SPRING CLEAN MOLD IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS ~ Scarsdale NY 10583    Removing Mold and Mildew in homes and business in  Scarsdale 10583, to truly Spring Clean your property    Spring is in the air, so it may be a good time to address that mold situation in your Scarsdale home or business -- or at your client's property -- in Westchester County.  Mold walk throughs with restoration company pros like ours are usually "by appointment" and are not considered an emergency.   Mold growth is microscopic and takes time to grow and cause that "mildew odor."  Also, this fungus growth could be linked to a water damage or leak from months or even years ago.  Set an appointment with a professional mold mitigation company and have them look for "visible mold," and determine whether you need to "test"... 04/24/2013

Cleaning up a sewage damage in Scarsdale basements can be a really "dirty job" in Westchester County, NY10583.     When sewage lines back up from street pipes in Westchester County towns like Eastchester / Tuckahoe, it's not a pretty site.  Even though our crews dried up feet of Long Island Sound storm surge after Sandy in Larchmont and City Isle in The Bronx, it's nothing compared to sewage damages.   Sea water churned up in a hurricane is a petri dish of germs and bacteria, but it takes a back seat to our clients with waste water in their homes and businesses, trust me.       What usually happens is that a sewage pipe that runs from the municpal large drains under most of our streets can get blocked, and the waste may back up into your lower level, or basement.  In a finished lower le... 04/17/2013

Put Some Spring in your Clean, as winter ends and temperatures come up with the daffodils this month, in Scarsdale, NY 10583   Birds are back in town and temperatures are warming up--Spring is almost here!  So, it may be time to think about a thorough cleaning indoors, before we move outdoors through summer.   Our Spring Cleaning traditions allow us to freshen up our environment and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer.  While many people deep clean their homes, this is also a great time to clean and organize your business.     A clean environment is a healthy environment.         It may be time to super clean the house, your business or office, from the windows to the floors.  That's so you can look out clean windows and enjoy the flowers as they begin to bloom a... 04/02/2013

I love this floor.  Yesterday, I went to visit a customer in Scarsdale and she has this beautiful stenciled hardwood floor.  It was a bit challenging to capture it on camera as it was the entryway and hallway and has several turns.  But, it is beautiful, and she designed it (w/ a decorator) before she moved in 10 years ago.   She found my blog last week and called me, asking for help in refinishing her hardwood floors in her kitchen and family room.  They are 2 large rooms, and we will most likely go dark to match the dark diamonds you see here.  That way, we will contrast better with the cabinets and complement the dark lines she has on them.   As it turned out, earlier in the week, she went to another friend's house in Scarsdale and said "Wow, your floors look great."  She had just re... 03/07/2013

Saddle up for wet attics from Winter Storm Saturn in Scarsdale NY 10583   Spring is coming in like a lion in March with another Winter Storm – Saturn –  that could cause ice dams in attics in Scarsdale, NY 10583.  Some tips follow the possible bad news below about a mid-week blizzard, just in case you plan to prepare!                                            Courtesy The Weather Channel   Westchester County is in the eye of a possibly huge snow storm again – here we go with “Winter Storm Saturn.”  First, we heard about 1 inch in the City and we might get more, north of the city.  But, it was supposed to be mostly rain.  Now, Saturn could whip around, dump up to 6 inches and cause coastal flooding along the Long Island Sound, with high winds up to 50 mpg.  With heavy wet snow in early ... 03/05/2013

Bitter Cold & Named Winter storms on the way can cause frozen pipes & basement floods in Scarsdale, NY 10583   Okay…so we found Nemo in February.  He was all over the Northeast, nailing us with FEET of snow…even though fish don’t even HAVE feet.  But, really??  A storm named “Nemo?”   Why are we naming winter storms, especially Nemo's namesake -- this cute, slightly physically challenged orange fish in the Pixar movie?  Actor, Al Brooks, even tweeted about the storm:  "This Nor’Easter, Nemo...I’m not looking for it!”      Courtesy hollywood gossip Our northeastern version of Nemo really packed a punch from Connecticut to Maine, dumping feet of snow here in Westchester, and north of us in areas that are still digging out. Nemo was historic!     Then last weekend, a new winter storm, “Pla... 02/19/2013

Reblogging this one from 2013, when we had weeks of snow and ice like this month.  Will it never end?  But, we can take precautions to not have a roof cave in at work or home.  Be safe out there:   ICE DAMS & FROZEN PIPES MAY FOLLOW FREEZING TEMPS & WEAKENED ROOFS FROM SNOW, IN EASTCHESTER, NY 10707   Hello all...is it Spring yet?  As we brace for even more snow because we're having so much fun with it, our crews are getting calls for Ice Dam water damages.  We have a huge multi-unit Condo project in Northern Westchester County for a Townhouse complex with ice damming.  Six units leaked from melting snow and ice!   All these flurries and freezing temperatures, with a little warm up above freezing, can cause Ice Dam situations -- especially with our arctic overnight conditions this weeke... 01/21/2013

Sandy slammed us, but we cleaned our way through the holidays and New Year in water damaged basements and fire damaged homes ~ Scarsdale, NY 10583   Sandy cleanup continues in Westchester County and my guys / gals are beat!  Our first call for help came on Nov 5th, even as our crews lost power at their family's homes.  David's parents are in their 90s and were in the dark.     Luckily, our shop kept power / phones and we got the 50 calls per day starting the 6th.  City Isle, Larchmont and Mamaroneck took on 1/2 feet of the Long Island Sound, but they home, business and "Town of" owners are high and dry and MOLD free by now.  The unattended candles that burned homes were an issue, but they are clean, repainted and ready for the holi-daze.  Merry, Happy Happy, Merry!   To date, we've resp... 01/17/2013

  Preventing Heating Hazards that lead to a Puffback, fire or soot damage in your Scarsdale, NY 10583 home or business!     It’s time to think about preventing a fire, soot damage or “puffback” in your home or business, especially if you have a boiler heating system and space heaters.  It’s all about maintenance and being safe!   Our winter season is at the half-way point—and it’s getting colder--so, we are all looking for warm alternatives as 2013 ramps up.  But, this is also the time of year that boilers can “puffback” soot into your property, or a portable heater can be moved too close to a fabric chair or couch that may be flammable. A puffback occurs when an oil burner backfires and sends oily soot throughout your home or business.  This anomaly can happen if a boiler is older, not... 01/15/2013

Flooded in Scarsdale NY 10583 - Hurricane Sandy has left her mark   Did your basement flood from the Hurricane Sandy in Scarsdale NY? Many low lying areas of Westchester, got hit hard from the Superstorm, including Scarsdale, Larchmont, Rye, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle and Bronxville. We've had a lot of customers calling due to drenched carpets. And, if you don't remove them soon enough, they really start to smell...and if they sit too long they could develop that forbidden word...mold. Yuck!   Sometimes, the water damage is covered by insurance, especially if it was due to an electrical failure. Usually, the insurance will compensate you for replacement value of what you had. We've had many customers in Scarsdale who were so disgusted by the smell and ordeal associated with flooded carpet... 11/09/2012

Donations DROP OFF Westchester Let’s Make Time to Help! In an effort to help those who were affected by the tragic Storm Sandy last week, we will be collecting donations of the following items to be distributed to those in need.  SPREAD THE WORD  ITEMS SUGGESTED   - Bottled water and Non-perishable Food. - FOOD ITEMS: Canned Food, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Granola bars, Powdered milk, - BABY ITEMS:  Jars of Baby Food, Formula, Bottles, WIPES.     - Coats - Underwear (packaged, of course). - Socks - Gloves, scarfs & hats - Blankets   - TOILETRIES: Baby cough medicine, Band-Aids, Neosporin, Ace bandages, Advil, Tylenol.    -OTHER ITEMS: Cleaning supplies,  Bleach and  Garbage bags (preferably durable type). Work Gloves, Batteries, Flashlights, Face masks.   - Pet food. THANK YOU ALL SO ... 11/07/2012

This is the "new suburbia".  Buyers are shunning the enclaves of the exurbs and outer suburbs in favor of town life.  They now want to walk to the train, stop by the dry cleaner, and pick up an evening meal or enjoy dinner out - all without using their car to get there.   I took this photo in 2008 on a hot summer day.  I decided to spruce it up with a painted effect on photoshop. It shows off the charm of the village of Scarsdale and is right at the center of everything.    Views from the Village - Scarsdale NY.   © 2012 - Ruthmarie G. Hicks - http://fotosonthefly.biz - All rights reserved.    07/23/2012

Hillary Sheperd and her husband Forrest Sheperd own Servpro of Scarsdale/Mt Vernon.  They help families when disaster strikes - floods, fires, mold...all that fun stuff that we hope never happens to us.  And, if it's ever happened to you or someone you know, you know how devastating and scary this can be. Their job is to make you safe and help you get your life back to normal.  In fact, their tagline is "Like it never even happened."  They are on call 24 hrs a day and if you or a friend has an emergency, they will help bail you out.  Sometimes, that means getting rid of the water quickly...they will make sure they get the water out and dry everything so you don't get mold and you can preserve your stuff and prevent additional damage.  (after all, water can be very distructive). Hillary ... 06/17/2012

Flooding rains may lead to water damaged homes & businesses in Scarsdale  NY 10583 Our usually spot-on National Weather forecasts is calling for a stormy week ahead in Westchester County and Scarsdale, NY and the 10583 zip area.  During some heavy downpours this weekend, I had flashbacks to flooding storms, during last summer's Hurricane Irene and her Tropical Storm Lee "chaser."  It was that intense!   Driving rains during the first three days of the week, for the past MONTH, have made most of our parkways and roads an adventure to drive, even in my all wheel drive Subaru.  It’s especially lovely when folks with grey and black cars and SUVs overdrive conditions without their HEADLIGHTS on in blinding rain.  Really, you want us to run in to you with no running lights??!      To add to o... 06/07/2012

Well April has been an extremely busy and productive month more me...one of best yet!  Somehow, I've also managed to get in a few blogs, with many of them local.  The local ones get less hits...but often higher quality hits.  I've been getting more and more phoned calls by people finding our large web footprint...from Active Rain, TheFlooringGirl.com and my original corportate website.  One of the things that is interesting is that many of my customers have been to at least 2 of these locations and many are calling me The Flooring Girl and even referencing specific blog posts while I'm on the appointment. ....well now onto the top Active Rain blog posts for the month...sorted by number of CLICKS. Is it better to have Carpet or hardwood flooring in your bedroom? It was nice to see how th... 04/30/2012

  TIPS, TOOLS & HINTS FROM HILLARY:  AFTER A DRY WINTER, FIRES ARE MORE FREQUENT FOR OUR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLIENTS, THAN WATER DAMAGES THIS SPRING ~ WHO KNEW?   Forrest and I have been surprised about the lack of our usual water damage cleanup clients this Spring.  We're helping people with spring cleaning their homes and business, per usual.   But, lately we're seeing appliance and stove fire disasters.  And, of course, we always have those horrifying sewage and water damages, from desperate clients, who's kids played with toys by flushing them -- in an upper level bathroom.  That brings new meaning to Spring Showers, with a top down, two or three level flooding in a home or apartment building.     But, we shouldn't have been surprised, especially after no snow or snowmelt, not much r... 04/19/2012

Selecting carpet for your home in Scarsdale NY has never been easier...now, you can Shop at Home for your carpeting in Westchester NY. Have you ever gone to a carpet store and just felt lost and overwhelmed?  Sometimes, there are so many options that you don't even know where to start.  Sometimes, you may go into a store and find so many choices that you leave more confused than you felt when you entered?  How do you know what's the best type of carpet for your home in Scarsdale NY?  What's the right one for your budget?  And, what's the right color? We make shopping for carpeting fun and easy. Everything starts with the area you are looking to carpet.  Is it for a bedroom or a lviing room or a family room or basement or the step?  Different rooms require different types of carpeting.  ... 04/06/2012

Home for Sale By Owner in Scarsdale, NY 10583 - Flat Fee MLS Listing $395 188 Garth Unit: 6w Scarsdale, NY 10583 - Realtors welcome, buyer agent commission paid at MLS#3210113 1 Beds 1 Baths Condo/Townhome/Row Home/Co-Op' Close to Bus, Close To Railroad, Close to School, Close to Shops If you are interested in this Home for Sale By Owner in Scarsdale, NY 10583- Flat Fee MLS Listing $395, please call 1-888-362-6543, enter the MLS#3210113 . You can make an appointment or ask any questions about the property. Realtors welcome, buyer commission is paid to any realtor. Please see additional listing details at Realtor.com featured by Realmart Realty. If you have a Home for Sale in Scarsdale, NY 10583 and would like save up to 6% commission, we can list your home on the local MLS and Realtor.c... 04/04/2012

TAKE SONYA LOUIS'S FITNESS BOOT CAMP AND PILATES CLASS AND "GET YOUR MOVE ON!" FOR SPRING   As spring blooms and the weather warms, it's time to get your move on and lose weight, while you get fit.  With nice, warmer days and nights, most of us are coming out of hibernation.  I had a couple of losses in the family last year and grieved and at my way through winter...with abandon.   So, now it's time to use it, 'cause I damn well lost it over the winter.  That is, I lost muscle tone and put fat and sadness in it's place.  It was time for a change and I'd met Sonya Louis in our mutual home town of Mount Vernon.  She offers private and small group classes in her lovely Specialty Fitness studio near trains and the Bronx River Parkway. Every time I work out with this amazing, positive and su... 04/03/2012

When we get those lovely light showers this spring, keep and eye on your basements and finished lower rooms for flooding and water damage -- and, even mildew that can point to mold growth!   Sometimes weather patterns during April and May can bring more than just a proverbial spring shower -- and can really damage our homes or businesses. From treacherous lightning to destructive, unpredictable and damaging storms, we could be in stored for these more common characteristics of the spring season. With this in mind, our Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon is offering tips for people on how to best prepare for the uncertainty of Mother Nature.  Our message couldn't be clearer – Expect the unexpected! "It simply isn't possible to be too prepared for a spring storm," said Forrest Sheperd, pr... 04/02/2012