Heat Your Home Safely

Each year fire claims the lives of 3,500 Americans, injures 18,300, and causes billions of dollars worth of damage. People living in rural areas are more than twice as likely to die in a fire than those living in mid-sized cities or suburban areas. The misuse of wood stoves, portable space heaters and kerosene heaters are especially common risks in rural areas. 

All heating equipment needs space. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away. Supervise children whenever a wood stove or space heater is being used. Have a three-foot "kid-free" zone around open fires and space heaters.

Wood Stoves

 

Wood stoves cause over 4,000 residential fires every year. Carefully follow the manufacturer's installation and maintenance instructions. Look for solid construction, such as plate steel or cast iron metal. Check for cracks and inspect legs, hinges and door seals for smooth joints and seams. Use only seasoned wood for fuel, not green wood, artificial logs, or trash. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets. Inspect and clean your pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions.

Electric Space Heaters

 

Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Check to make sure it has a thermostat control mechanism, and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over. Heaters are not dryers or tables; don't dry clothes or store objects on top of your heater. Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip. Always unplug your electric space heater when not in use.

Kerosene Heaters

 

Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and check with your local fire department on the legality of kerosene heater use in your community. Never fill your heater with gasoline or camp stove fuel; both flare-up easily. Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene. When refueling, allow the appliance to cool first and then refuel outside. Never overfill any portable heater. Use the kerosene heater in a well ventilated room.

 

 

Fireplaces

 

Fireplaces regularly build up creosote in their chimneys. They need to be cleaned out frequently and chimneys should be inspected for obstructions and cracks to prevent deadly chimney and roof fires. Check to make sure the damper is open before starting any fire. Never burn trash, paper or green wood in your fireplace. These materials cause heavy creosote buildup and are difficult to control. Use a screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks. Don't wear loose-fitting clothes near any open flame. Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed. Allow ashes to cool before disposing of them. Place ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from your home and any other nearby buildings. Never empty the ash directly into a trash can. Douse and saturate the ashes with water.

Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.

For more information on Home Heating Safety from FEMA, visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/heating/.

To find out how SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston responds to a fire damage, visit http://www.servprogreaternortherncharleston.com/ - you can also visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/servproofgnc.

Smoke Can Be Surprising!

The complexity of property loss or destruction due to fire damage is due to the unique behavior of smoke. Smoke can penetrate within cavities of the structure, causing hidden damage and odor.

Some things you may not know about smoke:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.


• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to go from floor to floor.


• The type of smoke may greatly affect the fire damage restoration process.


• There are at least many types of soot and residues left behind by smoke:  Wet, Dry, Protein, Fuel Oil and others.

Having a SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston Professional inspect and pretest your home after fire damage prior to beginning the cleaning process saves time and can prevent the loss of important items or keepsakes.

For more detail on the behavior of smoke, the risk of hidden damage and how we at SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston can help, visit our Fire Damage and Restoration page and feel free to contact us, 24/7 at (843)-747-8750 or via our Contact Us form.

Hurricane Sandy 2012

SERVPRO had more than 1,000 crews placed in the areas affected by Sandy in October 2012.  This nationwide, cooperative effort included approximately 400 franchises from California to South Carolina.  The pages below show just a small sampling of pictures and stories from SERVPRO's respose to the devastation left in Sandy's wake.  We are proud to be part of a company that is capable of responding to a large loss, like Sandy, in the same compassionate and efficient manner as we would handle a water or fire damage in your home. 

For more information on how SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston can help you

be ready BEFORE disaster strikes,

visit http://www.servprogreaternortherncharleston.com/ or call 843-747-8750.



Sustainability Through Restoration

At SERVPRO we know sustainability. We are in the business of restoration rather than replacement - this provides the benefits of not only lower costs, but also a smaller ecological footprint.
Why do we focus on restoration?

• We minimize the amount of building material discarded into landfills.
• We preserve the original architecture of building structures.
• Restoration is much more cost-efficient than replacement.
• Many items cannot be replaced, such as important documents and family heirlooms.

In addition to preserving original structures and items, a drive towards restoration can better satisfy a complete return to normalcy when catastrophe occurs. Insurance policies often have limits that cap the amount of a claim - restoration allows for minimizing the costs of returning a structure to pre-loss condition so that more of the claim can be used for other items (speaking of, do you have an up to date home inventory?)

SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston

FASTER TO ANY DISASTER.

843-747-8750

info@servproofgnc.com  ~  servpronortherncharleston.com

Preparedness on a Budget

It is no secret that many families and individuals are looking to cut back on spending. But with the frequency of disasters, both natural and manmade, can you afford not to be prepared? Preparedness doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. September is National Preparedness Month, and we are asking you to help your family and friends prepare for whatever may come. Here are a few tips* on how you can protect those that matter to you without spending a fortune.

• Make a Plan. Work with you family and neighbors to make an emergency plan for the types of disasters that affect your area. Make sure everyone in your family understands where to go and what to do in case of an emergency. You can download Family Emergency Plan templates www.ready.gov/make-a-plan

• Update Contact Information. Having accurate records for family, friends and neighbors will help you stay in contact and possibly help those in need. Make sure updated contact information is posted in visible places throughout your house and workplace.

• Check Your Policy. Review your insurance policy annually and make any necessary changes – renters, too! When a disaster strikes, you want to know that your coverage will get you back on your feet.

• Make a Ready List. You may not need all of the items in ready-made preparedness kits. Choose the essentials that fit your needs and budget. Don’t forget to keep supplies at work and in your car. Sample Ready Lists can be found at www.ready.gov/document/family-supply-list

• Plan Your Purchases. You can save money by thinking ahead. Don’t buy preparedness items just before a storm when they’re expensive and supplies will be in high demand. Buy items at the end of the season when you can get good deals.

• Shop Sales. Shop at sales and used goods stores. Buy preparedness items throughout the year, instead of all at once, and you won’t notice the cost as much.

• Make Sure it Keeps. Store water in safe, containers. You don’t need to buy expensive bottled water, just make sure your water containers are disinfected and airtight

• Request a Gift. We all get things we don’t need. Suggest preparedness supplies as gifts from your friends and family. It just might save your life.

• Trade a Night Out. Trade one night out to fund your 72-hour kit. Taking a family of four to the movies can cost upwards of $80. Just one night staying in could fund your Ready kit.

*The best tip: start now. Take small steps toward preparedness and before you know it, you will be Ready! 

Got Jewelry?

We spent a little time chatting this week with our friend Carl Phillips, one of the top producers CT Lowndes here in the Lowcountry.  The topic of conversation?  Jewelry!  We were surprised to hear that Carl does NOT recommend you add your jewelry to your homeowner’s policy.  Instead, he suggests a personal articles floater for his clientele. 

According to Carl, separate coverage often results in higher limits, fewer exclusions, and the most important benefit:  Jewelry claims do not affect the homeowner coverage.  Jewelry and valuable personal items are not always actually in the home when they are lost or stolen.  However, when attached to the homeowner coverage, a claim of any size shows as a loss and counts against a “claim free” rating.   This causes many homeowners to choose to resist making the claim and simply take the loss of the jewelry in order to protect their policy premiums. 

Interested in hearing more about how you can effectively cover your valuable personal items?  Please contact Carl for details and a quote customized to suit your needs.  Be sure to tell him his friends at SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston sent you!  

Click this link for all of his contact information or contact SERVPRO of Greater Northern Charleston and ask for Beth. 

Two Step Approach to Disaster Readiness

North Charleston, SC (Grassroots Newswire) August 22, 2013 - There is no predicting when or where a disaster may strike, leaving property destruction and damage in its wake. But National Preparedness Month, sponsored each year in September by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), focuses the nation’s attention on the steps home and business owners can and should take to be ready to respond to emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters.

“SERVPRO^® professionals know a lot about disaster cleanup,” said Brandon Ferm, Owner of SERVPRO^® of Greater Northern Charleston. “And one of the most important things we know is that it’s better to take steps to prevent or minimize damage from an unexpected weather event or other disaster than it is to try to clean up after it. That’s why we emphasize the importance of readiness to our clients through SERVPRO’s ‘Emergency READY Program.’ Being ‘READY’ can make the difference between moving back into your home or losing it – or staying in business or closing the doors forever.”

As a National Sponsor of the American Red Cross Ready Rating Program^TM and the originator of SERVPRO’s Emergency READY Program, SERVPRO^® is uniquely positioned to offer North Charleston area home and business owners guidance on a robust, two-step approach to disaster planning and recovery, encompassing both readiness and recovery planning, according to Ferm.

Step 1: Readiness Planning

Knowledge is power, and the American Red Cross Ready Rating™ program is designed to help home and business owners assess their level of preparedness for weather-related or other emergencies in advance.  This free, web-based program, available at readyrating.org, walks responsible parties at businesses, organizations and schools through a 123-point self-assessment of their establishment’s level of preparedness for weather-related or other emergencies, and then offers tips and best practices to help improve their readiness.

Step 2: Recovery Planning

Through SERVPRO’s Emergency READY Program, local schools, businesses and other establishments can arrange for a SERVPRO^® of Greater Northern Charleston disaster recovery professional to establish an Emergency READY Profile^® (ERP) for their facility, at no charge. The ERP is a comprehensive document containing critical information about the business, including emergency contact information, shut-off valve locations and priority areas. In the event of an emergency, the ERP can help minimize business interruption by ensuring there is an immediate plan of action already in place for the facility. If disaster strikes and damages the business, the ERP can save the property owner both time and money during the recovery period. Smartphone app and web versions of the Emergency READY Program are also available.

“This two-step approach to disaster readiness makes perfect sense,” said Rick Isaacson, Executive Vice President of SERVPRO Industries, Inc., “because it provides a complete readiness solution for businesses and other property owners. In Step One, The Red Cross Ready Rating Program gives individuals the knowledge they need to take all necessary steps before disaster strikes to protect their property from damage and loss. Step Two kicks in when disaster does strike and fast response is key to minimizing damage and downtime. Knowing what to do and who to call saves critical time – and that’s where SERVPRO’s Emergency READY Program can help. Together, these two programs offer maximum peace of mind to businesses and other organizations.”

SERVPRO^® of Greater Northern Charleston specializes in disaster restoration, cleanup and repair services, helping to remediate damage, making it “Like it never even happened,” for both commercial and residential customers. North Charleston area residents are encouraged to contact BrandonFerm of SERVPRO^® of Greater Northern Charleston at (843) 747-8750 or beready@servproofgnc.com or visit www.servpronortherncharleston.com for information on readiness resources including SERVPRO’s free READY Plan Mobile Application, available on all smartphones.

For more information on the Red Cross Ready Rating program, please visit http://readyrating.org/.