Servpro of Washington

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day!

To the teams across the SERVPRO franchise network: thank you for your hard work, countless hours, and every day commitment to helping make it "Like it never even happened."

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

The room isn’t empty. The work still has to happen.

During restoration, a full contents pack-out is not always necessary or practical. Depending on the scope of work and the items involved, some furniture and belongings may remain in the space while structural work is completed.

When that happens, protecting those items becomes part of preparing the work area.

Furniture, flooring, fixtures, and other contents may be covered or isolated to help reduce exposure to dust, insulation, debris, and the normal activity that comes with removal and repair work.

It is an important part of the process that often happens before the more visible restoration work begins.

08/27/2026

Yesterday’s shower shouldn’t still be hanging around today.

Bathrooms create moisture every day. In an older home (especially during a humid Eastern North Carolina summer), a weak exhaust fan, poor ventilation, or another moisture issue can leave surfaces damp long after the shower is over.

That matters because mold control starts with moisture control.

And while bleach may seem like a useful approach, simply trying to “kill” visible mold does not solve the underlying problem. The EPA notes that routine use of bleach is not recommended as the answer to mold cleanup, and even dead mold still needs to be removed.

Professional mold remediation looks beyond what is visible. The goal is to identify affected materials, address the moisture conditions contributing to the problem, and use an appropriate remediation process for the space.

If your bathroom stays damp, develops a persistent musty odor, or keeps showing the same suspicious growth after cleaning, it may be time to look beyond the surface.

08/24/2026

Hurricane season may have started in June, but historically, the busiest stretch is still ahead.

The National Hurricane Center says most Atlantic activity occurs from mid-August through mid-October, with the climatological peak around September 10.

That makes now a good time to review your storm plan, check vulnerable areas around your property, and make sure you know what you’ll do if wind or water causes damage.

Preparation is easier before there’s a storm on the map.

08/21/2026

Today is Senior Citizens Day, and it’s a good opportunity to think about something a little more practical than a celebration post:

If an older parent, grandparent, neighbor, or loved one suddenly had water, fire, or storm damage at home, would they know what to do first?

A simple conversation now can make a stressful situation much easier later.

Take a few minutes together to make sure they know where the main water shutoff is, where important insurance information is kept, and who they should call if property damage occurs. It can also help to make sure a trusted family member has a way to access the home if assistance is ever needed.

And just as important: make sure they know when not to enter an affected area. Standing water near electricity, structural damage, fire conditions, or other obvious hazards should be treated as safety concerns first.

It doesn’t need to be an elaborate emergency plan. Sometimes knowing where to go, what to shut off, and who to call is enough to remove a lot of uncertainty when something unexpected happens.

08/20/2026

Flat yesterday. Ridged this morning.

Hardwood can react quickly after a water loss. When the underside of a board takes on more moisture than the top, the wood can expand unevenly and the edges may begin to rise. That change is known as cupping.

It's a good example of why water damage is not always just about what is visible on the surface. The way materials change can offer important clues about where moisture may still be present, and informs restoration professionals of what the next best steps are.

08/14/2026

What actually happens during a contents pack-out?

A pack-out may be used when belongings need to be moved so restoration work can continue safely and efficiently. Whether one is appropriate depends on the loss, the space involved, logistics, and, on insurance-related jobs, the approved scope.

When a pack-out is performed, the process typically includes:

• Inventory: Items are documented so there is a record of what is being moved.
• Packing: Belongings are carefully packed, labeled, and organized.
• Storage: Packed contents are moved to an appropriate storage location while work is underway.
• Tracking: Organization matters so items can be located and accounted for throughout the process.
• Return: Once the property is ready, stored contents can be brought back and returned to the appropriate areas.

A contents pack-out is not simply “putting everything in boxes.” It is a documented process designed to keep belongings organized while the property itself is being restored.

08/07/2026

It can look a little strange when a technician checks part of the wall that appears perfectly fine.
But the “dry” side may help make sense of the affected side.

A nearby comparison reading can provide useful context for what the material is doing under normal conditions. That information is considered along with visible damage, the water source, and the rest of the inspection to build a plan of action and assess drying.

Sometimes learning more about the wet area starts with checking what looks normal.

07/29/2026

Sometimes the only way to understand fire damage is to look beyond the finished surface.

After a fire, visible damage may only show part of the story. In some situations, a controlled wall opening can help reveal what happened inside the cavity, including smoke movement, affected insulation, hidden residue, or moisture from suppression efforts.

The goal is not to remove more than necessary. It is to better understand what was affected and what the next step should be.

That is one of the behind-the-scenes reasons restoration can involve more than surface cleaning alone.