Quincy: Burst Pipes – The Aftermath!
December 9, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Tabitha J. wasn’t even home when the problem started. “I travel a lot for work,” the Quincy resident explained. “And our weather’s been so crazy lately — warm one week, freezing the next. I guess I didn’t really ever think about it.”
Plummeting temperatures caused the pipes in a poorly insulated wall to freeze and burst, spraying countless gallons of water into Tabitha’s home. “It was an absolute disaster,” she explained. “The wallboard became so saturated that it actually collapsed inward. There was water all over the floor. The carpet was totally saturated.”
Water Damage Remediation
A quick response is essential to control the effects of water damage. “I’d been gone for three days, and the water had been running all of that time. It soaked through the floor and dripped into the room below!” Tabitha said. “The mess was huge, and I didn’t even know where to start.”
Cleaning up a mess of this magnitude is not a do-it-yourself job. “Are you kidding me?” Tabitha asked. “I don’t even own a mop. I put some towels down, but that didn’t even begin to fix it. And everything smelled so bad!” After a quick visit from a plumber, Tabitha called a Quincy professional cleaning service.
“There was damage to the carpet, the floor below, the sub-flooring, and the ceiling in the room below.” A thorough carpet cleaning and restoration was able to salvage the carpet, reducing some of the cost of bringing Tabitha’s home back to normal. “I was really worried about mildew and mold growing since I’m asthmatic,” Tabitha explained. “That stuff can trigger an attack!” The use of an anti-microbial agent significantly reduces the growth of mold and mildew. Thoroughly drying the affected areas comes next, including the use of dehumidifiers. Today, Tabitha’s home looks beautiful, without a hint of the catastrophic aftermath of her burst pipes.
Industry Accreditations
June 21, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) has served as the Industry Guardian for the cleaning, inspection and restoration service industries for more than 30 years. As a non-profit certification organization, the IICRC helps ensure that you have access to trusted and trained cleaning professionals by establishing and monitoring certification programs and standards for these industries.
To qualify for IICRC-Certified Firm status businesses must demonstrate proof of insurance, maintain a written customer complaint policy with documented follow-up and provide ongoing education and training leading to certification for all technicians. IICRC Certified Firms are also required to abide by the IICRC Code of Ethics. Services provided by IICRC–Certified professionals range from flooring inspection and cleaning to mold remediation to water and fire damage restoration.
EPA Lead-Safe Firm Certification
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.
To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
EPA requires that firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools be certified by EPA and that they use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training providers to follow lead-safe work practices. Individuals can become certified renovators by taking an eight-hour training course from an EPA-approved training provider.