Paul Davis Tri-state Blog

Does my home have mold or is it something else?

Brian Risby — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:38:00 GMT

Many homeowners assume that when dark stains begin to appear on their ceilings and walls, mold is to blame—but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, when the stain follows the pattern of the framework behind the drywall or on the ceilings, more than likely that what you have is something called ghosting.

Unlike mold, ghosting is caused by dust, smoke, soot, or other similar deposits. Think about the daily habits of your home. If you have a fireplace, smoke inside, or frequently light candles, these can all lead to stained images on your walls and ceiling over time. Ghosting occurs because those small particles attract to one another in areas where the room temperature may vary slightly. Usually the room temperature varies around the wall framing, lights, and outlets.

Mold patterns, on the other hand, are most commonly black, green, or brown in color and grow close to windows and showers where moisture is present. Although there are many different types of mold, none of them will grow without the help of moisture or wet areas.

If you think mold might be growing in your home, contact Paul Davis Tri-State. We can come to your home and help you determine the exact problem. If it is in fact mold, and not ghosting, our team can safely get rid of it and give you tips for preventing its growth in the future.

Restoring Your Prized Posessions With our State of the Art Contents Cleaning System

Brian Risby — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:32:00 GMT

Last week we talked about the Esporta Wash System that we use to clean and restore soft contents like clothing, purses, luggage, and other textiles.

Another one of our innovative cleaning technologies is the Fireline Contents Cleaning system. Paul Davis Restoration of the Tri-State Area uses this state of the art contents cleaning system which is unique in the Greater Cincinnati area.

The system consists of a Cyclonic Action Pre-Washer, Ultrasonic Cleaner, Vortex In-Line Basket Dryer, and Ozone Chamber, taking the science of cleaning to a whole new level.

Our thorough restoration and deodorization process ensures that your belongings will be returned to their pre-damaged condition and put in their rightful place. We are able to clean contents and remove odor in a way that often results in contents being returned cleaner than they were before they were damaged.

You can read more about this unique system and watch a testimonial video on our website.

Contact us if you have questions about our contents restoration services, or if you have contents that are in need of service or repair.

Commercial Insurance Protects Against Large Infestations

Brian Risby — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:06:00 GMT

Whether you’re an experienced traveler or just take the occasional family vacation, staying in a hotel for an extended period of time can make some people anxious. If you remember just last year, bedbugs made headlines when they made their way from hotels back home with tourists and travelers, causing large-spread infestations.

Short of checking the mattress before you go to sleep, how can you protect yourself and make sure that you won’t be bringing these unwanted guests back home with you? The answer to that question…there’s not much you can do except hope it won’t happen to you.

The cost of exterminating bedbugs is not typically covered by insurance. However, a few insurance companies have created and are offering special insurance to protect against this type of infestation—but only for commercial policyholders.

This is good news for landlords, student housing, hotels, and other commercial establishments. When you factor in the cost of treating bedbugs—including pest control, lost revenue, and claims from medical expenses—it’s estimated that the average expense incurred from a bedbug infestation is around $5,000.

The bad news is that this type of insurance isn’t provided for personal homeowners and renters. But because bedbugs are again making headlines talk to your landlord to see if he or she has thought about purchasing a separate policy to protect the property from a wide-spread infestation.

Contents Restoration from Paul Davis Tristate

Brian Risby — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:21:00 GMT

If a tragedy such as a fire or flood were to strike your home, your priceless possessions would more than likely suffer serious damage. One area of our business that we focus on is contents restoration.

This means that if your possessions are in need of repair or professional cleaning after a flood, fire, or other disaster, we can help.

Tracy Bachtell, Senior VP of Business Development, recently wrote an article in Claims Magazine about soft contents restoration and how through the years, technology has dramatically improved this area of restoration services.

Specifically, the Esporta wash system is one advancement that has changed the way—and set new, higher standards—when it comes to soft contents restoration. The Esporta precisely controls time, temperature, cleaning agents, and hydraulic action by incorporating computer-controlled, pre-programmed wash recipes and environmentally friendly cleaning agents.

According to Bachtell: “The results suggested that the technology removes as much as 99 percent of organic contaminants and is capable of cleaning previously thought impossible in the restoration of soft contents. Restoration professionals must now provide evidence of the capability to clean and disinfect at the microscopic level. Third-party independent lab testing can be used to explore the capabilities of limitations of cleaning technology. In addition, Esporta operators use the ATP field testing device to examine individual articles within soft contents claims before and after treatment to verify microscopic decontamination. Restored soft goods need to stand up to the three tests of clean: if it looks clean; if it smells clean; and if it is clean at the microscopic level.”

The system has more than 20 pre-programmed cleaning protocols that can be specified on a touch screen. This lets the operator design a specific combination capable of cleaning smoke, soot, sewage, and other harmful substances. Some of the different items that can be cleaned include leather shoes and purses, luggage, seat cushions, toys, sports equipment, and more.

The good news for you is that Paul Davis Tri-State uses the Esporta system for its soft contents restoration services. If you’re in the Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati area and have contents that need professional cleaning, please contact our office.

Hosting a Super Bowl Party? Get Your Carpets Cleaned After the Game!

Brian Risby — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:23:00 GMT

The Super Bowl is this Sunday which normally means a party! Whether you’re attending a party or hosting one at your house, I think we can all agree that one of the biggest downsides to having a gathering is cleaning up after it.

When you pack 25 or more people into a space, spills are inevitable. The foot traffic alone brings in dirt from outside, so even if you get lucky and avoid a spill, you probably won’t be lucky enough to avoid a mess altogether!

This is where Paul Davis Restoration comes in. Our Home Care division offers expert cleaning services for carpets, rugs, drapery, and furniture. We offer a unique, restorative cleaning service that will get your carpet back to its old self—no matter how crazy your Super Bowl party gets!

Contact us online to pre-schedule a carpet cleaning after the big game. Or call Paul at (513) 777-7285 for more information about having your carpets or furniture professionally cleaned.

Paul Davis Tri-State Attends Northern KY Fire Department Association Meeting

Brian Risby — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:25:00 GMT

On Tuesday, January 24, Brian Risby and Keith Henry from Paul Davis Tri-State had the privilege of attending the Northern Kentucky Fire Department Association Meeting.

We’d like to say Thank-You to John Seitz, President of the association, for inviting us to the meeting.

Keith Henry, Emergency Responder for Paul Davis Tri-State and Brian Risby, Marketing Director, were the featured speakers at the meeting. They spoke about the services Paul Davis offers, and focused specifically on Keith’s responsibilities as our emergency responder.

We also showcased our free care bags to all the attendees. This was our first Northern Kentucky Fire Department Meeting. We have plans to apply for membership so we can attend more meetings and continue educating the community leaders in the future.

January is National Radon Action Month

Brian Risby — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:02:00 GMT

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named January National Radon Action Month, and encourages people to check the level of radon in their homes each year around this time. According to the World Health Organization, radon gas is responsible for approximately 20,000 deaths in the U.S. and 100,000 deaths worldwide each year.

Although we're nearing the end of January, it's not too late to talk about the effects of radon and what you can do to protect your family and home from this odorless, tasteless, dangerous gas—especially since the EPA estimates that more than 8 million U.S. homes have dangerous levels of radon.

All homes should be tested for radon regardless of the home's age or where it's located. For that reason, homeowners are encouraged to buy radon kits which can be found at hardware stores or purchased online.

It's never too late to make sure your home is protected and that radon levels in your house are in a safe range. Watch the video below to learn more about radon and how you can protect your family.

Rain is in the forecast for the Tri-State area

Jessie Devine — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:57:00 GMT

The weather forecast for the next several days in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati have one thing in common: rain. While rain each day is not guaranteed, it’s better to plan ahead and be aware of how several days’ worth of rain could affect your home or business.

Potential rain in the forecast also gets us at Paul Davis Tri-State thinking about other ways water damage can happen to homes and businesses. While a minimal amount of rain can cause water damage and mold problems, so can a host of other sources like:

Hail, ice storms, floods and other weather events
Broken water lines from washing machines, dishwashers, ice makers, sinks and other appliances
Result of major fire extinguishing efforts

If your home or business in the Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati area suffers water damage, please contact Paul Davis Tri-State. Our professional team can get your property back to normal and restore your valuable possessions back to their original state.

Stay dry out there!

Sign up for our newsletter

Brian Risby — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:00 GMT

Paul Davis Tri-State is starting an e-newsletter—and a contest to go along with it!

We’re building our email list and encouraging you to register for our monthly newsletter, which will talk about industry events, happenings at Paul Davis Tri-State, and announcements of any promotions or contests we have going on.

Each person who signs up for our newsletter from now until February 29 will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Target gift card!

You can register on our website. The first newsletter will be sent in March and we look forward to sharing our news with you!

2012 CE Class Schedule Now Available

Brian Risby — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:56:00 GMT

For those of you who need continuing education hours, Paul Davis Tri-State has just posted our new CE class schedule for 2012. We’re still figuring out topics for a couple of the classes, but the schedule is ready to view on our website.

This year, we’re also giving you the opportunity to sign up for a class online. The form takes just a few minutes to complete. Take a look at the schedule and if you have any questions, contact Brian Risby at brigsby@pdr-usa.net.

Sign up for a class online

*Date*	*Day*	*Time*	*Location*	*Subject*	*Credits*
March 13, 2012	Tuesday	9:00 am	Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky Office 4395 Boron Drive, Latonia, KY 41015	Ethics for the Insurance Professional	3 hrs
May 8, 2012	Tuesday		Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky Office 4395 Boron Drive, Latonia, KY 41015	TBD
August 7, 2012	Tuesday		Northern Cincinnati Office 325 Commercial Dr., Fairfield, OH	TBD
Sept. 13, 2012	Tuesday	9:00 am	Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky Office 4395 Boron Drive, Latonia, KY 41015	Ethics for the Insurance Professional	3hrs
November 6, 2012	Tuesday	9:00 am	Northern Cincinnati Office 325 Commercial Dr., Fairfield, OH	Ethics for the Insurance Professional	3 hrs
December 13, 2012	Tuesday		Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky Office 4395 Boron Drive, Latonia, KY 41015	TBD

Paul Davis Tri-State Setting Goals for the New Year

Brian Risby — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:24:00 GMT

All of us at Paul Davis Tri-State are excited about the start of the new year. We had a great December and can’t wait to begin 2012 with a bang!

Some news on the employee front:

Brian Risby, Marketing Director, will be traveling to Hopkinsville, Kentucky to become certified to teach Continuing Education (CE) courses to insurance agents and adjusters in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. If you need CE hours, stay tuned. We’ll be putting a schedule together soon. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and to check out our blog regularly for updates about upcoming CE courses.

Dale Prebble, Estimator/Project Manager, was our 2011 Associate of the Year in sales. Congratulations to Dale for his accomplishment!

If you’re in the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, or Southeastern Indiana area and have water damage, wind damage, mold damage, or are in need of any other type of restoration or remodeling service, contact us today. You can fill out our emergency services form anytime, day or night.

Happy new year from all of us at Paul Davis Tri-State.

Winter weather reminder: unhook your water hose before freezing begins

Bryce Raley — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

We all know how unpredictable the weather can be in Kentucky. It’s already the end of December and we still haven’t had consistent freezing temperatures. But maybe that’s a good thing. It gives us a little extra time to prepare for the harsh winter weather that lies ahead in January and February.

One simple thing you can do to prepare for the freezing weather, is to unhook your water hose. It’s quick, easy, and can save you a headache when spring rolls around. Here’s why.

When a water hose is left hooked up to an outside spigot during a cold winter when consistent freezing temperatures begin, the pipe can easily burst and then leak water when you turn it on.

The water hose only has to be hooked up for a very short period of time before the water freezes and a pipe bursts. Why? The water in the hose has a tendency to siphon back into the spigot itself and hold there. The freezing can occur in the middle of the night when the temperatures drop the most, causing the pipe to burst. The temperature the day before and after may be warm, but the damage has been done. This can happen early in the winter season, as most people don’t use the outside spigots until the weather begins to warm up.

We suggest you never leave a hose hooked up to a spigot in the spring, fall, or winter.

Take action now to avoid a mess in the springtime. Have a safe winter and stay warm!

Emergency Services Available 24 Hours a Day

Bryce Raley — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:33:00 GMT

Time is of the essence when it comes to an emergency. Our office is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to respond to emergency situations. All it takes on your part is a phone call or a visit to our website.

When you come to our website, you’ll notice an emergency services form right on our homepage. Simply fill out the form and someone from our office will contact you promptly regarding your situation.

The specialists here at Paul Davis Tri-State know what to do in an emergency. Our mitigation experts help to minimize the impact and recovery time from a loss. Since emergencies rarely come with fair warning, you can count on us to be there no matter when disaster strikes.

Here’s what you can expect from our team.

24-Hour Emergency Services:
• Contact within 30 minutes
• On site within four hours
• Structural stabilization & board-up
• Water extraction & structural drying
• Fire/smoke damage restoration
• Storm/wind damage restoration
• Vehicular impact/vandalism damage
• Contents cleaning & pack-outs
• IICRC certified technicians

For the quickest response and the best results, it pays to select a company with a heritage of more than forty years in property restoration. And we’re always ready for your call.

Paul Davis Tri-State Launches new Web Presence

Bryce Raley — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:26:00 GMT

In recent months, we’ve taken the necessary steps to improve our web presence and make it easier for people to find us online. Along with that, when visitors get to our site, we want them to be able to find what they’re looking for fast and easy. Whether that be general information about our company, specific information about a product or service, or how Paul Davis can help solve whatever problem they have.

We also want to make it easy for people to connect with us through a variety of different channels like social media, online contact forms, our blog, through email, and more.

In order to accomplish these things, we’ve launched a new website. This site is interactive and will hopefully provide a better online experience for you. Although the site looks similar to what we had before, it’s on a completely different platform that’s easy to update and interact on.

Here are some things you can expect:

Regular blog posts covering new happenings at Paul Davis and industry-related news.
Videos, interviews, and other media that will help you get to know us on a more personal level.
Other ways to connect online, like links to our social media accounts.
The ability to sign up for our monthly newsletter or subscribe via RSS feeds.
Easy-to-navigate pages and links to vendors.
More online content for education and enjoyment purposes.

Thanks for checking out our new site. If you have any questions or if there’s a certain topic you would like to see covered on our blog, you can submit comments through our online form. Let us know what you think!

Merry Christmas from Paul Davis Tri-State

Bryce Raley — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:14:00 GMT

Christmas time is here! Can you believe this year is almost over? Every December we pause to reflect on the passing year—areas where we succeeded and areas where we can improve.

We also like to take this opportunity to let our employees and our customers know how much we appreciate them. The people we work with really are the life of the business, and we have the best. We are grateful for the loyalty of both our employees and our customers, and we look forward to continuing to build those relationships as we enter the New Year.

Hopefully the excitement of the holiday season will linger awhile as we enjoy time with family and friends over the next couple of weeks. 2012 holds the promise of a happy and successful business year ahead.

Paul Davis Tri-State wishes you a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Holiday Home Fire Safety Tips

Bryce Raley — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:49:00 GMT

Tis the season for holiday fun. Family gatherings, entertaining, and festive decorations are among the highlights of the holiday season.

However, sometimes the holiday season brings unexpected risks into your home. According to the United States Fire Administration, during the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s seasons, there is an elevated risk for home fires due to extensive cooking, decorations, home heating, and open flames.

Paul Davis Restoration Tri-State has a few tips we’d like to share with you to make the holidays safe for you and your family:

Holiday Decorations: Decorate with non-combustible or flame-resistant materials. Never use lighted candles on a tree, evergreens, or other flammable materials. Don’t place candles near children, pets, or gift wrapping.

Lights: Make sure there are no frayed wires, broken sockets, or loose connections. Check labels to be sure about the proper use of indoor and outdoor lights. Don’t overload electrical outlets.

Trees: Cut a few inches off the trunk of a live tree and fill the stand with water to keep it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. An artificial tree should be labeled “Fire Resistant.” Place trees away from fireplaces, radiators, or portable heaters.

Fire Escape Plan: Make sure everyone understands the escape routes and where to meet once outside.

Smoke Alarms: Make sure your smoke alarms are in proper working order and change the batteries at least twice a year.

Fire Extinguishers: Make sure there is a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen, laundry room, and garage. Learn how to use the fire extinguisher.

Fireplace/Chimney: Have your fireplace and chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional chimney sweep. Never burn greens, boughs, papers, or other decorations in the fireplace. Check to see that the flue is open before starting a fire.

Keep a list with important emergency phone numbers: Include police and fire departments, doctors, and the national poison help line.

In case of emergency property damage, give us a call or contact us online and we’ll step in to immediately handle the restoration for you.

Heavy Rains Bring Rain to the Cincinnati Area

Bryce Raley — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:49:00 GMT

Cincinnati's Channel 5 News, WLWT, reported earlier this week on a mudslide in Bellevue, Kentucky. At Paul Davis of the Tri-State Area, we've seen the effects of the heavy rains in our area recently, but nothing like the landslide that damaged two condominiums in the Rossford Run development.

One of our senior associates, Rick Hatton, was brought in to assess the damage and make plans for restoration of the property. The video from WLWT's report, including the interview with Rick, can be seen here: wlwt.com/news/29935450/detail.html.

We wish the homeowners the best and we want to encourage everyone to be safe and aware of potential landslides on hills around where you live and work. The ground is already saturated and hillsides with steep inclines in your community can be at risk. Check out the USGS for potential landslide warning signs.

The saturated ground around your house can also add pressure to your foundation, resulting in cracks or leaks into your basements. To help keep your basement dry, be sure your sump pump is working effectively and that it has a working battery backup in case the power to your house goes out.

If you have any questions about how to avoid water damage to your home or if you have any questions, please contact us or give us a call at (513) 777-PAUL or (859) 647-PAUL.

Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Turkey Frying Tips from Paul Davis Restoration Tri-State

Bryce Raley — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:03:00 GMT

Every year around this time, we like to tell our community two things.

Number one: Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Enjoy your time off eating, relaxing, visiting with friends and family, watching basketball or football, and shopping.

This time of year is a great time to count our blessings and make a list of things we’re grateful for.

At Paul Davis Restoration, we’re grateful for our community of agents, adjustors, fire departments, suppliers, vendors, contractors, and employees who make what we do possible.

The second thing we always like to share is turkey frying safety resources.

Many of you might not realize that Thanksgiving has one of the highest rates of fire as noted here by the NFPA.

We don’t want to put a damper on your turkey preparations, but just want you to be safe. Check out these Turkey frying tips from Lifehacker and a video from William Shatner on the topic.