What is a Dehumidifier

3/29/2019 (Permalink)

High humidity can cause many health-related issues, and some can be very severe. Optimal humidity levels are between 30- 50%, with around 45% being the most desirable. Dehumidifiers help to maintain indoor humidity at these comfortable levels, keeping the air in your indoor spaces healthy. This can both save you money and help you avoid any number of health risks.

What is a Dehumidifier?

The most basic explanation is that a dehumidifier has a moisture absorbing wheel inside the unit. The wheel is made of silica gel. Silica gel was in existence as early as the 1640s as a scientific curiosity. It was used in World War I for the adsorption of vapors and gases in gas mask canisters. The synthetic route for producing silica gel was patented by chemistry professor Walter A. Patrick at Johns Hopkins University in 1918.

What is Silica gel? It is an amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide (those small packages that you find in packaged food to limit the growth of mold and reduce spoilage) which is the desiccant (drying) element. Air enters the unit through an opening and travels through the silica gel wheel. When the air reaches the other side of the wheel, it is dry and then pushed out of the unit by a high static blower. 

Here are 3 ways dehumidifiers can help you at home:

• PREVENT MOLD AND MILDEW
• Mildew emits a strong scent, which can affect an entire home. If you leave your clothes in the washer too long when humidity is high, they get that "mildew smell" and will need to be re-washed, which only adds to your water and energy bill. Since mold and mildew thrive in warm, moist environments, dehumidifiers help keep them in check.

• HELP YOU LIVE IN COMFORT
• As your body temperature rises, your body releases sweat to help cool you off. When humidity is at an optimal level, your sweat evaporates into the air, leaving you cool and dry. However, air molecules that are already saturated with water have no room to absorb further water, which means you run around wet and sticky. Everyone knows how uncomfortable that can be! Bacteria is another organism that thrives in humid environments, and minor cuts and injuries are more susceptible to infection in such a situation. Some minor medical issues can also be made worse by humidity, such as acne and athlete's foot.

• PROVIDE HVAC SUPPORT
• When air molecules are weighed down with water, it makes them harder to heat or cool down. For example: a pan only half full of water will heat and cool more quickly and efficiently than a pan that is full, and the same is true of air molecules that are half filled with water, like when humidity levels are at 50% or above. A dehumidifier will help your HVAC system heat up and cool down your home faster and more efficiently by reducing the water in the air, which can significantly save you cooling and heating costs.

What is an Air Mover

3/28/2019 (Permalink)

What is an Air mover? Air movers are an essential tool when mitigation services are needed due to water damage or restoring flood or disaster damage. Some advantages of drying a building with the use of air movers are as follows:

• Low power draw
• High velocity, making them ideal for cooling and ventilation purposes
• Reduces water damage dry out time to carpets and floors, as well as wall cavities behind drywall
• Dries concrete and paint
• Removing fumes or gases from a workspace 

Air Movers vs Home Fans:

• When our customers first see an air mover, they often ask if they could’ve used their own fans. While air movers are technically fans, they are much more powerful and effective than your standard home fan.
• When the drying process time is reduced so are the chances of a second loss or additional damage, which can include microbial growth. Our team of Restoration Technicians are trained using IICRC standards to make it “Like it never even happened.” using specialized techniques and industrial equipment designed to mitigate damage and prepare the property for reconstruction. Our warehouses and trucks are stocked with equipment that will extract standing water and then, based on environmental conditions, dry the property to prepare it for reconstruction. The most common equipment you’ll see installed are industrial dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, and air movers.

• An air mover creates high-velocity airflow that no ordinary fan can compete with. Even though a regular fan could help with drying a room, it would take much longer and leave the space open to issues like mold.

• Air movers are placed in strategic locations to ensure the room is quickly and efficiently dried. Part of the reason they work so well is that their airflow is refined and predictable. Your standard fan, however, often covers a wide range of space and offers less precision, which makes them less effective.

http://www.SERVPROfairfield.com/water-repair-process

What is an Air Scrubber?

3/28/2019 (Permalink)

What is an Air Scrubber? This machine is used on many types of jobs, primarily mold remediation projects and water jobs where the use of fans can stir up dust and send particulate in the air.

An air scrubber is more appropriately referred to by professionals as an "air filtration device," or AFD. Simply put, it filters airborne particles out of the air, giving you cleaner air to breathe. The critical component of an air filtration device is a HEPA filter.

HEPA filters are made of a refined product with tiny holes that are too small for particulate to pass through, HEPA air filters were initially developed to remove radioactive particles from the air during the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. SERVPRO uses the DRIEAZ DefendAir HEPA 500 which has a 2 stage filtration systems. The 1^st stage utilizes a pre-filter that captures large particles, and then the HEPA filter captures 99.97% of smaller particles down to 0.3 microns.

Why use an air scrubber? The reason is simple, we want to remove airborne mold spores from the air you are consuming. AFDs have many other uses as well. For example, they can be used on deodorization projects. Particulate in your air can produce odors, trapping them with the HEPA-filtered AFD will remove them from the breathing environment and thereby remove the odor-producing elements from your environment.

How it works, the machine draws in air though the back side, pulls it through the HEPA filter, and the HEPA filter traps airborne particulate.

http://www.SERVPROfairfield.com/advanced-technology

Emergency Restoration Services, Reduce Further Damage

3/27/2019 (Permalink)

When your home experiences a fire or flood, professional assistance in restoring your home from the damage, reducing further damage, and minimizing losses is vital. Emergency restoration services exist to help in both fire damage repair and water damage repair. From roof tarping to board-up services, an emergency restoration service can attend to all the details you may not even have realized needed attending.

The right emergency restoration service will not only reduce further water and fire damage and restore the property to the condition it was in prior to the incident, but it can also do it with a minimum of disruption to your household and all due haste, while being sure to follow all the necessary procedures to ensure and total repair and restoration.

Getting adequate professional fire damage repair and water damage repair services can be costly. Fortunately, depending on the source of your damage and what types of homeowners insurance you have, you can file an insurance claim for these types of incidents and have many, if not all, of the costs paid for.

From the outset a good emergency restoration service will pay strict heed to health and safety, conducting an in-depth risk assessment of the home to be sure that all structural concerns and health risks are identified before they call the job complete. Following this and before beginning any serious work on the job, an emergency restoration service should immediately implement any stabilization procedure that might be necessary. Fire and water damage both can rot walls, ceilings, and floors, any of which may need immediate reinforcing. And by using dehumidifiers and such to regulate the ambient environment, the possibility of mold is significantly reduced.

To give yourself the opportunity to file an insurance claim to pay for emergency restoration services and reduce further damage and losses, make sure you have the right types of insurance. Read your current homeowners insurance policy to see if it has any provisions for fire damage repair and water damage repair. If not, take action to supplement that insurance for those purposes before you may need them, and then it would be too late.

When experiencing fire or water damage there is no time to waste, and suffering an emergency like a flood or a fire in your home is traumatic enough without having to suffer further damage after the incident. The quickest way to cause yourself further grief is to try to handle all the emergency repair and restoration yourself. The quickest way to relief and getting your life back is with the aid of the right expert professionals.

Making Your Home Fire-Safe

3/27/2019 (Permalink)

The following article can be used as a fire safety checklist for your home. By employing all of these great tips you will actually be potentially saving your own life, as well as your families. Here are the best tips to stay fire safe this season.

If you have smokers in your household, make sure that they have a designating smoking area. This doesn't need to be an obvious looking smoking enclosure, it just needs to be somewhere outside that is free from flammable objects and contains clean ashtrays for cigarette butts.

You must eliminate clutter and allow plenty of room for flammable goods. If you have kids around, these places should be out of reach and possible locked. These storage areas must not be exposed to any electricity or heat sources. If flammable goods are kept in a shed outside make sure that there is plenty of ventilation and heat is not trapped.

Make sure that everyone in your household is up to date with the evacuation procedures should there be a need. An evacuation drill should be practiced at least every 6-12 months.

The evacuation process should be aimed at getting everybody out of the house is the fastest possible manner and leaving personal items behind. Following on from this, you should also have all emergency phone numbers clearly displayed next to every phone. The evacuation path must be kept clear and easy to navigate at all times. You must consider any locks, deadlocks, or other obstructions in the path of evacuation and these must be made as easy as possible to navigate.

Ensure that rubbish bins are emptied daily, all clutter is thrown away, and electrical items are put away safely after use. Identifying fire hazards is a skill and you should work on identifying and eliminating all hazards around the home. This is especially easy by removing all clutter in your home that could be considered a threat.

At least two fire extinguishers per average household is usually enough, but these should be clearly marked so that everyone knows exactly here to look. Fire alarms should be carefully placed in fire 'hotspots' around your home. Any fire sprinklers and other fire equipment is advised but not necessary.

You must ensure everything is done to prevent a fire from occurring in your home. A common cause of household fires is due to an electrical issue. Ensure that you have an adequate number of power points available and that you are not overloading them with adapters and multiple appliances if not needed.

Another point to make is that you should check that you have circuit breaker points installed and that they are all working correctly. These will shut off power to a certain section of your home if power is overloaded. They are a great fire prevention tool.

In conclusion, you must build up awareness to fire hazards and act accordingly to eliminate these hazards. If you can get a two in one fire alarm that also detects carbon monoxide in the air you will successfully eliminate two hazards in one.

Water Damage Restoration and Cleanup Solutions

3/8/2019 (Permalink)

If there's been any water damage on your commercial or residential property, you should not wait and should immediately call in professionals from a reputable water restoration company. In some cases, you can do restoration on your own, but there is too much risk to take it up as a DIY project. Let's have a close look at the services provided by a water restoration company.

* Available 24/7

Professional water restoration companies operate on 24/7 basis. Time is really important when it comes to water damage restoration and any delay can dramatically increase your losses resulting in additional restoration expenses. If flooding has been due to any burst pipe, shut off the water supply and immediately call in professionals as soon as you can. If flooding is due to a sewage backup, floods, hurricanes, or roof leakage, you should not wait even for a second and call water restoration company to minimize your losses.

* Expert help with insurance claims

The water restoration company can do much more than water cleanup and restoration in your home or office. They will assign you an insurance specialist who will prepare your paperwork and help you in the entire insurance claims process. Even though claiming insurance for any property damage seems easy, but insurance company will do everything possible to give you a lower amount than required. With the professional help from an insurance specialist, you will save lot of time and stress and will get the check that will easily cover all your restoration expenses.

* Professional equipment

Water restoration companies use commercial grade equipment and tools, such as blowers, portable water extraction units, dehumidifiers, pumps, humidity and moisture gauges, fans, truck mounted extraction units and so on. All these equipment will help in removing water and will restore your home or office within hours.

* Technical know how

This is where water restoration companies offer the most value. You may take hours to learn and research to figure out best restoration plan for your property while professionals with years of hands on experience will immediately go to work and will restore your property in the most cost effective and efficient way. They will also advise you on potential issues with the construction of your building that might lead to future water damage issues.

Therefore, in conclusion, it's best to call a professional water restoration company as soon as any water damage occurs on your property. The sooner you'll call them, the lesser your losses will be. These companies also guarantee that their estimates will be accepted by your insurance company. That means, you won't spend anything from your pocket by hiring these professionals.

Reduce Further Damage! Call SERVPRO of Fairfield!

2/1/2019 (Permalink)

When your home experiences a fire or flood, professional assistance in restoring your home from the damage, reducing further damage, and minimizing losses is vital. Emergency restoration services exist to help in both fire damage repair and water damage repair. From roof tarping to board-up services, an emergency restoration service can attend to all the details you may not even have realized needed attending.

The right emergency restoration service will not only reduce further water and fire damage and restore the property to the condition it was in prior to the incident, but it can also do it with a minimum of disruption to your household and all due haste, while being sure to follow all the necessary procedures to ensure and total repair and restoration.

Getting adequate professional fire damage repair and water damage repair services can be costly. Fortunately, depending on the source of your damage and what types of homeowners insurance you have, you can file an insurance claim for these types of incidents and have many, if not all, of the costs paid for.

From the outset a good emergency restoration service will pay strict heed to health and safety, conducting an in-depth risk assessment of the home to be sure that all structural concerns and health risks are identified before they call the job complete. Following this and before beginning any serious work on the job, an emergency restoration service should immediately implement any stabilization procedure that might be necessary. Fire and water damage both can rot walls, ceilings, and floors, any of which may need immediate reinforcing. And by using dehumidifiers and such to regulate the ambient environment, the possibility of mold is significantly reduced.

To give yourself the opportunity to file an insurance claim to pay for emergency restoration services and reduce further damage and losses, make sure you have the right types of insurance. Read your current homeowners insurance policy to see if it has any provisions for fire damage repair and water damage repair. If not, take action to supplement that insurance for those purposes before you may need them, and then it would be too late.

When experiencing fire or water damage there is no time to waste, and suffering an emergency like a flood or a fire in your home is traumatic enough without having to suffer further damage after the incident. The quickest way to cause yourself further grief is to try to handle all the emergency repair and restoration yourself. The quickest way to relief and getting your life back is with the aid of the right expert professionals

Emergency Restoration Services, Reduce Further Damage

12/17/2018 (Permalink)

When your home experiences a fire or flood, professional assistance in restoring your home from the damage, reducing further damage, and minimizing losses is vital. Emergency restoration services exist to help in both fire damage repair and water damage repair. From roof tarping to board-up services, an emergency restoration service can attend to all the details you may not even have realized needed attending.

The right emergency restoration service will not only reduce further water and fire damage and restore the property to the condition it was in prior to the incident, but it can also do it with a minimum of disruption to your household and all due haste, while being sure to follow all the necessary procedures to ensure and total repair and restoration.

Getting adequate professional fire damage repair and water damage repair services can be costly. Fortunately, depending on the source of your damage and what types of homeowners insurance you have, you can file an insurance claim for these types of incidents and have many, if not all, of the costs paid for.

From the outset a good emergency restoration service will pay strict heed to health and safety, conducting an in-depth risk assessment of the home to be sure that all structural concerns and health risks are identified before they call the job complete. Following this and before beginning any serious work on the job, an emergency restoration service should immediately implement any stabilization procedure that might be necessary. Fire and water damage both can rot walls, ceilings, and floors, any of which may need immediate reinforcing. And by using dehumidifiers and such to regulate the ambient environment, the possibility of mold is significantly reduced.

To give yourself the opportunity to file an insurance claim to pay for emergency restoration services and reduce further damage and losses, make sure you have the right types of insurance. Read your current homeowners insurance policy to see if it has any provisions for fire damage repair and water damage repair. If not, take action to supplement that insurance for those purposes before you may need them, and then it would be too late.

When experiencing fire or water damage there is no time to waste, and suffering an emergency like a flood or a fire in your home is traumatic enough without having to suffer further damage after the incident. The quickest way to cause yourself further grief is to try to handle all the emergency repair and restoration yourself. The quickest way to relief and getting your life back is with the aid of the right expert professionals

Water Damage Restoration and Clean Up Solutions

12/12/2018 (Permalink)

If there's been any water damage on your commercial or residential property, you should not wait and should immediately call in professionals from a reputable water restoration company. In some cases, you can do restoration on your own, but there is too much risk to take it up as a DIY project. Let's have a close look at the services provided by a water restoration company.

* Available 24/7

Professional water restoration companies operate on 24/7 basis. Time is really important when it comes to water damage restoration and any delay can dramatically increase your losses resulting in additional restoration expenses. If flooding has been due to any burst pipe, shut off the water supply and immediately call in professionals as soon as you can. If flooding is due to a sewage backup, floods, hurricanes, or roof leakage, you should not wait even for a second and call water restoration company to minimize your losses.

* Expert help with insurance claims

The water restoration company can do much more than water cleanup and restoration in your home or office. They will assign you an insurance specialist who will prepare your paperwork and help you in the entire insurance claims process. Even though claiming insurance for any property damage seems easy, but insurance company will do everything possible to give you a lower amount than required. With the professional help from an insurance specialist, you will save lot of time and stress and will get the check that will easily cover all your restoration expenses.

* Professional equipment

Water restoration companies use commercial grade equipment and tools, such as blowers, portable water extraction units, dehumidifiers, pumps, humidity and moisture gauges, fans, truck mounted extraction units and so on. All these equipment will help in removing water and will restore your home or office within hours.

* Technical know how

This is where water restoration companies offer the most value. You may take hours to learn and research to figure out best restoration plan for your property while professionals with years of hands on experience will immediately go to work and will restore your property in the most cost effective and efficient way. They will also advise you on potential issues with the construction of your building that might lead to future water damage issues.

Therefore, in conclusion, it's best to call a professional water restoration company as soon as any water damage occurs on your property. The sooner you'll call them, the lesser your losses will be. These companies also guarantee that their estimates will be accepted by your insurance company. That means, you won't spend anything from your pocket by hiring these professionals.

Making Your Home Fire-safe

12/11/2018 (Permalink)

The following article can be used as a fire safety checklist for your home. By employing all of these great tips you will actually be potentially saving your own life, as well as your families. Here are the best tips to stay fire safe this season.

If you have smokers in your household, make sure that they have a designating smoking area. This doesn't need to be an obvious looking smoking enclosure, it just needs to be somewhere outside that is free from flammable objects and contains clean ashtrays for cigarette butts.

You must eliminate clutter and allow plenty of room for flammable goods. If you have kids around, these places should be out of reach and possible locked. These storage areas must not be exposed to any electricity or heat sources. If flammable goods are kept in a shed outside make sure that there is plenty of ventilation and heat is not trapped.

Make sure that everyone in your household is up to date with the evacuation procedures should there be a need. An evacuation drill should be practiced at least every 6-12 months.

The evacuation process should be aimed at getting everybody out of the house is the fastest possible manner and leaving personal items behind. Following on from this, you should also have all emergency phone numbers clearly displayed next to every phone. The evacuation path must be kept clear and easy to navigate at all times. You must consider any locks, deadlocks, or other obstructions in the path of evacuation and these must be made as easy as possible to navigate.

Ensure that rubbish bins are emptied daily, all clutter is thrown away, and electrical items are put away safely after use. Identifying fire hazards is a skill and you should work on identifying and eliminating all hazards around the home. This is especially easy by removing all clutter in your home that could be considered a threat.

At least two fire extinguishers per average household is usually enough, but these should be clearly marked so that everyone knows exactly here to look. Fire alarms should be carefully placed in fire 'hotspots' around your home. Any fire sprinklers and other fire equipment is advised but not necessary.

You must ensure everything is done to prevent a fire from occurring in your home. A common cause of household fires is due to an electrical issue. Ensure that you have an adequate number of power points available and that you are not overloading them with adapters and multiple appliances if not needed.

Another point to make is that you should check that you have circuit breaker points installed and that they are all working correctly. These will shut off power to a certain section of your home if power is overloaded. They are a great fire prevention tool.

In conclusion, you must build up awareness to fire hazards and act accordingly to eliminate these hazards. If you can get a two in one fire alarm that also detects carbon monoxide in the air you will successfully eliminate two hazards in one.

Frequently Asked Questions: Water Damage Remediation

12/10/2018 (Permalink)

You come home and you find your floor is full of water. You identify the source and stop the leak. Then you grab your wet/dry vacuum cleaner and suck up all the excess water. There are still a few damp area and it smells kind of musty so you open the window and will nature take its course. In your mind your Do-it-Yourself attitude just saved you a ton of money. Case closed.The Do-it-Yourself attitude is admirable and the laudable hallmark of American culture but such attitude can prove to be, as in this case, misguided and have potential long term health and financial consequences.

If you suspect you have water damage, contact SERVPRO and we can take care of your water damage and mold problems for you: (707) 207-0122.

How to Choose a Water Damage Restoration Company

12/10/2018 (Permalink)

Water damage after a burst pipe, rising river, hurricane, overflow, or similar situation often impacts more than the immediate area and also the home's content which might be in its path. The process of restoring a property to its pre-damaged state is referred to as water damage restoration, which many companies specialize in. Any water damage to a home can be a destructive and stressful time, but having it repaired need not be a difficult process.

Here are of the several steps which might help in searching for the right water damage restoration service:

Use the services of a specialist water damage restoration company: In an unfortunate situation like this, it is important that you are able to hire the services of a company that specializes in treating water damaged properties, whether this might be from internal damage (burst pipes) or external damage (floods, storms, hurricanes). It is often the case that certain carpet cleaning companies might claim to offer a water restoration service, however they are likely to lack the required expertise that you would need for such a significant job of this type.

Make contact with several local companies: In the process of searching for the right contractor to hire it is important to contact two or three different companies to determine the type of services that might be available to you. Even in such a distressful situation like this, it is still important to invest the necessary time to establish whether a company is a good hire or not. If able, get personal referrals from family members or friends who might have been in a similar situation, or go online and search for local companies that have a good number of positive comments next to their business name. Finding the right highly trained staff is imperative to having a property dried and restored to a high standard.

Obtain multiple estimates: after receiving several estimates for the repair work, you can compare each of those are side by side to establish which he is able to offer a high standard of work at a reasonable price. A temptation might be there to opt for the cheapest estimate; however it is important to consider all factors in the decision-making process, as it is important that the company is able to offer a qualified team that is able to get the job done the right way.

Don't delay in getting repairs carried out. If placed in a situation where significant water damage has been caused to property, it is important that the work is carried out as soon as possible. Water damage if left is only likely to worsen, which can lead to damage to the integrity of a structure as well as the development of a mold infestation

The 4 Most Common Types of Fire

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

While a fire can start anywhere at any time, below is a list of the top four most common causes of fires. This information may even help you to prevent starting a fire.

1. In the United States, the most common type of fire starts in the kitchen. Whether it is from burning food, grease, or an electrical problem, often times all three can cause a fire. Grease is the major cause of a fire it can grow and spread quickly, getting out of control and spreading to other rooms of your home, before the fire department arrives.

2. Electrical fires are the second most common type of house fire. When you have electricity and water it can be bad. Often times, if the wiring is old or not grounded a fire can start and someone can be electrocuted. Electrical fires can be caused by several different things, including old wiring, faulty wiring, broken or old breaker boxes, faulty appliances, and the improper use of outlets.

3. During the cold winter months’ portable heaters and electric blankets start their fair share of fires. If you have to use a portable heater make sure you one that has a timer and an automotive shut-off. In place of electric blankets try using a heavy quilt.

4. Smoking is the fourth leading cause of fires. If you can smoke outside and make sure you put your cigarette out before going back inside your home. People fall asleep smoking more often than most people can imagine there are nearly a thousand deaths a year in the United States, because of smoking not to mention the loss off property. It does not take much for an ember off the tip of a cigarette to catch a chair, couch, rug, or curtains on fire, so be extra cautious when smoking in your home.

You can’t always prevent a fire especially an electrical one due to poor or faulty wiring or appliances. So, when you have the option to use extreme caution such as smoking, or cooking please do so!

Reduce further damage! Call SERVPRO of Fairfield!

2/9/2018 (Permalink)

When your home experiences a fire or flood, professional assistance in restoring your home from the damage, reducing further damage, and minimizing losses is vital. Emergency restoration services exist to help in both fire damage repair and water damage repair. From roof tarping to board-up services, an emergency restoration service can attend to all the details you may not even have realized needed attending.

The right emergency restoration service will not only reduce further water and fire damage and restore the property to the condition it was in prior to the incident, but it can also do it with a minimum of disruption to your household and all due haste, while being sure to follow all the necessary procedures to ensure and total repair and restoration.

Getting adequate professional fire damage repair and water damage repair services can be costly. Fortunately, depending on the source of your damage and what types of homeowners insurance you have, you can file an insurance claim for these types of incidents and have many, if not all, of the costs paid for.

From the outset a good emergency restoration service will pay strict heed to health and safety, conducting an in-depth risk assessment of the home to be sure that all structural concerns and health risks are identified before they call the job complete. Following this and before beginning any serious work on the job, an emergency restoration service should immediately implement any stabilization procedure that might be necessary. Fire and water damage both can rot walls, ceilings, and floors, any of which may need immediate reinforcing. And by using dehumidifiers and such to regulate the ambient environment, the possibility of mold is significantly reduced.

To give yourself the opportunity to file an insurance claim to pay for emergency restoration services and reduce further damage and losses, make sure you have the right types of insurance. Read your current homeowners insurance policy to see if it has any provisions for fire damage repair and water damage repair. If not, take action to supplement that insurance for those purposes before you may need them, and then it would be too late.

When experiencing fire or water damage there is no time to waste, and suffering an emergency like a flood or a fire in your home is traumatic enough without having to suffer further damage after the incident. The quickest way to cause yourself further grief is to try to handle all the emergency repair and restoration yourself. The quickest way to relief and getting your life back is with the aid of the right expert professionals