Fire Safety During Grilling

6/21/2023 (Permalink)

At home grilling is an activity that almost everyone enjoys and should be conducted safely with a few precautions. If one is not careful, grill fires may break out occasionally causing causalities of the food, surrounding area, and sometimes people. Here are some things you should keep in mind when grilling this summer to prevent grill fires: 

• Don't leave the grill unattended
• Clean the grill after use to prevent flare ups
• Remove flammable items from around the grill
• Keep your grill in good condition, never operating a faulty grill 
• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby for necessary situations
• Insure connections between the gas tank and grill are secure
• Never cook too close to a building

Home Fires 

A grill fires that grows into a home fire can be a damaging and stressful event. The best way to recover in this situation is by calling professional fire remediation company. These companies have qualified teams prepared to restore any damage caused by smoke, soot, or fire. 

Barbecue Fires
What do you do when your barbecue catches on fire? Remain calm. Check that there is nothing flammable near the grill. It is important that the fire stay contained in order to prevent further damage. If possible, turn off the burners and the line from the gas tank. If necessary, use a fire extinguisher to quench flames, otherwise the fire should decrease naturally and go out on its own. If handled properly, a grill fire may ruin your food but at least your home is spared. 

Why Content Clean?

6/21/2023 (Permalink)

What is Content Cleaning? 

When disaster occurs, many steps must be taken to ensure the property is safe, clean, and restored. One crucial step of the restoration process is content cleaning. Many may ask, what is content cleaning? Content cleaning is the process in which belongings, such as furniture, clothing, electronics, and personal items, are removed, packed, cleaned, and restored. This process removes all contaminants from items preventing potential exposure to harmful hazardous material. 

When Does Content Cleaning Occur? 

After disaster occurs, one should immediately contact a professional restoration company to inspect the situation. This company should be experienced in the field of restoration and content cleaning, possessing all of the necessary equipment, cleaning agents, licenses, and certifications to operate. The longer you wait to have your contents cleaned and restored the worse the damage will become. One should call a restoration company 24-48 hours after the loss to insure relatively fresh damage. 

The Content Cleaning Process

Once the company has been contacted, they will complete a process which goes through many stages to insure a full restoration of contents. 

1. Inspection 

In the first stage, an expert from the restoration company will be sent out to determine the extent of damage and assess the cleaning methods needed for the belongings. 

2. Pack Out

Once the items have been inspected, they will be packed out, labeled, removed, and transported from the premises for cleaning at the company's facility. 

3. Cleaning 

At the facility, the technicians will use specialized equipment and cleaning agents to remove contaminants and restore contents to the previous condition. 

4. Storage

Many times the contents have been fully cleaned before the property has been restored. In these cases, the contents will be packed and stored at the climate controlled, secure facility to await transportation to the restored property.

5. Return

The final stage is the return stage. This includes the return and transportation of cleaned content to the restored facility. The technician will unpack, inspect, and insure the proper placement of belongings. 

Disaster often occurs, when this happens one must immediately call a restoration professional to take necessary steps to insure the property is safe, clean, and restored. A crucial step in this is content cleaning. Content cleaning is the process in which belongings, such as furniture, clothing, electronics, and personal items, are removed, packed, cleaned from hazardous material, and restored. Remember, don't wait to call a professional. The damage will only increase if given time.  

Creating A Disaster Plan

6/2/2023 (Permalink)

Natural disasters have an enormous impact on small businesses, especially start-ups and cash-only businesses. The livelihood of both the owner and employees are jeopardized, an a plan must be in place to protect all parties involved. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that 40% of small businesses fail to re-open after a natural disaster. With preparation, you can greatly increase the chance of your business recovering.

An emergency plan should be formed when the business is formed. Insurance becomes a key component of this plan, requiring careful consideration of all assets and deciding on the best insurance policy. For example, will natural disaster or looting insurance be included or added on later? Use the following steps as a guide to develop a post-disaster plan to keep your business running after an emergency.

• Follow up with employees: Address their concerns, and note if they are able to find temporary work or aid in the recovery process.
• Develop a communication strategy: Delegate someone trusted to communicate with disaster relief services, suppliers, and financial institutions
• Keep your data safe: Have a back-up of your business' files in multiple locations. Consider cloud based services since the data is stored remotely and can be accessed from multiple devices.
• Seek a restoration expert: Restoration companies such as ours will come to your aid to listen to your concerns, minimize loss, fix damages, and find the best value out of your insurance coverage.
• File an insurance claim: Examine policy and make sure there are no gaps. Also ask the questions, "Are additional damages covered? What are my deductibles?"
• Disaster loan assistance: There are various government agencies and organizations that can help your business recover. Visit the U.S. Small Business Administration website to learn about their Disaster Loan Program to help fix property and restock supplies.

Preparation is vital to recovering from any disaster; no one is immune. With the right plan, your chance of re-opening will increase significantly. SERVPRO of West Concord is ready to answer your call and restore your small business back to new.

Fire Restoration For Commercial Property

2/23/2023 (Permalink)

If your commercial property in West Concord, California, has experienced a fire, there are several reasons why you might want to board up structural damage or windows. In addition to keeping the external elements out of a building with fire damage, boarding up can also prevent additional losses due to looting and make the fire cleanup process easier. 

Most full-service restoration specialists offer boarding-up services. Here are four reasons to board-up after a fire.

1. There is still viable stock on the premises. If products that appear viable remain in the building, you should consider boarding up. These items may require assessment and cleaning and may not be fit for sale, but having them properly processed rather than stolen can be helpful for insurance purposes.

2. You want to protect electronics and other valuables. Depending on the extent of the fire damage, you may be able to restore some electronics or other valuable property to working condition. Loss can be far more expensive than restoration or covered replacement.

3. You need to keep out the elements. If the structure of your property has sustained extensive damage, you should try to keep the elements out. Exposure to additional water, wind, or sunlight can compound the damage caused by smoke residue and soot.

4. You want to limit soot damage. It is generally a good idea to reduce foot traffic on the scene of a recent fire. When soot gets embedded into carpeting or upholstery, it can be much more difficult to restore these materials to a pre-fire condition.

Talk to restoration experts at SERVPRO of West Concord, about whether boarding up is a good strategy for preventing loss and limiting damage after a fire. Your major concern is likely to be how to recover from fire damage as quickly and completely as possible. Preventing looting and exposure to the elements can make fire cleanup more successful. Don’t hesitate to call us (925) 681-9093.

When The Mold Storm Is A Foot

11/21/2022 (Permalink)

Mold colonization can be a dangerous and threatening situation for homes, especially when the situation goes unchecked and unresolved. While you might not necessarily believe that you need the services of professional mold remediation technicians like our SERVPRO team, there are many reasons that you might reconsider. The first of these is how quickly this situation can get out of control if allowed to grow and spread unabated. Without addressing the underlying cause of the colonies, they can continue to grow and thrive unchallenged.

Our SERVPRO professionals have advanced training and education in the remediation of mold damage from West Concord homes through the IICRC. This continual coursework ensures that we can provide our customers with technicians that have the confidence and expertise to address even widespread mold concerns immediately. Once we have arrived at your address, we can begin to assessing the full scope of the damage and working with our production management leadership to determine the best recovery solution for the property.

Our strategies for colony removal vary depending on the material hosting an organism and where the mold has gotten discovered within the property. How severe this colonization has become also plays a role in the best solution for removing it. Lighter presences, for example, can often get remedied by the application of our efficient antimicrobial spray. This product can kill off the spores spreading within the material, effectively starving out the entire hyphae and eliminating the organism.

The remediation professionals of our SERVPRO team also have effective strategies for removing more deeply rooted organisms spreading throughout your property. If you’ve noticed mold growth in your home or business call us at SERVPRO of West Concord at (925) 681-9093.

When Drying Equipment Is Used

11/21/2022 (Permalink)

Commonly used equipment includes:

• Air Movers: Used to accelerate air flow and evaporation of moisture from materials for restorative drying.
• Dehumidifiers: Used to reduce moisture levels, accelerate the drying process in water restoration
• Floor Drying System: These are high-pressure air mover mats, used during water restoration to dry hardwood floors. This system draws evaporated moisture out of damages areas and creates a vacuum seal on mats to move air from the subfloor to the surface.
• Air Scrubbers: used for cleaning and controlling air quality in restorations.
• Hygrometers: Moisture meters used to detect or monitor moisture in most building materials.
• Submersible pumps: drains standing water from any surface - ideal for flooded basements, farm use, draining standing water from swimming pools, fountains, flooded basements, etc.
• Extractors: usually used for water extraction from carpet and hard surfaces.

A successfully water damage restoration always begins once the standing water has been removed - though it may not be visible in puddles.  Nevertheless, there are specific methods used for each and every situation. 

Understanding The Certain Water Types

11/21/2022 (Permalink)

When your home or business suffers water damage, understanding what type of water you are dealing with is critical to ensuring proper cleanup.

There are three types of water. Clean water is water from a broken pipe, or other water source; rainwater is also considered clean. The term gray water is used to classify slightly contaminated water. Clean water becomes gray water when it is left untreated allowing bacteria and other contaminants to begin growing, making the water hazardous. Black water is highly contaminated and filled with fungi, bacteria, chemicals, and more. Black water is typically caused by sewage damage, flooding or any type of natural disaster. Black water should always be handled by trained professionals.

Consider taking the following precautions to help minimize damage or prevent further damage while waiting for help to arrive.

Damage from Clean Water:

• Shut off water source if possible or contact a qualified professional to do so.
• Turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building if access to the power distribution panel is safe from potential electrical shock. Do not enter rooms with standing water, as electrical shock hazards may exist.
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting. Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items.
• Move any paintings, art objects, computers, documents and other valuable items that may be sensitive to moisture to a safe place.
• Do not use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water as there is potential for electrical shock or causing damage to the vacuum cleaner.

Damage from Contaminated Water:

• Avoid all contact with sewage and items contaminated by sewage. Wash your hands thoroughly if you come in contact with contaminated items.
• Do not walk through contaminated areas, as you could spread damage to unaffected areas.
• Do not use household fans to dry the structure; air flow could spread contaminates.
• Discard any food and/or products for personal hygiene and cleanliness if exposed to the contaminated areas.

Such Myths About Mold

11/14/2022 (Permalink)

When it comes to mold, there are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation that can lead to confusion for homeowners. Just the mention of the word "mold" can cause people to panic. While mold can be a very serious problem and should be taken seriously, it is important to have all the facts to be able to discern myth from fact so that you can make proper and informed decisions when necessary. 

1. "Bleach Kills Mold"
   While bleach may be able to kill some types of mold on non-porous surfaces, it is unclear whether or not bleach can kill all types of mold, or if it can kill mold on porous surfaces like wood. Bleach is also a very corrosive agent and can pose its own health risks if used to kill mold. It's best to leave it to the professionals. 
2. "You Don't Have to Remove Mold If You Kill It"
   Even if you are able to kill mold, you may not have removed the allergens that live in the mold. They can still be present even if the mold is killed. To fully protect yourself, removal of the affected areas is often necessary. You have to be careful not to spread the mold spores throughout your home when removing areas affected with mold. Professionals, like us, know how to set proper containment so that the mold allergens don't spread and further contaminate your home. 
3. "A Little Mold Is Nothing to Worry About"
   If mold has become visible in your home, then chances are it has been growing for some time. Once mold becomes visible, it is important that you have the situation looked at, as there is more than likely more mold behind the surface. 
4. "Mold Remediation Is Easy to Do On Your Own"
   This is usually not the case. Small areas of mold can sometimes be handled rather easily, but if the problem appears to be pervasive, it is best to call a professional. SERVPROis always "Here to help!"

What It Takes To Dry Equipment

11/14/2022 (Permalink)

Even small water damages have the potential to cause serious structural and indoor air quality issues over time.

The key to avoiding costly future restoration is to handle every water problem as a real threat to your property. SERVPRO of West Concord has the equipment, training and experience to find and dry unseen water before secondary damages occur. The proper equipment makes a measurable difference in reducing the damage expense during a fire or water loss.

When time matters, technology and equipment must be counted on to perform properly. Our team will answer your call with fast action and a full arsenal of drying equipment. Here are a few of the tools used by our highly-trained technicians.

Moisture Sensors are used to detect moisture in carpets, baseboards and walls.

Moisture Meters are used to determine the actual moisture content of various materials. The moisture tester provides accurate readings, allowing SERVPRO of West Concord to monitor the drying process.

Thermohygrometers measure temperature and relative humidity. When armed with this information, we can calculate and create an environment most conducive to drying. When facing a contaminated water loss, it is not only important to dry the structure, but the structure must also be disinfected and often deodorized.

Ultra Low-Volume (ULV) Foggers will atomize liquid deodorizing agents, producing a fine mist that can easily penetrate the site where odor-causing residues may accumulate. This device can also be used to inject fungicides and disinfectants into wall cavities and other hard-to-reach areas.

Thermal Foggers dispense solvent- based products by creating a dense fog. The fog consists of tiny particles of deodorant solution that attach to and neutralize odor- causing particles to deodorize structures, garments, automobiles and other places where cleaning cannot reach.

The bottom line? SERVPRO of Concord has the training and equipment to make it “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at 925-681-9093.

What Types Of Water Damage Are There?

11/14/2022 (Permalink)

When your home or business suffers water damage, understanding what type of water you are dealing with is critical to ensuring proper cleanup.

There are three types of water. Clean water is water from a broken pipe, or other water source; rainwater is also considered clean. The term gray water is used to classify slightly contaminated water. Clean water becomes gray water when it is left untreated allowing bacteria and other contaminants to begin growing, making the water hazardous. Black water is highly contaminated and filled with fungi, bacteria, chemicals, and more. Black water is typically caused by sewage damage, flooding or any type of natural disaster. Black water should always be handled by trained professionals.

Consider taking the following precautions to help minimize damage or prevent further damage while waiting for help to arrive.

Damage from Clean Water:

• Shut off water source if possible or contact a qualified professional to do so.
• Turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the building if access to the power distribution panel is safe from potential electrical shock. Do not enter rooms with standing water, as electrical shock hazards may exist.
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting. Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items.
• Move any paintings, art objects, computers, documents and other valuable items that may be sensitive to moisture to a safe place.
• Do not use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water as there is potential for electrical shock or causing damage to the vacuum cleaner.

Damage from Contaminated Water:

• Avoid all contact with sewage and items contaminated by sewage. Wash your hands thoroughly if you come in contact with contaminated items.
• Do not walk through contaminated areas, as you could spread damage to unaffected areas.
• Do not use household fans to dry the structure; air flow could spread contaminates.
• Discard any food and/or products for personal hygiene and cleanliness if exposed to the contaminated areas.

When you have water damage, don’t leave your property to chance. Call your local professionals at SERVPRO of West Concord at 925-681-9093.