Does Your San Diego County Home Have A Mold Problem?

9/27/2024 (Permalink)

Microscopic mold spores naturally occur almost everywhere, both outdoors and indoors. This makes it impossible to remove all mold from a home or business. Therefore, mold remediation reduces the mold spore count back to its natural or baseline level. Some restoration businesses advertise “mold removal” and even guarantee to remove all mold, which is a fallacy. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic and float along in the air and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems, or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce health effects.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise, the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor and can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent.

If your home or business has a mold problem, we can inspect and assess your property and use our specialized training, equipment, and expertise to remediate your mold infestation.

If You See Signs of Mold, Call Us Today – (760)789-1086

Ramona & Poway 24 Hour Emergency Water Damage Service

9/26/2024 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of East Poway / Ramona is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

We Answer the Phone Ready 24/7 to Help

Call Today - (760) 789-1086

We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO of East Poway / Ramona  has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect

When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO® professionals may be needed.

Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:

• Your name and contact information
• Your insurance information (if applicable)
• The street address of the water-damaged home or business
• When did the flooding or water damage occur?
• What caused the water damage (if known)?
• Is there electricity available (on-site)?

About SERVPRO of East Poway / Ramona 

SERVPRO of East Poway / Ramona specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

How to Prepare for a Fire: Essential Tips for Homeowners and Renters

9/25/2024 (Permalink)

When a fire strikes, every second counts. Being prepared can save your life, protect your belongings, and minimize the damage to your home. Whether you rent or own, creating a fire safety plan is essential. In this guide, we’ll cover four key steps you can take to ensure you’re ready in the event of a fire: assembling a fire safety kit, creating an emergency plan, digitally safeguarding your belongings, and having essential mementos ready to go.

Assembling a Fire Safety Kit

A well-prepared fire safety kit is your first line of defense in an emergency. Here’s what to include:

• Fire Extinguisher: Make sure it’s rated for Class A, B, and C fires (which cover common combustibles, flammable liquids, and electrical fires).
• Smoke Alarms and Batteries: Test your smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries twice a year.
• First Aid Kit: Include bandages, antiseptic wipes, and burn ointments.
• Flashlight and Extra Batteries: Power outages during a fire are common, so keep flashlights on hand.
• Fire Blanket: This can help smother small fires or cover yourself during an escape.
• Emergency Whistle: Useful for signaling others if you're trapped or in need of help.

Creating an Emergency Fire Plan

Planning ahead ensures that everyone in your household knows what to do if a fire occurs.

• Identify Escape Routes: Walk through your home and locate the nearest exits from every room.
• Establish a Meeting Point: Choose a spot outside, a safe distance from the house, where everyone will gather after escaping.
• Practice Drills: Run fire drills twice a year to ensure everyone understands the plan.
• Communicate the Plan: If you’re a renter, make sure your landlord or property manager knows your fire plan, especially if you live in a multi-unit building.
• Know Your Neighbors: In apartments or condos, neighbors may need to work together to alert each other or assist the elderly and those with disabilities.

Storing Digital Records of Personal Property in the Cloud

In the aftermath of a fire, insurance claims often require proof of personal belongings. Having videos and photos of your property saved in the cloud will make this process much smoother.

• Take Videos and Photos: Record each room and photograph high-value items like electronics, jewelry, and furniture.
• Store in the Cloud: Use services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud to back up these images. Ensure they’re accessible from any device in case yours is damaged.
• Update Regularly: Whenever you acquire new valuables, update your cloud records. This helps when filing insurance claims for fire damage.

Having Mementos Ready to Go

While most things are replaceable, sentimental items hold a unique value. Preparing to grab these quickly ensures you don’t lose what matters most.

• Create a Go-Bag: Include key documents (like passports and insurance papers), photos, and small mementos.
• Keep Essentials Nearby: Store your go-bag in an easy-to-access location, like near your main exit.
• Digital Backup for Sentimental Items: Scan old photos, important documents, or letters, and save them digitally in the cloud as well.

Preparing for a fire involves more than just hoping it doesn’t happen. By assembling a fire safety kit, creating an emergency plan, and safeguarding your valuables, you can ensure you’re ready to act swiftly and protect what’s most important. Start today by taking these practical steps toward fire safety, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re prepared for the unexpected.

Understanding Mold

1/14/2022 (Permalink)

In as little as 48 hours, mold can quickly become a problem in your home or business when there's a water intrusion, like a roof leak or leaking water line. Mold can cause significant damage to your property. SERVPRO Franchise Professionals have the training, protective gear, and specialized equipment necessary to handle your mold problem. 

Mold Prevention Tips

• Fix leaky plumbing and leaks in the building envelope as soon as possible.
• Watch for condensation and wet spots. Fix sources of moisture problems as soon as possible.
• Prevent moisture due to condensation by increasing surface temperature or reducing the moisture level in the air. To increase surface temperature, insulate or increase air circulation. To reduce the moisture level in the air, repair leaks, increase ventilation (if outside air is cold and dry), or dehumidify (if outdoor air is warm and humid).
• Keep heating, ventilation, and air condition drip pans clean, flowing properly, and unobstructed.
• Vent moisture-generating appliances, such as washing machines or showers to the outside where possible.
• Maintain low indoor humidity, below 60% relative humidity (RH), ideally 30-50%, if possible, by providing adequate ventilation.
• Perform regular building/HVAC inspections and maintenance as scheduled.
• Clean and dry wet or damp spots within 48 hours.
• Don’t let foundations stay wet. Provide drainage and slope the ground away from the foundation.
• Use exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning in food service areas.
• Inspect the building for signs of mold, moisture, leaks or spills:
  • Check for moldy odors.
  • Look for water stains or discoloration on the ceiling, walls, floors and windowsills.
  • Look around and under sinks for standing water, water stains or mold.
  • Inspect bathrooms for standing water, water stains or mold.
  • Do not let water stand in air conditioning or refrigerator drip pans.
• Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely.
• Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles, that are moldy, may need to be replaced.
• Check the mechanical room and roof for unsanitary conditions, leaks or spills. v Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.

Smoke Damage Cleanup in San Diego

12/27/2021 (Permalink)

Smoke and soot is very invasive and can penetrate various cavities within your home, causing hidden damage and odor. Our smoke damage expertise and experience allows us to inspect and accurately assess the extent of the damage to develop a comprehensive plan of action.

Smoke and Soot Facts:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
• The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services:

Since each smoke and fire damage situation is a little different, each one requires a unique solution tailored for the specific conditions. We have the equipment, expertise, and experience to restore your fire and smoke damage. We will also treat your family and your property with empathy and respect and care.

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?

Call Us Today! - 760-789-1086

Tips on Keeping Your Washing Machine Clean

12/23/2021 (Permalink)

Step 1: Clean the Seal

Your first step in decontamination your washer is checking the seal around the door.

The seal catches lint, coins, paperclips and all manner of your pocket fodder. If you don't clean it out, that junk can mold or, even worse, it can make its way down to the trap. Just swipe your hand around the seal and remove any junk. Then, wipe it down with a damp cloth.

Step 2: Clean the Trap

When items don't get caught in the washer door seal, they go to a place inside the washer ominously called "the trap." (Also known as the filter.) These items languish and mildew until you either remove them or the washer stops draining water.

My washer had to stop draining water before I learned that the trap was a thing. After taking the washer apart I found it full of about $10 in change.

Here's how you can clean your own trap:

1. Unplug the washer
2. On the front or back of the washer there should be a little door
3. Place a small bowl by the little door to catch drips
4. Pry open the door using a flathead screwdriver
5. There will be a black tube inside the door. gently pull the top end of the hose out and pull off the plastic cap
6. Drain the hose in the bowl
7. Place a towel in front of the door
8. Beside the black hose will be the trap cap, also called the filter cap. Twist it to the left and pull it forward
9. Clean out the trap and replace the trap and hose
10. Close the little door and you're done.

These directions may vary depending on the odel and year of your washer. Be sure to check your owner's manual before attempting to clean your washer's trap.

Source: www.cnet.com

Prevent Home Fires

12/23/2021 (Permalink)

Fire is FAST! In less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames.

Fire is HOT! Heat is more threatening than flames. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes to your skin.

Fire is DARK! Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness.

Fire is DEADLY! Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio.

Home fires are preventable! The following are simple steps that each of us can take to prevent a tragedy.

Cooking

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet around the stove.
• Position barbecue grills at least 10 feet away from siding and deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

Smoking

• Smoke outside and completely put out butts in an ashtray or a can filled with sand.
• Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash can.
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster.
• Be alert - don’t smoke in bed! If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first.

Electrical and Appliance Safety

• Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately and do not run cords under rugs or furniture.
• If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
• Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker.

Portable Space Heaters

• Keep combustible objects at least three feet away from portable heating devices.
• Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
• Check to make the portable heater has a thermostat control mechanism and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over.
• Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene in kerosene heaters. Never overfill it. Use the heater in a well-ventilated room.

Fireplaces and Woodstoves

• Inspect and clean woodstove pipes and chimneys annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions.
• Use a fireplace screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.
• Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed.

Children

• Take the mystery out of fire play by teaching children that fire is a tool, not a toy.
• Store matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Never leave children unattended near operating stoves or burning candles, even for a short time.

More Prevention Tips

• Never use stove range or oven to heat your home.
• Keep combustible and flammable liquids away from heat sources.
• Portable generators should NEVER be used indoors and should only be refueled outdoors or in well ventilated areas.

For more information on fire information and prevention, please visit - https://www.ready.gov/home-fires

SERVPRO of East Poway/Ramona offers professional cleaning services

12/22/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO understands that now more than ever, it is important for your facility to be safe and clean for you and your patrons. With the pandemic we are facing, store cleanliness is a top concern. SERVPRO of East Poway/Ramona offers a higher standard of cleaning and you can rest assured that you are Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned when we come into your facility. 

When you call us for a cleaning job we will consult with you to understand your needs to ensure we have a customized plan that is geared towards your facility, we will professionally clean and certify the work. 

SERVPRO stands on over 50 years of experience! We are trained and experienced in biohazard cleaning and decontamination for porous and non-porous surfaces. SERVPRO adheres to the cleaning standards for your facility set by the CDC.  We use EPA-approved products, including our proprietary cleaning agent SERVPROXIDE, a hospital-grade disinfectant that is NSF certified for direct food surface use.

We also provide signage for your use to let your staff and customers know that your business has been cleaned by a professional company. It is important to us that you, your staff and guests feel safe. Upon you calling us, we will assign you a cleaning protocol specialist who understands your business. 

Call SERVPRO of East Poway/Ramona for any cleaning job, 760-789-1086.

Effects of Water Damage

12/22/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage is a problem that most property owners dread. When it rains heavily or snow melts quickly, the risk of this type of damage increases. Water can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage by damaging wood furniture, upholstery, electronics, household appliances, and plumbing equipment. Water damage also increases the risk of mold growth, which is a very expensive problem to remediate. Hiring a water damage restoration company can make the cleanup process easier to handle, as these companies employ experienced workers who know the best ways to repair or replace damaged items and help with water damage cleanup.

Causes of Water Damage

There are several possible causes of water damage. Leaky dishwashers, clogged toilets, broken pipes, broken dishwasher hoses, overflowing washing machines, leaky roofs, plumbing leaks, and foundation cracks are just some of the possible causes of water damage in homes and businesses. Floods, heavy snow, and heavy rain are other possible causes of this type of damage and can lead to having water in basements. Too much water can lead to minor problems such as water in basement areas, or it can lead to the destruction of homes and businesses. Once a home or business sustains water damage, it is important to start the water damage cleanup immediately. Starting water damage cleanup as soon as possible increases the likelihood of saving water-soaked furniture, carpets, rugs, clothing, and other items.

Categories of Water Damage

Assessing the severity of the damage is important for determining what is needed to start water damage repair and water removal. There are several different categories assigned to water damage. Category 1 refers to clean water, or water that does not pose a threat to humans. Possible causes of this type of damage include broken appliances or sink overflows. Category 2 water is also called gray water. This means that the water is contaminated and may cause sickness of ingested. This type of water contains microorganisms. Broken toilets, broken sump pumps, and seepage may cause category 2 water damage. Category 3 water is known as black water. This type of water is unsanitary, as it contains bacteria and other organisms that cause sickness. The possible sources of black water damage include sewage problems and contamination of standing water.

There are also several classes of water damage. The class of damage is important when assessing water damage repair options. Class 1 is the least harmful form of damage. Materials absorb very little of the water from this type of damage. Water damage repair is the easiest in this type of situation. Class 2 has a fast rate of evaporation, which means that carpets and cushions may be damaged. Water damage repair is more difficult when it involves class 2 damage. Class 3 has the fastest rate of evaporation. In this case, the water may come from broken sprinklers or other overhead sources, soaking the walls and furniture. Class 4 requires special water restoration and water removal procedures. This type of damage may affect hardwood floors, plaster, and concrete.

Restoration Process

The water restoration process is an important one. Using the right procedures and materials can help people save cherished belongings and even prevent their homes from being condemned. Water restoration companies specialize in mitigating the effects of water, but the success for water damage restoration depends on the severity of the damage and the amount of water that caused the damage. Water restoration companies may hire outside experts to assess a property and determine a water restoration and water removal plan. These water restoration companies typically use high-tech equipment and well-documented procedures to control water damage. Water in basement areas may only require a short cleanup process, but water in other areas of a property will require extensive remediation.

Health Hazards

It is important to hire one of these water damage restoration companies as soon as possible after water damage occurs. Moisture promotes the growth of mold and other organisms, increasing the risk for serious health problems. Mold exposure may aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms, especially in children and people with compromised immune systems. Exposure may also increase the risk for respiratory diseases and other medical problems. Cleaning up immediately can help mitigate the health effects of water damage on everyone in a home or commercial space.

If you need assistance with any water damage that you have, please call our team of experts at SERVPRO East Poway/Ramona at any time of the day! We are here to help. Call now: 760-789-1086.

source: www.thewaterpage.com

Be sure to Practice Fire Safety Tips for preventing kitchen fires this Holiday Season!

12/22/2021 (Permalink)

With the holidays here, your favorite recipes to make for family and friends come as well. While spending time with loved ones is important, it is also important to practice proper fire safety tips to prevent a kitchen fire.

* Did you know that when grease is too hot, it can catch fire? If you find yourself in this situation, place a lid over the pan immediate to cut off the oxygen levels. Always call 911 if you are in need of emergency help.

* Be alert and set kitchen timers. It is very easy to get distracted during the holidays with cooking multiple items and interacting with family. Set timers to make sure you don't forget that something is cooking and stay near the heat source.

* Save getting in your planned outfit for later and wear clothing that is suitable for cooking in. Avoid wearing long, baggy clothing that can easily catch fire.

* Plan to have the children looked after. It's easy to get distracted with small children. Keep the children away from the heating sources to avoid accidents.

* Clean as you go to avoid items catching fire such as napkins, towels, plastic and wooden spoons.

If you find yourself in an unfortunate situation, always call 911.

SERVPRO of East Poway/Ramona can help with clean up and restoration of any fire. 760-789-1086