Flood & Water Damage Cleanup in Northeast Ohio

EMILIO SOLI, GEORGE CRUZ - Managing Partners

*** 2009 NE OHIO HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MALE ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR ***

Northeast Ohio property owners have been seeing some backups and water-related issues from the remnants of the melting snow that hit the area over the last few weeks. The ground is completely saturated at this point and a lot of times this water has nowhere to go and can threaten the structural integrity of a foundation and/or basement.



When noticing water damage and flooding to your basement be aware that flood water may contain sewage. Call a professional immediately. We are available with 24-HOUR EMERGENCY HELP. 440-748-7876. In the meantime, it is very important to protect yourself and your family by following these steps:



- Keep children and pets out of the affected area until cleanup has been completed.
- Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles during cleanup of affected area.
- Remove and discard items that cannot be washed and disinfected (such as, mattresses, carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, upholstered furniture, cosmetics, stuffed animals, baby toys, pillows, foam-rubber items, books, wall coverings, and most paper products). PUROCLEAN WILL DO THAT
- Remove and discard drywall and insulation that has been contaminated with sewage or flood waters. PUROCLEAN WILL DO THAT
- Thoroughly clean all hard surfaces (such as flooring, concrete, molding, wood and metal furniture, countertops, appliances, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures) with hot water and laundry or dish detergent. PUROCLEAN WILL DO THAT (w/ specialized chemicals)
- Help the drying process by using fans, air conditioning units, and dehumidifiers. PUROCLEAN WILL DO THAT
- After completing the cleanup, wash your hands with soap and warm water. Use water that has been boiled for 1 minute (allow the water to cool before washing your hands).
Or you may use water that has been disinfected for personal hygiene use (solution of ⅛ teaspoon [~0.75 milliliters] of household bleach per 1 gallon of water). Let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, use a solution of ¼ teaspoon (~1.5 milliliters) of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.
- Wash all clothes worn during the cleanup in hot water and detergent. These clothes should be washed separately from uncontaminated clothes and linens.
- Wash clothes contaminated with flood or sewage water in hot water and detergent. It is recommended that a laundromat be used for washing large quantities of clothes and linens until your onsite waste-water system has been professionally inspected and serviced.
- Seek immediate medical attention if you become injured or ill.



Health Risks
Flood waters may contain potentially dangerous materials, such as fecal material from overflowing sewage systems, agricultural runoff, and chemicals from industrial areas. Wading in flood waters can also be a cause of infection or result in a variety of injuries. Also a threat of electrical currency to be generated in standing water that can have fatal affects to a human being.

PuroClean Professional Services
440-748-7876
24-HOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE

*** WE COME APPROVED AND PREFERRED BY PROPERTY INSURANCE CARRIERS ***

PROUDLY SERVING NORTHEAST OHIO

Water Backups in Cleveland & Akron Caused By Snow Melting

Basement backups can be very dangerous. Grounds around NE Ohio are pretty saturated with temperatures starting to rise and snow melting. PuroClean Professional Services have been flooded (no pun intended) with phone calls from property owners seeking advice on how to handle their wet basement problems and for cleanup requests.

Homeowners suffering from water damage are faced with an extremely stressful experience. Water loss and damage is a real threat for property owners. In fact, according to the Insurance Information Institute in the last year, 22 per 1,000 household have entered a claim for water related damage. These situations are more common than most people think. At times in the year such as now, water damage is often the result of the weather, such as storms, melting snow, freezing pipes, and ice damming.

When presented with flooding situations, time is of the essence. React quickly. Call 440-748-7876 for professional help. Available with 24-Hour Emergency Service.

To help minimize loss, and prevent further damage while technicians from PuroClean are en route, property owners should follow these guidelines:
Insurance
o Call your agent.
o Take photographs of the damage.
o Keep all receipts from hotel stays, home repair materials, etc.
Plumbing
o Check pipes on well pumps and irrigation systems.
o If sewage is backing up in the shower or under the toilet, your whole system is backed up. Call a professional and don’t use other sinks or toilets.
Roofing
o If the neighbor’s roof is missing shingles after a storm, you can assume that yours probably is, too.
o If only a few shingles are gone, try to cover the area with a garbage bag.
o If you have a large area of ripped tar paper or wood, cover it with a tarpaulin and call a roofer immediately.
Electric
o Most damage to electrical systems comes from water.
o Appliances exposed to water should be serviced before being used again.
o Check for sparks or frayed wires if wires are exposed call an electrician and do not turn on the power.
o If it appears that water has infiltrated your breaker box, call an electrician.
o Avoid fallen and dangling wires or metal fences.
o If a limb has fallen on a power line, turn off the power and call the utility company.
o If a fallen limb touches your property, it becomes your responsibility, but you should not attempt to clear them as they may be tangled in power lines. Call an electrician.
Flooding (Take these steps to minimize damage before the restoration professional arrives.)o Throw out all food, including canned goods, medicines and cosmetics that have been touched by flood water.
o Keep a photographic inventory of anything that must be thrown out.
o Don’t take pets into a flooded area and never let them drink standing flood water.
Miscellaneous
o Turn on air conditioner if damage occurs in summer.
o Move valuable paintings, art objects and photos to a safe, dry place.
o Open closet doors, furniture drawers and luggage to aid in drying.
o Remove any wet fabrics and dry immediately.
o Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
o Stay out of any rooms where the ceiling is sagging from trapped water.
o Turn off the breaker before unplugging appliances.

PuroClean Professional Services
440-748-7876

Emilio Soli, George Cruz - Managing Partners

*** Proudly Serving Northeast Ohio ***

PuroClean and Area Roofing Companies Are Scrambling to Help Ice Damming Issues in Ohio

The number to call for your property damage emergency is 440-748-7876. You will not be the first person to use that nor the last. The last three weeks have been somewhat standard and normal in terms of snow fall that is a yearly constant for the area. However, the issues involving Ice Damming at the edge of peoples roofs and gutters have been everything but normal for the past couple of years.

Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valleys of roofs, and in some winters create major problems for property owners in Northeast Ohio. Insufficient attic insulation and/or attic ventilation can cause roof snow to melt and slide down to the eaves, where the roof surface is cooler and the melting snow freezes to the roof. Subsequent melting causes water to pool behind this dam and sometimes the water seeps between the shingle layers, wetting the roof deck and possibly the walls and ceilings below.

The surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas saw record amounts of ice accumulation last winter and it is approaching similar numbers again this winter.
Ice Dams can cause MAJOR property damage, especially when the Damming is so strong that water starts to intrude into the house and affect ceilings, walls, and floors. If you suspect water damage to the inside of your house, you must act immediately and call a professional. Time is of the essence with how fast the ceilings and walls can undergo advanced drying techniques as well as mold prevention remedies. How fast it is treated correlates to how much it will affect your pocket book.

PuroClean has been helping property owners all over NE Ohio deal with water damage mitigation. Our technicians simply dispatch from one service call to the next and the day or night is not over until every call that day has been treated and helped. Thus, we have earned the nickname of "Northeast Ohio's Paramedics of Property Damage".

The picture above shows how they are formed and what they look like.


DON'T DELAY WHEN AN ICE DAM CAUSES WATER INTRUSTION!
Contact PuroClean Professional Services immediately if you suspect an Ice Dam has caused water damage to the interior of your property!

440-748-7876

Cleveland & Akron Homeowners Are Beginning To Deal With Damage Left By Snow

This winter storm is leaving behind a lot of damage, and homeowners across the area are only beginning to cope with it. Visions of ice hanging from roofs, tons of snow-clogged downspouts, and gutters on the ground are the scene of properties across NE Ohio.

"It's been a nightmare for a lot of people," says insurance agent Crystal Cline. Cline knows firsthand because she gets the claims that homeowners call in. "Ninety percent of them have been homeowners and a majority of them are ice forming in the gutters, and then causing leaks within the home," she said.

But the big question for most is will their homeowners insurance cover the damage? "Yes, if they have the proper policy," said Cline. "Most homeowners' policies do cover losses to the house itself." That means water damage caused by clogged gutters and frozen pipes, and even losses caused by power outages, are covered. Outside your home - repairing fences, retaining walls and removing fallen trees - depends on the language of your policy.

And don't forget, the standard policy is subject to your deductible which is usually $500. "If you have a $500 deductible, that means you have to pay the first $500 of the repair," she said. "Anything over that amount, the insurance company would pay."

The claims are only just beginning.

Agents across the NE Ohio region all share similar sentiment that a lot of claims, especially in the next week or two if there is a thaw, when everything melts is when we will all see a lot of water damage. That time is almost before us right now.

Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valleys of roofs, and in some winters create major problems for property owners in Northeast Ohio. Insufficient attic insulation and/or attic ventilation can cause roof snow to melt and slide down to the eaves, where the roof surface is cooler and the melting snow freezes to the roof. Subsequent melting causes water to pool behind this dam and sometimes the water seeps between the shingle layers, wetting the roof deck and possibly the walls and ceilings below. The surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas saw record amounts of ice accumulation last winter and it is expected to be a prevalent issue again this winter.


If you are experiencing water intrusion from this issue, time is of the essence. DO NOT HESITATE from calling a professional company with that is preferred and has an existing relationship with insurance providers, like PuroClean Professional Services.

Even if you are unsure of the scope of the water damage, it would not hurt to call. We are available with 24-hour emergency service. If we get to the issue quick enough, we may be able to save the structure, therefore saving much more damage from occurring.

440-748-7876

Ice Damming Emergencies in Cleveland & Akron, Ohio

Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valleys of roofs, and in some winters create major problems for property owners in Northeast Ohio. Insufficient attic insulation and/or attic ventilation can cause roof snow to melt and slide down to the eaves, where the roof surface is cooler and the melting snow freezes to the roof. Subsequent melting causes water to pool behind this dam and sometimes the water seeps between the shingle layers, wetting the roof deck and possibly the walls and ceilings below.

The surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas saw record amounts of ice accumulation last winter and it is now becoming a prevalent issue again this winter.

Ice Dams can cause major property damage. The pictures above show how they are formed and what they look like.

The illustrations show the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valley of the roof. Insufficient attic insulation and/or attic ventilation is causing the roof snow to melt and slide down to the eaves - here the roof surface is cooler and the melting snow freezes to the roof. Further melting causes water to pool behind this dam and the water then seeps between the shingle layers. The roof deck is saturated and possibly the walls and ceilings below.

The surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas are seeing large amounts of ice dams this winter and it is becoming an issue that cannot be ignored.

DO NOT DELAY WHEN AN ICE DAM CAUSES WATER INTRUSTION!

440-748-7876

PUROCLEAN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Northeast Ohio's "Paramedics of Property Damage"

Cleveland Named "America's Worst Winter Weather City"

PuroClean Professonal Services - Northeast Ohio's "Paramedics of Property Damage"

440-748-7876
24-HR Emergency Service

Forbes.com on Friday named Cleveland as "America's Worst Winter Weather City," in a ranking of the top 50 metropolitan areas by population.

The magazine's web site used three measurements -- average temperature, overall precipitation and total snowfall -- to compare big cities.

The site commented that our "winters require endurance" citing lake-effect snow that drives our snowfall average to nearly 60 inches a winter and an average temperature that is 10 degrees below the 50-city average.

Weather forecasters are pretty certain that some of that now-infamous Cleveland snow will still be forthcoming in the near future.

The Northeast Ohio region is subject to many threats to a property from water damage due to these harsh and extended winter periods. The precipitation levels accompanied with freezing temperatures often present troubling issues for property owners. Usually during these frigid temperatures many area plumbers, public service workers, and PuroClean Professional Services are busier than normal dealing with frozen and ruptured water pipes and lines to homes and businesses. Service calls are taken every year regarding busted water lines to attic crawl spaces and basement areas. Some property disasters leave behind over five feet of water.

Another form of water damage to homes this time of year is from ice damming. Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valleys of roofs, and in some winters create major problems for property owners in Northeast Ohio. Insufficient attic insulation and/or ventilation can cause roof snow to melt and slide down to the eaves, where the roof surface is cooler and the melting snow freezes to the roof. Subsequent melting causes water to pool behind this dam and sometimes the water seeps between the shingle layers, wetting the roof deck and possibly the walls and ceilings below. The surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas saw record amounts of ice accumulation last winter and it is expected to be a prevalent issue again this winter.

Melting snow is an annual formality facing the Northestern area of Ohio. Sometimes this can affect properties lacking the foundation support to with-hold the added amounts of water that melting brings. A lot of back-ups, leaks, etc. have been troubling many area property owners and even businesses.

If you have experienced any water-related property disaster please don't hesitate to contact a professional company. Time is of the essence with these circumstances and the longer you wait the more you jeopardize the structural integrity of your property.

PuroClean Professional Services provides 24-hour emergency property disaster services.
Call 866-944-PURO (7876)

Ohio's Frigid Weather May Leave Some With Property Damage

Homeowners suffering from water damage are faced with an extremely stressful experience. PuroClean Professional Services is prepared to immediately restore property, relieving the stress of property owners during an extremely vulnerable time.

Water loss and damage is a real threat for property owners. In fact, according to the Insurance Information Institute in the last year, 22 per 1,000 households have entered a claim for water related damage. "These situations are more common than most people think," said George Cruz, owner of PuroClean. "Water damage can often result from weather, such as storms or melting snow, or more often, from common household malfunctions such as pipe leaks, washing machine malfunctions or other plumbing problems."

The Northeast Ohio region is subject to many threats to a property from water damage due to our harsh and extended winter periods. The precipitation levels accompanied with freezing temperatures often present troubling issues for property owners. Usually during these frigid temperatures many area plumbers, public service workers, and PuroClean Professional Services are busier than normal dealing with frozen and ruptured water pipes and lines to homes and businesses. Service calls are taken every year regarding busted water lines to attic crawl spaces and basement areas. Some property disasters leave behind over five feet of water. Another form of water damage to homes this time of year is from ice damming. Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valleys of roofs, and in some winters create major problems for property owners in Northeast Ohio. Insufficient attic insulation and/or ventilation can cause roof snow to melt and slide down to the eaves, where the roof surface is cooler and the melting snow freezes to the roof. Subsequent melting causes water to pool behind this dam and sometimes the water seeps between the shingle layers, wetting the roof deck and possibly the walls and ceilings below. The surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas saw record amounts of ice accumulation last winter and it is expected to be a prevalent issue again this winter.

To help minimize loss, and prevent further damage while technicians from PuroClean are en route, Cruz suggests property owners follow these guidelines:

Insurance

o Call your agent.

o Take photographs of the damage.

o Keep all receipts from hotel stays, home repair materials, etc.

Plumbing

o Check pipes on well pumps and irrigation systems.o If sewage is backing up in the shower or under the toilet, your whole system is backed up. Call a professional and don’t use other sinks or toilets.

Roofing

o If the neighbor’s roof is missing shingles after a storm, you can assume that yours probably is, too.

o If only a few shingles are gone, try to cover the area with a garbage bag.

o If you have a large area of ripped tar paper or wood, cover it with a tarpaulin and call a roofer immediately.

Electric

o Most damage to electrical systems comes from water.

o Appliances exposed to water should be serviced before being used again.

o Check for sparks or frayed wires if wires are exposed call an electrician and do not turn on the power.

o If it appears that water has infiltrated your breaker box, call an electrician.

o Avoid fallen and dangling wires or metal fences.

o If a limb has fallen on a power line, turn off the power and call the utility company.

o If a fallen limb touches your property, it becomes your responsibility, but you should not attempt to clear them as they may be tangled in power lines. Call an electrician.

Flooding (Take these steps to minimize damage before the restoration professional arrives.)o Throw out all food, including canned goods, medicines and cosmetics that have been touched by flood water.o Keep a photographic inventory of anything that must be thrown out.o Don’t take pets into a flooded area and never let them drink standing flood water.

Miscellaneous

o Turn on air conditioner if damage occurs in summer.o Move valuable paintings, art objects and photos to a safe, dry place.o Open closet doors, furniture drawers and luggage to aid in drying.o Remove any wet fabrics and dry immediately.o Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.o Stay out of any rooms where the ceiling is sagging from trapped water.o Turn off the breaker before unplugging appliances.

About PuroClean Professional Services

PuroClean is a leader in property damage restoration and has earned the trust of property owners, insurance professionals and home service providers throughout the Northeat Ohio region. PuroClean responds promptly to property emergencies demonstrating a high degree of professionalism and compassion. PuroClean's certified technicians are thoroughly screened, insured and trained in utilizing the latest in mitigation technology and procedures throughout the remediation process while operating under a strict code of ethics. In addition to serving the needs of property owners, PuroClean offers several continuing education classes each year to insurance professionals and property service providers. Managing Partners George Cruz and Emilio Soli were named 2009 Male Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. PuroClean Professional Services cover the ten surrounding counties of the Greater Cleveland and Akron metropolitan areas with 24-hour emergency service.