Achieving Thorough Fire Damage Restoration in Waterbury

10/29/2023 (Permalink)

Cleaning up the damage after a fire in your home should be handled by the professionals. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 for certified technicians to help you.

What Fire Cleanup Process in Waterbury Involves

Fire damage can leave behind a trail of destruction and emotional turmoil for Waterbury homeowners. Beyond the destruction of property, it leaves lingering physical and emotional scars. However, with the right approach and professional guidance, achieving thorough fire damage restoration is possible and can help homeowners reclaim their sense of normalcy.

A thorough assessment of the fire damage in Waterbury is essential. Professionals help identify what can be salvaged and what needs replacing. This guides the restoration process, preventing unnecessary costs and ensuring a more efficient restoration. SERVPRO® acts swiftly to the challenges created when smoke residues and odors affect different surfaces and materials. Also, the longer the soot, smoke, and water from firefighting efforts linger, the more extensive the damage.

Activities expected in the restoration process

• Removing debris
• Odor elimination
• Soot removal

Cleanup and Debris Removal 

The debris left behind by a fire can range from charred remains of belongings to structural damage. Removing waste is critical in preparing the space for reconstruction and addresses safety concerns. Our IICRC-certified teams meticulously sort through the debris and categorize items based on how to clean them. SERVPRO makes every effort to recover and restore sentimental items like family heirlooms or important documents.

Removal of smoke residues often progresses top-down to ensure thorough restoration and minimal recontamination. Additionally, if contents are present in the space, we hold them to the center of the room and cover them with protective sheeting during cleaning.

A breakdown of the systematic approach

• Ceiling cleaning
• Wall cleaning
• Onsite content cleaning
• Floor cleaning

Ceiling cleaning is typically the first step in the process. Soot and smoke residues often settle on the ceiling due to the upward movement of hot air during a fire. SERVPRO crews use specialized cleaning techniques, like dry cleaning methods and chemical solutions, to eliminate smoke residues from the ceiling surfaces.

SERVPRO of Waterbury ensures a thorough and effective fire damage restoration process. Call us at (203) 757-5050. We’re Faster to any size disaster.™

Rapid and Experienced Waterbury Fire Damage Cleanup and Repair

4/13/2023 (Permalink)

When a fire damages your Waterbury home, contact team SERVPRO. We will develop a custom plan to remediate the damage.

SERVPRO Restorers Help Homes After Fire Damage

In Brass City alone, we are ready to help the more than 110,000 residents when fire and smoke losses impact homes and businesses. Our skilled specialists are trained to mitigate loss and protect the property as much as possible, which is valuable when considering cultural landmarks in the city like Bank Street Historic District and the Mattatuck Museum. Our prompt mobilization puts boots on the ground for:

• Smoke removal
• Odor management
• Content relocation
• Water cleanup
• Soot removal
• Reconstruction

When rapidly overcoming Waterbury fire damage, our SERVPRO team’s administration understands the value of experience and education. We dispatch knowledgeable FSRT-Certified professionals to your home following fires and smoke damage. This ensures we always take the most efficient paths with the best equipment to maximize productivity and results.

First Steps to Mitigate Fire Damage

Emergency services are a vital part of the restoration process as these are the earliest actions taken to protect the impacted property and its occupants. We follow extinguishment with focused efforts to address structural compromise, circulating soot particles, water damage, and safety concerns for responding technicians or the homeowner. These actions can often occur before the estimation, and thorough inspection insurance companies need to proceed with the complete fire damage restoration.

The Behavior of Smoke

It is necessary to acknowledge the role of smoke in damaging a residence after a fire. Several determining factors about the loss effect can ultimately impact the severity of the spread and thickness of residues combustion and subsequent aerosolized particles can leave behind. Some of the aspects that change needed cleaning processes include:

• Soot and Soil Deposits
• Smoke Turbulence
• Types of Smoke Damage
• Materials Affected

Soot Cleanup Solutions

Soot and grease deposits are a challenging obstacle for even experienced restoration professionals addressing fire damage in your home. We must focus first on pulling soils away from the surface of the underlying material to prevent marring, staining, or corrosion. Solvents and detergents can help with varying types of wet smoke, while vacuuming and chem sponges are better suited for dry smoke residues.

Are Contents and Materials Washable?

One of the considerations production managers must make is determining the salvageability of impacted materials. Washable surfaces are better protected from the direct damage that soot and smoke residues can cause without being destroyed. Typically, washable exteriors benefit from applying solvents and detergents combined with mechanical action and agitation.

Final Fire Damage Restoration Steps 

After a fire loss incident, recovering a property requires the affected materials and surfaces to be thoroughly cleaned and deodorized. The hotter the fire, the greater pores in surfaces open up for smoke molecules and volatile compounds. Even with potent deodorants and counteractants, we can have the greatest impact by heating neutralizing chemicals to vapor to penetrate porous materials. Introducing unstable compounds like ozone can also be an efficient response to harsh smoke smells.

Large Loss Restoration Team

Fires can be just as destructive and damaging to larger commercial properties in the city. With venues like the Naugatuck Valley Shopping Center and Post University that could experience widespread fire loss effects, it is vital to have a trained team of professionals capable of helping fast. We have special equipment and training to be ready for a disaster of any size.

Fire damage in Waterbury properties requires immediate action. First responders can help put out the blaze, but professionals like our SERVPRO of Waterbury team can help restore and recover your home here in the Brass City. Give our rapid response team a call when you need us at (203) 757-5050.

Basics of Smoke Behavior are Crucial During Fire Damage Restoration in Waterbury

4/11/2023 (Permalink)

With advanced equipment, SERVPRO restores property to pre-damaged conditions, "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Offers Safe Fire Damage Cleanup Services in Waterbury

A successful fire damage restoration process requires one to have an understanding of how smoke particles behave. A better understanding of where to find the light and heaviest smoke residues is helpful when developing an efficient cleaning strategy. The goal is to clean surfaces and items using safe methods which do not cause additional damage.

When performing an inspection during smoke odor removal in your Waterbury property, our SERVPRO technicians check areas with the highest accumulation of residues. During combustion, a process known as convection transfers heat. Since hot air is denser than cold air, it carries the particles the farthest until it loses its temperature.

In most cases, smoke deposits accumulate in the following areas:

• On ceilings
• Upper sections of the walls
• On floors of the furthest rooms
• Behind furniture and cabinets
• Closets and closed drawers

The most challenging surfaces to clean are those exposed to high temperatures. They tend to open the pores of the materials and make the smoke particles penetrate deeper. Also, if the residues penetrate cracks, an odor problem may result that might be challenging to solve without the correct fire cleanup techniques.

When our SERVPRO technicians develop a fire damage cleaning strategy, we also look at the type of surface that needs cleaning. The methods we use to clean porous surfaces may differ from the ones we choose to clean non porous areas. If we attempt to clean porous materials using liquids, they might absorb liquids and form corrosive acids once they mix with the smoke particles. Before performing other procedures, it might be safe to perform vacuuming to remove the loose particles.

SERVPRO of Waterbury offers reliable fire damage cleanup solutions using advanced equipment and procedures. Call (203) 757-5050 during any day of the week and work with an experienced team to make your property "Like it never even happened."

Safe, Effective Fire Damage Assistance in Waterbury

11/8/2022 (Permalink)

For any type of fire damage in your property you can count on SERVPRO to help.

Waterbury Residents Trust SERVPRO for Fire Damage Restoration

Fire remains one of the more destructive elements of any structure. Whenever you have a fire that emerges in your Waterbury property, it can burn through many materials in a short time. In addition to charred debris, pungent smoke particles travel through the building and infiltrate rooms unaffected by direct heat or flames. Calling highly-trained fire and smoke restoration technicians (FSRT) from SERVPRO gets the results you deserve so you can make your family home “Like it never even happened.”

Professional site clearing and debris removal are essential when handling fire damage in Waterbury. SERVPRO technicians have been through IICRC certification and know best practices for adjusting to all fire-related cleanup calls. 

• Our crew wears personal protective equipment (PPE), including coveralls, boots, gloves, respirators, and goggles. 
• We use foot coverings when moving from the fire zone into unaffected areas of your home to limit the tracking of soils and soot.
• Containment barriers get set up to keep odorous particulates and possibly hazardous molecules from traveling. 
• All charred, unsalvageable debris is carefully handled and safely disposed of.

Detailed Contents Cleaning With SERVPRO

We work to restore rather than replace, so if we can salvage your building materials, furnishings, and personal contents – we will. Sometimes, we may pack up and move out particular contents for specialized off-site cleaning at our facilities. Linens and drapery will call for specialty care, and we have trusted vendors in the area to assist. All items salvaged and cleaned get labeled and logged, then put back into their rightful places in your home once restoration is complete.

Our Odor Control Technicians (OCT) also work diligently with ultra-low volume (ULV) foggers, specialized deodorants, and other equipment to eliminate pungent smoke odors rather than masking them. All surfaces get thoroughly cleaned and sanitized so that your family can return without lingering reminders of the fire that took place.

Don’t let the burdens of fire damage cause undue stress. Call SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050, and we can send our Green Fleet and crew out for assessment and cleanup as soon as possible.

SERVPRO Offers Advice to Prevent and Restoration After Fire Damaging Events in the Danbury Area

8/14/2022 (Permalink)

Make sure to help prevent any fires in your home by staying vigilant. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 if your home faced a fire and resulting fire damage.

Dryer Vent + Bird Nest = Fire Damage in Danbury

Did you know dryer fires accounted for an average of $222 million in property fire damage claims every year according to a statement released by Consumer Reports? The worst part of this type of fire loss is that regular maintenance of the vents, exhaust hose, and lint trap reduces the chances of this type of fire.

When handling the cleanup of fire damage in Danbury homes from a dryer fire, SERVPRO technicians also work to find the cause. In some cases, the culprit is a bird that used a dryer vent as a place to build a nest. This happens because the lack of airflow causes overheating, and the highly flammable lint in the hose and vent port ignite easily.

Degraded Performance is a Signal

Aside from the danger of fire, with the vent blocked, many problems using the dryer arise and there are the early warning signs there is an issue with the airflow that include: clothes take progressively longer to dry, clothes seem hotter than usual upon removal, and when it takes more than one cycle to dry a load of laundry, it increases the electricity cost not to mention the danger of fire.

Fire Damage Clean Up

SERVPRO technicians use their professional-grade solutions to clean up the smoke residue off walls and surfaces. Removal of charred items around the dryer and the appliance itself happens so they can apply odor control methods as needed in preparation for the installation of a new dryer.

 Diagnose the Issue and Repair the Vent

The SERVPRO technicians perform the removal of any blockages in the vent such as a bird nest and suggest effective solutions like the installation of grates over the flaps to ensure birds, insects, and other pests cannot block the outflow of air when the dryer is in use. Cleaning the lint trap after use is not enough; regular inspection of the exhaust hose and vents is a good idea and helps prevent dryer fires in the future. We have advanced vacuuming equipment to suction out debris from the dryer venting system. Our powered whisks and brushes can ream out and clear these conduits venting hot air to the exterior to help prevent potential combustion.

When fire damage happens due to a dryer, contact SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050. The certified technicians arrive quickly and make the fire loss "Like it never even happened."

The SERVPRO Short Answer to Waterbury DIY'ers for Fire Loss Cleanup Is--DON'T--Call Us!

6/16/2022 (Permalink)

Get SERVPRO for Matchless Fire Damage Cleanup and Restoration in Waterbury

Should You Clean Fire Damage in Waterbury Homes on Your Own?

Fire losses can be one of the most destructive forces to Waterbury homes, especially when property owners are unclear of the best approach to navigate returning the house to pre-damaged condition. As rife with detrimental effects as a structure is, even after a minor loss incident, time is of the essence to get the situation resolved. As tempting as it might be to pursue cleaning and recovery efforts on your own, many owners must question their ability to handle the workload and pressing timeline to restore their home entirely.

Restoring fire damage to Waterbury homes begins with first appreciating how widespread and severe these damages have become since the fire got extinguished. With situations like soot and smoke effects, these conditions can worsen continually until the appropriate preventative actions and cleanup occur. To avoid choosing our certified SERVPRO team is your decision, but we want to make sure that you are making the safest and best choice for your property by addressing specific effects in the correct order, with the ideal equipment, and with effective cleaning products.

Because every fire loss scenario is different, our SERVPRO team must follow a loose outline to guide mitigation and recovery efforts from when our technicians first arrive at an address. If the firefighters used a significant amount of water to put out the blaze, call us immediately for extraction, drying, and restoration. As a self-driven DIY restorer, you should consider the mid and long-term negative impacts of a less than complete restoration.

-   Inspect the property and assess the damage as best (and as safely) as possible.

-   Identify a need for temporary construction solutions like board-up and roof tarping.

-   Determine the presence of more pressing concerns like water and mold damages that must get addressed first.

-   Cleaning all surfaces of smoke residues and soot.

-   General cleaning, debris removal, deodorization, and air filtering.

-   Restoration work that remains.

This breakdown can give you a loose idea of the steps even our talented SERVPRO of Waterbury fire restoration specialists take in a damaged home or business. If you need assistance or want to leave recovery to our technicians, you can call us anytime at (203) 757-5050 to make it “Like it never even happened.”

We Act Fast In Waterbury After A Fire Disaster

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

A kitchen fire started in a microwave oven and we used our specialty cleaning products to begin restoration right away.

When Your Waterbury Home Needs Reconstruction After a Fire

Fires can be a destructive force in your Waterbury home and allow for substantial structural damages that cannot get easily repaired and restored. In many scenarios following house fires, construction materials like drywall, flooring, ceiling tile, trim, and more can combust and begin to fall apart. Resolving the knowledge that reconstruction is sometimes the only feasible recovery option left for highly damaged areas can get your property on this path as promptly as possible.

Our SERVPRO team can work to limit your losses by responding to both fire damage and building back for Waterbury homes quickly. We know that longer waits often mean higher losses, and that is why our technicians can mobilize right away to reach your residence, often within hours of your initial contact. As with any fire loss, there is a waiting period where the responding fire department still has control of the extinguishment process and has not relinquished the property back to the owners.

Controlled demolition is a common element of fire damage recovery. Many of the construction materials in the path of the spreading fire have become irreparably damaged. Removal opens up the area for more focused cleaning, deodorization, and repairs of places that are less severely impacted by the blaze. Debris removal and selective demolition processes can also pave the way and prepare the home for the rebuilding phase to follow mitigation by our SERVPRO technicians.

For the reconstruction of a fire-damaged home to complete the restoration, our professionals relinquish control of the job site to the competent contractors of Connecticut Reconstruction Services. CRS contractors can follow right behind our preparation work to seamlessly transition into the final stages of recovery for the customer.

Between cleaning, debris removal, soot removal, air quality concerns, and lingering odors, there are many elements of recovery that our SERVPRO of Waterbury team must address after a structure fire. When reconstruction is necessary, we can help prepare your home for this build back to ensure that it goes as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Give us a call at (203) 757-5050.

Waterbury Fire Damage Restoration Sometimes Seals Ductwork

3/13/2022 (Permalink)

The HVAC system in your home needs to be cleaned after a fire to help stop the spread of particles. SERVPRO has the technicians and equipment for you.

This Is Because Some Fire-Impacted HVAC Systems in Waterbury Can’t Be Cleaned.

HVAC ductwork is not always accessible to the Waterbury remediators attempting to clean it. This fact, of course, presents these cleanup professionals with a problem to solve. Fortunately, for local homeowners, sealing inaccessible ventilation channels is an effective method of preventing the further spread of fire-associated particles via their HVAC system.

Whenever the Waterbury fire damage restoration experts at SERVPRO can’t clean a segment of a smoke-fouled ventilation network, they work to seal its surfaces. These house fire clean up and smoke remediation efforts serve to prevent event-related residues from being blown throughout fire damaged homes, even though they remain on affected surfaces. 

The following are some of the procedures our highly-trained technicians follow to perform duct-sealing services: 

• Air intakes and vent registers are removed and cleaned, while the air-handling system’s disposable filter is taken off and thrown away
• Soot and dust are vacuumed off accessible surfaces, reachable duct interiors are washed with a general-purpose detergent, and mechanical components are inspected and cleaned
• Vent covers are reinserted and all outlets are covered with a cheesecloth before fogging begins to protect furnishings
• The sealing agent and deodorizer are applied with the central blower on, from the inlet to the outlets, using a ULV fogger 
• Then, with the central blower off, ducts are back-fogged from each outlet to the inlet and, afterward, the blower is turned on to dry the system
• Finally, before residents return, odor neutralizing beads are placed in the HVAC network and inlet/outlet covers are reattached 

Once all of these fire restoration steps have been taken, your ventilation system has been sanitized.

So, if you ever require fire damage restoration services, rest assured in knowing that SERVPRO of Waterbury can help. Call us anytime at (203) 757-5050 for assistance.

SERVPRO Gets Fire Restoration Done Fast in Waterbury

1/27/2022 (Permalink)

Cleaning the smoke and soot residues from surfaces is one of the most critical steps of the remediation process.

Why do Waterbury Property Owners Trust SERVPRO for Fire Restoration? 

The goal of SERVPRO techs during the fire restoration of your Waterbury home is to restore the damaged material to the preloss condition. Cleaning the smoke and soot residues from surfaces is one of the most critical steps of the remediation process.

While SERVPRO techs are experienced in employing several cleaning methods during fire restoration of Waterbury homes, the process they ultimately choose depends on several key factors:

• The type and chemical composition of residue
• The amount of residue
• The dwell-time
• The nature of the surface

How do SERVPRO Techs Handle Protein Residues During House Fire Cleanup in Waterbury?  

Protein residues formed after burning organic matter such as meat are the toughest to remove. SERVPRO uses several innovative solutions to tackle this problem, including cleaners with enzymes in them. 

Enzymes can easily digest protein soils by chemically modifying their structure to become water-soluble. Once the enzyme has completed its action, we can easily remove the residual with water and detergent solutions.

How do SERVPRO Techs Ensure the Effectiveness of Enzyme Cleaners? 

Although enzyme cleaners that SERVPRO techs use in your fire-damaged Waterbury home are very effective, it is essential to control the temperature and pH to ensure their efficacy. Technicians ensure that the temperature is kept between 100- 1200F and the pH is as close to neutral as possible. 

It is equally important that the enzyme solution is allowed a ‘dwell time’ of 15 minutes to an hour to be effective. 

Dealing with fire damage can be stressful on your own; if you need help, call SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050. 

Can Fire Damage Restoration by SERVPRO Help Post-Fire Cheshire Kitchens and Appliances?

11/21/2021 (Permalink)

When a fire damage hits home, SERVPRO is the team for the job. Fire damage restoration is a specialty of ours. Call now!

SERVPRO Has Professional Cleaning Methods to Restore Cheshire Kitchens With Fire Damage "Like it never even happened."

Housefire cleanup in a Cheshire kitchen is never a one-size-fits-all process. There are different types of smoke residues left behind, such as dry and wet smoke and protein residues. The latter is highly odorous and difficult to remove using conventional cleaners.

One of the main reasons Cheshire homeowners should use fire damage restoration services and not attempt to self-clean is the potential for additional damage from incorrect cleaning methods. The types of residues and consideration for the surfaces go into choosing the cleaning agent and method used.

High heat fires produce dry soot, which collects around rooms, particularly on ceilings and corners, sometimes producing soot webs. If wet cleaning solutions get applied to this type of smoke damage, it can ruin a surface and cause great damage. SERVPRO technicians use dry cleaning sponges to gently lift away the soot from walls, countertops, and appliances.

Protein and wet smoke residues tend to get dealt with in the same manner as they similarly grip onto surfaces. However, protein residues are accompanied by a very pungent odor. SERVPRO technicians use solvent-based cleaning agents with care taken to choose solutions that will not mar the surface the smoke damage is on.

The technicians can handle the exterior cleanup and restoration of appliances after a kitchen fire; however, if more is needed, SERVPRO can: 

• Bring in an outside expert to inspect appliances post-fire damage to ascertain if they are safe to use
• Clean out fridges and pantries of items exposed to soot
• Use appliance-specific cleaners to get rid of the visible smoke damage 

SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050 serves the Cheshire community for all types and sizes of fire damage restoration needs. 

Restoring a Damaged Waterbury Kitchen After a Fire

10/21/2021 (Permalink)

Fire and odor damage restoration from a kitchen fire should be handled by SERVPRO. Our IICRC certified technicians are here to help.

Kitchen fires can be devastating for your Waterbury home, but our SERVPRO team can help. 

A fire in the kitchen can be overwhelming for this room of your house. Moreover, structural openings allow the damage generated in and around the stove in the kitchen to spread harmful fire loss effects to adjacent portions of the property. We must work quickly to overcome kitchen flare-up effects and return the damaged property to its original condition.

Containment Strategies for Focused Cleaning

Even before much of the fire damage restoration in Waterbury homes can begin in full, we must consider the possibilities of containing the current damage to prevent migrating loss effects to other areas of the property. Pathways like the HVAC system or structural openings allow elements like certain protein residues to find homes in areas far beyond the ignition point. Plastic sheeting can help contain fire damage effects, as well as the placement of negative pressure machines and HEPA filtering equipment.

Post-Fire Residue Cleanup

Protein residues are among the most challenging to remove, as they are thick and strongly adhered to vulnerable surfaces like countertops and cabinets. We have multiple solvents and detergents capable of dissolving and loosening these soils to make wet cleaning possible. If too much damage occurs to these fixtures, controlled demolition is the only response.

Odor Neutralization Approaches 

Odors are another harsh element to overcome after kitchen flare-up concerns. From charred food to burning smells of affected structural fixtures, deodorization requires a combination of reducing the severity of the noxious odors and ultimately neutralizing them with our powerful deodorization equipment. Some of the tools we use include:

• Thermal/ULV Foggers
• Hydroxyl Generators
• HEPA 500 Air Scrubbers
• Ozone Machines

Cleaning up your home after a kitchen fire requires experience and industry-leading restoration equipment. Give our SERVPRO of Waterbury team a call at (203) 757-5050 to help when you need it.

What Approaches Ease Fire Damage Restoration in Waterbury Homes?

8/20/2021 (Permalink)

Fire and smoke damage restoration for your home is a job for SERVPRO. Our IICRC certified techs are ready to help you.

SERVPRO Moves Out Contents Within or Out of the Structure Creating Sufficient Room for Structural Fire Restoration

Fire damages structures and contents indiscriminately. The damages range from the accumulation of soot, blistering from extreme heat, and pungent odor. However, simultaneously cleaning and rehabilitating contents and structural materials can introduce unexpected intricacies.

Separating contents and structural materials before embarking on fire damage restoration in your Waterbury home can help. Structural materials include anything attached to the building. Contents, on the other hand, are movable items. It is possible to find a safe area within the structure to hold the items as restoration progresses in the other areas. Our SERVPRO technicians scope the entire property to establish what to move and how best to do it.

Scoping is necessary before embarking on any remedial process, including:

• Fire restoration
• House fire clean up
• Smoke remediation
• Water & fire damage restorations

Various strategies are essential when making a move out for a significant impact on the restoration process. Our SERVPRO technicians are meticulous when scoping the property. They move from room to room and start from the top to bottom, left to right. Grouping small or similar items before moving them also increase convenience and minimizes damages.

Another helpful strategy is cleaning items at the loss site where possible since it can save considerable time. Issues such as the accumulation of soot residues can be readily addressed using dry cleaning approaches. For instance, our SERVPRO technicians wipe furniture items with chemical sponges or vacuum them, eliminating all traces of soot, “Like it never even happened.”

SERVPRO of Waterbury has outstanding experience handling water damage restoration. Call us at (203) 757-5050.

Is There a Need for Fire Damage Restoration if Surfaces in My Waterbury Home Seem Residue-Free?

7/18/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damage that starts in your trash can be extensive. Contact our SERVPRO team to mitigate the situation and remediate the damage.

SERVPRO Helps Check for Invisible Residues or Resolve Other Effects of Smoke Damage

Some incidents, such as trash can fires or stove flare-ups, can be contained within a small section leaving the rest of the house virtually undamaged. However, the casual observation you make can deceive you that there is no fire damage, yet there are some issues you need to address.

It might be essential to perform fire damage restoration in your Waterbury home to fix what you may consider nonissues. As various materials burn, they produce different types of residues, including invisible ones or even a uniform residue coat that misleads you into thinking nothing has changed. With the assistance of SERVPRO crews, you can be assured that any problems caused by the fire can be identified. 

Professional assistance eases various processes, including:

• Fire damage restoration
• Smoke remediation
• Water & fire damage restorations
• House fire clean up

In addition to helping identify obscure residues, professional assistance from SERVPRO also provides non-invasive cleaning techniques that can eliminate the problem without causing you unnecessary inconveniences. 

Our technicians use chemical sponges fitted on extension poles to lift away residues from ceilings and wall surfaces. The approach helps remove soils without leaving smudges. It also eliminates the need to move contents around since the work crews can readily reach the soiled areas. Other cleaning processes such as HEPA vacuuming help remove any loose residues.

Other essential restoration processes may include:

• Fogging to deodorize the property
• Using activated oxygen to eliminate odors
• Refinishing surfaces to match the surroundings

SERVPRO of Waterbury strives to match the fire damage restoration needs at your property. Call us at (203) 757-5050. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

SERVPRO Offers Fire Damage Restoration to Homeowners in Waterbury?

5/16/2021 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Waterbury today at (203) 757-5050 if you need help with professional fire damage restoration.

Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Services by SERVPRO in Waterbury

A fire in your home seems catastrophic, even if it is a small kitchen fire. There is damage to the kitchen cupboards near the fire, and there are smoke residues on everything. The vapors from the fire that may have been distributed throughout the house leave smoke odor everywhere.

SERVPRO provides fire damage restoration service to Waterbury residents for small and large fires. We can remove the damaged components and arrange for restoration. All fires produce smoke and residues. In many cases, if the fire is controlled quickly, smoke odors and residues are contained in the kitchen and perhaps adjacent rooms.

Residues can be oily and adhere to everything, or they can be flaky and easily cleaned. SERVPRO evaluates the type of residue and applies the appropriate cleaning methods and agents to remove all residue from porous and nonporous materials. We clean all of your belongings and remove smoke odors from your home. 

Our Services include:

• Water & Fire Damage Restorations
• House Fire Clean up
• Smoke Remediation

Call SERVPRO of Waterbury for fire damage restoration in Waterbury and surrounding areas. We can help 24/7. Call (203) 757-5050.

Do Smoke Odors Go Away by Themselves?

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Smoke and odor removal should be left to the pros. SERVPRO has the man power and equipment needed for your home.

Smoke Odor Can Become Trapped in an Indoor Environment after Fire Damage

SERVPRO has Qualified Odor Control Technicians in Waterbury. It is common to experience an odor issue in your home after a fire. In a contained situation, for example, a kitchen fire, these are often referred to as a light smoke odor. Light smoke odors are minor smoke damage within a single area, where odors become less perceptible the further away you get from the source. 

Our first step toward fire restoration in your Waterbury home is to remove the source of the odor. Removing the source could involve disposing of fire debris, cleaning visible smoke damages, and ventilating the affected area. Once the area is clean and clear of potential odor sources, our technicians ventilate the room thoroughly to see if odor disperses. If the smell remains, we use deodorant and deodorizing equipment to rid the home of odor.

• Vapor odors are best contained by using odor counteracting pellets in the affected area that trap odor-causing particles.
• Thermal fogging uses chemical pairing agents to find and neutralize smoke odors. We apply misting significantly to the source and work outward.
• Inspecting cavities, ceiling spaces, air-conditioning units, and crawl spaces can often remove odor-causing stains or smoke residues. 

Neutralize burnt odors in your home. Contact SERVPRO of Waterbury for fire restoration assistance at (203) 757-5050.

Cheshire Residents Can Unwind with Feel Good Fridays

1/18/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO treats your vehicle to a clean garage after a fire-damaging and sooty event--in all of Cheshire and the surrounding areas!

Sports Rock of Waterbury offers a fun way to welcome your weekend.

Because it is so conveniently located along with the Lakewood Lanes here in Waterbury, Sports Rock Bar & Lounge provides various beers and cocktails to appreciate while you hit the lanes. On Friday, January 27th through closing time in the earliest hours of January 28th, thirsty patrons can experience the allure of many on-tap beverages with their favorite friends and family.

The weekend always starts with Feel Good Fridays featuring hours of live entertainment provided by DJ Big Cuzz. There’s no cover to come and enjoy some classic rock music in a safe and distanced way. For more information, you can call Sports Rock Bar directly at (203) 574-5131.

Some classic rock can burn up the stage, but if you are dealing with a need for fire damage restoration in your Cheshire home, you should leave it to the professionals. We have skilled technicians certified in deodorization, soot removal, and fire damage cleanup to return your property to preloss condition. Give SERVPRO of Waterbury a call today at (203) 757-5050.

Come and Visit The Home Of The Mickey Mouse Watch, and So Much More

12/9/2020 (Permalink)

Fire can cause major damage to ones home. Call SERVPRO who have the IICRC certified technicians and equipment to handle the job for you.

Waterbury has a long history to tell about.

Waterbury has a long history. Settlers founded it in 1674, in an area which is now known as Town Plot. These days Town Plot is well-known for its Italian culture and is famous for holding a four-day feast every July. Visitors during the feast love the fried dough, pastries, Italian ices, and sofrito sandwiches.

The city of Waterbury took a while to get up and running. There is not much arable land in the area, making it difficult for the early settlers to grow food and raise animals. Constant flooding, along with disease outbreaks, caused trouble. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, Waterbury was a thriving and industrious town. The city became known as the "City of Brass" thanks to its booming brass industry. The industry drew people from a wide geographical area, and Waterbury gained a reputation for high-quality brass production.

A City Of Firsts

Brass is not the only thing Waterbury has to be proud of. The city boasts several "firsts." For example:

• St Joseph's Church, established in 1894, was the first Lithuanian worship community in Connecticut and is the second oldest Lithuanian church in the country.

• Waterbury native Fr. Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus near Waterbury, in New Haven. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal service order, with nearly 2 million members worldwide.

• One of the first-ever full-length motion pictures with sound was produced in the area by Waterbury native William Henry Bristol. He invented the Bristolphone to record sound and movement simultaneously, and it was used in over 100 cinemas across the country. Bristol also created a pyrometer for recording high temperatures and an audio phone, which changed the face of public address systems. Bristol is one of Waterbury's most industrious sons – he was awarded almost 100 patents in his life.

• Victor Zembruski's Polish Eagles radio show was first broadcast on Waterbury Radio Station. The show is now known as The Zembruski Family Polka Hour, and it is one of the longest-running shows on American radio.

• Dr. Anthony Vastola formed the nation's first Unico Club in Waterbury in 1922. The Unico Club, whose name is Italian for Unique, is now the country's largest Italian-American service organization.

A City Of Clocks

Another thing Waterbury is famed for is its history of clock making and its magnificent clock tower! 

The brass makers Benedict and Burnham formed the Waterbury Clock Company in 1854. The Company made a significant impact on the clock making industry in North America:

• At one point, it was the largest maker of clocks for both national and international sales.

• They invented the Jumbo watch (based on P. T. Barnum's famous elephant) as a cheaper alternative to pricey clocks. The Jumbo was first trialed in New York City, where it caught the attention of Robert H. Ingersoll.

• The Company supplied Ingersoll's Robert H. Ingersoll & Bro Company with the Ingersoll Yankee. The Yankee was a one-dollar pocket watch that became so popular it was nicknamed "the watch that made the dollar famous."

• In the 1930s, they partnered with Walt Disney to produce the famous Mickey Mouse watch. Waterbury unveiled the watch at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933, and it quickly became immensely popular. Waterbury had struggled financially before making the watch due to unscrupulous salespeople flogging their watches as loss leaders and plunging the company into the red. The Mickey Mouse watch became their first million-dollar selling line and turned the Company's future around. 

The Waterbury Clock Company eventually became the Timex Group USA, one of the world's best-known timepiece manufacturers.

While you are exploring Waterbury's clock-related history, do not forget to stop by the Union Station Clock Tower. The station is now home to Waterbury's daily newspaper, but its impressive clock tower still stands tall. At 254 ft high, the tower dominates the Waterbury skyline and can be seen for miles around. The tower features a clock face on each side, with 5 ft tall Roman numerals. The tower is also adorned with fierce she-wolf gargoyles. 

Waterbury Knows How Devastating Fire Can Be

Unfortunately, in a large city with many industrial companies, accidents are bound to happen from time to time. In 1902, Waterbury's downtown area suffered a terrible fire that destroyed many businesses.

The fire began around 6:30 in the evening, and because there were high winds that day, it spread quickly throughout the downtown district. Some of the businesses lost that night were:

• Davis' Cigar Store

• A Salvation Army Barracks

• A Turkish Bathhouse

•  Reid & Hughes Dry Goods Store

• Cannon & Webster's Drug Store

The fire claimed 42 buildings before the firefighters could extinguish it, and it is the worst fire in Waterbury history. The blaze crossed streets and leaped from building to building, causing $2 million worth of damage.

Although there are still some surviving buildings from before the fire, much of downtown required rebuilding. As a result, the current downtown area is an eclectic mix of styles from the 19th and 20th centuries.

SERVPRO Is Faster To Any Size Disaster

If your home suffers fire damage, you need a fire damage cleanup crew that is prompt and reliable. That is why SERVPRO is Faster To Any Size Disaster – we aim to arrive within four hours of your first call.

Fire can damage a buildings in many ways. There is structural damage, such as burned beams, supports, and insulation. The roof or floor might be left unstable. 

There is also soot damage, which can be hard to eradicate. Soot is caused by incomplete combustion of materials during a fire, which leaves behind a sticky black residue. Some soot is powdery and easy to brush away, but some soot is much stickier and more tenacious. If the fire is in the kitchen, there may be protein soot, which is the most noxious and challenging residue type to clean.

Our teams are equipped to handle fire damage of every kind. We begin by making sure the area is stable and safe to work in, and we take care of immediate issues such as the need to put a tarp over the roof. Then we set to work scrubbing and brushing away the soot until your home is clean.

For a fire damage cleanup service you can trust, call SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050.

How Does SERVPRO Aid the Waterbury Homeowner’s Insurance Company?

10/18/2020 (Permalink)

When a fire in your home causes damage, contact team SERVPRO. We will develop a custom plan to remediate the damage.

SERVPRO Works with Homeowners and Insurance Companies in Waterbury to Ensure Everything Gets Handled Quickly and Professionally

Residential fires are the leading cause of fire deaths, injuries, and property loss. According to the 2016 annual report, 747 building and structure fire incidents were handled by Waterbury firefighters that year. While not all homes are insured against fire damage, the majority of them are covered. A professional restoration company is a vital part of the equation when it comes to assisting homeowners in their insurance claims.

What Parties Are Involved in Fire Restoration?

When there is a need for fire damage restoration in Waterbury homes, the insurance company works with homeowners to determine the damage and what loss gets covered. The parties involved in this process include:

•   Homeowner – has suffered a loss due to a fire
•   Insurance company – holds the homeowner’s insurance policy and is represented by a local agent
•   Insurance adjuster – insurance company’s on-the-scene representative who works with the homeowner and the restoration company
•   Restoration company – a valuable partner to the adjuster, provides critical information that assists with restoration and claims.

Meeting the Needs of the Homeowner & Adjuster

Fire loss in Waterbury is devastating to families. It turns everything upside down and can leave you wondering what to do and when to do it. Getting in contact with your insurance company is the first step after assuring you and your family are safe. Then SERVPRO enters the picture and can provide emergency fire mitigation steps. As a fire restoration company, we do more than simply come onto the premises and clean up. Fire restoration involves:

• Customer satisfaction – we understand what you are going through. Our technicians are here to restore your property to preloss condition whenever possible. We keep you apprised of what is happening every step of the way. We truly empathize with our neighbors' losses.
• Minimize loss – By providing immediate fire mitigation, SERVPRO techs can prevent secondary damage from occurring. Emergency services help reduce the loss on the property.
• Determine restoration – Our team can assist in deciding what can be cleaned, what needs replacing, and what does not need cleaning. Pretesting, training, and experience make our technicians experts at what they do.
• Assisting adjusters – We provide testing, loss detail, and scoping information quickly to save the adjuster time. Our professional crews have the experience necessary to manage restorations jobs, so the adjuster does not have to deal with minor, time-consuming tasks.
• Scope details – SERVPRO does a thorough scope of the scene that provides inspection and reports that, in turn, allow the adjuster to review the anticipated procedures. He then can prioritize a work schedule.
• Quality restoration – Restore rather than replace is always our goal. This saves the homeowner and the insurance company time and money. We desire to return your home to you, “Like it never even happened.”

By working closely with the homeowner and the adjuster, SERVPRO provides an invaluable service that goes beyond restoration. The stress of dealing with fire damage restoration is taken off the owner’s shoulders as our company works with the adjuster. The agent’s job is made easier by the steps we take to provide detailed information early on that allows things to go smoothly over the coming days.

What Can Homeowners Do to Assist the Process?

When a fire occurs, it can leave the individuals involved dazed and not always thinking clearly. The number of things that need to be done can be overwhelming. But certain things can be done to ensure your needs are met.

• If safety permits, take photographs.
• Provide a home inventory list. Our CCIS Contents Claim Inventory System utilizes a software program to list non-salvageable building materials, contents, and special possessions.
• Remove valuables, medication, and financial items before employees begin working. We are not permitted to handle any type of customers’ firearms in the structure.
• Do not use medications or cosmetics that have been contaminated.
• Identify your most important concerns to the technicians so they can prioritize those.

At SERVPRO, we understand the disruption, something as devastating as a fire can cause. Even small contained fires can put everyday life on hold while cleanup takes place. Our crews are available at all hours of the day and night to provide emergency fire mitigation. SERVPRO is a fire damage restoration company that local homeowners can depend on. We do our best to make the process as uneventful as possible while providing the needed communication between those impacted and their insurance companies.

If you experience fire damage of any size, call the professionals at SERVPRO. Smoke damage can occur from even the smallest fires, requiring professional cleaning. Trying to clean the area on your own can lead to further damage. 

Contact SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050 for experienced fire damage restoration services. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

What Might I Be Unaware of About House Odors After Fire Damage?

9/1/2020 (Permalink)

You can contact our professionals 24/7. Our fire damage experts are trained in fire & smoke restoration, odor control, upholstery and fabric cleaning.

SERVPRO Can Offer You Guidance Since We Have Sufficient Experience Dealing with Fire Damage Restoration in Waterbury.

One of the common effects fires have on buildings is the buildup of bad odors, mostly because of the smoke residues deposited on surfaces. Since fires cause other severe problems, odor issues are relegated to the periphery of the restoration processes. SERVPRO has IICRC certified Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians who can help you address odor issues in your Waterbury home the right way.  

What makes odor removal different from resolving other fire damages? 

When the fire damage restoration process in Waterbury involves something invisible like odor, many issues can arise that complicate the removal process. For instance: 

• There is no machine to detect odors 
• Odors can be psychological  
• Odor removal requires neutralization of volatile molecules 

If you are keen on restoration procedures, you might have noticed that most of the other damages can be diagnosed with various unique tools, including char depth gauges for materials seared by flames, moisture meters for areas where firefighting water spills, and circuit testers for electrical cables affected by the fire. However, for the odors, you have to rely on your nose. If you are exposed to odor for a long time, you might stop detecting it, or the intensity might diminish even though the odor is still there. 

Sometimes you may experience odors that no one else feels. Although you might have a sharper sense of smell than others, the most likely reason for detecting non-existent smells is psychological. Our SERVPRO technicians incorporate some strategies in the restoration process that address these unique challenges, including: 

• Placing masking agents in the affected area to provide a sweet scent  
• Mixing deodorizers with cleaning solutions for general odor removal 
• Using electronic deodorization techniques such as running hydroxyl generators 

How does SERVPRO manage to remove all volatile odor molecules? 

• Thorough cleaning and removal of affected materials 
• Using injection devices to direct deodorizers to concealed sections 
• Using thermal or ULV foggers to deliver deodorizers in tiny particles maximizing penetration 

SERVPRO of Waterbury can help you address all odor issues after a fire affects your house. Call us at (203) 757-5050. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Find out more about Waterbury.

What Happens to My Belongings in a Pack-Out Process?

7/16/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO knows that your contents are just as important as the rest of your Waterbury home. We will handle all of your property with care.

Fire damage to Waterbury homes is sometimes severe and requires off-site recovery of impacted contents and belongings through a pack-out process. 

Fire restoration for many Waterbury homes involves practical solutions to protect belongings and contents within the property. While deodorization, debris removal, and other mitigation objectives can be a pressing need once extinguishing is complete, it is the possessions in your house that can make it feel like home. We strive to limit your expenses by offering consistent and reliable content management when we first arrive.

Fire damage in Waterbury homes can often spread rapidly from the most damaged area, the ignition point, to the rest of the property. Using channels like the HVAC system, smoke, ash, and debris can impact contents and structural surfaces throughout the house. While there are options that can sometimes exist to relocate your belongings to a safe place within the worksite to prevent exposure, this is not always practical, and there are many circumstances where the damage has already begun.

What is Content Management? 

In more understandable terms, content management is the series of actions taken when technicians first arrive to reduce the devastation that migrating effects can present. An evaluation conducted on an item-by-item basis determines what individual items require and the best approach to return them to their original state. There are some situations where relocation on-site or basic cleaning techniques can be enough to protect and preserve furniture, textiles, and personal belongings, but not always. After a structure fire, some conditions can impact these individual items directly, leaving several obstacles for our responding technicians. Some of these include:

• Soot
• Smoke Damage
• Odors
• Ash

When Is Pack-Out Necessary? 

In the instances where damage to your belongings has become too severe for on-site recovery, some options exist to restore them in our SERVPRO facility. Utilizing some of the most sophisticated recovery tools in the industry, we have a team of cleaning technicians who are available to restore your most treasured items and keepsakes to their original conditions. Pack-out is often a last resort situation, as leaving your possessions in the care of our professionals can be a stressful option for many property owners.

There are specific conditions where pack-out might be impossible to avoid, however. To preserve and protect some of your belongings after a structure fire, it requires immediate attention with some of the sophisticated approaches in our warehouse to remove:

• Surface Residues
• Odors
• Water Damage

How Do I Know My Items Are Safe? 

The Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS) ensures that we always have the right information about your possessions while they are in our care. While the pack-out and off-site recovery of your belongings might be inevitable after a fire, it can still be a challenge to hand control of these items over to our professionals. The CCIS approach documents everything about the items in our care from their value and placement in the house to detailed accounts of their damage.

Asset tracking and management are also services offered. At any point, we can show where one of your items is, what is actively happening with it, and grant you access to them whenever possible.

What Cleaning Do My Items Need? 

• Ultrasonic Immersion Tank – The immersion tank uses thousands of bubbles generated by vibrations to break soot and smoke residues loose on hard materials.
• Ozone Chamber – While ozone might be unsafe for use in homes when occupants or pets are still present, it remains one of the most efficient odor removal practices for our warehouse. We have a chamber to address an entire room's worth of contents simultaneously.
• Wipe Cleaning – We often rely on potent chemical agents and cleaning products. Wipe cleaning is a way to address immediate surface damages and residues but does nothing to impact any conditions beneath this surface layer.
• Drying – Water damage is one of the common compromising factors with structure fires because of extinguishing. In some cases, water damage can be more severe and threatening than soot, odors, and other fire loss effects. 
• Safe Storage – Once restoration completes on the items in our care, we can safely store them in our climate-controlled facility. Whenever restoration completes, we can move these items back to their original positions. 

Fire losses can be stressful and overwhelming, especially when it comes to recovering the individual items and contents in your house that matter the most to you. Our SERVPRO of Waterbury team can help with nearly all aspects of restoration and recovery as soon as we arrive. Give us a call anytime at (203) 757-5050.

What Do I Need to Do to Reduce Damages After a Fire?

5/21/2020 (Permalink)

When fire arises in your Waterbury home, we can be right there to help.

SERVPRO Fire Restoration Technicians Provide Emergency Response Services in Waterbury

After a fire, one thing is sure. There is much work to do before you regain your sense of normality. Even the smallest of fires can have extremely damaging impacts on your home. SERVPRO emergency response technicians move quickly to mitigate further damages.

Can I Stay in My Home After a Fire?

SERVPRO Technicians May Prep Your Home So You Can Remain

Depending on the extent of fire damage in your Waterbury home, SERVPRO technicians may decide to use additional precautions to ensure your home is livable. If you are remaining in your home, they deodorize first to eliminate some of the strong odors. They also clean the most used portions of your home, such as your kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. 

What Do SERVPRO Emergency Technicians Do to Secure My House?

• Board up windows and doors.
• Address electrical hazards.
• Inspect the home for structural issues for safety purposes.
• If power is out, set up emergency lighting and access to flashlights.

What Else Should I Do Right Away if I want to Stay in My Home?

• Put towels or old sheets over furniture to limit further damage from smoke residue.
• Seal off the parts of the home that were not impacted by the fire.
• Do not eat any contaminated food or use contaminated products.
• Pull clothing out that you need right away for cleaning. 

We understand the importance of wanting to stay in your home after a fire since displacement can add additional complications to getting your life back in order. Our technicians check for structural integrity and safety hazards and begin working to keep you in your home while they restore it to pre loss condition.

For 24/7 assistance after a fire, Contact SERVPRO of Waterbury at (203) 757-5050. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. 

To see more about Waterbury, click here.

How Do I Get a New Kitchen after this Horrible Fire?

4/1/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can get your fire-damaged Waterbury home on the road to recovery--FAST.

The First Step Is to Hire SERVPRO for Mitigation and Demolition of Your Ruined Waterbury Kitchen

Grease fires are a common threat to area kitchens and can happen unexpectedly. With the severity of these situations and the focus that homeowners should have to protect themselves and their families from the immediate threats, this fire can engulf your kitchen and make restoration without reconstruction impossible. Our SERVPRO team can carefully evaluate the entire damaged area to determine which areas can get preserved and protected and which materials must get discarded and replaced to reach pre-fire conditions.

I wonder what can be saved from my burned kitchen and appliances?

Coming into post-disaster recovery knowing that fire demolition and build-back for Waterbury kitchens is already necessary, our professionals can be more willing to include many of the grey area items into the demolition already necessary in the room. At a certain point, it can often be more cost-effective and beneficial for the customers to focus on rebuilding and repairing damages rather than going through the steps necessary to attempt to clean and deodorize these affected materials, with less than the desired effects? We can help.

What is scoping a fire loss?

Scoping is one of the preliminary tasks that happens before our SERPVRO technicians begin mitigation and recovery. Our project manager can walk through the damaged areas of your house and catalog ruined items and total losses, but also note the points where restoration practices could get employed to reduce further tear-out and reconstruction needs.

Controlled Demolition or Cosmetic Cleaning?

During mitigation, controlled demolition can help our team to reduce the harsh odors and structural dangers that exist. By clearing out compromised construction materials and contents, we can leave the area ready for reconstruction to begin as soon as mitigation efforts have completed.

Build-Back to Precondition or Improve with a Great Remodel?

Our SERVPRO team has a direct partnership with competent and qualified construction specialists in Connecticut Reconstruction Services (CRS.) After our technicians have completed pre-construction steps like clearing debris and performing controlled demolition, we can hand off the job to CRS to build back your kitchen like it used to be.

After a grease fire in your kitchen, your home needs several corrective actions. From deodorization to surface cleaning and recovery, you can count on our SERVPRO of Waterbury team to help you make it “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call today at (203) 757-5050.
Click for more about Waterbury.

Fire Recovery In Your Cheshire Home

12/29/2019 (Permalink)

Preventing the migration of fire loss effects begins with the deliberate actions of our SERVPRO of Waterbury restoration technicians.

Preventing Cross-Contamination During Fire Recovery in Cheshire

Fire loss incidents can get much worse when the effects can spread throughout your Cheshire home. Often structure fires can remain contained to a specific room or region of the house, but it is open pathways and even traffic of occupants in the house that can help to move soot, smoke, and odors to new areas of the property. Preventing this cross-contamination is a vital step for effective and cost-efficient fire damage recovery in your house.

Our professionals begin this commitment to reducing cross-contamination in your fire-damaged Cheshire home with the initial walkthrough and scoping of the damage. Our project manager gets trained to recognize damaged areas from uncontaminated flooring, so this representative of our SERVPRO team can wear shoe covers to prevent tracking soot and smoke residues back into unsoiled carpeted or hardwood areas. It's vital that we do not make recovery efforts any more challenging than they already can be after a fire.

We strive to reduce the spread of smoke and soot effects by establishing containment barriers as well. Temporary plastic sheeting walls prevent aerosolized soot particles, odors, and other contaminants from reaching unexposed areas of your household. Building this containment zone can help to eliminate the spread of these effects, but also allows for separate areas to get built-in as decontamination areas for our professionals to remove soiled over clothing and become a staging area for dirty equipment until restoration completes.

With widespread concerns, where structural compromise exists throughout the residence, we can focus on preparing the area for reconstruction and renovation. During this phase, it is also crucial for our SERVPRO technicians to avoid affecting unsoiled areas by carefully cleaning where necessary before our build back partners, Connecticut Reconstruction Services, arrive to complete the repairs and remodeling after the fire.

Preventing the migration of fire loss effects begins with the deliberate actions of our SERVPRO of Waterbury restoration technicians. With careful planning and design of the work areas, we can eliminate cross-contamination and reduce overall restoration costs for our customers. Give our professionals a call anytime at (203) 757-5050.

For more about Cheshire click here.

What is Soda Blasting and How is it Used to Restore Fire Damage in Waterbury?

11/12/2019 (Permalink)

Non-porous surfaces can be cleaned using soda blasting. This method is just one of our restoration tools.

Soda Blasting for Fire Damage Restoration in Waterbury Homes  

Surfaces like countertops are vulnerable fixtures when fire loss incidents occur in Waterbury homes. With how fast conditions like soot residues can spread throughout the household, regaining control of these migrating effects is a priority of the fire loss team we dispatch to your home. Health effects can result from unchecked and unchallenged soot particles and other contaminants, making it a vital need to move quickly on the worsening conditions.  

While our SERVPRO professionals have access to potent and effective cleaning agents, deodorizers, and other recovery solutions, soda and media blasting options are still among the most effective strategies for clearing soot fire damage in Waterbury homes on specific surfaces. Understanding the entire scope of work that must get accomplished to fully restore a damaged residence begins with a thorough inspection in which residues get identified, and the migration limits of current effects can get identified.  

Media blasting is an abrasive cleaning approach, and though it is safe for some fire damaged surfaces, it is not ideal for all affected areas of your property. Countertops, masonry, and harder surfaces can respond well to soda and media blasting approaches, but other softer surfaces can mar in this process. Working quickly to get this process started can help to protect installed materials from staining and erosion from the acidity of soot.  

We implement soda blasting when we are looking to protect the underlying substrate best while entirely removing any surface threats that exist. This approach is also ideal for mold remediation for this same reason. Countertops like granite and marble can withstand abrasive cleaning while newly settled soot particles cannot. The removal of soot residues can help to make the environment safer for our technicians and help to reduce overall restoration costs for our customers.  

While soda blasting does not always have an application in the recovery of a home after a fire, our understanding of the best approaches to restore areas of your house can save you money and time. Give our SERVPRO of Waterbury restorers a call anytime you need us at (203) 757-5050. 

 Read more about Waterbury.

Fire Prevention '16

10/27/2016 (Permalink)

Flames

You never hear: “I figured our house would be catching fire one of these days.  I’m sure glad we’re prepared.”

When it comes to the unthinkable, we tend to ignore the prospect or do a periodic, check-the-box review.  This is an area where investing a little mental energy on the front end can save you, literally.

Here are a few tips from our team to get you started:

• More than six in 10 house fires between 2007 and 2011 were caused by power or wiring issues. Outdated power strip/surges are the major culprit.   Old power strips are not rated to safely support the power load of the techno modern household… this means flat screens, dvd players and gaming consoles.   The demand for power, particularly in older houses with fewer outlets encourages daisy chaining power which is a huge hazard.  The solution is to look at your outlets and see how you are drawing power.  If you can’t remember when you bought your power strips or extension chords but you remember when you bought the devices they power, replace the power strips.
• 6,800 fires started around washers and dryers in 2010. The most common cause is lint traps. Clean them and teach your kids or anyone else who might use the dryer, to keep them clean.  You should also watch for gas or propane leaks around the dryers.
• Two-thirds of kitchen fires tend to start from food or other peripheral material catching fire on the range. Watch loose clothing and never leave an open flame on an uncovered pan.  Fire investigators are wary of seeming carelessness around kitchen fires because they are so preventable with a modicum of diligence.  Kitchen fire hint: In the event of an oven fire, turn off the oven and leave it closed.  The fire should extinguish itself.

It takes two minutes for a house fire to become fully engulfed.  Talk to your kids about fires. Discuss their escape options, practice.   Consider yours as well.

Keep Summer Safe

7/14/2016 (Permalink)

Soil Embers

Public Service Announcement – Keep Summer Safe

A: Three

Q:  How many fires has your team mitigated in the last year that started in potted plants?

Potting soil is comprised of peat, bark, perlite and coconut coir.  This highly flammable mix can turn a lazy afternoon on a deck to tragedy with the tamping of a single cigarette butt.  If you doubt it go to the Wizard of Oz (or Google) and type in “fire potting soil”.  The picture is not pretty.  

Dry potting soil requires only a tiny catalyst to begin smoldering and this is significantly underappreciated hazard. What’s worse the embers can expand unseen and burn out the bottom of a plastic hanging planter box. 

Avoid tragedy by using ashtrays, keep  your plants watered, use clay pots, keep  combustible material away from plants, and dispose of potting soil carefully.

Latex Foam reopens two weeks after fires

7/16/2014 (Permalink)

Firefighters are on scene in the aftermath of an early morning fire at the Latex International factory Thursday, June 26, 2014

SHELTON -- The prospect of Latex Foam reopening two weeks after two significant fires was doubtful.

But that's what happened Monday, as many of the company's 150 employees returned to work.

"It was a tremendous undertaking by everyone," said Allen Randolph, owner of SERVPRO of New Haven, Waterbury, the Naugatuck Valley and northern Westchester County which managed the cleanup. "Half of our staff lives in the Valley. We consider the Valley our home turf, so we're proud to have helped save these jobs."

Mayor Mark Lauretti said he drove by the company Monday morning and noticed the parking lot was full.

"This is good news for those who are employed there," the mayor said. "People need to work. They need the paycheck to pay their bills and feed their families."

Attempts to reach officials at Latex Foam by telephone were unsuccessful Monday. The general voicemail box was full and not accepting new calls.

Randolph credited David Fisher, Latex's chief executive officer, and the company's insurance team with providing the necessary resources to get the business back in operation.

Fisher "told us early on that it was his expectation to reopen July 14 and it was our job to do it," Randolph said. "There was never any discussion of failure to meet that goal."

There may not have been any discussion, but there were obstacles, like the second fire which struck just four days after the devastating first one that had required firefighters to pump more than 150,000 gallons of water on the blaze.

It seems black clouds have loomed over Latex Foam, which arose from the ashes of an arson that destroyed its predecessor -- Sponge Rubber Products -- on March 1, 1975. There was also the catastrophic 2001 weeklong fire that consumed the company's Ansonia headquarters, sending the company to its present River Road site. And two company executives are serving federal prison terms for embezzling $3.5 million. And there is the current bankruptcy petition to reorganize $29 million in debts.

The June 26 and 30 fires could have been the final straw.

"We were about 90 percent finished drying the basement when the second fire struck on June 30 at 11 a.m.," Randolph said. "That was a smaller fire and a lot less water was used."

But Randolph's crews, which worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week and at times numbered 170 people, attacked the clean-up in three stages. SERVPRO brought in extra employees from their Rhode Island, New York and Tennessee companies and members of ERS Services in Indiana to clean inside the machinery.

The first cleanup, which began June 26 and ended July 2, involved drying and cleaning the offices. The second, which ended Sunday, involved drying, cleaning and disinfecting rollers, conveyors, presses, machinery, pipes, rollers and conveyors through which the product moves.

The third stage, which is still progressing, involves cleaning non-critical working areas.

During the cleanup, Randolph said, SERVPRO brought in 200 air movers, 17 scissor lifts, a gigantic trailer-based desiccant dryer which removes condensation from compressed air and "a lot of guys with mops and wet-vacs."

mmayko@ctpost.com, 203-330-6286