Equipped and Ready: The Plan and Tools Your Business Needs to Be Fire Safe | SERVPRO of San Diego East

10/15/2024 (Permalink)

Protect your business with a safety plan! Contact SERVPRO® for expert guidance on fire prevention and ensure your employees and property stay safe.

Running a business means juggling multiple responsibilities, and ensuring fire safety should always be a top priority. Fires can cause devastating losses, both financially and in terms of safety. In fact, according to recent statistics, businesses experience thousands of fires each year. For business owners in San Diego, Santee, Lake Murray, and our other neighborhoods, it’s crucial to have a solid fire prevention plan in place to protect your assets and employees.

Who Pays for Fire Damage in a Rental Property?

10/1/2022 (Permalink)

Files damaged in a home fire.

Who Covers Damage from a Fire in a Rental Property?

Fire damage is a scary and intimidating event. When it happens, a lot of people ask this question: “Who is responsible in case of fire damage in a rental property. The answer is that both the renter and the landlord are responsible for different parts of the building and its contents. Let’s dig deeper into the details.

The Landlord’s Responsibilities:

The landlord is responsible for all structural damages caused by fire or other natural disasters that occur on their rental property like hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes. The tenant has full responsibility for their personal belongings and can file an insurance claim through their renter's insurance policy if they have one. If you need help understanding what your rights are during this stressful time, please feel free to reach out to us anytime (619) 280-2377. 

Structural Damage to The Property

If the tenant's negligence was to blame for the fire, they will likely have to bear all the costs associated with repairs. However, if there were no known causes of ignition or negligence on behalf of the tenant and/or their guests or visitors, then it’s possible that your landlord may be held responsible for some expenses related to repairs following a fire at their rental property.

The first step in determining who pays for fire damage in a rental property is figuring out whether your landlord’s policy covers structural damages—the damage caused by fire spread through walls and floors rather than just flames themselves. Most insurance policies cover this type of structural damage if it is caused by external factors (like lightning strikes). 

Personal Belongings

It’s important to know that renters’ insurance covers your belongings. If you rent an apartment and want to make sure your personal property is protected, it’s a good idea to invest in renters’ insurance.

This type of policy can be expensive, and landlords aren't required by law to ask tenants what kind of coverage they have. But it's still worth considering—especially if you're replacing expensive items like laptops or jewelry.

You can buy renters insurance online or through an independent broker who specializes in this type of coverage.

The tenant has full responsibility for their personal belongings. 

If you are a tenant, your insurance should cover damage to your personal belongings. This is an optional service that is usually very inexpensive, and it is a good investment if you want to avoid paying out of pocket for damages.

Even if the landlord has insurance on the property, they are not responsible for damage to your personal belongings unless there was negligence involved (for example: someone else caused the fire at the house). In this case, the landlord's insurance will take care of anything that happened during their time of ownership and responsibility over the property. However, if there was no negligence involved in causing damage to one's personal possessions then tenants have full responsibility for their own things through their renters' policy or homeowners' policy with an endorsement stating content coverage while away from home.

The most important thing to remember is that both the tenant and landlord are responsible for certain parts of the building and its contents. If you need help understanding your responsibilities, contact us today!

How To Prepare for Water Damage With Business Insurance

7/20/2022 (Permalink)

Preparing for Water Damage with Business Insurance

As a small business owner in San Carlos, CA, you need to be ready for anything. When water unexpectedly gets into places it is not supposed to, it can cause major problems. Almost all businesses, at least the ones with physical locations, are vulnerable to water damage, which can occur from things such as:

• Broken pipes
  
• Severe weather
  
• Damaged HVAC systems
  
• Foundation leaks
  
  

You can reduce costs and prepare for any issues caused by water by having insurance coverage for your commercial property. 

Different Policies Cover Different Types of Costs
Dealing with water damage at your business is never fun, but there are a few different business insurances you can use. Commercial flood insurance, business income insurance and standard commercial property insurance policies are good options to have in times of crisis. Insurance companies can be a proper resource with the right policies; however, the source of the damage often determines the level of coverage you will have. Standard commercial policies will usually cover claims for burst pipes, but additional insurance could be needed for other causes and potential revenue losses. 

Insurance Companies Can Assist With Water Cleanup
Insurance companies often work closely with cleanup and restoration professionals. These companies can provide water and material cleanup and emergency services such as mold remediation if needed. Damage assessment performed by these professionals can be directly used to help with filing your insurance claim so you can get back in business as soon as possible. It's worth having a conversation with your insurance agent about your policy's features to ensure you have the best protection and restoration plan in place. 
No matter the cause of water damage, it is always best to jump in front of a possible emergency. Getting business insurance is a great way to save your business, time and money. 

The Importance of Drying Time

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO technicians drying a restaurant.

The Importance of Drying Time

Before starting the remediation process during any water outbreak the drying process must be handled first. Drying time is important because residents can get their homes back into shape, business owners can start selling again, and cutting costs is ensured for insurance companies.

Drying time is the average number of days between the first air mover or dehumidifier being placed on-site until the last air mover or dehumidifier is removed from the job site. SERVPRO follows the IICRC S500 Standards in order to give customers the best drying time. There are three levels of drying time expectancy there are less than five days which falls under green, between five to seven days is yellow, and finally, more than seven days which lands in red. Our goal is to always have drying time in the green zone.

What causes a delay in drying time?

There are multiple factors that can cause a delay in the drying time. One of the most common factors is when residents or property owners unplug the air mover or dehumidifier. Unplugging appliances will surely increase the time needed to dry this also causes water to sit on surfaces which will cause the spread of mold and will further the damage to surfaces resulting in higher costs. Definitely do not unplug appliances.

Another cause of delayed drying time is moving appliances. When technicians set the appliances for drying time they are placed in areas that are most wet. This is not noticeable to the human eye therefore water levels are measured with water mapping tools for the most accurate drying placement.

Another common factor that may cause drying time is storms or more water leakage. Storms are definitely out of our control so make sure the technician that is working on your case is notified quickly to prevent further damage. If you had a water leakage make sure the water source is shut off every time water is not needed to be in use.

3 Ways To Reduce the Water Consumption in Your Business

6/26/2022 (Permalink)

Three Ways To Reduce the Water Consumption in Your Business

Running a business means you have a lot on your plate. You not only have to ensure you have plenty of staff and inventory on hand at all times, but you must also continually look for ways to cut costs and keep your spending low. One way to save money – and prevent waste – is by reducing your water consumption. Here are three ways to reduce how much water your Santee, CA, business uses. 

1. Look for Potential Water Issues
Even a tiny leak in your plumbing system can create a lot of damage to your building and add to your overall costs. Depending on the severity of the leak and the amount of damage your business sustained from it, you might also have to pay for water damage restoration services to fix everything. Ask a licensed plumber to scope your pipes and identify any problems. It's also helpful to have an irrigation specialist check your watering system to ensure it is in good working order. 

2. Install Hands-Free Faucets
A typical bathroom faucet uses approximately 2.2 gallons of water a minute. Sometimes clients and customers mindlessly leave the bathroom faucet on when they leave the room, which can cost you a pretty penny in water costs. Prevent those water issues by installing a hands-free faucet. The faucet will only turn on when it senses hands underneath it, so you no longer have to worry about throwing money down the drain. 

3. Upgrade Your Irrigation System
One water upgrade that will dramatically reduce your water consumption is changing your irrigation system. Install a rain sensor to your system to ensure the system doesn't turn on when it isn't needed. Additionally, make sure you water in the early morning or late evening, so the water doesn't evaporate in the day's heat. It's also important to regularly inspect the sprinkler heads to keep water issues at bay. 
Reducing your water consumption doesn't have to be a time-consuming process. You can see a big difference almost immediately when you make a few minor changes.

Why Fire Damage Often Includes Water Damage

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

Any unexpected damage to your commercial building in Grantville, CA, is a setback, and fire damage is one of the worst disasters that can happen to a company. Not only can it disrupt your business operations and destroy company records, but it is also a notoriously difficult cleanup job. Fortunately, a full-service fire restoration company can arrive at your property soon after the fire and begin the process.

The Initial Stages of the Cleanup

After a fire, a building can be an unstable place full of hazards for employees. The first stage is to secure the building from additional harm and promote safety for everyone. This is typically done with urgency through several actions:

• A quick inspection of the property
  
• A board up and tarp coverage if necessary
  
• A cordoning off of dangerous zones
  
  

Once this is accomplished, the workers will perform an additional inspection. The focus at this point will be the development of an orderly and efficient restoration plan.

The Stage That Deals With Water Damage
In any significant fire scenario, fire fighting crews or company sprinkler systems have been utilized to douse the flames. This leads to issues of water in the building, sometimes enough to cause damage to structures, electrical equipment, records and other items. While a sprinkler system is targeted and might not release a lot of water, a fire hose can release hundreds of gallons of water in a short time, demanding attention.

The End Stage of a Cleanup
The next stage deals with cleaning up soot and smoke damage and restoring or replacing damaged items. This can happen fairly quickly in a minor fire, or it can take several days in a larger business fire. The emphasis will be on restoring your working operations as soon as possible.
Fire damage often must deal with multiple ancillary problems. Professional help often leads to the quickest possible recovery.