How to Prevent April Showers from Damaging Your Home

We all know the saying, April showers bring May flowers.

But that’s not all they bring. If you aren’t prepared, April showers can also result in power outages, basement flooding, water damage, and a variety of other problems. Follow these tips from GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration to keep your home safe from the upcoming spring storms:

• Clean your gutters. The best way to protect your home from water damage is by keeping your gutters clean. Clogged gutters force rainwater to dump over the edge of your roof, where it can pool near your foundation and seep into the ground.

• Repair your roof. Has the long winter taken its toll on your roof? Now is the time to get it repaired. Damaged or missing shingles can lead to roof leaks, which in turn can cause mold growth and water damage in your attic.

• Trim your trees. Remove any damaged, diseased, or dead branches from your property before they become a projectile weapon during the next storm.

• Seal your foundation. Cracks in your foundation don’t just provide water easy access into your basement, they can compromise the structural integrity of your entire home. If you notice any cracks in your foundation, have them professionally inspected and sealed as soon as possible.

• Install a vapor barrier. Once rainwater has seeped into the ground, it can later evaporate into your crawl space – up to ten gallons of moisture per day! This can lead to humidity problems, mold growth, pest infestations, and more. The best way to seal your crawl space is with a professionally-installed polyethylene vapor barrier.

GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration offers professional mold removal, crawl space cleaning, and water damage restoration services to homes and businesses across Long Island. If you live in Nassau County or Suffolk County, call us today to get started with a free estimate at (631) 940-8100.

What Are Ice Dams?

Ice dams are an overlooked winter problem which can easily cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. Read below to learn more about ice dams, what causes them, and how to prevent them this winter…

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a frozen sheet of ice that forms at the edge of a roof. This ice acts as a dam, preventing water from flowing into your gutters. With nowhere else to go, this backup of water can eventually seep into your roof, causing problems such as:

• Wood rot in your ceilings and walls
• Insulation damage
• Wet spots and mold growth
• Poor indoor air quality

What causes ice dams?

As you may recall from science class, warm air rises. When warm air from your home escapes through the attic, snow which has accumulated on the roof begins to melt, even if the outside temperatures are below freezing.

As the water from the melting snow flows down the roof, it will eventually reach its freezing point and turn back into ice. This forms a small dam at the edge of your roof, which continues to grow as snow continues to melt. When the ice dam becomes large enough and water can no longer reach the gutters, it begins to seep into the roof.

Solutions for ice dams

There are two ways to handle ice dams; the proactive way and the reactive way.

Proactive approaches are long-term solutions, and can help stop ice dams before they start. Proactive solutions include:

• Installing heated gutters
• Increasing roof insulation to minimize loss of warm air

Reactive solutions, on the other hand, are short-term fixes after the ice dam has already formed. These include:

• Removing the snow from your roof with a snow rake.
• Melting the ice dam with a garden hose.

If you wait too long to act on an ice dam, you could incur significant water damage in your home and attic. If this occurs, contact a professional restoration company for assistance. Attempting to fix water damage on your own can result in illness and structural problems to your home.

Long Island homeowners can count on the pros at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration for all of their water damage restoration needs. If you live in Nassau County or Suffolk County, give us a call at (631) 940-8100.

How to Deal With a Burst Pipe

When it comes to your home’s plumbing system, even a small burst can result in big damage. Several conditions may lead to a burst pipe, but the most common cause is cold weather. When the temperature drops too low, the water inside your pipes can freeze. This causes the water to expand, putting an immense amount of pressure on the inside of your pipes, eventually leading to a burst.

If a pipe bursts in your home, taking the right steps could be the difference between minor damages and major disaster. Here is what you should do if your pipe bursts, according to the water damage restoration experts at GreenPro Cleaning:

1. Turn off the water supply. The faster you can switch off your main water supply valve, the less damage you will incur.

2. Protect valuable possessions. After you disconnect your water supply, act quickly to protect your possessions. Move sensitive electronics, important paperwork, and other valuables as far away from the water as possible.

3. Drain your plumbing system. Turn on all your cold taps and flush your toilets. This helps drain preexisting water in your plumbing system.

4. Remove water. Use buckets, mops, and towels to remove excess water. The quicker the water is removed, the less damage it will cause.

5. Locate and repair the source of the leak. You may need to contact a professional plumber to ensure the leak is fixed for good.

6. Dry, repair, or replace damaged goods. Damp building materials may need to be replaced in order to prevent mold; which is dangerous for your health and home.

Sometimes, a burst pipe can be too much to handle alone. Luckily for Long Island homeowners, GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration is just a phone call away! For all of your Nassau and Suffolk County water damage restoration needs, just give us a call at (631) 940-8100.

How to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane

August is here, which means we are entering the prime of hurricane season on Long Island. If you are looking for ways to protect your home and family the next time disaster strikes, follow these preparation tips from GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration:

Weeks before the storm:

• Formulate a plan. To be prepared for anything, you need a plan. Communicate your plan with your family, including where to meet and how to contact each other if separated. It is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with your local evacuation routes.
• Stock up on supplies. Supermarkets are swamped with people before a hurricane strikes, so stock up on supplies now to avoid the last-minute frenzy. Hurricane essentials include nonperishable food, water, batteries, flashlights, a radio, and a first aid kit.

Immediately before the storm:

• Secure loose objects outside. Scan your yard for loose objects that could be blown away during a hurricane, including garbage bins, gardening tools, or lawn furniture. Put these items in your shed, garage, or bring them inside to keep them safe during the storm.
• Protect your windows. Your windows pose one of the biggest dangers during a hurricane. It is not uncommon for unprotected windows to shatter and send shards of glass flying throughout your home. Stay safe by reinforcing your windows with a piece of plywood or professionally-installed storm shutters.

After the storm:

• Be patient. Recovering from a natural disaster is usually a slow and gradual process. Your town might be without power for 24 hours or more. It is important to stay calm and wait for everything to return to normal.
• Check for water damage. When you are sure the storm has passed, inspect your house for water damage. It is important to fix flooding and other problems as soon as possible in order to prevent mold from growing and spreading throughout your house.

Long Island residents don't need to look any further than GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration for their water damage restoration and mold removal needs. If you live in Nassau or Suffolk County, call us for a free quote at (631) 940-8100.

5 Preventative Tips to Help You Avoid Disaster at Home

Your home is likely the biggest investment you will ever make – you want to do everything you can to preserve it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this is especially true when it comes to protecting your home.

Just follow these five tips from GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration and you will be well on your way to preventing disaster:

Seal up any cracks and crevices that may be present in your home.

Cracks and holes around the house don't just cause your heating and cooling bills to spike, they also give pests an entryway into your home. Some of these pests, such as termites, can wreak havoc and cause several thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Clean out your gutters at the start of spring and the end of autumn.

Gutters are an afterthought for most homeowners, but they are a key to protecting your home from water damage. Clogged gutters can lead to ice dams, ceiling leaks, basement flooding, and more; be sure to clean yours out twice each year.

Install carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home.

Carbon monoxide gas is debilitating and even fatal in high doses. Since it is odorless and colorless, the only way to detect it is with an electric monitor. Make sure to install one on every floor in your home and in every bedroom.

Turn off your water supply before going on vacation.

When you leave for vacation, the last thing you want to come back to is a burst pipe and flooding. Luckily, you can eliminate this risk by turning off your water supply before you leave.

Clean your dryer exhaust vent every year.

Did you know that clothes dryers are responsible for more than 15,000 house fires every year? The biggest cause of these fires is lint – make sure to clean your screen before every load and have your exhaust vent professionally cleaned once per year.

If you live on Long Island, trust GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration to help your home maintain its condition. We can help you before disaster strikes with our dryer vent cleaning services, or afterwards with our water damage restoration. Call us at (631) 940-8100 for a free quote.

About Our Water Damage Restoration Services

Water damage is a common problem for homeowners during the spring and summer seasons. Whether from external causes (damaged gutters, heavy rain) or internal (pipe burst or overflowing toilet), water can quickly rack up thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home.

That's where we come in.

GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration offers professional water damage restoration services to homes and businesses all across Long Island. Our workers use professional cleaning equipment and techniques to restore your property to its previous condition.

If you suffer from water damage in your Long Island home, keep the following tips in mind:

• DON'T breathe in damp air.
• DON'T touch wet or damaged items with your bare hands.
• DO call GreenPro immediately.

In the case of water damage, it is important to act fast in order to minimize damages. The longer water collects and accumulates, the more devastating effects it can have on your home and health. Unprotected exposure to this water can cause sneezing, wheezing, headaches, and even respiratory infections.

Once the GreenPro team arrives at your property, we will conduct the following visual survey:

1. Walking around the suspected problem area(s).
2. Walking through and to the areas of concern.
3. Viewing the area with a flashlight to highlight the suspected water damaged area.
4. Taking moisture readings of the structure such as walls, floors, and/or ceiling surfaces to detect moisture intrusion.
5. Taking temperature and relative humidity readings to determine if they fall within ASHRAE recommendations.
6. Providing an estimate for remediation by industry standards.

If you live in Nassau or Suffolk County, call GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration for all of your water damage remediation needs at (631) 940-8100.

How Gutters Protect Your Home From Water Damage

Gutters are one of those things that we never pay attention to until something goes wrong. Most homeowners know that gutters are important, but few can actually explain why. The reason they are important is because they protect your home from water damage. Here's how.

How gutters work

Gutters are mounted along the border of your roof, and are responsible for collecting rain water and melting snow as it flows over the edge. The gutters are installed at a slight angle so this water doesn't simply pool in them, it is directed to the downspout. The job of the downspout is to deposit this water elsewhere – whether it is in a collection barrel, underground drain, garden, or just a safe distance away from your home.

How clogged gutters lead to water damage

Just about the only thing you need to do to keep your gutters functioning properly is clean them twice per year. Once after fall season, and again at the start of spring should be enough to keep them clear of leaves and debris. When your gutters become too clogged with this junk, water can't flow through them, which can lead to the following problems:

• Water leaking into your roof. When water leaks into your roof, you can experience mold in your attic, damaged insulation, wood rot, and more.
• Water pouring over the sides of your roof. When water pours over the edge of your roof, it can damage your siding and cause your window sills to rot.
• Foundation and crawl space damage. Another problem with water draining too close to your home is the pressure that it puts on your foundation, which could cause it to crack. Other problems that can result include flooding and mold growth.
• Ice dams. Ice dams commonly occur during the winter months. When your gutters are clogged, melting snow on your roof can't drain, so it re-freezes to form a dam on the edge of your roof. This causes even more water to back up, and eventually seep into your ceiling.

If water damage has affected your Long Island home or business, look no further than GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration. We offer specialty cleaning services to Nassau and Suffolk County, including mold removal, attic and crawl space cleaning, and water damage restoration. Visit our website or give us a call at (631) 940-8100 for more information.

How to Deal With Home Water Damage

Water damage can come from almost anywhere, and no home is completely safe from it. Whether your situation arises from external factors (heavy rain) or internal causes (burst pipe), dealing with water damage can be tricky and dangerous.

Follow this step-by-step process to minimize damage and stay as safe as possible.

1. Turn off the power. If you are dealing with a large scale flood, the first thing you should do is head to the circuit breaker and shut off the power in your house to avoid electric shock. This isn't as important with small leaks or floods.

2. Stop the source of water. After disconnecting the power, you need to stop the source of water. Whether it is covering a hole in the roof or foundation, or cutting off the water supply to a burst pipe, do it quickly to minimize damage.

3. Rescue valuable possessions. After the incoming water has been stopped, move quickly to rescue your most valuable possessions. These includes important documents, electronics, or family heirlooms.

4. Ventilate the area. You will want to open up all windows and doors, and get a box fan and exhaust fan running if you have them. This will help eliminate excess moisture from the air and prevent mold.

5. Get rid of standing water. Start working to remove any standing water. Use a mop, wet vac, or blot as much as possible with dry towels. Do not use a dry vac to remove water.

6. Contact a local restoration service. As a homeowner, there is only so much you can do to fix water damage. You should call a professional service immediately in order to minimize damage and protect yourself from mold exposure. We can't stress enough that time is of the essence.

7. Call your insurance company. Get in touch with your insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim. Make sure you use the term “water damage” and not “flooding”. They are different, and since most policies don't cover flooding, you could have problems getting reimbursed for expenses.

If you live on Long Island and are dealing with water damage, the experts at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration can safely restore your home to its previous condition. Call us for a free water damage restoration quote at (631) 940-8100.