Preparing for Brooklyn Fire Damage Emergencies

2/15/2023 (Permalink)

When things don’t go according to plan, call on SERVPRO for expertly trained technicians and thorough fire damage restoration for your Brooklyn home.

SERVPRO Tools Save Fire Damaged Homes and Property

When home fires occur, which is often when Brooklyn residents least expect them, it can be overwhelming to consider preparations or remember exit routes. However, these measures can prove instrumental in keeping families safe. Emergency preparedness and fireproofing are vital to minimizing the effects of a disaster, and restoration firms are just as crucial to remediating the damage.

Brooklyn SERVPRO fire damage restoration technicians are prepared to restore impacted homes around the clock. Services rendered can include inspections, cost estimates, mitigation, and rebuilding. Regardless of the scale of the fire, SERVPRO tools and solutions are tailored to a diverse array of mitigation needs. 

Creating a Residential Fire Damage Emergency Plan

While safety is one essential component of disaster prevention, it is also crucial to know what to do and expect if safety and fireproofing measures fail to contain flames. Keep these tips in mind for preparing an evacuation plan tailored to a residence: 

• Look at floor plans for the living space and consider escape routes for each room. Map out multiple paths to a safe escape wherever possible, and share these maps with family members and other home occupants.
• Practice evacuation approximately twice a year with occupants. If these practice evacuations are done with children, make sure they are not scared of the situation. Explain that this is being done as practice.
• Apartment buildings on upper floors may need to consider the possibility of stairways being blocked. Consider alternative methods for leaving the unit, including patio or window fire escapes. Consult with a property manager to address these concerns.
• Multi-story homes can face similar problems to upper-floor apartments. The stairs can be obstructed by flames or debris, blocking an easy exit. Consider installing an escape ladder or emergency escape on the upper floor.

How property owners and their families leave a disaster is also crucial. Stay close to the ground and crawl to minimize smoke inhalation, and have emergency tools like extinguishers on hand in areas with no easy access to windows or escape ladders. 

SERVPRO's Emergency Fire Mitigation Services Protect Homes and Residents

While preparedness cannot prevent all disasters, SERVPRO can remove fire and smoke damage left behind by debris. Salvageable belongings can be collected and moved off the property during a pack-out for offsite cleanup in an approved SERVPRO facility. Fire suppression-related water damage can also be addressed with SERVPRO extraction and drying equipment.

Other fire restoration services include:

• Demolition of melted or deteriorated structural materials
• Window and doorway board-ups
• Roof tarping
• Wall, flooring, and ceiling repairs
• Repainting, floor, and baseboard installation

SERVPRO can address salvageable structures and contents with such tools as dry cleaning sponges, alkaline cleaning solutions, EPA-registered biocides, and abrasion blasting media like dry ice or soda ash. These tools can all address varying degrees of fire and smoke damage soiling. Odor-causing soot particles can be collected with HEPA-filter vacuums. 

Technicians also use personal protective equipment (PPE), polyethylene chambers, and negative air machines to contain smoke damage and prevent it from spreading. After soils have been addressed, SERVPRO techs can focus on odor control with thermal foggers and high-powered ventilation box fans, improving indoor air quality after fire damage. 

When emergencies happen, We're Faster To Any Size Disaster. Homeowners can call SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands at (718) 281-3271.

Cleaning Up Brooklyn Water Damage Efficiently

2/15/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the training and equipment for water damage restoration at Brooklyn properties.

SERVPRO Water Cleanup for Carpet and Drywall

Water-related disasters can strike anywhere and anytime in a home. While there are ways to anticipate and minimize damage, a sudden plumbing mishap or appliance failure is all it takes to saturate walls, ceilings, and floors within minutes of exposure. Professional mitigation can help Brooklyn homeowners save time and money while dealing with the stresses caused by water damage. 

Our water damage restoration crew in Brooklyn is ready to mitigate damage to structures and belongings 24/7, even during weekends and holidays. Cleanup plans and estimates are tailored to meet clients' needs while adhering to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification's (IICRC) standards for the restoration industry. 

How and Why Moisture Affects Carpeting and Drywall 

Carpet, pad, and sheetrock are among the most commonly-affected surfaces that water mitigation technicians handle. While it may not seem like they have much in common at first glance, they share some fundamental properties that enable water damage to spread:

• Though carpet might be made of synthetic fibers or walls covered in water-resistant paint, the base materials are porous and prone to moisture buildup.
• Because carpet is made of fibers and drywall is essentially a gypsum and cardboard sandwich, water damage can easily wick up surfaces and spread.
• Much like carpet cannot remain attached to the pad underneath after too much moisture exposure, wallpapers, adhesives, and paints can start bubbling, peeling, and detaching from drywall.
• Moisture can affect subfloors beneath carpet and studs or joists behind drywall after moisture damage has had time to proliferate on a property. This exposure can create the potential for mold. 

Wet carpet and drywall are, fortunately, often salvageable. Moisture is easier to get out of synthetic than organic fibers. However, mold can still grow if the water damage is not addressed within 24-48 hours after exposure starts. Drywall, meanwhile, can often be dried without total demolition, though some portions may require cutting away for drying or safety. If possible, it is much more cost-effective to replace small amounts of sheetrock than to demolish and rebuild an entire wall or ceiling. 

SERVPRO Water Mitigation Can Save Wet Walls and Floors

SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians are trained to handle water damage scenarios and often have to treat wet walls and floors in homes. Whether the disaster is small or large in scale, SERVPRO can do the following for homeowners dealing with moisture damage:

• Inspect the affected property with calibrated moisture sensors, meters, thermal imaging cameras, and thermohygrometers before, during, and after mitigation.
• Perform demolition tasks necessary for water cleanup, whether they be small cutouts in ceilings to force air into cavities or drilling weep holes into walls to dry the cavities without demolishing excess drywall that is otherwise salvageable.
• Extractor wands designed for carpets can remove moisture and deploy EPA-registered solutions that eliminate bacterial growth exacerbated by moisture exposure. Several passes with an extractor can also accelerate drying.
• Position air movers and dehumidifiers near walls and use specialized tubes to push air into ceiling cavities. For carpet, affected portions can be tented up for onsite drying with air movement and dehumidification equipment or moved offsite for more thorough cleaning. After restoration, which can include subfloor water cleanup, SERVPRO crew members can reinstall and re-seam carpeting and pad.

When homeowners want quality results, they can call SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands at (718) 381-3271 for restoration that looks and feels "Like it never even happened."

The SERVPRO Commitment to 24/7 Mold Remediation and Restoration

2/15/2023 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO for mold remediation in Brooklyn to make it “Like it never even happened.”

Providing Brooklyn Homeowners with Swift Cleanup

Mold damage is one of the largest secondary disasters homeowners have to endure. These microbes are a necessary part of many ecosystems and aid with the decomposition of organic matter. However, many home materials, including drywall, wallpaper, and carpeting, can turn into food to be broken down by their digestive enzymes. 

Brooklyn mold remediation technicians at SERVPRO have the equipment necessary to turn a home around after microbial growth has infiltrated a residence. The crew can do everything, from inspection and cost estimates to rebuilding and odor control. This comprehensive service ensures that properties and occupants get high-quality professional results that adhere to restoration industry standards. 

What to Look for in a Professional Mold Remediation Company

Homeowners seeking out effective local mold restoration companies should look for the following qualities: 

• Does the company promise "mold removal" or mold remediation? This distinction might not seem significant, but total mold removal is impossible. Meanwhile, microbial remediation tackles moisture and other causes for mold spread and the spores themselves.
• Does the company ensure improved indoor air quality? Professional restorers like SERVPRO often use HEPA filter air scrubbers and negative air machines to control the travel of spores and ensure that technicians can remove more of them with ease. A mold restoration company should strive to clean a home's air and other damages related to microbes.
• Does the company provide copies of cost estimates and cleanup plans? These documents are crucial for any insurance claims that a homeowner might file, but they also provide a basis for transparency and accountability.

SERVPRO does all of this and more for homeowners, no matter when disaster strikes. 

Around-The-Clock Emergency Mold Cleanup Services for Homes 

Extensively-trained SERVPRO crews deploy effective restoration tools 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service is also available over holidays and weekends to ensure that homes receive the care needed to minimize damage and maximize repair potential for structures and contents when feasible. 

Mold is typically a secondary disaster that usually stems from water damage. One of the most crucial steps to remediation is understanding how moisture enables mold and how easily microbes can spread in the right environment.

• Mold can come in from anywhere, as it exists indoors and outdoors. Even pets or residents can bring it home unintentionally. It can then settle on other surfaces and start proliferating in earnest under the right conditions, which often begin with water damage.
• Water saturation from pipe leaks, floods, or fire suppression starts within minutes for most surfaces in a given home. Porous and organic materials like sheetrock, insulation, and wood are among the most vulnerable items enabling mold growth.
• Moisture can start spreading in as little as 24 to 48 hours after water damage starts and typically begins behind walls and other surfaces. It can become a more severe issue of contamination that can heavily damage structural materials and belongings within a week or more after damage occurs.

SERVPRO restoration services for microbes include moisture mitigation, sanitation with EPA-registered biocides, demolition of unsalvageable materials, odor removal with commercial-grade foggers, and build-back services like drywall and carpet installation.

SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands is only a phone call away from performing restoration that can seem "Like it never even happened." Contact the team at (718) 381-3271 to start inspection and cleanup within a few hours of an initial call.

Water Mitigation in Brooklyn Happens Fast with SERVPRO

2/14/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is prepared with restoration equipment and experienced technicians.

SERVPRO Saves Time and Money in Water Mitigation of Brooklyn Homes

Water damage from a storm can be a devastating experience, leaving homeowners with flooded homes, damaged personal belongings, and uncertain about what to do next. Water mitigation of your Brooklyn home is a complex process that requires careful planning.  

SERVPRO’s IICRC-certified techs use a multi-step process during the water mitigation of your Brooklyn home. The first step is removing the standing water, then drying the property to limit the extent of the damage. SERVPRO techs manipulate the temperature and humidity of the air to speed up the drying process. 

The Role of Dehumidifiers in Water Restoration 

Dehumidifiers play a crucial role in the water damage restoration process as they help to remove moisture from the air and speed up the drying process. In the aftermath of a storm, excess moisture in the air further damages the property and its contents. SERVPRO techs use strategically placed dehumidifiers to reduce the humidity of the air during the restoration process. 

SERVPRO techs use the following two types of dehumidifying equipment:

• Refrigerant dehumidifiers: They draw in moist air and pass it over refrigerant coils, which cool the air and condense the moisture into the water, which is then collected and removed.
• Desiccant dehumidifiers: When the temperature is low (below 500F), SERVPRO techs use desiccant dehumidifiers that pass moist air over special material like silica gel that attracts and captures water molecules. 

Heating and Cooling Equipment in Flood Restoration  

The temperature of a water-damaged home must be controlled to ensure proper drying. SERVPRO techs use indirect-fired furnaces and portable electric heaters to control the air temperature. Techs use direct expansion (DX) units for more significant projects that combine temperature and humidity control in one piece of equipment.   

Call SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands, at (718) 381-3271 for fast and efficient service.

Fire Restoration in Brooklyn- Content Cleaning with SERVPRO

1/17/2023 (Permalink)

Having an issue with fire damage in your property. Call SERVPRO for the help you need.

Dealing with Fire Damage in Brooklyn Properties

Home fires leave a real mess not only within the structure but also in your contents. While some fire incidents are a total loss, sometimes they are smaller in scale, causing partial damage. However, significant smoke/soot damage is typical in almost all incidents, requiring meticulous cleaning. When dealing with smoke damage, always seek professional assistance from a company such as SERVPRO to determine what can be salvaged and restored to preloss conditions.  

Fire restoration in Brooklyn properties may seem daunting at first. SERVPRO crews do everything possible to reduce your stress and workload. While it is generally easy to tell smoke damage in the part of the house where the fire was contained, smoke tends to drift from room to room, leaving residues in areas not even close to the fire source. Our crews thoroughly inspect and test for smoke residues to identify the affected items and locations to determine the restoration methods necessary to bring your life back to normalcy.

Signs of smoke damage:

• Soot streaks
• Black dusty residues
• Discolored paint

Content Cleaning After Smoke Damage

Using specialized products and tools, SERVPRO crews tailor a cleaning approach for each item, depending on its condition, the material composition, and the scope of the damage. We also perform deodorization services to eliminate the persistent smoky smell. Sometimes there might be a need for offsite content restoration, such as when the structural repair is in progress. In such a case, we can pack, restore, and store them until home repairs are finished. Smoke-damaged clothing should be cleaned immediately. Since many clothing items are manufactured with synthetic fibers, smoke-odor molecules and particles can bond with fabrics if cleaned slowly.

Considerations when cleaning and deodorizing clothing:

• Remove clothes from metal hangers as smoke residues cause hangers to oxidize, staining clothing
• Blow out garments using compressed air to evaporate odor molecules and blow off smoke particles
• Spray garments with a solvent-based odor counteractant to minimize the effects of smoke odor

SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands aims to exceed your expectations and minimize any disruption in your life while performing fire restoration. Call us at (718) 381-3271. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

The Problems Water Mitigation Prevents in Brooklyn Properties

12/20/2022 (Permalink)

Don't let water damage take over your property, Call SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands at (718) 381-3271.

SERVPRO Offers Brooklyn Homeowners Fitting Water Repairs

If you could anticipate water leaks, you can take preventive actions such as turning off water mains or moving valuables away from the exposed areas. However, since such incidents happen unexpectedly, you must deal with the consequences. However, you can do something to limit the destructiveness of an incident. Perfectly executed water mitigation can change the course of an incident.

Water mitigation at your Brooklyn home should help minimize the inconveniences you face or the restoration cost. You are at an advantage if you seek help from a professional team like SERVPRO since we are well-equipped and have significant experience dealing with such incidents, so it is easier to anticipate the problems that might arise.  

Common Issues Triggered by Moisture:

• Warping, rotting and rusting
• Mold development
• Odors
• Stains

The problems usually take time to develop fully, which is why mitigation is effective. The timeline varies for each issue, so perfect timing is crucial to get the desired results. Severe physical changes like warping, rot, and mold take the longest to reach irreversible stages. Our SERVPRO technicians can initiate timely moisture control and other intervention steps. If you have a hardwood floor, we extract any standing water and use specialized equipment, such as drying mats, to remove the moisture trapped beneath the boards. If we notice swelling, we anticipate buckling and cupping so we can pull some boards to create room for the remaining boards to swell without changing shape.

Vexing Problems

Some of the issues moisture causes may not be very disruptive, but they are annoying. For instance, your favorite couch still serves the main purpose even after staining since nothing prevents you from sitting on it. However, it becomes an eyesore, so you may be forced to remove it or change the covering material. Odors also fall in the vexing category since you might ignore them and continue staying in the home, albeit less comfortably. Preventing these problems from developing or anticipating and thus resolving them in time is ideal.

Solutions to Counter Stains:

• Enzyme digestion
• Bleaching
• Oxidizing
• Removal with strong acids

SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands, has the resources you need to execute water mitigation successfully. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. (718) 381-3271.

Faulty HVAC Systems Causing Mold Damage in Brooklyn

11/16/2022 (Permalink)

Maintaining HVAC systems can help prevent mold infestations. If you need remediation--Call SERVPRO--"Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Mold Remediation Specialists Can Help

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units are essential to the home. These systems keep us warm in winter and cool in the summer by circulating air throughout the house via ducts and vents. However, they can also be prone to malfunction leading to problems that affect the entire property. Mechanical issues that lead to dampness and mold can affect older HVAC systems, and as air circulates, it can distribute unpleasant odors or spores into the rooms of your house.

SERVPRO Offers

• HVAC inspections
• Mold assessments
• Mold remediation
• Controlled demolition

Common signs of mold damage in your Brooklyn home can include musty odors and poor indoor air quality. If the problem is related to your HVAC system, you might find damp spots, mold growth, or water leaks around ducts, mechanics, and vents. Reaching out to professional remediation services can help limit mold infestation's impact on your everyday life. Our certified technicians can inspect the interior and exterior of your home to find the source of a microbial infestation and provide related cleaning or remediation services.

When microbial infestation is related to air conditioning units, it is often necessary to enlist subcontractors to fix the system's mechanical parts. SERVPRO technicians can arrange and engage with these specialists during the restoration to ensure you only have to deal with one point of contact throughout remediation. While the mechanical aspects are being repaired, our technicians can remediate the property by disassembling some or all of the air conditioning system to allow interior duct cleaning, vent replacement, and fumigation.

Techniques for remediating ducts

• Anti-microbial chemicals can be distributed into ducts directly using fogging equipment and fans to push solvents into the system.
• Return and supply side vents are usually removed and replaced to control the infestation.
• Drill saws create access points into ducts that can later be resealed to a professional standard using sheet metals.

If you notice the symptoms of microbial infestation, contact SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands, for mold damage remediation at (718) 381-3271.

Restore Your Hotel with Commercial Water Mitigation Services in Brooklyn

9/19/2022 (Permalink)

Our SERVPRO warehouse has the equipment and vehicles to compliment our skilled technicians. We mitigate water damage and keep your business open.

Commercial Water Mitigation Brooklyn is Faster with SERVPRO

Any business can sustain water damage, but those with increased risk are typically in high-rises in the health and hospitality services industries. Understanding the risks and safeguarding your interests with mitigation measures is crucial.

Performing prompt commercial water mitigation in your Brooklyn hotel is vital because you need to resume business operations. Canceling bookings can impact your revenue. SERVPRO can help you repair your hotel quickly to prevent revenue stream loss.

Water damage to a hotel property can cause issues like ruined flooring. Water can damage floors like tiles, vinyl, wood floors, and the subfloor beneath carpets. It is costly to replace such materials. Walls made of porous materials like drywall can also sustain damage. It may be necessary to repair or replace the bottom section of water-damaged drywall. SERVPRO provides water mitigation services for hotels consisting of all services required to restore them to pre-event condition, including the following:

• Inspection and assessment 
• Water extraction
• Dry out 
• Clean up 
• Building repair 

SERVPRO’s inspection services involve using equipment like thermal imaging cameras to determine which areas have moisture. We can also determine which restoration procedures are necessary to repair the affected structures and contents.

Water extraction is an essential step in eliminating moisture from your property. We use extraction equipment like electric submersible pumps to remove water from floors. The more water we extract, the less time we spend evaporating and dehumidifying the remaining moisture with drying equipment.

Our SERVPRO team can dry your hotel fast to reduce moisture levels. We can use air movers to enhance evaporation at the surface level. Our technicians can also use powerful dehumidifiers to draw moisture from floors and walls to prevent structural problems, bacteria, or mold infestation.

The last step of water damage restoration is to rebuild or repair walls, floors, ceilings, or other affected areas. This can make your hotel appear as it did before the damage. 

You can count on SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands, for affordable and effective commercial water mitigation services. Call us at (718) 381-3271 to make the damage seem “Like it never even happened.” 

SERVPRO can Restore Your Mill Basin Home After Storm Flood Damage

9/19/2022 (Permalink)

Road flooding can enter your Mill Basin house and cause damage. Call SERVPRO--We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Get Pros to Handle Storm Flood Damage in Mill Basin

Storms pose some significant threats to homeowners in the Mid-Atlantic region. They can come in the form of hail that penetrates the roof to gale-force winds that blow against the windows, largely impacting homes. Other problems linked to storms are electrical shorts, flooding, and debris. 

After the storm has passed, you need someone with the resources and industry-defining expertise to restore your property to preloss condition. SERVPRO provides 24/7 emergency response services for storm flood damage in Mill Basin. When the storm has subsided, some of the steps you should take to ensure the safety of your home are:

• Checking your house for damages.
• Reviewing and assessing the damages to give us a better idea of how to perform the restoration.
• Contacting your insurance provider to avoid the heavy costs coming against your finances. 
• Preventing further damages by boarding up and tarping damaged windows and roofs.

During our restoration process, our SERVPRO team can assess the damage and use moisture detection tools to see how water traveled throughout the structure. We can use self-priming trash pumps to remove the standing water and mud or sand it brought with it. We classify self-priming trash pumps as full trash, semi-trash, or slurry, mainly based on the size of solids the pumps can pass. Slurry pumps can carry water containing mud or sand, semi-trash pumps can pass solids less than 5/8,” and trash pumps can pass solids up to 1¼″.

SERVPRO’s structural cavity drying equipment comes in handy in drying. It helps us blow in blasts of dry air into the affected area, accelerating the rate of evaporation. This, in turn, makes the drying process faster and more efficient.

Flood damage presents a potential for microbial contamination. Our SERVPRO team can use EPA-registered disinfectants to eliminate microbes on non-porous surfaces. We use methods and quantities that allow the solutions to contact all contaminated surfaces.

Speed and efficiency ensure that your house does not sustain more damage and you do not incur high restoration costs. For such a process, contact SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands, at (718) 381-3271. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Fire Restoration in Brooklyn is Better with SERVPRO’s Assistance

9/19/2022 (Permalink)

After the fire in Brooklyn, call SERVPRO for cleanup, restoration, build back--"Like it never even happened."

Expertise is Vital for Fire Restoration in Brooklyn Homes

Even a small fire can leave smoke, water, and other types of damage, making it seem impossible to return to your residence. SERVPRO is a reputable fire restoration firm and is always ready to assist homeowners in restoring their homes to preloss conditions.

We are a true project partner regarding fire restoration in Brooklyn homes. Our team can constantly communicate with you so that you remain updated on progress. We can assist you every step of the way with services like:

• Thorough inspection
• Debris removal
• Water mitigation
• Cleanup
• Deodorization
• Reconstruction

Thorough inspection

The smoke, soot, and water damage linked to a fire can be pervasive. Our SERVPRO crew can evaluate the contents to decide what to discard or restore.

Debris removal

We can collect and discard the debris around your home’s perimeter.

Water mitigation

It’s a relief when firefighters extinguish a fire by pouring water on the flames. However, this results in water damage. Our SERVPRO team can handle water damage by using extractors to remove standing water. We can dry your home thoroughly using air movers and dehumidifiers.

Cleanup

Cleaning the affected homes is the most intensive part of the fire restoration job. It involves manual labor to eliminate soot and smoke from ceilings, walls, personal items, and furniture. Soot is harder to remove when it remains long in a property. Our team can remove the soot efficiently using heavy-duty vacuums.

Deodorization

Getting rid of smoke odors from furniture, fabrics, carpets, and personal belongings is challenging. We can use odor counteracting beads to eliminate lingering smoke smells. These products are made of a specially treated porous material permeated with solvent-based counteractants. When we open the package of beads, the volatile odor counteractants are released and migrate on air currents. Odor counteracting beads give off appealing fragrances to freshen up the areas we are treating.

Reconstruction

Our SERVPRO technicians can rebuild the affected areas to return your home to its preloss condition. This can include replacing roofing materials, replacing and painting drywall, replacing internal counters, and replacing flooring materials.

You can count on SERVPRO of Mill Basin, Flatlands, for affordable and effective commercial water mitigation services. Call us at (718) 381-3271 to make the damage seem “Like it never even happened.”