How to Clean a Moldy Shower

8/15/2022 (Permalink)

Mold growth on shower

Residential bathrooms are one of the most common places to find mold. The warm, wet, humid environment creates a perfect fungal breeding ground. Shower mold is especially common due to the excessive moisture that tends to get left behind. Follow the steps below if your shower in Lafayette, LA, is affected by unwanted mold growth.

Cleaning Shower Mold

Black mold is a common occurrence for many showers, so there are plenty of tried and true cleaning methods available. Here's one of the most effective techniques:

• Create a safe, non-toxic mold cleaning solution using equal parts water and white vinegar. Pour this mixture into a clean spray bottle.
• Mist down the moldy areas with the cleaning solution. Create a generous, even layer, but make sure you don't oversaturate the area. If puddles are forming in the shower basin, you're using too much solution. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
• Use a clean cloth to wipe down the solution. The mold should easily come off with it. You may need to use multiple cleaning rags, depending on how large the affected area is.
• If some mold still remains, use a kitchen sponge or scrub brush to scrub it off. Mold growing in the shower grout or caulking can be removed using a spare toothbrush.
  Completely dry the area using a clean rag or cloth. Make sure you remove all of the excess moisture to prevent further mold growth.
  
  

Preventing Bathroom Mold
Keeping your bathroom clean and dry is the best way to prevent mold growth. Prevent condensation from building up by opening a window or cracking the bathroom door open next time you shower. After each shower, make sure you wipe down the shower tiles and tub edge (when applicable). Mop up any puddles that are left on the floor. Spread the shower curtain out to help aid in the drying process.
Shower mold is extremely common, but it's also relatively easy to remedy using the above technique. If you find that your mold situation has spread out of your control, or the method above isn't working for you, you need to contact mold remediation experts immediately.

Landlord Responsibilities After a Commercial Apartment Fire

7/13/2022 (Permalink)

An apartment fire in Lafayette, LA

What To Do After A Commercial Apartment Fire

A commercial apartment fire in Lafayette, LA, affects both you and your tenants. You may be in shock and wondering exactly what to do next. You also need to determine the damages for which you are responsible.

First Steps
Once you find out about a fire on your commercial property, you need to take immediate action. Your first steps should include:

• Reporting the fire to your insurance provider
• Setting up appointments with restoration companies
• Talking to your tenants about the cause of the fire
• Asking the fire officer when it is safe to enter the premises to survey the damage
  
  

In the days after the blaze, take pictures of the property and create an inventory of any structural damage. You should also cover openings and lock doors to keep out looters.

Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities
Next, you must determine which of the apartment fire repairs are your responsibility. In general, the landlord is in charge of fixing fire damage to the property itself, including the plumbing and electrical systems. Your insurance policy should help you cover the cost of these emergency restoration services.
The tenants, meanwhile, must repair or replace any items that they purchased for the commercial apartment. However, things get a bit complicated if the fire resulted from negligence by the landlord or tenants. If the tenants can prove that you were responsible for the blaze, they may be able to recoup additional money from you.
Similarly, you may not have to pay for all of the apartment repairs if it is determined that the fire was the fault of a tenant. In this scenario, your insurance company may work with the tenant or the tenant's insurance company to get compensation. You also may want to put in your lease specific language about landlord and tenant responsibilities following a fire.
Make sure that you and your tenants each understand what they need to do after a commercial apartment fire. This will expedite the restoration process.

FAQs About Business Inventory Lists

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

To protect your business, you need to create an inventory list.

Creating an inventory list of everything in your business may seem daunting, but it is crucial. Every business owner should have an inventory to give to their insurance company or remediation professionals, such as SERVPRO, in the event of a disaster.

What Is an Inventory?

An inventory is documentation of everything in your business in Lafayette, LA. It is often organized by room or type of item. These lists should include the following information:

• Descriptions
• Make, model, and serial numbers
  
• Costs
  
• Purchase locations
  
• Purchase dates
  
• Receipts
  
• Replacement estimates
  
  

When Should You Make One?

Make an inventory now. Even the most basic list will help you deal with the insurance company and a disaster remediation team. This is also a helpful tool for when you are reviewing your insurance coverage.

Why Should You Make One?

Create an inventory to serve as proof of loss during an insurance claim. Without a thorough list, you can miss items and not receive enough compensation. This is because it is difficult to remember what is in your business when faced with a disaster. Having an inventory is one less thing you need to worry about.

How Do You Start One?

An easy way to get started on your list is to walk through your business and video everything you see. While a video alone is not enough to serve as proper documentation for an insurance claim, it is enough to get you started figuring out what you need more details on.

How Do You Calculate Value?

Besides providing a list of items, you will also need to have cost estimates for your insurance claim. When calculating these, consider the replacement cost. Check with your insurance company and see that you will receive full compensation for replacement costs. If you don't get these, you may want to upgrade your policy.
To protect your business, you need to create an inventory list. This will serve as proof of loss and help you provide your insurance agent with a complete list of items that were damaged.

How Pretesting Speeds Up the Claims Process After a Home Disaster

2/23/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO’s commitment to pretesting makes the restoration and insurance process more efficient.

How Pretesting Aids In The Claims Process Following A House Fire

Following a disaster in your home, you have many concerns. One of the most important elements of getting back to your normal activities is starting the insurance process and making sure your coverage takes effect and that you aren’t stuck with massive costs. When you hire the right disaster cleanup team, you can count on your claim going through in a timely manner. The best restoration teams use pretesting and other practices to give you the peace of mind you need.

What Is Pretesting?

There is no shortage of disaster relief companies you could hire to help get you back on your feet after a fire, flood or mold infestation. You want to work with someone that does pretesting. This involves the following steps:

• Evaluating the full extent of the disaster.
  
• Making a plan of how to move forward in the best manner possible.
  
• Determining what parts of the home professionals can repair and salvage and what parts they must replace altogether.

Why Pretesting Matters to Insurance Company

You should make an insurance claim as quickly after the incident as possible. Cleanup and repair can be costly, but your coverage should take care of most of these costs. However, slow response from your disaster relief company can also bog thing down on the insurance company’s end. SERVPRO’s pretesting methods gets things in motion with the claims process and helps the insurance agent to his or her part to initiate coverage and payment.

Cost Benefit for You

With pretesting, the insurance company has confidence that it has an accurate picture of the full extent of the damage at your Lafayette, LA, home. This will ensure that the team does the work it should—not handling more or less than is necessary.

As if suffering damage and loss from a fire or flood isn’t difficult enough, you don’t want to get stuck with a slow and costly claims process. SERVPRO’s commitment to pretesting makes the restoration and insurance process more efficient.

Answers to Basic Questions About Interruption Insurance

1/30/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial fire damage in Lafayette, LA.

Protect Your Business With Interruption Insurance

Even if you've taken all the appropriate steps, your Lafayette, LA, business could still be affected by fire. When this happens, one of the most worrying aspects of the situation is how much money you could lose because of business interruption. Fire isn't the only emergency that could put your business in danger; other financial perils could include extreme weather, hail, windstorms, tornadoes, flooding, and other circumstances that may temporarily close your business. Protect your business with interruption insurance.

What Is Included in the Coverage?

Standard property insurance covers a lot of the physical damages and losses that fire leaves behind, but it doesn't cover everything. There are three main things that business interruption policies cover that your property insurance probably won't.

• Profits you would have earned during the time period
  
• Operating expenses you're still obligated to pay, such as rent
  
• Moving costs to your temporary location
  
  

Sometimes this type of insurance is called business income insurance.

Who Qualifies for Coverage?

Sadly, there are business owners who don't qualify for this protection. One of the primary qualifications for this type of insurance is a dedicated commercial location. If you run a small business out of your home, you probably won't qualify for the policy. However, you may be able to get a business owner's policy. Other aspects of your business that may affect your eligibility include the type of industry, your history of business interruption claims, and the location.

How Long Does the Interruption Coverage Last?

Fortunately for many business owners, interruption insurance is available for the entire period of restoration. This is defined as the length of time necessary for repairing, rebuilding, and replacing any of your property that is damaged or destroyed. It's a good idea to find out exactly what is covered before you talk to the fire restoration professionals.

As you put safety procedures in place and provide training for your employees, don't forget to research interruption insurance in Lafayette, LA. You'll want the peace of mind that comes from knowing your business won't fail when disaster strikes.