Recent General Posts

I Have Damage From Water. What Do I Do Next?

5/30/2022 (Permalink)

Wet Tile Floor

If your Charlotte, NC, home has experienced water damage make sure to take these seven steps to protect yourself and your home. 

  1. Calling SERVPRO of South Mecklenburg County should be the second call you make.  You can even call us first, and we can begin mitigation immediately! We will help you work with your insurance company.
  2. Call Your Insurance Company- Calling your insurance company should be one of the calls made after a water disaster.
  3. Later, an adjuster will be sent to your home to assess the damage and determine coverage. Don't worry, SERVPRO of South Mecklenburg County will handle everything with the insurance company for you!

Important Note! It is important to know whether your home insurance policy includes flood insurance, as some do not. We encourage you to check BEFORE you have a loss.

What can you do while you wait for us to arrive?

  1. Take Precautions When Entering Your Home.  If there is water in your home it is important to keep yourself and your family safe when re-entering.
  2. Be sure to follow CDC guidelines along with these tips below.
  3. The first step should always be to turn off power sources in the affected areas of the home to minimize the risk of electrocution. 
  4. Make sure to wear protective gear such as rubber boots and gloves to protect against bacteria if the water is from sewage, flood, or toilet. 

SERVPRO of South Mecklenburg County is “faster to any size disaster,” including your flooded home because getting water out quickly can prevent further damage and ensure your safety.

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How Lead Paint Affects The Restoration Process

9/10/2021 (Permalink)

Does My Home Have Lead Paint?

When your older home experiences a water or fire disaster, you might wonder how lead-based paint factors into the restoration process. There is always a risk that homes from 1978 and prior have lead-based paint. So what happens if your home does have lead-based paint? What steps should you take to protect yourself and your family? Keep reading to learn what you should do. 

Does My Home Have Lead paint?

The age of your home is the most important factor when determining if your home has lead-based paint or not. Homes built before 1940 have about an 87% chance of having lead paint. As homes get more recent the chance diminishes. Homes built between 1960 and 1978 might only have a 24% chance of having lead. If your home was built after 1978 it shouldn’t have lead paint, as it was outlawed in 1978. 

How Can You Tell If Paint Is Lead-Based?

Generally, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between lead paint and other types of paint visually.  Testing is required to determine whether or not there is lead present in the paint. Samples are usually taken from areas where the paint is chipping, or where the area will be repainted in the future. 

What If There Is Lead Present?

If lead is found in the paint in your home it will have to be removed safely during the restoration process. When removing lead-based paint, the most important thing is to reduce the dust that might come from the painted surfaces. We will first create a sealed area to prevent any possible contaminants from entering the other areas of your home. Our team will wear proper PPE, including glasses, a respirator, and gloves. We will then remove any damaged areas with low dust removal methods. When the job is complete we will vacuum every surface with a HEPA vacuum to ensure leftover particles are removed from the room, leaving you with a safe lead-free area. 

If your older home experiences a disaster, don’t despair, SERVPRO of South Mecklenburg County is here to help. While older homes come with more challenges, we have the tools and expertise to handle whatever is thrown our way. Just give us a call at (704) 840-6112. 

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