Commercial Cleanings For Your Business

11/14/2022 (Permalink)

One Chance to Make a Great First Impression

We had clients coming into town who had never visited our offices before. Although our furniture, floors, and carpets were only a couple of years old, they looked kind of dull and no longer smelled fresh and clean.

Our building manager referred us to SERVPRO of North Prince William. They sent out a team that cleaned our offices from top to bottom. They cleaned the light fixtures, millwork, blinds, drapes, upholstery, carpets, floor mats, floors, bathrooms, and breakroom. By the time they completed the work, our offices looked sparkling clean and smelled wonderful.

Commercial Cleaning Services

• Carpet and Upholstery
• Drapes and Blinds
• Ceilings, Walls, and Hard Floors
• Odor Removal and Deodorization
• Air Ducts and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
• Vandalism
• Biohazard and Sewage
• Trauma and Crime Scene

We have extensive experience cleaning all kinds of business settings and buildings:

• Small Office Buildings
• Large Office/High-Rise Office Buildings
• Apartment Buildings
• Restaurants
• Hotel/Motels
• Small Retail Stores
• Large Retail/Big-Box Stores
• High-Rise Residential
• Manufacturing and Industrial
• Government/Military

Local businesses can rely on SERVPRO of North Prince William to clean and renew tired and dingy-looking offices and workspaces.

Get your ducts in a row…

11/11/2022 (Permalink)

When was the last time you had your air ducts or HVAC system checked or cleaned? SERVPRO of North Prince William is the right company for you. We will inspect your HVAC system & ductwork to make any recommendations about the best way to address any indoor air quality concerns.

Ventilation systems can often be the biggest culprit in poor indoor air quality because many people allow HVAC systems to operate for sometime without much attention or upkeep. Keeping your HVAC system and duct work clean can extend the life of your equipment, which could save you money and provide better air quality. Studies have shown that we spend 60-90% of our lives indoors, so all of that dirt and debris is circulating in the air you breathe.

Cleaning your air ducts help eliminate these items from the air you breathe:

• Dirt, dust & debris.
• Mold or mildew
• Pollen
• Pet hair & dander

Call us today! 

(703)368-4399

Have you stopped to consider whether or not your business is truly ready for whatever happens?

11/9/2022 (Permalink)

Have you stopped to consider whether or not your business is truly ready for whatever happens?

Sure, you may have your shelves stocked and your labels printed with restock orders on the way. But do you have a plan in place for when the unexpected happens and you’re stuck with picking up the pieces?

You may know SERVPRO of North Prince William County as your go-to disaster restoration company, which we are. But do you also know that we specialize in helping your business get disaster ready as well? One of the ways we enjoy serving our community partners is by creating Emergency Ready Profiles, or ERPs, for their commercial properties. 

When our dedicated, local SERVPRO Representatives meet with local business owners and facility managers, we gather important materials such as building information, utility shut off locations, and key contacts. Not only is this information important as it pertains to the daily tasks of a facility manager, but it’s also pertinent in the event of an emergency or disaster when time is of the essence. 

One of the key benefits in setting up an ERP with our team is having all of your essential property information in one place. In addition to keeping such relevant information organized, your local SERVPRO of North Prince William representative will contact you periodically to update any changes to your profile. 

Becoming disaster-ready is a process and our team is eager to help you get started! To set up your free Emergency Ready Profile, call our office today to speak to one of our representatives and ensure that your business is "Ready for whatever happens", just like SERVPRO. 

Do you have a leaky roof?

11/18/2021 (Permalink)

We have experience flash flooding from excessive rains this year all over North Prince Willam county, actually we just experienced this last night. Due to the flooding, there have been many homes experiencing basement flooding damage. With further inspection, some homeowners have found slab leaks (roof leaks) that were not noticed before the heavy rains. If you find any roof leaks, call SERVPRO® of North Prince Willam county to help extract the water and treat your home to prevent conditions favorable to microbial growth.

We always respond to your call within one hour, begin the water extraction process within four hours, and notify the adjuster within eight hours from the time of your loss. 

Water damage must be handled quickly and properly to prevent severe damage to your home. Calling us as soon as you see the leaks will prevent the problems from worsening. SERVPRO® of North Prince Willam county has you covered!

Putting the Pieces Back Together

10/10/2019 (Permalink)

When I tell people I work for SERVPRO they often say “what’s that?”  Once I start explaining the light goes on and they tell me they’ve seen the green vans, trucks etc.  That tells me they haven’t needed our services in their home or business yet. What about the ones that have needed our services?  You can read for yourself what they have to say here: https://www.SERVPROnorthprincewilliamcounty.com/testimonials

   Among the people that haven’t needed our services yet there is often the misconception of what we can do for them.  Today I’d like to shed some light on the building and reconstruction side of our business. Yes, we take away the damaged and/or affected materials but we are capable of much more than that.

   Here at SERVPRO we have specialists trained in Fire Damage, Water Damage, Mold Remediation and more but we don’t have to leave you there.  Why find yourself someone else to come in and reconstruct your home or business? We are there, we are already familiar with your area of concern, and we know what happened.  No need to keep explaining and searching for someone properly licensed and insured to schedule and do the work. You already found us. We are licensed and insured and ready to begin your reconstruction.  

Chances are you’ve already experienced enough stress, let us take care of this for you.  Still uncertain of what I’m talking about and thinking we can’t possible help your unique situation?  Please check out our Building and Reconstruction Services at the link below. https://www.SERVPROnorthprincewilliamcounty.com/building-services

   I think you will be surprised at all we can do for you.  There is a reason we say we can make it “Like it never even happened.”  We have trained professionals using the right tools to get the job done, commercial or residential.  Please call if you have any questions about our services or want to make an appointment. SERVPRO of North Prince William County  (703) 368-4399.