Working Sump Pump Prevents Flooding in Aitkin Home Basement?

5/30/2023 (Permalink)

We restore flood damage 24 hours a day in Aitkin County.

Have you inspected your sump pump to ensure it is in good working condition in the event of a flooding event? Flooding from Spring snowmelt can damage homes and businesses when sump pumps fail. Our local Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties teams respond to storm damage emergencies every year. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) offers these helpful tips for maintaining your sump pump to keep your sump pump in good repair:

• Open the lid and remove debris that may be blocking the water inlet screen
• Pour about five gallons of water into the pump and watch the float valve rise
• As the float valve rises, the pump should turn on, and the water should discharge through the outlet pipe
• Go outside and inspect the outlet pipe
• Water should be flowing from the pipe and away from the home
• Contact a plumbing professional if the sump pump fails to operate during this inspection
• Install a battery backup system
• Choose a system with a battery replacement warning
• Replace batteries every two to three years

Call Us Today!

When you discover flood damage in your Aitkin home or commercial business, our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Spring Flood Preparedness Tips for Floodwood Residents?

5/23/2023 (Permalink)

We restore flooding damage 24 hours a day in St. Louis County.

The small bedroom community of Floodwood is situated at the junction of the East Savanna River and the Saint Louis River. Our local Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties teams respond to storm damage emergencies every year. The City of Floodwood website urges residents to be prepared for spring flooding due to the above-average snowfall last winter. 

Here are some flash flood safety tips from the National Weather Service:

• During periods of heavy rains, stay away from flood-prone areas such as stream beds, drainage ditches, and culverts
• Move to higher ground if flooding threatens your area
• If you live or work in flood-prone areas, remain alert during periods of heavy rain
• Be especially cautious at night as it is harder to recognize flood dangers
• Never drive your car into water of unknown depth. Most flash flood deaths occur when people drive their vehicles into flood waters. Remember: Turn Around Don’t Drown!
• If your vehicle stalls, abandon it immediately and seek higher ground. Flood water may rise quickly, cover the vehicle, and sweep it away.
• Stay out of flooded areas. The water may still be rising and very swift. A rapidly flowing stream can sweep you off your feet and sweep your vehicle downstream.

Call Us Today!

When you discover flood damage in your Floodwood home or commercial business, our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Storm Knocks Out Power in Hermantown Homes and Businesses?

5/16/2023 (Permalink)

We are trusted leaders in storm damage restoration services in St. Louis County.

Storms can occur at any time of the year in Hermantown. Our local Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties teams are trained and certified to mitigate and restore storm damage quickly and efficiently, and with little disruption to your household. Power outages are common during storms, and there are things you can do in advance to prepare your food stores. The United States Department of Agriculture offers these helpful tips:

• Keep the freezer full. Fill empty spaces with frozen plastic jugs of water, bags of ice, or gel packs.
• Keep an appliance thermometer in both the refrigerator and freezer. Make sure the refrigerator temperature is at 40 °F or below and the freezer is at 0°F or below.
• Group foods together in both the refrigerator and freezer. This helps foods stay cold longer.
• Freeze refrigerated items that you may not need immediately, such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry. This will keep them at a safe temperature for longer.
• Have a large, insulated cooler and frozen gel packs available. Perishable foods will stay safe in a refrigerator for only 4 hours.
• Find out where dry ice and block ice can be purchased

Call Us Today!

When you discover storm damage in your Hermantown home or business, our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will restore your property damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Broken Pipe Floods Aitkin Home Overnight?

5/9/2023 (Permalink)

We restore water damage 24 hours a day in Aitkin County.

Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties has been restoring water damage in Aitkin for years. Here are some tips from our website for things you can do, and should not do, while waiting for professional help to arrive:

What To Do

• Remove excess water by mopping and blotting
• Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removal of lamps and tabletop items
• Remove and prop wet upholstery and cushions
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting
• Turn air conditioning on for maximum drying in summer
• Remove colored rugs from wet carpeting
• Remove art objects to a safe, dry place
• Gather loose items from floors

What NOT To Do

• Don't leave wet fabrics in place
• Hang furs and leather goods
• Don't leave books, magazines, or other colored items on wet carpets or floors
• Don't use your household vacuum to remove water
• Don't use television or other household appliances
• Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet, and keep out of rooms where ceilings are sagging

Call Us Today!

When you have a water damage emergency in your home or commercial business, our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will restore your water damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Mold Outbreak Hidden Inside Walls of Floodwood Home?

5/1/2023 (Permalink)

We are leaders in mold remediation services in St. Louis County.

Mold is a common challenge in Minnesota during the spring. Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties have been restoring mold damage in Floodwood for years. Sometimes mold damage is not readily visible, but there are some indications that mold may be lurking somewhere in your home. Here are some of the signs that you may have mold damage:

• Water leak on a wall
• Strong, musty odor
• Recent water damage
• Fluffy white or black spots on clothing
• Stinky, damp carpeting
• Water leak inside a cabinet
• Leaking water tank
• Leaking water heater
• Leaking water supply line
• Spotting on upholstered furniture
• Spotting on drapes or fabric blinds
• Spotting on wallpaper
• Bubbling paint on walls
• Dark spots on walls
• Musty smell from an air conditioner
• Visible mold growing on wall or floor tiles

Mold Removal Process

1. Emergency Contact – 218-879-6141
2. Inspection and Mold Damage Assessment
3. Mold Containment
4. Air Filtration
5. Removing Mold and Mold-Infested Materials
6. Cleaning Contents and Belongings
7. Restoration

Call Us Today!

When you notice a strong musty odor in your home or business in Floodwood, you may have hidden mold damage. Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties will locate and  the mold damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Leaking Pipe Leads to the Discovery of a Mold Outbreak in Hill City Home?

4/25/2023 (Permalink)

We are leaders in mold and water damage restoration services in Aitkin County.

Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties are trained and certified to restore mold damage in Hill City. Often, mold is a symptom of a water leak somewhere in the structure. The Environmental Protection Agency offers these tips for determining if you have a water leak:

To check for leaks in your home, you first need to determine whether you're wasting water and then identify the source of the leak. Here are some tips for finding leaks:

• Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
• Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)

Call Us Today!

Mold issues are very common during the spring months in Hill City. When you discover mold in your home or commercial business, you can trust our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties to restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Power Outage Safety Tips for Mountain Iron Residents?

4/18/2023 (Permalink)

We restore property damage 24 hours a day in Aitkin County.

Although most power outages end quickly, some can last as long as days or weeks! I had no idea a power outage could last for days and weeks in some extreme cases. Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties is on call and ready to respond to storm damage emergencies in Mountain Iron 24 hours a day.

When freezing rain, sleet storms, or high winds damage power lines and equipment, it is good to be prepared for a worst-case scenario. Here are some tips from Minnesota Power for preparing for a power outage:

Keep at least one flashlight for each household member, a battery-powered radio, and extra batteries in an accessible place. During cold weather, have extra clothing layers, warm footwear, hats, gloves, and blankets and/or sleeping bags available. Be prepared to move to a location with power and heat during an extended power outage in extreme cold.

Generator safety

If you use a standby generator, be sure it is isolated from electric lines feeding into your home. During an outage, the electric energy from the generator could back feed into the power line and seriously injure or kill a line worker trying to restore your power.

Call Us Today!

When you have a storm damage emergency in your Mountain Iron home or commercial business, you can trust our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties to restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

April Ushers in the Wet Season in Aitkin?

4/11/2023 (Permalink)

We restore water damage 24 hours a day in Aitkin County.

The “wet season” in Aitkin begins towards the end of April and ends at the beginning of October each year. Water intrusion caused by roof leaks, basement flooding, and moisture penetration can all contribute to water damage. Now is a good time for residents and businesses to inspect their roofs for signs of damaged or missing shingles, clean out rain gutters and downspouts, reseal basement walls, and check to make sure basement sump pumps are in good working order.

If you discover any water intrusion damage it is important to make repairs quickly to minimize the chances of more significant damage and costly repairs. Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties is on call and ready to assist you with water intrusion issues. Our team is highly trained and certified to restore water damage.

After any heavy rain event, your home or business should be inspected for visible signs of damage. Here are some of the indicators of storm damage:

• Debris on the roof
• Dents in your siding
• Clogged or broken rain gutters
• Visible damage to the roof facia
• Visible signs of the roof flashing
• Water spots on your ceiling or walls
• Cracked, dented, or lifted roof shingles
• Missing roof shingles

Call Us Today!

When you have a water intrusion issue in your Aitkin home or commercial business, you can trust our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties to clean and restore the storm damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Hermantown Home Contaminated by Recent Flooding?

4/3/2023 (Permalink)

We are leaders in water damage restoration services in St. Louis County.

Our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties is trained and certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) to safely clean and restore areas compromised by contaminated water from flooding events. Here are the three classifications for contaminated water that we remediate:  

Category 3: "Black Water"

This water is grossly unsanitary and could cause severe illness or death if ingested, and any contact should be avoided. Sources for category three, “black water” includes flooding from rivers or streams, water from beyond the toilet trap, water from the toilet bowl with feces, or standing water that has begun to support microbial growth.

• Water from flooding rivers or sewer backup
• May contain untreated sewage, harsh chemicals, and microbes

Category 2: "Gray Water"

• It May contain bacteria and viruses
• It can quickly degrade into category three if left untreated

Category 1: "Clean Water"

This is water from a clean source, such as a broken clean water supply line or faucet.

• Water from a clean source like a broken water line
• If left untreated, can degrade into category two or three

Call Us Today!

When you have flooding in your Hermantown home or commercial business, you can rely on our local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties to clean and restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.

Business in Aitkin Floods Overnight?

3/28/2023 (Permalink)

We restore commercial water damage 24 hours a day in Aitkin County.

When I walked into the building on Monday morning, there was a giant shallow lake on the first floor. A pipe burst over the weekend and wasn’t discovered until Monday morning. Our insurance company told us to call the local team in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties and I’m glad we did. The team arrived quickly and immediately shut off the water valve and began to remove the bulk of the water quickly. They set up powerful air blowers and movers to dry the area completely and documented and monitored the drying process to ensure the area was returned to normal humidity levels. Because the water had two days to seep into the floors, walls, and furniture, there was significant damage.

Call Us Today!

Our advanced equipment helps to detect hidden moisture, extract the standing water quickly, and thoroughly clean and dry your office furniture and furnishings. We finish the job with professional deodorization and sanitizing agents for your comfort and safety.

When you have a water damage emergency in your Aitkin commercial business or home, you can rely on our local team of professionals in Aitkin, Carlton, and West St. Louis Counties to clean and restore the damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 218-879-6141.

Franchises are independently owned and operated.