Commercial Catastrophe

9/23/2022 (Permalink)

Mud and water the technicians extracted and then steam cleaned before placing appropriate drying equipment.

During one of the heaviest rains that this region has seen many offices in this commercial building had water damage and mud left over from when the water did drain.

In order for this company to resume business as normal SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was on site within an hour of the call and began to assess. Our crew began by extracting any leftover water, steam cleaning the floor affected by mud, tearing out the cove base in affected rooms, drilling holes in the baseboard line in order to properly dry the structure, and setting the appropriate drying equipment. 

Due to the size of this commercial building and the amount of affected square footage, there were a lot of large contents to move in order to extract underneath and dry in place. 56 air movers and 4 large dehumidifiers were placed for 3 days. After day 3 the business was allowed to perform daily duties like the water damage never even happened!

Air Conditioner Crisis

9/23/2022 (Permalink)

This is the window air conditioning unit that had an electrical issue and cause the start of the fire in an upstairs bedroom.

This homeowner is no newbie when it comes to hot and humid Midwest summers, so he decided to install an air conditioning window unit to help cool the upstairs part of his home. While it did help there was an electrical issue that malfunctioned and cause the home to catch fire. Affecting multiple parts of the home. There had also been water damage to the home from the water department putting the fire out. 

During our project manager's initial assessment with the field adjuster, they determined that due to the age of the home it would be in everyone's best interest to get an asbestos test since there was some demo to be done. Once the test results came back it had been confirmed that there was asbestos present in the home. The plan of action from there was to perform the demo needed without disturbing the asbestos. 

Due to the electrical being compromised by the fire temporary power had to be established in order to place the appropriate drying equipment and in order to provide air conditioning to our crew while working in high temperatures. 

Our crew began removing all water-holding materials and debris laying on the floor such as carpet, pad, and any drywall that had fallen onto the floor. Once approval was given, we were allowed to demo the plaster walls affected by smoke/ soot damage. Once all demo was performed, we set air movers and dehumidifiers to properly dry the structure before the reconstruction team could begin work on the home. 

The Storm of the Midwest

9/19/2022 (Permalink)

This is a local highway that flooded due to the rain making it impossible for anyone to travel until the drain was unclogged.

In late June 2022, St.Louis and surrounding areas experienced a storm of a lifetime. The amount of rainfall was historic. In days leading up to the storm, a blanket of hot, humid air draped over the St. Louis area, contributing to an atmosphere heavy with water vapor. as of 7 AM St. Charles county, where SERVPRO WOW is located, had received 8-10 inches of rain and the rain continued. A record 9.07 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period. it was recorded as once in a 100-year event. 

SERVPROs in or around this region had activated the Wilson storm team to come and help with the abundance of water damage calls.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville took care of 48 different homeowners affected by the storm. We had at least 200 calls from homeowners in need of mitigation. Most of these homeowners had to be sent to the storm team for help. We want to extend a huge thank you to all the other SERVPRO franchises that signed up to help our region and thank you to our loyal customers that waited for SERVPRO to come out and make it like it never even happened!

Thank you team Wilson Storm team!

Types of storms

4/29/2022 (Permalink)

a tornado in Joplin, MO back in May 2011

Knowing the types of storms and the potential damage that could come with these storms can help you be prepared for them to happen and what to expect. 

1.) Flooding: Floods occur due to rain and other water rising faster than the drains can handle. Flash floods can leave buildings and roads under several inches of water in a matter of minutes. About 90 percent of all U.S. natural disasters involve flooding. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) says one inch of floodwater can cause as much as $25,000 in damage to a home.

Ways to prepare for a flood are to pack an emergency kit, move furniture and valuables to a safe place, waterproof your basement, pay attention to flood alerts, and most importantly make sure your homeowner's insurance covers flood damage. If not covered, you could be stuck with the cost of mitigation and repairs. you can also purchase separate flood insurance if you are in a flood-prone area.

2.) Snowstorms: Heavy snow may seem more of an inconvenience than a cause of damage to your home however, heavy build-ups of snow can lead to collapsed roofs or gutters, and blocked drains can cause flooding.

3.) Tornadoes: Tornadoes are extremely dangerous, from the high winds often more than 300 mph, to the debris carried by these high winds. High wind speeds can damage and remove shingles, potentially exposing your roof's sheathing and underlayment. This can leave your home vulnerable to the elements. Missouri is in tornado alley. Tornado Alley is a loosely defined area of the central United States where tornadoes are most frequent.

Stay Safe and Be prepared! 

Have you been affected by a storm and need our help? Give SERVPRO WOW a call! 

(636)-856-9700

Clogged drain Chaos

4/29/2022 (Permalink)

Clogged floor drain surrounded by raw sewage.

This homeowner woke up to a strange smell in his home, so he went around checking all rooms. He did not find anything until he went to his basement and there it was, the cause of the horrendous smell, a sewage backup from a clogged drain. The homeowner quickly called a plumber and SERVPRO as soon as he discovered the sewage. The plumber unclogged the drain in order to prevent more sewage from coming into the basement. Luckily for this homeowner, his basement was unfinished, so he was able to keep costs down a bit. There were a lot of contents affected so our SERVPRO team cleaned and saved as many non-porous items as possible. The items that were unsalvageable were properly documented and turned into insurance for the homeowner to get reimbursement for. With 10 air movers, 1 large dehumidifier, and 1 air scrubber the structure was IICRC standard dry within 3.06 days.

Need our services? Give us a call! (636)-856-9700 

Water affects shopping center after hours

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

This flooded entryway was caused by a broken pipe.

This shopping mall manager was in a panic upon discovering standing water in four separate shopping center buildings from a busted pipe. He was quick to call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville and our crew was onsite within 2 hours of the customer's initial contact. 

Upon arrival, our crew began assessing the situation as quickly as possible. The crew chief took pre-mitigation photos of the buildings and drew a sketch of each. The rest of the crew began extracting the standing water, performing the demo needed in order to dry the structure properly, and began to set up drying equipment. 

With the cove base pulled, holes drilled in the baseboards line in order to dry the structure properly, 50 fans, and 3 large dehumidifiers the structure took 3.93 days to dry to the IICRC standard. The crew chief monitored every day the equipment was there.

The property manager was pleased with SERVPRO WOW's response time that he promised to contact us for any other services he may need from us in the future and is going to refer us to others!

Need our help?

Call Us Today! (636)-856-9700

SERVPRO gives back to our local communities!

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Marketing Manager bringing lunch to the local police department as a way to show our appreciation.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville likes to give back to our community. We participate in the annual BRR bash which is the LBB's( Little Black Book Women in Business) large-scale collaborative toy collection campaign to benefit Toys for Tots. This event has accounted for 20% of the total number of toys distributed by the US Marines to happy children at Christmas. 

SERVPRO also shows appreciation to local first responders for all the hard work they do in order to keep our communities safe. SERVPRO WOW's marketing manager, Rene Baumgartner, brings lunch to the first responders every quarter in order to show our appreciation. She has also offered and performed free COVID-19 disinfecting of law enforcement vehicles and other buildings.

By choosing your local SERVPRO you are also choosing to give back to your community! 

We're Here to Help! (636)-856-9700

The Dangers of a Grease Fire

4/20/2022 (Permalink)

The stove is the result of a grease fire. It is covered in smoke and soot damage.

Statistics reveal that nearly 5,000,000 cooking fires occur annually in the home. Of these fires, grease fires are the most dangerous and are responsible for 1 in every 5 home fire deaths.

It only takes a fraction of a second for the grease on an oven, stove, or fryer to get too hot and erupt into flames. Suddenly, cooking a meal turns into a very dangerous situation.

Most people aren’t prepared to deal with those scary circumstances. Often, their reaction is to try to put grease fires out only to intensify the problem, sometimes leading to catastrophic results.

Here are some ways to prevent a grease fire from happening:

• When cooking with oil always heat it up slowly.
• Never leave hot grease unattended.
• If following a cooking recipe, make sure to closely follow the recommended cooking temperatures.
• Be prepared in case of a fire. Always have oven mitts, potholders, a lid to cover the fire, and a fire extinguisher.

When reacting to a grease fire, first things first is to remain calm and don't panic. Do not pick up the pan that is on fire as it could be extremely hot and could cause more damage to your home. You should also NEVER put water on a grease fire. This will cause the burning oil to splash and could likely burn your skin and cause a bigger flame. What you should do is cover the pan with a lid. The lack of oxygen will smother the flames. Once the lid is firmly placed on the pan, turn the burner off and wait 25-30 minutes before touching the lid or pan. 

If the fire gets out of hand too quickly, immediately clear the area and call 911.

Until you understand your customers — deeply and genuinely — you cannot truly serve them.

3/30/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville Logo and contact information.

Whether it’s a bored demeanor, a dismissive look, or just plain rude behavior, sloppy customer service spells disaster faster than just about any other business transgression.

Customer service is one of SERVPRO WOW's top priorities. We like to make sure the customer is happy and understood from the initial phone call. We will be happy to answer any question you may have at any time you may have it. We take concerns and complaints very seriously and address them right away. Our crew chiefs like to check in with every homeowner every day to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

Here are some reviews from our previous customers!:

SERVPRO WOW

3/21/2022 (Permalink)

Owners, Greg and Joanne Young. Joanne is in full PPE ready to assist on a Bio-hazardous remediation job site.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville has been in business for 5 years now and has made great relationships with multiple homeowners. We try to emphasize the WOW in our name by going above and beyond for homeowners in need of our services. This includes numerous things, such as ensuring that our whole crew completes and understands our employee certification training so that can answer any question a homeowner may have. We also like to explain to customers the advancement of our equipment. These advancements allow SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville Professionals to restore a property to preloss condition quickly, reliably, and more effectively. Our last and most important fact is that SERVPRO WOW is 24/7 365. Water, Fire, mold, or storm damage are all events that you cannot plan for, So we wanted to make sure we are available to you whenever you may need us.

Need Emergency Service? Call us anytime! We're here to help! (636)-856-9700

Fire in apartment 4113

2/14/2022 (Permalink)

This is the pre mitigation of the hall bathroom that is heavily affected by soot.

This tenant was thankful that her fire alarms were properly maintained because in the late hours of the night her oxygen tank had started a small fire in her apartment. The fire department was immediately called and SERVPRO was called the morning after to access the damage. The property manager was in need of an estimate and remediation quick. The crew chief on-site was great in getting her an estimate within 24 hrs and as soon as it was approved we began the remediation process. Due to the extent of the fire, the whole apartment had to be fully gutted down to the studs and most of the tenant's contents were unsalvageable. The property manager was also in a time crunch of needing the apartment gutted in order to begin the reconstruction and get in the tenant back in her room. Our crew got in there and fully gutted the apartment in a week and the property manager was happy with SERVPRO work.

Space Heater Safety

12/31/2021 (Permalink)

Different types of space heaters that can cause fires if not used properly.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says space heaters lead to 25,000 residential fires and cause more than 300 deaths per year.

The leading cause of space heater fires is heating equipment placed too close to things that can burn. Things such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses, curtains, bedding, paper, or flammable liquids. Here are some tips to help avoid the start of a fire from a space heater.

Plug the space heater directly into the wall and not into an extension cord.

Place the space heater in a clear area, not under a desk or near objects. 

Place the unit on a flat surface, not on unstable or uneven surfaces.

Keep clear of pathways. Do not block exits or entryways.

Also, make sure to turn off and unplug the space heater when leaving your home. 

With winter approaching these tips are vital to take into consideration when trying to heat your home.

SERVPRO WOW

12/21/2021 (Permalink)

Owners, Greg and Joanne Young finishing up a water loss.

Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, we like to call ourselves SERVPRO "WOW" not only because it's a fun abbreviation, but also because we really try to focus on the wow factor of making your damage seem "Like it never even happened." 

At our office, we have 3 team members IICRC water certified and 1 other project manager who is both IICRC Water and Fire certified. Not only that but our awesome owners Greg and Joanne Young are also IICRC Fire and Water certified. The Young's are not afraid to get their hands dirty and jump into the uniform and get out in the field if need be. 

We listen to every question or concern you may have so don't be afraid to ramble them off at us. I promise we will be prepared!

Call us today to see how we can help you!

(636)-856-9700

Fire Alarm Safety

11/30/2021 (Permalink)

Example of a fire alarm in home

According to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of 1,450 fire deaths occur every year in homes with missing or non-functioning fire alarms. 

Smoke alarms do not last forever. it is recommended to replace the smoke alarms every 10 years in order to achieve optimum performance.

It is recommended to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside of each sleeping area, on every level of your home including the basement, on levels without bedrooms such as the living room and kitchen, and near the stairways leading to upper levels. 

Some other great tips are to consider using interconnected smoke alarms for additional safety and early warning. Do not install near windows, doors, or ducts, and NEVER paint smoke alarms.

Things To Do Before The Storm Hits

11/30/2021 (Permalink)

Types of storms to prepare for.

Storms are always unpredictable and can be troublesome if not correctly prepared for. Here are some tips to help you prepare for what the storm may bring and minimize the damage a storm can cause.

Trim your tree branches and clear left debris. Always put away lawn furniture and toys. 

Look over your equipment manuals to ensure that you know beforehand how to operate the equipment safely and efficiently.

Look at your inventory of equipment and decide if you have all the necessary to help you after the store. Run and service the equipment before the storm and double-check that you have the appropriate extension cords.

Make sure you have enough and the right fuel needed for your equipment. if your equipment requires batteries make sure that you have enough batteries for all the equipment and double-check that the batteries are all charged.

Ways To Avoid Water Damage To Your Home.

11/24/2021 (Permalink)

This is the pipe that froze and caused water damage to this homeowner's property.

I bet you didn't know that water damage is one of the most common insurance claims. 

Luckily there are ways to prevent water loss in your home. Here are some tips to keep your home safe from water damage.

First, there are some things you can do outside your home to avoid water from making its way in.

• Disconnect hoses after use and disconnect them completely during the cold seasons. Standing water in a hose can freeze in the pipe and create an ice block that can burst your pipes.
• Clean your gutters and make sure your downspouts are 6 feet or more away from your home. This will prevent puddles from forming near the foundation of your home that could potentially cause damage to your home. 
• Investigate and fix leaks in a timely manner. If you find unknown water in your home it is always a good idea to investigate where the water is coming from. If you decide to ignore it or wait too long to fix it you could end up with mold or structural damage in your home depending on the severity of the leak.
• Know the location of your main water shut-off. Plumbers say that the water main shut-off is the most important plumbing feature of the house. If you find yourself in a situation where water is causing damage to your home knowing where this is located is essential to minimize further damage. 

Want to know more tips? 

Call us today! 

(636)-856-9700

Clean up in the fun zone

11/17/2021 (Permalink)

Post mitigation of the fun zone once spot treated and carpet cleaned.

This local restaurant needed their carpets cleaned after a lot of foot traffic left them stained and dirty. The owner called the office and requested a date to have the carpets cleaned, he stated that they would be closed the whole day Monday and half day Tuesday of the following week so it was urgent to him to get them cleaned those days in order to get his business running, as usual, the rest of the week. 

The operations manager had a crew on site Monday morning. On Monday the crew cleaned the carpets in the entire restaurant but the fun zone. The fun zone was heavily stained so the crew chief thought it would be best to come back earlier the next day to spot/stain treat and let it sit for a bit longer. Once they were treated the next day the crew resumed carpet cleaning and was done before the deadline the owner needed. He was very appreciative we were finished in a timely manner in order to operate his business.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville does more than Water, Mold, and fire remediation. 

Want to know more about the services we offer? 

Call us today! (636)-856-9700 

Fuse Box Blowout

11/16/2021 (Permalink)

This fuse box is the cause of the fire in the home.

This homeowner didn't have a worry about this fuse box in his closet until one night the electrical malfunctioned and started a fire within their home. Thankfully no one was injured and is safe but some of their items did have to be tagged as unsalvageable and the rest of their items had to come to SERVPRO Western O'Fallon/Wentzville for proper smoke/soot damage restoration. 

During the restoration of their contents, the staff made sure to thoroughly clean all soot that was present and communicated with the homeowner if it was too damaged to be salvaged. There were items that the homeowner wanted back right away so SERVPRO made sure to get to those contents first. The homeowner was very appreciative of our rapid response and return time.

Some of the larger items are still stored at our facility to ensure the homeowner has enough time to make his home liveable again and if he needs a specific item we always make sure to get it to him right away!

Mold Moveout

10/19/2021 (Permalink)

In this picture, you can see the mold behind the cabinets.

This commercial apartment building had a tenant find some mold in her apartment and due to the COI, our franchise owner has with the property manager she called us right away to go and inspect. During the inspection, SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville suggested that she get a mold test to ensure the apartment was safe to live in for the time being. After a couple of days, she got her mold report back and shared the details with us. Black mold was found so our crew gathered all equipment necessary and headed her way in order to get the mold remediated in a timely manner in order for the tenant to be able to get back into her home. SERVPRO pulled the baseboards as needed. Flood cut drywall as needed. Cleaned up any standing water. Tore out two sections of cabinets with visible suspected microbial growth. Cleaned and treated studs with suspected microbial growth using quaternary ammonium product

How to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting during a winter storm.

10/19/2021 (Permalink)

In this picture, you will see a homeowner trying to thaw his frozen pipe.

During the winter months, there can be some issues like your pipes freezing and the pipes can also burst which can cause you water damage and no one wants to deal with a winter storm when it's 20 degrees or colder outside. Here are some tips to prevent your pipes from freezing in the winter. 

Before winter you can take some precautions such as installing pipe insulation, sealing visible cracks, and applying electrical heating tape to easily accessible pipes. 

Things you can do during the winter to prevent frozen pipes are set the heat in your home to at least 55 degrees when you aren't home, open cabinets regularly to let the warm air circulate, let your faucets drip, and keep your garage door closed to conserve the warm air in your home. 

In the case that all of those options fail and your pipe does burst, you want to call someone you trust that will be able to take care of the water damage the right way. Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, we have years of water damage affiliated with a pipe burst.

Call us today and let us help you!

636-856-4176 

Local Lowes in trouble

10/18/2021 (Permalink)

Fans set up and pointed to the affected areas.

A new employee at this local Lowes was doing his job on a forklift when he accidentally hit a sprinkler, which set it off and began some water damage in multiple isles. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was called shortly after and our crew arrived onsite promptly. Upon arrival, we began by having the crew chief speak to the manager and go over forms to sign as well as going over what our plan of action was going to be. Once that was all done, we began to bring in fans to place in multiple isles so the store did not have to close down those isles that their customers needed. The drying took 2 days and the manager was very appreciative of being on-site so quickly. The manager still calls us to this day for any remediation needs. Talk about a great COI! 

Need help? Call us today!

636-856-9700

Heat lamp causes garage fire!!

10/13/2021 (Permalink)

This is the crew chief, Chris is his ppe while performing last-minute touch-ups in the garage.

This homeowner was so excited to get chickens and raise them to be family pets. She got them a coop set up in the garage and monitored them frequently. One evening while away the heat lamp overheated and started a fire in their garage causing damage to the whole garage and causing soot damage to their kitchen and the rest of the home. When SERVPRO Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was called we quickly arrived on-site to do a scope of work and let me homeowner know what will be done during remediation. She was very happy to be included in every conversation regarding her home. The crew began packing out her home that day and brought back contents to the warehouse in order for us to begin cleaning. While contents were being cleaned at the warehouse the rest of the crew begin the demo and cleaning that needed to be done at the home. The crew made sure to contact the adjuster daily and anytime a question about coverage arose. This homeowner's structure fire mitigation took about 2 weeks to dry sponge and demo the affected areas. The contents took about a month to get back to the homeowner as it was a larger home and some of the contents were heavily sooted. Once all items were returned the homeowner was happy with the way SERVPRO WOW handled it all. She let us know that she would be recommended us to anyone she knew that needed our kind of help!

Call us today to make your damage look "Like it never even happened."

636-856-9700

Windy night in the suburbs

9/29/2021 (Permalink)

Demo of affected materials performed by the technicians.

This homeowner had a tree fall on her room during heavy rain and wind storm, but she knew exactly who to call. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was ready to help her in her time of emergency. Upon arrival, we made sure to get the hole in her roof tarped. once tarped we accessed the damage inside of the home. There had been a lot of water damage and affected materials such as most of the drywall and flooring. Before starting demo the office staffed contacted her insurance and verified that all of the work was covered. She was very happy with our work that she left us this kind review:

"Timely, knowledgeable, and efficient, these guys have the tools to get the job done! You will want them in your court in your time of need. I wouldn’t hesitate to call SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville again. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!"

Call us and let us help you!

636-856-9700

Out of business due to storms!

9/28/2021 (Permalink)

This door buckled due to a heavy storm.

This stormy weekend in Missouri left this daycare with some water damage. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was flooded with calls the weekend of the storm, one of them being this local daycare. Upon receiving the call our crew went out to the location and began the work. As you can see by this photo the rain was heavy and very strong that it bent the door of the daycare in and flooded one of the rooms with rainwater. The technicians began by extracting the standing water. After water extraction, they set up 20 air movers, 2 dehumidifiers, and 1 air scrubber in the appropriate areas. They also demoed some of the affected materials such as cove base, drywall, insulation, and door trim. After the floors were dry the technicians got to cleaning some contents, power washing the floor, and treating with anti-microbial to prevent microbial growth down the road. The building was dry within 3 days and this business was grateful for our rapid response time in order to get their business up and running. 

An Unusual Day in Paradise

9/22/2021 (Permalink)

This is the flood cut performed by the technicians in order to dry the structure properly.

Imagine that you and your family get all packed up for the week to go to your lake house. Only to find out that when you get there, the water heater was leaking, for who knows how long, and flooded the whole condo. Now you've got six inches of standing water in the whole unit. 

This is exactly what happened to a customer and luckily they knew just who to call! The customer contacted SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville office at 9:04 AM and we were on-site within the hour. Upon arrival, the crew began to scope the condo to know exactly what needed to be done. Our crew chief found all the walls that the moisture meter detected as wet and began to place air movers and dehumidifiers in the appropriate areas. They also began to tear out any affected materials to prevent microbial growth. The homeowner did not want the wallpaper to be torn out so we monitored the moisture of it and determined that after 2 days of still detecting moisture we would have to do a flood cut. The homeowner agreed it was in the best interest in order to dry the structure properly. 

The crew did the flood cut in the needed areas and placed the air movers back to dry the structure properly. Once the home reads dry on the moisture meter the homeowner will be able to then start reconstruction and be able to enjoy his home away from home again!

Meet the Team!

9/22/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville franchise owners, Greg and Joanne Young!

Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, we are a team of 12 who all work together to get the job done! Let me introduce them all to you!

Greg and Joanne Young, these two are the franchise owners and the glue that keeps us together! Greg and Joanne started this franchise in 2017 and have been growing ever since. Greg is certified in water restoration, applied structural drying, and lead safety. Joanne is certified in fire and smoke restoration, and water restoration. 

Next, we have the Franchise employees:

Chris and Brendan are two of the franchise's crew chiefs. Chris has been with the franchise since the start and Brendan has been here ever since he graduated high school, talk about dedication! These two are very hard workers and will go the extra mile to make sure the customer is satisfied.

Ben, Jadyn, and Janet are all technicians who work just as hard as the crew chiefs. They all like to help out where ever they are needed. They help out in the field and also like to come back to the warehouse and content clean to get contents back to homeowners promptly. Keep up the great work guys!

Mike Z is the franchises' new operations manager. He has been a great new addition to the franchise and we can't wait to see how he will help Greg and Joanne grow this franchise!

John Young is one of our content cleaners and also Gregs' dad! John has also been with the franchise since the start. He has worked on multiple fire damage contents and continues to work on them as they come in. John is also a veteran who enjoys watching baseball in his free time. 

Rene is our marketing manager and rep. She is the friendly face you will see walking into your commercial building handing out some goodies and reassuring you that we are here for you when you need us! 

Judy and Lizet are the office admins who are here to help you in your time of need. They are the friendly voices you will hear when you call the SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville office. Judy also helps John content clean when we have fire contents. Thank you for all you do Judy!

Sound like a friendly and helpful crew? 

Call us today and let us help you!

(636)-856-9700

Battery Powered Fire

9/20/2021 (Permalink)

This garage was completely unsalvageable due to the fire caused by the drill battery.

These new homeowners were going down the right path when they decided to upgrade their fire alarm system. After a few months of living in the home, the alarms, unfortunately, failed them and did not notify the family of the fire. The fire started because of a drill battery that had been left plugged into its charger all night.  The family was able to get out of the home safely but their house was not in a liveable condition. They knew who to call. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was on site within a couple of days ready to access the situation.

While on-site the crew gutted the whole house and packed away the contents that could be saved. Here at the office, we have started cleaning contents in order to get them back to the customer in a timely manner. The office staff has been in contact with the customer often to update them on the timeline of their contents and the progress that is being made on their home.

While many people don't know that lithium-ion batteries cause many fires due to the battery pack failing and bursting into flames. it is recommended to only charge the battery until fully charged and then unplugging it from the charger. 

Need more fire prevention tips? 

Call us today! (636)-856-9700

Toilet Catastrophe

9/16/2021 (Permalink)

Post mitigation of the bathroom that caused the water damage.

Imagine this... You go to bed one night thinking your home is in tip-top shape. You wake to find that your toilet has been overflowing all night. You leave your bedroom to find out that your whole bathroom, hallway, and kitchen floors are now covered with water. You don't know who to call so the first person you think of is your insurance, they tell you to call SERVPRO. Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, we pride ourselves on our response time to calls. As soon as we get your call the team is on the way to your home. Upon arrival, we scope the damage, explain to you what the plan of action is, and get to work. The water mitigation took roughly a day or two and drying took 3 days. during mitigation, the technicians had to tear out some drywall in order to dry the structure properly. The technicians also had to demo the whole bathroom due to the being unsalvageable. After mitigation, the office made sure to send all paperwork to insurance in a timely manner so this homeowner could get their home back up and running. 

Water damage got you down?

Call us today!

(636)-856-9700

Trained and Certified

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

View of the logo that is presented on the IICRC certification.

Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, our employees go through a series of training in order to be considered certified. The two types of training are as follows:

• Employee Certification Training: this is a voluntary but recommenced self-paced program. Certification is awarded after the successful completion of course materials and an examination. The program includes training on Fire restoration, water restoration, and carpet and upholstery cleaning.
• IICRC Training and Certification: IICRC stands for The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification. This institute offers in-person or virtual classes with an instructor. In order to become IICRC certified our technicians attend one of these seminars and pass a test. Our professionals study IICRC standards and best practices in water restoration, fire restoration, mold remediation, carpet and upholstery cleaning, and other cleaning and restoration courses. 

Our Franchise owners, Greg and Joanne Young attended a 15-day hands-on course at the SERVPRO Corporate facility. The course covered many restoration topics such as fire restoration, water restoration, carpet and upholstery cleaning, and mold mitigation. Greg, Joanne, and the rest of the franchise's employees continue to further their knowledge by taking the e-learning, web-based training provided by SERVPRO. 

Down Town Water Damage

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO air mover placed in the appropriate zone.

On a normal maintenance check of a commercial AT&T building downtown. The maintenance man walked into find multiple floors had been flooded due to a leaking water fountain. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was called in to help. The call came in at about 4:15 pm, just as our crew was heading out the door to go home. Knowing that someone needed our professional help they hopped right into the truck and headed an hour away to mitigate the situation right away. 

Upon arrival, they were greeted by the maintenance man onsite and explained to him what the course of action would be. Our crew began to extract water from rooms that had water present. While another crew member began entering data into drybook. They set up the appropriate equipment and performed demo where it was needed. It took 2.71 days for the building to read dry on the moisture meter. The maintenance man was very happy and thankful for SERVPRO's professionalism and response time.

Fire Safety Preparedness

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

This photo gives visual examples and ideas of some essentials that should be in your emergency kit.

As you all when a fire happens it's unexpected. You should always have a plan in place and a fire safety kit

Here are some essentials you should consider including in your kit:

• Water, we recommend one gallon per day for several days. For drinking and sanitation.
• Battery-powered or hand-cranked radio and flashlight.
• A first aid kit with bandaids in several sizes, gauze dressings, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, and a blanket, etc.
• Non-perishable foods.
• Local maps
• Complete change of clothes appropriate for the climate
• Books, games, puzzles, and other activities for young children.

There are some good kits at your local stores that have most of these included but you can always add extra to be fully prepared. In the event of a disaster make sure your family has a plan and review this plan every month as things can change. 

The Right Equipment

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

These air movers are placed in a spot where moisture was detected.

You may be wondering how our equipment does its job during the mitigation process. So let me explain, at the initial inspection we will use detection equipment such as moisture sensors, moisture meters, or thermohygrometers. These all do different things depending on what and where we are detecting moisture. Once we determine where and how wet the structure is we can figure out how many air movers and possibly dehumidifiers are needed. The purpose of an air mover is to enhance evaporation at the surface level which reduces the drying time. In a water-damaged home, dehumidifiers pull in the humid air and then discharge dry warm air. The dry air acts like a sponge absorbing moisture from wet materials. The equipment will stay in the appropriate locations of the home until the structure reads dry on a moisture meter. Once it is all dried up a crew chief or technician will have a final walk-through to ensure that you are happy with the work that SERVPRO has provided.

Want to know more about our process? 

We are happy to answer any and all questions you may have. Give SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville a call at (636)-856-4176 

Heavy rains and wind has homeowner calling for our help!

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

A stormy night caused damage to this homeowner's roof and water damage to some rooms in her home. Our team worked diligently to help the customer out in her time of emergency and to prevent any further damage from happening. 

The technicians quickly jumped into action and began with cleaning and discarding any debris the storm had caused in the home and placed the appropriate equipment where it needed to be in order to dry the structure properly and avoid mold growth. All while making sure the homeowner understood every part of the process. 

This picture shows the debris left by the storm before the roof was tarped. The technicians made sure to cover any contents in the room before performing the demo needed. The roof was torn out and a reconstruction company was recommended to help replace the damage. 

Do you need help with storm damage? Call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville today! (636)-856-9700

Sump Pump Failure

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

This picture shows standing water in the family room due to a sump pump failure.

This customer's sump pump failed in a time of need. Not uncommon during heavy rain but definitely an inconvenience, but this homeowner knew who to call. 

Upon arrival, our production team got to work performing demolition, such as detaching baseboards in order to dry the structure properly and to further prevent mold growth down the road. The team used proper personal protective equipment and properly disposed of all affected materials. They then cleaned the floor post demo and treated it with anti-microbial. The crew placed appropriate equipment to get the structure dried completely. The office manager helped the homeowner out with their insurance claim and made sure that they were fully covered by insurance before our team started work. 

The homeowner was impressed by the work SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville performed that they left us this kind of review:

SERVPRO, Greg, and his staff were amazing. I called at 1130 on a Friday night and they were out within 12 hours. They did a great job on the water clean-up and ensuring my basement was dry and cleaned up. They followed up every day and were consistently in contact. They worked seamlessly with my insurance carrier and I had no worries. I was truly impressed with their professionalism and concern about restoring my flooded basement. I would recommend them and will use them again if my sump pump goes out.

Give us a call and let us make it "Like it never even happened." (636)-856-9700

When Water Damage Isn't Responded to Properly, It Can Cause You Plenty of Frustration

4/28/2021 (Permalink)

When water damages occur in your home or workplace, avoid the frustration and potential risk of handling the cleanup yourself. A professional from SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville will respond quickly, with the right equipment to dry and help protect your property. I come before you all today to provide tips and tricks regarding your response to water damage. Quick disclaimer, these tips and tricks are for clean water only.

• Shut off the water source if possible, and if it can be done safely.

• Remove excess water by mopping and blotting.

• Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying. Do not put cushion covers in washing machine.

• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks under furniture legs.

• Hang furs and leather goods separately at room temperature.

• Remove Oriental or other colored rugs from wet carpeting.

• Do not use a regular vacuum to remove water.

• Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet, and keep out of areas where ceilings are sagging from retained water.

• Do not leave books, magazines or other colored items on wet carpeting. 

Even small water damages have the potential to cause serious structural and indoor air quality issues over time. The key to avoiding costly future restoration is to handle every water problem as a real threat to your property. If you have any questions or need help to ensure your property is drying properly, contact SERVPRO Of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville and we will come out and make certain that your property is on it's way back to it's pre-damage form. 

The Dangers of Storms

4/28/2021 (Permalink)

Storms can be extremely dangerous and frightening. You and either your family, friend, or coworkers safety should be priority number one. Be on the lookout for major problems in your area. If you think your home has been structurally damaged due to a storm, consider getting a hotel room or staying at a family or friend's house for a few nights up until a professional says it is safe to return. As you probably know, there are several types of storms. Flooding causes a lot of risks to your home and safety. According to the NSSL, flooding causes more deaths than lightning, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. They can lead to serious damage to drywall, support beams, and foundations. Mold can begin to grow within 24 hours after a flooding occurs so, getting a SERVPRO professional out to your location as quickly as possible is crucial.  

SERVPRO, a Better Restoration System

4/14/2021 (Permalink)

Neon 24/7 sign

SERVPRO understands your responsibility to provide results to your shareholders, managers, clients, or whatever it may be, given your profession. SERVPRO professionals are uniquely qualified to help. You receive improved results you can measure, while your customers view you as a "hero" in their time of need. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville operates at the intersection of customer service and accountability with proven methods of mitigating damage after water and fire losses. The result? 24-hour mitigation, restoration, and a quality job file. It is our absolute top priority to perform quality work in a timely manner to stand out from our competition and most importantly, satisfy our customers. We understand that in our line of work, there is no margin for cutting corners or error. We're perfectionists. Whatever it takes, we will take of your needs and make them "Like it never even happened."  

Commercial Post Construction

4/13/2021 (Permalink)

Construction can leave behind some things that you might not think about. Once the floors are down and the drywall is up, there is dirt and debris that needs to be removed before laying carpet, painting, and decorating. During the construction phase, a building can trap moisture and as you probably know already, excessive moisture can lead to mold growth. Before you open and or reopen your doors to the public, you'll want the facility to look its best. SERVPRO offers services such as carpet, resilient and non-resilient floor prep and finish, ceiling, walls and fixture cleaning, deodorization, air duct cleaning, and window cleaning that will help give the building that extra shine. The last thing anyone wants is fire damage, water intrusion, or mold growth slowing down or stopping one of your projects. SERVPRO helps ensure your finished projects always look their best!

What You Can Do Until Help Arrives

4/13/2021 (Permalink)

Homeowners putting out a fire can be worse than the fire itself. The first 48 hours after a fire damage can be the difference between restoring and replacing your property and personal belongings. SERVPRO can provide a timely response with mitigation services ranging from fire, smoke, and soot removal to contents claims inventory and document restoration. These services help ensure your property, belongings and memories are restored to preloss condition when possible. What can you do until help arrives you ask? Well, you can limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from spreading and additional damage from occurring, place clean towels or old linens on rugs and high traffic areas and upholstery, coat chrome faucets, trim and appliances with petroleum jelly or oil, place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpet, do not wash any walls or painted surfaces, do not shampoo carpet or upholstery, do not clean any electrical equipment, and DO NOT send clothing to a dry cleaner since improper cleaning may set the smoke odor. Emotions often sweeps over the homeowner after fire ravages a home. Fear, uncertainty, stress, and doubt about the future can overwhelm a property owner long after the flames are extinguished. So, after the first responders rescue the property, let your local SERVPRO help you restore it. With our industry approved training to employ rapid response, the utmost professionalism, cutting-edge technology and open communication, we strive to restore not only the home, but the customer's peace of mind, as well. So, before risking further damage by attempting to clean up the damage yourself, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville to make it "Like it never even happened."

The Mission

3/24/2021 (Permalink)

Why SERVPRO you ask? Well, here at SERVPRO, we have an entire team of highly trained and certified professionals always ready to spring into action and help our customers who are in need of our services. Whether it be a fire, water, or mold situation. Maybe you need your air ducts cleaned, your carpets cleaned, or your furniture cleaned. SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville is here for YOU! You can call us at any moment of the day and we will immediately dispatch our technicians to come and get to work on your needs. Whatever they may be, no job is too big or too small for us. Our top priority is the satisfaction of our customers and we will do what ever it takes to achieve that. 

Duty Calls

3/18/2021 (Permalink)

Extracting water at The Hitting Zone in O’Fallon

Our guys got called into action late on Tuesday night and were out past midnight after a local baseball/softball training facility had a sprinkler head malfunction. This is fairly common in commercial buildings such as this one but can be very detrimental to the business. Luckily, they have a 24/7 restoration company nearby that was able to be on site within minutes to start alleviating the issue. Our speedy response time and willingness to work around the clock is what sets us apart from our competition. When we are called into action, we don’t take shortcuts. We go into jobs and, depending on the job, stay until we’ve either reached an appropriate stopping point for that day or completed entirely. Our customers are top priority at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville and it is our duty to make them happy and their problems "Like it never even happened."

A Clean Home Sells Faster

2/19/2021 (Permalink)

Home for sale sign

You know how when you are selling a car, you’re supposed to get it detailed and washed before hand to make it more valuable? Well the same goes for a house. Going the extra mile and ensuring your home is spotless inside and out is very beneficial. Increased market value, reduced list to sale conversion times, and enhanced reputation for quality listings and quick sales in the future just to name a couple. SERVPRO doesn’t only clean up after major fires and floods. We offer a variety of services to help revive your home and get it into top show condition. These services include:

• carpet, upholstery, drapery and blind cleaning.
• ceiling, wall, and hardwood floor cleaning.
• deodorization
• duct & HVAC cleaning
• mold mitigation and remediation 

So whether you are trying to get your home into top showing condition, or just trying to live in a cleaner environment. SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville has you covered!

From Carpets to Catastrophes...

2/11/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO “here to help” graphic

When you need it done right and need it done fast, call SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville. When you can’t figure out how to get the job done, call SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville. Did you know that when you hire SERVPRO for maintenance cleaning, you’re getting 24/7 restoration services built with you in mind? When you experience fire, water, or mold damages in your facility, you need a fast response and expertise to ensure the job is done right and to ensure your business will be up in running again as quickly as possible. We are committed to providing our customers with the most reliable information at the fairest price. From carpets to catastrophes, call SERVPRO. We’ll make it "Like it never even happened."

Commercial Building Disasters

2/2/2021 (Permalink)

Top level fire in commercial building

Having a disaster in your commercial building can cause more problems than you might initially think. For instance, say you have a fire on the top floor of your multi story commercial building. If you are able to contain said fire to that one level, that doesn't necessarily mean just that one floor was affected. The water used to extinguish the fire will inevitably make it’s way down to the levels below causing flooding, which will eventually cause mold. This is why it’s very important to have a trustworthy restoration service that prioritizes response time in your back pocket. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville prides itself on it’s rapid 24/7 response time. Ensuring that your issues will be "Like it never even happened."

Boss Appreciation

12/23/2020 (Permalink)

Greg & Joanne giving us a presentation at the company Christmas party 2020

I would like to use this blog to give a special thank you to our amazing owners, Greg and Joanne Young. When Greg and Joanne purchased SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville back in 2017 they had two things in mind. Providing top-tier customer service for their customers and a good friendly work environment for their employees. They understand that the work we do isn't exactly the most enjoyable, so they make a point of making their crew members feel appreciated for all of their hard work. One of the many ways they do this is by throwing an annual Christmas party. Everyone here looks so forward to this Christmas party every year. It's always fun when we can all get together, outside of our shop walls, and really cut loose and have some fun together. This year, Greg and Joanne put together a very thoughtful power point presentation that highlighted some memorable moments this franchise has endured since it's conception back in 2017. They also made up some fun "awards" for all of us. Would feel guilty if I didn't mention how they hooked us all up with some pretty sweet presents as well. So thank you, Greg and Joanne for all you do for us and thank you for making SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville such an enjoyable place to work!   

THANK YOU COI’S!

12/17/2020 (Permalink)

A little token of gratitude for our COIs

It’s hard to put in to words just how much we appreciate our COIs. Without you guys, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to get up everyday and do what we love, which is helping people in need and giving back to our amazing community. Knowing you guys think of us and trust us when a client, friend, or family member is in need of our services truly means the world to us. So, thank you from all of us at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville for another amazing year of business, putting smiles on faces, and making disasters “Like it never even happened.” Happy holidays everyone!

Winter is Coming

12/1/2020 (Permalink)

Winter has arrived and so has the crazy Missouri weather. A lot of snow and storms in our very near future. As I'm sure most of you probably know, heavy rain, hail, and snow can be very harsh on buildings. It will loosen the shingles on roofs, cause moisture that will get through the protective layer of roofs causing moldy, saggy roofs and leakage leading to even more mold around the inside of the building. If you experience this, it's very important to have a trustworthy, reliable, fast operating restoration company come out to your location as soon as possible to assess and combat the problem. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville can be that company for you. Our rapid response time, hardworking crew, and customer service over all mentality is exactly what you need to get your building back "Like it never even happened."

Be Safe This Thanksgiving

11/24/2020 (Permalink)

Turkey getting put into oven

We've finally reached the holidays. Thanksgiving is Thursday and though this years Thanksgiving will look different for most, there will still be people in the kitchen preparing delicious Thanksgiving meals. More than three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving day as opposed to any typical day of the year. In 2018, fire departments throughout the U.S. responded to an estimated 1,630 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving day. Here are some ways that you can reduce your chances of becoming part of the statistic this year.

• Remain in the kitchen while your food cooks. Unattended kitchen is by far the leading cause of kitchen fires.
• Keep kids away from the stove.
• Make sure there are no cords for electric appliances that are dangling off the table or counter
• Keep matches/lighters away from children
• Keep floor clean so you don't trip while carrying hot food.
• Test your smoke alarms prior to cooking to make sure they work.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon is a 24/7 emergency restoration service so if something goes wrong while you are preparing your meal, don't worry, we'll still be just a phone call away.

The Dangers of Water

11/18/2020 (Permalink)

flooded living room

We've been getting a lot of rainfall lately and there is more to come. You know what that means. Floods! Floods can damage your home in multiple different ways. It can saturate everything in your home like drywall, flooring, and contents. Possibly the most dangerous result of flooding is the mold that will most likely begin growing in less than 48 hours. This is why dealing with water damage immediately is so important. My DIYers out there will probably reach for their mops and box fans once a flooding occurs. Given how little of an amount of water that it takes for mold to occur an how quickly it spreads, I highly recommend getting some professional eyeballs on the situation. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville can be out to your location in no time to begin the mitigation process in which we will properly, thoroughly, and efficiently clean all building materials to minimize the amount of contents/material that needs to be disposed of or replaced. 

Coronavirus Disinfecting

11/11/2020 (Permalink)

electrostatic sprayer visual.

We've nearly been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year at this point. Hopefully all you business owners out there have been exercising your CDC protocols in your work area to ensure a clean and safe work environment for you and your employees. We understand how time consuming exercising these protocols can be. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville offers a highly effective Coronavirus disinfecting service. We use an electrostatic sprayer. An electrostatic sprayer will positively charge the particles within it so when sprayed, they will stick to negatively charged surfaces such as tables, chairs, counters, keyboards, etc. Compared to a standard disinfectant spray, in which the particles will just fall straight down, the electrostatic sprayer will give you more coverage in less time.   

Causes of House Fires

11/5/2020 (Permalink)

burning down home

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are more than 350,000 house fires every year here in the United States, resulting in around 2,000 deaths. It's impossible to know when a fire will start in your home, but here are a few of the most common causes of home fires that you could keep an eye on.

• Electrical. Whether it be short circuits sparking up and igniting nearby building materials or circuits overheating from being overloaded with current. Electrical fires are certainly one of the most common causes of home fires. If you're moving into a new place, we recommend having an electrician check out your wiring to make sure everything in in order and safe.
• Home Cooking. Probably hands down the most common cause of house fires. Typically caused by overheated grease or accidentally leaving the stove or oven on. If grease gets hot enough, it can actually ignite itself. Also, when you use portable appliances like toasters or griddles, be sure to thoroughly clean and let cool down completely before storing it.
• Heating. We're currently transitioning into the cold months. As everyone gets ready to turn the heat up and break out the space heaters, it's very important to be cautious. You'll be fine as long as you don't leave/fall asleep with your space heater running, don't leave anything flammable near it, and don't put it near fabrics like sheets or curtains that could catch flame.
• Christmas Decorations. Christmas is next month. Bring on the Christmas lights! Be sure to be cautious though. Christmas trees, though they're great to look at, can be very hazardous. Make sure all of your decoration lights are off before leaving your home or going to bed.
• Candles. An obvious one considering that there is a literal flame involved. Never keep anything flammable nearby, keep out of reach from pets or children, and absolutely DO NOT forget to blow them out.

I know it's not the easiest thing in the world to be mindful of these things, but the more midful you are, the better off you will be. If disaster ever strikes your home, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville!    

Storm Season Preparation

10/9/2020 (Permalink)

are you ready?

As we inch closer and closer to the long awaited conclusion of 2020, it's time to start thinking and preparing for that second wave of storms we here in Missouri expect towards the end of each year. Here is how SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville recommends you prepare your home for storm season.

• Trim the trees in your yard.
• Clean your gutters and waterproof your home
• Get a back up sump pump
• Secure things such as patio furniture
• Install storm shutters
• Put together an emergency kit that will help in case of power outage
• Put together a "to-go" emergency kits filled with contacts or items you might need if you are out of your home
• Compose an inventory sheet for things around the house
• Consider getting a generator

Do these things and enjoy the peace of mind that comes along with it.

Preparing Your Business for Disaster

10/7/2020 (Permalink)

disaster recovery start/stop

This one is for all my business owners out there. I know owning a business can be very stressful and can feel like the workload is never ending. Proactiveness towards potential disaster probably isn't too high on your list of priorities. But, if you execute these 10 steps, you can rest a little easier knowing that you'll be ahead of the curve if something disastrous were to happen to your place of business.

1. Assess your risk from both the inside and outside.
2. Assess your critical business functions.
3. Prepare your supply chain.
4. Back-up your data.
5. Create an emergency management plan.
6. Create a crisis communications plan.
7. Assemble emergency supplies.
8. Plan for an alternate location.
9. Review your insurance coverage.
10. Test your plan.

Doing these steps will grant you peace of mind knowing that when disaster strikes, your business will be that much closer to recovering from it.

Importance of Commercial Air Duct Cleaning

10/7/2020 (Permalink)

before/after air duct unit cleaning

As important as it is to routinely clean your air ducts at your home, it's just as important to routinely clean them in your office building. 3-5 years is the recommended interval between cleanings. Here is why this service might be more important than you think.

1. Improved air quality for staff/customers
2. Properly controlled temperature
3. Decrease mold growth
4. Decrease in musty odors
5. Decrease in allergy symptoms
6. Improved cleanliness of the office in general
7. Improved air-condition efficiency by extending it's lifespan and reducing running costs
8. Able to identify possible problems and being able to fix them before it's too late such as sagging vents, loose connections, or cracks.

These are the reasons why we recommend getting your office's air ducts cleaned every 3-5 years. Call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville to schedule this service today!  

Fire Safety

10/5/2020 (Permalink)

Home with heavy fire damage

It's been awhile since we've posted about the importance of having a safe plan in case of a fire in your home. This little plan, which you hopefully never end up needing, can be what ends up saving you and your loved one's lives. That being said, I can not stress the importance of taking the time to sit down and come up with such a plan. Now that you have your escape plan sorted out, here is what you do as soon as the fire starts.

• Remain calm
• Tell everyone in the house
• Execute your escape plan to get everyone out.
• Since smoke rises, stay as low to the ground as possible as you move through the burning house. Crawl if you need to.
• Don't try and stop for any possessions/valuables.
• Don't stop for pets
• If possible, close the door to the room where the fire is located and close all doors behind you as you leave 
• Test the temperature of the knobs of closed doors with the back of your hand before opening them. If the knob is hot, do not open it. The fire is on the other side.
• Wait for the fire department to come extinguish the house.

Do these things and you and your loved ones will be safe. After that is all said and done, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville and we and our partner Midas Hospitality will provide you with a free room at one of their amazing hotels and a care package of essentials all while our team is at your house making that fire "Like it never even happened."

Faulty Sump Pump

9/21/2020 (Permalink)

parts of sump pump

Summer 2020 is nearing its conclusion. In comes that unpredictable Missouri weather. Sump pump failure is what SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville gets called to take care of the most. We highly recommend that you check on your sump pump at least once a year. Just make sure there is no mud or anything that could impede water flow. I personally have had to deal with a sump pump failure caused by a couple of ping pong balls that rolled in. Not fun. Also, make sure that your sump pump is less than 10 years old. This is the typical life expectancy for these devices. Unfortunately, nobody is 100% safe from a sump pump malfunction which is why we are here. If you find yourself in a situation where your sump pump is spitting water all over your basement, SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is just one call away from making it "Like it never even happened."  

Bring On The Storms!

9/21/2020 (Permalink)

heavy storms

There are a lot of ways storm water can make its way into your home. High winds and harsh rains can ruin your roof, your pipes could burst, your sewer could overflow, your sump pump could malfunction, water could create cracks in your foundation, and more. None of these are fun to deal with so the best thing you can do is have a reliable company that can tackle these issues at the ready. That's where SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville comes into play. We are a local restoration company that specializes in remediating storm damage. If you have any unwanted water in your home, no matter how it got there, and no matter how much, you can count on SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville to come in and make it "Like it never even happened."

Why Us?

9/14/2020 (Permalink)

"faster to any disaster"

Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville we pride ourselves on our lightning fast response time as well as our impeccable customer service. We understand that one of these cannot be sacrificed for the other so we've perfected a happy medium between the two. It is our duty to ensure every customer we deal with is handled with the utmost respect, meaning, no shortcuts as well as not doing more than needs to be done. We totally get that if you are in need of our services then you probably aren't having the best day. Our goal and promise we make to you is to relieve you of as much stress as possible all while making your situation "Like it never even happened."

My Toilet is Overflowing! What do I Do??

9/11/2020 (Permalink)

overflowing toilet

One of the most common types of water damage jobs we at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville tend to is, toilet related issues such as the supply line or an overflowing toilet. Toilet issues can be caused by a few different things. Your drain could be blocked or clogged, your vent pipe could be blocked, your filler float could be set too high, or it could even be as simple as your supply line breaking. These things can happen to anyone. If you find yourself in a situation like this, remember these tips and exercise them immediately while you wait for help to arrive.

• Remove your toilet tank lid, grab the fill valve, and rig it up so it doesn't refill the tank with anymore water.
• Turn off the water supply near the toilet. Usually there is a valve near the base of the toilet that you can do this with.
• If you aren't able to complete that last step, resort to turning off the water supply for the whole house and or office.
• Mop up the water on the ground, to prevent the water from spreading farther into the home causing more damage.
• Absolutely DO NOT try and flush your toilet while it is overflowing. This will just produce more water which is the opposite of what you want in this situation.

After you have followed the above bullet points call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville immediately to help you get the damage dried quickly to prevent further damage such as mold.

Accidents Happen

9/11/2020 (Permalink)

Brand new home’s basement underwater

So, you’re building a brand new house for you and your family. You might not think that there is much that could go wrong during the building process of your new home. Well, accidents happen. This home pictured here was nearing the end of the building process when a pipe was struck on the top level sending water spilling all throughout the entire home. It was a pretty big mess, but nothing SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville hasn’t handled before. Our team was able to get in, extract all of the water, begin the drying process, and get out so construction on the home could resume. I bet those home builders were happy to have a SERVPRO nearby and come make it “Like it never even happened.” 

The RIGHT Way to Dispose of Your Fireplace’s Ashes

9/11/2020 (Permalink)

A garage that had caught fire due to fireplace debris in trash can

Do you have a wood burning fireplace in your home? How do you dispose of the ashes and burnt firewood left behind? Do you take the necessary precautions to ensure all of the ashes and firewood are extinguished? Or, do you just toss them in your garage trash can and forget about it? Well, this photo you see here is someone’s garage that did not take the necessary precautions to ensure the ashes and firewood were extinguished. The ashes were dumped in the garage trash can and as a result, the whole garage went up in flames. Luckily, nobody was injured and the fire was put out before the entire house was affected. SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville was able to quickly arrive to the scene and help salvage as much of the garage’s contents as possible before it was too late. This situation could have been avoided by properly disposing of the fireplace’s charred remains. Those who are now wondering what the right way to dispose of your ashes is, this is for you. What I have listed below are the necessary steps to ensure the fireplace’s remains will not catch anything around it on fire.

1. Allow the ashes and wood to cool down before removing them from your fireplace.
2. Take a metal bucket and shovel and begin scooping the debris from the fireplace to the bucket.
3. Pour water into the bucket of debris.
4. Keep the bucket of debris outside at a safe distance from your home until garbage day.
5. On garbage day, pour the water out of the bucket and then pour the extinguished debris into your trash can.

If you follow these steps, you and your family can rest assured that the ashes from that fire you just had are going to remain extinguished and that you remain safe.

Stinky Situation

9/9/2020 (Permalink)

Area heavily affected by sewage leak

Imagine being a business owner and having to leave your store unattended for a few days due to these uncertain times. Now imagine returning to your store just to find the inside replete with raw sewage. Terrible, right? Well, this is exactly what happened to a business within the West County Mall. Luckily, SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville was just a phone call away. We were able to get our team out in a very timely manner to take on the messy job. As you probably could imagine, sewage is a substance that should be approached with immense caution due to possessing heavy amounts of harmful bacteria. This is why I cannot recommend handing clean up duty over to the pros enough. Our team at SERVPRO have trained tirelessly to ensure that they are capable of taking care of the problem both efficiently and safely.    

Melted Microwaves!

9/9/2020 (Permalink)

Microwave after scented candle mishap occurred right underneath of it.

Scented candles. A staple in every home. Especially in these upcoming fall months. While they fill your home with lovely scents, it can be pretty easy to leave them unattended. Leaving a candle unattended is more dangerous than you may think. Just ask the owner of this microwave. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville took care of this family's candle malfunction and made it "Like it never even happened." They say you should only let candles burn for about 20-30 minutes before blowing them out. Not many people actually abide by this little rule, but more should. You're getting the full effect of the candle while also substantially decreasing the risk of that candle burning your house down.  So, next time you spark up that sweet cinnamon pumpkin candle of yours, don't leave it unattended or you could have an unexpected accident in your home. 

Assistance Needed in KC

9/8/2020 (Permalink)

This area of the home was heavily affected by a recent storm in the KC area.

Kansas City was recently hit hard with some pretty severe storms. About 8 inches of rain were accumulated in just a mere 24 hour period. You may be thinking to yourself, "That's quite a bit of rain, surely multiple structures were damaged and surely reinforcements were needed". This was exactly the case and is where SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville came into play. Just because we mainly operate in the Western O'Fallon/Wentzville area does not mean that we are not willing to branch out and assist our neighboring territories if need be. What are neighbors for, right? This photo is just one of the homes that we came out and provided with our services. As you can see, the storm did a pretty harsh number on this one. We were more than happy to come in and make it "Like it never even happened." SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is always here to help no matter where the help is needed, no disaster is too small or too big for us to help the home owner or business.

Draining Systems

9/8/2020 (Permalink)

The draining system in this person's home had backed up.

The draining system is a silent workhorse located in every home or business. When it is working correctly, you probably don't think much of it. But, like most things in this world, draining systems can malfunction. If your draining system malfunctions, then you unfortunately have an issue on your hands. Fear not though. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville has your back! We see this kind of stuff on a daily basis and know first hand that water damage is nothing to mess around with. Our crew has been thoroughly trained on how to remediate this kind of damage both quickly and effectively. If you have a problem like this, please do not hesitate to give SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville a call!    

Repeat customer

7/13/2020 (Permalink)

A Drain back up after large amounts of rain fall caused this sewage back up in the basement of one of our repeat customers home. Sewage back ups along with many other property damage situations can be very stressful and emotionally straining on a homeowner that has worked hard for their property and personal contents. So why do our customers choose our SERVPRO Team to come into their homes? Simply because SERVPRO is equipped with certified technicians that know exactly how to handle your losses and whose main goal at every job site is to ensure that your home and your life style is properly put back to normal. Our SERVPRO team strives to please every customer with a positive, professional, can-do attitude because we know that times like these are stressful and we only want to help with the utmost respect for you, your family and your home.

Water Damage via Sump Pump Failure.

7/13/2020 (Permalink)

Property damage caused by a water loss can happen in many different ways. In this specific case these homeowners had a sump pump failure after large amounts of rain fall. When water floods a home the homeowner wants to make sure it is properly cleaned up and dried out to prevent further damage. Water damage can lead to things including high humidity levels, collapsing ceilings, crumbling drywall, warped flooring, and even mold damage. Customers always want to, when in doubt, call the professionals. Even a call for a quick moisture check can save you hundreds and save your homes structural integrity. The SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon and Wentzville location is always available, 24/7 to assess most of your property damage needs whether it be residential or commercial.

Raw Sewage Nightmare

4/21/2020 (Permalink)

This photo shows what our crews walked into.

Our amazing crew at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is still working to help our community during this difficult time. Recently we received a call from a local resident who is taking care of her mother who is disabled. Her daughter had stopped by and went to retrieve something from the basement which nobody had gone down to for some time. She found 3 inches of standing sewage water and mold all over the walls and contents. When the drain was cleared our heroes didn't hesitate to help cleanup the basement to make it safe for this local resident to stay at home. This was a very laborious job as we had to demo and dispose of all contents in the entire basement. But our fantastic crew considers it a labor of love as they take great pride in helping out in our community.

Cleaning Content

4/16/2020 (Permalink)

Cleaning With A Q-Tip

We are very particular here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon /Wentzville when there is fire damage to the contents of a house.  Our crew is very careful about packing it up and bringing it back to the shop.  The crew that is in charge of cleaning the content 1st wipes it repeatably with what is called a dry sponge and then they will also use a q-tip to get into all of the little nooks and crannies.  They take great pride in the work they do.  And we also know that it is way cheaper and easier in the long run to be able to clean and put things back "Like it never even happened."  If you are looking for a team of professionals that are going to treat your belongings with as much care as you yourself would than you do not need to look any further.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville is here for you.

When Storm Water Is Too Much For The Sump Pump

4/11/2020 (Permalink)

Failed Sump Pump

In Missouri we definitely have our share of rain in the spring.  When the spring storms come rolling in you want to be sure to keep an eye on your sump pump.  The extra water is going to make it work overtime.  By checking on it you could save yourself a lot of money and heart ache.  When a sump pump stop doing its job it will fill up with water and quit pumping the water out of the house.  When that happens you end up with a basement full of water.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville can be there to help you get it cleaned up but what we would really love is for you to check on your sump pump and keep the water outside where it belongs.  The last thing anyone wants is a basement full of water.

When Water Runs For 4 Days

4/3/2020 (Permalink)

Stripped down and drying equipment is on.

We were called by a man who returned to his home after 4 days only to see that his upstairs toilet ran the whole time.  We had to demo the whole whole house out and then start the drying process.  We were able to get in and get rid of anything that was damaged beyond repair and bring things that were able to be cleaned and put back to pre-flood state back to the office for our crew here at the office to get to work on it.  Before long this beautiful house in Insbrook will be "Like it never even happened."

What is making you feel sick?

4/3/2020 (Permalink)

Mold behind the floorboard

To the naked eye, there didn't appear to be anything wrong going on behind this floorboard.  The homeowner was feeling sick whenever in this room but could not figure out why.  There was a mold smell but no mold in sight. It was not until our guys came in with their equipment and were able to detect mold. When they pulled the floorboards back, this is what they found.  This is a very simple fix. Mold can pretty much be invisible, but it's effect on your health is anything but invisible. So, do not live with mold in your home. We can help you. We can make it "Like it never even happened."  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon /Wentzville has our customers' best interest in mind at all times. 

An ERP can save you thousands

4/3/2020 (Permalink)

A Good Reason To Have An ERP Done

As a business owner or a property owner you never really realize how much money being proactive can save you until you are not.  In this picture you are seeing our crew chief cleaning up after the sprinkler head was hit  by a night stock man at a local business.  This particular business had not taken the time to get an ERP and no one seemed to know where the water shut off was.  The water ran way longer than it should have causing thousands more in damage.  

An ERP is short for Emergency Response Program.  We here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville are more than happy to set up a time to come out to your business and put this together for you.  What we do is compile all important information into one spot.  This will be delivered to you in both hard copy and in an app.  This app is something you will be able to share with all of your managers and anyone who would need it.  It will show things like who to call, where your water, electric, alarms etc... shut offs are.  By having this information available it could save so much money and cost you nothing to have.  Call Jamie at 314-608-8119 to get your ERP started today.

We are Cleaning Experts

3/23/2020 (Permalink)

CDC Certified Preventative disinfecting

SERVPRO is Here to Help during this time of need

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

Specialized Training

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform on a daily basis.

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:

• Kitchen/Food Areas
• Bathrooms
• Schools/Classrooms
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Water Fountains
• Shelving/Racks
• Sales Counters
• Carpets and Rugs
• Stair Handrails
• Elevator Cars
• Playground Equipment
• Fitness Equipment

Specialized Products

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.

Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning

If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts today – SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville 636-856-9700

CDC Protocol for Coronavirus clean up and disinfecting

3/16/2020 (Permalink)

We are here to help

SERVPRO® professionals are trained in adhering to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar type organisms to COVID-19. SERVPROXIDE™, SERVPRO’s proprietary disinfectant, is a hospital-grade disinfectant that has demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 on hard, non-porous surfaces. In addition, SERVPROXIDE™ currently has dozens of EPA-approved claims including Feline coronavirus, Canine coronavirus, Staphylococcus (MRSA), E. coli, Salmonella, Rotavirus, Swine flu (H1N1) and more.

Porous surfaces that are not water-sensitive, such as carpet and other fabric material, cannot be disinfected but can be sanitized using SERVPROXIDE™.

There is no doubt that this is affecting us all.  Let us help you have this outbreak effect you and your home or business a little less.

The Follow Up Is Worth It

2/13/2020 (Permalink)

Do the Networking and ALWAYS do the follow up.

Have you ever seen a quote and think how true it is? I was at the gym the other day. Yes you heard me right I was indeed at the gym. Anyway They have quotes that run across the TVs there. I love them and the nerdy networking geek in me totally always relates everything back to networking. Ok so I love networking and I do not look at it as work but I do know a lot of people who have to do it look at it as work. This particular quote said “The Work Is Worth It” So true at the gym. Also so true in networking. If you want the results, the customers, the new clients in my case the COIs Centers Of Influence, you have to not only go to the events, the lunches, happy hours, coffees you have to work the room, talk to the other net-workers and follow up. You have to do the work. You have to do all of the work. How many times a day do you tell your kiddos “Don't do things 1/2 way”? If your house is like mine you say it a lot. Well practice what you preach. Go to the morning coffee. Listen to what the other net-workers are saying that they need. Tell them what you need. I mean really tell them. Don't go there and say I work at a restoration company I need anyone who has had a fire, any water issues or even mold problems. I need to go there and say “ I work for SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville. Yes we will put your property back "Like it never even happened," and I promise you if you send us a friend who has any issues with Fire, Water, Mold, Air Duct Cleaning, or even bio hazard clean up they will thank you and tell you what a great experience it was working with us. But hopefully you or your friends will not need us. What I need from you however is to let all your insurance friends know about us. We hold Continuing education classes for agents as a way for them to get their needed credits. Also as a way for us to help them become an expert for their clients. So I would love an introduction to Insurance agents”. Make sure you get everyone's card from the event. Or at least as many as you can. Make notes as to what people need and somehow mark the cards so you know where they came from.  Now carry on and go to the lunch, do that 1 to 1, hit the happy hour. Now at the end of the day you get back to your office or you go into the office the next morning do your follow up. Sit down at your computer and send out those emails. Everyone has their own ways of doing this. I will tell you how I go about doing this. How you do it is not as important as doing it. You do it your way. You have to make sure you do it. I type up a basic email. Something like this-It was great seeing you today. I wanted to take a minute to recap some of the things I went over. I talked about Continuing Education classes that we do for our Insurance agents. I would also love a warm introduction to property managers.  If you are renting your home or business space I would love for you to send an email introduction to your property manager.  Something like this.-Hello ______- I want to introduce you to Jamie Gittemeier.  I do some networking with her and she works for SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville.  They can take care of any water fire or mold clean up that you may ever need.  I copied her in on this email in order to introduce the two of you.  after I have the basic email typed up I will continue to copy and past that part of it but then based on who I am sending it to I will start off with what it is that they need.Like- Hey Emily it was so great getting to know you better. I belong to a group called Little Black Book. This morning you mentioned that you really need to get out there and meet as many people as possible that you were just getting out there and would love to be introduced to groups that could help you network and educate you. This group would be an amazing fit for you. Check them out at www.womenoflbb.com.The 1st part of my email would be me helping them out in some way. Maybe I don't have anyone to introduce them to at the time. In that case I would just let them know that I heard them. Hey Emily it was great getting to know you better. I know you said you need to meet someone in the hotel industry. I don't really have anyone that I can introduce you to at this moment but I will for sure keep my ears open. (I really do. I am just saying that as an example to you) But you get the idea.The follow up is just as important as going to the event. Make sure you set aside time to do the follow up. The Work Is Worth It!

An ERP Can Save A Business Owner Thousands.

1/31/2020 (Permalink)

Cleaning Up Water

You are a business owner.  Now What?  Have you dotted all your i's and crossed all your t's?  Opening a business can be stressful.  There is so much to do that you would have never even thought of.  And as it goes for most business owners you have opened your business because you are really go at what it is that you do.  You have discovered in the process that by opening a physical location you now have to know about all kinds of other things also like alarm systems, computers, POS systems bluh bluh bluh.  Unless this is your business these are not fun things to have to think about.  Well lucky for you we can help you get all of that put into one place that is easily assessable in the event that you need it.  We know what you don't want to know and we can clean up what you don't want to have to clean.  A quick response to any loss situation can help reduce business interruption costs related to both time and expense.  We once was called out to a large box store because a member of their night stocking crew hit a sprinkler head on accident.  Now we got there quickly and began the clean up process however the store manager had no idea where their water shut off was located.  There could have been thousands of dollars saved had they been able to get the water shut off sooner.  You can prevent this from happening to you by having us come out and do what is called an ERP.  That is and Emergency Response Program.  This is a quick and easy thing for us to do for you that we will do for free and it will put all of the information that you will need in the event of a incident.  It cost you nothing and could very possibly save you thousands.  Call today for your FREE ERP 314-608-8119

Welcome To Our Newest Team Member

1/31/2020 (Permalink)

Mark Lane. Newest Team Member

We are very excited to introduce you to our newest team member.  Mark Lane comes to us with a long history of auto glass repair.  He has an extreme attention to detail.  He started on our team here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville the end of January 2020.  He is working out great.  He has a friendly, caring personality.  He works hard and is will to do what it takes to make our customers happy.  Those are all the kind of personality traits a person has to have to work here.  We are glad to have him on the team.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville helping LBB and Toys For Tots

12/16/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO loves working together with organizations to better our community.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is involved with an amazing group called Little Black Book.  This group is an organization of woman empowering other woman in business.  7 years ago this group started a yearly event called the Brrr Bash that is a collection for Toys For Tots.  They kicked of this collection the end of October.  Brett Gittemeier, our marketing rep, delivered boxes all over for about a week.  On December 12th the SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville gang set out to collect those boxes.  There was a huge party on the 14th at the Foundry Art Center in St. Charles where there was 50/50, silent auction, dinner, drinks music.  It was absolutely amazing and at that event we formed a toy train and put all of the toys into a semi truck.  We filled the whole thing up.  The money that was raised was then donated to a group called We Love St. Charles.  This is a non-profit organization that mentors families, individuals and at risk teen through family support  and intervention, homeless prevention and job training.  

The St. Louis Toys For Tots drive is the 3rd largest in the nation only behind NYC and LA.  The Brrr Bash represents 20% of that.  Not to mention that this event was also able to donate in the ballpark of $10,000 to We Love St. Charles.  To say that we are proud to have been a part of that is an understatement.

Unhook your hose

11/18/2019 (Permalink)

Unhook your hose from your house

So it has recently came to my attention that there are some people that do not know that you need to unhook your hose from your house in the winter.  I never really thought about that.  It was just something that I always did.  This is actually a very important step to winterizing your home.  When you do not unhook it the water stays in the hose and backs up into the pipes when the temperature goes below freezing the pipe will then bust from the pressure.  That will result to water in your walls and all over your basement.  On an average this is about a $5000 claim.  That is nothing anyone needs to be dealing with at Christmas.  This mess and this expense is easily avoided by simply going outside and unhooking all of your hoses from your house.  By the way do not be ashamed if you did not already know this.  apparently most people do not know this.  Historically here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville our busiest time of year is right after a big freeze and this is the reason why.

Here comes the winter

11/18/2019 (Permalink)

Get ready for the winter storms

Here in Western St. Charles County we always know that behind every beautiful fall is a snowey cold winter.  Although it is Missouri so who knows when that will happen.  Snow always look so pretty and is fun to play in.  But it can also do some serious damage to our homes.  Some things we need to remember as the weather gets colder is to be very careful with those space heaters.  Do not leave them unattended,  do not have them on around children.  If knocked over or if they have anything laying on the they can cause a fire so easily.  And make sure to clean your chimney before starting a cozy fire.  over the summer birds will build nest in your chimney.  When these nest catch on fire at the very least it will cause major smoke damage to your house.  Always unhook your hose from the house.  If this is not done you will end up with busted pipes and water damage.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville will always be there to help you out but we would love to see you take percaustions to prevent you from needing us. 

Trying to Clean up fire damage yourself

11/18/2019 (Permalink)

walking into the fire

Cleaning up after a fire in your home is not an easy task.  However there are people who want to try and tackle this job on there own.  Here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon /Wentzville all of our techs are highly trained in this.  Here are some pointers that they have for you do it yourselfers.

With any fire you are going to have a layer of soot on your walls.  You will want to get as much of this dusted off before attempting to clean it with detergent and bleach.  this will be greasy.  if you decide to repaint after cleaning be sure that the walls are free of all soot and that they are 100% dry.

Until your house is clean limit your activity in the house.  You do not want to embed the soot into your carpet and furniture.  You will want to have the air ducts cleaned and place a cloth over the vents.

Get rid of all water damaged items in your home.  Firefighters are great and we are so gratefull that we have them to put out the fires however that was accomplished with water.  and water can cause mold.  open all your doors and windows and air out your home.

You will want to pull out all the carpet and get the flooring cleaned very well.

Avoid smearing the soot and smoke into your clothing.  This will happen if you simply throw it into the washer.  You will need to soak all clothing.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville can help you.  If you have any questions about how to do this call us at 636-856-6202

It is also very important to soak your dishes and clean each and every one of them.

Keep the kids safe

10/21/2019 (Permalink)

We all would like to think we would know what to do in the case of a fire in our home.  And when the home is just adults it may be real easy to talk yourself into thinking you would know what to do.  Maybe you would.  But once you start adding kids to the house it is a different story.  Do you have your escape plan in place?  Do you know what you would do if a fire started upstairs where your baby is and you are downstairs.  or if the fire was in the hall and your kids were in their rooms?  This is all very scary to think about and that is why the average person just puts it out of their mind.  I urge you that if you do not have a plan in place sit down with your family and talk about it.  go over a few different plans talk about where you would all meet outside.  talk about how you would know who was going to grab the baby or the toddlers.  Talk to your toddlers about getting down below the fire.  Maybe even visit a fire house with them.  Be safe.  Think ahead.

What is lurking behind your walls?

10/16/2019 (Permalink)

Black Mold

Mold is such a tricky thing.  You may never know you have it.  It can make you feel very sick but when you cant see that you have mold you may not realize that is the problem.  That was the case at this store.  And it was not until they went to remodel that they realized there was mold behind all the wallpaper in the entire office.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is able to detect where there is mold.  By being able to do that they are able to keep the cost down by not taking out drywall that is not effected.  We pride ourselves in being an advocate for the business owner/ home owner.  We will never over demo. It is so much easier on the customer and the Insurance company to only fix what is broken.  That is what sets us here at SERVPRO WOW apart from the other restoration companies. 

Cold weather is coming

10/16/2019 (Permalink)

Hot Chocolate in the fall

As we enter the fall season and colder weather we know here at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville that means snow storms and busted pipes.  There are a few things you can do to try and prevent that.  First of all please be sure that you disconnect your garden hose from the side of your house.  And for all you snow birds out there and vacationers.  Turn off your water supply to your house when you leave.  If you do not know where that is you will want to find that out.  You should know where your water shut off is and you should clearly mark it with a tag of some kind.  Call 314-608-8119 if you need us to bring you a tag.  this is just good knowledge to have.  if you were having any kind of water issues like a broken pipe the 1st thing you want to do is shut off the source.  I hope this was helpful.

When you crawl space fills with water.

10/11/2019 (Permalink)

When The Crisis Nursery Has A Crisis.

The workers at the Crisis Nursery heard a noise coming from the floor.  They decided that they should get a hold of someone to check it out.  As soon as their maintenance opened the crawl space they were shocked to see that there was water almost to the top.  They called SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville right away and we got to them withing 1/2 hour of the call.  It was a good thing that we were that quick because had we not been the water would have damaged the entire floor from underneath.  Our guys got in there and extracted all the water right away.  Because of that there was minimal damage.

Wentzville Fire Department

10/3/2019 (Permalink)

Cleaning the Fire House

When the Wentzville Fire Department was getting ready for their open house at their main fire house on Luetkenhaus blvd. they wanted to be sure the building was as clean as could be.  They hired SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville to come in and clean their carpets.  We were able to work together on when the best time was to come there.  When we left the place looked and smelled like brand new.  The Wentzville Fire Department is always so great to the community We were happy to help them out. 

Are you having family over for the holidays?  Or did your house just have a hard summer?  We can come and not only clean your carpets but also your air ducts.  We can eliminate all those nasty smells that you can not seem to locate the source of.

A Faulty Battery

10/3/2019 (Permalink)

Burnt Garage

Have you ever left a battery plugged in to be charged?  Well that is exactly what this guy did.  It seems like a perfectly normal thing to do.  We all do it.  Only this time the battery happened to be faulty.  No one was hurt but the entire garage was destroyed and a lot of smoke got into the house.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was able to clean up a lot of their belongings and in the big picture the fact that no one was heart is the main thing.  However just because of one dumb little rechargeable battery their garage went up on flames and the house suffered major smoke damage.  All of the insulation in the attic was damaged and it caused a huge mess inside the house.  

No Matter The Damage

10/2/2019 (Permalink)

STL Shirt Co. Bathroom

There is no damage to big or to small for SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville.  When a fire happens you just need to know that we can take care of it.  We can handle everything from the initial Board up all the way to the cleaning and returning the content.  When there is a fire in a business the amount of money that has to be paid out by insurance depends a lot on how quickly you call us and who you call.  SERVPRO WOW prides ourselves in being able to get in there and clean as much as possible instead of just throwing everything out.  And also getting to the job and getting it started quickly.  That will cut down if not completely eliminate any mold issue.  Just remember when you have a disaster call us 1st.  We will get it boarded up and get started right away.

Honk and Wave If You See Greg Out and About!

9/12/2019 (Permalink)

F150 Before and after

Check out the truck transformation.  We want to thank Schneider Graphics in Weldon Springs for doing such an amazing job helping us stand out in our community,  Greg Young is driving from job to job all day every day and most nights.  When it comes to having Fire , Water or Mold damage SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon /Wentzville will be there for you 24/7.  Now you will see us coming!  If you happen to see this truck around town honk and wave.  Who wants to drive around a boring blue truck when you can drive around in a kick butt SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville truck with Fire water and mold on it.  You will also recognize our marketing truck and our box truck they are SERVPRO green with our franchise name on them.  If you see a house that has one of these trucks in front of them you can bet they are getting the Best customer service.

No Job is Too Big

8/15/2019 (Permalink)

Our Owner By The SERVPRO Tractor Trailer

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville works with all Insurance companies. We can clean up mold, water and fire damage, carpets, air ducts and furniture along with any bio hazardous waste and crime scenes. You can see by the looks of the tractor trailer in this photo that there is no job too big for us to handle.

Tag you water shut off

8/9/2019 (Permalink)

tag your water shut off

Do you know where your water shut off is in your house?  A leaking pipe in your walls can cause massive damage to the inside of your walls, your instillation, your drywall not to mention lead to mold in the future.  Knowing where your water shut off is in your house can help a lot.  Maybe you know where the shut off is but you may not be the one there when the issue is happening.  It is a good idea to locate it and tag it.  The shut off is normally in your basement on an exterior wall.  Make sure the tag is bright and easy to see.  We can get you a tag if you do not have one. 

Non weather-related water damage to your home is the second most common insurance claim.  You have worked hard for your home and the belongings.  Protect them every way you can.  

Should you clean your air ducts?

8/9/2019 (Permalink)

the inside of an air duct

Should you have your air ducts cleaned?  If you remove contaminants from your home’s air duct system, the effects of dust and mold reduced. Clean, healthy, circulating is exactly what people who are sensitive to indoor air contaminants need.  Allergies are at an all-time high in America. These types of people are very likely to notice an instant relief once they have cleaned their air ducts.

Here are some reasons that you might want to have your air ducts cleaned.

1. Allergies. Air ducts are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, mold, fungi, and other allergens.  Kids 4 years old and younger are extremely vulnerable. A lot of times this will lead to allergies or asthma.  
2. Mold.Air ducts that are in a basement have been exposed to water or moister at some time. This will lead to mold growth.  An anti-microbial should be fogged into the system after the cleaning to prevent future growth.
3. Pets. Animal hair will build up over time. Not only causing allergy problems but also cause the HVAC system to not work properly.
4. Dust. New home owners can find this particularly frustrating. They will dust and dust everyday only to find that there is always a new layer.  Until you clean the construction dust out of the air ducts this will happen.
5. Efficiency. By getting rid of the years of build up of pet hair , dust, and insects you will not only have a healthier home but your HVAC system will be able to run at top performance and will in turn last longer.

Get The Flood Out

8/1/2019 (Permalink)

Setting up water extractors

We have had a lot of rain here in the Western St. Charles O'Fallon/ Wentzville area.  We had a client call us when they discovered 29 inches of water in the crawl space of their business.  With all of this rain the sump pumps are working on over time and that will cause them to just not be able to do the job any longer or just break all together.  Please check your basements.  This could have caused so  much more damage had they not caught it before the water came up through the floor.  We were able to come in through the window and down into the crawl space with extractors and get the water out. and followed that up with putting in what is called a desiccant dehumidifier.  This type of dehumidifier works best when we are dealing with extreme temps rather it be extremely cold or extremely hot.  

Getting rid of mold

7/2/2019 (Permalink)

Air Scrubber

Mold is its own beast.  I know you can go on Pinterest and find all kinds of ways to get rid of mold.  The fact of the matter is that for the most part those solutions are simply masking the problem.  Yes the mold will go away for a while and everything will be great but unless properly removed it will come back.  This picture is of a Air Scrubber.  What this machine is doing is pulling the air into it,  the air is going through a filter that is trapping the mold and then shooting the good air back out.  Because when you see mold it is more than likely not just where you see it but it is also in the air.   

Fire- What To Do Till Help Arrives

7/1/2019 (Permalink)

Fire

When cleaning up after a fire it is very important to clean it properly or you can cause the smell of smoke to set in.  You want to limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from spreading and causing more damage.  Place a clean towel or old linens on rugs and high traffic areas and upholstery,  put a coat of petroleum jelly or oil on chrome faucets, trim and appliances.  place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpet.  DO NOT wash any walls or painted surfaces.  DO NOT shampoo carpet or upholstery.  DO NOT clean electrical equipment.  DO NOT send clothing to a dry cleaner.

What Can Water Do To Your Home

6/20/2019 (Permalink)

Water in a basement

Here in the Mid West we are facing major flooding.  There are many people displaced from their homes.  The water levels have been rising.  So you may wonder what that means for your home after the water goes down.  Well the bad news is that mold will start to grow as fast as 24 hours.  So if your space has had water sitting for more than that you will for sure want to check for mold.  I said the bad news like there was good news.  I guess you can say the good news is that if you are reading this you are safe.  The drywall can be cut out and replaced and things can be replaced if needed.  The fact of the matter is water can be dangerous.  Not only when it is there but also when it has been removed.  Be sure you take to proper measures to get rid of all the moister and make it "Like it never even happened."  

Employee of the Month

6/18/2019 (Permalink)

Best Fire Content Cleaner Ever!!!!

We want to give a huge shoot out to Janet Hallam.  Janet is an amazingly hard worker.  She is extremely honest and trustworthy, those traits are a must have in our line of work.  She has been with us from the beginning.  she may look familiar to you and that is because she is Joanne's twin sister.  They share a lot of the same qualities.  She is not afraid to get dirty and do whatever it is that we need done.  Janet puts in a lot of after hours time.  She is our main fire content cleaner.  We wanted to Thank Her for all she does and let her know that NO GOOD DEED GOES UNNOTICED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be involved in the community

6/17/2019 (Permalink)

Marketing team at a golf tournament

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville loves to be involved in our communities that we service.  One way that we stay involved is to sponsor and volunteer at golf tournaments in the area.  We have so many great organizations right here in our community that give back.  By volunteering and sponsoring their events we are able to also give back to the #Wentzville, #LakeSt.Louis #FlintHill, #O'Fallon and surrounding areas.

We Built This Business on Respect and Customer Service

6/12/2019 (Permalink)

The leaders of our SERVPRO family

SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville is a family owned and operated business. Greg and Joanne Young come from the corporate world and they decided to go out on their own. After much research they decided that becoming part of the #SERVPRO family was what they wanted. They wanted to be a part of a company that was all about customer service. They knew that they wanted to grow their business on customer service. If you are lucky enough to work here then you are part of their family. They do not treat their employees like just an employee, they treat their employees like their family. They take care of all of us as if we were each one of their children. With that kind of environment it makes everyone want to do whatever it takes to grow the business. That kind of positive attitude is what you will see not only in the office but also on any job.We specialize in #Fire, #Water and #mold #remediation. We also clean #airducts, #carpets and even the air with a machine called an #ozone machine.We are members of #LBB, #WesternStCharlesCountyChamber, and #BNI. Our technicians and our owners carry certifications such as #IICRC, Water , Fire, Mold and #ASD

Thank You Chris Limpert

6/3/2019 (Permalink)

Greg Joanne and Chris.

We would like to introduce you to our longest tenured employee, Chris Limpert has been with us from the very start. He has seen it all and can do anything. He has been on the worst sewage job, the worst fire job, worst mold job and even the worst crime seen clean up. There is nothing this man can not do. As a matter of fact he has even worked with his heart being 99% blocked. Luckily he caught that in time, got it taken care of and was back to work in no time. Not much can keep this man down. Several years ago he lost his twin brother to a heart attack and has stepped in to help raise his nephew with cerebral palsy. Chris, We want to tank you for all your heard work you put in to help make SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville the best.

Promoted to Crew Chief

5/23/2019 (Permalink)

Brendan

I want to introduce you to Brendan A Mercurio. As of this morning he has been promoted to Crew Chief. This could not be a more well earned promotion. Brendon has been a part of our SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville family for over a year now. He is hands done one of our hardest workers. He is always the 1st one to the office in the morning and usually the last one to go home. He is also normally our go to on call tech. Brendan is IICRC trained and Certified with a WRT certification he also has mastered Dry Book. Congratulations Brendan!

The Work Is Worth It

5/20/2019 (Permalink)

Networking

Have you ever seen a quote and think how true it is? I was at the gym the other day. Yes, you heard me right I was indeed at the gym. Anyway, they have quotes that run across the TVs there. I love them and the nerdy networking geek in me totally always relates everything back to networking. Ok so I love networking and I do not look at it as work but I do know a lot of people who have to do it look at it as work. This particular quote said “The Work Is Worth It” So true at the gym. Also, so true in networking. If you want the results, the customers, the new clients in my case the relationships, you have to not only go to the events, the lunches, happy hours, coffees you have to work the room, talk to the other networkers and follow up. You have to do the work. You have to do all of the work. How many times a day do you tell your kiddos “Don't do things 1/2 way”? If your house is like mine you say it a lot. Well practice what you preach. Go to the morning coffee. Listen to what the other networkers are saying that they need. Tell them what you need. I mean really tell them. Don't go there and say I work at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville and I need anyone who has fire, water or mold damage. I need to go there and say “I work for SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville. Yes, we will fix your fire , water or mold damage, and I promise you if you send us a friend who has any kind of damage they will thank you and tell you what a pleasant experience it was working with us. But hopefully you or your friends will not need us. What I need from you however is to let all your insurance friends know about us. Also, anyone you know who is an adjuster.  We work closely with both the agent and the adjuster.  Our goal when we get to any job is to save as much as we can.  We take great pride in our work and we will, in the long run, save the home owner, and insurance company a lot of money. So, I would love an introduction to Insurance agents and adjusters”. Make sure you get everyones card from the event. Or at least as many as you can. Make notes as to what people need and somehow mark the cards so you know where they came from. A good friend of mine, a member of my personal board of directors, owner of Pintos Palace, inspire 70 and Wharf Pharmacy, Shanna Palans showed me a cool little .49 plastic sleeve thing that she got from office max that you can put the cards in and label it. Now carry on and go to the lunch, do that 1 to 1, hit the happy hour. Now at the end of the day you get back to your office or you go into the office the next morning do your follow up. Sit down at your computer and send out those emails. Everyone has their own ways of doing this. I will tell you how I go about doing this. How you do it is not as important as doing it. You do it your way. You have to make sure you do it. I type up a basic email. Something like this-

I am not sure if you remember me telling you or not but at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville it is my job to get in front of insurance agents, Property Managers, Adjusters ect… to let them know what it is that we do.  If you have any connections for me, I would love an email introduction.  You could just copy and paste this for me to make it easier on you. –

I wanted to Introduce you to Jamie Gittemeier.  She works for SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville.  They are a restoration and remediation company.  There main goal on a job is to save as much as they can from the damages.  That in turn saves the home owner and the insurance agent a lot of money.  I copied her in on this email so you can get a hold of her and set something up for the two of you to meet.

after I have the basic email typed up, I will continue to copy and paste that part of it but then based on who I am sending it to I will start off with what it is that they need.

Like- Hey Emily it was so great getting to know you better. I belong to a group called Little Black Book. This morning you mentioned that you really need to get out there and meet as many people as possible that you were just getting out there and would love to be introduced to groups that could help you network and educate you. This group would be an amazing fit for you. Check them out at www.womenoflbb.com.

The 1st part of my email would be me helping them out in some way. Maybe I don't have anyone to introduce them to at the time. In that case I would just let them know that I heard them. Hey Emily it was great getting to know you better. I know you said you need to meet someone in the hotel industry. I don't really have anyone that I can introduce you to at this moment but I will for sure keep my ears open. (I really do. I am just saying that as an example to you) But you get the idea.

The follow up is just as important as going to the event. Make sure you set aside time to do the follow up. The Work Is Worth It!

Networking With Confidence

5/14/2019 (Permalink)

Networking with Little Black Book

Network with Confidence! As a networker do you find yourself being great at getting out there, meeting people, helping people. You have figured out how to juggle all of those great networking events but one thing you just cant get past is getting to the point. What do I mean? You can go to all the networking events there are but if you do not get to the point all you have done is managed to make a lot of friends. How do you get to the point? How do you see to it that you are letting people that you network with what it is that you do. Network with confidence. It helps to love what you do. Be passionate about your product. Ok so what do I mean by that? Be confident? Be passionate? I sell Restoration Services. How do I be passionate about that? So here is what I mean. I have the right mind set. I do not go into a networking event thinking “I sell restoration services” I go in there knowing - I work for SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville. I work for a restoration company that ALWAYS puts their customer and our Insurance agents first. They see to it that they make a bad scary situation easy for the home owner and the insurance agent. Not only that but they are always thinking about how to make their lives easier. To the extent that we even have classes for Insurance agents to help them not only obtain their continuing education credits for free but to also help the agents be even more helpful to their clients. I am confident. I love what I do. I can not wait to get into that networking event and talk to the people in there about SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville and what we can do to help. Can you see how confidence can change a networking event? Now I do understand how creating passion and confidence about some jobs may be harder than others. But you have to dig deep. What do you do, where do you work, what sets them apart?Now that gets you in there and networking. When you leave there people will know what you do and what sets your work above the next guy. You need to follow up. That is a whole other post.

What's Your Story?

5/14/2019 (Permalink)

Bio- Hazard Clean Up

Have you ever heard of “Story Marketing”?  It is a great way to get people to know -like- and trust you.  Most of us in the sales world are selling something that most people do not know anything about nor do they want to.   I work at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville.  No one wants to hear about how to clean up sewage or the details of cleaning up a crime scene.  In order to get people to want to listen to what it is that I do I have to make it interesting.  I have to tell a story.  We have been listing to stories our whole life.  We love it. 

When I tell about a Bio clean that we did I could say. - We clean up Bio hazard waste.  We have the equipment that we use to clean this in the right way.  That tells you nothing and it does not hold your interest at all. 

But how about this.  We once received a call from an auto action facility.  They had gotten a car in that a person had passed away in.  This person was tested positive for aids and there were needles in the car.  Our highly trained crew suited up and went to the job.  They had to smoke bomb the car to get rid of any contamination that may or may not be in the car.  After that they went in to clean it out and make sure there were no needles hiding in any of the crevices.  Sounds scary to me but the guys have been trained and they have the right equipment to do this.  After they were done with the job the car was like new and ready to sell.  So, there we have it.  “Like it never even happened.”

When I am out networking and I am able to tell a story about what we do it sticks with them.  They will go home and remember that we clean up bio waste.  The same holds true with water jobs or fire, even mold.  If I say we clean mold.  That’s it nothing more.  You don’t care.  You do not have mold at that time and I am not interesting.  But when I make it a story it is now interesting.  You will remember. 

You can use this for anything.  This is the way we have been teaching people things for years.  Most things that I know started off in a little golden book.

With that being said.  Tell me – What’s your story? 

What sets SERVPRO apart?

5/9/2019 (Permalink)

Field technicians suited up in their PPE

Every morning at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville we have a team meeting that includes all of the field technicians, repair professionals, and office personnel.

Greg Young, one of our owners, conveys to everyone that you can't just say you are the fastest and the best. You have to go out there and be the fastest and the best. We believe that offering the best customer service and expert advice as fast as possible is important. Our team trains daily on providing the highest level of customer service, communication, and consultation skills to each customer no matter the size or nature of the job. This guarantees that if you ever have an incident in your home or business and need SERVPRO'S assistance, you and your situation will be handled with the upmost professionalism and integrity. 

Who You Gonna Call?

5/6/2019 (Permalink)

Faster to Any Disaster

No one ever plans on having a flood, mold, fire or any disaster.  There is a high level of stress, anxiety along with anger that may exist.  We understand these feelings.We have seen these feelings more often than not and we empathize with our customers. We go above and beyond every time to get your job done right.

We know that each and everyone of our technicians is going to practice only the best customer service.  Often we hear from customers how kind and caring our technicians were on the job.  That means a lot when you are in distress.  We are proud to know that in someones time of need they can count on us.

Have a Storm Plan

5/6/2019 (Permalink)

Escape plan

How have you prepared you and your family for a storm?  Here are a couple things you can do to be ready for a storm.  Make sure your cell phones are charged and go over an escape route.  In the event that a storm hits your house know how you would get your family to safety.  It could be a tornado that takes your roof off, a bolt of lightning that catches your house on fire or even a rain storm that is flooding your basement.  You need to have an idea as to what you are going to do to get you and your family to safety.  It is even a good idea to practice the different plans if you have small children.

Friends & Family CPR Class

4/29/2019 (Permalink)

Wentzville Fire teaches CPR

Date: June 1, 2019

Location: Wentzville Fire Protection District

              502 Luetkenhaus Blvd.

              Wentzville, MO 63385 

Time: 6:00 p.m.

RSVP: 636.332.9869 

The Family & Friends CPR Course teaches the lifesaving skills of adult Hands-Only CPR, adult CPR with breaths, child CPR with breaths, adult and child AED use, infant CPR, and mild and severe airway block for adults, children, and infants. Skills are taught in a dynamic group environment using the AHA’s research-proven practice-while-watching technique, which provides students with the most hands-on CPR practice time possible. Family & Friends CPR is for people who want to learn CPR but do not need a CPR course completion card. This course is ideal for community groups, new parents, grandparents, babysitters, and others interested in learning how to save a life. There is no fee for this class.

What to do when you have water damage.

4/25/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage tips

WATER DAMAGE TIPS

In the event of water damage in your home follow these few steps right away.

• Get as much water as possible off your wood furniture and get it up off the floor with pieces of aluminum or foam blocks.
• Get as much of the water out as you can with a mop or a shop vac.
• Document everything with pictures.
• Do Not use appliances or electronics that may have been water damaged.
• Do Not use any light fixtures or electrical outlets that may have been water damaged.
• Remove any loose items and paper goods off of flooring that has been damaged by the water.

Storms Bring Bugs

4/25/2019 (Permalink)

Standing Water Attracts bugs.

Spring storms really bring out the bugs.  When the water is standing the mosquito's are bad.  How many of you really hate the smell of bug repellent?  I do for sure.  Try this DYI bug repellent.

Start by adding 1/4 cup of distilled water to a small spray bottle.

Measure and add two teaspoons of both witch hazel and vodka. These help disperse the essential oil in the water and also help the scent stay longer on your skin.

Add 25 drops of peppermint essential oil and shake to combine.

Shake the bottle well before each application. Spray homemade bug spray on any exposed skin before going outdoors. Reapply every 2 hours while you're outside. 

What's in your walls

4/20/2019 (Permalink)

Mold Hiding behind wallpaper

Mold  becomes a problem inside a home or business when there's a lot of humidity or any kind of moisture for a long period of time. The problem can start with something like a broken pipe or large spill that goes untreated, or from a leaking roof or plumbing. Even high humidity or warm, moist air condensing on cool surfaces can trigger mold problems. 

Mold can grow almost anywhere in a home or business. If there is visible growth on painted walls, property owners should be concerned about the mold that could be growing on the other side. The environment inside the walls of a house or business is very different from the outside and makes a perfect home for mold. If the wall remains wet for a prolonged period, it's almost guaranteed that the mold growth on the back side will be worse than on the front. At that point, containing the work space and removing moldy materials, followed by cleaning of salvageable framing, are the best options

Cleaning Fire Damage Fast

4/17/2019 (Permalink)

The Spider is gone

When you have a fire in your home it is very important to start the clean up fast.  The longer you wait to start the clean up the more excessive the damage can be and that will also lead to it being more costly.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville will work with all insurance agents.  It is best to get us on the job site as soon as possible.  We are available 24/7.  The smoke and soot is not always visible.  Our trained professionals know exactly how to get all of the hidden smells that may linger in your home if it goes untreated.  Every item in the home will need to be wiped down.  Soap and water might work but it is best if done with what is called a dry sponge.  We will take an inventory that is writen and with photos of all items.  We will clean what we can on site and what needs to be removed during the clean up and renovation we will bring back to our shop to clean.  We also have equipment that will actually disintegrate the smoke leaving your home smelling better than before the fire when we are done and this is a permanent fix.  Unlike simply resealing the walls and painting and getting new flooring.

What Makes Us Different?

4/15/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville

Every morning at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville we have a team meeting that includes all of the field technicians, repair professionals and office personnel.

Greg Young, one of our owners, conveys to everyone that you cant just say you are the fastest and the best.  You have to go out there and be the fastest and the best.  We believe that offering the best customer service and expert advice as fast as possible is important. Our people all train daily on providing the highest level of customer service, communication and consultation skills to each customer no matter the size or nature of the job.

Deep Clean

4/13/2019 (Permalink)

Have Your Business Deep Cleaned

I have lived in Wentzville my whole life and every year like clockwork spring hits and I do not want to be inside cleaning.  However it always feels so good to have the whole house clean from top to bottom windows and all.  Much like our home our businesses need to have a deep clean once a year also.  Schools are a big one.  Every year at the end of the school year they have to get in there and clean and disinfect the whole place so when the kids come in for the next school year there is no trace of last years winter flu hanging around.  This does not just apply to schools all business need a good cleaning and disinfecting at least once a year.  It is a proven fact that clean businesses are more profitable.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville has the professionals and the equipment that can do that in a more cost effective manner.  Call us today for a quote on having your business cleaned.  Or your home!

We Are The Best!

4/13/2019 (Permalink)

When disaster hits you want to call someone that you know you can count on and that you trust.  SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville is that person.  We have a 5 star rating on Facebook, Google and Yelp.  Our testimonials from past customers says it all.  We are a family owned business that hires based on customer service capability.  Our workers are required to treat each job as if it were their grandmas house or business.  They do an excellent job at that.  Greg and Joanne Young, the owners, have customers that go out of their way to call them and brag on our tech crew.  They want them to know how helpful, kind and polite they were through the whole process.  We take great pride in what we do and it shows.  Take a minute to put our phone number in your phone so that if you have it at your fingertips when you need it.  File it under Help so it is easy to remember.  That number is (636)856-9700.  We will be there when you need us!

Running a Clean Business

4/12/2019 (Permalink)

We Do Commercial Cleaning

When you are running a business and a catastrophe strikes you have got to get it cleaned up and get back up and running quickly.  Did you know that SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville is available 24 hours a day to do just that for you?  We are experts in restoration services.  We can handle just about anything you throw at us.  We do fire restoration, mold restoration, Water restoration along with electronic restoration and document drying.  We don’t just handle catastrophes.  The cleanliness of your business speaks a lot about you.  We do all types of cleaning from celling to floor.  No job is to big or too small.  For all of your cleaning needs call SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville.

Missouri Storms

4/12/2019 (Permalink)

Missouri Weather!

Something that I think all of us can agree on living here in the Wentzville, O'Fallon area is that if you don't like the weather today wait a few hours it could change.  We had a crazy cold and snowy winter.  That caused a lot of broken pipes and flooded basements.  We then went right into our wet rainy spring not to mention all of the snow melt from not just around here but also north of us, causing our sump pumps to work overtime and just not be able to get the job done so we have had a lot of flooded basements.  Spring and fall are both times that we have heavy winds causing roof damage resulting in wet attics.  With our dry hot summers there is a big worry of fires.  So here in Missouri no matter what the storm is SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville can make your home "Like it never even happened."

We Are Your Go To Guy!

4/11/2019 (Permalink)

We Are There 24/7

Why SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville you might ask yourself.  Well here are a few reasons.  Are you a property manager?  If so, did you know that we do move outs?  That’s right!  When you have a tenant move out and you are left with a nasty mess we will come in and deep clean the whole place giving you the time and freedom to do what you do best and that is, find new renters.  Are you a home owner that is trying to sell your home, but you are having a hard time because your house smells like your dog?  We can come in and clean your floors your airducts and do an ozone treatment to get rid of the smell of your dog for good.  Are you a home owner that has quit smoking, but you can still smell it in your house?  We have a way of getting rid of the smoke smell for good.  Not just masking it with paint and smelling sprays.  But for good.   Are you an insurance agent who would love to have a company that you can send your clients to who you know will treat them like their own family member?  Well look no further because we are well known for that kind of treatment.   Are you the head maintenance person for an office building that had a sprinkler head get broke during construction and you need to get all the offices up and running like yesterday?  We are also that guy.  We are available 24/7 and can get to you within an hour if needed.  So, you see no matter who you are or what your cleaning issue SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville is your answer.

Why SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville?

4/10/2019 (Permalink)

Owners On The Job

Have you asked yourself the question Why SERVPRO?  Well here it goes.  SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville is a family owned business.  Greg and Joanne Young, the owners, decided in 2017 that they were going to leave the corporate world and create a work environment that not only them as the owners can be proud of but also employees.  They have put their harts’, souls and life savings into this company.  They do everything it takes to grow their business with word of mouth.  They run their business by not asking their employees to do anything that they would not do themselves.  And they expect nothing less but the best customer service from their employees.  If you want to do business with the best than look no further than SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville.  Call us for Carpet Cleaning, Tile and grout cleaning, air duct cleaning, Fire water and mold restoration, Commercial and residential.  If you can’t or don’t want to clean it, we can! 

Local Business Catches on Fire

4/3/2019 (Permalink)

Ice Blasting!!!!

When a local business catches fire it leaves a big job behind.  In an effort to get them up and going as soon as possible it was all hands on deck.  There were several different SERVPROs that jumped in and helped on this one.  Our tech Mike used a Dry Ice Blasting machine to get the soot off of the inside and the outside of the building.  By using a dry ice sandblaster he was able to get it all clean even better than it was and not have the mess of dirty soot water that you would have had if he would have used a power washer.

How Long Does It Take Water To Destroy a Home and Its Content

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

Water Damage

How long do you think it takes water to destroy a home and its contents?  When it comes to water damage time is of the essence.  You know the old saying time heals all wounds?  Well that is not the case when the wound is a flooded house.  Here I am going to go over a time line of the destruction water can cause when not cleaned up at all or not cleaned up properly.

Within minutes-

Water contamination will spread quickly.  Furniture that is sensitive to moister will begin to turn a white color.  And furniture that is on carpet will bleed to the carpet causing unrepairable stains.

Within hours-

Your furniture will delaminate and swell and basically be destroyed.  The house will begin to smell because normal household odors will be amplified.  Colors on all the colorfast materials in your home will then begin to bleed.

Within days-

Fungi begins to appear, along with a musty odor.  This is the point that your wood is going to warp.  Wood floors will become unsalvageable.  Your wallpaper and paint are going to start to blister and peel away from the wall.

Within weeks-

Mold will have set in.  Anyone living in the home will need to move out for health reasons and the structure will need to be completely gutted. 

Knowing all of this you now see how important it is to get a reputable company, like SERVPRO Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville out on the job.  We are available 24/7 so that we can get to you most of the time within an hour and start to get your life put back in order with minimal damage.

What Is Mold

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

What Is Mold?  Mold, according to Wikipedia, is a fungus that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae.  In contrast, fungi that can adopt a single-celled growth habit are called yeasts.  Sounds very technical.  What you probably are wondering is- What does mold look like?  Can it make me sick?  Is it dangerous? And How do I get rid of it?  So, let me be a little clearer for you.  Mold comes in several different colors.  There is green mold.  This is the mold you will find on bread in a fuzzy patch.  It is penicillium mold and is not usually dangerous if you accidently consume it.  The most common type of mold that you want to worry about is known as Black mold.  It is commonly found on foods and in your air conditioning systems.  You may also find it on the back of toilets, painted surfaces and air ducts.  For the most part it is nontoxic, but it can trigger some bad allergy type symptoms.  Mold is not something you want to mess around with.  To get rid of it you can call us at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville.  We have the proper safety equipment, and the proper tools to remove it and remove it for good.  There are some home remedies that you can find on the internet.  However, for the most part this is not a permanent cure for your mold problem.  Our team of trained techs can get rid of your problem for good.

Why Use A Restoration Company

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon / Wentzville

Why should you use a restoration company for your job instead of trying to save money by doing it yourself?  This is a question that I am sure you have all asked yourself at one time or another.  Who doesn’t like to save money?  Am I right?  Well that right there is your answer to why you should use a professional/ reputable restoration company.  Here let me explain how that can be.  I mean how on earth are you going to save money by hiring a company as apposed to doing it yourself?  Let’s say that your basement flooded.  You think, I got this.  It is just the basement.  I can use my shop vac and get the water out of here.  So, you go at it.  1^st of all your time is worth something.  If you are in your basement running the shop vac you are not at work making (you guessed it) MONEY.  So, let say it is on the weekend and work is not an issue.  You are only missing your daughter’s softball game, that night out with your wife or your friends, and the relaxation that you worked so hard all week to get.  All part of being a home owner, right?  Ok so you vacuumed up the water with your shop vac and it seems to be dry.  Guess what it is not.  There is no way that you can get out all the moister from a flood with a shop vac.  Not to mention that the moister that was in the air the whole time you were doing that has now gotten into the ceiling and walls.  So, it looks clean and dry for now but within the next couple of weeks you will start to see mold grow.  And what about your furniture that was ruined by not getting it out and cleaned up fast and properly.  Now you have a whole new set of problems.  By getting our certified trained team of technicians at SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/ Wentzville in there right away you will save yourself time money and headache.

The Different Types Of Flooding

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

Flooded Basement

What does flood damage restoration entail?  Flooding from storms require a whole different type of remediation.  You see if you have a bathroom flood from say a tub over flowing.  That is a clean water flood.  However, when you have a flood in your home do to heavy rains that is water that is very possibly contaminated.  It could have sewage that contains harmful bacteria and fecal matter.   No matter what kind of flooding you will want to react as quickly as possible.  The faster you react the less expensive your damage will be.  No matter what kind of flooding you have you will want to put it in the hands of experts that are trained to handle the situation.  Time plays a big part in the amount of damage a flood does.  Flooding is nothing to mess around with.  You are going to want the proper equipment in there to get the job done and done right.  When a professional company like SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville comes in to do a flood damage restoration job for you they will handle It accurately and professionally every step of the way.  They will first inspect the job, extract the water, clean al of the furnishings and the structure, deodorize, dry the air and do any mold remediation that needs to be done.

Attention Property Managers

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

Before and After

Attention all property managers.  Have you ever had that one tenant that moved out and left your place a complete disaster?  I am talking food that has been stuck in the fridge drawer for years and even more gross something in the freezer that you don’t know what it is.  Maybe they even left unwanted items there also like a desk and a couch because they were just too hard to move.   The stove and the oven both look as if they have never been cleaned.  And the toilet has black mold growing in it.  This is exactly the kind of job that you as a property manager do not need to deal with.  Every day you are in that property cleaning it is another day that you have not been able to work on getting it rented out again.  And isn’t that where the real money is?  SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville can do that clean out for you and even dispose of the items left behind.  Call us today for a quote.

FREE Hotel Night Stay

4/1/2019 (Permalink)

Fire Victim Hotel Stay

When a fire strikes, the last thing you need to worry about is where are you going to go.  At SERVPRO Western O'Fallon / Wentzville we will put you up in one of our local luxury hotels that will also provide you with a full breakfast.  All you have to do is go there and tell them that SERVPRO Western O'Fallon/Wentzville sent you and that we are taking care of your 1st night's bill.  They will get you a room along with a care package from us.  We want to do what we can to help alleviate your issues.  We can help you from start to finish.  We also will work directly with your insurance agent.  When you are able to return home it will be "Like it never even happened." 

Prepare your home and yourself

3/27/2019 (Permalink)

Be sure your drain system for your house is working properly.

We had a pretty bad winter here in Western St. Charles County.  But really it was even worse north of us.  The weather is starting to look better, and we are all itching to get outside.  But we have not made it out yet.  Spring in Western O'fallon and Wentzville are known to bring some heavy rain along with winds.  This can be very damaging to your home if you do not get it ready.  So, it is a good thing you want to get outside because I am going to have you put a few things on your to do list to help prevent you from having to call SERVPRO.  The heavy snows may be long gone for the winter, but the effects are just starting to roll down.  When the north gets as much snow as they did were do you think it goes when it melts?  If you guessed down the Mississippi you would be right.  We are more than likely going to experience some major flooding in our area this spring.

So lets get started on that to do list as soon as possible.

1. Inspect your roof and your siding. In heavy winds if you have loose siding or shingles, they will more than likely blow away.  When that happens, you may end up with a lot of damage inside your home.
2. As a rule, Shredded bark of mulch is a better landscaping to have than rock in the event of heavy winds. Bark or Mulch will do way less damage than rock if picked up and thrown around by winds. Butt there are really pros and cons both ways for that.  I just thought I would point that quick tip out.
3. Clean up and trim any shrubs and trees. In the event of high winds weak branches could break and fall on your roof or through a window. Dead and loss branches in the shrubs can also do some damage.
4. Check your cutters and down spouts. If your draining system for your house is not working right than all the prep in the world won’t help you.  I am sure you cleaned out all your leaves in the fall but get up there and make sure that they are still there.  And If you have not taken down your Christmas lights for goodness sake do that while you are up there.  Also check and make sure nothing is loose.  Now check the down spouts.  Are they secure?  Are they pointed away from the house?  Do they come at least 3 ft away from your house?
5. And of course the sump pump. Your sump pump is going to do some major work this year. A lot of people hardly ever go into their basement.  You need to go down and check on your sump pump and be sure it is working properly.
6. Last but not least get yourself ready. Make sure your flashlights have working batteries. And go over an action plan with your family.  Better safe than sorry!

If all else fails know that SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville is there for you.  Call us any time of the day or night.  We are ready 24/7/365.

Gear Up For Spring

3/21/2019 (Permalink)

Don't Let Mother Nature Get The Best Of You This Spring

There are some things that you as a homeowner can do to help prevent water damage to your home. Spring is known for rain. Here in the Western O’Fallon / Wentzville area we have for sure been dumped on by mother nature this past winter so let’s get ourselves geared up for a heavy weather spring. Expect the worst and hope for the best. So here are a few things you can do.

• Check your gutters. I am sure you all cleaned them out this past fall (wink wink) It is still good practice to check them again for the spring. While your up there please take down those Christmas light if you haven’t already. LOL
• Inspect your roof at least once a year. This is just good practice. We had some heavy winds last week. It would be a lot easier to replace some shingles on your roof than to repair and replace your ceiling, insulation and floors. If you are not sure who to call Dawson Roofing in Flint Hill is good.
• So those are some things you can do to your house but let’s not forget the landscaping. The weather is getting nicer and we are all looking for things to do outside anyway right? Go ahead and take the dog for a walk but after that do these few things to help prevent yourself from having to call SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville.

• Be sure when choosing what to plant that you keep plants with invasive roots away from your foundation and also any pipes or water lines buried in your yard.
• Trees are for sure a great addition to your landscaping but make sure that there are no branches that will damage your siding or roof in a storm.
• This probably goes without saying but make sure that your drains are on a downhill slop away from your foundation.
• I know we all love a sprinkler system but be sure they are not spraying water at your foundation.
• If you have done all of this and still find yourself in a bind do no hesitate to call us 24/7. Water damage is one of those things that become more and more costly over time. You do not want to leave it sit. Also keep in mind that not done properly you may be calling us for mold damage in the future.

storm damage can lead to Mold

3/21/2019 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO Western O'Fallon / Wentzville in case of emergency!

In Western O'Fallon / Wentzville we see all sorts of weather patterns.  It looks like we made it through the bad winter storms and heavy snows however now is when the melting snows from our friends in the great north are coming down and flooding our area.  All of our sump pumps are working overtime to keep our basements dry.  We also are going to start in with spring showers.  This is the time when sump pumps tend to die on us due to over use.  I would suggest that you go to your basement and check on that about every other day.  In the event that it does stop working keep in mind that SERVPRO O'Fallon / Wentzville can help.  If water is not properly cleaned up and thoroughly dried it can and will turn into mold.  Mold grows and spreads fast.  One of the biggest problems with mold is that you don't always see it.  You may not realize it is there until it makes you sick.  So as you can see it is very important to keep a close eye on your sump pump.

What should I expect from a true mold removal professional?

3/14/2019 (Permalink)

Mold Removal

Any Professional Mold removal professional should be able to explain to you your mold removal project in a way you can understand.  If your contractor is unable to explain the basic processes and steps of mold remediation and removal in a way that you understand than they are maybe not a good fit for you.  If they are trying to confuse you about the process and scare you into hiring them, do NOT hire them.

Here are some things to expect from a professional-

• When dealing with Mold proper safety gear should always be warn from head to toe.
• The work area needs to always be sealed off.
• Professional equipment such as HEPA air scrubbers, HEPA vacuums, commercial-strength dehumidifiers, etc. are very expensive and regular handymen won’t have that stuff.
• Once the mold is physically removed the air should be cleaned of airborne mold spores using HEPA air scrubbers and air exchange.       In other words, all the bad air needs to be replaced with good clean air.
• When vacuuming and using air scrubbers for mold remediation, the filters used should be High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA). HEPA filters are the only filters designed get particles as small as mold spores.
• Moldy porous building materials like drywall, insulation and baseboards are relatively inexpensive to replace and difficult to impossible to restore to their previous uncontaminated condition. Therefore, they are removed.
• A professional will use an antimicrobial chemical to clean any remaining mold and mold stains after they demo the job.
• A professional will often use a sealer or encapsulant to make the treated areas more resistant to water damage, mold, and odor control.

SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville will meet the highest of standards and will be there for you to make your mold project “Like it never even happened.”

Faster to any disaster

3/14/2019 (Permalink)

Let us be your hero

When you have a disaster strike your home the amount of time it takes to get a restoration company in there and working can make all the difference in the world. If your house catches on fire and the fire department comes and puts it out that water is just going to stay there and drip and spread. If you get a restoration company in there right away it can be the difference between saving Great Grandmas hope chest and it being a total loss. SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon / Wentzville is there at anytime of the day or night. Your belongings will get treated as if they were our very own. We did not get a 5 star overall rating in Google, Yelp and Facebook by being anything but the most professional company out there.

Introducing Our Newest Team Member

2/22/2019 (Permalink)

Brett Gittemeier Marketing Rep.

We are very excited to introduce to you our newest team member, Brett Gittemeier.  Brett comes to us with a natural ability to network and build relationships.  If you have a store front in the Western O'Fallon /Wentzville area you will more than likely be seeing him soon.  Brett will be doing a lot of relationship building through both Face to Face and Social Media.  Brett is the member of a BNI (If you are also and you need a sub feel free to give him a call- 636-856-6202) along with the Western St. Charles County Chamber.  Within that chamber he is also the member of a leads group.  Brett is excited to get out there and meet people.  If you have someone you are looking to connect with let him know so he can try and help you out.  Brett would love to connect with everyone and is especially interested in making connections with Property managers, apartment complexes, churches, and assisted living facilities.  You can reach Brett at (636)856-6202 or by email at SERVPROWOW.Brett@gmail.com  

Lending a Helping Hand (& Truck) to Collect Toys for the St. Charles's Little Black Book's Brr Bash

12/19/2018 (Permalink)

Loving our jobs!

On Dec 7th, SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville was happy to help out and go around the St.Charles and St. Louis county area to pickup toys that had been collected by local businesses for the Little Black Books 2019 Annual Brr Bash. It was a joy seeing so many people and businesses work together, from florists to insurance agents, to collect toys for kids to help them have a good Christmas. The Little Black Book has collected a total of 37,000 toys since they started the Brr Bash 6 years ago! We were honored to be part of such an amazing event and to help support such a great cause!  Because of this one event there were well over 6,000 kids in our area that woke up Christmas morning to a brand new toy.  

Be Prepared for Snowstorms this Winter in St. Charles County

11/16/2018 (Permalink)

Hwy 40 WB and Hwy K exit early Thurs morning (11/15/18). The snow plows were out, but the snow kept coming making it hard to keep the roads clean.

We are currently in our first snow storm of 2018 here in St. Charles County. While the kids are enjoying their snow day and snowball fights, we still need to recognize that some these storms can be dangerous, and we need to be prepared. Unfortunately, some storms can come along with ice or last several days making leaving the house no longer an option. Here are a few tips to help make sure you are prepared  for when/if we do experience a bad storm:

• Create an emergency supply kit for your car. Include jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, bottled water, and non-perishable snacks. Keep the gas tank full.
• Stay off roads if at all possible. If trapped in your car, then stay inside.
• Know your area’s risk for winter storms. Extreme winter weather can leave communities without utilities or other services for long periods of time.
• Prepare your home to keep out the cold with insulation, caulking, and weather stripping. Learn how to keep pipes from freezing. Install and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups.
• Gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Keep in mind each person’s specific needs, including medication. Do not forget the needs of pets. Have extra batteries for radios and flashlights.
• Learn the signs of, and basic treatments for, frostbite and hypothermia.
• Use generators outside only and away from windows.

Source: Ready.gov

Helpful Cooking Fire Prevention Tips for Thanksgiving

11/12/2018 (Permalink)

Use these helpful tips to help prevent cooking fires in your home.

Thanksgiving is next week, so SERVPRO of Western O’Fallon/Wentzville wanted to remind you of some cooking facts to be aware of to help prevent home fires through all the hustle and bustle

• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.
• Unattended cooking is the leading factor in home cooking fires, so stay in the room where/when the cooking is taking place.
• Two-thirds of home cooking fires started when food or other cooking materials caught fire, so always be aware of what is on or surrounding the stove/oven.
• Clothing was the item first ignited in less than one percent of these fires, but these incidents accounted for 18 percent of the cooking fire deaths.
• Ranges accounted for the largest share (62 percent) of home cooking fire incidents.
• More than half (55 percent) of reported non-fatal home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves.
• Frying poses the greatest risk of fire.

Source:  National Fire Protection Association

Help Prevent Frozen Pipes this Winter in St. Charles County

11/12/2018 (Permalink)

Don't let frozen pipes make you spend more this holiday season.

Winter is here!!! (Yes, that is a Game of Thrones reference for any of you GoT fans.) The temperature has started falling (and fast) in the St. Charles County area, so SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville wanted to share a few tips on how to prevent some pretty nasty water damage by preventing your pipes from freezing this winter. 

• Keep your garage door(s) closed, especially if there are any water supply lines in there.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors help warm air to circulate around the plumbing (don't forget to remove anything harmful to little ones or pets beforehand).
• Let the cold water drip from a faucet, even a trickle can help!
• Keep the thermostat consistent day and night. 
• If you plan on leaving for an extended amount of time, leave your heat set at no lower than 55 degrees.
• For long term help, add insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces.

Source: Consumer Reports

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville Helps "Arrest Hunger"

10/28/2018 (Permalink)

Helping Arrest Hunger in 2018

Community is very important to SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, and because of that we are always looking for a way to lend a hand to help out in the community when possible. For the month of Oct some of the surrounding police departments (Wentzville, O'Fallon, and Lake St. Louis PD) were participating in a food drive called "Arrest Hunger". When we heard about the food drive we knew we wanted to help such a wonderful cause. The next day we went up to the store, purchased several carts of food, went back to the office to separate, and went to deliver to all three departments that we knew were participating. We are so appreciative of each of those departments for the kindness they showed us while we delivered the food, and the time and dedication they show the community everyday. We are so lucky to have such great officers in our community, and look forward to help "Arrest Hunger" again next year! 

Home Fire Safety Tips

10/16/2018 (Permalink)

In observation of Fire Prevention Week last week (Oct 7-13), we wanted to post some helpful facts/tips to prevent home fires. 

• “Keep an eye on what you fry.” Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or using an open flame.
• “3 feet from the heat.” Furniture, curtains, dish towels and anything that could catch fire should be kept at least 3 feet from any type of heat source.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Make sure all large and small appliances are plugged directly into wall outlets.
• Matches and lighters should be locked away.
• Make sure you have working smoke alarms. Different types of smoke alarms, ionization and photoelectric, detect fire in different ways. Experts recommend having both types in your home.
• Change smoke alarm batteries every year unless it has a long-life battery.
• Replace smoke alarms every ten years.
• At least twice a year, use your home fire escape plan to practice your 2-minute drill with all your family members. Practice makes perfect! After each fire drill, mark down your escape time.
• Try to find at least two exits that can be used to get out of every room.
• Make sure everyone can escape in 2 minutes or less, and try to find at least two exits that can be used to get out of every room.

 Source: American Red Cross

Conditions in your St. Charles County Homes Might be Right for Mold

8/24/2018 (Permalink)

It’s estimated that more than 1 million types of mold exist, yet less than 10 percent have actually been named. This means mold is very common in both indoor and outdoor environments. While mold and humans can sometimes co-exist without issue, there are certain species of mold that can cause health effects for some people.

If the right conditions exist, mold will grow.  

These conditions include:

• Water - Different mold types require varying amounts of liquid before growth begins.   
• Temperature - Normal indoor temperatures will promote mold growth.
• Time - Initial mold colonizers can take hold within one day after being exposed to an adequate water supply.

Common Molds Found in Homes:

• Aspergillus is a common allergenic mold found in households. This mold is most commonly found on foods and found in air ducts. This mold is usually characterized by fuzzy green and white spores.
• Cladsporium is a mold characterized by dark green or brown suede-looking spores.  It's very unique that this mold can grow in both warm and cold environments unlike most molds that either do better in warm or cool environments.
• Stachybotrys, also known as black mold, is a toxic mold due to the mycotoxins it can create. It is characterized as very dark green and black with a very slimy texture. this "black mold" likes to grow in wet areas with high humidity levels.

Mold growth can occur in any home, so it’s important to keep an eye out for situations that might promote mold activity. Roof/chimney leaks, wet basements, or condensation from ducts that dampen surrounding insulation are just a few examples of issues that make a house a prime target for mold growth.

If you suspect mold in your home, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville to assess the situation. We have the knowledge, tools and track record to effectively remediate mold in your home or business.

If you suspect mold, call us today: 636-856-9700

What to Do if You Find Mold:

• Stay out of affected areas.
• Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
• Contact SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville for mold remediation services.

Lightning Preparedness

8/23/2018 (Permalink)

"When thunder roars, go indoors"

Don't let the calm before the storm fool you

While Missouri hasn't had as much severe summer weather as usual, it is important to brush up on storm safety. Severe weather safety is especially important during the warmer months. Did you know that most lightning strikes occur in the summer months, especially July, during the afternoon and evening? Your chances might be relatively low for being struck by lightening, but Lightning is a leading cause of injury and death from weather-related hazards.

Lightning Safety Tips:

1. If you hear thunder, remember the phrase "when thunder roars go indoors". Lightning always accompanies thunder. 
2. If caught outside avoid the following: Open areas, high ground, standing or leaning on concrete floors/walls, and any metal objects. All of these are areas most likely to be struck by lightning. 
3. Avoid water; do not bathe or swim. Lightning is very likely to strike open bodies of water and travel through the metal plumbing in your house.
4. Try not to use stoves, dryers, washer, or any other electronics plugged into the wall during a storm with lightning. This is because lightning can travel through electrical systems.
5. Consider buying surge protectors, lightning rods, or a lightning protection system to protect your home, appliances, and electronic devices.

Please remember that lightning can travel 5-10 miles away from the thunderstorm and strike the ground without storm clouds looming overhead. The storm doesn’t have to be overhead in order for you to be struck so always listen for thunder in the distance when there's moderate risk for severe weather.

If lightning strikes your home, you can trust SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville with your storm restoration needs. Call 636-856-9700 to make your home look "Like it never even happened".

Emergency Preparedness Month-Businesses

8/23/2018 (Permalink)

50% of Businesses permanently shut down after a disaster. Don't let your business be the half that shuts down for good. 

As a business owner or manager, you are a leader in your community and have the opportunity to set an example for your employees, customers, and community to follow. This September, join your community in preparing for emergencies and disasters of all types, and leading efforts to encourage the community as a whole to become more prepared. Disasters not only devastate individuals and neighborhoods, but entire communities, including businesses of all sizes. As an employer in your community, having a business continuity plan can help protect your company, its employees, and its infrastructure, and maximizes your chances of recovery after an emergency or disaster.

By developing a SERVPRO® Emergency READY Profile for your business, you minimize business interruption by having an immediate plan of action.

Knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is the key to timely mitigation and can help minimize how water and fire damage can affect your business. When fire and water cleanup is needed, getting help is now quicker and easier using the SERVPRO® Ready Plan App. The Ready Plan is an emergency preparedness tool for home and business owners, property managers, risk managers and facility management. It allows for the creation of an Emergency Ready Profile® containing critical facility information to help speed up response time.

The SERVPRO® Emergency READY Profile Advantage

• A no cost assessment of your facility. This means there is no need to allocate funds, giving you a great value at no cost.
• A concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency. It will only take a little time to complete and will not take you away from current projects. But it will save a lot of time if ever needed.
• A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster.This can help minimize the amount of time your business is inactive by having an immediate plan of action.
• Establishes your local SERVPRO® Franchise Professional as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider.You'll have a provider that is recognized as an industry leader and close by.
• Identification of the line of command for authorizing work to begin. This saves time so we can begin the work of mitigating the damage which can save you time and money.
• Provides facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information.Having a quick reference of what to do, how to do it and who to call provides solutions in advance of an emergency so that during the emergency you are “Ready for whatever happens."

Avoid Garage Fires

8/8/2018 (Permalink)

You can avoid disasters like this in your home by following SERVPRO's fire prevention tips.

As wildfires rage on the west coast of the United States, the region of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville has faced many household fires of our own. Our franchise has seen two garage fires in the past two months and we feel it is important to remind homeowners that fire safety is essential for your entire property. Many people do not realize the potential hazards lurking in the garage that could ignite a fire. 

Garage Fire Hazards

For many homeowners, the garage is a extended storage space for cars, lawn care equipment, and appliances such as fridges and deep freezes. These household items seem harmless, but with the right combination these items could turn dangerous. Anyone that works on cars knows that when there is work being done on a vehicle, there are messes bound to happen with motor oil and other flammable liquids that are a fire hazard. For many people who take smoke breaks in the garage, cigarette ashes in an ash tray can turn dangerous if spilled or even if there are flammable items near by in dry conditions. 

Keep your Garage Safe

• Keep a fire extinguisher in the garage
• Install smoke alarm in garage
• Store dangerous products in safe places (example: store combustibles away from sources of heat, such as space heaters, furnaces and boilers.
• Store flammable products such as  spray paint and paint thinner in a dedicated storage space in garage. 
• Keep water nearby

If tragedy strikes your home, you can count on the professionals at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville. Call (636) 856-9700

Emergency Ready Profile

8/2/2018 (Permalink)

Why should you plan for a disaster at your place of business before it happens?

Many business owners have caught themselves asking this question or even "How do I plan for something that hasn't happened yet?". The first question can be answered simply by stating; a recent study showed that HALF of all businesses that closed due to a disaster NEVER reopened. Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry when it comes to your business or home? Answering how to prepare for a disaster is also simple if you have SERVPRO on your side. SERVPRO offers a FREE Emergency Ready Profile that can help your business recover from emergencies faster. 

What's included in an Emergency Ready Profile?

• A FREE assessment of your facilities
• A concise profile document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency. This will save you time searching for necessary contacts during an emergency.
•  A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster. By having an immediate plan of action available to your employees, they save time calling you for a plan of action to use during the disaster. 
• Establishes your local SERVPRO® Franchise Professional as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider
• Identification of the line of command for authorizing work to begin without unnecessary calling to find a restoration company. 
• Provides facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information. These details can also include pictures of these shut-off valves and other important locations. 

Preparation is a key component for making it through any size disaster, whether it’s a small water leak, a large fire or an area flood. The best time for planning for such events is not when the event happens, but well before it happens. No one ever plans on a disaster, but you can plan for it. Now is the time to ask yourself, “Are you Ready for whatever happens?”

If you're interested in setting up an Emergency Ready Profile in your home or business, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636)856-9700

Post Construction Services

8/2/2018 (Permalink)

Once the floor is down and the drywall is up, it's time to remove any dirt or debris from construction in order to lay carpet, paint, and before many other final touches can be made. 

You start it, we finish it!

Building a commercial facility comes along with many important factors such as safety, making sure there's enough materials, meeting customer expectations, and finally meeting the final deadlines. You can trust your SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville to help you meet the deadlines of your construction projects. Some post-construction services include:

• Post-construction cleaning
• Dehumidification and drying
• Final cleaning
• Fast-Track drying
• Emergency Response, restoration, and cleanup services. 

Dehumidification and Drying

During the construction of any building, moisture can get trapped inside the structure before construction is complete. Excessive moisture trapped in buildings could result in mold growth that could slow down the construction process, or even result in a bad reputation if unnoticed. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville uses the best equipment, cleaning products, and techniques to eliminate moisture and prevent mold growth. 

Final Cleaning

When you leave the job-site, you want the facility to looks its best when the doors open. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville provides cleaning services to give the building that little extra shine to wow the owners. Services included in final cleaning:

• Carpet, resilient and non-resilient floor prep and finish
• Ceiling, wall, and fixture cleaning
• Deodorization
• Air duct cleaning
• Debris removal if necessary
• Window cleanings

The last thing anyone wants in a building under construction is fire damage, water intrusion, or mold growth. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville professionals provide 24-hour emergency services.

For all your post construction needs, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636)856-9700

It's the Water you don't See that Causes the Most Damage

8/2/2018 (Permalink)

This water damage in a homeowner's basement is evident by the wet footprints made in the carpeting

Home is Meant to Be your Safe Haven

Your home is most often a place of relaxation and safety, but when water starts to leak, your home could become a source of stress very fast. The possibility of harmful mold, rotting wood, and other unseen damages could affect the structure of your home and the health of your loved ones if it isn't addressed fast enough. Once you see the signs of a leak or water damage, it's time to call the professionals at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville. These re the most common signs of water damages:

• Musty smells
• Mold growth on surfaces inside of home 
• paint peeling away from walls
• floors warping or buckling
• Sagging in walls and ceilings is a sign of retained water that must be extracted
• Discolored patches along walls or ceiling that may appear as a stain
• Water pooling next to house with rain

If you notice any of these signs in your home you can trust SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville professionals to safely clean and restore your home with the following procedures:

• Identify source and type of water
• Measure temperature and humidity for drying analysis
• Survey the extent of damage and inspect the premises for any other hidden moisture
• Perform emergency water extraction
• move and block furniture and contents
• Inspect carpeting along with the carpet padding and provide service
• Apply necessary treatments such as disinfectants or deodorization
• Utilize advanced drying and monitoring equipment
• Dispose of debris

Are you Prepared for Severe Weather?

8/1/2018 (Permalink)

Unexpected emergencies like severe weather call for immediate action.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville knows immediate reaction to the disaster is important to helping you get your life back to normal. Though our atmosphere has been calm over the St. Louis area, we can't turn a blind eye to living on the edge of tornado alley. Missouri often faces severe weather due to its position in the country. The Midwest region is in a location where warm fronts and colds fronts often meet, creating severe weather patterns from time to time.

What is a thunderstorm exactly? A thunderstorm is a rain shower during which you hear thunder. A thunderstorm is classified as “severe” when it contains one or more of the following:

• Hail (one inch or greater)
• Winds in excess of 58 mph 
• Structural wind damage 
• Tornado

What should you do during a thunder storm? 

• Use a battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio for updates from local officials. 
• Avoid contact with corded phones. Use a corded telephone only for emergencies. Cordless and cellular telephones are safe to use. 
• Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage. 
• Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity. 
• Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
• Avoid natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree in an open area. 
• Avoid hilltops, open fields, the beach or a boat on the water.
• Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas. 
• Avoid contact with anything metal—tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs, and bicycles. 
• If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rain ends. Avoid touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle.

After the storm is over

• Never drive through a flooded roadway. 
• Stay away from storm-damaged areas to keep from putting yourself at risk from the effects of severe thunderstorms. 
• Continue to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or to local radio and television stations for updated information or instructions, as access to roads or some parts of the community may be blocked. 
• Help people who may require special assistance, such as infants, children and the elderly or those with access or functional needs.
• Stay away from downed power lines and report them immediately. 
• Watch your animals closely. Keep them under your direct control. 
• If you have storm damage to your home or property, call your SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636)856-9700. Timely mitigation is key to minimize secondary damages caused by severe storms

Severe Weather Emergency Kit

8/1/2018 (Permalink)

When severe weather strikes, will your family be prepared?

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville recommends that every homeowner have supplies on-hand for all natural disasters with a moderate possibility of occurring where you live.

Your Storm Emergency Kit should include:

• Water (one gallon per person per day) 
• Food (non-perishable 3-day supply) 
• Manual can opener 
• Battery operated radio, preferably a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries 
• Flashlight and extra batteries 
• First aid kit m Whistle to signal for help 
• Clothing 
• Dust masks or bandanas 
• Plastic sheeting, garbage bags and duct tape
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities 
• Local maps 
• Hygiene items 
• Important documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account information 
• Cash 
• Fire extinguisher 
• Matches in a waterproof container

Clean Water Damage Tips

8/1/2018 (Permalink)

This is an example for why you never turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet.

When water takes over your home, its important to know what to do and what not to do. The first thing a homeowner should do is determine if the water damage is from a clean water source(bathtub overflow, washer leak, ice-maker leak etc.) or a contaminated one (ex. sewage). If you find water damage in your home, don't hesitate to call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville.

Water damage from a clean water source:

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville has broken down these water damage tips into a simple list for homeowners.

What to do with water damage from a clean water source:

• Shut off the source of water if possible or contact a qualified party to stop the source of water. 
• Turn off circuit breakers for the affected wet areas of the building if it is safe to do so.
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting with towels.
• Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items. 
• Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions to ensure even drying.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting. Remove any materials that are valuable or especially sensitive to moisture(Examples: painting, art works, computers, paper documents, and old books). 
• Use Wooden Clothespins to keep the skirting of furniture off damp/wet floors. 
• Hang draperies with coated hangers to avoid contact with wet floors. 
• Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.

What NOT to do with water damage from a clean source:

• Don't enter rooms with standing water where electrical shock hazards may be present. 
• Don't enter affected areas where electrical objects are exposed to standing water.
• Don't leave books, newspapers, magazines, or other colored print items on wet floors. This may cause staining. 
• Don't leave Oriental rugs or other colored rugs on wet wall-to wall carpets, this may cause staining. 
• Don't use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water, this could potentially cause electrical shock or damage to the vacuum cleaner. 
• Don't TVs or other appliances while standing on wet floors, especially not wet concrete floors. 
• Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet
• Don't enter rooms where where ceilings are sagging from retained water. 

If you aren't sure if it's safe, it's always a good rule of thumb to call the professionals. Our crews are always ready to answer your calls. Call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636) 856-9700. 

Dealing with Contaminated Water Damages

8/1/2018 (Permalink)

This is an example of a contaminated water damage from a sewage back-up that came up through the homeowner's toilet in the basement.

When your toilet backs up into your newly finished basement, who are you going to call?

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville crew technicians are specially trained to handle mitigation of a  contaminated water damage event such as this. Our crews are ready to respond to your emergency at any hours of the night with 24/7 emergency services. Before help arrives, we have constructed a list of Do's and Don'ts for contaminated water damages. 

Do this

• Avoid all contact with contaminated area and items contaminated. 
• Wash hands thoroughly if you had contact with contaminated items. 
• If possible stay completely out of affected areas.

Don't do this

• Don't spread contaminated water by walking unnecessarily on damaged or wet areas.
• Don't turn on the HVAC system if there is a possibility of spreading contaminated air particles. 
• Don't use household fans to dry structure, this could also spread contaminants
• Don't use products for personal hygiene and cleanliness if exposed to the contaminated areas. 

Fire Damage Tips for Homeowners

8/1/2018 (Permalink)

Don't try and take on the fire damage yourself, leave it to the professionals at SERVPRO.

The first two days after a fire can make or break the possibility of restoring your personal belongings. SERVPRO crew technicians of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville can help prevent fire damage from worsening with their extensive training and knowledge about smoke and fire damages. Our crew are available 24/7 for your fire damage needs before the damage in your becomes irreversible. Before help arrives, there are some things you can do to prevent damage from getting worse, as well as things that could worsen the damage. 

Things you SHOULD do:

• Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpet. 
• Keep hands clean. If you have soot on your hands it can further soil upholstery, walls, and woodwork. 
• Place dry, colorfast towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery, and high traffic carpet regions. 
• If the electricity is already turned off, empty freezer and refrigerator completely and prop doors open to help prevent odor.
• Wipe soot from chrome on kitchen and bathroom faucets, trim, and appliances. You can then protect these surfaces with a light coating of lubricant. 
• If the heat is off during the winter, pour RV antifreeze in sinks, toilet bowls, holding tanks, and tubs to avoid freezing pipes and fixtures. 
• Wash both sides of leaves on any household plants not destroyed. Change HVAC filter, but leave system off until a trained professional can check the system. 
• Tape double layers of cheesecloth over air registers to stop particles of soot from getting in or out of the HVAC system.

Things NOT to do: 

• Don't attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces without first contacting your SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville franchise. 
• Don't attempt to shampoo carpet or upholstered furniture without first consulting SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville franchise. 
• Don't attempt to clean any electrical appliances(TVs, radios, etc.) that may have been close to fire, heat or water without first consulting the appropriate repair service. 
• Don't consume any food or beverages that may have been stored close to fire or heat. Food items may be contaminated.
• Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet. Wiring may be wet or damaged and cause electrical shock, and air movement may create secondary damage.
• Don't send garments to the dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may set in smoke odor. 

If you have fire damages in your home, don't hesitate to call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636) 856-9700

Mold: Tips on the Invisible Enemy

8/1/2018 (Permalink)

Our technician Mike shows us a hidden colony of mold behind a water damaged wall.

Molds are naturally found in the environment around us, but some are more dangerous than others. Mold effects everyone differently, but most commonly the side effects of being exposed to mold are usually mild and appear similar to symptoms of a sinus infection.

Potential Side Effects from Mold Exposure

The EPA advised that the potential health concerns from molds are present for everyone, but concerns are especially high for young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. Mold can cause health problems but effects and how mild those effects are vary from person to person. 

How do I reduce my chances of mold growth? 

While you can't completely eliminate your risk for mold since it is a naturally occurring fungi in the environment, you can reduce your risks significantly by using these tips.

• Find and address any standing water immediately. The longer water sits, the higher the chance for mold growth. 
• Maintain safe temperature levels in your home. Too cold and water condenses on cold hard surfaces, too hot and humidity in the air won't dehumidify correctly in your HVAC system. 
• Maintain good airflow in the house. A good circulation of cool air in your home will allow any moisture to evaporate from the air,
• Keep indoor humidity between 30 and 60 percent.
• Vacuum and clean often to reduce dirt and dust in the home. It has been found that 80% of mold grows on dust. 
• Routinely check appliances that carry or hold water for leaks.

10 places homeowners tend to overlook when checking for mold:

1. dishwashers
2. Ice Maker connections and lines
3. Washing machine connections
4. Hot water heater
5. Plastic P-traps
6. Toilet connections and wax ring
7. shower doors
8. bathtubs(Jacuzzi style bathtubs with jets  can accumulate mold growth as well if they are not regularly used or cleaned out) 
9. Exterior hose bib
10. Outdoor sprinkler systems

If you have signs of mold growth in your home, do not hesitate to call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636)856-9700

Wildfire Damage Event

7/27/2018 (Permalink)

While wildfires don't occur in Missouri as often as in California, there is still eminent danger of wildfires in dry and windy conditions.

Wildfires are increasing their chances across the country during sweltering heat and high winds adding fuel to devastating blazes, which are encroaching on residential neighborhoods in areas of the country like Southern California. According to the New York Times, new fires broke out in Malibu on December 7, with at least 96,000 acres already burned in the Ventura area and 116,000 acres in Los Angeles County. Evacuations have closed hundreds of schools and forced 200,000 of citizens of neighboring towns to seek safety. The “Thomas Fire” in the Ventura area continues to burn with the aid of strong winds. This fire has caused the closure of the 101 freeway and a boil-water advisory was issued for Ventura County. The Santa Ana winds; which are enabling the fires to rapidly increase their reach, can have speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour. The National Weather Service has warned of “very rapid fire growth” in this area. SERVPRO Meteorologist Lela Davis said that the Santa Ana winds were already very dry when they reached the Southern California valley, allowing them to quickly pull moisture out of vegetation, increasing the risk for wildfires. For the first time ever, a purple wind warning was issued under the color-coded system used to advise about high winds. This purple warning pushed wind expectations from the “high” category to “extreme”. We are Ready to help, at SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville we are aware of the dry conditions in our Midwest region during these hot summer months. Our thoughts are with those living in neighboring areas who may be put in harms’ way during this event. In many cases, a wildfire can result in a total loss for a home or business, but in others it may be a partial loss, or can result in mild smoke damage. If your home or business is affected by a wildfire, SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is Here to Help®. 

About SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Fire or Soot Damage? Call Us Today – We’re Ready To Help (636)-856-9700

Tornado Safety

7/27/2018 (Permalink)

Tornado alley is Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and South Dakota. Missouri and Iowa are also included in this group often

Tornadoes can occur almost anywhere on land with favorable atmospheric conditions. These favorable conditions that tornadoes often form in are areas where a weather system with warm moist air, clashes dangerously with cold dry air. This clash of a cold front and warm front creates an instability in the atmosphere, therefore creating strong rotations of air columns. Tornadoes are one of the most dangerous weather disaster on land. The wind from tornadoes destroy both man-made and natural structures, uproot trees and electrical poles, and hurl debris around at deadly speeds. In the United States, tornadoes are most common in the great plains and Midwest states but they can happen anywhere. 

How to stay safe during a tornado

• If you are in a building, find a safe place inside such as a basement or interior room on the floor closest to ground level without windows that you and your family members can fit it. 
• If you find yourself in a tall building such as a skyscraper, try to find a safe hallway closest to the interior of the building and without windows. Do not try and make it to the ground-floor/basement if you are stories in the air; you most likely will not have time to make it there safely.
• If you live in a mobile home where tornadoes occur often, it might be best to invest into a storm shelter. It is best to find a sturdy building if nearby, but if there is not shelter it is best for you to get out of the mobile home and lay on lower or flat ground.
• If you are caught driving in a tornado, it is NOT safe to seek shelter under overpasses or bridges. If you are far enough away from the tornado and there are not many other motorists around you, you may drive away from the tornado at right angled directions. If you are close, park the car off the roadway and cover yourself inside the car below the windows or exit the car to seek lower ground and lay flat covering your head from debris. 
• If you get caught outdoors away from buildings in a tornado, it is best to get away from trees and seek shelter in lower ground while laying flat and covering your head.

It's important to know the difference between watches and warnings.

• A tornado watch is issued when there are favorable conditions in the atmosphere capable of creating a tornado.

• A tornado warning is an alert to warn the general public that a tornado has touched the ground in the area or is going to. This is the time to get in a safe place.

If you find yourself with storm damage following a tornado or another natural disaster, call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville at (636)-856-9700

Commercial

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

Restoring Your Western O'Fallon/Wentzville  Commercial Property After A Water Damage Event

 Commercial Water Damage Events Present Unique Challenges 

Flooding and water damage events at Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville  commercial properties are often complex with numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we’re dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large scale event, we work quickly to assess each unique situation and isolate the damaged area. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility.

Restoring Commercial Properties Presents Unique Challenges

Our professionals are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when an emergency situation arises in your business, give us a call and we’ll be there fast with the help you need.

About SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville  specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial and residential property after a water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Water

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

Faster to yourWestern O'Fallon/ WentzvilleWater Damage Event

SERVPRO ofWestern O'Fallon/Wentzvilleprovides 24 hour fire and water damage restoration service in Western O'Fallon/Wentzville

Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we.SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.

Faster To Any Size Disaster

Flooding and water damage is very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more. SERVPRO ofWestern O'Fallon/ Wentzvillearrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.

Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 –636-856-9700

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

About SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville

SERVPRO ofWestern O'Fallon/Wentzville specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Mold

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

Does Your Western O'Fallon/ WentzvilleHome Have A Mold Problem?

Mold Damage

InWestern O'Fallon/ Wentzville, mold can spread through a home in as little as 48 hours.

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water.These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold,Call Us Today –636-856-9700

General

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.

IICRC Certified Firms must

• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.

• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.

• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.

• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.

• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.

The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry

The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.

Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.

About SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property

Faster to Any Disaster

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

For Immediate Service in Western O'Fallon/Wentzville , Call SERVPRO 636-856-9700

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville  provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
• Faster to Any-Sized Disaster
• Highly Trained Restoration Technicians
• A Trusted Leader in the Restoration Industry
• Locally Owned and Operated
• Advanced Restoration and Cleaning Equipment 

Have Questions? Call Us 24/7 636-856-9700

Residential Services

Whether your Western O'Fallon/Wentzville  home needs emergency flood damage or your upholstery cleaned, you can depend on us.  Our technicians have extensive cleaning and restoration training and can make your property look its best. Learn more about our residential services:

• Water Damage Restoration
• Fire Damage Restoration
• Mold Remediation
• Storm Damage Restoration
• Cleaning Services
• Building/Reconstruction Services

Commercial Services

There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville  commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business.

• Commercial Water Damage Restoration
• Commercial Fire Damage Restoration

Water Damage, Lake St Louis , MO

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

This customers Sump Pump failed and flooded the basement with standing water.

 Western O'Fallon/Wentzville Residents: We Specialize in Flooded Basement Cleanup and Restoration!

A basement can flood at any time, although flooding most often occurs during heavy rainfall. Basements are inherently prone to flooding because they are the lowest level of a building and are normally built partly or entirely below ground level. There are a number of reasons why your Western O'Fallon/ Wentzvile  basement could flood, including: 

• A blocked or failed sewer lateral pipe
• Heavy rain causes surface water to pool around your home
• Storm sewer backup
• Sanitary sewer backup
• Foundation drainage failure
• Water supply-line break or hot-water tank failure
• And many more

Have Questions about Basement Flooding?

Call Today - 636-856-9700

If flood water is not handled quickly and properly, it can jeopardize your health and safety, and cause severe damage to your home’s structure. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will get.

The bottom line: a flooded basement can jeopardize your health, safety, and your home’s integrity. It’s worth making a call to SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville and let our trained, professional crews handle the situation safely and correctly. We have earned the trust of hundreds of homeowners, business owners, and property professionals.

We are Flooded Basement Specialists:

• We are Available 24 hours/7 days per week
• We’re a Preferred Vendor to many National Insurance Companies
• We Bill The Insurance Directly – One Less Thing For You To Worry About
• Our Technicians are Highly-Trained  in Water Restoration Techniques
• We use s500 IICRC Restoration Standards
• Advanced Inspection and Extraction Equipment

Basement Flooded? Call Us Today – We’re Ready To Help 636-856-9700

Fire Damage, O'Fallon, MO

3/29/2018 (Permalink)

These home owners thought the burn barrel was fully extinguished, however, there were still hot embers that caught the home on fire.

Western O'Fallon/Wentzville  Smoke and Soot Clean Up Fire Damage

Smoke and Soot Damage Can Cause a Pervasive Odor in Your Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville Home.

Smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Our smoke damage expertise and experience allows us to inspect and accurately assess the extent of the damage to develop a comprehensive plan of action.  

Smoke and soot facts:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
• The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Different Types of Smoke

There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

• Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

• Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire

• Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor. 

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions.  We have the equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire and smoke damage.  We will also treat your family with empathy and respect and your property with care.

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?
Call Us Today – 636-856-9700

Storms & Floods

3/27/2018 (Permalink)

When Storms or Floods hit , SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is ready!

Storm Damage

Our highly trained crews are ready to respond 24/7 to storm or flood damage in Western O'Fallon/Wentzville.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville specializes in storm and flood damage restoration. Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition.

Faster Response

Since we are locally owned and operated, we are able to respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost.

Resources to Handle Floods and Storms

When storms hit Western O'Fallon/Wentzville, we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of1,650 Franchises across the country and eliteDisaster Recovery Teams that are strategically located throughout the United States.

Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today636-856-9700

Water Damage

3/21/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville provides 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage restoration service.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

We Answer the Phone Ready to Help
Call Today -636-856-9700

We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect

When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.

Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:

• Your name and contact information
• Your insurance information (if applicable)
• The street address of the water-damaged home or business
• When did the flooding or water damage occur?
• What caused the water damage (if known)?
• Is there electricity available (on-site)?

About SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

If you suspect Mold Call SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville

3/6/2018 (Permalink)

Customer was out of town for 3 weeks, when they returned home they found that their entire trailer was flooded and filled with mold.

Wentzville/Western O'Fallon Residents:  Follow These Mold Safety Tips If You Suspect Mold

 Mold Damage: Be careful! Without proper training, you could be spreading mold throughout your home.

If you see visible mold, do not disturb it. You can inadvertently spread the mold infestation throughout your home. When mold is disturbed, the mold can release microscopic mold spores which become airborne and can circulate inside your home.

What to Do:

• Stay out of affected areas.
• Turn off the HVAC system and fans.
• Contact SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville for mold remediation services.

What Not to Do:

• Don’t touch or disturb the mold.
• Don’t blow air across any surfaces with visible or suspected mold growth.
• Don’t attempt to dry the area yourself.
• Don’t spray bleach or other disinfectants on the mold.

About Our Mold Remediation Services

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville specializes in mold cleanup and restoration, in fact, it’s a cornerstone of our business.  Our crews are highly trained restoration professionals that use specialized equipment and techniques to properly remediate your mold problem quickly and safely.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today –636-856-9700

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville

2/28/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/ Wentzville provides 24 hour Fire and Water damage restoration services.

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville  is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

We Answer the Phone Ready to Help
Call Today  636-856-9700

We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect

When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.

Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:

• Your name and contact information
• Your insurance information (if applicable)
• The street address of the water-damaged home or business
• When did the flooding or water damage occur?
• What caused the water damage (if known)?
• Is there electricity available (on-site)?

About SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville

SERVPRO of Western O'Fallon/Wentzville specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.