Here to help 24/7

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

When storm damage occurs, know that SERVPRO is only a phone call away.

Storms can be unpredictable and take a toll on your home or commercial space, which can cause damage to both the interior and exterior of your property. SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks understands that these disasters can come at any time and provides emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have trained, on-call professionals to respond to your loss, and our teams make it a priority to be faster to any size disaster. This immediate response time can lessen damage, cleaning time and costs as further damage will be prevented. So, if your property is ever impacted by storm damage, do not hesitate to call SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks, at any time, day or night. We are always Here to help. 

Humidity is NOT Good for Your Home!

4/27/2022 (Permalink)

If you suspect that your home has microbial growth, we suggest you call our team at SERVPRO of the Lake of the Ozarks at 573-346-7200.

The flowers start to blossom as the weather transitions from the winter weather to the summer heat. This is why our team is here to help with all of your microbial growth remediation needs. The increase in overall humidity levels during the warm summer nights increases the total moisture levels in your home/business. When you have an increase in humidity in your home, it also runs the risk of condensation on your windows which is the perfect condition for mold growth. These are the standard ways mold will grow and simple ways to prevent it from happening to you.

Mold Behind Pillows and Furniture

If you have your pillows close to/touching the wall and you notice a discolored black shade, this is an indicator that there is mold growth. There could be multiple factors causing microbial growth. Still, two simple suggestions to prevent this is to leave the pillows with a 3-4" air gap between the walls and cushions. Whereas the long-term solution could be purchasing a long-term, constant flow exhaust fan, such as the Panasonic WhisperGreen, which lowers the overall humidity levels in your home.

Mold Growth in Dead Spots

The way that air flows creates dead spots in certain spots of your home, leaving cold air in the corners of the room from the bottom to the ceiling. This is caused because airflow patterns are unable to make 90-degree turns. This cold air leads to condensation and, in return, creates perfect conditions for microbial growth.

Growth on Furniture 

Suppose you have furniture lined up against a wall. In that case, you run the risk of making perfect microclimates that are the ideal conditions for mold growth. This type of mold growth only comes from homes with a relative humidity of 70% or higher. These conditions are created from the limited airflow. The cool exterior walls provide the condition, and the couch makes the perfect surface.

Condensation on Window Frames/ Window Sills

Let's say you are unsure how to tell if your home is naturally humid. One of the easiest ways to tell is when you have condensation on the window frames. This is common in homes with condensation collecting on single-pane aluminum windows. 

Survey BEFORE You Break Ground!

4/27/2022 (Permalink)

Before you break ground on a project, call a land surveyor to ensure you know where underground system lines are.

 Home Renovation Season

With the summer season among us, we are about to enter a time where people want to make renovations to their homes and, specifically, their yards. Tik Tok has given homeowners many ideas on optimizing their yard space, whether planters, inground BBQ station, or the recent trend of small garden ponds. When people start these DIY projects, they often forget the most essential part, Surveying their yards.

Surveying your land has many benefits, some of which you could suspect, but other reasons might not have crossed your mind. Here are some of the many reasons you should survey your land before you start a DIY project:

Clearly displays where underground cables or drains are located by marking the lines. 

Knowing where the utility companies placed these underground wires will dictate where you can plant trees. You will also be the disliked neighbor in your neighborhood if you hit the water mainline or a sewage system. 

Undocumented Cemeteries

This would be a fascinating occurrence, but it would be better for the surveyor to find it than when you're breaking ground on your pool. The team you hire to survey your land can accurately find any undocumented cemeteries. 

Go Michele Go! CE Certified!

4/26/2022 (Permalink)

Our team strives to be the best, and we achieve this by never being satisfied with the systems we have set into place.

Our team is unique because we are never satisfied with the systems we have implemented. This is why we are always wanting employee and customer feedback so that we can implement change to make the system run smoother. One of the goals we wanted to change was how we offer the CE Credits for our local franchise areas. Michele Presley, Business Development Manager, has been going through the training to be a SERVPRO HQ-approved CE Instructor.

Michele was nervous when she went to her "final exam," which entails a corporate contact watching her teach a CE Class to decide if she needed more training or if she passed. MICHELE DID AMAZING as she made the class more personable by creating demonstrations or thru her personal experiences. Her biggest concern was not boring the class, which wasn't a problem. She gauged the audience's reactions when she talked about specific topics.

When I spoke with Michele, I wanted to see her future goals with this program, and her first goal was to get all of our Marketing Representatives CE Certified. The information that you learn from this program teaches us concepts that make us better SERVPRO employees and a better reliable source for our clients. Her second goal is to have those certified CE instructors go to their local insurance agents to provide them with the opportunity to earn CE credits.

That is why you should choose our team at SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks. We are never satisfied, and we will implement new strategies to ensure we are operating effectively.

How Fire Sprinklers Work

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

Did you know that our team is available 24/7 to help you through your family? Don't hesitate to call our team of professionals; we are Here to help.

Hello Lake!

It’s one of the Digital Marketing Support Coordinators, Jacob, here to talk about something I learned while attending Michele Presley’s CE Class. I will talk about how fire sprinklers work and how they turn on during this blog. During Michele’s class, Understanding the Restoration Industry: Property Fire Damage Restoration, I was FLAPERGASTED about all the new information I learned! 

Did you know that it’s not smoke that sets off a fire sprinkler system; in fact, it’s the heat from the fire? I know I might sound young and naive, but I thought smoke set the system off. If you can imagine, this class taught me A LOT! 

How A Fire Sprinkler Gets Set-Off

1. A fire starts for whatever reason it may be, which causes the air above it to heat up immediately. 
2. Science taught us that hot air rises as cold air sinks, and as the fire grows, it causes more heat to rise to the ceiling. 
3. When the fire reaches 155 to 165?, it causes the liquid-filled glass bulb to burst, or in some systems, a metal link melts, which sets off the sprinkler. 

Member of SERVPRO’s Disaster Recovery Team®

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

Our professionals are prepared and ready for the call to help another location during their significant loss needs.

Not all of the SERVPRO family of franchises are part of the Disaster Recovery Team, and it’s something that our family of franchises prides itself on. Being a part of this group means that if a national disaster strikes, our team would be deployed to help the local SERVPRO franchises in the affected area.

This means that we are “the backup” or the calvary in the time of need for our SERVPRO team. It also means that we can help the recovery and restoration process to help expedite the recovery time. In 2020, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was devastated by a storm system called a Derecho, an inland hurricane. The local SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks needed our help. So we dispatched teams from all of our franchise locations to help this city recover.

Our team is truly honored to be a part of this group. We hope that your town will never need our Disaster Recovery Team, but if you do, SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks is Here to help.

Safety on the Lake

4/25/2022 (Permalink)

Stay safe on Lake of the Ozarks this summer by always following safety protocol.

SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks is proud to be a part of a great community full of fun on the lake! Every summer, this area of Missouri fills up with tourists and beach house owners to enjoy all the lake has to offer such as boating, jet skiing, parasailing, tubing and more. With all the fun, however, comes some unsafe conditions. Even so, Lake of the Ozarks has been said to be one of the most dangerous lakes due to so much boat traffic, among others. SERVPRO wants everyone to stay safe this summer by following some provided safety tips: 

1. ALWAYS wear a life vest on the boat. No matter your age or skill level when it comes to swimming, an accident can occur at any moment where your movement may be compromised. A life vest can save your life! 
2. Stay sober when operating any type of watercraft. Although Lake of the Ozarks can be a great place to let loose in the summer, alcohol-related accidents on the lake do happen, so stay aware.
3. Take extra precautions when fueling watercraft. According to Lake of the Ozarks Water Safety Council’s Facebook page, small mistakes made when fueling can lead to an explosion.  

Behavior of Smoke

4/22/2022 (Permalink)

The easiest tip to avoid a bigger disaster is to sleep with the bedroom door shut; this adds a wall between you and the fire.

Our team wishes no one would experience fire damage to their home/business. We can understand how a fire can grow. You can buy critical reaction time if you start understanding what fuels a flame. Our Digital Marketing Support Coordinator learned that you should never sleep with your bedroom door open. This disrupts the convention of air created during a fire. 

What to Do 

The convention of air rises because it is less dense, which pushes the cooler air towards the ground. We recommend you seal the door so no smoke can seep through cracks in a fire. Once you seal off the room, call 911 and provide dispatch with your location and that you’re trapped. Something that can buy you more time is that hot air is more turbulent and will move towards the cooler areas of the structure. Another critical component is knowing your HVAC system and selecting a room that won’t have smoke travel. Smoke will spread through this system because it goes up through openings cut for water pipes. 

Our Advice

Making a plan before a disaster is the best way to create more reaction time for your family. Strategically walking through your home and figuring out which rooms will provide better protection will give you more reaction time. This plan should include fire extinguisher locations, emergency exit plans, smoke alarm checks, and where you supply your PPE (respirators). 

Hey Alexa! Tell me about the different types of soot.

4/22/2022 (Permalink)

Our clients might know the difference between wet and dry soot, but don't worry; our SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks team does!

One of our Digital Marketing Support Coordinators, Jacob, had an opportunity to attend a CE Class, Understanding the Restoration Industry: Property Fire Damage Restoration. One of the biggest takeaways was learning about the different types of soot and how they are created. Our team of professionals knows what to look for in soot damage to be able to restore a client’s content/property accurately.

Wet Soot

You can find wet smoke residue in fires smoldering at low temperatures with little oxygen. If you don’t look at soot damage on regular bases, soot damage might look the same to you. Our team of professionals can use the most helpful tools, our nose, to figure out what type of soot we are working with. Wet smoke residue is sticky and smeary, accompanied by a pungent, acrid odor.

Dry Soot

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have dry soot damage from an oxygen-rich fire. These types of fire are fast-burning which produces lighter soot particles but causes more damage to surfaces. A fire that produces dry soot contains a less intense scent than the wet smoke residue. 

Protein Soot

We have all done it, we will be cooking, and something pulls you away from the stove. Next thing you know, the smoke alarm is going off, and you are rushing to deescalate the situation. Protein soot is created by fires that start from overcooked meat. If the burnt roast leaves you stumped, another indicator of this damage is the pungent odor that will stick around and linger. Our SERVPRO team knows that this type of soot requires extensive cleaning to remove any trace of residue to achieve deodorization. 

Often when our clients return to their property after a fire, they feel overwhelmed. Soot damage to them might come across as a complete loss, but our team here at SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks aren’t as easily convinced. Our team understands the steps needed to restore the contents/property back to the preloss condition.  

Our Reconstruction Team is Here to help

4/22/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is a one-stop shop for restoration and reconstruction jobs.

SERVPRO of Lake of the Ozarks prides itself on its ability to restore residential and commercial spaces following water, fire and mold damage. We have the experts needed to handle a job of this type, yet we also have another important aspect of our team—the reconstruction team. This group of professionals will go in following a restoration job to repair walls, flooring, roofing and more to make your disaster seem “Like it never even happened.” Our reconstruction teams also aid in demolition, remodels and roof tarp and board-up services. Having SERVPRO handle the reconstruction part of a job as well as the restoration can bring you peace of mind as you won't be needing to hire multiple repair teams. Likewise, this will make the job be finished quicker due to team communication, and the insurance claims process will be smoother.