Recent Posts

Soot Damage Cleanup

5/11/2023 (Permalink)

After a furnace puffback or other unforeseen fire damage situation, soot can spread to every corner of your home in a matter of seconds.  The soot damage on this ceiling was just the beginning of our cleanup process.  Furniture, carpet, clothing and other content was affected and handled with care.

During this process, our fire damage restoration professionals often store unaffected content nearby or in a local facility while cleaning and returning the damaged items that are salvageable.  In situations where electronics and textiles are involved, we bring in our local partners to restore those delicate items.  Some important documents or priceless photos can also often be restored from smoke or water damage; our Corporate office handles those needs with their specialized document restoration chambers.

Soot cleaning requires a thorough assessment and cleaning of your property from top to bottom.  We use soot sponges to find the particles of soot that are difficult to see, and we also perform duct cleaning services to ensure that both the structure and the air you breathe is free of contamination.

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford provides 24/7 emergency services for fire, smoke and soot damage in our local area.  Our team is here to assist you every step of the way, from working with your insurance provider to the reconstruction of what was lost!

Preventing Mold after Water Damage

4/19/2023 (Permalink)

This rainy season has caused a lot of water and storm damage to our neighbors.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford has spent a great deal of the past month restoring properties with water leaks and sump pump failures after heavy downpours, and we have also assisted those with damaged roofs after trees had been knocked down due to the wind or other unfortunate circumstances.

During this season of storms, it is important to dry the affected areas properly in order to prevent further water issues or future mold damage.  Our certified water damage restoration professionals are trained to follow strict industry standards in order to help lower the chances of these further issues.

Our team will inspect your building to discover all signs of water droplets or wet materials that have been affected.  We also measure the moisture in these materials and monitor that everything is drying properly with the help of our air movers.

By allowing a trained professional to fully dry the structure for you, you will suffer a much lower risk of finding mold later in those same areas.  Cleaning up the areas may seem easy enough, but allowing a professional to cover all of the difficult areas where water can hide will save you much more time and money down the road!

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford provides 24/7 emergency services for water and fire damage, but we also respond quickly to needs involving mold remediation, cleaning services and reconstruction. We are “here to help” restore properties in our local communities as efficiently as possible with minimal downtime for your home or business.

Mold: The Hidden Enemy

4/3/2023 (Permalink)

Mold comes in all shapes, sizes and colors, but it is typically not as scary as it looks.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford discovered this interesting mold formation in an Avondale home while we were performing services for the sewage that had entered the property.  When our crew removed the drywall to find this growth hidden behind the wall, we realized that this restoration project would be much more extreme.

Mold can be difficult to remove, and it can also spread quickly throughout a property.  In as little as 48 hours, you can have a much larger problem on your hands!  Should your home or business have any extent of mold damage, give us a call for a free estimate!  Our air scrubbers and advanced remediation and cleaning techniques will take care of the issue for you in order to ensure that there are no health risks in the structure.   SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford also provides 24/7 services for emergencies in our area!

Fire, Water and Mold Damage Prevention for Spring!

3/23/2023 (Permalink)

Spring is the perfect time to spruce up your home or business and make sure everything is in order.  It is also a season where fire, water and mold damage commonly occur due to a variety of issues.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford provides cleaning and restoration services for any extent of damage you may encounter.  Below, we list several ways you can prevent property damage this season!

Preventing Fire Damage

  • Check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarms, and change the batteries if it has been over six months.               
  • Check your home for damaged appliances or cords.
  • Clear out any debris or overgrown plants and leaves.
  • Clean out the lint from your dryer, and hire a professional to perform dryer vent cleaning services if the buildup is more than you can handle.
  • Make sure your grill is clear of grease and fat, and that everything works properly.

Preventing Water Damage

  • Clear your gutters and drains of the leaves, dirt and debris that have accrued throughout the winter.
  • Ensure that your foundation is ready to take on the spring showers, so that any precipitation will properly flow away from your property.
  • Make sure that your sump pump is working to avoid basement water damage after a rain storm.
  • Repair your roof of any damages, such as missing tiles or shingles that can lead to a leak.

Preventing Mold Damage

  • In the event of water damage, be sure to hire a restoration professional to remove all signs of water in the affected areas.  Leaving those little water droplets behind can lead to much greater mold issues.
  • Clean areas regularly where moisture is present, such as bathrooms and around windows.  As the temperature climbs, so will the moisture and the risk of mold.
  • Clean your air conditioner of any condensation, and ensure that the system is working properly.

Should you have any issues with your property or just need some extra care after last season, feel free to reach out!  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford provides services in residential and commercial HVAC duct cleaning, carpet cleaning, tile and hardwood floor cleaning, and more!  We can clean your property from top to bottom, no matter the extent of the filth or damage, and we offer free estimates!

Team Hughes Has Grown!

3/9/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is proud to share our big news!!  Team Hughes has acquired two new franchises to add to our portfolio and areas of service, SERVPRO of Lancaster East and SERVPRO of Southern Lancaster County.  We are excited to welcome Lancaster into our territories, which also includes our Cecil County franchise.

Should you need our expertise in Chester County, Cecil County, or our newly obtained Lancaster area, please give us a call!  Our teams are prepared to respond to any cleaning or restoration need for local residential and commercial clients.  We are also excited to meet our local business partners and organizations in this new territory as we expand our coverage!

Spider Webs or Fire Damage?

3/7/2023 (Permalink)

When a furnace or fireplace malfunctions, a severe puffback can occur that leaves soot throughout your entire property.  This happens after a substantial buildup of the oil in the system.  The soot eventually then bursts out and into the air.  Once it strikes other soot particles, the carbon chains are formed that appear to be spider webs but are actually much more difficult to remove.

Puffbacks are a leading form of fire damage during this time of year when our oil burners are not working properly, but there is a way to prevent the strange and toxic soot residue:

  • Clean your oil burner every year.
  • Check for signs of oil leaks.  Before a puffback, soot may begin to slowly make its way into your home by leaving some form of black soot on the burner or on your walls or ceiling.
  • If you hear strange noises from the burner, it’s time to get the system inspected and repaired.
  • Check your chimney and fireplace for signs of damage or debris that can create a buildup of oil that will eventually burst.

Should you discover soot in your property, we recommend that you call a certified fire damage restoration professional to help.  Soot is very difficult to remove, and improperly doing so can actually lead to more damage.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford uses soot cleaning sponges to not only remove all signs of visible soot on the affected surfaces, but also to find exactly where the soot has traveled to so that we can fully restore a property.  Should you discover any form of fire damage in your home, give us a call for a free assessment before the problem can get worse!

SERVPRO Can Handle the Gross Stuff!

2/22/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford often handles biohazard situations for our clients due to issues such as the following:

During one of these unique circumstances, our crew members carefully and thoroughly clean, disinfect and restore all of the areas affected by the unfortunate event.  This photo shows the aftermath of a rental home in Kennett Square after sewage had made its way into the basement of the property.  This process involves decontamination of all surfaces, debris removal, and water extraction for Category 3 water which can be potentially full of hazardous fungi or bacteria.  Once this is complete, our biohazard professionals apply an environmentally friendly anti-fungal and anti-microbial cleaning agent to all areas in order to fully remove any signs of harmful bacteria.

During hoarding situations, we also perform similar cleaning procedures.  These often involve removing all content from a property before the decontamination process can even begin.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is happy to utilize our local business partners such as exterminator and dumpster companies to help us complete these biohazard projects efficiently.

Winter Isn’t Through With Us Yet!

2/8/2023 (Permalink)

After the sudden cold snap that led to dozens of Chester County properties in peril from water damage recently, you may be wondering how to prevent the very same thing from occurring in your home or facility.  Below, we list several actions you can take in order to greatly prevent a water loss this winter.

Frozen Pipes

Frigid temperatures means a much likelier chance of your pipes freezing and bursting.  To stop your pipes from freezing:

  • Be sure to insulate any that are exposed.
  • Close the indoor valves that supply water outdoors.
  • Open the outdoor valves so that any excess water can drain out.
  • In very low temperatures, open your faucets a little to allow the water to drip and therefore keep flowing through the pipes.
  • If a pipe should freeze, you can use a heating pad, hair dryer or hot towels to slowly thaw the pipe before it breaks.

Winter Storms 

  • Check your property for signs of damage both before and after a winter storm.  This could save you a water damage disaster if you should discover a leak or damaged portion of your roof for instance.
  • In the event of heavy snowfall, remove the snow evenly from each side of your roof in order to help prevent the threat of a roof collapse.
  • Do not let snow stay accumulated on your roof for too long of a period.  Doing so can potentially lead to an ice dam which prevents the melting water from exiting through the drainage system, leaving the water with nowhere to go except to leak into your property.

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford has assisted our local communities with their water and storm damage needs throughout this winter season.   Our restoration team is proud to help recover homes and businesses from many forms of damage that are often unexpected.  Should you suffer water, fire or mold damage of any kind, our SERVPRO professionals can help to guide you through the process while getting your property back to normal.

A Cold Snap Causes Christmas Water Damage Disasters!

1/25/2023 (Permalink)

Water damage didn’t rest this past holiday season, but luckily SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is prepared to respond 24/7 and at a moment’s notice to any emergency.  Over the weekend of Christmas, the steep drop in temperature caused numerous water damage issues throughout our local communities in the form of frozen pipes, sump pump failures, septic backups, sprinkler discharges and more.  The sudden frigid weather took many local home and business owners by surprise when their systems couldn’t handle the cold, and our restoration teams responded to many of those calls over the entire holiday weekend including Christmas Day.

Our water and storm mitigation crews provide each unique disaster with not only the proper equipment and procedures to get the job done right, but also the proper care and understanding of how overwhelming these situations can be for our clients.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is proud to have a team that can help to salvage a customer’s property so that they can still enjoy time with their families over the holidays and throughout the year!

Giving Back to the Community!

1/25/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford held three food drives throughout the past year for many of our local food banks in need!  Most recently, we partnered with Clarel Janitorial and the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce to donate food and supplies to the Honey Brook Food Pantry, Octorara Area Food Cupboard, and Brandywine Valley Active Aging facility (BVAA) in Coatesville.

We also held a food drive last spring as well as over the Thanksgiving season.  The Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) food cupboard and the Oxford Area Neighborhood Services Center were grateful to receive donations from these efforts!

These food drives combined brought in over 2,000 pounds of donations for these organizations!  We are proud to support these local non-profits with their contributions to the families in our community!

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is proud to support our local communities in more ways than one.  When we aren’t assisting property owners with their water and fire damage restoration needs, we are active in community events and programs throughout the year.