Recent Posts

Planning Fire Restoration Successfully for Bellingham Properties

1/21/2024 (Permalink)

a fire damaged hallway with walls covered in soot If fire damage occurs on your property, be sure to contact SERVPRO. Our technicians can help create a speedy remediation process.

Steps Necessary to Control Fire Damage

The coastal city of Bellingham, WA, is a popular place to catch a ferry to Alaska. The city covers 30.51 square miles and has a population of 91,482. Its thriving culinary scene features farm-to-table restaurants, coffee roasters, and local breweries. Skylarks Cafe, Keenan's at the Pier, and Danielle's Back East BBQ are some establishments worth checking. Local events like the Ski to Sea Race, Bellingham Festival of Music, and Downtown Sounds are a great way to have fun.

Fire restoration in any Bellingham property can be complex, necessitating sophisticated equipment and skills to facilitate the process. SERVPRO® provides well-trained and fully equipped teams to manage repairs. Our vast experience helps expedite the process and manage things smoothly.

What to prioritize for smooth restoration

  • Safety assessment
  • Damage assessment
  • Content restoration
  • Structural repairs

The heat and flames involved in a fire incident can destabilize structural areas, creating safety hazards. In some instances, water damage may occur from firefighting or damaged plumbing systems, creating safety issues like slippery floors, electrical shorts, and compromised structural areas. A safety assessment ensures the occupants and anyone entering the building are not exposed to unnecessary risks. SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians use char gauges, circuit analyzers, and other tools to ensure your property is safe.

Another crucial assessment is the level of damage since every fire incident is unique. Some important aspects to establish during such assessment include how far the smoke residues spread, the level of charring, and how strong the smoke odors feel. Our SERVPRO crews also classify contents based on damage levels, identifying salvageable, unsalvageable, and questionable items.

Identifying damage levels helps ease content restoration and structural repairs through better planning. For example, you can tell from the start whether any items require water damage repairs and which structural areas require teardown to facilitate the replacement of affected materials. Our teams help resurface or refinish affected areas. 

SERVPRO of Whatcom County is Here to Help® 24/7. Call (360) 733-1800 for assistance.

Holiday Trees Celebration

12/4/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Whatcom was happy to be selected as a participant in the Hotel Bellwether’s Holiday Trees Celebration – benefiting Skookum Kids, a community organization that keeps children safe and helps them transition into foster care. Area businesses commit to creating a tree that represents their business – this year, there were more than 20 local businesses entered.

Our tree focused on our amazing team members, and framed photos were the highlight of our holiday décor as was a nod to our branding logo and colors – we were the only Holiday tree boasting bold orange!

Community members can cast their vote for their favorite tree – with winners announced at the end of the holiday season – wish us luck. Serving our community and honoring our team makes us winners already!

Thank you to our Marketing Team for sharing their holiday cheer, especially Kyle Little who was the best at reaching the high spots!

Comprehensive Carpet Water Damage Restoration in Ferndale

11/26/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO crew extracting water from a flooded home with the caption: "24/7 Emergency Service" If your Ferndale home has water damage, call SERVPRO. We're Faster to any size disaster™.

SERVPRO® Expertly Tackles Wet Carpet and Rug Challenges

Ferndale homeowners face the challenge of addressing water damage quickly when it affects their carpets and area rugs. The aftermath of a heavy rain or a pipe leak can be daunting, with many unsure how to restore floor coverings successfully on their own. 

After water damage to Ferndale carpeting and area rugs, there should be zero delay in starting the water cleanup. Fast action on a homeowner's part to bring in professional assistance can help limit numerous complications.

  • Problems arising from water damage to carpets and rugs:
  • Mold growth
  • Unpleasant odors that linger and make indoor spaces less welcoming
  • Weakening of carpet fibers, causing them to tear easily
  • Damage to the floor underneath, especially if it's made of wood or luxury vinyl

SERVPRO® in Ferndale offers specialized services to address water damage on carpets and area rugs. Their approach includes:

  • Extracting the water using high-powered equipment to ensure little moisture remains
  • Cleaning and sanitizing the carpets to eliminate any contaminants
  • Using dehumidifiers to restore the normal moisture levels of the room
  • Providing a thorough drying process to prevent mold growth and odors

Specific Methods for Drying Carpet

SERVPRO techs often utilize a controlled drying method known as "tenting." Tenting is a specialized technique used in the water damage restoration industry to dry a wet carpet in place.

How Tenting Works Against Water Damage

Plastic sheeting is placed over the wet carpet and sealed with water extraction tape to form an airtight tent. The tent size adjusts to the dimensions of the damp area. Inside, SERVPRO techs use air movers to accelerate moisture evaporation from the carpet and padding. After drying, the rug is cleaned, sanitized, and re-stretched (if needed) to its original condition.

SERVPRO of Whatcom County at (360) 733-1800 serves the Ferndale community for water damage restoration services of any size or type.

Essential Steps of Mold Damage Restoration in Bellingham Properties

9/17/2023 (Permalink)

mold growing on a brown wall by a power outlet You can't get rid of mold on your own. Our certified technicians are here to help you 24/7.

SERVPRO Helps Repair Bellingham Homes after Mold Damage

One of homeowners' most prevalent concerns after moisture damage is mold growth. After all, mold can quickly decay building materials. Mold remediation is the only way to restore your Bellingham property and ensure it is safe for occupation.

There are fundamental aspects to the mold damage restoration process in Bellingham to return your home to its previous state before the issue occurred. Such factors mean mold removal is something better left to experts. It is a challenging task requiring advanced equipment and specific training to perform the job correctly. SERVPRO® uses a systematic approach to ensure efficient remediation and safe mold removal.

Steps for efficient mold damage removal

  • Source identification
  • Containment
  • Air filtration
  • Removal and cleanup

Sometimes mold can be tricky to detect, especially the hard-to-reach areas like behind walls. SERVPRO crews have the expertise and gears to properly assess the extent of the microbial damage and identify hidden growth. We perform thorough inspections using specialized equipment like moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras for better accuracy. We address the underlying moisture issue, which is the main factor in the situation.

What Happens During Mold Restoration

The mold restoration process is not only about removing microbes from the damaged area. The process may involve demolishing specific components to expose moisture trapped in hidden places. We build containment barriers to avoid cross-contamination as we remove damaged materials. Porous materials such as drywall, carpeting, insulation, and upholstered furniture that are extensively mold-contaminated cannot be salvaged. We use 6-mil polyethylene to pack the damaged items.

Regarding semi-porous materials such as glass, metal, and certain types of wood, we use cleaning agents to damp-wipe their surfaces, thus cleaning and disinfecting the items.

Methods used to remove mold

  • HEPA vacuuming
  • Scrubbing with detergent and antimicrobial treatments
  • Sanding
  • Wire brushing

SERVPRO of Whatcom County is an experienced full-service restoration company offering efficient solutions, including mold damage restoration. Call us at (360) 733-1800. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Immediate Water Cleanup in Bellingham Avoids Risk of Damage to Contents

5/16/2023 (Permalink)

closeup of carpet and floor of office Water damage risks structural damage to porous wood products such as cabinets, flooring, and walls.

Delaying Water Cleanup in Bellingham Commercial Offices Increases the Risk of Mold

Many of our clients decide to delay water cleanup in their Bellingham commercial businesses, assuming the water will dry up on its own after a few days. Minor plumbing leaks caught quickly; if the water is rapidly removed, the humidity may increase for a few days before returning to normal. Many clients risk structural damage to porous wood products such as cabinets, flooring, and walls when water is left to dry. They also risk exposure to mold spores, which can begin building colonies in as little as twenty-four hours.

SERVPRO provides rapid response and water cleanup to commercial customers in the Bellingham area. Our team can be onsite within four hours of your initial call to our office. We assess the situation, deploy the equipment and staff to remove excess water and moisture from crevices and dry the space before structures are damaged, or mold can begin growing.

Every water leak is different, as are the buildings serviced by our teams. A few examples of our attention to detail help our clients appreciate why completing water removal and drying the space is so important.

  • Hardwood floor drying mats remove water and moisture between hardwood floor planks to avoid cupping and warping.
  • Moisture meters help identify high moisture levels inside walls, nooks, and crevices to avoid mold infestations and compromised wall or cabinet structures.
  • Suction wands can reach small areas to remove water and moisture without demolishing walls.
  • Specialized ducts blow dry air into spaces to absorb moisture and dry the area.
  • Air movers and dehumidifiers continue to remove moisture, lowering humidity to normal levels.

SERVPRO understands how important keeping your commercial business in full operation is. We concentrate and pay attention to the details. We focus on quickly returning your business processes to normal operations.

Call SERVPRO of Whatcom County for water cleanup services. We provide service to Bellingham and nearby areas. We can help 24/7. Call (360) 733-1800.

Water Mitigation in Bellingham Homes is Fast with SERVPRO

4/17/2023 (Permalink)

air movers and dehumidifiers in the warehouse SERVPRO has air movers and dehumidifiers galore to help your Bellingham home recover from storm damage.

Bellingham Homeowners Trust SERVPRO with Water Mitigation

Water mitigation of your Bellingham home by professionals like SERVPRO involves actions taken in the aftermath of a storm to prevent further damage and protect the property. Extracting standing water on your property and drying the structure as quickly as possible is essential for mitigation.

SERVPRO techs use state-of-the-art equipment during water mitigation of your Bellingham property. Techs use commercial-grade pumps and extractors to remove water, even if it contains suspended solids. After removing the water, the SERVPRO restorers use large air movers and dehumidifiers to dry the structure.  

Using the Building Envelop During Water Restoration 

The atmospheric conditions after a storm are not ideal for drying. In such situations, the building’s envelope can profoundly affect the drying plan's effectiveness. The building envelope separates the interior of the building from the exterior.

However, buildings are not air-tight, and SERVPRO techs expect some air to leak into and out of the building. According to the ability of the envelope to keep outside conditions from affecting the drying environment, building envelopes are classified into-

  • Tight envelope: Outside conditions have little to no effect on drying conditions
  • Moderate envelope: The outside conditions somewhat influence the drying conditions inside the structure
  • Loose envelope: Outside conditions significantly affect the drying conditions

Depending on the type of building envelope present, SERVPRO techs develop unique, effective drying strategies in the given conditions. 

Movement of Air Within the Structure

Air can enter and exit the drying environment in moderate, loose building envelopes. The infiltration and air exfiltration can affect the entire building, part of a building, a single room, a wall or ceiling assembly, or even an individual cavity.

SERVPRO techs anticipate these movements and use them to improve the efficiency of the drying system.

Call SERVPRO of Whatcom County at (360) 733-1800; our techs are available round the clock to help you.

Do Not Let Bellingham Water Damage Destroy Your Home

3/21/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO poster extraction wand on carpet SERVPRO extracts water and mitigates damage to your Bellingham home with our fast response; We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

SERVPRO Provides Fast Water Damage Cleanup

Water is an essential component of our lives. When it does not stay contained in the piping of the plumbing system or infiltrates your home through instances like flooding, you can see its destructive and hazardous properties as well. After leaks and other water emergencies, it is important to have a restoration team willing to act quickly to help. Disasters do not wait for convenient times to strike, so our rapid response team stays accessible and ready to mobilize 24 hours a day.

Bellingham water damage occurs in several ways, making no two situations similar. In contrast, our SERVPRO Green Fleet that stays stocked with extraction and drying tools carries the needed instruments to help the site's positioning and frequency of required products and equipment changes after these disasters.

Getting Mitigation Started Fast

Did you know?

Mitigation is a critical component of every restoration project. It is the earliest action to protect a home and its contents from permanent damage.

Completing mitigating steps requires experienced professionals of our SERVPRO team to reach the property shortly after the first notice of loss. While many possible emergency services can help a structure after disasters, some of the most common focal points of our technicians upon entering a water-damaged home include:

  • Extraction
  • Discarding materials
  • Demolition
  • Emergency repairs
  • Content management

Thorough Drying Solutions for Your Home

Drying is a necessary element of every restoration project. Water and moisture must be removed using a combination of drying tools and products, beginning with high-velocity blower units placed in the work area to address surface moisture concerns. Usual drying tools include:

  • Air Movers - High-velocity air mover units are the foundation of fast and continual drying. Blasting surfaces with warm air promotes steady evaporation on surfaces with water damage.
  • Dehumidifiers - Using air movers increases the moisture grains in the air, which must be removed to an acceptable level that does not promote secondary effects like structural deterioration or microbial development. We have dehumidification units that trap and collect this water to improve environmental conditions.
  • Portable Heaters - Heaters manipulate the temperature of the drying space, helping evaporation to happen more quickly, environments to hold more water in the air, and chemical processes to occur with less contact time.

Knowing the House is Dry

Peace of mind is earned, and we can show you why we are a team worth trusting when drying and restoring water damage in your home. With dozens or even hundreds of drying tools used simultaneously to help your property return to preloss condition, continual monitoring is needed to evaluate the progress of these instruments. SERVPRO technicians can reconfigure them to provide even more efficient production. We have several moisture monitors and sensors to help collect data as required.

Relying on Our SERVPRO Experience

We are not the only Bellingham restoration company, but we provide a level of preparedness that has allowed us to become a preferred vendor for insurance work and disaster relief. We are accredited through firms like the IICRC in areas like:

  • WRT- Water Restoration
  • ASD – Structural Drying
  • OCT – Odor Control
  • CDS – Commercial Drying

Bellingham water damage is one of the more common callouts for our professionals, making it a situation that technicians on our roster must stay ready to face. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster, starting with emergency preparedness at all levels. Give our SERVPRO of Whatcom County team a call at (360) 733-1800.

Understanding Bellingham Fire Damage Restoration Phases

3/21/2023 (Permalink)

technician showing a homeowner fire damage on the wall Bellingham property owners rely upon SERVPRO for fire damage cleanup and restoration. "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Protects Homes After Fire Damage

Fires are an unfortunate reality for many homes every year. With the thousands living in the Greater Bellingham area and a high number of commercial properties and businesses, a single fire incident could be costly and devastating. We understand how vital loss mitigation is for these emergencies, so our SERVPRO team reaches properties as soon as possible for efforts like:

  • Inventory Services
  • Hazard Mitigation
  • Content Care
  • Water Removal
  • Bulk Material Removal

Bellingham fire damage occurs from many possible triggers. From accidents around the stovetop to an overloaded outlet, fires can spark quickly and move beyond the ignition point at a rapid pace. Our professionals appreciate the urgency of restoration, so we keep skilled technicians ready to mobilize 24/7 when disasters strike.

Thorough Inspections for Detailed Estimation

Many parties are privy to the details of a fire damage restoration project. The customer, the restoration provider, and the insurance company involved all have a similar stake in understanding the condition of the house and the expected plan to restore and recover the residence. Our production manager conducts a thorough walk-through of the property early to document damage, catalog content loss, and formulate a detailed restoration plan and estimation.

On and Off-Site Content Cleaning

Managing the contents impacted by fire losses is another essential part of SERVPRO's restoration response. While we strive to protect or clean items on-site for a customer's peace of mind, off-site cleaning and storage are sometimes necessary. At our SERVPRO facility, we can provide more intricate cleaning and restoration like:

  • Submersion tank for cleaning hard-surfaced contents
  • Soft material wash station
  • Ozone chamber for deodorizing multiple items
  • Drying approaches

Soot Removal Solutions

Removing soot is one of the more complex areas of fire damage restoration our SERVPRO team performs. Inadequate measures can see soot permanently mar surfaces underneath the soil deposits. The corrosivity of acidic soot and its ability to stain porous surfaces requires fast action with surface cleaning, media blasting, or controlled demolition.

Different Smoke Damage Threats for Homes

Smoke damage is not all the same because the combusted materials and environmental conditions between disasters change considerably. Common smoke damage types include:

  • Wet Smoke – Thick and moist residues on horizontal surfaces typically require solvents to dissolve to prevent smearing and staining.
  • Dry Smoke – A product of high heat fires characterized by chalky, thin smoke residues.
  • Protein Residues – Formidable, thick deposit of grease and oily residue deposited by range top fires.

Cleaning Commercial Large Loss Situations

Bellingham is home to many businesses and commercial properties, making our experience in Large Loss recovery significant for fire damage restoration. We have industrial-grade equipment sizable enough for massive production facilities like warehouses and call centers to the right tools that manage fire losses in multi-story structures and historic properties in the county.

Build-Back Services After a Fire

Few structure fires that impact homes and businesses in our area do not require some reconstruction or repairs. With a general contractor license, we can keep this work in-house and limit the time that the full spectrum of restoration and recovery services takes. Our experience with this next group of actions after fire loss restoration saves customers time and money on pursuing a subcontractor to complete the job on a new schedule.

Bellingham fire damage presents several layers of threat to a home or business. Even with the experience of our SERVPRO of Whatcom County team, not starting restoration right away can have costly and disastrous results for the property. We are ready to mobilize when emergencies occur. Call now at (360) 733-1800.

Needed Approaches and Solutions for Bellingham Mold Damage

3/21/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO mold poster - What to know about mold caption SERVPRO knows all about mold. Call us to remediate your Bellingham home "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Has Many Mold Remediation Techniques

Effective mold and microbial cleanup and restoration is an intricate process that begins as soon as homeowners suspect colonization. Even without physical signs of an infestation, many property owners have been able to speculate about microbial development with effects like musty odors or persistent moisture in specific areas of the residence. Our SERVPRO team works quickly to help mitigate loss from spores and colonies.

Early Structure Inspections

Our SERVPRO remediation team works to understand the scope of the work necessary and the severity of the infestation to the house after Bellingham mold damage by inspecting. We have talented administrators capable of walking through a household with the homeowners to show the likely restoration processes to come, document damage, and evaluate the condition of structural elements directly exposed to mold growth or moisture.

How Does Mold Damage Remediation Begin?

There are no set ways for mold remediation and recovery to occur. In most situations, there is a combination of cleaning and removal efforts based on varying levels of infestation across materials:

  • Cleaning Surfaces - Several sporicidal agents are available to our SERVPRO team to overcome surface mold threats. In most cases, mold spores and microbes are eliminated on contact or within minutes of exposure.
  • Effective Mechanical Actions - Surface treatments alone are not always enough to be successful, and mechanical action must accompany the sporicidal products. Vacuums, brushes, steel wool, sanding, and other aggressive cleaning approaches can amplify the effectiveness of antimicrobial solutions.
  • Blasting Options - Media blasting combines various abrasive products like baking soda, dry ice, or crushed walnut shells with pressurized air or water to eradicate mold on the surface of irregular materials. Water is not typically used as this could further promote mold growth.
  • Removing Damaged Materials - Removing impacted materials can be a last resort for our IICRC-certified SERVPRO professionals when other ineffective remediation approaches. The process removes overly damaged building materials entirely, preventing their further negative influence on the damaged areas.

Can Mold Damage Dissipate on Its Own?

Many mistakenly believe that ignoring mold growth in the house is the best action. In most cases, microbial threats do not improve with time, allowing these conditions to worsen the more that action is not taken to overcome colonization. Understanding that conditions can continue to decline should inspire homeowners to pursue experienced remediation professionals like our SERVPRO team to help.

Clearing Strong Malodors from the Property

Residential mold growth can be challenging, but lingering effects like the harsh malodors these organisms produce can be even more formidable. Offensive odors remain even after much of the mold colonies have been removed and require separate focused actions to overcome and neutralize. Counteractant products can reduce the severity of these smells, but vapor fogging impacts musty malodors.

Will Mold Damage Repairs Be Needed?

Because mold uses organic matter as a food source, hosting materials and structural elements can routinely get destroyed by an aggressive organism. After cleaning up the bulk materials and eliminating lingering portions of the property too weakened to preserve, build-back services are necessary. Our SERVPRO professionals have a general contractor license showing our experience in this area. We begin needed repairs when remediation nears its completion.

Bellingham mold damage occurs frequently. There are homes in the area contending with microbial damage right now that could benefit from the focused mold removal tactics we provide. Give our SERVPRO of Whatcom County remediators a call today to mitigate loss and repair your home after mold exposure. We are ready 24/7 at (360) 733-1800.

Water Damage Repair Can Save the Ceilings in Your Bellingham Home

3/20/2023 (Permalink)

water damaged ceiling from blue drain line Don't get trapped with large water damage repair bills for your Bellingham home. Call SERVPRO; we make it "Like it never even happened."

Water Damage Repair Drains Leaked & Trapped Water

Owning a two-story home provides families in Bellingham with about twice the living space of the ground floor's footprint. The extra story has both benefits and drawbacks. The movement of unwanted water --leaks--through the floor and ceiling can destroy those structures. Destruction such as this requires timely water damage repair services from a qualified company.

SERVPRO provides property owners in Bellingham with water damage repair services that match the specific situation of the customer's home or business. Ceilings containing water that escaped the plumbing can bulge visibly downward.

Here, we explain several reasons why property owners should call SERVPRO as soon as they notice signs of trapped water inside a ceiling or a leak arising in an upper level of their property: 

  • Increased electrical hazards, 
  • Possibility of collapse, and 
  • Repairs are possible for a short period. 

Many ceilings contain wiring to power overhead lighting. Water that collects in the space between the upper level's floor and the lower level's ceiling can cause shorts in the electrical system and corrode electrical system components in adjacent areas. We can fix such extenuating situations immediately after we repair the underlying cause.

Water damages ceilings in two ways – softening the drywall while the water's weight causes it to take the form of a large bowl. This new shape can cause the drywall around the center portion to separate from the screws used to secure it to the beams. Entire sections of your ceiling can fall onto the floor.

Before any ceiling sections detach and fall onto the floor, SERVPRO's technicians can repair everything. We do this by starting at the perimeter toward the center. If we do this soon enough, we can save the ceiling and reduce associated costs.

SERVPRO of Whatcom County at (360) 733-1800 is always ready to assist with repairs, restoration, and other protective measures that your property might require.