Why Fire Damage Restoration Challenges Teaneck Homeowners

3/29/2023 (Permalink)

Don’t let your property be a victim of fire damage, SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood is only a call away.

SERVPRO Resources Ease Fire Restoration in Teaneck          

Fire threatens structures when burning and even after extinguishing them. That makes it critical to start fire restoration in good time and do it to completion. You need the right resources to restore your Teaneck property to its pre-damaged state. 

Before you attempt fire damage restoration at your Teaneck property, you need to understand what the broad term refers to so that you can plan the process appropriately. Restoration after fire incidents involves removing deteriorated materials, repairing salvageable areas, and cleaning residues like soot ash.

Crucial things to know about the fire restoration process:

• It is likely to take longer than you expect
• It can involve additional procedures that you may not associate with fire
• It requires proper documentation

Many fires in homes are controlled before they consume the entire structure. Therefore, you might expect a quick restoration process allowing you to resume the ordinary life you enjoy before the fire. However, the process may take weeks or months because of the broadness of actions required to fix the damages. At the onset, protecting the structure or contents is essential. Tearing down materials, capturing soils, and drying any moisture accumulating in materials is also time-consuming. More time goes towards finishing processes such as deodorization and refinishing surfaces. SERVPRO crews help plan and execute these procedures.

Resources needed to complete fire restoration:

• Hand and power tools to help teardown materials safely
• Agitation tools to help dislodge soils from surfaces
• Different chemical agents that break down soils and odors
• Moisture management equipment

For a process involving several steps, it is possible to overlook some things when undocumented. Our SERVPRO crews start by evaluating the damage thoroughly and recording the problem's extent. We can assign the right technical skills, equipment, and other resources from the information obtained.

How Ample Resources Expedite Restoration

Resources can shorten the time it takes to complete a task or eliminate some of them. For example, when our SERVPRO crews use ultrasonic cleaners to clean your kitchen items or chandeliers, it takes a short time to clear soot residues leaving them spotless. Also, soda blasting unfinished surfaces removes embedded soot and odors.

SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood helps streamline fire damage restoration, reducing your worries and costs. Call us at (201) 266-0482.

Dehumidification for Teaneck Properties Affected by Mold Damage

2/27/2023 (Permalink)

Sometimes mold is not visible to the eye but you can smell the musty odor. Contact our team in Teaneck to investigate the situation and find the mold.

How SERVPRO Dehumidifies Teaneck Homes during Mold Remediation

Mold primarily develops because there is moisture in abundance around organic materials. A combination of other factors, including minimal natural light and favorable temperature, worsen the proliferation and mold damage levels. A dehumidifier helps limit the level of moisture in the air and thus can be used as one of the steps to control mold in your Teaneck home. 

Dehumidification is a potent tool, but it is rarely used alone when Teaneck properties have mold damage, primarily because it cannot remove the colonies already developing on surfaces. Dehumidification is also likely to control moisture in a building only temporarily. SERVPRO has certified Antimicrobial Remediation Technicians who perform dehumidification correctly and combine it with other remediation procedures to contain microbial growth. 

Actions necessary when dehumidifying moldy areas: 

• Managing the airflow levels
• Drying affected materials thoroughly
• Timely action

Dehumidifiers draw in humid air, cool it down, leading to condensation, which extracts the water vapor it holds. The drier air is exhausted back into the room. Therefore, even when no separate air movers are used, the dehumidifiers influence airflow, spreading moldy residues around the property. Our SERVPRO teams use dehumidifiers with low airflow to limit the disturbance levels. 

Dehumidification works against mold by making external conditions less favorable to the colonies. Therefore ensuring the dehumidification process minimizes moisture to the lowest levels is essential. We can dry materials sufficiently when our technicians use specialized dehumidifiers like Low Grain Refrigerants (LGR) or Desiccant units. We also use units with a higher Pints per Day, PPD, rating for faster completion of the restoration.

Other Solutions to Combine with Dehumidification

As dehumidification lowers humidity inside your home, other processes can help manage different aspects of mold contamination. Running an air filtration device is one such intervention. It helps remove spores and moldy debris from the air, limiting new growth chances since the particulate matter extracted from the air cannot settle on surfaces. The best air filtration devices are layered with filters, including HEPA filters which capture up to 99.97% of particles in the air.

Applying chemicals to moldy surfaces is also essential in killing spores or inhibiting microbial growth processes. Our IICRC Certified SERVPRO technicians use the chemical agents after thoroughly cleaning the areas. Ensuring direct contact with surfaces is also essential to guarantee effectiveness. 

Chemicals that help in mold remediation:

• Biocides
• Sporicides
• Fungistats 

Dehumidification is only effective if it reaches all the affected areas in your house. Physical barriers that limit air movement, such as wall panels, can hamper the effectiveness of dehumidifiers. Our SERVPRO technicians resolve this through engineering controls. We can demolish some areas to open them up for uninhibited airflow. We can also set up containment barriers to limit air movements within a targeted section of your property. 

Demolition is also necessary to remove heavily contaminated porous materials since they might be structurally compromised. The deeply embedded hyphae are challenging to clean. Our experienced crews use a controlled approach when cutting or breaking down materials to limit the spread of moldy residues in the air. Controlled demolition requires using precision cutting tools and evaluating the affected areas to establish mold spread patterns and the location of vital installations such as air ducts and power cables. That way, only the necessary materials are removed. 

SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood performs simple procedures like dehumidification or complex remediation to combat mold damage in your property "Like it never even happened." Call us at (201) 266-0482.

Drying Crawl Spaces in Teaneck Homes to Counter Water Damage

2/27/2023 (Permalink)

Call the experts at SERVPRO when your Teaneck property experiences water damage.

How Does SERVPRO Address Concealed Areas in Teaneck During Water Restoration?

When water leaks in your Teaneck home, the wetness can reach many problematic areas, including crawlspaces. Leaks can also originate from these areas when a pipe bursts or a joint gives way. Crawl spaces vary, but in general, it is a hollow area under the home floor with a limited height. Whatever the space type or moisture situation, you need a sound plan to dry the affected hidden areas. Some viable moisture management solutions are circulating sufficient volumes of dry air in the concealed area or removing wet materials.

Several problems can develop in your Teaneck home when water damage affects a crawl space. The most common issues include mold growth, bad smell, rot, and pest infestations. Crawl spaces typically get minimal attention, thus allowing the buildup of debris, dirt, and minor structural issues like cracks to develop unnoticed. Also, the internal surfaces in these areas are usually unfinished. Combining these issues complicates moisture management since they necessitate additional actions apart from drying procedures. Our SERVPRO technicians anticipate these complexities when coming to your home, thus preparing in advance on how to handle them.

Other confined areas in a home:

• Attics
• Wall cavities
• Cabinet interiors
• Subfloors

The first step when managing water damage in confined spaces is creating access to facilitate water extraction, cleaning, and drying. Removal of significantly deteriorated materials, especially with mold, is also essential. We can make entry through controlled demolition or by using specialized equipment. SERVPRO offers a significant advantage since our crews are conversant with building procedures, and we bring various handy devices, including prying tools, cutting equipment, and hammers. 

Handling Moisture Issues in Concealed Areas

Extracting any standing water is a priority step in managing water damage. A wet vac or a portable extractor with extended hoses are effective tools for handling the extraction. Cleaning the soils deposited by the intruding water or accumulated in the area over time is also essential since it helps combat mold, bad smells, and other issues related to soiling. Our IICRC Certified SERVPRO technicians can conveniently complete cleaning with multipurpose extractors that combine vacuuming and heating capabilities.

Implementing drying procedures helps remove the moisture absorbed by structural materials and the ground area on the crawl space. The main focus should be on:

• Insulation on the subfloors above the space
• Structural wood framing 
• Concrete on the floor area

The materials, especially wood and concrete, might exhibit a gradient of moisture whereby the core of the material is wetter than the surface. Drying requires surface evaporation and internal moisture movement. Otherwise, you might think the area is dried because the surfaces look dry, only for problems to develop later. Our SERVPRO technicians facilitate uniform dying by supplying heat and sufficient air currents to promote faster drying. Heating surfaces boost vapor transfer in the material while heating the air improves its ability to hold more water, thus sustaining evaporation from the wet materials. We use air movers and space heaters to enhance drying.

While fixing water damage in a crawl space, it can trigger other unrelated problems. In most cases, utility connections such as gas pipes, electrical wiring, and waste disposal systems pass through these areas. Puncturing or severing any of these connections can lead to unnecessary disruption or personal injuries. Our SERVPRO technicians follow an established safety guideline to limit the chances of such issues developing. 

SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood can help you deal with water damage in any section of your home "Like it never even happened." You can reach us at (201) 266-0482.

The Story Soot in Your Teaneck Home Tells About Fire Damage

2/27/2023 (Permalink)

Soot damage can be overwhelming. Contact SERVPRO to remediate the damage that smoke and fire has been left behind in your Teaneck home.

What SERVPRO Focuses on in Your Teaneck Home During Fire Restoration?

After a fire at your Teaneck home, soot accumulation is expected. However, you may not clearly understand variations like the amount of residue produced or spread patterns mean. Soot tells a story after the fire, including how intense it was and the types of materials burnt. A professional restoration team can rely on their superior understanding of soot residues to manage fire damage better or establish the resources needed for restoration.

In your Teaneck home, fire damage can be localized in situations like a trashcan catching fire or a stove flaring up. It can also spread widely when various items or structural materials ignite. The number of items or materials left unsalvageable may be minimal with a localized fire since flames and heat are contained. However, soot deposits still spread widely, whether the incident is localized or otherwise. When our SERVPRO technicians inspect your house, we can quickly identify what items are salvageable or not.

Typically, items are rendered unsalvageable when heat or flames damage them significantly. Intense heat and flames can melt parts or consume entire materials. Therefore, household appliances, furniture, and other items are among those you may need to replace. Soot residues may seem less harmful but can still force you to replace items. Accumulation on surfaces causes heavy soiling and staining, while penetration inside appliances can cause varied yet severe problems, including electrical shorts and overheating components, which render the item unusable. Therefore, having a better understanding of the fire residues left in your house can help you change the outcome of the incident.

Some Things You Might Not Know About Fire Residues:

• Soot amount might not indicate fire size
• Fire residues are not as uniform as they seem
• Low or high heat levels can lead to cleaning difficulty 

Although soot is one of the expected results of a house fire, what you find after an incident might seem unusual. You may expect a low amount of residues if it is a small fire and vice versa. However, on inspecting the damaged site, the results might prove otherwise. A seasoned restoration team from SERVPRO expects such contradictions since our technicians study combustion processes to understand restoration procedures better. 

The Combustion Story

Combustion is a chemical process that turns solid materials into gas. The reaction is fueled by oxygen and gives off significant heat. Incomplete combustion leaves remnant materials, including the carbon particles you identify as soot and aerosols. The quantity or speed at which residues are produced varies, resulting in distinctive solid deposits.

Typical unique outcomes: 

• Heat lines
• Concealed soot
• Impinged soot

Heat lines are distinctive boundaries that appear horizontally on wall surfaces with one side, usually, the upper one having a significant accumulation of soot residues compared to the lower one. They occur because of temperature differences between air masses during the fire. The hotter smoke concentrates closer to the ceiling while the colder air sinks to the bottom, causing the unusual residue accumulation on the surfaces they touch. When our SERVPRO technicians observe heat lines, we know that the fire was scorching hot, and cleaning residues above the heat line would be difficult because aerosols and residues might be baked-on. 

SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood understands that each fire damage incident has a unique storyline and strives to find solutions that address each "Like it never even happened." You can reach us at (201) 266-0482.

SERVPRO Offers Expert Stormwater Damage Repair in Teaneck

2/26/2023 (Permalink)

Storm damage can be stressful to repair, leave it up to the professionals. SERVPRO has certified technicians available 24/7. Call now.

Storm Damage Repair in Teaneck Homes Calls for Skill

It is no easy feat to restore a home after stormwater damage. After it happens, you need a reliable and trusted expert team to repair your property. Professional restorers can offer guidance to help you make the right decision through a difficult time.

SERVPRO is a Teaneck stormwater damage repair firm that deploys field teams when hailstorms, hurricanes, and high winds impact communities. We can act quickly to remove the standing water, prevent bacterial and mold growth, and identify sources of potential future destruction. The process we can follow to restore your home to a preloss state includes the following:

• Inspection
• Debris removal
• Water extraction and drying 
• Cleaning 
• Exterior and siding repair 

Inspection 

Our SERVPRO team can visually assess the extent of the stormwater damage and use moisture detection tools like infrared cameras to inspect and monitor the moisture in building materials. We can then create a plan to handle the damage.

Debris removal

Safety protocols dictate that restoration cannot proceed until restorers remove all debris from the site. Our technicians can remove the drywall, wood, carpeting, and other items that sustained damage to give way for the restoration process.

Water extraction and drying 

Rain can drench everything inside the home if a storm damages a roof. Items like rugs, drywall, ceiling materials, and flooring get soaked. Our SERVPRO crew can use powerful pumps to extract the water and dry the affected areas using air movers and dehumidifiers.

Cleaning

We can clean the impacted areas and prevent the damage from worsening.

Exterior and siding repair 

SERVPRO possesses expertise in restoring storm-damaged buildings. Siding usually requires storm damage repair or replacement after high winds lift debris and fling them to a building. Hailstorms may also pummel siding and leave boards chipped, splintered, and cracked. Loose siding can invite water damage and wood-boring insects. We can perform repairs to prevent this. 

When you need water damage repair services, look no further than the skilled team at SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood to make it “Like it never even happened.” Contact us now at (201) 266-0482.

Get Professional Commercial Water Damage Restoration Services in Teaneck

1/24/2023 (Permalink)

Disaster may strike at any time in Teaneck. Call SERVPRO for the water damage restoration services needed for your property.

Commercial Water Damage Restoration in Teaneck Requires SERVPRO’s Aid

There are several ways in which water damage might affect your business, and the main one is closing it down. If you do not take immediate action, long-term ages are sure to manifest when the cost of restoration increases. Every day that your business spends locked down, you lose revenue.

Since you can’t run your business while it’s underwater, you need a team of professionals who can remove the standing water, repair the source of the water intrusion, and prevent mold growth, which is what SERVPRO provides for businesses. We are a premier provider of commercial water damage restoration in Teaneck. We are a nationwide company with over 50 years of experience in the restoration sector and the ability to handle water damage, independent of size. Our well-trained and equipped team is just a call away.

At SERVPRO, we emphasize fast responses to avert a disaster before it leads to severe losses. Insurance companies pay more easily when restorers complete the job on time. It is the property owner’s responsibility to act in case of an emergency. Our process aims to ensure you experience no drag before and during restoration. When restoration does not start promptly, secondary damages occur, including:

• Colonization by mold spores
• Buckling of hardwood floors
• Cracking and sagging of sheetrock and plaster, and
• Loosening of the vinyl on the floor

Moisture meters come in handy in helping our team ensure that the affected contents and materials have attained the proper moisture levels after the drying process. SERVPRO has a wide variety of these, as necessities dictate; some are made for specific materials, while others can be adjusted between the materials. We have penetrating moisture meters based on the electrical conductivity principle by penetrating the materials restorers are testing. 

When working on materials that can sustain damage because of penetration, our SERVPRO technicians use non-penetrating moisture meters, which detect moisture using capacitance, conductivity, or radio frequency emissions.

To avoid watching helplessly as your Teaneck business succumbs to water damage, contact SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood at (201) 266-0482. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Why SERVPRO Uses Negative Pressure for Mold Removal in Teaneck

1/1/2023 (Permalink)

Often mold damage remediation requires the help of certified technicians which have access to effective tools. Contact our team 24/7 to discuss.

Mold Removal Work Can Become very Dusty and Smelly

Handling mold safely requires special skills and specific tools. While SERVPRO performs mold removal tasks for our Teaneck customers, we employ equipment designed to help us keep these micro-organisms contained and under control.

Because mold attaches itself to the surfaces on which it grows, the dust created during mold removal in your Teaneck residence can contain more than just mold spores and particulate matter. We use different equipment to protect ourselves (eyes, nose, and lungs). The debris can also contain fibers from the affected surface, loosened by the debridement process or the dry ice blasting.

In addition to the personal protection equipment (PPE) that our technicians use and wear, here are some of the other measures we take to keep your property protected:

• HEPA filtration systems on much of our equipment,
• Wet spraying before removal of mold, and
• Enclosures with negative pressure.

Our air scrubbers and vacuum cleaners both use filters. We choose to use HEPA-grade filters. When these are disposables, we change the filter often to obtain the best results. However, whenever non-disposable filters are available, we prefer these. We store extras, so we only need to switch a dirty filter for a clean one. Like towels, we clean up used equipment after we return to our facility.

Spraying mold with an antimicrobial decreases its ability to release spores. It also lessens the dustiness of mold particles as we remove them from surfaces. While dampening mold like this can leave the area moist, we wipe all residues away, making it all just "Like it never even happened."

Temporary 'rooms' that we build from clear plastic sheeting and non-marking tape are easily set up and attached to air scrubbers. Keeping the air currents moving into the area where we are performing mold removal, pulling air from other sections of the home, and any newly 'scrubbed' air going outside, keeps debris of all sizes where we want it. Isolation rooms, found in hospitals, use negative pressure set-ups.

SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood is always here to help your family keep your home free of excessive mold. Call us at (201) 266-0482 for professional mold removal and remediation services.

Teaneck Homes Require Fast Water Restoration for Carpeting

11/21/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can mitigate the water damage to your Teaneck home's carpeting and also clean them "Like it never even happened."

Carpet Water Restoration Must Happen Quickly

Many areas of your home or business might suffer the effects of migrating water after a disaster. Few are as sensitive to absorption and mold growth as carpeting, so this must be a mitigation and restoration objective for responding technicians when we arrive.

Extracting Water from a Carpet

Water restoration in Teaneck homes often begins with the saturation and the standing water surrounding the carpeted floors. SERVPRO can only do something to preserve flooring by first addressing pooling on the surface. Water cleanup gets achieved by combining extraction devices from our inventory, beginning with submersible pumps and wet vacuums. Still, it also requires more specialized units like roving weighted extractors or carpet wands in later stages.

Effective Drying with Floating

Floating is one of the standard practices to restore installed carpet materials when recovery professionals determine they can be salvaged. The objective is to remove carpeting on one side from the tacking strip and choose a couple of points on the opposite wall to pull up for relief to prevent carpet stretching. Centrifugal air movers are placed between the carpet and padding layer to dry both of these materials simultaneously; the infusion of this air causes the upper carpet layer to float.

The Equipment for Carpet Cleaning

Cleaning the carpet is only necessary when SERVPRO can sufficiently dry these elements without growing microbial colonies and spreading mold organisms. Prolonged moisture exposure can often lead to mold and mildew, so this must be carefully calculated before time is wasted cleaning the carpet. If it is possible to preserve this installed element, there are multiple premier machines and devices from our inventory capable of helping:

• Bonnet Cleaning
• Hot Water Extraction
• Deluxe Conditioning

A significant obstacle to water restoration for Teaneck homes and businesses is cleaning up damage to the carpeting. With several tools and strategies to help, you can count on SERVPRO of Teaneck/Englewood. Call us at (201) 266-0482.

Selecting A Qualified Fire Damage Restoration Company In Bergen County

9/26/2022 (Permalink)

Don’t let your property be a victim of fire damage, SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood is only a call away.

Fire Damage Restoration

A home is a prized possession and a big investment for anyone. For most, it is a place for family and fond memories that last a lifetime. Quick decisions make all the difference when you fall victim to fire damage.

When hiring a fire damage restoration team for your Bergen County home, you expect to gain access to certified professionals, industrial-grade equipment, and technicians with years of experience. Sadly, it might not always be the case. Many try to do it their way, pass on certifications and avoid following rules that give those that want to do things right a bad name. To help customers just like you choose a qualified restoration company, here are a few helpful tips.

It never hurts to ask your insurance agency for a referral. If they have had success using a specific company, they will likely work out for you as well. Always make it a point to discuss services offered, certifications, and guidelines followed with each company you contact. You want someone who manages your entire restoration from beginning to end, like SERVPRO.

When discussing your problem with any restoration company, it is essential for them to speak plainly and explain their services in detail. If the company cannot point out why a specific service is necessary, they are not the company for you. You also want access to someone that has operated within the industry for several years; companies like SERVPRO provide far better restoration services than smaller companies in business for less than a year.

The best way to determine the amount of expertise of the company you consider using involves checking how many services they offer. Fire damage to your property involves fire, water, and smoke restoration, extraction, cleaning, deodorization, and repair services. They should offer 24-hour emergency services and make themselves available when you need them, just like SERVPRO.

When facing emergencies in your home, contact SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood first. We provide the services you need for a stress-free restoration process (201) 266-0482.

SERVPRO Takes the Headache Out of Paperwork After Water Damage to Your Englewood Laundromat

8/23/2022 (Permalink)

There is never a good time to have your business closed and not receive revenue. Call SERVPRO after water damage and we will respond quickly.

Quick Action By Our Certified Technicians Will Have Your Water Damaged Business Back Open in Record Time

A laundromat is, by nature, a business that deals with water and suds. Having several washers in one place means that any laundry business is at risk of a leak from a damaged appliance. Even if you keep your washers in good condition, it only takes one fault to cause a flood on your premises.

SERVPRO understands that closing your business doors is not a viable option. You want to get up and running again as soon as you can. That is why we take commercial water damage in Englewood businesses seriously and always respond promptly – We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. We attend your premises as quickly as we can and immediately start formulating a plan of action to get your doors open again.

One of the most frustrating parts of flood damage is the paperwork. You need to deal with your insurance company and adjusters, and that takes up valuable time that you would rather spend getting your business back on its feet. It is a necessary evil.

We will take some of the stress out of post-water damage paperwork. Our industry software is compatible with a broad range of commercial enterprises. What does that mean for your business? It means that we can generate the appropriate forms for your company and make it easier to get information to your insurance adjuster. Our experts can also liaise with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure they have all the paperwork and details they need to get started on your claim.

Of course, once the paperwork is with the adjuster, it is up to them to do their job while we focus on it. We equip our IICRC-certified technicians with the skills and tools necessary to dry your laundromat. We have free-standing and truck-mounted pumps on hand to get as much water as possible from your premises before drying begins.

When it is time to dry your property, we conduct a thorough assessment that tells us the extent of the damage to the building and its contents. Then we set to work positioning air movers, dehumidifiers, and fans in the perfect configuration for your unique situation. We monitor drying at every stage to ensure we reach our drying goal and your business is left dry and ready to open to the public.

Do not let leaking appliances damage your profits. Call SERVPRO of Teaneck / Englewood at (201) 266-0482 for help.