It pays to check around your home regularly to look for water leaks, and the laundry room should be one of the first places on the list. Washing machines use lots of water and are usually left unsupervised, so leaks and drips may go undetected until they make a big mess. Here are a few things to keep in mind during a laundry room inspection.
- Be sure you know how to turn off the water to your house in case of a major water line break or other emergency. The main shutoff valve is usually located in front of your house, near the street. The best time to locate it is before an emergency occurs. Be sure you know how to turn it off and have the right wrench to do so.
- Check the hoses behind the washing machine. Make sure they’re connected properly and in good condition. Hoses can be easily replaced; most home improvement stores carry them.
- With the machine running, check the hoses for leaks. Water can come out of tiny cracks that you can’t find just by looking at the hose. Check around the bottom of the machine and make sure it’s not leaking. A drain pan will catch small drips and leaks.
- If you have a front loading machine, check the seal around the door and the auto lock, if the machine has one. These machines use a great deal of water, so it’s important to check them often, to catch a leaky seal before it can cause a big problem.
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Professional Flood Cleanup Services and Cost
If you experience a flood at your home or business in San Francisco, CA or the surrounding towns in the Bay area, call the experts at ServiceMaster DDR. We use only the most advanced water extraction and drying equipment in the industry to remove excess water and dry the affected area quickly, before mold can grow. We’ll also dry carpets, furniture and other items that may be affected.
Cleanup costs vary, depending on the amount of standing water in the building, how much damage was done and if mold is present.
Steve VanDenBerg is the owner of ServiceMaster Disaster Restoration and Recovery. He has over 30 years of experience working within the restoration industry and successfully leading start-ups, turnarounds, acquisitions and mergers, and rapidly growing companies.
Steve earned his BS in Business & Accounting from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and began working for DSI Holdings as their Chief Financial Officer. When Steve began with DSI Holdings, they were running an underperforming ServiceMaster Restore franchise with one location. Steve implemented new policies and procedures for accounting and finance as well as a professional sales plan that increased profits eightfold over his time as the CFO. He was then promoted to President and CEO and in this time, he expanded the company from two locations with $4M in sales to 12 locations and $45M in sales. DSI Holdings became one of the largest disaster restoration companies in the U.S. and helped with major restoration projects throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Steve purchased ServiceMaster DRR in 2015 when the business was in decline. Drawing on his years of experience in turning around struggling ServiceMaster franchises, Steve overhauled our operations, including finance, sales, and marketing, which led to a quick turnaround. Within Steve’s first 24 months, sales increased by 60 percent. Steve also helped greatly improve our operating margins and established a relationship with California’s largest residential insurance company. Under Steve’s leadership, we have become one of the largest disaster restoration providers in California.
Steve has found great success in turning around struggling and stagnant restoration franchises by changing the business model and strategy, greatly increasing sales and profits. Many of the changes he has implemented have even been adopted by the franchisor into their operating model.