Lancaster Businesses Can Find Support During Uncertain Times | SERVPRO® of East Erie County

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

If you need cleaning assistance at your business, we are here. SERVPRO of East Erie County has crews who are available 24/7

How much work did it take to build your Lancaster business? If you are like most business owners, the answer is “a lot.”

How could you do anything but work hard when building something you want to create and a legacy for your family? It takes a lot of effort to research, plan and prepare to open a business. And even more, effort to run and operate it as it grows.

Building your own business takes work and dedication. It means sacrificing your time and putting in late nights and long days to ensure all the work is done. The process can be rewarding, though. It is gratifying as you see the signs of success.

But sometimes, things happen that you cannot predict or control. Navigating one of these changes is a challenge business owner across the country are facing this year. Many business owners have already opened their doors again. If yours is one of those, you might want to find resources to help you navigate new situations and ensure your business can operate safely.

Helping Local Businesses Stay Safe

You have access to a variety of tools and resources, including business loans and tips, advice, and more from sources you can trust. These can help you grow.

You are also looking for ways your business can stay clean and safe for your employees and the customers you serve. That is where our team comes in.

We can make sure your business is “Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.” What does that mean? Let us take a closer look at the cleaning services we offer.

First, we will consult with you about your business and make an individualized cleaning plan.

Next, our technicians clean your space. They will use a high-level system to ensure you are ready for customers. We use proprietary EPA-Approved Hospital-Grade cleaning solutions. Plus, we use cleaning and decontamination standards directly from the CDC.

Finally, we will certify your space. That means you can rest assured that you are ready to be open for business.

Why SERVPRO®? SERVPRO® of East Erie County

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

From emergency flood cleaning and restoration to routine disinfection, we’re there for you.

Certainly, restoration and cleaning involve a lot of time-honored processes. There’s hauling off materials that are irreparably damaged. There’s plenty of mopping and scrubbing. There’s, well, a lot of elbow grease.

However, modern restoration and cleaning also draw heavily on advanced technologies. At SERVPRO, we stay on top of the research through our professional organizations. We’re constantly expanding our armamentarium so we can provide cutting-edge service to you, our customers. Let’s look at some of the technologies that might be involved in a SERVPRO job.

Water Removal Technology

When we show up after a flood, we use some fascinating devices to locate water, which can hide under floors, behind walls and in seemingly dry substances. Then we use powerful water-removal tools.

Moisture Meters. Hidden moisture may be found by means of a hygrometer, which can measure the humidity in an area. We also use infrared meters to help detect water. How does infrared—which identifies heat—work for water detection? Simple: The wetter the area, the cooler it is!

Industrial Drying Tools. After locating any lurking water, we use industrial-grade dehumidifiers and powerful fans to remove water, both from structures and their contents and from the air. Strong-enough equipment can draw moisture out of porous substances such as wood, preventing it from warping or becoming moldy down the road.

Cleaning

To remove contaminants and odors, SERVPRO uses both devices and cleaning solutions to make sure your air and surfaces are clean. First, we may deploy industrial scrubbers to remove the particulate matter that causes odors from the air.

Then we clean your surfaces with OSHA-approved products to destroy bacteria, fungi, molds and other unhealthful growths. We’re always researching the best products for the situation. For instance, in 2020, we responded to the COVID-19 threat by adopting EPA-certified disinfectants.

Tips to Move Your Business Forward After a Disaster | SERVPRO® East Erie County

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

If a fire, flood, or any other cause damages your business, you can always count on us for restoration assistance.

Does your business have a disaster plan in place?

Most diligent business owners have plans prepared for dealing with natural disasters like fires and floods. But the shock of a disaster impacting your business can make it challenging to navigate even the most thorough plans.

We work with business owners all the time, so we know what it takes to get your business up and running again. Here’s some of the best advice we can give business owners facing a restoration scenario.

Steps for Moving Forward with Business Restoration

Because our SERVPRO location is a locally owned business, we want to ensure businesses in our community have what they need to succeed. Here’s some of the best advice we can give business owners working to restore after a disaster:

Don’t forget to follow your disaster plan. Even if it sounds simple, the shock of a natural disaster can make it difficult to remember your first steps. That’s normal. Just work through your plans step by step. Depending on your business, those plans might even include moving to a backup location.

Document everything that happened. Before you begin cleaning up your business, you’ll want to take photographs of the damage and inventory any damaged items. Your insurance company will need this information.

Reach out to your stakeholders. Technology gives you various ways to reach out to your suppliers, your employees, your customers and your community. Consider avenues like phone calls, email lists and social media posts. They can all be useful.

Take care of your own needs. Disaster recovery is challenging mentally and emotionally. That means it’s vital to be sure you’re eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest and talking with people you trust.

Partner with a robust support system. Because there are so many aspects of the process to manage, it’s best to work with trusted community partners who foster strong communication.

You Can Make Your Home a Safer Place SERVPRO® of East Erie County

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

If a fire, flood or any other cause damage to your home, you can always count on us for emergency cleanup

After a long winter, who doesn’t look forward to spring? Especially as April turns to May and beyond, people start to long for warmer weather. For residents of the Cheektowaga area, where winters are cold and snowy, the reprieve of warm weather is usually welcome. 

As we start to look forward to warmer days, we’re ready for melting snow and the chance to spend some time outdoors without being bundled up against freezing temperatures.

When spring comes to Cheektowaga, it’s definitely worth celebrating. However, as with every season, spring brings different homeowner hazards to keep in mind and plan to mitigate. In the case of warmer spring weather, it’s storms.

Spring can bring strong thunderstorms, including wind, rain and hail.

With severe storms, homeowners can be put in dealing with damage to their homes these weather issues can cause.

There’s nothing we can do to stop storms from hitting. After all, we can’t control the weather, can we? But there are things we can do to put our homes in the best position to weather the issues.

How to Protect Your Home From Storms

Here are some items you’ll want to put on your to-do list for the next year:

Ensure your roof is in good shape. Check your roof for problems like missing shingles and signs of leaks. Repair them to keep your home safer.

Keep an eye out for tree limbs that hang over your home. Limbs and branches overhanging your family can come down when the winds get high and heavy. Cut down any stems hanging over your roof or garage.

Be sure your gutters are clear. This step is vital every season. Sometimes, it’s the most important thing you can do for your home. Clean gutters are vital to keeping water around your home flowing the right way, instead of causing water damage.

Be sure anything that’s around your home is secure, too. Don’t let unsecured furniture or other similar items become tools for wind damage. Trim back trees that need it and secure everything you can.

What Do I Do After a Fire? | SERVPRO® of East Erie County

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Erie County has 24/7 service

No, a fire isn’t the end. However, any fire—from one that chars a single room to one that destroys your home—can leave you feeling traumatized and unsure how to move forward.

Luckily, if you plan ahead, you’ll know what to do in the hours and days after a fire so that you can move forward with confidence.

Before the Fire

There are definitely steps you can take to prevent a fire, from keeping your home electrical system in good condition to maintaining fire extinguishers and alarms. However, you should always have a recovery plan just in case disaster does strike.

As you make hour recovery plan, get together a list of contacts to reach out to in the early hours after a fire. Include your insurance agent at the top of the list.

After that, you’ll need contact details for your landlord or mortgaging bank, plus your credit cards and other financial accounts. Have any contractors you’ll need listed, from a restoration provider such as SERVPRO to your pet boarding people.

Also list your medical providers and, of course, local emergency services. Store your list in an online drive—such as a Google drive—so you can get to it even if your computer and papers are destroyed.

After the Fire

Once everyone is safe from the fire, your first step is to find shelter, if needed. Do not re-enter your home! Instead, reach out to friends, relatives or agencies such as the Salvation Army or Red Cross.

Next, begin to assemble your team of helpers. Work through your list of contacts, starting the process of getting insurance compensation, repairing and restoring your structure if possible, and assembling any paperwork you’ve lost. Often, your restoration provider can help you with collecting and filing insurance paperwork.

Keep careful records, such as receipts and photographs, to help with insurance claims.

Ongoing Care

Keep a close eye on your family’s physical and mental health after the fire. Smoke inhalation may cause long-term problems or exacerbate chronic conditions. Some injuries—such as burns under a pet’s fur—may be difficult to find at first.

Since fires can be traumatic to witness, make sure your family has good mental health support. Connect with a counselor or faith leader, or look for free online resources. Let your child’s guidance counselor know he or she may need extra support, too. Together with your team, you’ll get through this.

Satisfaction at SERVPRO of East Erie County is Our Number One Goal

4/18/2022 (Permalink)

Another satisfied customer!

Mary said, “The guys were professional. Crew was a few hours past original time estimated, nut not their fault.”

This is our why! Why we do what we do at SERVPRO of East Erie County every day of our lives for 49 years. We are a family operated business; Team Sullivan and we just love what we do. At times things can be stressful micromanaging several jobs and at times we can receive sixty calls or more in one day after a rainstorm with flooded basements. Most customers understand as the storm makes the news. We do our best dispatching our crews, having them work late hours with weeks of no days off to help our customers. We develop a waiting list and reach out to the neighboring franchises to assist with the overflow of flooded basements. At times, a SERVPRO storm team will be dispatched from another state to help with local jobs. A job scheduled before yours might require additional services and could cause a delay getting to the next job. Thank you, Mary, for understanding ??

SERVPRO of East Erie County 1972 has out lasted all competitors in Western New York with family trust.

Stay Safe with SERVPRO’s Certified Clean

4/18/2022 (Permalink)

For more information on SERVPRO's certified cleaned, call us at 716-656-7131

When you see the SERVPRO Certified Clean shield in a business’s window, you can be sure it has been cleaned using the processes and procedures used by SERVPRO for biohazard remediation for more than 49 years.

As our lives changed with the pandemic it is important for employers to stay and feel safe in their place of work. SERVPRO knows that we all have a new sense of what it means to be clean, and that is why we have the Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned program. You can be sure it is a clean environment once SERVPRO uses our defensive and proactive pathogen cleaning janitorial practices.

SERVPRO of East Erie County is dedicated to spreading confidence in communities across the country. Chose SERVPRO for your viral pathogen cleaning, you can trust us to bring a higher standard of clean to your local business

Who’s Ready For Summer Grilling? We are!

4/15/2022 (Permalink)

Yummy!

Grilling season is finally beginning here in West Seneca, NY and it’ll only be a manner of time before we start the grilling some tasty food. We at SERVPRO of East Erie can’t wait to start smoking and grilling some ribs in the warm temperatures, but be sure to follow these fire safety tips to avoid any fire damage while grilling.

-Clean grease and fat from your grill regularly. Giving your grill a regular cleaning will prevent buildup of these flammable materials.

-Keep your grill at least 10 feet away from your home and avoid having any decorations near the grill. Keeping items clear of the grill will help ensure that the flame from the grill doesn’t spread.

-If your grill is a gas grill, check for gas leaks. Cover the gas hoses in soapy water and check for bubbles forming in the soap.

-Never leave your grill unattended

-Keep a fire extinguisher near your grill in case of an emergency.

These tips should help you have a safe grilling season. Enjoy those burgers and hot dogs! Should anything happen, SERVPRO of East Erie County is here for you.

Serving Lancaster, West Seneca, Cheektowaga, Depew, Alden, Elma, Marilla, Sloan

Autism Awareness and Acceptance at SERVPRO of East Erie County

4/14/2022 (Permalink)

Ashley, who is the owners daughter has autism and has a love for the SERVPRO vans.

As a local business, we enjoy being involved in our community supporting many charities. We have a strong passion for autism awareness. We love engaging in community events, and of course, working with other business owners in our area when called upon to help causes.

Always during the month of April and all year long, we support autism awareness and acceptance. We donate to several charities in support of services for those in need.

Autism Rates: In 2021, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to 2018 data.

• 1 in 27 boys identified with autism
• 1 in 116 girls identified with autism

SERVPRO® of East Erie County always giving back to the community.

SERVPRO® is recognized as the top leader in disaster restoration services but.

We are family operated and have been in the business for 49 years!

Sewage Is Nothing to Mess With, Let SERVPRO of East Erie County Help You

4/12/2022 (Permalink)

This older home in Lancaster, NY had a sewer back up. The floor tested positive for asbestos. SERVPRO was able to remediate once the floor was removed

Let us talk about sewage, and the hazards involve. It is one of the most hazardous jobs SERVPRO of East Erie County deals with. A sewer back up can occur through a floor drain, sink, toilet, or a shower. One of the most common reasons for a sewer back up is caused by a clog but can also occur during a heavy rainstorm or a rapid snow melt. The abundance of water can cause street debris to end up in the town’s sanitary sewers. Sometimes there is so much rain it can overload the main sewer systems. When this happens, it is too much for it to handle and the excess wastewater can back up into your home. It backs up through the basement floor drain filling your basement with raw sewage, feminine products, food, and bacteria.

The wastewater contains many water-borne diseases and must be cleaned and disinfected asap. Some of the pathogens in sewage are Salmonella, E. Coli, Streptococcus, mycobacterium and more. SERVPRO of East Erie County and their highly trained professionals are always ready to help.