The Dangers of Ice Dams and How They Can Lead to Water Damage

12/11/2024 (Permalink)

Ice dams are a common winter hazard for homeowners. They form when snow on your roof melts, then refreezes at the edges, creating a barrier that prevents proper drainage. As the trapped water backs up behind the dam, it can seep under shingles and into your home, causing significant water damage to ceilings, walls, and insulation.

This water intrusion can lead to mold growth, structural damage, and costly repairs if not addressed quickly.

To prevent ice dams, keep your roof clear of snow, ensure proper attic insulation, and maintain good ventilation. But if you experience water damage due to an ice dam, call SERVPRO immediately. Our expert team is available 24/7 to provide fast, effective water damage restoration and protect your home from further harm.

Insurance Awareness Day

6/28/2019 (Permalink)

Friday, June 28^th is Insurance Awareness Day.  Make an appointment today to sit down with your insurance agent to ensure you have the coverage you need should disaster ever strike your home or business.  All too often we deal with customers who are disappointed to find that their Homeowners Insurance Policy does not adequately cover their losses.  The two problems we see most often are:

1. No Coverage for a Sump Pump Failure. In most cases, a standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not provide coverage for water damage caused by sump pump failure.  However, this type of coverage can be very affordable and can easily be added on to your standard homeowner’s insurance policy in the form of what’s called an endorsement.  When this type of endorsement is active, it provides for coverage of property damage caused by water that has managed to back up and into your home from pipes, sewer systems, drains, sump pumps, water service, or any additional system that transfers fluids to and from your home.   
2. A Low Emergency Services Limit. All too often we see homeowners with a $2,500 - $5,000 Emergency Services Limit.  And unfortunately, this is not enough to cover the average water loss.  It may be enough to dry your basement or home to prevent secondary damage from mold and rot.  But it often leaves no money left over for rebuilding your basement or home and restoring it to its original state.  In order to restore your home and make the loss "Like it never even happened." we recommend at least $20,000 for Emergency Service Limits. 

Make an appointment today to talk to your insurance agent about these 2 important things. 

Summer Humidity

6/26/2019 (Permalink)

It’s that time of year when you will hear your local meteorologist talk about dew points and relative humidity.  Simply stated humidity is the amount of water vapor (the gaseous state of water) in the air.  Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor the air is holding as a percentage of what it could be holding if it were saturated.  For example, if the relative humidity is 30%, the air contains 30% of the water vapor it could hold at that temperature.  Higher temperatures have the capacity to hold more water vapor than lower temperatures.  So as temperatures rise in the summer months, so too does the capacity for water vapor in the air.  And too much water vapor in the air makes us feel uncomfortable and can damage our homes. 

When our body temperature rises, we begin to sweat.  As the water in our sweat evaporates, it cools our skin. When the relative humidity is high, the air around us has less capacity to take in our evaporating sweat, making it more difficult for us to cool off, and making us feel uncomfortable. 

In our homes, high humidity can cause condensation on walls and windows and it can cause mold.  As discussed in earlier blog posts, mold is bad for our homes because it feeds on and decomposes any organic material.  Organic materials are any type of materials that are found in nature or are made from items that are found in nature.  Examples of organic materials in our homes and businesses include wood, textiles and paper.     

It’s important during these summer months when humidity levels outdoors can spike, to reduce humidity in our homes and businesses to keep us comfortable and prevent damage.  In general relative humidity levels below 50 are considered comfortable and will help prevent mold growth.  The two easiest ways to do this are to run air conditioning or a dehumidifier.