Why Choose Us?

5/12/2022 (Permalink)

Faster to any size disaster

We have more than 1,900 locations nationwide serving 90% of all US zip codes within two hours.

Available 24/7

An emergency can happen at any time, and our Customer Care Center is ready to take your call, day or night. Just call SERVPRO for immediate assistance.

Highly-trained professionals with more than 50 years of experience

We’ve earned the reputation as #1 in the cleanup and restoration industry and specialize in fire and water damage, specialty cleaning, mold, and so much more.

Why Choose SERVPRO?

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO provides many of the services you may need after a storm blows through your area. We provide emergency roof tarping and board-up services to help prevent additional damage from the elements and provide security to your property.

What to Do After a Storm Damages Your Home: 5 Steps to Take

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

If a storm damages your home, it can feel like your life is suddenly flipped upside down. You may feel overwhelmed with the destruction the storm has caused, and it can be difficult to know what to do first. But careful planning before a storm hits can help you navigate the challenging waters afterward, so you can return to normalcy as quickly as possible. So what should you do after a natural disaster? Here are 5 steps to take so you can be prepared if a storm damages your home.

1) Be careful and stay alert

The destruction and aftermath of a storm of any kind can pose serious injuries. Once you’re certain you and your household members are safe and unharmed, take the necessary precautions to avoid injuries. It’s common to come across hazards from storm damage like broken glass, exposed nails, or displaced screws, so keep an eye out. Be alert of unsecured piles of debris like caved-in roofing materials, standing water, and collapsed walls.

It’s important to always assume that downed power lines are still energized and dangerous. Stay as far away from the power lines if possible and alert the police if you find downed power lines in your neighborhood. Additionally, if you smell gas, immediately shut off any gas valves to prevent further danger.

2) Assess the damage and take photos of the storm damage

After the storm has passed and before contacting your insurance company, assess the storm damage to your home. To ensure you’re fully compensated, take pictures of any interior and exterior damage to your home. Your house could have structural damage, so always be cautious as you’re moving about your home. When you’re inspecting the interior and exterior, record any of the following:

• Roof lifting and lost shingles. Be alert of any holes or leaks in the roof, split seams, dents on vents and gutters, missing, broken, or dented shingles. You can work with an experienced roofer to find a local, reputable insurance agency.
• Missing or damaged exterior siding. Rain can cause damage to siding and strong winds can tear it right off.
• Broken windows and destroyed doors. The wind itself as well as the debris it carries can easily break windows and blow open doors.
• Damaged or broken appliances, including your air conditioner. This is commonly due to water damage.
• Basement flooding. When the soil surrounding your home becomes too saturated with water, your basement or crawl space can flood, causing damage to your belongings and the foundation of your home.
• Moisture damage. Rain and water can seep into your home and cause mold to develop in insulation, wood, furniture, and carpeting.
• Fire damage. Electrical shorts caused by downed power lines or water entering outlets and electrical equipment can cause fires.

Don’t forget to record the loss or destruction to your personal items too. Most homeowner’s insurance policies include personal property coverage up to a scheduled limit.

3) Call your insurance agent right away

After you’ve taken photos of the storm damage, call your agent as soon as possible and stay in contact until your claim is resolved. They’ll be able to explain what kinds of damage your insurance policy covers. Make sure to discuss the damage caused to your home and provide the photos you took along with proper documentation. Following this, your insurance company will send out an adjuster to determine the extent of the damage.

4) Stop further damage

Now is the time to do what you can and stop any further damage from occurring. If storm damage is allowing wind and water to get into your home, start by covering broken windows or a leaking roof with a tarp or plywood. Do what you can first to minimize further damage, then consider contacting a local restoration service provider to help you out. They can help you tackle storm damage and get your property back to normal. If you don’t know of a trusted contractor in your area, oftentimes your insurance company can help you get in contact with a reputable contractor to avoid any scams.

During this time, if your home is in poor condition, consider booking a hotel room or staying with friends and family for the time being. If your home requires extensive repair, make sure you return only when it’s safe to do so.

5) Stay organized and keep receipts

Keep good documentation for any claim to your homeowner’s insurance. For example, save all receipts for materials and labor to ensure you receive fair reimbursement.

Familiarize yourself with what your homeowner’s insurance policy covers. For example, a typical homeowners insurance policy will cover tree damage from a storm, but the biggest exception to most coverages is flood damage. Regardless of carrier, flood damage is not covered as part of a standard policy. Therefore, you’ll need flood insurance in the event that your home is damaged by a flood.

A homeowner’s insurance policy will typically cover three scenarios:

• Weather damage: This typically includes damage due to hail, wind, fire, snow, and more.
• Non-weather events: Common non-weather events are actions like theft and vandalism.
• Sudden/accidental events: This includes situations like a water pipe breaking or a water leak.

If you live in an extreme-weather area with high storm risk, speak with your agent to find out if it’s in your best interest to protect your home and belongings with storm damage or flood insurance. It’s an additional coverage you can opt for in your homeowner’s policy, but can help you after a storm damages your home

Our Team is Why You Want to Choose SERVPRO

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

Our team is the main reason you want to choose SERVPRO of Annandale/Falls Church for your restoration needs!  Our office staff has over 7 years of experience and have certifications from the IICRC for Water, Fire, Odor, Mold and Biohazard.  We have an extremely capable and knowledgeable team to answer your questions. 

Each of our SERVPRO of Annandale/Falls Church Crew Leads are certified by the IICRC for Water and Applied Structural Drying with a few specializing in Fire, Mold and Biohazard as well. 

Each member of our team has completed a background check and screened to give you a peace of mind in choosing us. Let SERVPRO of Annandale/Falls Church assist you with your home or business. 

3 Reason Why You Should Hire a Remediation Company

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

When a home in one of our communities of Northern Virginia is devastated by water damage from floods, broken pipes, or leaks, a homeowner may end up having to pay for costly repairs. If you leave water damage untreated, your property becomes susceptible to mold. Mold colonies form when mold spores find optimal conditions to survive. When these colonies develop, they rot the natural construction materials of a building. You should hire a mold cleaning service if your property has untreated water damage and has become rotted due to mold. Typical signs of mold are:

• Rotting wood
• Falling bathroom tiles
• Visible green sludge on walls and ceilings

Here are three reasons you should hire a mold remediation specialist:

1. They Will Help You Find Hidden Mold
   Bathroom tiles will fall when mold colonies consume the grout holding them up. Sometimes, mold can hide behind these tiles. A mold remediation company will first inspect your property to find hidden mold and places in your home with higher humidity levels.
2. They Will Dehumidify Your Property
   After a leak or a flood, materials that are affected can remain damp even after the water has been cleaned away. Dampened construction materials are ideal hosts for mold, especially if they are in a dark space. A mold remediation company will help dehumidify your property to keep mold from rotting wood, drywall, or grout.
3. They Can Help Restore Your Property
   A company specializing in mold remediation, such as SERVPRO of Annandale/Falls Church, will help to restore materials that have mold damage. Along with dehumidifying, they can assist with repairing drywall, carpets, and paint. Depending on the severity of the damage, they can also help reconstruct entire rooms affected by mold.

If you have water damage that has been left untreated and has become a hotspot for mold, give our team a call to assist you in your cleanup and repairs. You can prevent costs from accruing by restoring water-damaged materials immediately. If you suspect you have microbial growth in your property, give us a call at 703-237-8800. We’re always here to help!

When a home in one of our communities of Northern Virginia is devastated by water damage from floods, broken pipes, or leaks, a homeowner may end up having to pay for costly repairs. If you leave water damage untreated, your property becomes susceptible to mold. Mold colonies form when mold spores find optimal conditions to survive. When these colonies develop, they rot the natural construction materials of a building. You should hire a mold cleaning service if your property has untreated water damage and has become rotted due to mold. Typical signs of mold are:

• Rotting wood
• Falling bathroom tiles
• Visible green sludge on walls and ceilings

Here are three reasons you should hire a mold remediation specialist:

1. They Will Help You Find Hidden Mold
   Bathroom tiles will fall when mold colonies consume the grout holding them up. Sometimes, mold can hide behind these tiles. A mold remediation company will first inspect your property to find hidden mold and places in your home with higher humidity levels.
2. They Will Dehumidify Your Property
   After a leak or a flood, materials that are affected can remain damp even after the water has been cleaned away. Dampened construction materials are ideal hosts for mold, especially if they are in a dark space. A mold remediation company will help dehumidify your property to keep mold from rotting wood, drywall, or grout.
3. They Can Help Restore Your Property
   A company specializing in mold remediation, such as SERVPRO of Annandale/Falls Church, will help to restore materials that have mold damage. Along with dehumidifying, they can assist with repairing drywall, carpets, and paint. Depending on the severity of the damage, they can also help reconstruct entire rooms affected by mold.

If you have water damage that has been left untreated and has become a hotspot for mold, give our team a call to assist you in your cleanup and repairs. You can prevent costs from accruing by restoring water-damaged materials immediately. If you suspect you have microbial growth in your property, give us a call at 703-237-8800. We’re always here to help!

Why SERVPRO?

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

Why SERVPRO?  When you call our Team, you know you are getting well-trained, professional technicians to restore your property.  We are dedicated to ongoing training and keeping up with current technology and standards in the restoration industry.  About thirty years ago, back in 1992, SERVPRO Corporate developed a National Training Center to teach restoration and mitigation skills to SERVPRO Franchise Owners, Team Members, and insurance industry professionals.

The National Training Center offers employee training as a self-paced program designed specifically for the SERVPRO employees. At SERVPRO of Dale City/Lake Ridge and SERVPRO of Woodbridge/Lorton, all members of our Team, including our production managers, crew chiefs, restoration technicians, administrative and marketing staffs are required to complete the certification program.  Certification is awarded after successful completion of course materials and an examination. Modules include:

• Crew Training
• Fire Restoration
• Water Restoration
• Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

SERVPRO is an approved IICRC (Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning) Training School that offers year-around classes in the following restoration categories:

• Carpet Cleaning
• Fire Restoration
• Water Restoration
• Upholstery Cleaning
• Applied Structural Drying

• When you call on us for help be assured that our entire team is knowledgeable about the services we have to offer.

In addition, SERVPRO of Dale City/Lake Ridge and SERVPRO of Woodbridge/Lorton is mold certified as well.  We have been serving the residential and commercial communities in Northern Virginia, including Dale City, Lake Ridge, Woodbridge, Lorton, and Quantico Marine Corp Base for more than 16 years.  If you need our help, we are only a phone call away at 703-672-3048. We’ll make it “Like it never even happened.”

How to Clean After Fire Damage

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

There are three types of damage that you may need to clean after a home fire:

• Fire damage
• Smoke damage
• Water damage

Let’s break that down into a quick checklist that will give you an overview of the cleaning process:

• Carefully remove all debris.
• Remove any standing water.
• Repair or replace anything that shows signs of water damage.
• Remove smoke particles and soot from all areas of the home.
• Clean the vents to eliminate soot and smoke particles that could damage the lungs. Make sure to turn your HVAC system off soon after the fire. You don’t want to spread those particles through your ventilation system and into other areas of the home. A thorough cleaning of the system is needed if you think that has happened.
• Throw away clothing and household items that are beyond repair or that you can’t wash. That’s an overwhelming step, but remember that most things are replaceable.
• Eliminate the smoky aroma that tends to set in after a fire.
• Purify the air to improve air quality throughout the home.

You can follow this checklist to clean up most areas of the home in the aftermath of a fire. If you find any of these tasks too difficult or you don’t have time to handle a post-fire cleanup, you may need to contact our team of experienced professionals.

What should you do if your house is damaged by a hurricane?

5/5/2022 (Permalink)

You can get help with temporary housing, with repairs, with meals for your family and with filing insurance claims. Contact the FEMA branch in your area. If the storm damaged many homes in your area, a FEMA representative may be traveling through your neighborhood or available at a local temporary FEMA office.

Fire Damage Cleanup

5/5/2022 (Permalink)

It’s hard to imagine the damage and destruction caused by a fire. Even small fires can be devastating.

When you find yourself dealing with the losses of fire, the mess from the fire itself and the damage created when the fire was extinguished, as well as the potential irreplaceable contents that might have been affected, it can be over whelming.

Can You Clean a Fire-Damaged House?

5/5/2022 (Permalink)

In some cases, you can clean a fire-damaged house. Even if you don’t know where to start, we have some tips that will teach you how to clean after fire damage.

The first step is taking burned debris and ash seriously. It may contain harsh chemicals that have the potential to damage your lungs. If ash touches your skin, it may leave a burn, rash, or other signs of irritation. You also want to avoid contact with your eyes to prevent permanent damage.

You do this by wearing long pants, long sleeves, an N95 mask, and protective shoes with closed toes. Cover your hands with thick gloves as well. Open all windows and doors to help air out some of the harsh chemicals and lingering smoke. If you need to take short breaks to get out in the open air in the early stages of cleaning, give yourself that time without feeling guilty.

With those protection measures in place, it’s time to get into the details of learning how to clean after fire damage.