The Most Common Places for Fire Damage to Occur in Your Home

12/10/2024 (Permalink)

Fire hazard in the kitchen

Fire damage can cause serious problems for a home. Fires can quickly destroy the structural integrity of a building, which is why it is vital to have a fire damage repair and restoration team like SERVPRO® come through after a fire in your property. They can remove the damaged material and ensure that your property is structurally sound. It is important to understand where fires often originate to help prevent fires. For homeowners, a few rooms are often the source of fires that spread throughout the entire property. When your Levittown or Bethpage home or business experiences a fire or smoke damage, you need professional help quickly. SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage, is dedicated to responding immediately, which helps prevent secondary damage and reduce the restoration cost.

How Fires Can Start In Kitchens

Kitchens are one of the most common causes of house fires. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires. If you ever need to leave the kitchen for any reason while you are cooking, every appliance should be turned off while you are gone. You should never leave burners or ovens unattended and always turn things off when you are done cooking. Additionally, you need to be careful where you place things in your kitchens. Flammable items like dish rags and hot pads can catch fire if they are too close to burners or open flames. 

How Fires Start In Bedrooms

Bedrooms are another common room where fires can originate. The most common reason for fires in a bedroom is the electrical system combined with the bedding. Electric blankets, space heaters, and faulty wiring can all lead to a fire. The best way to prevent fires in the bedroom is to avoid overloading outlets, ensure that space heaters are three feet away from each other, and make sure any damaged cords or outlets are repaired and replaced promptly. 

How Fires Spread From Fireplaces

Another obvious origin point for fires is the fire palace. Like with the kitchen, a fire should never be left unattended. Moreover, if you have a fireplace, you must follow best practices. You should have a fireplace screen that prevents embers from escaping and keeps furniture and flammable materials away from the fireplace. Ensure your chimney is also cleaned before you use your fireplace in the winter. 

Fire Damage Cleanup in Levittown & Bethpage, NY

If you live in the Levittown and Bethpage area and need a team to help with fire damage cleanup, contact SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage. As experts in restoration and recovery, SERVPRO moves quickly to contain the affected area and prevent the spread of effects like soot, smoke odors, and carcinogens. Mitigation and restoration combine to make fire damage "Like it never even happened."

Creating a Fire Safety Plan for the Home & Office | SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage

6/16/2023 (Permalink)

Disasters can happen anywhere. SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage is here for your home or business 24/7.

There is no such thing as a good disaster, but when it comes to a fire emergency, your whole life can be turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Even small fires can leave your property with smoke, soot and odor damages in rooms that never saw a single flame.

Many fires are preventable, but even when they are not, with a well-rehearsed fire safety plan, you can protect your family or coworkers by getting everyone to safety.

Make sure your safety plan is thorough for both the home and the office so that you can rest a little easier knowing you have done everything to avoid a disaster.

Steps That Ease Cleaning of Levittown Homes after Fire Damage

12/20/2022 (Permalink)

Just call SERVPRO when you want your fire damaged Levittown home to appear "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Helps Levittown Homeowners Address Fire Damage

While you may expect difficulties when addressing fire damage, what you may have in mind may differ from the realities you face once the process starts. One aspect that can be surprisingly difficult is cleaning the spots soiled by fire at your Levittown home. Without the right strategies, you might not achieve your restoration goals.

Once your Levittown home sustains fire damage, restoring it to its preloss condition is an achievable goal. That means you must identify and take note of all soiling and deterioration that may have occurred before the fire. Such damage may be permanent, and thus you should not waste time or other resources attempting to fix it. Our SERVPRO technicians check for signs such as significant material wear from foot traffic or other daily activities. Corrosion can also cause long-term problems. Once the overall goal is established, the restoration can be broken down into distinct steps.

Unique Steps to Deal with Fire

• Locating smoke residues
• Identifying residue types
• Identifying surface types
• Selecting cleaning methods

Locating fire residues may sound like a counterproductive step since combustion produces soot and other readily visible deposits. However, since the smoke has unique movement patterns, residues travel further than the immediate surfaces. The convection currents that drive smoke produce unique outcomes since the hotter smoke is pushed towards colder areas of the room. Concealed spots such as cabinet spaces tend to collect more soot residues. Our SERVPRO technicians start locating residues by inspecting the area close to the source of the fire and then moving further away. Running a cleaning sponge along wall or ceiling surfaces helps establish where most residues accumulate.

Identifying Fire Residues

You may think of fire residue simply as soot or ash. That assumption is inaccurate and complicates cleaning processes since smoke residues can have different physical properties like being dry or wet and smeary. Residue variation is possible within the same loss environment of your house. That is why casual observation is not an ideal identification method.

Distinctive Smoke Residues

• Fuel oil residue
• Protein smoke
• Dry smoke residues
• Wet smoke residues 

Although the soils left by fires influence the cleaning process, the affected surfaces also have some impact. Soiling might be easy to clean, but if the surface is susceptible to damage during the cleaning process, there is no need to try. Our SERVPRO crews have specialized solutions for such challenges. For instance, residue accumulation on vulnerable ceiling materials such as acoustic tiles means wet cleaning would be detrimental. However, a proprietary method such as peroxide-active cleaning removes the soiling and saves the underlying material.

The choice of a cleaning method takes several considerations apart from the state of the soiled surface. The time it might take to complete the process and the finishing procedures necessary after cleaning are also compelling reasons to pick or avoid some methods. Pressure washing may seem like an obvious choice when cleaning fire residues from vast areas. However, when you consider the massive moisture introduced to the materials, it quickly becomes unideal unless in outdoor locations made from resilient materials. Agitating surfaces with compressed air removes the moisture problem, but the fine debris released into the air limits its usefulness. Our crews explore other options, including vacuuming surfaces and blast cleaning with soda or dry ice.

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage, is ready to accompany you throughout the recovery journey after fire damage. Call us at any time at (516) 261-9600. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Typical Damages to Contents After Levittown Fire Damage

12/19/2022 (Permalink)

The first step to resolving fire damage is calling your local trained professionals at SERVPRO.

Cleaning Fire Damage to Contents

The fast response of SERVPRO professionals after a fire can assuredly get mitigation started. We urgently begin emergency services to give your home and its contents the best chance at restoration over replacement. Some of the focuses of the initial efforts of responding technicians include:

• Air filtering
• Debris cleanup
• Surface cleaning
• Water extraction

Soot Soiling

Soot soils can be one of the most direct types of fire damage in Levittown homes, especially to the contents involved. Surface cleaning is a priority of responding SERVPRO professionals, including several products like solvents, detergents, and cleaners, to increase alkalinity. Alkaline cleaners can balance the pH of corrosive soot particles to make them easier to clean and less destructive to the surfaces where it lands. 

Removing Trapped Odors

The combustion process can generate strong smells that overwhelm affected areas of your house. Any contents in these portions of the property are likely to absorb these fire-loss odors if they are porous enough. Soft materials like clothing, furniture fabrics, and plushes can hold malodors long beyond the mitigation phase. On-site, we can use thermal fogging techniques and ozone to impact trapped smells directly.

Water Damage After a Fire 

Another aspect of fire loss incidents that can have a dire impact on the contents of your home is the water used to extinguish the flames. Firefighting efforts often use a substantial amount of water to overcome an active fire, which can overwhelm and damage impacted materials and contents of the residence. We must work on drying out affected fabrics and upholstery before greater damage results. 

Fire damage can rapidly spread and threaten your home, especially with the harm it can do to the contents of your residence. Protecting your personal belongings after a fire combines on-site and off-site cleaning and restoration by our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage professionals. When disasters strike, call us at (516) 261-9600. 

Fire Damage in Levittown Requires That You Contact Professional Restorers

8/19/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO fire damage restoration services are top-notch. We are here to help.

SERVPRO Can Restore Your Levittown House After Fire Damage

Fire causes damage in not just the consumption of a building structure and its components by the flames; it leaves behind a building covered in smoke and soot and a high probability of water damage from the fire suppression system or the firefighters. All these damages are hard to come out of, so you must contact professional restorers as soon as the firefighters extinguish the fire.

At SERVPRO, we are well equipped to handle fire damage in Levittown homes. We can help you restore your house in the shortest time possible and at reasonable costs. We can group the residues that the smoke leaves behind into four, all with different approaches to their cleaning technique:

• Dry smoke residues – The materials affected by this category of smoke are more restorable, which is why we use less aggressive cleaning measures.
• Wet smoke residues result from slow-burning fires, allowing them to penetrate even the smallest of crevices, and many of the items affected are not restorable.
• Protein smoke residues result from burning meat, poultry, or fish, making removing odors one of SERVPRO’s main tasks in these events.
• Fuel oil soot and smoke residues are usually removable if fresh but might strongly bind with the paint if they have been there for long.

Before removing the smoke residues, it is essential to capture them. Our SERVPRO technicians can use vacuums to capture the dry particles and dissolve those that are not loose in a cleaning product to dispose of them.

Since smoke and soot particles are mildly acidic, letting them stand for some time on your house causes rust to appear on metallic surfaces and items. To clean them off, SERVPRO uses its highly efficient rust remover, Rusticide, which is a solution of oxalic-phosphorous acid with a pH of 2. It can dissolve all the rust stains on linen, silk, cotton, carpeting, wool, or synthetic fibers.

To restore your home after fire damage, contact SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage, at (516) 261-9600 for a fast and efficient restoration process. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Crucial Stages for Successful Fire Restoration in Levittown Homes

7/24/2022 (Permalink)

Finding fire damage in your home can be overwhelming. For effective and quick remediation call SERVPRO. Our certified technicians are standing by.

SERVPRO Resources Hasten Fire Repairs in Levittown Homes

Whether fire affects one area or spreads all over a house, it leaves wide-ranging problems, including soiling and material deterioration. For any fire restoration to be successful, it is essential to have an action plan. Haphazard repair or attempting to tackle everything simultaneously may leave your Levittown home in worse shape.

Fire restoration for Levittown properties can be a short-term activity that takes a couple of days or a long-drawn process taking months. The destruction and the factors surrounding the incident influence the time it takes to complete repairs. For instance, fire source investigations can delay the start or require some areas to remain untouched. Saving time is one advantage a professional team like SERVPRO offers by following well-laid plans.

Main fire restoration steps

• Inspecting the loss 
• Establishing an action plan
• Restorative drying
• Cleaning

The restorer must establish the scope of the damage, including soot spread patterns, residue variation, and physical damage to materials. Our SERVPRO technicians run a brightly colored sponge on a surface to trace soot spread patterns. We also examine the condition of the collected soot to establish whether it is dry or wet.

Salvaging structural materials

Identifying salvageable and unsalvageable materials is crucial in the early stages because it is easier to establish the level of work needed. Unsalvageable materials must be torn from the structure and disposed of correctly. Rebuilding the demolished areas is also essential, which consumes time.

The evaluation may reveal significant moisture accumulation in the damaged areas due to fire suppression efforts. The wetness in materials makes cleaning, demolition, and other restorative steps challenging to execute. For instance, it is impossible to use fast dry-cleaning methods such as vacuuming to remove soot if the affected materials are wet. Our SERVPRO IICRC-certified technicians help perform restorative drying by setting up air movers or dehumidifiers even as we take other steps to clean the property.

Essential things to clean after a fire

• Fixtures like cabinets
• Walls
• Floors
• Belongings like furniture

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage helps manage any complexities of fire restoration, addressing any damage “Like it never even happened.” Call us at (516) 261-9600.

Rapid Fire Damage Response Generates the Best Results in Levittown

5/20/2022 (Permalink)

If you find yourself in need of assistance with fire damage remediation, call SERVPRO at (516) 261-9600

Levittown Residents Trust SERVPRO for Effective Fire Damage Restoration

The aftermath of a blaze can be a lot to take in, especially if you are unsure where to begin the entire house fire cleanup process. SERVPRO is available 24-hours a day to help Levittown residents pick up the pieces after a fire incident while also cutting back on the cost and overall loss. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster – covering every step of the restoration process so that your property gets back to pre-fire condition quicker than DIY.

When handling fire damage in Levittown, our focus is on crafting a solution to restore your property and all the characteristics that make it home. Fire damage chars and annihilates building materials and contents in its wake. Still, it also leaves behind pungent smoke and soot residues. Add the water from first responders putting out the flames, and you have quite a mess to address.

We Address Safety First With All Fire Damaged Homes

There could be any number of hazards present throughout the work zone on any fire-related project. We look at risks such as:

• Impending structural collapse
• Slip and fall hazards
• Electrical shock
• Toxic residues, airborne and surface-level

What Does Emergency Response Entail?

When you contact our SERVPRO customer care team, we mobilize a crew to be at your door in as little as 4 hours to start the assessment, followed by cleanup. Some of the steps you may see our team taking include:

• Extraction of all contaminated water
• Disposal of all charred debris according to local guidelines
• Work-zone containment to keep particles and soils from getting tracked into unaffected areas of your home
• Soot and soiling evaluation to select the best equipment and products for the job
• Contents cleaning and restoration
• Total reconstruction of all unsalvageable building materials using controlled demolition performed by trusted area contractors

Never wait to address fire damage on your property! Call SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage at (516) 261-9600, and we will send out our Green Fleet as soon as possible.

Why You Need an Expert to Perform Fire Restoration in Levittown

3/31/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage restoration services by SERVPRO are second to none. Call now, we will have your home back to preloss condition ASAP.

Expert Fire Restoration from a Firm Like SERVPRO Ensures Effectiveness

I have fire damage in my home, and it is problematic to clean up the mess myself. How do I deal with the damage to avoid injuries and health hazards?

You need to call a company like SERVPRO to perform fire restoration in your Levittown residence. Soot forms after a fire, and it is necessary to deep clean all surfaces and removes residual odors. We offer innovative solutions for fire-damaged properties, which include taking the following steps:

• Assessment
• Board up and tarping if necessary
• Water removal and drying
• Clean up
• Odor removal

Assessment

Our SERVPRO fire and smoke damage restoration technicians (FSRT) assess the severity of fire damage in a property. This involves examining the extent of the charring, soot, and water damage. This enables us to come up with a plan of action.

Board Up and Tarping

When we start the fire restoration process, our priority is to prevent the destruction from worsening. If a hole is burned in the roof or wall, our SERVPRO technicians can address that by boarding up or tarping your property.

Water Removal and Drying

A fire can ruin plastic pipes or water tanks. The firefighters may have also used water to extinguish the flames. Our restorers can remove the water using extraction equipment and dry the damp surfaces using air moving and dehumidifying equipment.

Cleanup

Our SERVPRO team can clean away the smoke residues from surfaces using dry cleaning sponges. These are rubber sponges that do not contain chemical products for cleaning purposes. Instead, the sponges clean surfaces through absorption and friction. As restorers press, rub and pull the sponge across a soiled surface, the porous dry cleaning sponge absorbs soils from the surface.

Odor Removal

We can use concentrated water-based deodorizers to remove smoke odors and other smells. They mix instantly with water in various dilution ratios and applications. They work at different temperatures and pH extremes to neutralize many malodors, replacing them with a pleasant scent.

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage offers effective fire and smoke damage restoration services. Call us any time at (516) 261-9600.

Why Is Fire and Smoke Cleanup Essential in Bethpage Properties?

2/7/2022 (Permalink)

Small fires cause smoke and soot to travel throughout the home. Don't DIY! Call SERVPRO!

SERVPRO Ensures Cleanup in Bethpage Homes Takes Care of All Soiling from a Fire

Soot and other fire residues cause significant property damage. Fire and smoke cleanup helps address many problems, especially if the incident was minor, so there is minimal destruction of structural materials. Seeking professional assistance improves the outcomes by addressing several issues simultaneously.

Foul odors are a common problem that fire and smoke cleanup at your Bethpage property should help address. Typically, odors are dealt with after the rest of the cleanup processes are complete. Professional restoration by SERVPRO can help tackle odors while doing other cleaning processes. We use activated oxygen for such purposes by setting up a hydroxyl generator within the affected property.

The Main Advantages of Using Hydroxyls Include:

• Safe usage when materials are still wet
• No adverse effects against sensitive materials like rubber, leather, or vinyl
• Highly effective against any odor

Soot spreads widely throughout a property following smoke movements. Locating and removing all soot traces is essential when cleaning up for several reasons. First, the cleaned areas need to look clean and smell fresh for the cleaning process to be deemed successful. Leaving soot traces jeopardizes both aspects. Soot has corrosive properties, and if left in place, it can lead to corrosion or deep staining of materials. Metallic finishes such as chrome are highly vulnerable to extensive exposure to soot.

Various Approaches Help Remove Soot from Properties, Including:

• Vacuuming
• Wiping with chemical sponges
• Dissolving with detergents

The chosen soot removal approach depends on the type of material affected, the finish, and the layout. Vacuuming is crucial on unfinished surfaces where other methods such as dissolving or wiping would force the residues deeper into the material.

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage manages fire and smoke cleanup to address immediate and long-term problems at your property. Call us at (516) 261-9600 to resolve any fire incident, “Like it never even happened.”

Content Cleaning for Levittown Homes After a Fire

1/4/2022 (Permalink)

When a house fire damages your Levittown home--call SERVPRO for comprehensive cleanup and restoration, "Like it never even happened."

We work to overcome fire damage to items in Levittown homes after a disaster.

Because there are hundreds of causes for fires in homes and businesses, post-fire recovery and cleanup is a common callout for our SERVPRO professionals. As leading restoration specialists, we can work fast to create a safe, stable environment for efficient and cost-effective mitigation. Our professionals show that We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster with our 24/7 availability.

On-Site Content Management and Cleaning

Because fire damage in Levittown homes can spread quickly, many of your personal belongings, furniture, and keepsakes are caught in the blaze. Once extinguishment completes, we use our inspection time to evaluate the needed restoration steps and determine the condition of these contents. Some affected items can be cleaned on-site with wet cleaning products and relocation strategies, but this is not always the case.

Off-Site Advanced Recovery

In some situations, greater cleaning and restoration practices are necessary. At our nearby SERVPRO facility, we have advanced recovery equipment for cleaning soot from hard surfaces, gently washing sensitive materials of smoke damage, and deodorizing many items simultaneously. These tools include:

• Ultrasonic Submersion Tank
• ESPORTA Wash System
• Deodorization Chamber

Move-Back Process

After extensive and intricate cleaning takes place at our SERVPRO facility and the work is nearing completion at the job site, we can begin the process of returning relocated belongings to their original locations. Before loading back up on trucks to return to a house, our cleaning technicians separate the items into groups based on their room destination and carefully evaluate the contents one last time before bringing them home. 

Cleaning your personal belongings and contents caught in a structure fire can be a substantial step to returning a property to preloss condition. Our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage team can work fast to secure what matters most after a disaster. Call today at (516) 261-9600.