Expert Opinion: Meet Canada’s Top Emergency Home Restoration Pro

When disaster strikes, the damage it causes can be long-lasting. If not restored in time, your residential or commercial property can face costly permanent damage. In situations like fire, storm, flooding, vandalism or any other natural disaster, as a homeowner, you want to prevent further damage to your property. ServiceMaster Restore is one of Canada’s leading restoration specialists who offer prompt emergency restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Who is ServiceMaster Restore?

For 70 years, ServiceMaster Restore has been Canada’s trusted source for full-service disaster restoration. Their experts mitigate damages quickly to reduce loss severity for residential and commercial properties following a fire, water, storm, vandalism, natural disaster and more. Their team of highly trained technicians have the expertise in technology, products, procedures and know-how to navigate from crisis to resolution. They also have a huge resource centre where they share tips on voiding a disaster in your home. ServiceMaster Restore also provides a standard national workmanship warranty for a minimum period of 1 year.

How does ServiceMaster Restore respond to emergency restoration requests for water or fire damage?

• Water Damage Restoration: Technicians at ServiceMaster Restore run a thorough examination using specialized moisture-detection meters, probes and sensors to determine the extent of the damage. This enables them to form the most effective plan for homeowners to get back to their properties as quickly as possible.
• Fire Damage Restoration: ServiceMaster Restore team has a thorough and proven 11-step process to deal with emergency fire restoration:

1. Identifying the source to determine the type of fire that occurred.
2. Evaluating the areas that are wet as a result of firefighting that may need treatment.
3. Remediating water damage (if any)
4. Evaluating sensitive materials that may be damaged as a result of smoke and soot particles.
5. Removing contents from the home, including collecting immediate items you may need for the next seven days such as clothing, prescriptions, toys, schoolbooks, business needs, etc.
6. Packing out the remaining contents for cleaning and storage
7. Performing structural restoration, including removing any charred contents that may seal in smoke such as insulation and burned wood.
8. Evaluating carpets and floor coverings that may need to be removed.
9. Treating affected surfaces for smoke odours and sealing.
10. Cleaning, eliminating odours and deodorizing surfaces to pre-loss condition.
11. Returning items and helping to restore your normal life.

Why homeowners should not fix the fire or water damage themselves?

Many times homeowners take the responsibility of doing damage control upon themselves. However, if you are inexperienced or don’t have the right training and tools to fix water or fire damage, you can end up causing more damage to your home. When we talked to the pros at ServiceMaster Restore about why homeowners should not fix the water or fire damage themselves, here’s what they had to say…

• Water Damage:

“Water removal on its own is usually not enough to remove all the moisture from your home after a water damage event. Water can hide behind walls, under flooring or in your HVAC system and vents. At ServiceMaster Restore, we provide expert drying and dehumidification services using a combination of dehumidifiers and high-velocity air movers to remove moisture from the air and prevent any further damage including mould.”

• Fire Damage:

“Following a fire or smoke-related incident, smoke and soot will settle on surfaces and create additional damage to the structure of your home and its contents. The longer you wait before smoke and fire damage clean up and restoration, the greater the damage that may occur. The longer corrosive residues are allowed to remain on household surfaces, the worse the pitting or etching becomes. Our pre-cleaning methods neutralize the acids and protect metal, glass, marble, china, chrome and other at-risk surfaces in your home.”

What makes ServiceMaster Restore stand apart from its competition?

• They are supportive: ServiceMaster Restore understands that disasters are a time of uncertainty. Since they’ve experienced it all before, they’re proud to help guide their customers through these unsettling times, providing support and guidance from beginning to end, to help customers navigate the solution that’s right for them.
• They are genuine: They provide the care, understanding, and integrity their customers deserve.
• They are experts: ServiceMaster Restore has set specific rules when it comes to damage restoration, continually set industry standards, and knows how to do it best.
• They are committed: They have an unwavering commitment to working with their customers throughout the process, doing what they say they’ll do, and following up to ensure satisfaction.
• They are accessible: They’re available 24/7 every day of the year to help their customers through the worst and to ease any confusion and provide understanding throughout every step of the process.

According to ServiceMaster Restore, 7 things a homeowner should look for when hiring a restoration service…

Timing is critical, but hiring the right company is essential. Finding the best restoration company requires checking for reviews and ratings online, asking the right people, but also learning key information from the company itself. Here is what to ask restoration companies to decide who to hire:

1. Is your company licensed and bonded?
2. Do your technicians have the necessary certifications?
3. Is your company insured?
4. Are your technicians available at all times?
5. Do you give any guarantees?
6. What restoration experience do you have?
7. How long will the restoration project take?

3 important tips for Canadian homeowners to keep their homes safe and prevent life-threatening damages…

1. For most Canadians, their home is their biggest investment so maintaining it is a must. A home operates with the seasons, coming to life in the spring and hunkering down for the winter. Follow this natural arc all year long and keep on top of any necessary repairs to avoid putting your family and home at risk.
2. Smoke alarms save lives. You can reduce your family’s risk of fire-related injury or death by installing the right number of smoke alarms in the right places in your home, and by keeping them in good working order.
3. Canada’s climate is changing with higher temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and rising water levels. Changes in climate will persist and, in many cases, will intensify over the coming years. That’s more reason to have a family emergency preparedness kit and plan in place to ensure your family’s safety and security.

For 70 years, ServiceMaster Restore has held strong to our core value of providing restoration services with the utmost integrity and understanding. They have invested in their customer relationships and work directly and collaboratively with their customers to provide the optimal solution. Available 24/7 every day of the year, the experts at ServiceMaster Restore work to get the job done right and stay by your side until you’re satisfied with the results. So whether it’s an emergency or a restoration project that you wanted to get done for a long time, hire ServiceMaster Restore today!