Flooding in Your Home

9/29/2023 (Permalink)

Flooding in your home can happen at any time from broken pipes and drain back ups, but your home can be even more exposed to water damage when it rains. Follow these tips to help protect your home from water damage during the next rain storm.

1. Modify your homes water valves. If the city's main sewer line gets backed up during a heavy rain storm, you could find yourself standing in a a puddle of you-know-what. You may want to consider installing a interior or exterior backflow valve. Backflow valves prevent your water system from being contaminated from water flowing backwards into your supply lines.
2. Clear gutter, drains, and downspouts. Clogged gutters and downspouts can end up in a messy flood. Take the time to clean them and clear them of any and all debris before the rain comes.
3. Check your sealant surrounding doors and windows. Make sure that any gaps or holes in the sealant surrounding the doors and windows are filled in. This will help stop rain water from finding its way into your home.
4. Make sure you landscaping drains water away from your home or business. Many buildings are damaged from heavy rain creating pools of water around the building foundation which can migrate through the walls and into basements and rooms built below ground level.
5. Make sure your roof is in good condition before the rainy season. Leaking water through the roof is very common when properties are located in areas of the country with mild climates.  It’s easy to ignore an aging roof when storms are infrequent and mild. So when a heavy winter storm comes, the chances of damage to the inside of the property are increased.

CALL NOW

Contact SERVPRO of Irwindale and Baldwin Park for any questions about storm and flooding prevention. Joe McCann and his team have years of training and first hand experience helping property owners prevent and deal with storm damage.

SERVPRO of Irwindale/Baldwin Park performs restoration services all over Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. Call now to schedule an appointment with one of our highly experienced team members at 626-852-9922.  

Plumbing Failure Risks

8/30/2023 (Permalink)

As your home ages, your plumbing system is more at risk for experiencing issues. Plumbing problems are the cause of most water damage claims. Even the tiniest cracks in water pipes have the potential to leak gallons of water into your home in minutes. If the crack goes unseen or overlooked for an extended period, your possessions along with the structural components of your home most likely will experience a significant degree of damage. Anytime you detect your plumbing system is experiencing issues, call in a professional water damage restoration company such as SERVPRO of Irwindale/Baldwin Park.

When the belongings in your Irwindale Home experience water damage, they have the potential of losing their structural integrity and break down. Water can flow into the small crevices of your home and damage items that are not visible. Also, the vapor inside the air can tarnish things such as your drywall or acoustic ceiling tiles.

Our SERVPRO technicians form a remarkably trained team. Our crew members are IICRC certified and are taught to handle a variety of different “loss” scenarios such as: fire, water, mold, storm. The certification program teaches our technicians several industry-approved methods to remove moisture from every material inside your home. Our training also equips us with a trained eye that can spot problems that might not stand out. We also learn mitigation methods that follow all the rules, regulations, and EPA standards.
 
Once our technicians determine what items experienced water damage in your house, our technicians will construct the best method to quickly remove the moisture. Before finalizing any project, our technicians will use our specialized moisture testing instruments to ensure that moisture levels have returned to preloss conditions. Our SERVPRO team will be ready whenever you need our services, call SERVPRO of Irwindale / Baldwin Park at (626) 337-3374 to receive fast, 24/7 service.

Smoke Odor in Your Home

8/30/2023 (Permalink)

There is no doubt that house fires are ruinous to one's home. They can originate at a random time throughout the year so it is difficult for many to be prepared for one. Even if the fire is put out in a timely manner and you were fortunate to prevent the total loss of your home, the effects of the fire can remain. One of the most common problems that take place after a fire occurs is the unpleasant smoke odor. Even if the fire took place in a small section of the home, the odor can spread throughout, leading to undesirable living conditions.

It is important to be proactive when dealing with the odor as it will remain lingering for a long period of time and in some instances will not go away on its own. Not only will it remain in the air, but it will begin sticking to the materials around your house such as your walls, couches, furniture, clothing, and so on. Allowing this to happen to your materials for a prolonged period  will eventually damage them permanently. Regardless of not being directly impacted by the fire they will need to be thrown away and replaced. In serious cases the smoke odor can also start working its way to your neighbors, affecting their homes as well. Thus, not only will you have to deal with the problem but now it is impacting your neighborhood. The air quality inside your home will also drop and can cause health effects. If not instantly then the effects will be felt long term. The more serious it gets then you will likely not be able to stay in your home until the situation is resolved.

When a fire occurs, sometimes just putting it out won’t be enough. In cases like this if you need assistance you can always contact SERVPRO of Irwindale/Baldwin Park. We specialize in dealing with fire damage and deodorization. We will do what it takes to get rid of that smoke odor and restore your home back to normal. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year and we can be reached at (626) 852-9922.

Protect Your Baldwin Park Home from a Storm!

6/30/2023 (Permalink)

Floods can result in the presence of contaminated black water throughout your home. Usually caused by backed up sewers or road overflow during periods of heavy rainfall, black water is classified by the presence of pathogens that could be harmful to your health. We include among these pathogens animal carcasses, raw sewage, herbicides, pesticides, or other forms of debris. Professionals are on hand to help remediate black water emergencies and are equipped with the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to work safely in the removal or disposal of biohazard substances.

Biohazardous waste poses a real risk to your health, and its presence is not uncommon with flood damage in Baldwin Park. If you suspect the presence of black water call SERVPRO immediately on our emergency number and avoid all contact with contaminated water, we can safely remove your furnishings and salvage items using modern cleaning technology. Some items may need to be removed for disposal in line with federal and state guidelines.

Usually, structural components like carpets, subfloor mats, fittings, fabrics, or curtains need to be disposed of after coming into contact with black water. SERVPRO can also demolish sections of drywall to ensure that the property is free from contamination once work is complete. We can replace drywall by engaging with third-party contractors on your behalf.

Pumping water out of the home and carrying out intensive disinfectant cleaning is a must in black water emergencies. SERVPRO can deploy high water pressure to help clean structural components, walls, and ceilings, but we cannot guarantee that these are salvageable. Generally speaking, the safest way of ensuring black water pathogens are removed is by demolishing items that it comes into contact with immediately.

A contaminated water emergency usually results in unpleasant odors being released into the home. Equally, heavy duty disinfectants, bleaches, and anti-bacterial chemicals used during cleaning can also carry with them a thick odor. SERVPRO can thoroughly fumigate the property at the end of service using thermal foggers to ensure your home gets back to its preloss condition after a blackwater emergency.

How to Prevent a Dryer Fire

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

Every year, firefighters across the country respond to around 14,630 home fires caused by clothes dryers, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Unfortunately, most dryer related fires can be prevented. An estimated 34 percent of these fires occur due to failure to clean the machines. Most dryer fires happen in the fall and winter months, peaking in January.

If dryer fires are relatively common, but preventable, what you can you do to make sure a fire doesn’t occur at your home? Here’s how to prevent an incident:

Clean Your Lint Filter

The most common cause of a clothes dryer fire is lint build-up and reduced airflow. Lint is an extremely combustible material.

The built-up lint eventually sparks and catches fire. Usually lint will simply burn inside of a dryer and leave a burning smell along with damage to the dryer, but oftentimes the machine catches on fire. If the fire is severe enough or the flames spread, the fire can destroy an entire home.

The lint screen should be cleaned before and after each load, no matter how small the amount of lint is. This will also build the habit of constant cleaning.

Take Care When Washing Stained Items

Clothes stained with flammable chemicals or substances, such as gas, cooking oil, cleaning agents, or paint thinners, need special care. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends washing the clothing more than once to minimize the volatile chemicals, then hanging to dry. If you must use a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that concludes with a cool-down period.

In the event that a fire does start, keep the dryer door closed, as a fire needs oxygen to keep it going.

Clean the Vent Line 

Cleaning should not only take place inside of vent hoses and inside of dryers, but also outside of the machines.

The vent line is the wall area that is behind the dryer and goes toward the outside flap of the dryer. This area should never be restricted or clogged up with lint. The chance of a dryer fire increases if this area is clogged.

If this area is too difficult for you to reach and clean yourself, reach out to a professional chimney sweep or cleaning service.

Maintain a Clear Drying Space

The entire surrounding area near a dryer should be clean and free of debris. No clothes, towels, cleaning supplies, or other materials should be gathered outside of a dryer.

This extra clutter, especially if cleaning supplies or flammable materials are present, will enhance the chance of a fire spreading across the home if one sparks. Fires spread rapidly, and anything that can contribute to that spread should be removed.

Additional Tips

How Do You Know a Dryer is Failing? 

If your clothes are taking a longer than normal time to dry, are hotter than usual, or any other out of the ordinary issue occurs, your lint dryer needs to be checked. In order to check the dryer, reach out to maintenance professionals.

Further Prevention 

• Never use a dryer if the lint filter is missing, loose, or damaged.
• Avoid overloading the dryer.
• Frequently check that nests of animals or insects are not blocking vents.
• If your dryer is gas powered, it should be inspected by a professional once a year. The professional should ensure that gas lines are connected and no leaks are present.

Preparing for Winter Weather

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

California winters seem to carry great variety from year to year. In some winter seasons, the rain comes down for multiple days in one week with chilly temperatures. Other years, the rain may never come and balmy seventies will persist until a few surprise days of cold in the spring. Whatever the case may be, as homeowners and community members it is important to be prepared for winter.

Heavy rainfall can lead to flooding in Southern California. The drought conditions cause dry soil, which leads to poor absorption of groundwater. Keeping storm drains clear is one way to alleviate the potential of flooding. This includes using sandbags and a plastic tarp to create a better flow of water. Also, keeping home gutters free of leaves and other environmental debris will lead to a more consistent and controlled flow of water away from your house, to the well functioning storm drains.

Floods can cause millions and millions of dollars in damages and unfortunately great injury to people. This makes community members' involvement crucial in flood preparedness. Local fire stations provide free sandbag materials and the Department of Public Works can provide services to clear storm drains, 1-800-675 HELP (4357). Utilizing these local resources can help prevent flooding. Families should also put together disaster kits in case of emergency. 

In the worst-case scenario, if water enters your home it is important to take care of the moisture immediately to prevent hazardous mold from growing. SERVPRO Irwindale/Baldwin Park provides mold remediation services, and is open 24 hours 7 days a week to make your emergency "Like it never happened." Call us today!

Protecting Your Commercial Property

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

When required, in industrial areas restoration services can take on a different kind of expectation when contrasted with residential losses. With residential properties, services typically focus on salvaging personal effects, cleaning up living spaces, and getting people’s lives back to normal.  In the commercial and industrial setting, there are certainly personal aspects to fire and water damage. There are also considerations that can extend to very large dollar values in inventory, equipment, lost and damaged business relationships, and the lively hoods of employees. 

For these reasons, a restoration contractor with experience with “Large Loss” disasters is important.  A restoration contractor with access to hundreds of trained technicians, truckloads of equipment, and specialists who can advise on every scenario that a complex project can pose may be important to keeping the recovery short and reducing potential loss of revenue.

SERVPRO of Irwindale / Baldwin Park is a Certified Large Loss Contractor working for the past 15 years all over the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles Basin, and across the US.  We are experts at helping businesses impacted with fire and water losses recover with a minimum of lost time and revenue. Frequently, it’s possible to work with the business to avoid complete shut-down, performing the restoration in parallel with operations and around the clock to keep the time for full recovery short.

If your business is threatened with lost revenue, damaged reputation, or a slow-down in production from flooding, fire, or bio hazard contamination consider bringing in professionals who have experience and resources to recover rapidly and reduce the loses. Play it safe and call in SERVPRO of Irwindale/Baldwin Park as a contractor you can trust and count on in any large scale disaster.

Nine Common Fire Starters

9/27/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Irwindale/Baldwin Park wishes safety and prosperity for our community members. Please take note of the nine most common fires starters below, and actively make strides to prevent these easy mistakes.

#1: Cooking

House fires happen most during dinner hours—between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. That’s because people are cooking. Here's what you should remember when using the kitchen:  

• For grease fires, only use a fire extinguisher or baking soda. Do not use water! It will spread the oil/grease and make your fire worse.
• Never leave your food unattended. Fires only need 30 seconds to go from a small flame to an out-of-control blaze, so even going to the bathroom could endanger your home.

#2: Heating Equipment

Almost 13% of all residential fires are caused by heating equipment. Make sure to turn off all heating equipment once you have finished using them.

# 3: Electrical Equipment

Electrical equipment causes over 6% of house fires. Look for frayed wires, surge marks in wire, and damaged cords.

#4: Carelessness

Mistakes happen. For house fires, negligence causes 5.8% of blazes. Carelessness includes not putting our cigarettes, leaving candles burning, putting heating equipment near combustible items, and more.

#5: Open flame

Candles, fires in the fireplace, and outdoor bonfires are enjoyable when controlled, but disastrous when they’re not. About 4% of all house fires start from an open flame.

#6: Appliances

Appliances cause about 4% of house fires. You can decrease the chances of something malfunctioning and catch on fire by making sure it’s approved by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

#7: Intentional

Arson is a felony and can result in up to 20 years. But, people still do it. Out of all house fires, 4.2% are intentionally set.

#8: Smoking

About 2% of fires are caused by cigarettes. Just put your cigarettes out.

#9: Natural

Nature happens. This means wildfires and those caused by lightning are unavoidable. Don’t worry though! Natural causes only account for 1.6% of all house fires.

Remember, house fires claim a life every 7 seconds. To protect yourself, home, and business, be aware of where fires are most common. #fire #firedmaage #SERVPRO #community #stormdamagerepair #restoration #waterdamagerestoration

Heat Wave Tips!

9/1/2022 (Permalink)

Heat waves have been striking the San Gabriel Valley all Summer. Just like any other natural disaster, heat waves can be very dangerous!

Here are some tips to survive a heat wave:

Before the Heat Wave Hits

• Properly install window air conditioners, sealing any cracks and insulating if necessary.
• Check A/C ducts for proper insulation and clean filters.
• Install awnings, blinds, or light-colored drapes and keep them closed to keep sunlight and heat out.
• Upgrade your windows and weather-strip doors to keep heat out and cool air in.
• Make sure your first aid kit is updated and get trained in first aid relief.
• Have a plan for wherever you (and your family members/pets) spend time during a heat wave—home, work, and school—and prepare for power outages. Discuss heat safety precautions with members of your household.
• Check the contents of your emergency disaster kit in case a power outage occurs.
• Be aware of weather forecasts and the upcoming temperature changes.
• It’s not just the high temperature. The heat index is the temperature the body feels when the effects of heat and humidity are combined. See our heat index chart.
• A backhome home generator is the safest and most reliable solution!  Power outages are common during heatwaves because the need for A/C puts too much pressure on the power grids. A standby generator, however, automatically keeps the A/C running, the lights on, food and medicine from spoiling, and medical devices operating.

During the Heat Wave

• Use box fans and ceiling fans to promote air circulation throughout your home. Opening doors in the house and using box fans to push hot air outdoors can function as an "exhaust" system and draw cooler evening air into the house. In the cooler evenings, open all windows and promote as much air circulation as possible.
• Take advantage of the cooling power of water. Wet towels and bandannas can have a cooling effect when worn on the shoulders or head. Consider using a spray bottle filled with cold water for refreshing spritzes throughout the day.
• Head downstairs. Since hot air rises, the upper stories of a home will be warmer than the ground floor. A basement can be a cool refuge from the midday heat.
• Eliminate extra sources of heat. Incandescent light bulbs can generate unnecessary heat, as can computers or appliances left running. Eat fresh foods that do not require you to use the oven or stove to prepare.
• Remember to maintain an adequate level of hydration, which means you'll need to consume more water than you usually do when it's hot. Thirst is the first sign of dehydration; you should drink sufficient amounts of fluids before you feel thirsty in order to prevent dehydration
• For a homemade "air conditioning" system, sit in the path of a box fan that is aimed at an open cooler, or pan filled with ice.

Hot Weather And Firestorms

8/24/2022 (Permalink)

A firestorm is an intense fire that develops its own wind system. The strong wind currents make it easy for the flames to spread and it also increases its potential to cause damage significantly. During the summer the chances of one occurring increase due to the natural hot weather. Areas close to the forest or places with dry vegetation are at a higher risk of being affected by a firestorm. It is key to always be prepared for a fire as they can begin so suddenly. Some important tips to better prepare yourself include

• Have an emergency plan in place
• Install smoke detectors, detecting a fire early on may prevent complications 
• Inspect your home for potential fire hazards; being aware of their location can prevent a fire
• Know the phone number of your nearest fire department; the sooner you call the faster they can arrive
• If a fire occurs indoors if possible you can close the door of the area. This may slow the spread of the fire
• Know the location of fire fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers
• Evacuate your home if there is a wildfire nearby that may reach your home
• Reduce or eliminate dry vegetation surrounding your home; dry vegetation is easily flammable
• Don't try to fight a large fire
• Be aware of your surroundings

No matter the location or size of a fire they are always dangerous. If you see there is a firestorm taking place then you should really remain on alert as they are very dangerous. In the event that you do receive fire damage then SERVPRO of Irwindale/Baldwin Park specializes in fire damage mitigation. We have the equipment and expertise to assist you with your situation and we always want to help. We can easily be reached at (626) 852-9922. We are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.