Month: March 2017

When Should You Rely on Residential Disaster Restoration?

Damage to your home after a disaster can seem like a daunting thing. Will it return to normal? How long will it take?  Who should I hire?

While you have many questions, one of the biggest is if you should hire a restoration service that specializes in emergencies.The answer is yes! Residential disaster restoration services can best assess what your home needs and how to do the work right the first time. But when should you choose one of these services? There are many events after which one of these services should be utilized, but the three biggest are:

Large Scale Projects

Residential Disaster Restoration | DKIServices.com If more than one area of your home has been damaged, definitely call a residential restoration service. These larger services have many resources and team members that they can utilize to best complete the work.

Work needs to be Done Quickly

Obviously, you want to return to your home as soon as possible. Some companies get the work done but don’t have the ability to work as soon as you call them. Large residential disaster restoration companies like DKI have the ability to start the work the same day you call them.

Major Structural Damage

If your home has not only suffered cosmetic, but also major structural damage, a residential restoration company should be called. These experts have seen a lot so they can determine how safe your home is and how quickly, and safely, work can be completed.

We never want to think a disaster can happen to us, but it’s always smart to plan for one. When readying your home for the possibility of a disaster, save DKI’s number. They’re available 24/7 for both large and small restoration projects. Their team can start work immediately so your family can return home as soon as it’s safe.

What to Look for in Commercial Restoration Companies

Choosing a commercial restoration company for your business can be a stressful task. While it seems easy to choose the first company that looks good, carefully looking at restoration companies is in your best interest. Before signing the dotted line, make sure the company you choose offers the following:

A Portfolio of Previous Work

Restoration Companies | DKIServices.com A good restoration company, or really any contractor in general, should have a portfolio of work to show off. This way, you can see the work they have completed before and if it’s what your business needs. Also, while looking at their portfolio, ask questions about issues they ran into, how long it took, and how many projects like that they’ve done before. If they can’t present a portfolio or answer questions, seek another company.

A Variety of Services

Check to see what services the contractor or company you choose offers. A good emergency restoration company can offer a variety of restoration services. It’s very rare that a project only needs one type of restoration work. So, if you have to go to multiple services just to get your business back in order, you may be waiting a long time for work to be completed.

An Upfront Timeline of Work

As soon as a contractor assesses the damage in your home, they should be able to provide you a timeline of how long the work will take. The more experienced the contractor or service, the more accurate the timeline will be. Obviously, each project is different and timetables can change, however, the company you hire should update you as frequently as possible.

If the company you’ve chosen can’t present these things, be sure to call DKI for a second opinion. DKI is consistently chosen to help businesses get back on their feet after a disaster. Call them today to see why, out of all of the restoration companies out there, DKI is most trusted.

Spring Clean Your Digital Files in 5 Easy Steps

digitalfilesIt’s officially spring and that means it’s time to start fresh! While it’s nice to spruce up the office and give everything a good clean, why not do the same for your digital files?  Organizing your digital files is a great way to make the rest of your year’s work so much more efficient. It’s easy to get bogged down, but here are a few tips to make cleaning and putting your files together a lot easier:

Create one place for all your documents

Start with one root folder such as “My Documents” to start building in your organization. Most Windows based computers already have a root folder already created.  If you’ve got a mess of files on your desktop, start with sticking the documents there.

Be clear and logical with your folder naming

In your “My Documents” folder start creating new folders with simple classifications such as:

  • Events
  • Clients
  • Invoices

Try to avoid your own abbreviations. Pretend you’re new and needed to be able to try to find things quickly.

Create folders within folders like nesting dolls

If you’ve got a folder called “Invoices” you can create a folder inside labeled with the year, then another inside the year with the month.  See the example below:

  • Invoices
    • 2017
      • January
      • February
      • March

Have specific and logical names for your documents.

Make things easy on yourself and name documents that tell you what they are so you don’t need to open it to find out. Consider including dates after the name so you know when it was updated or saved.  Sending a first invoice?

  • ClientName_Invoice_Date
    • ABCompany_1stInvoice_032317

Don’t let it build up.

File things in the right folders right away. This will keep it from getting out of hand. File and name the document in the right place when you create it! If you do things right the first time, there’s no need to worry about a back-up later.

Back Up Your Files!

Use the cloud, SharePoint, One Drive, or another hard drive… Whatever the case schedule a day per week, at least, to back up your files somewhere else in case of an emergency. Technology is great, when it works, so don’t get lax and leave your files where something can happen and have a second place. Back up and back up often!

Did You Know About these Restoration Services?

When your home or business has been damaged, you tend to only think about the immediate damage. While some services specialize in strictly one kind of repair, some are highly specialized and can fix a number of issues. Did you know that DKI is one of those companies that can offer a number of restoration services? These are a few that some don’t realize we offer:

Personal Property Restoration

Restoration Services | DKIServices.com We realize that it isn’t just the structure of your home that can be affected by a disaster. We offer storage and cleaning of personal items while your home is being repaired. Our crews are experts in carefully packing items that haven’t been damaged, and also cleaning items that have been affected.

Mold Remediation

If you find mold in your home or business, you can have DKI take care of it with the same professionalism as our other services. We’ll use the latest industry techniques and equipment to quickly remove the mold and fix any damage it caused.

Tree Removal

Downed trees can be more than just an inconvenience. They can bring with them power lines, complex root systems, and other damage to personal property. DKI has worked with many situations where downed trees have caused problems, so we can best assess the problems and remove the tree.

When looking at services that specialize in a number of areas, be sure to contact DKI. Our team will best decide what work needs to be done, how to do it, and give you an accurate timeline on when the work will be completed. Contact us today to see how our residential and commercial restoration services can help you!

How To: Prevent Frozen Pipes

With winter refusing to leave lately on the East Coast, here are some quick tips to prevent the pipes from freezing around your homes and businesses.

insulate

Install foam sleeves or heat tape to water pipes that are easily accessible. Make sure to follow instructions carefully to prevent a fire hazard.

Let faucets drip

Let cold water drip from the faucet to relieve pressure and prevent pipes from freezing.

warm up

Keep your thermostat no lower than 50 degrees day & night. Open all cabinet doors with pipes inside to keep the pipes warm from the heat from the rest of the house.

Reasons to call 24 Hour Emergency Services Right after a Disaster

Disasters don’t have a time limit. They decide to happen at any time and most times, without any warning. When they do happen, people usually wait to call a restoration service. Since a number of 24 hour emergency services are around, there is now no reason to wait! Here’s why you should call right after disaster strikes:

  • 24 Hour Emergency Services | DKIServices.com Time is of the Essence. By waiting, sometimes damage gets worse. By calling a service right away, they can assess current damage and sometimes keep it from getting worse. Also, if multiple people are affected, you could run into services being too busy.
  • Get Started Right Away. Why live with damages? By calling a service that works around the clock, you can get started on repairs faster. This means you can be back to normal so much sooner than by waiting and calling a traditional service.
  • Take Advantage of Resources. When you call an emergency service right away, those crews are trained to use some of the best available resources to help. They work quickly because they’ve been around similar situations before. By calling right away, they are ready to use those resources and get the best outcome possible.

While you can’t predict when an emergency or disaster will happen, you can prepare for one. Be sure to keep DKI Service’s contact information handy. That way, whenever a disaster does occur, you can call their 24 hour emergency services and get the help you need right away.

General Contractor vs. Storm Damage Restoration Company: Who to Call?

When a major storm impacts a community, the first thing people do is assess the damage. While some fare better than others, many make the decision to hire the first general contractor they find. While this isn’t necessarily the worst decision, many forget that a storm damage restoration company would probably be better inclined to fix their problem. So when should you call a storm restoration service over a general contractor?

  • Storm Damage Restoration | DKIServices.com You have many downed trees on your property. While simply having downed trees doesn’t seem like a large problem, it can be if they aren’t removed properly. Contractors who see lots of damage can expertly remove a tree without causing damage and take into account other factors from the storm, such as downed power lines, root systems, and more.
  • You have multiple kinds of damage. Flooding, fires, and mold are sometimes all parts of storm damage. While a general contractor might have some experience in these areas, services who have worked with storm damage will best know how to go about fixing all of these problems. Also, they will probably have better access to materials to fix these problems.
  • You want to get your home back to normal as soon as possible. This seems obvious, but once you’ve been displaced, the only thing on your mind is getting back to a normal routine. Storm damage experts have worked diligently before to quickly assess, work, and finish repairs so families can return home. So a large storm project doesn’t scare these individuals and they will get straight to work.

After a storm or major weather incident, call DKI.  Their team of highly knowledgeable storm restoration experts will work quickly to assess the damage, fix it properly, and get your home back to normal. Save their number or call today to get to combat storm damage!

DOUG HEIFERMAN JOINS HUDSON VALLEY DKI

Doug_HudsonValley(New Hampton., N.Y., Mar. 2, 2017) – Hudson Valley DKI, a member company of DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, announced they hired Doug Heiferman on February 1, 2017 as their director of training to help develop Hudson Valley DKI’s new Training and Learning Center. Continue reading “DOUG HEIFERMAN JOINS HUDSON VALLEY DKI”