Imagine that recently your home was overtaken with flames. The fire department arrived quickly and was able to extinguish the flames, but now your home has fire damage. What are the next steps and where can you turn for help with fire damage restoration?

You need to go through all your possessions. Each item in your home, regardless whether it was in the area that was fire-damaged or not, needs to be assessed. You’ll have to decide for yourself, or with help if needed, what state your belongings are in and what should be done with them. Are they completely destroyed and need to be thrown away? Are they minimally damaged and able to be repaired? Are they untouched by smoke, soot, and fire? Items that need to be thrown out should be; those that can be repaired should be done so quickly, and anything that is untouched by the fire should be removed during the fire damage restoration process. Without taking the time to evaluate your possessions, you won’t fully know how the cleanup process should proceed and what tools can and should be used.

Fire damage restoration needs to start quickly. Once you’ve assessed all of your belongings, the restoration process needs to start. During the fire extinguishing process, water mixed with soot to create a sludge that now coats your home and everything inside. The longer this sludge sets on your possessions, the more damage it causes. This secondary damage can be difficult to repair and may lead to you having to throw away some of those damaged items. Using a professional service like ServiceMaster of Bel Air for fire damage restoration will ensure the process is started quickly and done correctly without additional damage.

ServiceMaster of Bel Air is here for you. The technicians at ServiceMaster of Bel Air are trained in all the latest fire damage restoration tools and techniques. They can make sure your Baltimore County, MD, home is returned to its pre-fire condition. They can help in the assessment of your belongings and home so you know which items can be repaired and which items are utterly lost. Our technicians also offer pack-out and storage services, so you have a place for your belongings while your home is being repaired. You’ve just faced a disaster; don’t put the worry and stress of cleaning up after it on your own shoulders. Allow ServiceMaster of Bel Air to take on this heavy-lifting for you.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 to make sure your Baltimore County, MD, fire damage restoration services are done right.

Your garden is finally winterized, the old plants are pulled, and the dirt has been turned. As the October afternoon slowly turns to a beautiful evening, you head into the basement to rinse your dirt-caked clothes before putting them into the wash. But, as you step off the final step, your foot lands in ankle deep water! A quick scan shows the source is a busted pipe and not a sewage backup. You’ll take a small victory where you can, but Instead of spending the evening relaxing, it looks like you’ll be extracting water and dealing with water damage.

Stop the flow of the water. Stopping the water is the first step or you’ll find yourself facing a losing battle. The easiest way to stop the water is to shut it off at the source. This could be the main shutoff for the house or a shutoff valve on the pipe prior to the break. If neither of these options are available you can pinch off the end or cap the pipe. Using the shutoff valves are the most effective as all the water will be shut off and you don’t have to worry about the cap or pinched part of the pipe breaking again.

Size of the room does matter. The size of the room and furnishings of the room will play a big part in the water extraction process. The bigger the room the more tools you’ll need to ensure all of the water has been removed from the space. This could include using a wet/dry vacuum, a pump, and/or fans to get the water removed and the room dried. If the basement is unfinished and mostly concrete you may not need as many tools than if the basement is finished and full of porous materials. Water will permeate most everything, so if it can be absorbed into a couch, wall, or carpeting, it will. Any water left behind can lead to mold and mildew growth and cause health problems.

Call the professionals if the work is too much. Calling a professional water damage restoration service can help ensure that the space is properly restored and give you and your family peace of mind. ServiceMaster of Bel Air serves the residents of Harford County, MD for all their water damage restoration needs. The technicians at ServiceMaster of Bel Air are trained in all the latest tools and techniques to ensure there isn’t any water left behind when they leave.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 to make sure your Harford County, MD water damage restoration services are done right.

It’s that time of year again for your Baltimore County, MD, business to undergo its yearly fire inspection. While this year has been challenging with Covid-19, and your business hasn’t been open as much as normally, the yearly fire inspection is still critical. Every year, your local fire department should inspect your business for fire mitigation tools and fire hazards. The local fire codes dictate exactly what your business needs to maintain fire safety and pass inspection. Do you know how to prepare your business for your fire inspection and prevent fire damage?

What fire equipment should you have installed? Each type of business and area of the county or city have codes to follow for fire safety and awareness. Businesses such as restaurants have different standards than pet supply stores because of the equipment used for operation. From these codes, you can find the specific fire alarms and fire protection tools your business needs. Do your alarms need to have lights and sounds? Does your restaurant kitchen require a sprinkler system? These are the questions the fire inspector is going to ask and expect you to know the answers.

A big part of the inspection is making sure your equipment is easily accessible. In the event of a fire, your response time needs to be as short as possible. To ensure that everyone and the building remain safe, it’s important to not only know where the fire prevention equipment is, but that it’s easily accessible. Everyone in your business should know where to find the equipment and how to safely exit the building. Even the smallest delay in response to a fire can result in significant consequences.

Make sure everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire and how to use the tools. All the employees at your Baltimore County, MD, business need to know how to use each of the fire prevention tools. Not knowing how to use the tools is the same as not having the tools to begin with, so it’s important that a fire safety training is available and can be shared with the fire inspector. Running a fire drill a couple times of year will help your employees know exactly what to do if a fire strikes. Signage for the location of the fire tools and for the external employee meeting place are essential to ensure everyone knows everything they need to keep your building and employees safe.

Sometimes, even though you passed the fire inspection and have done all the groundwork to ensure your building and employees are safe, a fire still causes damage. For those in the Baltimore County, MD, area, ServiceMaster of Bel Air is here to help with fire damage restoration. Our technicians undergo rigorous training to ensure they know exactly which tools and techniques are needed during the fire damage restoration process to get your business up and running as quickly as possible.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 today for all your fire damage restoration needs in Baltimore County, MD.

This year has been beyond crazy. For many months your restaurant has sat empty while the world stayed home. As things begin to get closer to normal and you’re allowed to begin serving again, you and your assistant manager start cleaning every surface and running all the dishes through the dishwasher to ensure everything has been fully sanitized. As the dishwasher runs for the umpteenth time today, water starts pouring from the bottom. Now, not only do you have to clean and sanitize everything, you need water damage cleanup and dishwasher repair. Where in Harford County, MD can you find quick and thorough water damage restoration services?

ServiceMaster of Bel Air should be your first call. When looking for help in the Harford County, MD area with all your water damage restoration needs, ServiceMaster of Bel Air is the first place to turn. Our technicians have moisture detection tools that help them determine if and where any water is hiding and use these tools to make sure all the water has been removed and the space is completely dry before they leave.

Water extraction must start as soon as possible to ensure your space can be saved. When facing a water damage situation, the first step is to get all the water out of the space as quickly as possible. While this may sound easy, water extraction can be difficult. Water extraction tools and techniques are dependent on the size and use of the room. The larger the room, the bigger the tools needed, and different room types will call for different water extraction expertise. Hard surfaces can be easier for water extraction than soft surfaces, like curtains and furniture. Using the professionals at ServiceMaster of Bel Air will ensure that the correct tools and methods are used every time and you can get back into your restaurant fast.

Help from start to end. When you use a professional service such as ServiceMaster of Bel Air for your water damage restoration needs, you ensure that the water damage cleanup is done correctly from start to finish. And, along with performing the water damage cleanup and water damage restoration work, ServiceMaster of Bel Air can work with your insurance company so you don’t have to worry about any of the paperwork.

When water damage strikes, call ServiceMaster of Bel Air immediately at (800) 570-4206 to ensure your Harford County, MD, water damage restoration services are done right!

Living in Baltimore County, MD, you sometimes experience hurricanes and heavy rains that can result is flash flooding situations. Knowing how to be prepared for flooding and preventing flood damage is important to ensure that you, your family, and your belongings can ride out the storms safely.

Move everything you can out of the line of danger. If your belongings can be moved to a higher floor or off the premises, you should move them as soon as possible. Anything that is left in the line of the rising waters will be damaged and may not be salvageable once the waters recede. The best way to protect your belongings is to prevent damage from happening from the beginning. Listen carefully to the local weather before the storm hits to determine how high the water might get, and then try to get you belonging above where the water line might be. If it’s not possible to move everything, focus on items that are porous, such as fabric items. Items that are non-porous, such as plastic or glass items, will be easier to clean and restore when the area is safe again.

Using sandbags can keep water from entering the building. Filling burlap or plastic bags with sand, kitty litter, or even rocks can help keep the water out of your building. The sandbags will act as a dam and hold back the water if the water is lower than the top of the sandbags. It’s important to make sure you stack the sandbags high enough so when the water peaks it doesn’t go over the top. Placing the sandbags in front of windows or doors, where there’s a potential for leaks, will ensure that the building stays dry for as long as possible.

Even after all the preventative measures, you may still need water damage restoration services. Sometimes the flood waters rise too high and water damage occurs in spite of your best preparations. Water extraction is the first and most important step in the water damage restoration process. All the water must be removed as quickly as possible. The longer the water is allowed to sit, the more damage, mold, and mildew problems your home and everything inside of it will suffer in the future.

You don’t have to face water damage restoration alone. ServiceMaster of Bel Air is here for those in the Baltimore County, MD area facing flood damage. The technicians at ServiceMaster of Bel Air know which tools and techniques are needed to make sure the water extraction is done completely and quickly, and we won’t leave until all the water has been completely removed.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 to ensure your Baltimore County, MD water damage restoration services are done quickly, thoroughly, and correctly.

The year 2020 has been challenging to say the least. Some challenges, like Covid-19, have been new, but others, such as summer storms, have been plaguing Harford County, MD, for years on end. The summer storm season has been long this year, and as September approaches, the August storms have left their share of damage. Storm damage cleanup is hard work that can take away time from otherwise relaxing weekends. Debris is littering your yard, and this year, the winds tossed some tree branches around, leaving holes in the side of your home and broken windows. Where in Harford County, MD, can you possibly find help with disaster restoration?

Disaster restoration and storm damage cleanup isn’t as easy as it appears. What looks like just picking up and removing tree debris or repairing small sections of your home doesn’t tell the whole story. Tree debris can cover up several different types of damage to your lawn and house, leaving you to find unpleasant surprises as you clean. How are you supposed to know how to address all these “surprises”? And who has time to spend endless hours cleaning up and getting your home back to normal?

Professionals can get the work done correctly and quickly. The technicians at ServiceMaster of Bel Air can help the Harford County, MD, area with their storm damage cleanup and disaster restoration needs. Should any surprises arise during the cleaning process, the technicians of ServiceMaster of Bel Air are trained in all the tools and techniques to rectify the situation and quickly get you and your family back in your home. Let the folks at ServiceMaster of Bel Air do the worrying so you don’t have to.

From board-up services to debris cleanup, ServiceMaster of Bel Air has your back. We won’t leave your home unless it’s secure. We’ll board up any open sections of your home to ensure that neither the elements nor vandals can get in during the cleanup process. It’s important for your home to be secure during the disaster restoration process, and the team at ServiceMaster of Bel Air takes this responsibility very seriously. We’ll make sure that your home remains secure and dry while being put back together.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 to make sure your Harford County, MD, disaster restoration services are done right.

Imagine your business is in the middle of a busy day when the building’s sprinklers suddenly activate, and everyone is being showered with water. You rush out of the building to see fire department trucks pulling up. Once the fire fighters deactivate your sprinkler system, you realize that there wasn’t a fire but a malfunction in the sprinkler system. Still, your whole business is flooded. Where in Baltimore County, MD, can you find water damage restoration?

Using a professional water restoration company will ensure that the water restoration process is done correctly. ServiceMaster of Bel Air helps those in the Baltimore County, MD, area with all their water damage restoration needs. Our company uses a six-step process to ensure that the water damage restoration is not only done right but also done fast. Technicians at ServiceMaster of Bel Air take the following steps for every water damage restoration project.

1. Inspect and assess the damage
2. Remove all the water
3. Apply a system that mitigates microbial growth
4. Use air movement to remove particles and mold spores
5. Dehumidify the air to remove the water from the air
6. Monitor the air and the rest of the space to ensure they are properly dried

For the water damage restoration process to be done right, every step of the process must be completed. Without implementing every step in the process, the water damage restoration of your Baltimore County, MD, business or home won’t be done correctly. Each step is critical and can’t be skipped. The technicians at ServiceMaster of Bel Air work hard to stay up-to-date on all the latest techniques and tools to use in each of these steps. With all the appropriate tools and techniques, water damage restoration can be done quickly and correctly so you and your customers can get back into your place of business as fast as possible.

ServiceMaster of Bel Air uses water mitigation technology to ensure that every part of your building is completely dry before you return. By using water mitigation technology, the technicians ensure that every bit of moisture is removed from your building so there is no possibility of mold or mildew growth. If any water is left behind, then you run the risk of needing mold mitigation in the future. ServiceMaster of Bel Air will also work with your insurance company, so you don’t have to worry about anything during the water damage restoration.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 to make sure your Baltimore County, MD, water damage restoration services are done right.

As June rolls in, spring slowly turns to summer. While the country has gone through one of the biggest health challenges it has faced in centuries, mother nature doesn’t take a break. Spring was ‘easy’ with just thunderstorms and the occasional high winds. However, how do you prepare for the summer storms that could assault Harford County, MD, and how do you prevent needing disaster restoration?

Being prepared will help limit the extent of the damage you face from the disaster. Pay attention to the weather and be aware if you may face a storm on the horizon. While a simple thunderstorm may seem benign, it can bring drenching rains and high winds. With drenching rains, you run the risk of flooding in your home. The disaster restoration that results from the drenching rains can include debris cleanup and restoration construction. With high winds you may need to cover windows and require other emergency board up services. If you know in advance there may be high winds, you can board up the windows ahead of time and reduce the need for reconstruction.

Disasters can be natural or man-made. While facing a natural disaster such as a hurricane or a big storm can be difficult, those aren’t the only disasters that can require reconstruction. After a break-in or large party, you can find yourself facing similar disaster restoration needs. A break-in could result in broken windows and the need for emergency board up services. A large party or break-in can also require debris cleanup so the trash and damage left behind can be quickly removed and disposed of.

You don’t have to face disaster restoration on your own. ServiceMaster of Bel Air is here to help those in the Harford County, MD area with all their disaster restoration needs. For everything from debris cleanup to board up services, our trained technicians have the tools and techniques needed to make sure your home or business is in the best hands. ServiceMaster of Bel Air will also work with your insurance company to make sure you don’t have to worry about any of the minor details. You work on keeping your family safe, and we’ll work on getting everything back to normal as quickly as possible.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 to make sure your Harford County, MD disaster restoration services are done right.

With the summer sun comes summer storms. Thunder, lightning, high winds, heavy rains, and sometimes hail! After the storms abate, your Baltimore County, MD, home may be left in a state of disaster. Holes in the walls or roof can result from fallen tree limbs and high winds, and your building and belongings may now be at risk for more damage. Where in Baltimore County, MD, can you turn for disaster restoration services?

Storm damage cleanup can mean any number of tasks. Storm damage cleanup includes patching holes to prevent water and vandals from getting into your home or business to cause more damage. It also includes cleaning up the debris littering your yard and home as well as packing out your belongings to ensure their safety and minimize secondary damage. Storm damage cleanup can be daunting, but there is no reason the residents of Baltimore County, MD, have to face this disaster restoration alone. ServiceMaster by Bel Air is here to help all those in the Baltimore County, MD, area get their homes and lives back to normal.

Storm damage isn’t the only disaster you could be facing. While storm damage and natural disasters are the most common causes for needing disaster restoration, they aren’t the only causes. Vandalism and a break-in can cause just as much damage and require disaster restoration as well. Don’t let these stressful situations be the defining point of your life; instead, get professional help to return everything back to normal. ServiceMaster of Bel Air technicians know exactly how to assess and clean up after any disaster situation. They’ll also work with your insurance company on your behalf, so you don’t have to do anything but take care of your loved ones and get your life back to the way it was.

Disaster can be caused by nature or humans, but all disasters result in some type of destruction. And disasters result in you and your family facing a situation where part of your home or business is in ruins and you have to figure out how to clean up and put your life back together again. For all your disaster restoration needs in Baltimore County, MD, give us at ServiceMaster by Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206. Our professional team is here for you!

With July comes the annual 4^th of July celebrations. Bonfires and cookouts fill the day with yummy food, fun, excitement, and laughter. But cookouts and bonfires involve open flames which can pose a danger if not properly used and supervised. Do you know how to prevent fire damage to your Harford County, MD home from a grill or bonfire?

Fire safety should be first and foremost. There are steps that should be taken before you fire up the grill for a cookout or light a bonfire. Before a flame is struck, the environment should be inspected to ensure it’s safe to have a fire. Check your local ordinances for what types of fires are allowed, and make sure there isn’t a ‘no burn’ order in place due to dry or windy conditions. If the winds are high or the ground is dry, a spark outside of the fire pit could put local structures in danger of fire damage. For this same reason the placement of your fire pit is equally important. If the fire pit is too close to a building, you could cause fire damage to that structure.

Keep fire extinguishing measures close at hand. A garden hose, bucket of water, or a pail of sand is your first defense in stopping a fire that could be getting out of hand. By keeping these close by, you can react quickly and reduce the risk of causing fire damage to your Harford County, MD home or property.

When the fun has ended for the night, make sure the fire is completely out before retiring to bed. Any embers left smoldering can easily ignite anything flammable that lands in the fire pit. If left on their own, the coals of a fire can retain their heat for several hours, meaning the danger of a fire starting also lingers for hours.

While a grill is more contained, it still carries with it the same dangers as a bonfire. However, since grills are typically found closer to a house or structure, it’s critical to maintain vigilance and awareness while grilling to reduce the potential of fire damage.

Use a professional service for your fire damage restoration. If the bonfire or cookout gets out of hand and your Harford County, MD home suffers fire damage, using a professional service will ensure that the restoration process is done right and fast. ServiceMaster of Bel Air is the best professional service to help those in the Harford County, MD area with all their fire damage restoration needs. Our trained and experienced technicians use the most current tools and solutions to make sure your home or business looks like new and there isn’t any evidence the fire ever happened.

Give ServiceMaster of Bel Air a call at (800) 570-4206 today for all your fire damage restoration needs in Harford County, MD.