Sometimes the signs of water damage don’t make themselves entirely visible until it’s too late. If you’re moving to a new property, residential or commercial, be sure to have a water and fire damage expert take a look over the property to ensure there are no hidden damages. Here’s what you can look for at first glance:

–          Leaks under the sink – are there signs of water leaking, drip spots, or smells that indicate moisture?

–          In the walls – check for soft spots or staining. These could be signs of a small water leak, but they can lead to much larger problems.

–          Mold & mildew – strong odors of must and visible mold growth in damp areas – there is most likely mold that is growing.

Hidden damages are often scary for new property owners because they’re forced to contact a professional to take care of the removal and restoration of property. With RCI Restoration Services  you can be assured our team of certified professionals will know how to properly assess your home or commercial property in a safe manner and take the steps necessary to safely restore your property back to pre-damage conditions. Contact us if you need help cleaning up water damage, fire damage, mold, or other potential hazards. We’ve got you covered, 24/7!

This infographic from the National Fire Protection Association is a great way to keep the facts up front about fire damage in the winter. It’s easy to forget to take small steps in the course of preventing fires during the cold months of the year, but candles, décor, heating elements, and storms are all major causes of damage in our homes.

It seems like sometimes the weather is playing tricks on us – thawing out in the middle of winter is a strange feeling, but can cause harmful side effects when it comes to ice melting and leaving water damage behind. To help avoid the harshness of these effects, here are some tips –

Clear a path for the water. You should know the shape of your property and understand where the rain goes when its flowing away from your house. Treat this the same way – make sure gutters and drains are free of any obstructions and if your property gets bad enough, keep a sump pump (in good condition) around to help any kind of sewer backups. Preventing ice dams can be helpful too – but this is best left to a professional inspection to determine what steps you should take to make things easier for your home. Even though Memphis doesn’t see much snow, it’s helpful to keep it off your roof regardless. Safely remove any excess with a rake or broom.

If you’ve experienced water damage due to winter weather, contact RCI Restoration Services in Memphis! We offer 24/7 water damage restoration services. Quick response to water damage is what often determines a less lengthy job timeline for any restoration services – call as soon as you see any signs!

Typically, we think of space heaters as small, simple solutions for a warmer home. But have you given any thought to how dangerous they can be? Normally, if a fire is started by a space heater, it’s because the unit is too close to something that’s flammable like a mattress or bedding or even toys on the floor. Here are some ideas on preventing a fire when using a space heater:

–          Give the space heater a radius of about 3 feet from anything in the room, including children.

–          Make sure the unit is on a flat surface with no chance of falling over.

–          See that your unit has an auto shut-off feature before you purchase.

–          Don’t use extension cords – plug units directly into the wall.

–          Fuel burning space heaters take a little more effort – be sure to only refill outside or in a properly ventilated area and keep a window open for the duration it’s on.

Learning how space heaters can be the culprit of a house fire can help you to understand what steps you should take to avoid major fire damage. Sometimes, people take these steps and accidents still happen – just know to call RCI Restoration Services if you’re in Memphis and have been affected by the serious damages of fire!

You’d never think your harmless washing machine could do much damage, but here at RCI we’ve come to find out that that’s not true.

Check out the safety manual – see exactly how to use it and avoid any button-pressing guessing games! Here, you’ll also be instructed not to overload. It may seem tempting to shove a huge load of laundry right in to get it out of your way, but take your time and keep your machine running at peak conditions.

Inspecting your hoses is important, too. We suggest a regular or at least seasonal routine of looking at each of the hoses to inspect for breaks/kinks/tears – anything that looks like it could result in a leak. You should replace them every 3-5 years, but that doesn’t mean they won’t give you trouble before that. *Replace rubber hoses with steel braided hoses for longer lasting, stronger solutions.

If your hose happens to break, or a seal comes loose on that stubborn front loader, you’ll be left with quite a mess! Luckily, RCI Restoration Services is available 24/7 for the cleanup and restoration process. We’ve got a professional team of individuals who are certified to do the job! We’ve got plenty of storage space in our warehouse for any items that may have been damaged by water and our crew is extremely knowledgeable and skilled when it comes to water damage restoration. We’ll be able to answer any questions you have – just give us a call as soon as you notice signs of water leaking or damaged surroundings!