Kitchen Appliance Cleanup After Azusa Fire Damage

1/13/2024 (Permalink)

Fixing your kitchen after fire damage is a big job. Contact SERVPRO for professional technicians and a remediation plan built for you.

How Professionals Manage Kitchen Fire Residues

The National Fire Protection Association notes that about 44 percent of reported fires involve cooking. Thus, it comes as no surprise that in addition to kitchen counters, walls, and ceilings, residues from the protein-based soot from a kitchen fire affect many appliances, including:

• Exhaust hoods
• Ovens
• Cooktops
• Microwaves
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators
• Trash compactors

Kitchen Fire Residues Pose Challenges

The fuels feeding Azusa fire damage in the kitchen are literally foodstuffs and oils. Although flames are possible if textiles or building materials in the room catch, soaring temperatures are the primary reason cooking ingredients undergo the chemical changes that transform them into protein-based soot.

The soot is a fine mist of dehydrated food particles and vaporized oil, spraying all nearby surfaces. The residue also spreads throughout the home on super-heated air currents. The coatings are often nearly transparent but tinted yellow or brownish. Once the protein-based soot touches appliances, it adheres tightly like a varnish or lacquer. The residue’s odor can be horrendous as the grease turns rancid during the super-heating process. 

Safe Residue Removal

Protein-based residues are tough to remove effectively and safely. Obtaining the services of the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-trained technicians from SERVPRO® ensures research-based protocols that lead to successful outcomes are in place:

• Mitigation of water damage from firefighting efforts first to avoid electrical and slip and fall hazards 
• Mastery of the science of residue cleanup that underlies effective cleaning of fire and water damage 
• Adherence to sensible precautions, including wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) during active cleaning
• Training in matching residues to effective cleaners and methods further supported by testing in inconspicuous areas to make sure the strategy works 
• Carefully considered and implemented manipulations of temperature, dwell time, and the addition of abrasives to improve the odds of physically loosening the residues 

Avoiding Surface Damage

Kitchen appliances usually feature reasonably sturdy materials, including metal, paint, glass, plastic, and composites. However, the decorative finishes can be vulnerable to scratching, etching, peeling, smearing, clouding, and even dissolving if the cleaning product is too harsh or cleaning methods are too vigorous. The use of abrasive tools or a gritty additive in a cleaner, in particular, increases the chance that the surface will only hold up if a skilled and experienced SERVPRO technician does the cleaning.

Call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111 with confidence to schedule help from the harm caused by a kitchen fire. Our team is Faster to any size disaster™, ready 24/7 to evaluate, plan, and respond to your needs.

SERVPRO Removes Soot from Surfaces after Azusa Fire Damage

4/13/2023 (Permalink)

Fires are a devastating and destructive force. You can trust SERVPRO to restore your home in Azusa to its preloss condition.

Azusa Homeowners can Rely on Us for Thorough Fire Cleaning

Unfortunately, a house blaze can leave your home looking worse for wear. Smoke has a way of coating surfaces, so you are left with blackened walls, ceilings, and floors. Thankfully, SERVPRO is here to help.

Azusa fire damage restoration is a complex process. We must consider everything from the initial security and safety of the structure to cleaning and deodorization. We train our technicians to Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards. You can rest assured our teams have a thorough understanding of cleaning products and processes.

What Does Fire Damage Restoration Include?

Fire damage restoration is a carefully-planned process to return your home to its preloss conditions. 

Our teams arrive promptly and start with assessing the situation. We look at:

•  How far the smoke damage has spread
• What kind of residues does the fire leave behind
• Whether there are any safety issues

Soot migrates from hot areas to cold, which means soot damage to your home can be extensive. Your home might also suffer structural damage during the fire, so we must secure the site before beginning restoration. We can tarp up the roof, board up windows or doors, and clear dangerous debris. We equip our teams with personal protective equipment to ensure safety throughout the fire restoration process. 

After assessing the situation, we decide on the best methods to restore your home. We keep our customers informed throughout the restoration, so you know what to expect and in what timeframe. 

After we clean and restore fire-damaged structures and contents, we deodorize your home to get rid of the smoky smell.

How Does SERVPRO Clean Soot Damaged Surfaces?

The key to successfully cleaning soot-damaged surfaces is understanding which cleaning products and methods best suit the situation. 

Simple abrasion (scrubbing) combined with the use of powerful HEPA vacuums can loosen and shift dry soot odors. We also use industry-standard cleaning products: 

• General surface cleaners
• Heavy-duty cleaners
• Wood Crème cleaners
• Strong acid cleaners

General cleaners, such as Wall and All Surface Cleaner, are suitable for most painted and washable surfaces. We can use them to clean walls, ceilings, and appliances. Heavy-duty cleaners can help shift greasy soot residues but are unsuitable for highly polished surfaces. Strong acid cleaners are suitable for cleaning fire damaged wood and brick, such as an open brickwork fireplace or a basement with exposed brick walls.

Not every surface is suitable for wet cleaning. We can also use dry cleaning methods, such as dry cleaning sponges. These are not your average household cleaning sponges. They are rubber sponges designed to clean via a combination of friction and absorption. Dry sponges are suitable for cleaning up fire damage, although it takes some elbow grease to erase soot from surfaces this way. 

Sometimes, the best way to clean smaller items such as kitchen equipment or toys is to immerse the item in a solution. Our ultrasonic cleaning machines use sound waves to create millions of tiny bubbles, which dislodge residues as they burst. Ultrasonic cleaning penetrates deeper than simply soaking in water.

If you are worried about the effects of fire damage, do not delay. Call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster and can arrive at your home within hours of your call.

Covina Families Rely on Experienced Fire Damage Restoration Teams

1/5/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO fire damage restoration services are the best in the business. Call us for fast and immediate service.

Making Houses Livable with Fire Damage Restoration 

A fire can start in almost any area of your home. Covina residents often decorate for the winter months, and some of these newly placed items can play a role in a house fire. Additionally, the winter brings other challenges to a home that can require fire damage restoration services.

Electrically-powered decorations are only one seasonal fire risk facing homeowners in Covina. Our fire damage restoration crew works fast to make it all "Like it never even happened." Our ability to match your home's needs perfectly helps decrease the time involved and saves you money.

Fire can affect your home in different ways. SERVPRO's restoration services can handle all of them for you. Here are some aspects of a house fire that can make your home temporarily unlivable:

• The odors now within your home,
• Soiling from soot and other contaminants, and
• Remnants of destroyed belongings.

Often, the lights do not function right after a fire, making the experience of checking on your property less visual and more of a scent-based experience. Air that is dense with soot can cause health effects, especially in more sensitive individuals. This type of odor clings to anything absorbent because it comes from the by-products of the fire. Part of our fire damage restoration work includes odor control.

Soot comes in two types – loose and powdery and oily and sticky. Both kinds end up everywhere, including on things brought into the home during cleanup. Distribution like that occurs because the powdery soot is fine enough to end up in the air, and the oily type sticks to everything that touches it. We use proven methods to get these removed from surfaces and the air and out of your house.

Fire spares very little, and a family's personal belongings often become casualties. Our crew members work in teams to sort through what is salvageable and what's not, all while making lists to keep you informed.

When your family experiences a house fire, call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 507-9438.

Charring is Not the Only Aspect of Fire Damage in Irwindale Dwellings

8/1/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Azusa/Covina is here to help you and your home recover from a house fire.

Learn How SERVPRO Cleans Up Fire, Smoke, and Soot From Your Irwindale Home

House fires can cause many problems for a family. Several of these issues can continue long after Irwindale firefighters leave the scene. Cleaning up and restoring your home often requires professional technicians with specialized skills.

Irwindale residents who choose professional mitigation of fire damage find a resolution for their situation very quickly. At SERVPRO, we know that many of the items destroyed by a fire hold sentimental value to the occupants. Many possessions that would have been unrecoverable can now receive specialized care that restores them completely.

Instead of replacing everything lost in a fire, special cleaning units can restore almost anything. We can box everything up, transport it to our facility, restore each item, and then return everything to you. More oversized items, such as upholstered furniture, can remain at your home while our Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning Technician (UFT) restores them or, if you prefer, accompany your other items.

Your personal belongings do not burn without affecting the interior of your home. Even if your home's structure does not catch fire, smoke and the subsequent soot become deposited almost everywhere. Soot can carry carcinogens, trigger breathing difficulties, and become a mess whenever touched or disturbed. Because it settles on everything, cleaning can spread soot more than eliminate it from your home and belongings. Our SERVPRO Fire and Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) have extensive experience and can perform this work efficiently so you can relax instead of worry.

For more extensive fires, gutting a home can be the only option. New floor plans can often be realized and make your home seem like a brand new one at the same time. Working closely with other professionals in restoring your home to you, we strive to make it "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina values your privacy and respects your wishes regarding all matters involving your home's contents. Fire damage is never pretty, and we can offer professional guidance regarding the most efficient ways to restore your home. Contact us at (626) 387-4111for our 24-hour services.

Irwindale's Fire Damage Experts Discuss Keeping Track of Your Contents During Pack-Outs

7/5/2022 (Permalink)

For Help with Pack-Outs and Fire Loss Restoration to Your Irwindale Property Call SERVPRO

SERVPRO Offers Hi-Tech Programs and Equipment for Efficient Cleaning and Storage Off-site after a Fire Loss in the Irwindale Area

The results can be devastating whenever a fire ignites inside a building in Irwindale. The longer the blaze burns, the worse the fire damage can get. Elements of a fire, including heat and smoke, can both cause several different problems to the contents and building materials inside your home. Smoke can travel throughout a structure and leave behind soils and soot residues. The heat and flames created can cause fire damage by burnt or charred structural components.

Since insurance companies separate their coverage of items by either being your structural materials or your contents, our SERVPRO technicians keep track of affected items based on whether they are attached to your house or not. During any fire damage mitigation in Irwindale, we often separate your contents and building materials by packing up your possessions and moving them out of affected areas of your home. Moving contents into a location that did not get affected by the burn helps keep the restoration of contents from negatively affecting building materials and vice versa.

Whenever we conduct a pack out on a property, we use a specialized computer inventory system to keep track of all of your items. Our CCIS Customer Content Inventory Service system produces consistent, professional pack-out inventories in electronic format. The program helps our SERVPRO restoration team keep track of what items of yours we have and where we have them. By using the CCIS, we can offer extra services to you and your insurance adjuster.

The CCIS software can help us retrieve items out of our storage warehouse. Sometimes you may need some of your possessions before the scheduled date to move things back occurs. The CCIS system helps us find exactly where your contents are and record that we have given them back to you.

Our computer software also helps track how much money was saved by cleaning items instead of replacing them. If you ever need assistance after a burn inside your house, call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111 any day of the week.

Covina Fire Damage Restorations are Backed by Rigorous Training

6/1/2022 (Permalink)

You can trust the highly trained and certified technicians at SERVPRO for all your restoration needs.

SERVPRO Technicians are Certified and Prepared for Every Job

One of the most significant damage repair and restoration issues is uncertified contractors taking on projects they are not qualified to handle. Every year, thousands of homeowners fall victim to predatory companies that lack the equipment and training to handle damages properly. At SERVPRO, however, our technicians undergo a rigorous training regimen to prepare them for anything and everything related to fire damage in Covina. Here are just a few of the IICRC certifications our technicians carry to your home.

FSRT (Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician)

The most important certification for any technician sent out to our Covina fire damage restoration projects is the FSRT. This certification ensures that technicians understand the equipment, planning methods, cleaning techniques, and safety procedures related to fire restoration work. This course also teaches some odor control, although there is an entirely separate certification for that task.

OCT (Odor Control Technician)

The longest-lasting and the least-visible element of most fires is smoke residue. Smoke particles are microscopic and can easily embed in wood, fabric, wallpaper, drywall, and other materials around your home. This course teaches our technicians how to remove smoke and other odors quickly and efficiently using the advanced technology at our disposal.

Employee Certification Training

Most SERVPRO technicians also undergo our in-house Employee Certification Training, which consists of numerous modules to help train and inform our technicians in their line of work. This training is standardized across hundreds of SERVPRO locations nationwide, allowing for a high and shared standard established for every individual going through the training.

On-the-Job Training

Training does not stop at certifications for our employees. Even after they have gone through many classes and weeks of training, technicians still have room to learn in the field. We pair up veteran employees and newer charges to ensure that every job has the experience it needs and that less-experienced technicians gain knowledge quickly.

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina brings the training, equipment, and quality of service to your home that no one else can. For our restoration and repair services, call us at (626) 387-4111.

Toaster Fire Damage in Your Azusa Home

5/3/2022 (Permalink)

Unfortunately, toaster fires happen quickly and more often than you think. Contact SERVPRO for remediation and for tips to prevent home fires.

Checking to Make Sure That Your Appliances are Damage-Free is Key to Fire Prevention

Many people start their day with their morning toast. The standard two or four-slice toaster remains a staple in kitchens, but its safety has been under question. Toasters cause many fires each year and untold amounts of property damage. The danger appears in many forms, and it makes you think twice about using a toaster in your own home.

There are things to consider so you can avoid fire and fire damage from using a toaster in your Azusa home. First, do not neglect the power cord, as it performs a vital function. Not only does it transfer power to the appliance from the wall socket so it can work properly, but it contains the wires which hold this power safely. When the cord gets melted, the protection is compromised, and a lot can happen, including a fire. Crimped, melted, or damaged cords should alert you that the appliance is unsafe to use. Damaged cords may cause fires even when the appliance is not in use, so you should no longer use it.

If your toaster cord has caused a fire, SERVPRO, professional remediation specialists, can be to your home quickly to assist you in repairing and cleaning your home. Our technicians have been thoroughly trained and can restore your home to its pre-damaged condition.

Even the best housekeeper does not empty their toaster every day. Crumbs that are sitting down in the elements are a potential fire hazard. These dry bread crumbs are thought to be fuel for a fire. Combine them with how close the hot element is; they can smoke or even flame. Your toaster must be kept free of debris and crumbs so it continues to work at its best and safest.

Some toaster fires are caused by people, the toast being buttered before it is placed in the toaster. When this is done, the butter drips onto the hot element. The greasy juice creates a flare-up, so you should always toast and then put the butter on the hot toast.

Accidents can quickly happen even when you are careful with your toaster, so contact us at SERVPRO if your toaster starts a fire in your home. We understand that the quicker the damage, soot, and smoke get cleaned up, the less damage your home sustains.

SERVPRO of Azusa/Covina is standing by always to assist you when you have had a fire at your home. We are easily reached by dialing (626) 387-4111, so do not hesitate to call us when you are in need.

Developing an Action Plan Helps During Fire Damage Restoration in Azusa Properties

12/3/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO techs have a set game plan for every fire damage restoration job. We have IICRC certified technicians that have the experience needed.

SERVPRO Relies on Vast Industry Experience to Ensure Smooth Fire Restoration

Several problems develop in a property after a fire, including odor issues, soiling, and deterioration of materials. Fire damage restoration helps fix or manage all of the problems, restoring the property to its preloss conditions. However, the varied nature of the issues can overwhelm you leading to unsatisfactory results.

One way to ensure fire damage restoration in your Azusa home meets expectations is to develop an action plan at the beginning. The plan helps in time and resources management. It also helps in tracking progress at any stage of the restoration. SERVPRO helps develop and execute action plans for homeowners affected by fires.

The typical focus areas for a fire restoration action plan include:

• Realistic budgeting
• Identifying work activities
• Setting project timelines

Restoring fire damage costs money. Apart from the cost of replacing damaged items, there are other expenses involved. One such cost that you might overlook is labor which is mainly influenced by the time taken to finish the project. Time, on the other hand, depends on how extensive the damage spreads within the property or the complexity of the restoration tasks involved. Our SERVPRO technicians establish these factors during evaluation, thus coming up with appropriate budgets.

Since the effects of fire vary, restoration requires different work activities. Identifying the activities necessary in a specific loss site is essential. For instance, it is necessary to establish whether the affected contents require pack-outs or just manipulation with the loss site. Identifying the necessary cleaning methods and work areas is also essential.

An action plan also needs to establish timelines and can be influenced by:

• Customer expectations
• External factors such as fire investigations
• The resources available to handle the restoration

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina has sufficient experience handling fire damage restorations in residential properties. Therefore, we can help you in addressing fire, “Like it never even happened.” Call us at (626) 387-4111.

Is it Safe to Perform Fire Restoration?

11/9/2021 (Permalink)

After a fire always have experts inspect a property for safety, no matter how small the blaze.

Properties that Need Fire Damage Restoration can be Unsafe. SERVPRO Helps Covina Residents Overcome Housefires Safely

What are the Dangers of a Fire-Damaged Home?

A house fire in Covina can exert significant pressure and temperature onto the structure and its contents. There may be airborne soot or dust that can be unhealthy to ingest. Equally, the structure itself should be tested to assess the likelihood of collapse. Even in minor fires, there can be significant hazards. These could include building materials like asbestos or lead-based paint, which can be dangerous if disturbed. There may also be electrical hazards and sharp edges such as exposed mattress springs, nails, or splintering from wooden parts of the structure. Establishing proper safety controls in your property is essential to protecting staff and avoiding inadvertently causing further harm to your home- for example, by an electrical fire.

How do Technicians Establish a Safe Work Site?

Before fire damage restoration in your Covina residence gets underway, we first need to establish safety for both you and our workers. To set up a safe working site, we need to cooperate and communicate directly. These can be discussions about securing the place out of working hours, navigating security systems, or whether we need to board up parts of the property. Inside your home, technicians can establish a staging area to store equipment. If you remain in the property during the fire damage restoration, we can place warning signs and barriers over the parts of the property needing repair. SERVPRO technicians prioritize high-use spaces like kitchens or bathrooms and can perform restoration in these areas first to minimize inconvenience.

What do I Need to Consider for Safety in a Property Undergoing Fire Restoration?

• OSHA regulations for safe working spaces
• Thorough hazard assessment of electrics, structure, and respiratory issues
• Occupant risk or unauthorized trespass on the property

Establishing safe work conditions is an essential part of the restoration. Contact SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111.

How to Remove the Stress from Fire Damage Restoration in Covina

10/12/2021 (Permalink)

Fires are devastating and destructive force. You can trust SERVPRO to restore your home to its preloss condition.

SERVPRO Takes Care of the Restoration Process from Start to Finish

Your spouse is trying to talk to you from the other room while you prepare an evening meal and distracts you for just a second. When you turn back to concentrate on what you are doing, it is already too late. Somehow the oil in your pan causes the stove hood that you meant to clean to catch fire. The fire quickly gets out of control, moving to your kitchen drapes, and begins to produce smoke, ash, and heat that scares you beyond measure. Get your loved ones out and get help immediately.

After The Fire is Out

After the firefighters finish their job, you are left looking at a mess that used to be your kitchen and the emotional scars of a tragic event; things can happen fast. Our professional fire damage restoration staff in Covina can help. Not only do we offer quality services to help restore your property, but we also provide you with some assistance in dealing with the mounds of paperwork that your insurance company requires for your claim.

With additional damage from the heat, smoke, and soot the fire produces, it is not hard to understand that you may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed by the event. SERVPRO technicians go beyond their training to explain our restoration process to you, what steps are needed to perform the repairs correctly and which of our services can assist in returning your kitchen to its pre-fire condition.

Our local staff will treat you with the respect you deserve and work closely with you throughout the fire restoration process. You will enjoy the fast, efficient work of our technicians and how knowledgeable our staff is in assisting you during this entire process.

We provide our technicians with the proper training and equipment to help you with every aspect of your restoration, giving you the ability to settle in and relax after using a single source for all of your fire restoration services.

Contact our offices at SERVPRO of Azusa - Covina today for access to professional, caring services that'll help you get things back to normal. We are available 24/7, including holidays. (626) 387-4111

Our Specialists Can Help You Handle Fire Damage In Your Covina Home

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

Structural fire damage is no DIY project. Let the professionals of SERVPRO handle all the work for you and your family.

Expert Restorers Can Help You Handle the Fire Damage in Your Covina Residence Efficiently

After a structural fire, what usually comes to the mind of property owners is the devastation that the flames cause. However, smoke can also be just as harmful to a house as the blaze. Many of the compounds of smoke are acidic, toxic, or odor-causing.

Smoke and soot residues can cause surfaces like walls, ceilings, and upper cabinets to look blackened and burned. Cleaning up your Covina home after fire damage can be challenging. Smoke residues can attach to soft goods, furniture, and carpeting, among other surfaces, and they can be difficult to remove. Smoke particles travel through ductwork and the open air. They can get far from the areas where the flames affected and settle mostly in cooler areas such as behind draperies and inside building cavities.

Proper fire damage cleanup and restoration is a technical effort that gets more difficult with time, even for professional restorers because smoke’s compounds penetrate more deeply into affected surfaces. One of the things that SERVPRO technicians do during the fire restoration process is to protect individuals from toxins. Our team can set up isolation barriers between ruined and occupied areas, use fans to ventilate the home and wear personal protective gear like goggles, nitrile gloves, respirators, face masks, and full clothing to stay safe. We can take some steps to restore your property to its pre-damaged condition, including:

Physical Cleaning

Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Technicians (FSRTs) can physically remove smoke residues from hard surfaces using dry or wet cleaning procedures depending on the type of affected surface and the residues present. We can also use specialized alkaline detergents to clean curtains and clothing. If there are smoke residues in finished wood surfaces like chairs, dressers, and tables, our technicians can use wood oil soaps to remove them.

Odor Removal

When materials burn, they produce different odors. It is necessary to use specialized cleaning equipment and strategies to ensure effective removal of the smells. Our SERVPRO team often combines several deodorization techniques to produce the desired results. We can use water-based odor counteractants to neutralize odors.   These products can mix with water instantly in various dilution ratios and applications. We add them to cleaning solutions to control smoke smells and other unpleasant odors. Another process we rely on to remove smells is thermal fogging.

If you are dealing with fire damage in Azusa, Irwindale, or the nearby areas, call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111. Our crew can handle the fire and smoke damage and remove odors from your house. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

How Does Smoke Damage Covina Homes?

8/8/2021 (Permalink)

Smoke can spread quickly throughout. Contact Team SERVPRO for effective fire damage remediation that includes dealing with smoke residues.

Smoke Can Require Multiple Cleaning Steps to Restore Covina Homes After a Fire

With how quickly a fire can spread and overwhelm materials and contents, the decomposition of these elements can be disastrous to properties and the families that reside in them. With our fast response to fire loss emergencies, we can begin mitigation to protect the property from greater destruction by soot or smoke damage.

How Can Smoke Become a Threat to the House?

Because of the severity of smoke when fire damage in Covina homes exists, immediate cleaning and mitigation strategies are necessary. Smoke can be a threatening presence in a property. These residues and particles are created as materials decompose during the combustion process. The combination of gas, solids, and aerosols makes the volatile smoke that can deposit soils on encountered surfaces and products. Even though gases are not as considerable of a concern after the fire gets extinguished, circulating soot particles can cause health effects without appropriate containment and HEPA air scrubbing/filtration.

How Can Smoke Residues Get Cleaned from Ceiling and Drywall Materials?

When dry or wet smoke damage impacts materials like drywall and ceiling tiles, there are specific approaches to remove it. Understanding the best method for the situation often relies on the experience of administrators in our ranks like the production manager. Our team leaders walk through the property to initially inspect the grounds and identify structural concerns or areas where focused smoke damage removal would be needed. Some of the approaches for this include:

• Chemical sponges
• Solvents
• Media blasting

Smoke and soot damage are considerable obstacles to restoring a home or business after a fire. With leading professionals experienced in the cleaning and recovery of fire-damaged residences, our SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina team can help. We are ready 24/7 at (626) 387-4111.

Locating A Fire Damage Restoration Company in Covina

7/12/2021 (Permalink)

Did you know that water damage often accompanies fire damage? SERVPRO can handle all of the damage the blaze causes.

Consider a Proven Track Record Company Like SERVPRO for Smoke & Fire Damage Restoration

A home is a major investment for you and your family. It offers safety, security, and fond memories that you hopefully never forget. Along the way, accidents happen as well. How you respond and whom you call during an emergency plays a rather significant role in how well you recover.

Finding a qualified fire damage restoration company in Covina can produce fantastic results. However, unless you know what to look for, you may choose the wrong one, which makes it vital for you to remain cautious when selecting a company to perform your restoration services.

It never hurts to call around, get advice, and build a relationship with the business you want to use; before you need their help. If you have a hard time finding a starting point, ask your insurance company to refer you. They can provide you with local contact information for restoration companies, like SERVPRO, located in your area.

Trained Fire Damage Restoration Technicians

You want access to the business that can do the most for you, with IICRC certified professionals, years of experience, and knowledge in dealing with a wide variety of tasks. SERVPRO technicians, for example, offer to manage your entire restoration, performing all tasks associated with fire and water damage in your home, along with any cleaning or repairs necessary to complete the job correctly.

SERVPRO also keeps you informed throughout the process, helps manage insurance claim paperwork, and has an excellent reputation for exceeding customer expectations while performing services in their home. Not to mention they also give homeowners the advice they need to help avoid future situations and work tirelessly to protect other members of their surrounding community.

There are very few companies in existence that provide a full-service solution to environmental or emergency situations that may occur on your property. Some only offer limited solutions, while others deliver shoddy work. Make sure that anybody working on your property has the proper qualifications, certifications, and experience to provide you with services you deserve.

Companies like SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina offer homeowners valued solutions to both existing and potential problems found in your home. Learn more about what services our technicians can provide for you today. Just call (626) 387-4111.

Need Post House Fire Clean-Up in Covina?

2/4/2021 (Permalink)

California fires are no joke. Especially when it comes to your home. Call the professionals at SERVPRO for fire restoration services needed.

SERVPRO Has the Experience for Successful Fire Damage Mediation in Covina

With a population under 50,000 residents, the city of Covina might get described as tiny but mighty. The township was initially created on a 2,000-acre tract in 1882 by J.S. Phillips. An engineer named Frederick Eaton came up with the city's name by taking in the view of the adjacent San Gabriel mountains that created a natural cove around the lush landscape of vineyards and foliage and combined the words "cove" and "vine" to come up with: Covina. A few years after the city's establishment, J.S. Phillips laid the historic Holy Trinity Episcopal Church plans, which began in his living room and is in operation in a beautifully constructed building in the present. 

Citrus Center of Southern Cali

The city of Covina once had bragging rights as the top producers of citrus for the state, such as: 

• Oranges
• Lemons
• Grapefruits

However, after over fifty years of production, the industry began to wane. Citrus Avenue still stands as a reminder of the large groves of oranges that once lined the streets. 

Covina Firehouse and Jail Museum

In 1911, one of the first civic buildings to get commissioned was a combination firehouse and jail by maverick builder Clarence Allison and remained in use until the city commissioned a new fire station in 1930. The jail remained in the original building until a new building for the police and jail got built-in 1976. The following year, the city designated the former building as a community museum. 

What is the Best Way to Handle House Fire Clean-Up in Covina?

When a home fire occurs, the Covina house fire clean up that happens afterward should be handled by a professional firm. One of the main reasons is to limit the spread of soot throughout the home. Actions that the technicians from SERVPRO take to limit additional problems post-fire include:? 

• The positioning of containment to restrain the soot
• Removal of undamaged items outside the worksite
• Determination of what can get restored through cleaning
• Inspection and cleaning of the ductwork

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111 stands ready to handle any size house fire clean up in local Covina properties and make the damage to the home, "Like it never even happened."

Play Safely in Azusa

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

You can count on our professionals with state of the art equipment to quickly restore your property so you can return safely after a fire incident.

Nature-Based Play for Kids in Azusa

Local Azusa parents and caregivers can bring their kids out for a safe, outdoor, and nature-based playgroup. The ratio allowed is five students per teacher, and groups are limited. During their time together, the students get encouraged to participate in outdoor activities that develop socializing, emotional well-being, and cooperative learning. Children 6 years old and older are welcome to be a part of this fun event. This learning group asks parents not to bring children if their child has a fever or signs of illness. The parents drop off, and at the time of acceptance, the teachers will make visual wellness checks for each participant before the event's kick-off to ensure all have a safe and fun time. Along with the other fun planned, the teachers will go over COVID protocols for staying safe and keeping other students safe through good hygiene and sneezing protocols. 

• Date: Friday, January 29, 2021
• Time: 1 PM to 4 PM
• Cost : $285
• Location: The Knowing Garden, 1101 Camino Real

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina stands ready to help local property owners with the fire restoration of their homes and contents. The techs are available 24/7 by calling (626) 387-4111 and arrive quickly at your Azusa home.

Fast and Reliable Assistance When Fire Impacts Azusa Homes

12/1/2020 (Permalink)

We live in a beautiful area that includes year round outdoor activities. Let us worry about fire damage so you don't have to.

SERVPRO is a Reputable Company that Offers Effective Fire Restoration Services to Azusa Residences 

Azusa is located at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, in the San Gabriel Valley. The town reflected a population of 46,361 in the 2010 census. The population increased over the ten years, as the community in the year 2000 numbered 44,712. The town is situated along the historic Route 66 that passes through Alosta and Foothill Boulevard Avenue.  

To the North, the San Gabriel Mountains border the city, while Citrus, an unincorporated community, is in the east, and Covina to the south. Vincent, an unincorporated community, borders the town to the southwest, and Irwindale is on the west border.  

The history of Azusa City 

Azusa is known as the town that represents "everything from A to Z in America." Azusa's name comes from the 19th century during the Mexican Alta California era when Azusa referred to the San Gabriel River and Valley. The city's name originates from the Tongva homeland of Gabrieleno Indians, a place called Asuksagna.  

The first Mexican settlers at Azusa settled at Rancho el Susa in 1841. Henry Dalton, a wealthy English immigrant, later bought rancho's land for $7,000 in 1844 and named the area Rancho Azusa de Dalton. He later built a:  

• Flourmill
• Meat smokehouse 
• Distillery
• Winery 
• Vinegar house 

He planted a vineyard to keep his winery running. Henry also owned the large properties adjacent to Rancho Santa Anita and Rancho San Francisquito. Dalton later bought a tract of land that stretched from San Dimas to the edge of Pasadena. Azusa was part of the west of the San Gabriel River adjoining Rancho Azusa de Duarte. 

The Mexican-American War, which led to California's surrender to the US, also led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 that led to the land grants' honor. The Public Land Commission filed a claim in 1852 for Rancho San Francisquito as the Land Act of 1851 required. However, in 1855, the US District Court rejected the request because Dalton was not a citizen of Mexico at the grant time. In 1867, the US Supreme Court reversed the decree and patented the grant to Henry Dalton. 

In the 1860 census, Azusa was listed as a township, including Azusa de Duarte and Dalton, that recorded 363 people. In the 1870 US Census, the area was listed as an Azusa – El Monte Township, and later in the 1880 US Census, it was listed as San Jose and Azusa Township. On most census pages, there were several changes to be made to the San Jose name. However, the officials did this occasionally, and several index errors remain in the online census. 

Jonathan S. Slauson, a Los Angeles banker, had loaned Henry Dalton some money to fund the 24 years of legal action. The agreement was that he hand over the land to the banker in 1880. The banker laid out the city's plan in 1887 and was incorporated officially in 1898.  

The superfund site of Azusa 

Between World War II and the year 2001, Aerojet, which is a rocket engine manufacturer, had a plant in Azusa. In 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that the groundwater under the facility had TCE contamination. The plume entered the aquifer under San Gabriel Valley and Azusa city's groundwater basin. The aquifer in San Gabriel Valley is essential since it provides a cheaper drinking water source than water imported by aqueducts. The US EPA declared San Gabriel Valley aquifer a Superfund Site.  

However, additional chemical contamination in 1997 of ammonium perchlorate and NDMA was found in the groundwater. The manufacturer was the responsible party for the groundwater restoration process and expenses. In 2001, the company sold the property to Northrop Grumman Corporation but was still the Responsible Party for the cleanup.  

In a court decision in 2002, seven San Gabriel Valley groundwater polluters and Aerojet decided to fund six water-treatment facilities. Perchlorate, a carcinogenic component of rocket fuels that Aerojet produced, was among the primary contaminants.  

The area's climate 

The region of Azusa experiences warm, dry summers with average temperatures of 22.0 degrees Centigrade. The Koppen Climate Classification system indicates that the area has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. On climate maps, it is abbreviated "Csb." 

Fire incidents in Azusa 

Fires are a relatively common occurrence in Azusa. One of the notable fires near the area in the recent past is the Ranch2 Fire, which scorched approximately 4,237 acres. The blaze's cause was arson, and the suspect was Osmin Palencia, who lived in a tent close to the Mountain Cove community. Other fires in Azusa occur because of various factors, including electrical faults and cooking accidents.  

After any fire incident, quickly restoring the affected property is a priority. Fire damage restoration requires more than just cleaning the affected area. Property owners need to involve certified restorers with all the equipment and options needed to get your property to its pre-damage condition.  

How do SERVPRO restorers help property owners with fire damage restoration? 

Secondary fire damage can occur shortly after the unfortunate incident. Smoke can leave residues on walls and other surfaces of the unaffected area, odors can linger in different rooms, and yellowing of surfaces can occur, among other severe damages. These require a thorough cleanup conducted by a professional restorer with decades of experience in fire damage restoration. 

At SERVPRO, we have an organization of highly trained and experienced technicians who have attained overseas training and successfully handled various fire damages. Our team of restorers uses advanced products and equipment and cutting-edge techniques to minimize damage and get your property to its preloss state. With our experience, skilled workforce, unique restoration techniques, and hi-tech equipment and tools, we can handle the magnitude of fire damage.  

Our fire damage restoration process includes: 

• Conducting a thorough property assessment to determine the damage extent 
• Trap and sealing services: This helps prevent more damage from occurring. We can board up windows or any other opening to protect your property from intruders and harsh climate.
• Thorough cleanup: Using our advanced products, we can clean away dirt, smoke, and soot residues from various surfaces. 
• Water damage restoration: Our technicians can extract any standing pools of water using extractors. We can also dry the affected area using air movers and dehumidifiers to avoid further damages from occurring. 
• Deodorization: Various odors can continue to linger in the property even after a thorough cleaning. We can use effective and safe deodorizers to do away with the smells.  

SERVPRO technicians take the restoration process beyond what you can see at a glance. After an unfortunate incident of fire damage, contact SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina immediately to ensure your property looks and feels, "Like it never even happened." Talk to us today at (626) 387-4111.

Budding Project Managers in Azusa Can Polish Up Their Skills with a 4-Day CAPM Class

11/11/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is looking forward to seeing growth within residents and our community over the years to come.

An Intensive Classroom Experience to Instill Best Practices in Azusa Project Managers

Project management is one of the highly demanded skills, with the Project Management Institute (PMI®) forecasting up to 22 million job openings by 2027. One great way to rake up skills such as the key concepts, emerging practices, and considerations when working in an adaptive environment is attending an intensive classroom training course. You can attend a four-day event, starting from 17th November 2020, organized by Flintstone Learning in Azusa, CA. 

The event starts at 9 AM and features regular training and exam prep with:

• 23 contact hours, spread over the 4 days.
• Access to high-quality course materials, including the 6th Edition PMBOK® Guide
• Two CAPM simulation tests
• Free access to e-learning materials for 180 days after the event

Complimentary gifts and discounts are available depending on your booking.

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina eases the burden of fire restoration in Azusa homes after such incidents occur in the Canyon City, saving the homeowner time, money, and the hassles of dealing with insurance companies and local authorities. Call us at (626) 387-4111.

How Fast Can A Homeowner in Covina Reoccupy Their Premises After A Fire Incident?

10/10/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina can eliminate the stresses you face in the aftermath of fire by organizing all restoration process on your behalf.

SERVPRO helps Review Fire Damage Incidents in Covina, Informing Homeowners of the Expected Restoration Timelines

Your house may not be habitable in the aftermath of a fire. In most cases, it is due to the physical deterioration of items and building materials in the house. In other cases, though, hidden issues can keep you away from your house. You may desire to know how long it might take for you to reoccupy or use various amenities. SERVPRO has highly trained technicians that can evaluate your Covina home providing precise estimates.

What determines the time a home remains unusable?
When trying to determine what it would take for successful reoccupation after fire damage affects your Covina home, you need to consider the effects fires have on different materials and items. After all, it is the inability to use such materials and contents that makes your home uninhabitable. In addition to consuming structural materials on the walls, ceilings, floors, and other parts of your house, the fire also affects:
    •    Electrical circuits
    •    Air ducts and other HVAC components
    •    Appliances and other electronics
    •    Furniture

How does damage to electrical circuits affect reoccupation timelines?
Fire can cause obvious physical damages such as melting of wire insulations or slight issues such as accumulation of soot residues within the systems. Both issues can lead to short circuits within the cables if power is turned back on. Therefore, full inspection, cleaning, and repairs where necessary must be done. Our SERVPRO technicians help open up sockets, switches, and regular or recessed lighting fixtures to clean up the smoke residues that accumulate during the fire. We can also check for signs of frayed wires or molten insulation. Since physical damages may necessitate replacing the wires or other fixtures, we involve a professional electrician to make the necessary repairs. Unlike cleaning and other routine maintenance, repairs might take a couple of days to complete days, increasing the time property might be unusable.

How long does fixing HVAC systems take?
Faulty heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems make a house uncomfortable because of extreme temperatures or air quality issues. Fires affect HVAC systems differently, including causing accumulation of smoke residues in the ducts and filters, compromising the air quality if the system is turned back on before cleaning. If the fire was scorching, it could also burn some of its components, making the system ineffective for heating or cooling purposes.

Since staying in such a house is not ideal, SERVPRO technicians help clean up your HVAC system or find a licensed subcontractor to do a full restoration. The decision is made based on:
    •    The location of the HVAC vents or furnace unit
    •    The duration the fire burnt
    •    Whether the blower was operational during the fire

A physical inspection of the system helps reveal the types of smoke residue within the system, the intensity of such residues, or the presence of smoke odors. Inspection can take time since the restorer must understand the operation and design of the HVAC system. If the system requires repairs, the technicians must source and replace parts such as:
    •    Turning vanes
    •    Dampers
    •    Cooling coil

Completing all tasks, from the inspection to replacement of parts, can take time, thus delaying a comfortable stay at your house until everything is addressed.

What needs to be done to use furniture and appliances after fire incidents?
Unless fire causes significant physical damage to your appliances and furniture, you should be able to reuse such items after the incident. Such items require inspection and cleaning before you can continue using them. Our SERVPRO technicians wet clean the surfaces of these items choosing appropriate cleaning products for wood, plastic, or metal.

Appliances may need extra work because smoke penetrates the interiors where it can damage critical components. Smoke causes problems in three main ways:
    •    Depositing a black film on interior components
    •    Depositing acidic soot
    •    Creating a magnetic charge

The black film left on interior components has an insulating effect, causing your appliances to overheat if you use them without addressing the issue. Acidic soot deposits can corrode the internal components over time, causing permanent damage, while the magnetic charge from the residues can short the devices.

A home is hardly useful without the contents and utilities you need for daily activities. Taking time to clean and renovate items is crucial before thinking of moving back into your home.

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina can eliminate the stresses you face in the aftermath of fire by organizing all restoration process on your behalf. Call us at (626) 387-4111 today. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster!

How We Remove Soot and Smoke Particles after Fire Damage

4/30/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina rapid response team to arrive quickly with the personnel and equipment to make a difference

No matter how small or huge a fire damage incident is, the smoke and soot that results can cause damage to your property. The various soot or smoke particles that need to be cleaned off your property are reliant on the type of substances that the fire consumed. Soot is usually produced when incomplete combustion takes place and depending on what the fire burned it can contain a mixture of dust, soils, metals, chemical and even acids. It is small in size and can float in the air and travel throughout your Covina property.

The smoke particles that a fire produces in your Covina home can contain ash, oils, tar, carbon, and different kinds of chemicals. Our technicians perform appropriate cleaning and restoration procedures to prevent secondary damage. The soot and smoke particles which float in the air may lead to health effects, which is why our team uses appropriate personal protective equipment such as full-face masks, goggles, gloves, and footwear when carrying out restoration procedures.

Our local technicians use advanced equipment to make work efficient. For instance, we can install dehumidifiers to address the moisture problem that results from the water that was used to extinguish the fire. We have the skills of determining what is salvageable and removing the unsalvageable items from the building. When we are removing smoke and soot particles from a carpet, we avoid impact when it is likely to embed the particles into the materials. For instance, we use HEPA vacuuming to lift the particles from the surface. For efficient results when we are using HEPA vacuums, we make sure there is a considerable distance between the nozzle and the surface.

Fire incidents are associated with odor problems. We must identify and remove the odor-causing particles, or our fire damage restoration technicians perform processes such as thermal fogging as a way of addressing the odor problem. Deodorants that can neutralize the odors are emitted into specific areas.

Air Purification Is Critical For Fire Damaged Covina Homes

After a damaging fire in your Covina home, there are threats present even in the atmosphere that a homeowner and their family need to monitor from a distance. Indoor air quality concerns can allow for respiratory concerns from lingering smoke, airborne debris and dust, and soot particles. Overcoming these effects is almost impossible for a homeowner to handle on their own, but our professional restoration team has equipment and expertise to remove this potential hazard.

When you consider all of the ways that fire damage in your Covina property can present itself, many homeowners might find themselves most concerned with structural elements and less about airborne threats. However, with the combustion of multiple materials including plastics, aerosols, chemicals and more commonly found in the average home, this environment could be dangerous to breath unfiltered. Our technicians have experience and training with the use of a full range of personal protective equipment from respirators to SCBA tanks for initial mitigation work when we first arrive at a fire-damaged property.

These threats only get more exasperated with the removal of debris and damaged components from the property in the earliest stages of restoration. Controlled demolition and cleanup by our  specialists can circulate more smoke residue, debris, dust, and even harmful organic compounds present in the air to cause potential health risks to those exposed without breathing protection.

We set up and begin using hydroxyl generators and air scrubbers as soon as possible to begin filtering out harmful substances and particulates in the air. The HEPA filter installed in the machines can trap even microscopic debris, improving the air quality more the longer that these machines continue to run in the affected environments.

These 3 Specialty Cleaning Agents Help Us Handle Fire Damage In Covina Homes

Many aspects of fire damage in Covina require more power than other household messes to clean up and remove safely from your home. While technicians sometimes make use of conventional glass and surface cleaning products, specific circumstances may require us to bring out more specific chemicals and cleaning agents that are designed for a specific task and purpose. Depending on the extent of the damages and what specific parts of your home the fire has impacted, we may need to use some of these cleaning agents in addition to more generalized solutions.

Strong Acid Cleaners
Some residues from a fire damaged home may be best treated with the use of strong acid cleaners. These products are highly effective at washing away soot and ash from rough surfaces, and can even remove longstanding mineral deposits that may be unaffected by any off-the-shelf cleaning supplies. However, these chemicals can be hazardous without appropriate protective equipment and may cause damage to some surfaces in your home, so only certified SERVPRO technicians should apply them.

Liquid Creme Cleaners
Some of the most useful equipment in our arsenal of cleaning supplies are our liquid creme cleaning agents. These mixtures contain both standard cleaning products and small, mildly abrasive particles that can remove many types of stains and residues from hard and smooth surfaces in your home. These cleaning agents are especially useful for kitchen fires thanks to their ability to stick to smooth vertical surfaces without damaging them.

Wood Creme Cleaners
Similar to liquid creme agents, wood cremes are mixtures of cleaning chemicals and tiny particles that can scrub away smoke residues and other particles. These cremes, however, are much more gentle than most cleaning agents, making them one of our most effective tools for wood surfaces and smoke-damaged appliances that may be sensitive to other chemicals and cremes.

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina has every cleaning agent and tool you can imagine to help you recover from a house fire as quickly and smoothly as possible. Call us at (626) 387-4111 for our 24/7 services.

Click here for more about Covina.

What is Causing Foul Odors in My Covina Kitchen?

4/9/2020 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina today at (626) 387-4111 if you need help with professional fire damage restoration.

SERVPRO Technicians Address Fire Damaged Materials That Create Pungent Smells in Your Covina Home

A significant problem that many homeowners deal with after a fire in their Covina kitchen is burnt odors that linger. This is why it is best to contact the professionals to start professional mitigation to lessen the onset of foul odors after a fire.

When your home suffers fire damage in Covina, our skilled SERVPRO technicians put a plan of action in place to start the cleanup process.

    •    Removal: We remove charred materials, separating what is to restored and what is not salvageable. Our Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) technicians dispose of all materials in a safe, efficient manner.
    •    Cleaning: The next step for deodorizing your home after a kitchen fire is a thorough cleaning to remove all soot and smoke residues that have settled on various surfaces.
    •    Sealing: While sealing is not called for in all situations, painting the walls to seal in odors can be helpful when other options are not viable.

Call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina today at (626) 387-4111 if you need help with professional fire damage restoration.

For more about Covina click here.

SERVPRO, Covina, Fires, Cleanup, Restoration--The Solution is SERVPRO

3/4/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Can "Re-Tire" Your Covina Garage after a Fire--Full Cleanup and Restoration

Detached Garage Sparks Fire Damage in a Covina Home

Fires can start anywhere, and if unchecked, they spread quickly, causing widespread damages. An incident that affected a Covina home started in a detached garage then spread to the main house before it was controlled. The cleanup and debris removal necessary after the incident required assistance, so they called SERVPRO.

The case was no different from other fire damage incidents in Covina since the intensity of damage left in different parts of a property differed. In the garage where the fire started, it consumed everything, including a car that was parked inside, leaving mountains of debris to remove. Damage to the main house was minimal and restricted mostly to the outer wall facing the garage and the attic. Soot, ash, and other deposits had also spread to various rooms inside the house, necessitating cleaning and deodorization.

On scoping the loss site, our SERVPRO team realized that a thorough clean-up of the loss site was crucial. The house would regain its preloss state after the replacement and restoration of some materials on the walls, but the garage needed a complete rebuild. We also had to help with the disposal of dangerous wastes such as synthetic materials and fuel residues from the burnt car. Our crews are prepared to handle such challenges. We have different trash receptacles, including trashcans on wheels, which can hold solid wastes and even liquids. We also use advanced cleaning products to help remove stubborn residues.

After addressing the areas ravaged by flames, we embarked on cleaning the residues deposited inside the main house. Although the residue clean-up is simpler than other aspects of the restoration, it presents some challenges too. For example, fine residues penetrate all nooks and crannies in the house, making removal a challenge. Our SERVPRO technicians use different cleaning approaches, including vacuuming and wiping surfaces with cleaning sponges to remove residues, which helped us remove most of the dry residues. We also used wet cleaning procedures combining standard cleaning products and deodorizers to remove soils and bad odor.

Fire incidents leave a wide range of damages. Call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111 to help clean up and restore all affected areas. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

The Most Important Thing You Need to Know About Fire Damage in Covina

10/25/2019 (Permalink)

After fire damage strikes your home call SERVPRO to remediate the damage.

Fire Damage Professionals In Covina Talk About Refinishing Charred Materials

When something burns inside your Covina home, the flames can spread, and the heat created can ruin your building materials and contents. Many types of fire damage exist in the form of partially burnt items. In some situations, objects inside your house get burnt so badly that the have to be removed and replaced. In other cases, many of the burnt and charred items can get refinished and saved from being removed and replaced.

The first step to saving burnt or charred items by refinishing during a fire damage situation in Covina is to remove the burnt materials. When dealing with wooden items, the general rule is that if the charring goes into the material deeper than a quarter-inch, then the object must be replaced. However, if the charred material is less than a quarter inch deep into the item, then we can remove the soot and refinish the item. Refinishing your building materials and contents can be much cheaper than having to replace everything that got burnt. Therefore, our SERVPRO technicians always strive towards cleaning and refinishing items to help save you and your insurance company money.

Sometimes, the best way to remove charred materials is to use a brush or sander to agitate the burnt surface. When using hand sanders, our SERVPRO crew then uses a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter to vacuum up all of the soot so that it does not soil any other previously unaffected area. But, sometimes the burnt area is large, and sanding and brushing methods can become too time-consuming.

In cases where we are dealing with large areas, more abrasive blasting methods can help us save time and money. Two methods often used to help restore burnt items are soda blasting and dry ice blasting.

Dry ice blasting uses carbon dioxide pellets that change from a solid to a gas as soon as they contact the affected surface. This rapid change in chemical states causes a miniature explosion when the volume instantly expands by 800 times. Soda blasting uses baking soda as its blasting medium. The baking soda getting blasted onto affected surfaces removes soot by agitation, and the baking soda particles also react with odor-causing soot particles and help neutralize them.

The more items you can save after a disaster, the better off you will be. If you call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at, (626) 387-4111 because we can help you find the cheapest methods to restore your home to its preloss state "Like it never even happened."

Click here to learn more about the city of Covina.

We Are The Leader At Providing Irwindale Fire Damage Restoration Services

9/10/2019 (Permalink)

We will arrive quickly and begin the restoration process so your home life can go back to normal after a fire.

Damage Assessment and Insurance Claims After Irwindale Fires

Many Irwindale homeowners can concede that fire loss incidents present too many effects and symptoms that they have gotten ill-equipped to handle. With these same property owners seeking the experience and fast response of professionals like our SERVPRO team, you should take a moment to appreciate the relationships between restorers and the home insurance companies providing coverage for your property. Our team has a close working relationship with area providers so that we can expedite claims processes and get your home back to preloss condition as promptly as possible.

With the higher volume of hazardous fire damage effects to Irwindale homes, addressing these conditions must happen right away. Because many of the insurance providers that we work with want to have a professional opinion on the damage and documentation to support the claim getting filed, we encourage potential customers to reach out to our team before they even contact their insurance company about the loss incident. We can mobilize our SERVPRO management and estimator to arrive and begin our thorough assessment and cataloging of the present damage for the needed evidence in your insurance claim.

Fire damage claims are never guaranteed, though as a trusted name in the restoration field in California, we can help our customers to find the satisfactory result they need. Damage assessment is a crucial part of that equation, as this helps to spell out the full measure of the work that must occur, the personnel required to accomplish it, and a general expected cost of this restoration. Our commitment to providing this information quickly can help to reduce the red tape and waiting when handling matters with the insurance.

We can work alongside your insurance adjuster to meet the demands of both our customers and their providers. We have sophisticated and advanced tools that can help to quickly reduce damaging hazards in properties and reduce continued damage of the house should there be an unexpected delay in the green light to begin working.

We strive to provide unparalleled service when fire loss incidents occur because we know how stressful and overwhelming these circumstances can be for our customers. No matter when disasters strike, you can count on our SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina team to help. Call us today at (626) 387-4111.

See more about Irwindale.

How To Prevent A Fire In Your Covina Home

7/15/2019 (Permalink)

Give our SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina restoration specialists a call at (626) 387-4111 to help you make fire emergencies “Like it never even happened.”

Reducing Your Risks Of Fire Damage In Covina Homes

As you might have imagined, many fire loss incidents that have affected Covina homes since our restoration team first started serving the area were entirely preventable. Unfortunately, many of these situations were wholly destructive, compromising the entire house or business with effects that got out of control. There are ways that you can reduce your chances of experiencing fire loss emergencies, and also limiting their severity and destructiveness if they do arise.

When you consider how harmful fire damage in Covina residences is both to the structure and its occupants, homeowners want to do whatever possible to reduce these potential hazards. Even the fast response of our SERVPRO team is rarely enough to reduce very costly restoration and recovery efforts when ignition sparks and fire effects begin to spread wildly throughout the property. There are methods to reduce potential fires or to reduce the damage they can cause, however.

Check Aging Components in Your Home
Electrical systems, in particular, might have been state-of-the-art decades ago when they first got installed, but now they do not have the insulation or protection that is the standard of modern wiring. Exposed areas could superheat and lead to combustion.

Smoking Inside
Many fire incidents occur from accidents caused by careless smoking, often an unattended cigarette or the smoker falling asleep. While many brands have changed the composition so that cigarettes do not continually burn, it is still a risk that homeowners take - and one that our SERVPRO team must combat.

Installation of Fire Suppression System
Many homes have smoke alarms, and a small number of fire extinguishers tucked in convenient locations, but these can do little for fires away from these areas or when homeowners are in a panic. A suppression system reacts to the change in the environment and deploys retardant.

Fire loss incidents can get out of control quickly, especially without any provisions in place to slow the spread of effects. If disaster strikes, you are not alone. Give our SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina restoration specialists a call at (626) 387-4111 to help you make fire emergencies “Like it never even happened.”

For more about Covina click here.

Performing Fire Damage Cleanup in Your Irwindale Home is Easier With Professionals

6/7/2019 (Permalink)

Let SERVPRO put your mind at ease while restoring your fire damage.

Don’t let fire damage take over your home.

Fires are a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Although you have taken many precautions to prevent a fire, it can still occur. Electrical faults are a leading cause of fires, and they can occur because of faulty wiring or overloading a plug with many appliances like washers, dryers, fans, and heaters.

If an electrical fire occurs, it can ruin many places in your home. Thankfully, you can deal with fire damage in your Irwindale home by contacting a professional restoration company like SERVPRO. We have the equipment and expertise to restore your home to make the damage seem “Like it never even happened.”

When we get into a home, we walk through the job with the homeowner to determine which areas have been affected. Our technicians then pretest the cleanability of surfaces to identify the items that can be restored. We also make a detailed inventory and scope of the affected areas. We then provide the property owner with a summary of our findings and explain the right steps to take to restore a home to its pre-fire damage condition.

Here at SERVPRO, we know that it is heartbreaking to see your possessions ruined whether it is a much-loved kitchen table or items with sentimental value like photos. Dealing with the mess that a fire makes of a residence is also daunting. That’s why we have a trained team of restoration specialists who can carefully comb through the debris and clear away what cannot be restored while carefully preserving the restorable items.

We also perform structural restoration, which includes eliminating charred contents that might seal in smoke like burned wood and insulation and evaluating floor coverings and carpets that may need to be removed. We also use equipment like hydroxyl generators to remove smoke odors from affected surfaces. We can also seal affected surfaces to prevent leftover odors from leaking into the home. If fire sprinklers or other firefighting efforts introduced water into your home, our crew performs water mitigation.

If you are looking for someone who can help you deal with the aftermath of an electrical fire, look no further. The professionals at SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina can help you clean up your home and fix the damage. Contact us through our helpline at (626) 387-4111 for speedy restoration services.

Click here to see more about Azusa, CA.

We Will Remove Any Odors Left Over After A Fire In Your Azusa Home

5/6/2019 (Permalink)

We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster and can start the odor removal process quickly to minimize your discomfort.

Fire Damage In Your Azusa Home Can Make It Necessary To Use Odor Removal Services

If you have recently had a non-life threatening or non-emergency fire in your home, you may have extinguished it with minimal damage. However, you may be left with a persistent smoke odor throughout your property that is difficult to remove, especially if the fire burned synthetic materials.

Removing smells is a complex part of soot and smoke damage restoration after a fire because it is invisible and it takes training to know how to remove them quickly and efficiently. If there is smoke odor caused by fire damage in your Azusa home, you can contact the professionals at SERVPRO to provide you with odor removal services. We can mitigate a significant amount of smoke and soot odor damage by using several techniques.

Odors result from airborne gases, chemicals, or small particles. The temperature and size of the fire determine how easily the smoke odor can be eliminated. Higher temperatures cause the pores of the surrounding materials to open and absorb the odors. Fire odor removal requires cleaning, deodorizing and sealing some materials.

Our technicians can remove all the soot and dust using a shop vac. Once we remove the larger particles, we can use dry-chem sponges to clean the affected areas. We also inspect a building to check for charred and burned materials. Removing these materials from your home is critical for helping eliminate the smell. If we come across materials that are impossible to remove, we can apply a sealant on them to lock in the smoke odors.

Our SERVPRO technicians can spray deodorizers throughout the affected areas so that the deodorizing agent can penetrate the pores of the affected surfaces. Our goal is to neutralize the odors you consider unpleasant. Our technicians can eliminate both real and heightened awareness odors. Odors can reappear after several days or months when the weather becomes humid again. If this happens, we can perform additional deodorization procedures.

If there is smoke damage after a fire in your home, you can call SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina at (626) 387-4111. We have the training and expertise to deal with different kinds of fire damage. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster and can start the odor removal process quickly to minimize your discomfort.

Click here for more about Azusa.

Benefits Of Professional Fire Damage Restoration In Irwindale

7/11/2018 (Permalink)

When fire damages your Irwindale home, you need to arrange for cleanup and restoration quickly.

Benefits Of Professional Fire Damage Restoration

When fire damages your Irwindale home, you need to arrange for cleanup and restoration quickly. Before you grab a mop and a sponge realize that fire damage presents challenges with which the average homeowner is not familiar. Proceeding without that knowledge can result in the damage worsening rather than improving and raises health and safety issues. Our reliable fire damage restoration crews are ready to take on the tasks to protect you and your property.

Although anything that burned through or charred in your Irwindale home might seem to be the worst kind of fire damage, the smoke residues and soot must be addressed as well. The uncombusted particles in smoke are what makes up soot, extraordinarily acidic and corrosive substances that coat all surfaces it reaches. Soot damages nearly every type of building material used in the average home as well as fixtures, furnishings, and other contents. Permanent damage can develop within the first hours and progresses. We can halt the harm at an early point, limiting both the expense and disruption of recovery.

Upon arrival, our SERVPRO team assesses the extent and severity of the damage. We disengage HVAC systems to prevent the continuous spread of airborne soot throughout the home. Containment with physical barriers and sometimes negative pressure air scrubbers assists in keeping the damage isolated from spaces undamaged or only slightly compromised with light, ashy deposits. This approach can allow you to remain living on site during restoration. We work with your insurance company to accurately document your claims, including temporary relocations if needed for your family’s health and safety.

SERVPRO technicians are skilled in the restoration of even deep charring, using techniques mastered during IICRC coursework. Brushing and sanding reveal a solid surface we can restore, and we integrate replacement of surfaces too unstable to retain into a seamless whole. We evaluate the characteristics of the sooty residues and note if they differ from space to space. Loose soot dry sponges, dusts, or vacuums away. Stickier deposits can need cleansers with wetting agents and surfactants to break up the soiling before removal with wiping actions. Protein-based soot, often seen after kitchen fires, is thin but tenacious. Solvents and abrasives might be employed.

Fire damage is toxic, so permit SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina to ensure the safety of you and our crew during the entire project. We work efficiently, so the job completes quickly, permitting you to resume your day to day lifestyle swiftly. Call (626) 387-4111 just as soon as the fire authorities release your property for our rapid response.

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How SERVPRO Move-Outs Can Restore Fire Damages to the Contents of Your Irwindale Home

5/4/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO thoroughly inspects your items after fire damage to assess what restoration process is best to restore them to preloss condition.

SERVPRO Can Help Restore Your Personal Items after a Fire

Fires in your Irwindale home do not offer warnings or notice to give you a chance to preserve all of the contents of your home. Instead, these items (beyond what you might have been able to carry out on your own in your evacuation) get left to the mercy of the fire that swept through your home. While there are inevitably going to be instances where some items are irreparably damaged or unable to get salvaged, many of these items can get restored successfully in the right environment.

Move-outs by our team are a typical response to help you to restore the contents of your home following significant fire damages in your Irwindale residence. This approach helps us to take more individual care of each of these items while providing our team space and access needed to restore the rest of the damaged house.

When contents of your home get removed for restoration, they get transported to a nearby facility for thorough inspection and detailed cleaning to help prepare them for their return to your house at the completion of the fire restoration to the structure. The process begins with cleaning, which primarily involves various approaches to remove soot damage present in fabrics, materials, and textiles.

Deodorization plays a crucial role in this process as well, allowing for thermal foggers to break apart smoke odor molecules and remove the noxious scent of the fire that has embedded itself into the contents of your home. This process ensures that while restoration occurs at your home, you are not bringing an old symptom back into the affected area for recontamination.

While move-outs might be a small part of the overall restoration process for your home following a fire, it can show our level of dedication and commitment to a thorough and quality job. You can rely on SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina to help you through every challenging aspect of home restoration following a fire, and our emergency response team is available 24/7 by calling (626) 387-4111.

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Handle Fire Damage Caused by Grease Fires in Your Irwindale Home Safely

2/20/2018 (Permalink)

Keeping a clean and safe cooking environment can prevent grease fires in your kitchen.

SERVPRO’s Tips for Preventing and Minimizing Fire Damage in the Kitchen

It is not hard to believe that cooking presents lavish opportunities for mistakes that often lead to household fires. Using too much grease or leaving a pan on the burner too long can ignite causing a fire that gets out of control fast. Before you know it, a small mistake leads to significant repairs in your Irwindale home.

All you have to do to get ahead of fire damage that may occur in your Irwindale property is to contact the expertly trained professionals at SERVPRO. We can help you understand how good habits and a few safety measures can help prevent grease fires altogether. Learning how to react to situations can make a significant difference in the losses you might experience when a fire occurs in your home.

While SERVPRO’s IICRC certified technicians go through extensive training to provide you with quality solutions to fire damage found on your property, our goal is to help you prevent fires through education. The more you learn, the easier it can be to protect your family and household items.

Remember, maintaining a clean, safe cooking environment helps prevent a variety of fires, so keep your stovetop clear of excess grease, oils, or flammable cooking materials. Heating oil for deep-frying or pan-frying requires individual attention, remaining diligent, refraining from being distracted and leaving cooking unattended on your stove. 

Always read warning or instruction labels on cooking oil products. Heat ratings help you maintain a proper temperature, avoiding fires and preventing disaster. Using a thermometer, long-utensils, and splash guards can help eliminate fire hazards and injuries. Always wait for the stove to cool off before carefully wiping away oil spills.

If grease catches fire, baking soda, covering the pan with a lid, or using a class “K” fire extinguisher can help get small flames under control. However, you should always remain safe. Avoid putting yourself in harm’s way at all costs and get everyone in your home to safety immediately, then call 911 and your local SERVPRO for help getting things under control. 

Contact SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina for fire damage restoration throughout the area, 24/7, “We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.” (626) 387-4111

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How Mitigation Helps Hold Down Costs for Fire Damage in Irwindale

1/22/2018 (Permalink)

For Irwindale Fire & Smoke Damage Cleanup Contact SERVPRO for Rapid Assistance

A Rapid Cleanup Can Reduce Hassles from Smoke & Fire Damaging Effects to Many Properties

SERVPRO uses a strategy of mitigation to prevent as much damage as possible from happening to your home in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. However, while the benefits of this service can be evident in some situations such as storm and flood damage, it may be more difficult to identify how mitigation can help with fire damage in Irwindale. Our fast responses and preventative measures can ultimately save you thousands in restoration costs if done quick enough, by preventing a few calamities from occurring.

Settled Smoke and Particles
Smoke and other microscopic particles, if given a chance, can settle over a period of hours to days in your home, significantly increasing fire damage to your Irwindale residence. Without fast action, these particles can embed themselves deep in your home's walls and floors, requiring longer and more expensive treatments to eliminate. If we arrive in time and do not have more pressing concerns such as structural stability to deal with, we can begin initial cleaning and air filtration processes to reduce the threat of smoke as much as possible. Care and diligence are needed to avoid electrical wiring damaged by the fire.

Attention to Water
A water damage threat accompanies many fires. Sometimes, the water may be the cause of the fire, or problems could develop later (such as after ash clogs a drain or flames melt a PVC pipe). Regardless of the cause or extent of the problem, water requires immediate care by SERVPRO technicians to avoid further damage from chemical compounds and staining liquids.

Structural Integrity
Once the flames have been quelled, it may be a race against time to secure the building's structural components. While there may be some cases where we cannot prevent collapses from happening, fast evaluation and action by our experts could save hundreds to thousands of dollars on restorations if we get there quick enough. Swiftly demolishing hanging drywall or fixtures can reduce the chances of secondary fire damage.

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina relies on a time-sensitive mitigation strategy to keep costs and hassle as low as possible for you in the aftermath of a fire. Call us immediately after the disaster at (626) 387-4111.

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