Archived Blog Posts

Actions to Take in the Event of Fire Damage

Name: SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos
Address: 40 Cape Hatteras Court, Redwood Shores, CA, 94065
Telephone: (650) 591-4137

7/16/2022 (Permalink)

Our professionals are highly-trained, with the experience, tools, and knowledge to clean up fire and smoke damage.

Actions to Take in the Event of Fire Damage

Fire damage can be a terrifying experience. However, after a moment of disbelief, homeowners often ask how they might begin the cleaning procedure. Thus, taking the required precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones is essential.

Ask First whether You're Allowed to Enter Your Property

Make sure that the Fire Marshall has given the go-ahead for you to enter the building. In that case, you should be aware of potential hazards in your house, such as hot spots and unstable beams. Waiting until it is safe to see whether your treasured possessions have been spared the fire's ravages is preferable to dealing with an injury that might prolong the process of clearing up the fire damage.

Take Pictures of the Fire Damage.

It's also a good idea to take photographs of the damage to show them to the insurance companies and other possible service providers while you're getting bids. Some damage may not be apparent, such as removing the smoky smell from clothing and furnishings.

Call a Fire Damage Restoration Company for Help

However, there are certain things that you can handle on your own, such as removing clothes and linens that may be laundered or brought to the dry cleaners. Items that have been severely damaged by fire, smoke, or water should not be handled. A restoration firm should be contacted immediately after a fire. These businesses are dedicated to restoring and repairing damaged property.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is here to help if you require fire damage restoration services. There is no job too big or too little for us to handle. Give us a call today at (650) 591-4137.

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Storm Damage Restoration.

7/16/2022 (Permalink)

Fire, water, and mold restoration are the cornerstones of our business. SERVPRO is dedicated to responding to your emergency fast.

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Storm Damage Restoration.

A storm has hit your location, and you can see its destruction on your property. Also, coping with storm damage may be a huge challenge. Do not worry! SERVPRO Restoration team is here to assist. But why hire us for a storm damage restoration?

Fastest and Most Efficient Restoration Companies

When you're amid a severe storm damage circumstance, call SERVPRO professionals to handle everything and have the restoration done as fast as possible. In a concise amount of time, we should be able to restore your house to its previous condition.

We Minimize Damage and Restoration Costs Throughout the Process

Our storm damage restoration services may lower your overall losses and the entire expense of cleaning and repair. When water is rapidly removed, the area will dry quicker. With this, the restoration will go more quickly and smoothly. Our prompt reaction may also achieve the capacity to salvage furniture and papers from damage.

We ensure the Well-Being of Relatives.

When storm damage is severe, microorganisms and contamination are inevitable. However, our storm damage repair services can avoid these germs and bacteria. Because the health of our customers is our priority, our storm damage restoration services will leave your house spotless and sanitized.

Are You Struggling To Recover From A Storm? We've Got Your Back!

When you lose your assets and properties during a storm, we at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos realize how tough it is for you to get back on your feet again.

Immediately contact us so that you may get back on your feet. We have years of experience in dealing with storm damage restoration. So, we can vouch for high-quality service. Give us a call today at (650) 591-4137!

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Smoke And Fire Damage Restoration.

6/8/2022 (Permalink)

We specialize in fire and water damage restoration, removal of smoke odors, and deep-cleaning soot from walls, carpets and upholstery.

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Smoke And Fire Damage Restoration.

Our experience at SERVPRO Restoration service has shown that homeowners find it difficult to fix damage caused by fire and smoke. However, we make it a priority to help you as soon as possible so that we can ensure that your business or house is returned to its previous condition. But why hire us for your smoke and fire damage restoration?

We guarantee preventative measures are in place.

The confinement stage, which is both the first and the most important, is one of our process's earliest and most essential components. So, we ensure we isolate all the affected parts and clean all the ash and residue.

We remove all standing water.

You will require assistance with the water damage restoration process in case of a fire and smoke incident. In any case, you will need help to remove standing water. You can count on our team to quickly remove any standing water and completely dry your building utilizing water extraction equipment that is of a professional standard.

We remove valuables and assist in the recovery lost documents.

We bear the same responsibility for safeguarding your property for mending it. Consequently, we will conduct a comprehensive examination of your residence, during which we will remove any valuables and ensure that any lost document is retrieved.

We do Comprehensive cleaning.

After all, the water has been removed and the necessary items have been taken out of the premises securely, a comprehensive cleaning starts immediately.

Your Reliable Partner in Cleaning and Restoration Services

With decades of experience, the restoration specialists on the SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team can provide the most extensive fire damage and smoke removal restoration services in the nation. Please give us a call right away at (650) 591-4137.

Locations in your home may be at risk for water damage.

6/7/2022 (Permalink)

Our top-notch people use the most advanced equipment to detect hidden moisture and extract standing water.

Locations in your home may be at risk for water damage.

There is no joking around when it comes to Belmont/ San Carlos property damage. Even though homeowners may not worry about this, many occur when you least expect them. Water damage is one of the issues that keep popping up. These incidents may make you feel that there is no way out, but knowing the locations at home that may be at risk of water damage helps in the long run! Just a few instances include the following:

The Bathroom

Humidity crises are also prevalent in bathrooms. Mold and other germs may thrive in stagnant water if faucets aren't checked regularly. When bathrooms aren't adequately ventilated after a bath or shower, mold may form on the walls.

The Kitchen

Several elements in the kitchen make it a high-risk location for water damage. If your kitchen cabinetry and flooring may warp if leaking pipes are left ignored, resulting in extensive damage and pricey cleaning.

The Roof

The roof is among the first lines of protection against water damage caused by weather. On the other hand, roofs are weakened by each blow and must be maintained to keep the inside dry. So, it is highly suggested that you get regular checks.

The Basement

Flooding is a possibility in basements since they are below ground level. Check the foundation and seals on walls and ceilings to verify that your basement isn't vulnerable to water damage.

Disasters may still happen in your Belmont/ San Carlos home even if you know where these rooms are located. If this happens, you'll want to call in the experts at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos (650) 591-4137 to handle the water damage cleaning effectively.

Commercial Fire Damage Restoration Process

6/2/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO® helps commercial customers with a wide variety of cleaning, construction and restoration projects, both large and small.

Commercial Fire Damage Restoration Process

You will require a commercial restoration service if a fire has damaged your commercial property. And to begin with this, restoration efforts must get underway as quickly as possible to prevent company disruption and further recovery costs. But what are the commercial fire damage restoration procedure when a fire occurs?

Hire a commercial restoration service near you

Your first concern should be preventing more damage to your commercial building. So, set up an appointment with the most recognized business repair company in your area for an inspection to evaluate the damage.

Remove standing water from the structure.

When the firefighting efforts are complete, the most critical step is to evacuate as much water as possible. If you want to make sure there are no leaks or spots that might produce mold, you need to employ a business restoration firm.

Cleaning up the work area of smoke and soot

The restoration company's next step is to use specialized equipment and processes to remove smoke and soot from the building's surfaces. This is because subsurface stains and odors are common when dealing with fire and smoke damage.

Disposal of Unwanted Items and Organization

All damaged products and structures will be removed from the space. After that, the whole commercial space is reorganized back to its original state

Restorative Services

Lastly, you may have to repaint, restore drywall, and install new carpet to get your commercial space back to how it was before the fire. Even if you must rebuild a large portion of your property, professional contractors will know how to maximize your return on investment.

You can rely on SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for Commercial Restoration. We will take care of the whole commercial facility restoration process. Contact us right now for a free consultation at (650) 591-4137.

3 Things To Look For In A Professional Storm Damage Service

5/31/2022 (Permalink)

We have the experience and the equipment needed to cleanup and restore your home and help get life back to normal following storm damage.

3 Things To Look For In A Professional Storm Damage Service

If severe weather, such as a storm, tornado, or hurricane, causes damage to your property, you should first make arrangements for a trained storm damage expert to inspect the damage. But what are things to look for in a professional storm damage service?

What Are Things To Look For?

Watch out for positive reviews.

If you want to know how valuable a storm damage restoration expert will be, you should look at other people's prior experiences with them, just as with anything else. Do not employ someone with poor online evaluations. In contrast, don't allow a few unfavorable reviews to keep you from hiring someone who has had an overall positive experience with most clients. Sometimes, a customer's perception of the restoration expert's integrity and expertise is more important than how the insurer processed the claim.

Affordable Prices

Given that you will be paying for someone's services, it is reasonable to assume that you would be seeking a storm restoration expert who can provide their services at an affordable cost. Even though you will be responsible for the expense of hiring a restoration expert, your insurance company may reimburse you.

Look Out For Ones That Work With Insurance

Professional storm damage experts that deal with insurance companies may help you submit claims more swiftly and efficiently. Depending on how many other people were influenced by the storm, it may take some time to get in touch with your insurance company, so having a professional on your side can be beneficial.

Are you searching for a trusted storm restoration expert near you? Trust the SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team to restore your home or business to its existing shape. Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

Causes Of Fire In A Commercial Building

5/28/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO® has the specialized fire restoration training needed to restore your home to pre-fire condition.

Causes Of Fire In A Commercial Building

Fires constitute a major concern and may result in the loss of property, productive time, and even the risk of life. The most prevalent causes of fire in commercial buildings are well-known to the public. However, there are other, less prevalent causes of commercial fires for which company owners and residents should exercise caution. Here are a few causes of fire in a commercial building.

Use of cleaning agents, including solutions and other compounds

Following the directions on how to store cleaning products properly is essential. Make sure you're acquainted with them, particularly when it comes to the utility room or if you're keeping chemicals beneath the sink. Certain chemicals may start a fire if combined or heated up from being improperly stored.

Animals

Animals may have a role in some of the strangest fire starts. Consider the following:

A bird may choose to make its nest near electrical wires or on top of buildings that may get hot.
Mice may gnaw through electrical lines, resulting in a fire outbreak.

Dust

It's no secret that we despise dust, but now we have even more reason to get out the vacuum cleaner. Almost every sort of dust has the potential to catch fire. It is possible for materials that are not easily ignited to provide a fire danger when they are in the form of dust.

Computer and Laptop Overheating

Computer and laptop fires may be rare, but they do happen. Fans or batteries that fail, worn-out connections and excessive temperatures are all possible causes of computer and laptop fires.

What to Do If Fire destroys a Commercial Building

Restoring a commercial building after a fire is out and everyone has been evacuated may be challenging. To help restore your fire-damaged property to its former glory, call on the experienced specialists at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

ACTIONS TO TAKE IN THE EVENT OF WATER DAMAGE

5/25/2022 (Permalink)

When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial.

ACTIONS TO TAKE IN THE EVENT OF WATER DAMAGE

The use of water is beneficial to our health, but it is not helpful to your home. If your home is flooded with water, you should take the following steps to protect your home from suffering additional damage:

Disconnect the House from the Electric System.
Find out where the water is coming from that is leaking.
Take Away the Soggy Things
Clearwater from the area that was damaged
Open Windows
Dial the number of the water damage restoration company.
Take Pictures of the Area That Was Affected

Take Actions Immediately

After discovering that the water is flooding, you must act immediately. Maintain your composure and use extreme caution if you work with electronics or circuits during floods. The quicker you take action; the less harm water will do to your house if it gets inside. In addition, leaks and cracks in the foundation should NOT be ignored since they will not only cause damage to your foundation but also provide an ideal environment for mold development.

Also, because mold begins to develop between 24 and 48 hours after it is exposed to moisture, it is in your best interest to have a trained water damage restoration expert investigate any areas that could be at risk for mold growth. Give SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team a call today at (650) 591-4137.

Why SERVPRO Is A Certified Restoration Company For Water Damage

5/12/2022 (Permalink)

"Like it never even happened."

Why SERVPRO Is A Certified Restoration Company For Water Damage

One of the most heartbreaking things that may happen to you is waking up and finding out that water has severely damaged your home. You know precisely how painful it is if you've ever dealt with water damage. However, a certified water damage restoration contractor like SERVPRO is essential in this scenario.

We have professional tools and equipment.

There is a difference between the equipment used by qualified restoration contractors vs. amateurs who handle their water damage cleanup. Our restoration and cleanup services have the proper equipment to speed up the drying process and minimize the damage caused by water.

We have experience handling water damage.

If you don't have the proper training, you'll be wasting your time and money trying to restore your house to its original state after water damage. Moreover, we are well aware of the criticality of moving quickly to limit the damage and dangers posed by the recent flooding. And so, SERVPRO experts are well trained in handling damage caused by flooding. We know how to handle any harm caused by water damage. Trust us to get the job done perfectly.

We are licensed and qualified.

At SERVPRO, we have a team of licensed and qualified water damage restoration experts. These professionals are often trained in the latest water damage repair techniques, including mold treatment, odor control, commercial drying, etc.

We restore your home to its original state.

It's safe to say that SERVPRO water damage restoration services are meticulous in their efforts. We've been doing this for years when it comes to repairing your home's foundation, so we have honed our skills to the point that you can’t notice even the tiniest pockets of dampness. In addition, our skilled water damage repair specialists will remove the water from your home and sanitize it and restore it to its previous condition.

Your Trusted Restoration And Clean Up Experts.

With SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos you may save time and money by working with our certified water damage restoration professionals, who can assist you in preparing the necessary documentation and documents. Please get in touch with us today for additional information or if you need a water damage contractor at (650) 591-4137.

Patching Drywall: A Guide

5/12/2022 (Permalink)

We offer all services needed to get your business or home constructed.

Patching Drywall: A Guide

A top concern when prepping for a move to new business location or home includes patching drywall. This material is extremely vulnerable to holes, cracks, and dents, but it can easily be repaired with painting, sanding, and joint compound.

Damage can occur from multiple reasons. Most damage to drywalls is observed in the form of popped nail heads, dents, and screw holes. These incidents are very minor and can be easily remedied.

Fill tiny holes and dents with lightweight spackle using a putty knife. Ensure the spackle fills the hole and is level with the rest of the wall that is undamaged. Allow it to try for up to 30 minutes. Use sandpaper to smoothen the area. Touch up the paint and brush away debris.

For cracks, widen it with the aid of a utility knife and ensure dust is brushed away. Apply a coat of spackle across the entire area, and smoothen with a putty knife. If wider than half an inch, cover with drywall tape composed of self-adhesive fiberglass. Allow the compound to dry thoroughly.

When dealing with popped nail heads, it's likely that they have loosened from wall studs. A simple drywall screw can reattach drywall to the stud. Drive the screw in about 2 inches above the location of the popped head. Sink the head just below the surface of the drywall. Hammer the head back in, being mindful of unwanted hammer damage. Cover with a spackle, allow it to try, then touch up the paint. This works in all cases.

When projects are larger than you can handle, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

5/11/2022 (Permalink)

Whether you have minor storm damage or something larger to deal with, we have the experience and the equipment needed to cleanup and restore your home

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

Immediately after a large storm, you must take action to limit the damage to your property. Luckily, you may be left with minor damages from the storms, which must be dealt promptly to protect your safety and valuables. Initially, assessing the damage might be intimidating, but you can be proactive in handling your storm cleaning by following these steps.

Priority should be given to health and safety issues.

Always put off the electricity when managing water damage from a storm. Stormwater may have penetrated your walls and electrical wires, which can lead to fire incidents. Also, switch off the water supply to your home, and avoid the sewage system if the pipes look clogged.

Take Pictures of the Storm Damage.

Please take pictures of the damage to your home as soon as it is safe. This will help provide documentation for your insurance provider. Follow your insurance policy to guarantee that you speak with the right specialists for any mandatory inspections. Ensure to conduct an inventory of both the inside and outside of the property.

Fix the roof.

The roofs of buildings take the brunt of storm damage. When the roof is gone, water damage soon accumulates. To ensure that the remainder of your home is safe from future storms, get your roof examined and fixed as quickly as possible when the cleanup is complete.

Consult Professionals About Water Damage Restoration

Professional flood cleanup is required to ensure that every square inch of a flooded home is completely dry. While you can help remove damaged items, it's better to leave the rest in the hands of a professional.

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos immediately if you need storm damage restoration services today at (650) 591-4137.

How To Detect Water Damage

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

With more than 50 years of experience you can trust us to develop a water damage restoration plan to help ensure your home is clean, dry, and restored

How To Detect Water Damage

Houses are one of the most significant investments you will make in your lifetime, and buying one is a substantial financial commitment. However, when protecting your investment, you should be on the lookout for any domestic concerns and fix them before the situation worsens. One of them is water damage. And the best way of dealing with water damage is to detect it at first. So, how do you detect water damage?

Always look at the Floors.

It doesn't matter what type of flooring you have; water damage will show up. And this is why it is essential to look out on the tile and wood floors for cracks, buckling, or warping.

Look for stains.

These include stains on the floor surrounding a bathroom's bathtub or toilet and on ceilings and walls stained by water. Spotting unusual stains in the wall might suggest that a pipe or drain is leaking behind it. It's also possible that bloated or soft-to-touch patches in the drywall indicate issues.

Observe from the Outside.

Take a look around the outside of your home. Water pools in the yard, gutters that aren't moving water far enough away from home, or leaking rain gutters are all things to watch for while inspecting a property's drainage systems. Your home's foundation might be at risk from any of these conditions.

Keep an eye out for rust and mold.

Check for corrosion on the tank or moist patches on the floor when inspecting the water heater. Smelly tanks might be an indication of an ongoing leak. It's also possible that water seepage might be causing corrosion near pipe connections. Your home's nooks and crannies may be harboring tiny mold spores, which may be seen by looking for visible mold development.

Your Trusted Restoration and Clean Up Service

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos services immediately for all your property restoration requirements, including water damage, fire damage, and storm damage repair. You can call us at (650) 591-4137.

The Process Of Commercial Restoration For Fire Damage

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO® helps commercial customers with a wide variety of cleaning, construction and restoration projects, both large and small.

The Process Of Commercial Restoration For Fire Damage

If your commercial property has been devastated by a fire, there is a need for a commercial restoration service. However, the restoration procedure must begin as soon as feasible to avoid business interruption and additional recovery expenditures. Doing so swiftly and efficiently will ensure normal company operations resume quickly. But what are the restoration process of commercial property in a fire disaster? Read on to learn about this.

Evaluation

When you hire a professional, you'll get a complete evaluation of the damage, critical for the restoration, cleanup, and insurance processes. Make an appointment for a damage assessment with your region's most reputable commercial restoration company.

Occupational Safety and Health

Preventing further harm to your property should be your priority. The restoration team will inspect your windows, walls, and roofs to see whether they need to be boarded up or if the roof needs a tarp.

Water removal from the building.

The most crucial step is to remove as much water as possible when the firefighting actions have been completed. It's critical to hire a professional commercial restoration team to check for leaks and areas susceptible to mold growth.

Smoke and soot removal from the work area.

Smoke and soot frequently leave behind stains and smells that extend well below the surface. The following phase for the restoration firm is to remove smoke and soot from every part of the building surfaces using specialist equipment and procedures.

Reorganization and Debris Removal

The next step is to thoroughly clean all damaged goods and buildings that can be repaired. Many different cleaning methods and equipment like industrial air scrubbers and foggers may be utilized to remove smoke odors.

Repair and Restoration

Finally, restoring your house to its pre-fire condition may necessitate work such as painting, drywall restoration, and new flooring installation. Even if a significant piece of your property must be rebuilt, skilled contractors will know how to get the most bang for your buck throughout the restoration process.

We at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos take care of the complete restoration procedure for commercial buildings. You may get a free consultation by contacting us today at (650) 591-4137.

What You Need to Know About Water Damage

5/4/2022 (Permalink)

Our customer-focused professionals will assess the residential water damage to your property. Then help you understand the severity of the damage.

What You Need to Know About Water Damage

Having to deal with water damage is the worst nightmare for every homeowner. And in the event of a leaky pipe or a flooded basement, the whole house activities have to be on pause until your house is dry and secured. Here are three things you need to know about water damage to protect your house and respond correctly in the event of an emergency:

The type of water matters.

The three types of water causing damage at home are rainwater, fresh water, and sewage water. And they all need a different approach to combat them. Bacteria in sewage may make you very unwell and even kill you. Unfortunately, it is frequently simple to discern the difference since it will smell just as you expect. However, experts in water damage restoration will have the necessary tools and equipment to tackle any water-related issues that may arise securely.

Watch out for the presence of mold.

Despite the water being removed from your home, there is still moisture lurking in the shadows that you may not be aware of. And this can lead to mold growth in places such as crawl spaces and under floorboards. Toxic mold may harm a house's structure and have significant effects. A mold prevention expert should inspect your property to ensure that this dangerous substance isn't encroaching on your property.

Check out for attics.

A leaking roof or clogged gutters are the most typical causes of water damage, so your attic is particularly vulnerable. Check your attic often for signs of water damage to ensure that a tiny leak does not escalate into a more significant issue.

Your Trusted Restoration and Clean Up Services.

Immediately call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 if you believe that your house has been flooded or has water damage or mold. And to prevent future losses, urgent action is needed for all sorts of water damage. We will assist you in ensuring your safety and protecting your financial interests.

Commercial Restoration: What It Is And What You Need to Know

4/28/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO® helps commercial customers with a wide variety of cleaning, construction and restoration projects, both large and small.

Commercial Restoration: What It Is And What You Need to Know

At SERVPRO, we recognize that your business is essential to you, and we understand how painful it can be to incur damage to your facilities. Commercial restoration companies like ours can help you restore your business after a fire, flood, storm, or other harmful disasters. Read on to learn what you need to know commercial restoration process.

Every disaster has a unique restoration process.

Commercial restoration is a broad phrase that encompasses a wide range of restoration services to businesses or offices after a disaster. Storms, fires, floods, and other natural disasters are just a few of the many potential causes of damage to your organization, and each one necessitates a unique restoration strategy. With SERVPRO restoration experts, you can be confident that your business will promptly restore to its pre-incident state.

There is a need for a timely response.

If you wait too long to begin the method, the recovery process for commercial restoration will suffer from delayed response time. And so, we're here to answer your calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also make every effort to dispatch our professionals to the location of the damage as quickly as possible to begin repairs.

There can be a slight delay in results.

However, commercial restoration does take time, and you may need to take precautionary measures to safeguard your organization in the interim. SERVPRO teams, for example, may be required to board up windows to protect your business from the elements while repairs are in progress. However, you may rest sure that we will rescue, clean, and restore as much of your property as we possibly can.

We've earned the reputation as #1 in the cleanup and restoration industry. Find more about us on SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos or give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

SERVPRO Is Your Perfect Smoke Damage Restoration Company

4/26/2022 (Permalink)

Restoring your home or business after fire damage to its pre-fire condition is our main goal.

SERVPRO Is Your Perfect Smoke Damage Restoration Company

At SERVPRO, we know that repairing damage caused by fire and smoke is frequently more complicated than the fire itself. And to guarantee that your company or home is restored to its original state, we take our job to assist you promptly.

We employ the most cutting-edge cleaning equipment and restoration techniques compared to our competitors. And if the cost of repair is less than the value of the item being replaced, we still go-ahead to complete the restoration. Here are the various process we take in restoring your businesses and homes after smoke damage.

We ensure preventive measures are in place.

One of our method's earliest and most critical elements is containment, which is the first and most significant step. As a result, the restoration procedure will be more time-consuming and expensive if you don't take certain preventive precautions, such as enclosing all damaged areas and removing all ash and residue.

We perform total water removal.

If your property has fire sprinklers or the fire was so intense that water hoses were used to put it out, you'll need help with both fire and smoke damage restoration and water damage restoration. Count on our crew to promptly remove any standing water and fully dry your structure using commercial-grade water extraction equipment.

We remove valuables and help restore lost documents.

We are just as responsible for protecting your property as repairing it. As a result, we perform a complete inspection of your home, removing any valuables and ensuring that any carpets, clothes, furniture, and other items are safely removed from the impacted areas. A company owner's loss of important documents and media assets may be devastating when disasters such as fires occur. Fortunately, we employ the latest record recovery technology and processes to ensure that as much of your valuable data as possible may be recovered. We will work with you and your adjuster to verify that we are adhering to all of your policy's requirements if there are any unsalvageable goods.

We perform a thorough cleaning.

A thorough cleaning will begin when all water has been removed, and the required goods have been safely removed from the building. Complete cleaning, disinfection, and deodorization of all furniture, carpets, walls, ceilings, cabinetry, worktops, HVAC systems, and other areas requiring expert care are usually part of this procedure.

Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team of restoration experts has decades of expertise offering the best fire damage and smoke removal restoration services in the country. In addition to the latest cutting-edge tools and technology, our highly experienced professionals come on the scene with the depth of knowledge, steadfast devotion, and profound expertise you need to ensure the job is in good hands. Contact us at (650) 591-4137.

What To Expect From Storm Damage Restoration Experts

4/21/2022 (Permalink)

Whether you have minor storm damage or something larger to deal with, we have the experience and the equipment needed to cleanup and restore your home

What To Expect From Storm Damage Restoration Experts

A storm is not a friendly scenario because it can cause a lot of harm to both structures and plants. Also, the building is at risk if the roof is compromised by wind damage. This can allow rain and snow to penetrate the roof's protective covering, causing the wood to expand and eventually degrade and mold. As a result, there will be a drooping ceiling and further issues. And because of the dangers of wind, rain, hail, and lightning, a storm damage restoration service is an excellent alternative for dealing with this emergency. Professionals in storm damage restoration services will likely engage in the following actions.

Complete Inspection

You can count on our professional restoration team to visit your home and do a complete inspection of the inside and outside of your building. This will assist them in determining the extent of the damage to discuss our plan to help return your property back to preloss condition. We’ll then work to remove the water that shouldn’t be there using pumps and water extracting equipment. In most circumstances, the restoration team will meet with you and your insurance company to discuss the remodeling ideas.

Use Of Professional Tools

Every detail must be agreed upon before work can begin. Depending on the nature of the storm damage, the restoration experts will utilize various tools. Professionals will use tools such as pumps and extractors to remove water from the impacted section of the building in the event of floods.

No chances For Mold and Mildew Growth

Mold and mildew won't have a chance to spread since generators will power their dehumidifiers and other specialized drying equipment. After disinfecting hard surfaces and shampooing salvageable carpets with specific cleansers, the professionals will also use deodorant to fight smells.

A Thorough Roof Evaluation

A storm damage restoration company can save your building by evaluating the roof and restoring the damaged portions if they are called promptly. In addition to sealing and restoring the roof, they also help with the ceiling.

As you can see, the storm damage restoration procedure must be handled by professionals when dealing with natural calamities. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos can help you if you've recently suffered storm damage and need storm damage repair or water damage cleanup services. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

What Is Water Damage Remediation?

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

Professional Is Fixing a Busted Water Pipe

SERVPRO’s professionals specialize in repairing and restoring following residential water damage.

What Is Water Damage Remediation?

By definition, water remediation is the process of remedying or reversing damages caused by water. In other terms, it involves cleaning, sanitizing, restoring, and drying damages that are the direct result of unwanted water in a business or home.

For any case of water damage, it's critical to act in an efficient and quick manner to clean the water and prevent additional damage from accumulating. If the damage is not handled in a rapid fashion, the affected areas will breed mold. For this to grow in a home, there must be an organic material such as insulation, drywall, wood, and moisture. Upon providing these two elements for the spores, mold starts growing in as little as 24 hours.

The first step in the process of remediation includes inspection of the water loss. During this process, a professional team will identify the category and class of the damages, which in turn helps determine the right course of action. Class 1 water damage means that water has damaged some of a room that has yet to absorb significant concentrations, often resulting in low repair costs. Class 2 water damage means that an entire room has been affected, and walls have begun soaking up the water. Class 3 water damage means that flooding has expanded to the ceiling, making it fully saturated. Class 4 water damage indicates issues affecting concrete, hardwood flooring, and stone, with special drying methods having to be implemented.

Excess and outstanding water will be extracted by a team of professionals. Once this is finished, the structure will be dried, and all traces of moisture will be removed. Next, the area will be cleaned and sanitized to ensure no mold spores are present. Finally, the structure will be restored to working conditions.

When you have water damage to your home, call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for quick response to prevent further damage and begin the water repair and restoration process.

What To Do If Your Sink Gets Clogged At Your Business

4/16/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO® helps commercial customers with a wide variety of cleaning, construction and restoration projects, both large and small.

What To Do If Your Sink Gets Clogged At Your Business

If your sink is draining slowly or not at all, producing an odor, there may be a clog. It is critical to take care of these as soon as possible. In the event that a blockage is allowed to accumulate, it can result in burst pipes and a need to reach out to a professional plumber.

Prior to unclogging a sink with water, use a basin or cup to remove the standing water. Always attempt to plunge the water first. Small clogs are often easily dislodged with the standard cup plunger. It's recommended to try using one with a flat rim that creates a seal over the hole to apply the pressure necessary to dislodge it.

Ensure that the sink contains the right amount of water to submerge the plunger's head.

Another way to solve the issue can involve taking a half-gallon of water and bringing it to a boil with heat. After taking measures to remove the sink's standing water, pour the boiling water directly towards the drain with the aid of a steady stream. It should start to drain. If it fails, let the water cool completely, then repeat an additional time.

Baking soda mixtures offer a natural way to unclog a sink, as it proves gentle on the pipes in comparison to chemical openers. Pour a single cup of baking soda down the drain in addition to white vinegar of the same amount. Place a sink hole cover or rubber stop over the opening. Wait 15 minutes, then remove the cover and run water down to clear out the clog. If these solutions do not work , SERVPRO will be there to help find the solution.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides a variety of commercial services to ensure your business runs smoothly. If you have any questions call us at (650) 591-4137.

Facts About Home Fires

4/13/2022 (Permalink)

Our goal is to restore your home or business after fire damage to its pre-fire condition.

Facts About Home Fires

Burns and fires continue to prove a significant cause of unintentional death and injury in home settings. Those who are the most at risk include the young and the elderly. Here are some fast facts about home fires.

Facts

Nearly 4000 people die on an annual basis in the United States, with more than 2000 severely injured due to house fires.
The heat emanating from a house fire can reach over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit in barely 3.5 minutes.
Approximately 80% of casualties from fires occur in homes.
For rooms that haven't been set aflame, the temperature is still liable to reach beyond 300 degrees, a figure hot enough to kill people and melt plastic.
Across the overall population, senior citizens aged 65 and up are more than two times as likely to die from a home fire.
The leading cause of death from fire is related to careless smoking.
Having a smoke detector greatly increases the probability of surviving a fire.

Factors That Contribute To Fatality

Fire inevitably produces fumes and gasses that can easily confuse, make sleepy, or weaken people. Furthermore, the carbon monoxide produced is not sensible, so if you are already sleeping, the smell will not wake you up, but an alarm will. Unlike the flames seen in films, the smoke emanating from house fires is often so thick that the interior of a house can dark in less than 4 minutes, regardless of whether there are lights on or not.

Even if a fire is contained in one area, smoke and soot can travel throughout a structure. Our professionals at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos are highly-trained to clean up fire and smoke damage. Contact us at (650) 591-4137.

Water Damage and Home Safety

4/8/2022 (Permalink)

When you have water damage to your home, SERVPRO® will respond quickly to prevent further damage and begin the water repair and restoration process.

Water Damage and Home Safety

When you suffer from water damage in a home, it's important to note the steps that could have led to its prevention. Plumbing, storm, or flood issues are extremely costly and typically require immediate action to remediate.

Leaking Supply Line

Washing machines tend to be fed by supply lines that face constant pressure. In the event that your water lines are composed of braided stainless steel, you often do not need to be concerned. The problem lies in whether or not the washing machine contains supply lines composed of PVC or rubber. These can easily rupture and wear out, which results in an entire laundry room flooding in the span of a handful of minutes if you fail to shut off the source of water in time. In short, use the right material for all lines.

Air Conditioning Condensation

AC units are designed to produce condensation in which moisture drips from the evaporator coil into a pan and is ejected from a property via a drain line. This system works until damage is taken by the pan or the drain line becomes clogged with dirt or dust. When water cannot escape, it will leak out from your AC straight into the house. All that unwanted water can damage the walls and floor, weakening the insulation.

Blocked Drains

Any drain, regardless of whether it is a kitchen sink, bathtub, or bathroom floor, can clog for a variety of reasons. Grease buildup, dirt, hair, toiletries, and other foreign objects have the potential to obstruct the pipe and prevent proper drainage. When not taken care of on a routine basis, they can easily back up, resulting in water damage and flooding.

SERVPRO’s professionals specialize in repairing and restoring following residential water damage. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

Without warning, nature can take a violent turn: floods, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards.

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

Priority should be given to health and safety issues.

Take Pictures of the Storm Damage.

Fix the roof.

Consult Professionals About Water Damage Restoration

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos immediately if you need storm damage restoration services today. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

SERVPRO Is The Only Way To Go After A Disaster

4/2/2022 (Permalink)

Faster to any size disaster

SERVPRO Is The Only Way To Go After A Disaster

When a disaster hits, whether it's a hurricane, a fire, or anything else, the damage to your house may be terrible. And it isn't easy to know where to start and how to put the parts back together. The notion of cleaning up after a disaster can be debilitating if your house has sustained considerable damage. And this is why SERVPRO restoration is your best bet at restoring your property to its original state. We are available 24/7 to handle every restoration process. So, trust us to get the work done perfectly.

Here are the reasons to hire SERVPRO restoration and clean up company for a complete restoration

We handle smoke and fire damage.

Smoke damage doesn't appear to be that terrible at first glance. A common assumption is that you can use an ordinary home cleaner to remove any stains or markings. It's not only about what you can see that's at risk from smoke damage; it might also be about what you can't see. Even your house's most minor cracks and crevices may become breeding grounds for smoke particles. And aside from irritating your respiratory system, smoke particles can also create health issues if not removed correctly. However, trust us to handle any fire and smoke damages.

We handle Flood damage.

Damage to your house can be substantial in the event of flooding occurs. They also pose a risk of secondary damage, such as mold, to your property. Your home may be restored to its preloss condition with the help of a SERVPRO restoration and clean-up company.

We guarantee your safety.

Regardless of the type of damage you've suffered due to a natural disaster, the most important thing to remember is to stay safe. Damage to your home could be a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode if you don't have a professional inspect it. And so, our team of restoration experts do all it takes to ensure your safety.

In times of disaster SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is here to help. Call us today (650) 591-4137

How To Identify Mold In Your Home or Business

3/29/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO professionals use advanced equipment and experience in mold mitigation to determine the water source of your mold problem.

How To Identify Mold In Your Home or Business

Mold can result in a number of health issues. Sometimes mold can be harder to identify than others.

There is always mold present in some capacity. This species of spore has existed on Earth for up to millions of years. Mold is capable of entering homes through open doors, vents, air conditioning systems, windows, and vents, to name several.

The mold found in the outdoor air can be brought inside from pets, clothing, bags, and shoes. It tends to grow in the presence of moisture or in which a flood has occurred. Mold can grow on virtually any surface, from paper, ceiling, wood, and cardboard. Furthermore, it can grow in dust, wallpaper, drywall, upholstery, paints, insulation, and fabric.

More often than not, mold can appear like a series of spots of several different colors with a musty smell. If you smell or see mold, it should be removed immediately, regardless of type. If you discover that mold is growing in your household, you must clean it up and fix the problem related to the excess moisture. With the aid of household products, mold can be removed from hard surfaces. Consider the use of soap, water, or a solution of bleach with no greater than a single cup in a gallon of water.

Finding mold in your home or business can be troubling, and it’s natural to want to get rid of it fast. Because mold spreads fast and can sometimes be inconspicuous, it’s best practice to call in professionals like SERVPRO to diagnose and address the mold issue for you. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is at your service at (650) 591-4137.

Fire Safety in Your Home: Highly Flammable Everyday Items

3/27/2022 (Permalink)

Fire Safety in Your Home: Highly Flammable Everyday Items

Fire Safety in Your Home: Highly Flammable Everyday Items

There are certain items that we use everyday that we don’t even think about as flammable. Fires can happen quicker and more often than we think, and often times these fires can be avoided or prevented. We can start by checking the following list of everyday items that are highly flammable and making sure that they are properly stored or taken care of.

Flammable Item #1 – Rubbing Alcohol

A common item found in many medicine cabinets, this is one of the most flammable items that are found in people’s homes. It can easily start a fire if it comes into contact with any open flames. To prevent this from happening, make sure it isn’t being stored in a place that is next to high heat or open flames of any kind. If your medicine cabinet is near the heater or water heater, you may want to consider moving the rubbing alcohol.

Flammable Item #2 – Aerosols

Aerosols include air fresheners, deodorants, hair spray, spray paints, sunscreens, and some cleaning products. Keep these items away from high heat, they are especially vulnerable to combustion with pressure due to temperature.

Flammable Item #3 – Nail Polish & Remover

Acetone is one of the main ingredients inside most nail polishes and nail polish removers. Acetone, like rubbing alcohol, is highly flammable. Remain cautious of your surroundings while using these products, and make sure you aren’t using them near open flames, candles, or other household items that are flammable.

While this list is a great start, you may also want to consider your mattress, dryer lint, and cooking oils. Make sure you are checking your home at least once a year to ensure that these products are in safe areas and well maintained.

Our main goal at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is to restore your home or business after fire damage to its pre-fire condition. Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

How You Can Prevent Water Damage from Plumbing, Storm, or Flood Issues

3/25/2022 (Permalink)

Water Damage and Home Safety

Water Damage and Home Safety

Leaking Supply Line

Air Conditioning Condensation

Blocked Drains

Any drain, regardless of whether it is a kitchen sink, bathtub, or bathroom floor, can clog for a variety of reasons. Grease buildup, dirt, hair, toiletries, and other foreign objects have the potential to obstruct the pipe and prevent proper drainage. After a storm occurs drains can easily become filled with miscellaneous debris. When not taken care of on a routine basis, they can easily back up, resulting in water damage and flooding.

Our team at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos have elite large-loss specialists that are pre-qualified and ready to help you. Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

The Common Causes of Water Damage

3/16/2022 (Permalink)

flooded home

The Common Causes of Water Damage

Life isn't possible without the presence of water. Unfortunately, for all its benefits, water can prove to be one of the most destructive forces of nature. When considering all the potential natural disasters that could affect a property, water damage stands the best chance of taking the top position.

Water damage can affect an indoor space on virtually any level. In the event that water creeps into regions of your property where it shouldn't, the floor can warp. Furthermore, water damage inevitably discolors walls, with the buildup of moisture resulting in not only mold formation but also an infestation of vermin. What's worse, the water damage that is not instantly addressed through restoration efforts can weaken the foundation of a structure.

Sadly, the costs related to water damage are deceptively high. You may believe that a single inch of flooding won't burn much of a hole in your wallet. Yet, there are too many instances in which this small concentration causes damages that often cost thousands of dollars to restore and repair. Perhaps the worst part about water damage is the fact that it can occur at any time.

Here is a brief list of some of the common causes of water damage.

Severe Weather Conditions

Various natural disasters like hurricanes and thunderstorms don't occur on a daily basis, but when they do, there is a significant risk of water damage affecting indoor properties.

Clogged Gutters

A home gutter system is designed to prevent rainwater from seeping into a house. Yet, these often get blocked by various debris over periods of time.

Pipe Leaks

Loose-fitting pipes in kitchens can leak enough water to cause damage to nearby cabinetry. A broken pipe inside the walls could worsen the situation as well. Water damage like leaks can result in huge problems, leading to the formation of entire mold colonies.

A storm, flood or plumbing problem can leave your home with extensive water damage. Immediate action is necessary to mitigate the damage. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is here to help. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

SERVPRO Provides the Latest Tips For Your Kids

3/8/2022 (Permalink)

3 Tips For Fire Safety for Kids

SERVPRO Provides the Latest Tips For Your Kids

Fire Safety for Kids: 3 Tips

It is good to go through a fire safety plan together once a year. Sometimes this can be hard to remember, so we recommend that you schedule it around another yearly activity like your car registration or annual taxes. If children are younger, they can need help with a plan for escaping in case there is a fire. So how do you make sure they have a plan? If you don’t know exactly where to get started, here are three tips you can try:

Tip #1 – Make it a game

While adults will probably need to replace the batteries in the smoke detectors, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have the kiddos play “hide and go seek” to find them and point them out. This helps them remember where they are and turns battery replacement into fun activities. This concept can also be done for fire extinguishers so that you can check the dates on them. While fire extinguishers generally have a 10-to-12-year life expectancy, they should be replaced every ten years. If you don’t know where the date on your extinguisher, you can use a permanent marker to put a checkmark on the extinguisher each year and replace it when you have 10. The kiddos can count them each year to help you check.

Tip #2 – Have a fire drill day

Have a day where the kids can practice how to get out of the house and over to the neighbors. While children who are 3 and 4 years old should be taught how to dial 911, sometimes they must have a person they can go to and a plan. Involve the neighbors in the project so that when the kids come, they can be home to answer the door and tell the kids how great they did. Also, have a backup plan. If the neighbors aren’t home, what are they to do?

Tip #3 – Don’t just say no

When you are working in the kitchen and ask the kids to back away from the stove, tell them why. Remind them that they stay out of certain zones because of fire safety.

These three tips can help your kiddos not only be a part of fire prevention and safety but also instill in them the need to stay vigilant so that they practice fire safety in their own homes when they grow up.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides excellent fire restoration services. Call us at (650) 591-4137 when you need assistance. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

How to Prevent Water and Fire Damage In Your Home

2/28/2022 (Permalink)

How to Prevent Water and Fire Damage In Your Home

It is normal to worry about water or fire damage to your home or business. Still, inevitably, we get comfortable with the way things are, and we are less vigilant about water and fire prevention, thinking that there is a low chance of it happening. The more you do to stay prepared, though, the less likely it is that you will experience water or fire damage in your home in business. So what should you be doing to prevent water or fire damage from happening? Read on for some simple tips and tricks that can help.

Prevent Water Damage to Your Home or Business with These Preventative Tips

Water damage is one of the most common and expensive insurance claims, but there are things you can do to protect your home or business and make sure that you prevent these things from happening in the first place.

Inspect Your Roof for Leaks
Keep Gutters and Downspouts Free from Clutter and Debris
Check Your Water Bill for a Sudden Increase in Usage – Indicating a Pipe Leak
Know Where Your Water Main is For Easy Turn Off In Case of Emergency
Inspect Water Hoses on Appliances Like Your Washer and Replace Washers Often
Repair Any Seals or Caulking Around Sinks, Toilets, and Showers
Install Water Detection Devices to Warn You of Any Danger

Prevent fire Damage to Your Home or Business with These Preventative Tips

Fire damage can happen quickly and causes devastating loss. So preventing fire damage from occurring to your home or business is imperative. Here are some tips that will help:

Test Your Smoke Alarms Regularly and Replace the Batteries Often
Have Your Heaters Inspected Several Times A Year
Make Sure Your Stove and Oven Remain Clean to Prevent Sudden Combustion
Check Your Clothes Dryer Exhaust and Ensure There is No Lint Buildup Behind the Appliance
Make Certain Chords are Well Maintained, and Outlets Aren’t Overloaded
Store Your Flammable Products Safely
Invest in A Fire Extinguisher, and Make Sure it Isn’t Expired or Out of Date

Preventing Water and Fire Damage to Your Home or Business is Easy

Don’t forget to add the inspection of these items to the regimen of preventative maintenance that you are doing for your home and business often. Doing this can prevent significant loss and harm, allowing you to protect what you value most.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos has what it takes to handle any fire and damage, "Like it never even happened." Call us at (650) 591-4137.

Why It's Hard to Completely Get Rid of Smoke Smell in Your House

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

House fire

There are many reasons you'd need to get the smoke smell out of the house. Burnt toast, cigarette smoke, or a tragic house fire… whatever your reason, no one likes a smoky place, and we're here to help you get rid of that smoke smell that won't quit.

Although many homeowners use an ammonia mixture to remove smoke smells, there are natural alternatives to harsh chemicals that you can try first. A less intense but effective method is to mix a good Castile soap with water and essential oils of your choice and then scrub the walls with a microfiber cloth.

You can also make a mixture using ½ cup baking soda, ¼ cup white vinegar, and hot water. This will also help remove any stains on the walls that may be contributing to foul odors. Follow these steps to clean the walls, including making sure the sponge or cloth you're using is just barely damp, not soaking wet, to reduce drips on the wall.

Get Rid of Smoke Smell by Calling SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos

Odors can be one of the most substantial hurdles to providing a comfortable living space for occupants in a home after a fire. Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team can help. Give us a call today at (650) 591-4137

How Can I Get My Redwood City Home Smelling Normal After a Fire?

10/27/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO IICRC certified technicians use the latest technology and equipment for every fire damage restoration project. Call now!

Our Professionals Have Many Long-Term Solutions for Neutralizing Odors in Your Home.

While multiple areas require attention and focus after a fire loss in your Redwood City residence, one of the most considerable hindrances to comfortable living is often lingering odors. Addressing harsh smells that result from burning and smoke can require the use of numerous tools, products, and approaches.

Fire odor and smoke removal for Redwood City properties involve a balance between the industry-leading tools available to our SERVPRO team and the experienced technicians of our roster. Continued education and extensive training from firms like the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) have allowed our Odor Control Technicians (OCT) and Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) to be confident and knowledgeable with every post-fire response we provide.

Is It Possible to Reduce Odors Before Deodorization?

A reduction in the severity of fire odors is not impossible, but it is often a process that homeowners cannot complete on their own. Instead of waiting around in a potentially hazardous environment for ways that you can make the restoration process more efficient, it is often safer and faster to allow our team to complete some of these pre-emptive strategies for reducing the concentration of harsh odors.

Debris Removal

Debris is one of the very first obstacles that our responding SERVPRO team must address. Heaps of charred remnants of your contents and structural materials can amplify the severity of lingering odors in the house. Discarding this rubbish can reduce the strength of these odors.

Controlled Demolition

Much like debris removal, many decisions must be made about materials still installed throughout the house. Damaged drywall, ceiling materials, and flooring can all become too compromised to leave where they are. Controlled demolition can remove only the irreparable portions of materials, making reinstallation and reconstruction faster.

Cleaning Surfaces

Cleaning up soiled surfaces and areas where soot might be present can also be a way to reduce the severity of noxious scents in the damaged areas of your home. With potent chemical agents that can work to emulsify oils on the surfaces, we can also wash away thick surface residues that can hold odors.

What Equipment is Best for Odor Removal?

Numerous tools and machines can help to address lingering odors in a Redwood City house after a fire loss incident. While many of these are ideal for very specific scenarios, we have three common types used that can address the majority of penetrating odors in a structure and its contents. These include:

Thermal Foggers

Foggers are one of the most widely used units, though they might not always generate fog. Some of the machines in our inventory create a gaseous vapor from deodorizing compounds among our products that can penetrate the pores of affected structural materials and contents throughout the damaged areas. The lightweight unit is among the most versatile and mobile of our entire deodorization inventory.

Hydroxyl Machines

Using the same natural environmental cleaning practices in our atmosphere, harnessing the power of a chemical reaction between water droplets and the UV spectrum, hydroxyl generators can clean the damaged environment in multiple ways and work to neutralize odors in the process.

Ozone Generators

While it is not safe for use in the immediate proximity of humans and pets, ozone generators are among the soundest approaches to odor removal that exist. From the ozone chamber in our SERVPRO warehouse for damaged contents to in-house ozone units, we can utilize the splitting of oxygen molecules to neutralize present odors in your house after a fire.

What Happens to Smoke-Damaged Contents?

While there are many immediate concerns after a fire loss incident, what happens to your belongings and treasured possessions sit at the top of the list. We have content management specialists dedicated to identifying the best approach for your items based on the severity of the damage, their location, and the specific processes needed to restore them fully. Removing odors from your possessions usually involves one of three potential approaches, including:

On-Site Cleaning
In-House Deodorization
Off-Site Recovery
Are DIY Odor Removal Tactics Similar to Professional Methods?

Many of the practices utilized by homeowners after a fire loss to address lingering odors does little to the odor itself. Masking a scent might resolve the issue temporarily, but it is a situation that you continue to face again and again. Our methods involve the removal and neutralization of trapped and open-air odors permanently.

Odors can be one of the most substantial hurdles that exist to provide a comfortable living space for occupants in a home after a fire. Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team can help. Give us a call today at (650) 591-4137.

Fast Action Is Required When Water Causes Significant Damage To A Historical Foster City Property

10/20/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial water damage restoration is a job for SERVPRO. We have the manpower and equipment for every size of disaster.

Protecting Flooring In Historical Foster City Properties

Foster City has a rich and illustrious history and remains committed to preserving some of these historic buildings and properties through intricate renovations and refurbishments to protect their beauty and function. Water Damage incidents can adversely affect any property, but it can prove devastating to older construction. Our professionals can respond quickly in the event of a water damage emergency to provide effective mitigation tactics designed to reduce the spread of water and protect the property.

Hardwood and Water Damage

Hardwood flooring and intricate moldings are often hit the hardest by water damage in your Foster City historical property. Touring individuals or even office spaces that have been tucked into the property now become affected by the need for immediate servicing by trained professionals able to remove water quickly while focusing specifically on preserving original materials. Our SERVPRO professionals have advanced equipment that can do this with the right response from the owner about the incident.

Hardwood flooring, as an example, requires prompt attention from trained personnel. Our SERVPRO team can arrive quickly to set up air movers and dehumidifiers to begin removing moisture from this saturated material. The longer this dampness and moisture remain in the wood, the more likely it becomes that the material bloats and distorts. Once this swelling has occurred, there is no choice but to remove these materials and replace it with new construction.

Large drying mats play a significant role in drying out flooring materials in a water-damaged historical building because they can penetrate beyond the surface to the subflooring without pulling the moisture out too rapidly. A steady draw of the moisture until the area gets thoroughly dried prevents warping and protects the integrity of the material itself.

While you might guide tours through harrowed halls of former celebrities or musicians or oversee the grounds of refurbished office space in a historical property, water damage can be devastating without a fast response from trained professionals. Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos rapid response team is available 24/7 at (650) 591-4137.

Addressing Pungent Odors in Redwood City with Kitchen Fire Damage Restoration

10/11/2021 (Permalink)

Fire damage from a kitchen fire is hard to handle. Call SERVPRO and let their technicians handle all the fire damage restoration for you.

Redwood City Residents Get Results When Hiring SERVPRO for Fire Damage Restoration After a Kitchen Blaze

You had a fire in your kitchen, and you know there is a long road ahead of you to get rid of the tough odors and mess. But, where do you start? Hiring skilled odor control technicians (OCT) from a team like SERVPRO gets you the needed results. The kitchen in your Redwood City home is a space that you use often, so restoring it to normal is critical. Our highly-trained technicians can get in fast to begin smoke remediation so we can make it “Like it never even happened.”

When you require kitchen fire damage restoration in Redwood City, residues will be created that are vastly different from regular burned building materials. This residue leaves a stubborn coating behind that may consist of proteins, grease, dehydrated oils, other food items, or a perfect storm of all. Such residue is:

Often colorless, which makes it challenging for the untrained eye to detect it on contents and building materials
Very sticky, quickly adhering to various surfaces
Extremely pungent
Easy traveling, often drifting throughout the home with the heat currents generated by the blaze
Comprised of oils, which makes it difficult for water-based cleaners to break down

Rather than attempting kitchen fire clean-up on your own, fire and smoke damage remediation with SERVPRO gets you the best results. We arrive to assess the fire zone to select the right tools and products for the job. Some of the techniques we use may include solvents, abrasive tools, agitation, and specialized equipment to help us break down and trap odorous particles.

You can trust that our skilled team at SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos will be quick to arrive and ready to get to work on your fire damage restoration within hours of your call. You can contact us 24/7 by dialing (650) 591-4137.

Do You Need Commercial Water Damage Restoration in San Carlos? SERVPRO Has The Experience You Need!

9/30/2021 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO for any type of water removal and remediation efforts you need. We can get you back to work in no time.

Why Commercial Flood Damage to San Carlos Businesses Should Have Professional Restoration Services

For a business owner, one of the worst things that can happen is a weather event such as flood damage that occurs after hours. Some things can not wait until the next business day. Water damage is most definitely one of those things. Long-term exposure to excessive moisture compounds the damage to the property, such as:

Buckled or warped sheetrock
The danger of slip and fall accidents
Germination of mold spores resulting in an infestation that could potentially close a business for remediation
Damage of stock to water intrusion

SERVPRO knows that commercial flood damage in a San Carlos business requires immediate attention to limit the time for temporary closure. Visible signs of water damage or musty odors have the potential to impact your business significantly, and our technicians have the training to ensure neither of those issues occurs.

Water Removal Services

Our emergency response teams are on-site within an hour of the call, and we are available 24-hours, so this helps to lessen damage from prolonged exposure to water. Our trained and certified technicians have the equipment and experience to tackle water damage restoration needs. These needs include safely mitigating category three biohazard water that may contain sewage, something that may be beyond the range of your usual janitorial team.

The primary concern of our technicians during any commercial property restoration is the safety of property owners, employees, and customers. We have the equipment to effectively scope the property to ensure there are no issues with weakened building materials, electrical issues, or other hazards. Safety checks, both pre and post-restoration, are vital for ensuring the location is safe for operation. We test the water we clean up, and when raw sewage is detected, we set up physical barriers to contain the area while we remove and dispose of contaminated water within municipal regulations.

Using our array of sanitizers and professional-grade cleaning agents, we can restore a commercial property to its previous condition that is hygienic for both customers and staff. Before reopening, if any repairs or reconstruction are required, we can provide that service as we are licensed general contractors #937457.

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 when you have commercial flood damage. We are available 24/7 and we arrive quickly to make your water damage "Like it never even happened."

We Will Dry And Repair Your San Carlos Hotel Room Right Away

9/24/2021 (Permalink)

"SERVPRO has state of the art drying equipment"

Our SERVPRO professionals have state of the art equipment to clean up and restore your property after water damage strikes.

Broken Shower Head Can Damage San Carlos Hotel Rooms

Your hotel can see considerable traffic throughout the year on account of San Carlos being one of the premier tourist destinations in all of California. Maintaining the structure can be challenging when people are always present, and the turnover of rooms happens daily. Wear and tear on vital fixtures like faucets and showerheads can lead to eventual failures, which must get addressed quickly if you hope to keep the damage contained to a single room.

Your hotel was undoubtedly designed to shut off the water supply to each room with a panel box installed near the bathroom in case you combat water damage in your San Carlos hotel. The advantage here is stopping the flow of water to these broken fixtures to prevent further spraying and flooding of the bathroom area. Because We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster, you can reach our team 24/7 to have qualified water restoration technicians there to help quickly.

Water Damage Restoration

In the earliest stages of recovery, the priority is addressing the water damage pooled on the floors and what must be done to reduce the saturation and exposure of the vanity, drywall, trim, and other susceptible areas. In many cases, if approached quickly, controlled demolition and later reconstruction might not be necessary. The use of centrifugal air movers can direct dry airflow at specific damaged points of saturated surfaces to expedite evaporation and drying.

While you undoubtedly have a maintenance team capable of handling minor plumbing concerns, we are committed to making this restoration as seamless as possible. Our SERVPRO team has a full division of licensed (#937457) general contractors that can help to assess any other potential issues and replace the broken shower head and damaged fixtures.

We know that you make money off of the fast turnaround of each room in your hotel, and that is why we have the experienced team we do. Our professionals can work on drying and repairing your unit to make this water damage situation “Like it never even happened.” Give our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team a call today at (650) 591-4137.

What Crucial Things Should Redwood City Business Owners Note Before Attempting Mold Remediation

9/15/2021 (Permalink)

If mold is left unchecked, it can spread very quickly. Contact our IICRC certified mold damage remediation team for an assessment today.

SERVPRO Provides Information and Helps Perform Black Mold Damage Repairs

The presence of mold in Redwood City business premises, especially in the hospitality sector, presents many inconveniences. Apart from the physical deterioration of materials, which can ruin the ambiance of your establishment, there are other issues like poor indoor air quality or even shunning of your establishment by your regular customers.

On noticing signs of microbial growth, you may decide to pursue mold remediation restoring your Redwood City facility to its preloss state. The success of such an exercise or the time it takes to realize positive results depends on how well you understand the process. SERVPRO informs business operators of the best actions to take and also helps execute such processes fixing the problem, “Like it never even happened.”

Some Crucial Points to Note When Dealing With Black Mold Include:

Eliminating mold spores is impossible
Mold is a sign of an underlying issue
Professional help is necessary if the mold affects more than 3 square foot

Knowing these things helps ensure that the remediation focuses on the right things, thus improving the outcome. For instance, finding out the underlying issue causing the proliferation of mold and fixing it ensures that other processes such as cleanup of mold colonies produce long-term results. The underlying problem is usually moisture-related.

Typical Moisture Issues can Stem From:

Hidden leaks
Condensation
Unresolved water intrusion

SERVPRO can help whether you have a limited or widespread infestation. We inspect the property before attempting any repairs, thus establishing whether there are hidden colonies. That way, we can take advanced steps such as controlled demolition or blast cleaning where necessary.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos has significant experience delivering mold remediation to business owners. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

SERVPRO Makes Fire Damage in San Carlos Go Away

8/26/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's IICRC certified technicians are ready for any size fire damaged job. Call on our skilled teams when your home experiences a fire.

Mitigating Kitchen Fire Damage in San Carlos

From 2011 to 2015, an estimated 358,500 fires occurred in homes that caused over $6.7 billion in damages, according to NFPA data. Not only are San Carlos home structural fires costly, but they can have long-term effects on homes without professional mitigation, including the spread of odors and residues that can be unpleasant and difficult to remove with consumer-grade cleaners.

If you need fast, reliable fire damage removal in your San Carlos home, they can always count on the restoration technicians at SERVPRO to get the job done right. SERVPRO technicians use contemporary technologies and EPA-registered antimicrobials to ensure that your home gets the restoration it needs after a fire occurs. Whether contents or structures are affected, these professionals focus on preservation and restoration whenever it is safe and feasible to do so.

Choosing the Right Fire Extinguisher

When buying fire extinguishers for your home, it is essential to be aware that there are several different categories made to fight different kinds of fires. These include:

Type A, which is primarily for mundane fire situations involving materials like wood, paper, and cloth.
Type B, which is designed for extinguishing fires caused by combustible liquids like oil, grease, and gasoline.
Type C, which is made for handling electrical fires.
Type D, which can extinguish fires involving flammable metals, and is mainly for commercial applications.
Type K, which can handle vegetables and animal-based oils, as well as other fats, in cooking appliances. This variety is similar to Type B but is designed for commercial applications in areas like cafeterias and restaurant kitchens.

For home use, there are also multi-purpose extinguishers that encompass the traits of Types A, B, and C. Most homeowners should look for an extinguisher that weighs between two and ten pounds.

How SERVPRO Removes Fire Damage

Kitchen fires can leave copious amounts of damage to appliances that can eventually corrode metals and plastics. It is crucial to examine and thoroughly clean electronics near where the fire occurred. All-purpose antimicrobials and glass cleaners can be used to take care of light damages. Yellowing on appliances is reduced by using a wood creme paste.

For polished finishes, chrome, and aluminum exteriors, alkaline cleaners designed for substantial damage are implemented with care to preserve the sheen and quality of your kitchen appliances. Electronics in need of restoration can be sent to an authorized electronics service technician after a thorough cleaning.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is always ready to leave disaster-affected homes looking, "Like it never even happened." Whether you need cleanup late at night, on weekends, or during holidays, you can call (650) 591-4137.

Redwood City Flooded Homes Need the TLC of SERVPRO to Mitigate the Damages

8/20/2021 (Permalink)

When a storm hits home, call the professionals at SERVPRO. Our IICRC certified techs are ready for any size storm damaged job.

Issues You May Deal With After Flood Damage in Your Redwood City Home

Flooding can happen following a hurricane, a tornado, or a flash flood, and even a well-prepared Redwood City homeowner can be caught up in flood damage. Having flood water in your home can be dangerous and inconvenient.

In the aftermath of flooding in your Redwood City residence, you need to handle several issues. It is beneficial to hire a certified company to help you manage the destruction. SERVPRO can help you deal with issues such as:

Storm Damaged Floors

During groundwater intrusion, mud and debris can cover wood flooring. Our staff can dry your floors by using pumps or wet/dry vacuums to remove the water and using air movers and dehumidifiers to dry them. Shovels and squeegees may be the first tools used to clear away the murky deposits. If the flood damage is severe, we can tear out the non-salvageable boards and dry the underpinnings or concrete pad.

Ruined Appliances

Electric appliances that get submerged in water can stop functioning. We can assess your electronic equipment to determine the severity of the damage. If they can be salvaged, we can wipe water and debris from their surfaces and contact an electronics restorer to repair them.

Adverse Effects of Flood Damage

Regrettably, flood damage can impact your home negatively. Floodwater carries debris and silt of every kind. It can contain chemical contaminants and disease-causing organisms. If your carpeting and other porous material are contaminated, we recommend replacing them. Restoring porous materials like drywall and soft materials like carpets after Black Water absorption is not a wise decision. Though we strive to restore and not replace flood-damaged materials, safety comes first.

Mold

Mold grows in moist areas, and a flooded house is perfect for mold to breed. Mold can lurk under wooden floors, on the ceilings, or walls. Mold spreads fast, and it needs a trained eye and advanced tools to locate hidden mold in your home. Our team can identify the areas where mold is present and physically remove contaminated porous materials. We can also dry the affected surfaces thoroughly. Our team can also use quaternary compounds and chlorine bleach solutions to inhibit mold.

Foul odors

Foul odors are linked with flood damage because of the dirty water and possible mold infestation, which leaves a stench. Your upholstered furniture and draperies can have unpleasant smells. Our SERVPRO team can remove the foul odors using thermal fogging equipment and air scrubbers to leave your indoor air fresher and healthier.

After experiencing flood damage in Redwood City, San Carlos, Foster City, or Belmont, you need fast, professional help. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos can help you remove the water and clean up your home. Call us at (650) 591-4137 for efficient restoration.

Are Refrigerated and Frozen Foods Safe for Consumption After Fire Damage Restoration in San Carlos?

8/10/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can help you with every step following a fire incident in your San Carlos home. Call us for help right away.

SERVPRO Technicians Can Help Fire Victims Sort Out What Foods to Keep During San Carlos Fire Damage Restoration

Homeowners have dozens of decisions to make after professional fire damage restoration in San Carlos. One category might take you by surprise -- what chilled and frozen foods can you keep without risking the health and well-being of yourself and your family?

Why Would Food Secured in a Freezer or Refrigerator Pose a Hazard?

SERVPRO weighs many considerations before declaring an opinion on food safety during fire damage mitigation and remediation in San Carlos. Heat, smoke, and soot are possible contaminants, as are the chemicals or water used for firefighting. Two significant concerns present:

Did the appliance lose power or warm from the water or the heat of the blaze during the fire, causing a temperature increase that could make foods dangerous to eat?

Did toxic residues from the fire's combustion penetrate inside the freezer or refrigerator, possibly tainting foods and beverages?

Are There Guidelines SERVPRO Follows for Chilled and Frozen Food Safety During Fire Mitigation or Remediation?

Freezer seals are not reliably airtight, requiring an investigation of each fire scene individually. Expect SERVPRO to direct you to governmental agencies' advice regarding whether the food inside a cooling or freezing appliance remains protected adequately. Some recommendations include:

Keep appliance doors tightly shut, especially if cooling and freezing are interrupted.

Inspect for soot lines or a smoky odor when first opening the appliance. Discard food if present.

Monitor temperatures of the food -- toss unless food items have temps of 40 degrees or lower.

Frozen items that thaw only to 40 degrees or colder can be cooked or refrozen.

Refreeze juices, dairy items, and baked goods as long as they maintained the 40 degree maximum.

Thawed vegetables can be refrozen only if ice crystals remain.

Work with SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos during and after fire damage restoration to keep your family safe. Call (650) 591-4137 for a consultation.

Mold Development in a Retail Space in Redwood City Needs SERVPRO for Remediation

7/30/2021 (Permalink)

Mold remediation by SERVPRO is second to none. We use the latest technology and equipment for every size of disaster.

New Redwood City Spa Could Allow Mold Growth and Colonization

Renovating commercial space for new tenants is a common practice throughout Redwood City, and spas are more relevant and necessary now more than ever. Rushing to reach your opening is an ideal goal, allowing you to reach your fanbase as quickly as possible, but aspects of the renovation and reconstruction can get overlooked. Improper ventilation for areas of your spa can lead to favorable conditions for microbial threats.

Remodeling a commercial space to accommodate a new style of business does not always equal mold damage for Redwood City properties, but specific oversights can allow the conditions for this disaster. Because of steam and vapors common to areas and practices of modern spas, adequate ventilation is not a suggested installation but a need for your new business. Failure to install these fixtures can result in lingering moisture in susceptible areas of your space.

Even though your spa keeps traditional operating hours, failure to remove vapors and moisture from hallways and adjacent rooms can lead to the development of mold colonies, even with only part-time use. Spores exist naturally in nearly every environment, so these microorganisms survive in perpetual circulation until they encounter moist conditions around organic materials or contents. The drywall used to form the walls of your spa can often be an ideal launchpad for microbial colonization.

Mold Removal

Mold Damage Remediation is a considerable first step to take, as our SERVPRO Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians (AMRT) can offer solutions that can remove colonies often without disturbing the host material. We can also work to clear out lingering moisture with the use of desiccant dehumidifiers and air movers.

With a team of licensed general contractors on our SERVPRO team, we also have the means of utilizing controlled demolition strategies were necessary to save you time and money. We can also install more sufficient ventilation fixtures to ensure the appropriate moisture removal after a long day of steam treatment and relaxation.

Commercial properties throughout the area come under new ownership all the time, leading to fast turnarounds to get new customers in the door as quickly as possible. If you have overlooked moisture removal fixtures and it caused mold growth, you can count on our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team to help. Give our experts a call today at (650) 591-4137.

Discover Redwood City Water Removal Secrets

7/23/2021 (Permalink)

Storm and flood damage is no DIY project. Call SERVPRO and we will be onsite within 4 hours of the initial call.

Remediating Flood Damage in Redwood City Homes

Despite our reputation for fog, Redwood City residents enjoy over 250 sunny days every year. We only get around 24 inches of rain over 12 months, far below the national average of 39 inches per year. Flooding is not high on the list of concerns for most people.

When flood damage happens in Redwood City, it usually happens quickly and is over just as fast. The effects, however, can last for days and weeks unless the homeowner brings in a professional agency immediately after the disaster. Our SERVPRO technicians can quickly remove water and reduce or eliminate the signs of damage in every home.

Equipment for Water Damage Restoration

Our teams begin with pumps and extraction wands, depending on the level of water in the home. For levels ankle-high or higher, the pumps can draw out water from most homes in just a day or two. Once the water is only an inch or two, specialists switch to the extractors.

These devices efficiently remove water off floors. The models we use have an adjustable heating element, so our personnel can begin drying wood floors to reduce the risk of the floorboards cracking or splitting from exposure to excess water. We dispose of soaked carpets since flood water from outside the home often contains soil, animal wastes, and other contaminants.

Drying Water Damage

Next, SERVPRO restoration teams begin drying the personal and structural property in each home. For large items like sofas, team members remove them outside the home and place them on blocks to allow for draining water. Once in place, they set up fans to increase air circulation and speed up the drying process. Our teams can dry most property except for paper which begins to deteriorate quickly after exposure.

Inside the home, technicians set up fans to increase circulation and install dehumidifiers to draw moisture from the air. The lower humidity allows evaporation to occur faster in building materials like drywall and floor trim. That reduces the amount of material our teams have to remove and dispose of in each home.

These first steps we take at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos can reduce the labor and material costs of restoration. If you have a question about our methods or want to schedule a visit from one of our teams, call us today at (650) 591-4137. We are here for you.

Redwood City Homes Require Water Cleanup Services After a Ceiling Leak

7/16/2021 (Permalink)

A leaking ceiling from water damage is no easy task. Call the professional team of SERVPRO for all the water mitigation services needed for your home.

SERVPRO Provides the Latest in Water Restoration for the Redwood City Community

A ceiling leak in a Redwood City home can be harmful beyond the esthetics of your home. The consequences of water damage can be long-lasting if restoration of normal humidity levels takes too long or does not happen. A professional outfit is your best option to monitor the progress of water damage restoration efforts and identify potential risks.

For water cleanup services in Redwood City, do not hesitate to call SERVPRO as soon as your emergency occurs. Whether you are looking at a ceiling leak from storms or the incident resulting from a burst pipe, our professional water restoration technicians are ready to help. Our certified team of experts arrives at your home prepared with industry-strength water extraction equipment, which might include the following-

Pumps- submersible, handheld, and truck-mounted pumps allow us to extract varying volumes of water whether it is standing in a basement or hidden behind cabinets and baseboards.
Air movers-essential to promoting the rapid evaporation of water, this equipment improves air circulation through the affected areas.
Injectri-dry technology- helpful in drying wall cavities and accessing hard-to-reach crevices where standing water accumulates.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is an invaluable resource when water cleanup services are in order. When you find yourself in need of a team of water restoration technicians who can help you with water damage repairs, sewage cleanup, and flood restoration, do not hesitate to call us at (650) 591-4137. We aim to leave your home “Like it never even happened.”

We Get You Back To Business In Foster City After Flood Damage

6/25/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's experts are available 24/7 to assist with water damages in your Foster City property. We will get you back to business as usual in no time.

Removing Malodors from Businesses with Flood Damage in Foster City

Places of work need to be safe for both employees and customers. Flooding, even with clean water, can significantly impact your commercial property's safety standards by bringing in microbial infestations like bacteria, fungi, or viruses. You must bring in professional restorers to thoroughly clean and disinfect your property after floodwaters have entered to maintain high sanitary standards. Often in commercial properties, damages can be more severe if they occur out of hours due to the harmful effects of prolonged exposure on contents or structure.

We operate a highly efficient, rapid response unit for businesses with flood damage in Foster City. Upon notification of damage, our customer service team can arrange for a team of trained restorers to assess, remediate, and restore the damages with a minimum loss of revenue. Each team is selected for its skill set and is headed by an experienced crew chief who can communicate with you from start to finish.

Many commercial businesses are customer-facing, making the odor problems common in flood damage properties a significant issue. SERVPRO has specialist Odor Control Technicians (OCT) who can use several methods and techniques to bring that odor back under control, leaving a clean workspace.

Odor Removal for Flood Damage Properties

Malodors often dissipate once structure and contents are thoroughly dry; however, there are several deodorizing methods SERVPRO can use to eliminate odors. Carpeting, which absorbs odor particles, can be treated on both sides using an EPA-registered disinfectant. This method controls both odor and microbial growth. Walls, ceilings, and floors can be treated using a ULV fogger loaded with chemical pairing agents to neutralize odor completely. Any remaining areas with significant odors can be treated with concentrated deodorant pellets to mask odors until they dissipate naturally.

Keeping your commercial property sanitary involves both cleaning and odor control. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 today.

When Your Redwood City Bathroom Experiences A Water Damage Disaster, Our Crew Is Here To Help!

6/17/2021 (Permalink)

After a water mishap in your Redwood City bathroom, you will need help from the experts. Call our skilled water remediation technicians right away.

Water Damage From A Half Bath In Redwood City

A broken water supply line can dump a large amount of water quickly. If your half bathroom has unleashed a mini-river, turn off the water, and contact SERVPRO. We can work on the moisture left in the bathroom, vanity cabinet, and wall.

Water damage in Redwood City of any size needs to be addressed quickly. On arrival, our technicians can remove the soaked bathroom rugs to dry in another area and use portable pumps and squeegees to remove as much residual water as possible from the floor and cabinet interior. We determine if the subflooring was affected. Weep holes can be drilled to allow for both drainage and airflow behind the wall cavity.

Why SERVPRO for Water Damage Restoration?

We are local, and our emergency response teams are available 24-hours a day to meet your needs for remediation with compassion and professionalism. Each time we set up air movers and dehumidifiers, it is a specific configuration to the area in the property we are drying. We consider the shape of the room and the particular angles necessary to pull moisture to the surface best to be captured and removed. SERVPRO technicians can remove the wood baseboard under the vanity and use hoses to direct air both under and throughout the cabinet for thorough drying.

Once verified as dry through moisture readings, SERVPRO technicians leave the premises sanitary as they hand-clean surfaces with our antifungal and antibacterial cleaners. We offer building services, and the baseboard under the vanity can be warped from exposure to too much moisture. We are able to replace it for the property owner as a part of our restoration to make this mini-flood “Like it never even happened.”

Water damage cleanup needs to happen as soon as possible. That is why SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 is available 24/7 to come to your property and restore and repair water damage to your property and contents.

Does A Fire Contained In A Room in Redwood City Homes Require Significant Fire Restoration Effort?

6/8/2021 (Permalink)

Fires can happen without warning and you are going to need a company to come in and take care of the damage. Call SERVPRO for fire damage remediation.

SERVPRO Helps With Entire House Fire Cleanup to Restore City Homes to their Pre-loss State

Most fire incidents tend to affect vast sections of a structure. However, some incidents, such as a candle falling over and lighting up combustible materials, can be contained in a single room. However, the smoke still filters out, leaving residues and pungent odors in the rest of the structure, necessitating fire restoration.

Fire damage restoration in Redwood City homes where the blaze is contained in a single area mostly involves soot removal, which can simply require wiping surfaces or deep cleaning processes. Smoke tends to move to colder areas leaving soot concentrated in concealed areas such as inside cabinets. Factors such as the physical condition of surfaces also affect the process since rough or unfinished surfaces are harder to clean. SERVPRO is equipped to handle any challenge and deliver any service needed.

Typical restoration services include:

Smoke remediation
House fire clean up
Water & fire damage restorations

Before starting the house fire cleanup process, it is essential to estimate the amount and type of residues involved. Our SERVPRO technicians perform simple tests such as running a cleaning sponge along wall surfaces starting near the seat of the fire, allowing us to establish the depth of the residues and the spread pattern. We also evaluate the texture of the collected residues to determine whether it is a wet or dry smoke situation.

To simplify the cleaning process, we use various mediums. For instance, chemical sponges allow surface cleaning without leaving smudges. We also wet-clean surfaces where there is significant residue concentration.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides excellent fire restoration services. Call us at (650) 591-4137 when you need assistance. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Ugly Mold Patches in Your Foster City Home!! A Good Reason to Call SERVPRO

5/26/2021 (Permalink)

Did you first see or smell the tell-tale odor of mold? Contact Team SERVPRO to investigate the cause and remediate the mold damage.

SERVPRO Uses Advanced Technology to Handle Mold Damage in Foster City

When you call SERVPRO to your home in Foster City for a mold damage remediation, we pledge to put our best equipment and personnel to use to reverse any damage that has already happened. Prevent any more mold damage from happening, and safeguard the home and its occupants against any potential health effects that may come with an infestation. Along with our expertly-trained technicians, the core of our highly efficient restoration procedures is made up of our extensive array of advanced equipment and technology designed specifically to take care of fungal problems in the home. Calling us into the site guarantees the use of these devices and more, should the situation call for it.

Detection Tools

Our ability to detect hidden areas of mold damage in Foster City homes has drastically improved in recent years, thanks to advances in detection technology. We stock and use infrared cameras to identify patches of growth behind walls and other surfaces that can completely prevent visual detection. We also use moisture detecting thermo-hygrometers to identify sources of moisture in the home and eliminate them to avoid any further spread of spores that can develop into new colonies.

Our top priority when dealing with any species of fungus is safety for anyone living in the household. To this end, we employ industrial strength sanitizing tools to kill off any spores remaining in the home after we remove growth through traditional means. Our high-powered UV ray generators can wipe an entire area clean of dangerous microbes and spores quickly and without using any additional resources.

Complete Odor Removal

We at SERVPRO equip our crews with the strongest, most modern odor elimination tools on the market. Using chemical fogging devices, we can reach into even the most inaccessible parts of your home and neutralize odor molecules at the source. We also use some specially formulated products for this purpose. Once we are done, your home might smell newer and more fresh than the day you bought it.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides comprehensive and thorough mold remediation services for homes across the local community. Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

SERVPRO's Guide To Comprehensive Flood Damage Mitigation Services In Redwood City

5/21/2021 (Permalink)

a flooded kitchen and dining room with items floating everywhere

Flooding can bring in many other particles and contaminants into your home. Stay safe and contact SERVPRO to mitigate the situation.

When Flood Damage Ruins Your Redwood City Home, You Need Comprehensive Mitigation Services

Flooding from severe weather pushes more than water into your home. Mud, garbage, sand, chemicals, and worse all get washed in with the water when areas in Redwood City become flooded. Responding afterward to the mess and getting it cleaned up can protect your home from continued damages.

We help homeowners in Redwood City cope with the aftermath of flood damage. Flooding is only one of many disasters that can affect families and businesses. While being prepared cannot prevent all tragedies from happening, the safety tips learned can help reduce any harm your family suffers.

Recovering after a flooding event takes time, but SERVPRO works as quickly as possible to mitigate the damage and leave your residence "Like it never even happened." We also protect against related problems. Instead of merely exchanging wet drywall and other materials for new, we air the interior of your property out until it reaches normal moisture content levels again. Only then do we bring new materials into your home. We use moisture meters to determine when we reach our goal in this and other aspects of your home's restoration.

The floor under your carpet can harbor many various types of debris. Food particles, other organic matter, soil from outside, and much more filter through the carpeting and cracks in the flooring. Before installing new carpeting, we remove this debris. Without it, any microbes have less to consume. Removing the debris also removes any traces of moisture that it may have absorbed. Floors that have concrete underneath might require removing some wooden pieces to dry out the concrete beneath and prevent buckling due to a lack of space caused by swelling.

Cleaning and sanitizing your belongings that either fell to the floor or were below the flood lines helps restore the majority of belongings affected. SERVPRO looks to you as a partner in the restoration of your home. We discuss such issues with you before disposing of anything found in your home. It is imperative that you are satisfied with our work and how your house's mitigation and restoration turns out. We're here to listen to all your concerns and help guide you in any way possible.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos wants to help families get back to normal after flood damage. Call us at our 24-hour emergency services line, (650) 591-4137, so we can begin helping you make your home safe, dry, and beautiful again.

Professional Water Mitigation in Redwood City is a Must

5/16/2021 (Permalink)

a water damaged ceiling that is falling apart

Excess water needs to be removed quickly before the materials further deteriorate. Call our team to bring the water removal equipment.

Involve Professional Restorers like SERVPRO for Water Mitigation in Redwood City Even If a Small Water Leak causes it

Water damage can take a significant toll on your property. Damage related to more than one inch of water from a faulty water heater or dishwasher can be expensive to restore if you do not act fast. Involving experienced restorers like SERVPRO is the best way to minimize damage and get your home to its preloss damage.

Since we understand how disruptive and stressful water damage can be, we respond within the shortest time possible to conduct water mitigation in Redwood City. We conduct a thorough inspection to gauge the severity of the damage. Our SERVPRO team of highly trained technicians can dry out a property effectively. This helps in:

Speeding up the drying process
Minimizing the chances of mold growth
Preventing structural instability

We can extract the excess water on your carpeting and pad using a self-propelled extraction tool. The tool squeezes the excess water in the carpet using the restorer’s weight, leaving only moisture behind. If water has seeped into your wooden floor, our SERVPRO restorers could use portable electric heaters to speed up evaporation. We contain the heat against the wooden floor using 6-mil plastic and sandbags.

It is essential to allow professionals to perform water mitigation for effective restoration. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for excellent water mitigation “Like it never even happened.” Call us today at (650) 591-4137.

Who Do You Call When a Washing Machine Hose Malfunctions in Foster City?

4/27/2021 (Permalink)

view of brightly colored clothes on spin cycle in top loading washing machine

Malfunctioning washing machines are a main source of water damage each year. Our team is trained to located the hidden water and restore your home.

SERVPRO Provides Water Removal Services to Foster City Residents

Gallons of water can rapidly pour into your home when a washer hose comes loose. If you catch it right away and shut off the water, the water damage can seem minimal, but hidden moisture damage can cause problems days later.

The Washing Machine Was on An Upper Level

When the washing machine is on the second story, the water migrates. The water in this situation spread into the hallway and the ceiling below. Professional water removal services in Foster City are needed at this point. Moisture moves in different ways:

Liquid flow
Air movement
Capillary suction
Vapor diffusion

Our team is trained to seek out and remove hidden water damage. Employing various water damage restoration methods, including water extraction, drying the home, cleaning, and restoring, our crews can handle ceiling repairs from water damage and basement flooding cleanup. Water damage repairs will put your home back in working order in no time. For professional water removal service, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 today.

Whom Do Redwood City Homeowners Call for Flood Restoration?

4/20/2021 (Permalink)

storm clouds against night sky; lightning within clouds

Storms are a part of life. And when storm damage occurs, SERVPRO is ready and equipped to restore your home.

SERVPRO Answers the Call When Redwood City Residents Need Flood Damage Help

Storms and flooding are a rising concern in California and its coastal towns. Cities further inward are affected as the torrential rains move into their path. All of this can lead to extreme flood damage and the need for water damage remediation.

What Are Some Issues That Happen with Flooding?

When flood damage happens in Redwood City, your home is impacted in several ways. Immediate water damage restoration is needed to prevent secondary damage. Calling SERVPRO right away can make all the difference. Here are some things that can occur with flooding:

Contaminated water impacting your home’s content
Ceilings, floors, walls, and cavities get flooded
Plumbing and electrical systems are damaged
Secondary damage such as mold
Water migration
Structural elements impacted

SERVPRO’s IICRC technicians can be there within hours of your call. We provide:

Water Clean Up
Water Removal Services
Food Restoration
Basement Flooding Cleanup

We use moisture meters, probes, and sensors to find hidden moisture. We restore as much as we can. Specialty cleaning options clean and restores structural elements and more. Antifungals and antimicrobials are applied to all affected surfaces. For professional flood damage services, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

In-Home Flooding Means Water Cleanup is Needed in Redwood City

4/13/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO restoration equipment being used in water damaged home

Water damage can come from a variety of sources. Whatever the scope, SERVPRO is ready and equipped to restore your home.

SERVPRO Provides Water Damage Remediation When a Water Intrusion Occurs in your Redwood City Home

Redwood City got its start as home to the Ohlone people, a Native American group from Northern California. It went on to become a port city, becoming the destination point of goods and lumber. Today, it is in Silicon Valley and is the headquarters for numerous global technology companies. Although home to technology, there are many historic landmarks and lots to see and do.

Famous Redwood City People

Redwood City is home to quite a few notable people in various areas of endeavors. There are politicians, sports figures, and entertainers. They include:

John Huntsman, Jr – politician & diplomat
Davante Adams – football player
Geoff Blum – baseball player & broadcaster
Jeff Clark – wave surfer
Lily Zhang – Olympic table tennis
Bela Lugosi – actor
Chelsi Smith – Miss USA & Miss Universe

Union Cemetery

This California Historical Landmark was started in 1859. It was San Mateo County’s first American burial ground. The cemetery closed in 1918, but the poor continued to be buried there. Visitors can see the graves of California volunteers who died during the Civil War, plus other historical plots. It is a beautiful area and well worth the visit.

Lathrop House

Built in 1863, the Lathrop-Connor Mansfield House is an eleven-room house. The home initially rested on the spot the Fox Theatre is on. Tall arches and gables adorn the building making it a lovely architectural work. The unique steamboat design is specific to the period. Today it is a museum and heritage center dedicated to preserving Redwood City history.

The Fox Theatre

Originally known as The New Sequoia Theater, it opened in 1929 and drew visitors to new motion pictures. It is a work of art with a Moorish design on the inside and a Gothic-style exterior. In one manner or another, it has been an ongoing venue for entertainment featuring entertainers such as Bill Cosby, BB King, and Melissa Etheridge.

Bair Island Ecological Reserve

Bair Island is made up of three islands, Inner, Outer, and Middle Island, which span over 3,000 acres, are part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The Reserve is an ecological wetland and is home to many species, including the Salt marsh harvest mouse and the California clapper rail, and endangered species. Visitors can tour the wetlands and marsh area on guided trails.

Parks & Recreation

There are a plethora of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in Redwood City. If you love wildflowers, Edgewood County Park is famous for them. There are over 25 city parks residents and visitors alike can take advantage of throughout the year. And if you are in our area on July 4th, you won’t want to miss one of the largest Independence Day parade events in the US.

SERVPRO Provides Water Cleanup Service to Redwood City Residents

Whether you need basement flooding cleanup, sewage cleanup, or ceiling roof repairs from water damage SERVPRO has you covered. Fast mitigation is necessary to prevent secondary damage whenever there is a water intrusion. We provide:

Water extraction with various pumps
Drying with commercial air movers and dehumidifiers
Water damage remediation
Ceiling repairs from water damage
Flood restoration

If you need professional water cleanup, give SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos a call at (650) 591-4137.

Flood Damage from Storms in Foster City

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Flood damage? Call SERVPRO! We are always on call.

Containing contaminated materials after flood damage in Foster City

Flooding can cause catastrophic damage, carrying debris, chemicals, and biohazards damaging buildings and contents. These elements can be dangerous to human health. We take appropriate precautions to protect everyone, including employees and our teams.

SERVPRO provides flood damage cleanup in Foster City using the appropriate PPE levels and containment necessary for the conditions present. We dispose of all debris and damaged contents. They are bagged and carefully removed from the site. We clean the remaining contents and structures, handling them carefully to avoid further exposure.

We utilize a variety of processes and equipment to protect everyone from further danger. For example:

Manage the flow of air from clean to contaminated areas
Our team utilize PPE
Your family or employees are asked to avoid the area
We protect uncontaminated areas

We employ various levels of containment depending on the situation:

Source containment – wrap in 6 mil plastic and remove
Local or mini containment – set up a mini enclosure wrapped in 6 mill plastic
Full-scale containment – work area is contained, or a separate decontamination area is maintained

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for flood damage services in Foster City and surrounding areas. We can help 24/7. Call (650) 591-4137.

Water Restoration for Local Companies in Redwood City

3/15/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO restoration equipment being used to day water damaged wall

SERVPRO has the right equipment to restore your water damaged home.

Why Does Water Restoration Take Longer for Some Materials in Redwood City?

Almost all materials absorb moisture to some degree. For example, carpets tend to absorb a great deal more water than hardwood floors or cement floors. Why do some walls absorb more than others?

SERVPRO completes an assessment of the materials and the absorption rates before beginning water restoration activities for Redwood City companies. An unpainted wall with drywall may need to be replaced, while one that is painted may not need replacement due to the difference in moisture absorption rates of painted surfaces. This process is called Permeance.

Examples of materials with low permeance absorption rates include:

Vapor barriers
Glass, enamel
Masonry brick
Vapor retarding paints such as high gloss or semi-gloss paints.

Materials with high Permeance include:

Fabrics, carpets
Unpainted drywall
Particleboard

Fabrics and carpeting can usually be dried, while drywall and particle board tend to swell as they absorb moisture. We replace these items with new materials.

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for water restoration services at companies in Redwood City and surrounding areas. We can help 24/7. Call (650) 591-4137.

Mold Removal in Redwood City

3/8/2021 (Permalink)

Did you know that it only takes as little as 48 hours for mold to colonize and grow?

Why it's Important to Reduce Humidity Below 65% to Expedite Mold Removal in Redwood City?

Twenty-seven miles south of San Francisco, Redwood City boasts an approximate population of 85,000. The city was incorporated in 1867. Mexico granted land, which later became Redwood City, to the Arguello family in 1835. Redwood City was once nicknamed "The Chrysanthemums City." The city was proclaimed the chrysanthemum center of the world until 1941. After the internment of many people of Japanese origin in 1941, the industry went into decline. The city has over 24 parks for residents and visitors to enjoy.

There are many exciting attractions and fun things to do in Redwood City and the surrounding area. A few are provided in the following list:

Edgewood Park Natural Preserve
The Fox Theater
Pulgas Water Temple and Ridge Preserve
Gourmet Haus Staudt
San Mateo County History Museum
The Record Man
Redwood Morton Community Park
Bair Island
Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
A large variety of hiking trails, wineries, restaurants, and theaters

Edgewood Park Natural Preserve

With over 467 acres of grasslands and woodlands, the preserve is an excellent place for sightseeing and hiking. Dogs are not allowed in the park. There are picnic areas, restrooms, and an amphitheater near the main entrance. There are over 10 miles of trails suitable for hikers, joggers, and equestrian use. Cyclists are allowed on designated trails only.

The Fox Theater

Initially opened in 1929, this historic theater has gone through many transitions. The theater can accommodate 1100 people and 250 in banquet facilities. Once current health restrictions are lifted, attending an event at the Fox Theater can be interesting on many levels.

Gourmet Haus Staudt

The Haus Staudt is a rustic beer garden and shop offering products of German origin. There is a large selection of authentic German beers, German cuisine, and spices. They also provide authentic snacks and German dishes in an outdoor beer garden. The beer garden is a unique place to spend time while visiting downtown Redwood City.

San Mateo County History Museum

The museum is one of the cities top attractions. Visitors can view what life was like in the 1880s. There are a general store and a house, showing what life was like when it was part of Mexico. There is a massive collection of books and archived materials. The building is an impressive architectural structure inside and out.

The Record Man

Anyone interested in vinyl records should plan to visit the Record Man on El Camino Real in Redwood City. They have over one million vinyl records covering all genres, including classical, blues, hip hop, country, and more. They claim that if they do not have the vinyl record, then it probably does not exist.

Why Removing Moisture Expedites Mold Removal in Redwood City?

Whenever there is a water leak of any kind, even condensation around a window, mold spores can quickly settle and begin growing. Mold growth can appear in as little as 24 hours after a water leak.

One of our SERVPRO team's first steps after assessing the situation is to stop the water source to enable efficient mold removal in Redwood City homes. The next step is to remove excess water and begin dehumidifying the air.

Turn on the AC if available
Deploy dehumidifiers and air movers
Lower the humidity below 60% to curtail mold growth
Remove or clean/disinfect areas contaminated with mold

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for mold removal services in Redwood City and surrounding areas. We can help 24/7. Call (650) 591-4137.

How Can My Foster City Home’s Fire Damage Be Remediated?

2/22/2021 (Permalink)

Do you know how to clean smoke and soot from your home? SERVPRO does!

Fire Damage Restoration Generally Involves Various Methods

When your home burns, its air, structural elements, and contents are all impacted, therefore, various techniques are necessary to restore your residence to its pre-fire condition.

Foster City fire damage restoration services routinely deal with diverse kinds of issues caused by fires. The fire and smoke produced by the combustion process consume materials in your house, fill its interior air with harmful particles, and deposit acidic soot residues on its surfaces. Some of the most often affected things in your residence are:

Ceilings, walls, and floors
Insulation and attic rafters
Furnishings and other household contents
HVAC systems

When remediating such damage, professional services employ some of the following innovative techniques:

Cleaning and deodorizing with air movers, scrubbers, ozone machines, Vaportek systems, foggers, and injection device.
Removing residues on surfaces with dry cleaning sponges, wire brushes, abrasive blasting, the peroxide active cleaning method, or tri-sodium phosphate.
Sanitizing HVAC ducts with specialized equipment.

Whenever you need fire damage restoration services, remember that SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is always here to help. Call us anytime at (650) 591-4137.

How Do Professional Services in Redwood City Clean Up Water?

2/15/2021 (Permalink)

Did you know it only takes a little water to cause a lot of damage? SERVPRO's water cleanup services can quickly remove the water and dry your home.

Local Services Follow a Time-Tested Water Cleanup Procedure.

Whenever a water-related issue impacts your home, it is crucial to handle it quickly and effectively. Otherwise, it could do lasting damage to your residence.

Whatever their cause, water leaks have the potential of doing expensive, lasting damage to your home. Quality Redwood City water cleanup services like SERVPRO have developed an efficient procedure for swiftly dealing with these destructive problems. This procedure is as follows:

Locating water leak sources with moisture sensors and infrared cameras.
Employing powerful wet vacs and extractors to remove standing water.
Drying difficult-to-access areas behind structural elements with Injectidry systems.
Determining a drying goal and calculating the appropriate air mover-to-dehumidifier ratio for the most efficient drying.
Using cutting edge desiccant and refrigerant dehumidifiers to dry interiors.
Treating impacted air, structural elements, and household contents with foggers that dispense EPA-approved disinfectants, fungicides, and deodorants.

With all that said, whenever you need water cleanup services, call your neighborhood SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

It is Important to Remain Mindful of Wildfire Risks in Redwood City

2/8/2021 (Permalink)

Wildfire in distance; firefighters seen in foregroud

Wildfires can cause a lot of destruction. SERVPRO can be at your hoe quickly for fast remediation.

Wildfire Preparedness Aids Fire Damage Restoration Efforts in Redwood City

As with any city, Redwood City has its positive and negative aspects. This popular bayside suburb of San Francisco is most notably a haven for professionals seeking to escape colder climates and the hustle and bustle of other nearby communities. However, these benefits come at the cost of a greater potential for wildfires. These increased risks are due to the city’s natural surroundings and the area’s unique weather patterns. Unlike San Francisco, Redwood City is bordered to the southwest by large wilderness preserves filled with fire fuel. In the spring and summer months, when the weather is hot and dry and winds are strong, forest fires are often sparked in these forested zones and spread quickly into our nearby community.

How to Prepare for Potential Forest Fires

If you properly prepare for wildfires in advance, you can often save yourself time and money on remediation efforts after they pass through. In some of the following ways, you can attempt to avoid suffering the worst fire-related damage:

Know the area around your home well so that you can determine the likely direction of approaching wildfires and can better plan for them.
Properly maintain your yard by routinely removing yard debris, limiting tree height, and keeping trees well-trimmed, preventing vegetation from growing too close to your home, and adequately watering your lawn.
Always watch out for forest fire warnings/evacuation orders and, if possible, subscribe to phone/text message alerts from local authorities
On days of increased fire risk, when permitted by law, use a garden hose to spray water around your house and yard to reduce the likelihood of them catching fire.
Prior to evacuating your home, remember to turn off electric and gas utilities to prevent potential electrical fires and gas explosions.
Make and keep a list of your most valuable possessions to facilitate their removal when you evacuate.

As you can see, there are various things you can do before and during a fire event to mitigate or eliminate potential losses. Therefore, it is essential that you, as a homeowner, remain forever mindful of local fire risks, know what preventative measures are possible, and never hesitate to take appropriate action to safeguard your family, home, and possessions.

What Does SERVPRO Do to Restore Fire-Related Damage in Redwood City?

When SERVPRO professionals in Redwood City remediate fire-related damage, they work to address the resulting air quality issues, soot residue deposits, and associated odors. In performing their services, our skilled technicians:

Employ cutting edge air movers to circulate fouled air out of your home and filter remaining air with scrubbers.
Use specialized HVAC cleaning systems to remove smoke particles from your ductwork and prevent them from further spreading around your house.
Clean up soot residues with dry sponges, abrasive methods, and more gentle peroxide active cleaning methods.
Neutralize unpleasant smells with Vaportek systems, ozone machines, and deodorizing foggers.

So, if a fire ever ravages your residence, call the fire damage restoration experts at SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for help.

Foster City Residents Can Enjoy & Relax in the Great Outdoors

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

No matter the size of damage from a fire. SERVPROs technicians are IICRC certified for the job. And will have your home "Like it never even happened."

The Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is A Great Place for Foster City Folk to Spend the Day

The Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is home to a variety of plants and animals. It is a vast preserve, covering over 3,000 acres of open meadows and dense forest. The park is situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is a popular place to get away from it all and spend the day enjoying nature. You can walk, hike, or bike. There are trails for horseback riding. You won’t want to miss visiting the top of Borel Hill. The spot offers a magnificent view of San Francisco.

While enjoying the park, be on the lookout for:

Coyote
Northern harrier
Bobcat
Kestrel
A variety of beautiful birds

For more information on what the preserve has to offer, you can call (650) 691-1200. The preserve is located in nearby Redwood City.

SERVPRO Provides Fire Damage Restoration in Foster City

A home can be impacted by a fire at any time. Even small fires can do serious damage. For professional fire damage restoration services in Foster City, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

Redwood City’s Children’s Winter Book Club

1/18/2021 (Permalink)

Some after effects of storms are flooding issues. If this occurs to your home, call the professionals at SERVPRO for the water mitigation services.

Kids Can Enjoy Great Books & Fun Activities via Redwood City Public Libraries

If your children like to read, or you want to foster good reading skills, the Redwood City Public Library has some fantastic children’s book clubs. Right now, the meetings are virtual, but the fun continues. The library provides the books, and you pick them up once you are registered. Several book clubs are available, but the library asks that participants only choose one because of high demand. You can choose from the following clubs:

• Awesome Readers – Grades 2 – 3. Group 1 - Tuesday 4 – 5 PM. Group 2- Tuesday 5 – 6 PM.

• Page Turners – Grades 4 -5. Group 1 – Monday 4 -5 PM. Group 2 – 5 – 6 PM.

• Club de Lectura – Grades 3 -5 (Spanish) – Tues 5:15 – 6:15 PM

Join in the weekly chat and book discussion. There will be fun activities kids can do at home as well. Contact the library at bookclub@redwoodcity.org for more information.

SERVPRO Provides Flood Damage Services in Redwood City

If you experience flood damage, contact SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos at (650) 591-4137. We can clean, repair, and restore your home. Our professional technicians can mitigate floodwater damage safely and efficiently.

Foster City Residents Count on SERVPRO for Water Mitigation

1/11/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO technician getting equipment out of the service vehicle.

Secondary water damage is no DIY project. Call the professionals at SERVPRO for the knowledge, experience and latest technology for your home needs.

When Water Overflows in Foster City Homes Our Technicians Know Just What to Do

A mild Mediterranean climate, beautiful countryside, and low crime rates make Foster City a great place to call home. Approximately 33,000 people live, work, and play in this quaint town. Considered one of the safest cities in the United States, it is often considered part of Silicon Valley.

Founded in 1960

Foster City does not trace its roots back to the days of Native Americans like many places in California. It is a relatively new city. T. Jack Foster owned a good portion of the land that is now Foster City. He was a real estate magnate and saw the potential in converting an engineered landfill into something with a future. The town is located near the San Francisco Bay marshes. The city is named after Foster and in 2009 was on Forbes’ America’s Top 25 Towns to Live Well list. It came in at #10.

Home to Many Businesses

There are quite a few well-known businesses that have their headquarters in Foster City. Visa Inc. moved their headquarters there and, at one point, was the biggest employer in the area. Today the top 10 employers are:

Gilead Sciences
Visa
Inovant LLC
Guideware Software, Inc.
Zoox
CyberSource
Illumina Inc
IBM
CSG Consultants
BrightEdge

Recreational Activities Abound

Those who live in Foster City, work there, or come for a visit enjoy a variety of top-notch recreational venues. The city has more than 24 beautiful parks. Public soccer fields, baseball fields, tennis courts, and basketball courts abound. There are excellent rollerblading and biking trails that run alongside the San Francisco Bay. Needless to say, the view is stunning.

Mariners Point

If you love golfing or want to learn the game, Mariners Point is the place to go. They feature a 9-hole golf course and a driving range. They are well-known for their comprehensive teaching. The Mariners Point Golf Center is on public land and invites everyone from beginners to pros to stop by and enjoy a round of golf. They have 64 practice stalls that allow you to tighten up your game. Visitors can enjoy:

Well-tended natural grass practice tees
Driving range with easy-to-read yardage markers
Clearly defined target greens
Short game facility open seven days a week
Bunkers to practice pitching, sand shots, and chipping
Challenging 9-hole, par-three golf course

Windsurfing & Kite-Surfing Along the Bay

Adjacent to Mariners Point is a world-class kitesurfing and windsurfing spot. Baywinds Park is known for being one of the places serious kiteboarders head to for some kitesurfing. The winds in this area are steady and consistent, building throughout the day and peaking towards evening. Unloading your windsurfing gear is easy, as the park is right along the bayfront. There are also:

Concession stands
Kiteboarding rentals
Kiteboarding lessons
A synthetic turf area
New restrooms and rinse areas

Dragon Boating

If you have wondered what dragon boating is all about, now is your chance to check it out. Dragon boating has its origins in the Pearl River Delta region in China. Traditionally made of teak, the boat is entirely man-powered. Dragon boat racing is an exciting event. There are two clubs operating in the Lagoon in Foster City. One is the Bay Area Dragons, and which is a dragon boat racing club. The Lagoon is a man-made enclosed system that covers 218 acres.

Outrigger Canoeing

The Ho’okahi Pu’uwai Outrigger Canoe Club (HPOCC) is the other club in the Lagoon. Their goal is to share their love of outrigger canoeing and other Pacific Island and Hawaiian paddling sports. They are a non-profit group with crews that train and compete. The Lagoon is dedicated to preserving Foster City’s waterways. To keep noise levels low, only wind, electric, or man-powered boats and watercraft are allowed in the Lagoon.

The Vibe

Keeping the city’s teens busy and active is a goal of the community. The Vibe is a newly constructed center for older kids that includes:

TV’s
Video games
Artrooms
Computers
A kitchen
Outdoor basketball courts
Homework rooms
Concrete skatepark

Theatre & The Arts

Leo J. Tyan Memorial Park is home to Foster City’s public amphitheater. During the summer, folks can enjoy several City Summer concerts. Right next to the park, there is a boat tie-up facility and a boardwalk to stroll along. Other theater attractions take place at the Hillbarn Theatre. This historic theatre began in 1941 and is host to traditional plays, trivia nights, and theatre classes.

Werder Pier

Werder Pier was once part of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge expanse. It is one of the oldest and longest piers in California but sadly is no longer in operation due to needed repairs. Other interesting items of interest related to Foster City include:

Kevin Mitchell and Jeff Kent, former San Francisco Giants, call Foster City home.
Paypal founder Peter Theil was raised here.
Over the Edge is a movie based on 1973 Foster City events.
Herb Perez is a 1992 Olympic gold medalist and has served in various government positions in Foster City, including being mayor.

SERVPRO Provides Water Mitigation Services to Foster City

Burst pipes, dishwasher overflows, and similar situations can happen to anyone. When they do happen, you need fast water mitigation. Water seeps under floorboards and into places you cannot see rapidly. Even if you can get up most of the water, hidden moisture can be a problem. SERVPRO has experienced technicians that can:

Seek out hidden moisture with specialty equipment
Extract water using the right pump for the incident
Dry your home with industrial-strength air movers and dehumidifiers
Repair and restore damaged elements
Leave your home, “Like it never even happened.”

If not attended to, water can cause secondary problems such as mold, damaged structural elements, and permanently ruined flooring. If you have experienced a water intrusion, do not risk damage to your home. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos for professional water mitigation services. Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

Lemos Farm Offers Fun for All Ages

12/22/2020 (Permalink)

Inside view of SERVPRO facility showing restoration equipment stored

Fire damage happens.. SERVPRO an help restore your home so you can enjoy all that the area has to offer.

Looking for Something New? Try This Goat Yoga Class Near Redwood City

About 20 minutes away from Redwood City, nestled amongst the comfortable rural farms near the coast, lies an unexpected and exciting yoga opportunity. A trip out to Lemos Farm can find you a relaxing class from an experienced instructor, with a few helping hooves. While concentrating on your movements, you may find yourself interrupted by the gentle licks and nibbles of tiny, curious goats. While these friendly critters may not create the most smooth and calming experience, they’ve developed a regular clientele for a reason. The sessions are quirky and fun, and people end up loving every minute.

A spot in each session costs $35 per person, and they run every Saturday and Sunday morning. After your hour-long yoga class, the folks at Lemos Farm grant a half-hour of petting zoo access. Since the yoga class is open to all ages, this makes for a fun family excursion. And, rest assured, every possible coronavirus precaution is made during and in between classes.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides 24/7 fire damage restoration services for the smallest and largest disasters and anything in between. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

Have You Thought About Adopting a Kitten?

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can restore your fire damage so you and your pets can enjoy home!

Cats and kittens from Around Belmont Look for Good Homes

On Sunday the 20th, just a short drive north of Belmont at the Pet Club of San Mateo, there will be a colossal adoption fair for kitties seeking a new home. If your household has room for a new furry member, then you should check this out. The event will be hosted by the San Mateo County Cat Rescuers, a group that takes abandoned and stray cats from around the area and places them into new and loving homes. With such a large event, expect to see a wide variety of ages, breeds, and attitudes.

Every cat eligible for adoption comes with a full set of vaccinations and has been spayed or neutered. The Cat Rescuers note that due to coronavirus concerns, there is a chance that they may not be able to transport some or all the cats to the fair site. However, even if that happens to be the case, the volunteers present can match you and your household with the perfect pet.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is a locally owned company specializing in fire debris cleanup and other damage restoration services. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

Exploring Belmont’s Culture

12/7/2020 (Permalink)

The Van's is one of Belmont's most iconic restaurants. We look forward to seeing its next chapter.

A New Chapter for One of Belmont’s Most Famous Buildings

For over a century, one building in Belmont has stood out from the rest. The Van’s Restaurant on the Hill was, until earlier this year, a beloved local Italian restaurant known for its plentiful portions and excellent service. After almost fifty years of running the restaurant, owner Loring De Martini finally retired in the face of financial uncertainty due to COVID-19.

The building housing this famous restaurant once had a far more impressive claim to fame: it was a centerpiece exhibition at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, held in 1915. Less than a decade after the great earthquake of 1906 that destroyed most of the Bay Area, this world’s fair demonstrated the area’s resilience and culture. One of the most noteworthy exhibitions was the Japanese Formosa Tea House. It made such an impression on Belmont native E.D. Swift that he decided to have the whole building brought down from San Francisco by barge. For a time, his daughters used it as a home, but it would soon be sold. After changing owners a few times, the building would eventually be purchased by De Martini, who opted to keep its old name while granting the place some fresh flair.

Now, this century-old building with distinctive Japanese roofing and construction will enter a new phase, as condominiums to help house the town’s ever-growing population. Surprisingly, the building lacks historic designation, but De Martini makes sure that any future owner keeps its unique features intact.

Public Art in Belmont Planned to Expand Over the Next Few Years

Belmont has a long history with public art projects, dating back to its participation in the world’s fair while still being a fledgling community. Today, city leaders plan to keep that tradition alive with evolving plans for public art in parks, streets, and government buildings around the area. Here are just a few of the many focus areas that you can expect to see developing over the next decade, with projects starting to emerge in 2021.

One of the most vital aspects of city planning involves wayfinding or the signs and structures that help people map their way around town. While these planning efforts can be as simple as street signs and speed limits, they also carry many artistic endeavors opportunities. Imagine benches on the side of the road that direct travelers to interesting landmarks or sculptures that signify what part of town in which you find yourself. These artistic emplacements can serve both a pretty and practical purpose, making them a high priority for taxpayer dollars.

Our public park system is the envy of other towns across America, and with expanded allocations for sculptures and other artistic endeavors, its uniqueness only stands to increase. Part of the funding for public art projects will involve contracting a landscape architect and environmental scientist dedicated to creating new, ecologically-friendly exhibits that provide an artistic experience without disrupting nature. The city government expects to have new installations finished in both Twin Pines Park and Water Dog Lake within the next five years.

Some of the most important artistic developments happen not on a commissioned project but in the minds and hearts of unexpected individuals. Recognizing this, a portion of the public art master plan focuses on private installations of sculptures, murals, and architecture. Many future construction elements will be required to dedicate a part of their budgets to artistic features, with the hope of creating a more beautiful face for our community over time. The city hopes to have soon a set of dedicated guidelines and recommendations for individuals and development companies looking to add to the city’s culture in this way.

Initially, most of these plans were expected to begin seeing results as early as this year, but the coronavirus pandemic has unfortunately caused many delays. However, with restrictions easing and business resuming, 2021 appears to be an excellent time for an artist in Belmont.

The Science Behind One of the Most Advanced Mold Removal Companies in Belmont

Without appropriate training and equipment, mold removal from a Belmont home can quickly turn into a disaster. Different species of mold spread across your home in different ways. Without understanding the science behind our detection technology, it may be challenging to assess the risk level in any given part of your house. So, read on to learn a bit about how SERVPRO identifies areas of mold growth and determines potential threats.

One of the latest and most significant pieces of technology we use in our initial inspections has made the identification of fungi a breeze. Infrared imaging devices allow our inspectors to look through walls, floors, and ceilings to find water leaks and elevated moisture areas that can support patches of mold growth. Although we cannot identify an infestation by moisture levels alone, we can figure out where to direct our attention.

Next, we use a variety of different tools to assess the number of fungi in an area. The specific device we use may vary depending on the situation. For example, if we know that a particular type of mold is growing in one area of your house and suspect growth in another room, we may take a quick reading through the wall to determine fungal growth. We may need to take a more detailed reading using air scrubbers that collect spores and analyze them based on their species or genus in other circumstances. Thanks to these tools and many others, we stay two steps ahead of the problem and can help your home with as little time and money spent as possible.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is one of the most advanced mold removal companies in Belmont and surrounding areas. Call our 24/7 hotline at (650) 591-4137 for any home damages you encounter.

Join Other Residents of Redwood City, CA to Enjoy Swimming Performances

11/26/2020 (Permalink)

We hope you enjoy the High-Performance Swim Camp Series!

Redwood Residents and Tourists Can Enjoy the High-Performance Swim Camp Series

You do not have to wait until the Olympics season to enjoy high swimming performance with your friends and family. If you reside in Redwood City or its surroundings or visiting the city for several days, you can join other swimming enthusiasts at the High-Performance Swim Camp series. Held on Saturday, November 28th at the Bay Club Redwood Shores in the Bay Area, the event features:

• November Freestyle Swim Camp
• December Elite Mechanics Camp

This exclusive swim camp series is hosted by swim clinics managed by professionals who designed it for competitive swimmers of all capabilities and ages. The event runs for a whole month from November 28th at 10 am to December 28th at 4 pm. Bring your friends and family and enjoy the high-quality drills as well as stroke demonstrations from world champions and Olympians. Make sure you wear your mask for covid safety.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is welcoming you to the High-Performance Swim Camp Series. If there is fire damage in your business, we can help you to bring things back to normal within a short time. Talk to us today at (650) 591-4137. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster!

Learn About Different Types of Food at the Flavors of Photography Event in San Francisco

11/19/2020 (Permalink)

Call us if your property is damaged!

San Francisco Residents and Visitors Can See the Various Sumptuous Foods They Can Enjoy

The flavors of photography event is an exhibit that is dedicated to showcasing the work of prominent food photographers in San Francisco. The event takes place on November 28, 2020, at 9.00 pm at Palette Gallery, 816 Folsom Street. All are welcome to showcase their indigenous food.

The event also allows people the opportunity to learn about the different types of food and cultures. It also allows people to market and sell their products. Hoteliers are allowed to set up stalls throughout the event and promote their businesses. With food at the beginning, the artists take the observers to the plate, the field, and other places they have imagined.

The images capture the individual perspective of the artist on how food and everything that goes with it is an essential aspect of the human experience. The event features the works of several artists, including:

   •   Ed Anderson
   •   Caren Alpert
   •   Soraya Matos
   •   Eric Wolfinger
   •   Sara Remington
   •   Soraya Matos

Missing the event will be denying oneself a chance of enjoying the diversity of life. Book a ticket and avail yourself for the event.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos welcomes you warmly to the flavors of photography event. We are proud to assist businesses that make such events possible. If your San Francisco restaurant requires commercial flood cleanup, we can help you. Call us any time at (650) 591-4137 for prompt restoration.

San Francisco Dwellers Can Get Water Cleanup Services from Reliable and Certified Professionals

11/14/2020 (Permalink)

Contact our crew of professionals if your property is damaged!

Dedicated SERVPRO Restorers Respond Fast to San Francisco Business Owners Commercial Water Cleanup Needs

San Francisco is the backbone of Northern California as far as culture, financial, and commercial activities are concerned. It is the 16th most populated city in the U.S.A and the fourth most populated city in California, with close to a million residents. According to the metropolitan statistical area data, San Francisco ranks 12th in the U.S and is the 4th largest by economic output. In 2018, the county-city had a GDP of $549 billion.

The history of San Francisco
The city of San Francisco was founded on 29 June 1776. This was when Spanish colonists established Mission San Francisco de Asis and Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate. In 1849, the California Gold Rush attracted rapid growth in San Francisco, making it the largest city on the West Coast. Between 1870 and 1900, San Francisco's status peaked as the largest city on the West Coast. This was after 25 percent of California's population settled in the city.

In 1906, an earthquake and fire destroyed around three-quarters of San Francisco. However, the residents quickly rebuilt the city and hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition almost a decade later.

During the Second World War, the city became the principal port of departure for servicemen who shipped out to the Pacific Theater. In 1945, San Francisco became the birthplace of the United Nations. After World War II, several factors led to cementing San Francisco as the center of liberal activism in the country. Factors such as:

   •   The confluence of bringing home servicemen
   •   Liberalizing attitudes
   •   Significant immigration
   •   The rise of the "hippie" counterculture

Popular Tourist destinations in San Francisco
Many tourists visit San Francisco every year, and the city is known for its cool summers, steep rolling hills, the eclectic mix of architecture and fog. The frequent portrayal of the city in popular music and film has helped attract millions of tourists worldwide. The city witnessed the fifth-highest number of tourists in the country in 2016. About 25 million foreign tourists arrived in the city during that year. The city accumulated $9,96 billion from tourism alone.

San Francisco hosts popular landmarks such as:

Fisherman's Wharf
It is the home of Pier 39 and a sea lion colony. The colony of sea lions began residing next to the pier 39 way before the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They lie on wooden docks that anglers used to dock their ships.

The area hosts a wide range of seafood restaurants, including the most popular floating Forbes Island restaurant that serves fresh seafood. The area also hosts several San Francisco events like the Fourth of July fireworks display.

The Golden Gate Bridge
This popular tourist attraction is a 1-mile wide suspension bridge that connects the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The structure links the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. It is the most recognized symbol of the city and California across the world. The American Society of Civil Engineers declared the structure designed by engineer Joseph Strauss as one of the Wonders of the Modern world. Tourists can bike ride, walk, or driver across the bridge to photograph or admire stunning views.

Former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Found on Alcatraz Island, the maximum-security federal prison was built between 1910 and 1912 as a military prison for United States Army. The three-story cell house is believed to be America's strongest prison that is escape-proof. This is due to the cold water surrounding the island, the strong currents of San Francisco Bay, and the prison’s high-security measures.

Chinatown
The city is home to the largest Chinese enclave out of Asia, located on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street. The Chinatown in San Francisco is the largest in North America. Since the establishment of the Chinatown in 1848, it has been influential and highly important in the culture and history of Chinese immigrants in North America. The residents of Chinatown continue to maintain their culture.

When it comes to food, Chinatown restaurants in San Francisco have a wide range of ethnic foods. People consider the city as the origin of Americanized Chinese cuisines like Chop Suey, Cantonese dishes, and Chicken drummettes. Chinatown is rich with more than enough to meet the needs of both foreign and local tourists.

San Francisco’s financial sector
The town is the headquarters of five banking institutions and companies such as:

   •   Reddit
   •   Gap Inc
   •   Levi Strauss and Co
   •   Pacific gas and electric company
   •   Wikimedia Foundation and Craigslist

The institutions play a significant role in pushing the economic status of San Francisco. Commercial buildings are vulnerable to water damage resulting from a wide range of issues, including HVAC problems. HVAC condensate water can harm your commercial building. To prevent further damage, you need to hire reliable restorers.

How do SERVPRO restorers conduct commercial water cleanup in San Francisco?
Commercial water cleanup is a complicated task that is best handled by experienced professionals. At SERVPRO, we have a highly trained and experienced team of technicians who can perform commercial water cleanup in your San Francisco business. We can use hi-tech equipment and advanced products to restore your property to its original state.

   •   We are accredited and insured professionals.
   •   We respond fast to our customer's emergency.

Our response team is always prepared, including on weekends, middle of the night, and holidays.

SERVPRO technicians also work closely with our customers and insurance adjusters. We update the customer about every step we take. Our friendly yet professional technicians can also help you collect the necessary data required by your insurance company to file your claim.

Our technicians can begin by conducting thorough water removal using portable extractors. You don't have to shut down your business for small water leaks. With our wide range of advanced equipment and innovative techniques, we can restore the affected area without causing any destruction to your business.

However, during sanitizing and deodorization, we use advanced products that may affect your business for a few hours. The products consist of chemicals that may irritate those without protective gear. Since we are available 24 hours a day, we can conduct processes that involve such products when you close the business for the day.

If there is water damage in your office building, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos immediately. We can make the destruction seem, “Like it never even happened.” Talk to us today at (650) 591-4137.

Should Homeowners Paint Over Smoke Damaged Walls?

10/27/2020 (Permalink)

After a fire incident takes place. You can trust that your home is in good hands with the experienced technicians at SERVPRO.

Minor Fires May Seem Easy to Clean Up but Professionals Are Recommended to Mitigate the Damage in San Francisco.

A fire doesn’t have to be a blazing inferno to cause damage to San Francisco homes. Smoke can spread throughout the home, quickly impacting areas that have no direct fire damage.

Isn’t Painting the Walls a Quick Fix?

A small trash can fire that gets extinguished fast can leave smoke residue on walls. Homeowners may think a quick wipe down can clean the soot. Then it is a simple matter of repainting. But that may not be the best choice. Using the wrong product can cause further damage. Painting over the sheetrock may not remove smoke odors. Calling a professional fire damage restoration company in San Francisco to handle the problem is the better choice.

What Gets Done in the Case of Sheetrock?

Anytime we are called out to assess a fire-damaged home, our technicians carefully inspect ceilings and walls. Because there are different types of smoke residues, they must determine which type they are dealing with. Adding to the challenge is that there can be more than one type involved in a fire. The four types of smoke residue include:

Wet smoke
Dry smoke
Protein smoke
Fuel oil smoke

Each of these requires a unique cleaning process, so it is vital to know which kind is present. Smoke that has settled onto surfaces is known as soot. It has a very strong odor. If it has settled onto the sheetrock and you paint over it without removing the contaminant properly, you can trap the smell. Our technicians perform tests to ascertain the soot type. They then clean the surface with the appropriate cleaning products.

Using Sealants

The particulates can become embedded in the sheetrock, and typical cleaning methods alone do not work. Sealants may be used in this case. The sealants encapsulate the odors in a way that covers the foul odors. Priming and painting can take place after that.

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for professional fire damage restoration. We are licensed and bonded – Contractor Licenses: General: 937457. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Where to start with storm losses in my San Francisco home?

10/26/2020 (Permalink)

Assessing a property after a storm loss event is essential to ensuring a time-efficient restoration.

Storms Can Lead to Flood Damage in your San Francisco Home. SERVPRO is a Responsible Restoration Service for Local Residents.

How are estimates produced for flood losses?
A powerful storm can cause a tremendous amount of damage to a San Francisco property. Often, flash flooding can occur as a direct result of storms, causing severe harm to a property. Naturally, a homeowner wants flood losses to be fixed as soon as possible. To do that, SERVPRO uses advanced measuring equipment to produce an estimate of the costs associated with recovery. We work closely with insurance adjusters to ensure that your home is restored within the limits of your flood policy. By measuring accurately, we can avoid hidden costs or secondary damages that could occur through residual moisture.

What knowledge is needed for calculating flood restoration equipment?
   •   It is essential to know the correct equipment for each restoration task within the property.
   •   How to operate the equipment efficiently and avoid potential power outages or inefficient deployment.
   •   How to maximize the drying power of equipment through the careful setup and staging process

Do walls and ceilings need removal to produce an accurate estimate?
When you suffer flood damage in your San Francisco property, technicians need to understand the amount of harm. Water migrates quickly through buildings and, without proper intervention, can seep into crawl spaces or subfloors. To avoid unnecessary demolition of a building's structure, SERVPRO technicians can use thermal imaging cameras. Thermal imaging cameras detect temperature behind walls, floors, or ceilings, which can be used to calculate the extent of water migration. Equally, this equipment can be used to monitor the effectiveness of cavity drying without causing undue damage to the internal structure of your home.

What are thermal imaging cameras capable of?
   •   Thermal cameras display infrared images which can be used to estimate the extent of water migration in a property.
   •   This equipment does not see behind or inside walls but displays a temperature differential, which indicates hidden moisture pockets.
   •   Cameras can be used to measure thermal capacitance, which shows when the air warms up or cools down. These measurements are affected by moisture.

Assessing a property after a storm loss event is essential to ensuring a time-efficient restoration. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

How Can Homeowners Reduce Bathroom Exhaust Fan Fire Risk?

10/14/2020 (Permalink)

Bathroom exhaust fans rarely catch fire. But if it happens in your home, be sure to contact the experienced professionals at SERVPRO for assistance.

IICRC-Certified Technicians Render Fire Damage Restoration Services for San Francisco Homes.

While bathroom exhaust fan fires account for a small percentage of home structure fires, they can cause a disproportionate amount of damages compared to other fires. Soot residues and char can settle in your HVAC system and adjacent rooms in your San Francisco home, which can lead to significant odors and potential corrosion from acidic residues.

SERVPRO provides rapid-response fire damage restoration to San Francisco residents within hours of their initial contact. These Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-accredited pros are also licensed to render general contracting services to perform structural repairs after mitigating fire damage (license #937457).

How Can Homeowners Maintain an Exhaust Fan to Minimize Fire Risk?

While bathroom exhaust fans rarely catch fire and sport an increasing number of safety features to prevent them, a little bit of maintenance once or twice a year can go a long way toward reducing your fire risk. Keep these tips in mind while maintaining your exhaust fan:

Remove dust and dirt. After removing the cover from your exhaust fan, wipe down or submerge it in soapy water before drying. Ducts can be cleaned with a flexible duct cleaning extension kit, which can be found at most hardware stores. Depending on how it is installed, it may be necessary to remove the fan itself before cleaning the ducts. Your local electrician is more than happy to perform these services for you.
Use low wattage LED light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs use significantly less wattage to achieve the desired amount of light for your bathroom, which is a must for preventing an overheating exhaust fan.
Quickly clean exhaust fans with compressed air. You likely already have a can or two of this in your home for keeping electronics clean. Make sure to turn the fan on before spraying it with canned air to get as much dust out as possible between deep cleanings.
Make a routine out of bathroom exhaust fan cleaning. The beauty of the bathroom exhaust fan is that it only needs to be maintained annually or semiannually to keep it in good shape, with quick cleaning in between servicing.

Bathroom exhaust fan fires are most commonly created by dust and dirt buildup that causes the fan motor to overheat. However, even with proper maintenance, disasters can still occur. That is why SERVPRO is committed to assisting homeowners 24/7.

Do New Bathroom Exhaust Fans Have Additional Safety Features?

San Francisco homeowners can breathe a sigh of relief with the knowledge that modern bathroom exhaust fans offer a bevy of safety features. These features are dedicated to reducing your energy costs as well as your home fire risk and include:

Thermal protectors, which were used as early as the early 1990s to reduce potential home structure fire risk.
Thermal fuses, which shut off the fan when the motor hits a specific temperature, usually around 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
Time switches can also be installed to automatically shut off the exhaust fan after it has run for a designated amount of time. This function prevents a failure that results from running the fan for too long.

Hardware stores can also assist you with ensuring that your exhaust fan is the right size for the room. The general rule of thumb is to choose a fan that circulates at a rate of cubic feet per minute (CFM) that matches your bathroom’s size. A fan that is too small for your bathroom can overheat more easily.

Can SERVPRO Techs Restore a Fire-Damaged Ventilation System?

Restoration technicians at SERVPRO can replace fire-damaged flex duct ventilation. In contrast, sheet metal ducts can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before reinstallation. Minding the ventilation system after a home fire is crucial for several reasons:

After fire suppression efforts, mold remediation may be necessary depending on how long the structure has been saturated. Mold growth can increase rapidly in as little as 24 hours.
Ducts free of soot deposits and soils do not spread fire damage odors through the rest of the home for a protracted period.
Sometimes, replacement is more cost-effective than repair for homeowners, especially with more fragile materials like flex duct.

After removing soils, SERVPRO Odor Control Technicians (OCTs) can focus on eliminating fire damage odors that spread through vents with thermal foggers, trays of scented granules placed at vent intakes, and EPA-registered antimicrobial solutions.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is proud to assist the community with Faster to Any Size Disaster service, time after time. Call (650) 591-4137 for emergency-response mitigation and restoration services.

How Do I Get Rid of Burning Odors in my San Francisco Home?

9/22/2020 (Permalink)

If you are struggling to rid your home of smell, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

Smoke Odors Often Require a Fire Damage Restoration Professional to Remove. If Your San Francisco Home Suffers from Smoke Odors Contact SERVPRO.

Why do fire odors linger in a property?
Odor particles are naturally volatile, which can lead them to spread quickly in your San Francisco home. Since these particles move a lot, they should disperse naturally over-time. However, when dealing with fire or smoke odors, the malodor can affect the property's quality of life. In these situations, it is customary to use a professional odor control technician (OCT) to aid your home's recovery by using an array of techniques. It can be tough to find the sources of odors, which is why SERVPRO technicians employ a range of approaches to remove unpleasant smoke odors from your home.

What chemical treatments help to tackle fire odors?
- Odor counteracting beads which can be placed in regions of the home
- Pellets or deodorant granules to absorb odor particles
- Water-based odor counteractants which can be added to cleaning solutions

Is it possible to clear an entire house of fire odor?
Part of fire damage restoration in your San Francisco home is returning it to its preloss condition. For that, SERVPRO technicians take extra care to ensure that any residual odors are entirely removed or unnoticeable at the end of service. In large house fires, smoke odors can permeate an entire structure. To deodorize the structure time-efficiently, our technicians can use a thermal fogger. This equipment vaporizes solvent or petroleum deodorizers and develop a smoke. Smokes, or mists, are useful in counteracting odor because they can reach crevices or hidden areas of the home otherwise inaccessible using pellets or direct contact deodorants.

What machinery is used for odor removal?
- Photocatalytic Oxidisers which use UV light to rid odors
- Air-scrubbers or filtration devices
- Ozone generator that uses unstable gases to eliminate odor

If you are struggling to rid your home of smell, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

After a Business Had a Small Fire, But Still Smells Like Smoke - What Can Be Done?

9/14/2020 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO today for assistance with professional fire remediation services.

SERVPRO Features Proven Fire Damage Restoration Techniques to Address Smoke Odors That Linger Inside San Francisco Businesses.

Once your business has a fire, the chances are good that you will have some odorous smoke particles that can hang around even after cleanup is finished. Even the smallest structure fire can lead to extensive damage, but you also need assistance if you notice foul smoke odors remain. SERVPRO features highly-trained fire restoration technicians who can restore your San Francisco business to eliminate the fire incident traces.

How Does Fire and Odor Cleanup Work?

Whenever SERVPRO gets called for fire damage restoration in San Francisco, we pay close attention to several factors. For example, the cause of the fire and type of materials burned will play a role in the kind of smoke and soot left behind. Should you have stubborn residue or hidden particles that migrated throughout your HVAC system, everything must get meticulously cleaned to make it, “Like it never even happened.”

Once you call us for restoration services, we take care of the following:

Removal of all debris and odor-causing elements, such as charred building materials, furnishings, etc.
Carefully clean all surfaces coated with odor-causing particulates. Every area of your business gets inspected to determine where the odors may have traveled.
We can also recreate the conditions that brought about odor penetration by way of thermal fogging technology.
If necessary, our skilled technicians can also seal any surfaces that suffered exposure to malodors. This includes sealing the inside of your ducts or painting walls.

When there are charred studs in any of your commercial space walls, we can use steel scrub brushes, dry ice blasting, or soda blasting to remove the charring. Once complete, we can then finish off the studs with a seal coat to inhibit smoke odors from lingering.

For help with fire damage restoration and ridding your commercial space of foul odors, SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is here to help. You can reach us 24/7 by calling (650) 591-4137.

My San Francisco Area Is Prone To Coastal Flooding – How Can I Better Prepare?

9/12/2020 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for expert flood damage service.

Preparation Can Lessen the Impact of Flooding in San Francisco

San Francisco is a lovely coastal town and is home to historical buildings, trolley cars, and diverse cultures. Because it is a coastal town, this leaves it open to severe flooding. It averages 25” of rain yearly, but that can increase with little notice. If you are a homeowner in San Francisco, being prepared for storm possibilities is the smart thing to do.

Why Worry About Coastal Flooding?
Over the past 100 years, San Francisco has experienced an 8” rise in sea levels. A local tide station has reported 474 days of exceeded flood levels. This has happened since 1950 and was compared against National Weather Service flood thresholds, according to RiskFinder.org. The flood level looked at is a 3’ flood. All the data points to a raised starting point for both high tides and storm surges. This can mean coastal flooding that happens more often and is more severe. It all points to the possibility of increased flood damage in San Francisco.

My Home is Low Level – Am I at a Higher Risk?
Many homes are below the 3’ flood level. This puts your home at higher risk if you fall into that category. Many folks believe it can not happen to them because it has not happened so far. Storms can appear out of nowhere, dumping massive amounts of water on the city. More than rainfall can increase the risk of flooding in your area, including:
• Tidal surge data
• Topography changes
• New construction
• Flood control measures

If you live in a high-risk area, you need to make sure you have the right kind of flood insurance. Flood hazard maps can help you determine the coverage that is best for your home.

What if My Home Experiences Storm Damage & Flooding?
The important thing in any potential flooding situation is to listen to local weather news and obey the warnings. If you are told to evacuate, do not stay in place. Your family’s well-being is not worth whatever possessions you own. Floodwaters bring a plethora of hazards with them, so do not enter your home until you are 100% sure it is safe. Calling SERVPRO is the next step once you have assured your family is safe.

The longer the water sits, the higher the possibility of secondary damage such as mold. In a residence that has experienced water damage from something like a burst pipe, a scope would get done first. This determines the needs of the home and allows a detailed plan to be crafted. But with floodwaters, there is often a need for emergency water mitigation. This can include roof tarping, checking for electrical issues, and making sure the structure is sound.

SERVPRO Technicians Provide Fast Intervention
Once any needed emergency procedures are put in place, our Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified staff gets busy. Floodwater is what is known as black water and is highly contaminated. Removing that water is the main focus. It requires the right PPE, equipment, and experience. SERVPRO IICRC techs meet all of those qualifications. The process typically involves:
• Using an EPA registered disinfectant spray on all impacted areas.
• Preventing the contaminants from spreading to unaffected places.
• Debris and silt get removed using rakes and shovels.
• Proper disposal of the debris.
• Water extraction using trash pumps.
• Extracting water from the flooring.
• Structural assessment to determine what gets saved.
• Content management.
• Clean and dry the home with air movers and dehumidifiers.
• Repeat disinfecting surfaces as needed.

In a floodwater scenario, there are items that cannot be salvaged due to the contaminated water. This can include carpet, padding, and upholstered furniture. We work with you to decide what to dispose of and what can be salvaged. We use controlled demolition to repair and replace structural elements, ceilings, and walls. We do everything possible to save as much as we can without putting your family at risk.

Be Prepared – Be Safe
Everyone should have an emergency disaster plan in place. Having the proper insurance is necessary, but your family needs to know what to do if a flood occurs. Make sure everyone knows:
• Where to meet
• Who is responsible for the children
• What to do if family members are not home

Make sure you have emergency supplies ready to go with you if you need to evacuate. A communication plan is vital.

Our SERVPRO team lives in the San Francisco area. We understand the risks of coastal flooding. We have families and homes in the area as well. That is why we are committed to making sure your home is cleaned and restored right in the event flooding occurs. Our company is licensed and bonded. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for expert flood damage service. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

YUCK There is Mold in My San Francisco Kitchen – Who Do I Call?

8/27/2020 (Permalink)

Mold is not something to mess with, so call in the professionals.

If You San Francisco Home has Mold, You Need a Mold Remediation Company with Experience

The Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and fantastic food are all things folks love about San Francisco. Almost 5 million people live, work, and play there, many of whom are homeowners. The atmosphere in the city is moist and humid, making it a perfect breeding ground for mold.

Can Mold be Removed?

Mold removal in San Francisco is a term often used when it comes to dealing with an infestation. There are restoration companies that may tell you they can remove all mold from your home. They cannot. Mold is everywhere, inside your residence and outside. The spores are microscopic and enter a house through airflow, on clothing, thru HVAC systems, and even on your pet. These spores love moisture, and much of California is a place in which they can thrive. It is not conceivable to clear all mold even with mold removal help in San Francisco. The good news is, mold remediation can clean up the existing mold and help prevent the return.

Can I Clean Up Mold on My Own?

While it may be possible to take care of small patches of mold as a DIY project, chances are you have more somewhere else. Before any mold remediation can begin, the water source needs to be addressed. If not, it is an ongoing battle. SERVPRO has certified Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians (AMRT) who understand mold and what it takes to remove it, clean up affect areas and content, and prevent it from coming back.

Call a Company You Can Trust

When you call our company for mold remediation, you are not only getting well-trained technicians but also years of experience. Our mold removal process involves:
   •   Containment
   •   Moisture removal
   •   Disposal of infected materials
   •   Antimicrobial & antifungal agents
   •   Disinfecting
   •   Cleaning impacted content
   •   Cleaning structural elements
   •   Sealants

Mold is not something to mess with, so call in the professionals. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for mold remediation services.

Can SERVPRO Clean My Office Venetian Blinds During Fire Restoration?

8/17/2020 (Permalink)

When fire damages your office, nothing is spared from smoke and soot. SERVPRO knows how to clean and restore your office.

San Francisco Entrepreneurs Are Looking for Thorough Fire Restoration

San Francisco business owners know that when their business is not open, it is not earning money. However, they will still have overheads, such as staff wages, rent, and insurance to pay. That is why, in the event of a disaster, it is vital to open again as soon as possible.

Entrepreneurs in San Francisco need fire restoration services upon which they can rely. That is why SERVPRO should be your first call – we are Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Which office furnishings can be affected by fire?

Soot is a grimy, sticky substance that, unfortunately, bonds with many kinds of material. Soot damages all types of office furnishings, including:

Desks and chairs
Carpets and rugs
Cushions, wall hangings, and throws
Drapes and blinds, including Venetian blinds

Venetian blinds are a favored choice of window covering in offices as they fit most sizes of windows. But what happens when fire damages the blinds?

How does SERVPRO clean Venetian blinds?

Two main cleaning methods are suitable for Venetian blinds.

The first is immersion cleaning. We mix Ultra Content Cleaner with hot water and immerse damaged items in it, using a sponge to dislodge soils, which is particularly useful for small patches of soot.

However, if the blinds require full immersion, ultrasonic cleaning is an excellent choice. The steps are:

Decide on the correct water temperature, cleaning solution, and frequency of bubbles
Place the blinds in an ultrasonic tank filled with water and cleaning solution
Switch the machine on – the device creates millions of bubbles that implode and create microscopic jet streams that agitate and remove soils

What about the rest of the office?

Do not worry – we are here to clean your business premises from top to bottom. Our teams have the equipment and skill to scrub soot residues from walls and ceilings, furniture, wood, metal, and even HVAC systems. We also carry out repairs to put your premises back the way it was and make sure it is safe to use once more.

For help with fire restoration, call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

More about San Francisco.

What Makes Some Water Damage Mitigation Services Better Than Others?

8/10/2020 (Permalink)

Let us help you get your San Francisco home back in order after a devastation takes place.

The Right Professional Qualifications and Equipment Distinguish Better San Francisco Mitigation Services, Like SERVPRO, From Others.

When a leak or other clean water-related event impacts your San Francisco home, you need to find the most capable mitigation service to solve your problem and limit the resulting damage. While several local remediation companies handle water issues, they are not of equal quality or effectiveness. Many simply do not have the necessary training and tools to successfully resolve every water issue. However, some services, like SERVPRO, have extensively credentialed and experienced technicians with all the equipment needed to handle even the most challenging situations.

What Training and Credentials Do SERVPRO Professionals Have?

Unlike the workers at some other San Francisco water damage mitigation companies, our professionals undergo extended training and are certified in a wide variety of topics concerning water damage remediation. Some of the specialized fields they are individually certified in are:

Water damage restoration

Applied structural drying

Applied microbial remediation

Odor control

Carpet cleaning

Carpet repair & reinstallation

Rug cleaning

Upholstery & Fabric cleaning

Leather cleaning

Color repair

With this education, SERVPRO workers usually know how to limit the overall negative effects of water on your home and maintain its structural integrity. Moreover, their industry knowledge often enables them to save your precious furnishings and return them to their original state.

Can SERVPRO Identify and Source Less Noticeable Water Damage?

One of the many benefits of using SERVPRO is our ability to identify and precisely locate the sources of even the least noticeable water damage. We do this by using the latest state-of-the-art detection tools. This high-tech equipment includes:

Sensors that can detect excess moisture in structural elements and household items

Meters to precisely measure the levels of moisture in materials throughout your home

Thermo hygrometers enable technicians to learn more about airborne moisture in your residence via vapor pressure, specific humidity, and dew point calculations

Infrared cameras that can see through structural elements, like ceilings, walls, and baseboards, to locate sources of water leaks

Operating with these advanced tools, our workers can generally find all surfaces and materials impacted by water. This ensures that they do not miss affected structural elements and other materials that, if left untreated, could develop more advanced water damage over time. In this way, we can safeguard your home from gradually developing mold and mildew stains, dry rot, and persistent foul odors.

How Exactly Do We Mitigate Water Damage?

Equipped with all the latest advanced devices, we employ a wide variety of techniques to limit your losses from clean water-related issues. These tools and techniques empower our workers to effectively dry out the interior air of your home, as well as surfaces and materials around your residence that contain excess moisture. Our water damage mitigation procedure involves the following:

Locating and blocking/eliminating water sources with detection devices

Extracting pools of standing water with wet vacs or high-powered extractors

Circulating and exchanging moist interior air for drier exterior air with high-velocity fans and air blowers

Drying interior air and surfaces with different types of advanced dehumidifiers

Removing excess moisture from difficult-to-access places behind ceilings and walls with innovative injectidry systems

Treating impacted surfaces, materials, and areas with foggers to disinfect and deodorize them

Ultimately, these efforts limit how much damage you suffer as a result of a water leak or other clean water event. They work to reduce the time your home is exposed to water and excess moisture, help to quickly eliminate microbial threats that could cause further damage in the long run, and neutralize odors that would otherwise persist for an extended period of time.

Homeowners should remain vigilant against the omnipresent threat of leaks and other water-related problems. Remember that, every day, someone in the San Francisco area has to deal with such issues. These residential headaches can arise from a myriad of different causes but are often the result of a leaky or ruptured water pipe, a roof leak, malfunctioning appliances, or a deteriorating rusty water container. With that said, whatever the cause of your water problem, it is essential that you have it handled quickly to limit damage, prevent ongoing future effects, and save money on remediating it. It is also crucial to find the right water damage mitigation service with the proper knowledge, experience, and tools to do the job right the first time.

We know that being impacted by a water event is an exceedingly stressful experience. However, rest assured that effective, high-quality local help is available when you need it most. Remember, if your home ever suffers clean water damage, call SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for assistance.

Who Can Help Cleanup Water Damage Caused by Storms in San Francisco?

7/27/2020 (Permalink)

Close-up Of Spilled Water On Kitchen Floor At Home

Your home deserves the best care after suffering from any type of damage.

Contact SERVPRO for All Your Water Damage Needs in Your San Francisco Home.

No one ever knows what kind of damage weather will cause to the home. Maybe it is a roof that began to leak after a storm, or maybe the damage is caused by flooding. If this happened in your San Francisco home, would you know what to do? Water damage is no easy thing to deal with on your own, but this company has the answer.

What can the experts at SERVPRO do to help you clean up the water problem caused by storm damage?

Storms damage in San Francisco is not always anticipated and can happen suddenly. Your home could be damaged, and it can happen very suddenly. Since this is the case, our company has several services that can help. The services we offer are listed in the paragraphs below.

24-Hour Emergency Service

In order to make sure that any damage to your home is kept to a minimum, we offer 24-hour service. This means that any time water damage strikes, you can be sure that you will be able to talk to an expert immediately. This type of response also keeps the cost of damage and restoration service very low. Time is crucial to stopping the spread of water and the damage that it can cause.

Faster to Any Size Disaster

No matter the size of the problem, our experts will be there as fast as they possibly can. This type of response keeps the cost of damage and restoration service very low. Time is crucial to stopping the spread of water and the damage that it can cause. Water damage has a timeline to how far it can spread and how bad the situation can get, the faster the response time, the better.

Highly Trained Water Restoration Technicians

All of our Water Restoration Technicians are certified and highly trained to ensure our customers get the best restoration services possible. Not only are they initially trained before they begin their work in this area, but they are constantly in continuing education courses to keep them up to date.

Advanced Water Inspection, Extraction, and Drying Equipment

Once there has been damage from flooding or other storm-related activities, there is a lengthy process to repair your home. Our company has six steps to completely restore your home. Here is a list of the steps we follow:

   •   Emergency Contact
   •   Inspection and Water Damage Assessment
   •   Water Removal/Water Extraction
   •   Drying and Dehumidification
   •   Cleaning and Sanitizing
   •   Restoration

So, for any water damage problems caused by bad weather, give us a call. Your home deserves the best care after suffering from any type of damage. Make the call, and you will never regret contacting the professionals that treat your home as if it is their own. Do not delay, call (650) 591-4137 and talk to a SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos specialist today.

My San Francisco Home Has Water Damage, Why Call the Pros?

7/19/2020 (Permalink)

water leaking onto a tile from under a door

Water damage cleanup can be a hassle for you and your family to take care of alone. Contact SERVPRO for the necessary remediation to your home.

Prompt Water Damage Cleanup by SERVPRO Lessens Loss and Brings Your San Francisco Property Back to Pre-Loss Condition

Water rushing into your home from a broken pipe might not be how you expected to spend the evening. However, water loss incidents tend to happen when you least expect it. Instead of waiting until morning or trying to handle the cleanup on your own, SERVPRO is available to come to your San Francisco home 24/7. We are the number one choice in the area for prompt, reliable help with water damage, and our IICRC-certified technicians will be happy to address any questions you may have regarding our process.

What is Involved in Water Removal?

Any standing water in your home must get removed first. We have a variety of extraction tools and various equipment we bring to each water damage cleanup in San Francisco, including:

Commercial-grade pumps and extractors
Wet-dry vacuums
Light wands
Rovers, also known as weighted extractors, and more

Our equipment allows us to adjust and handle any size job in the most efficient and reliable way possible. Once the standing water gets removed in San Francisco from the loss zone, we can start with the drying phase.

Some of the tools and equipment that we utilize for drying your interior include:

Industrial-strength fans
Axial fans
Turbo-drying air movers
Refrigerant and desiccant dehumidifiers

Most, or all of these pieces of equipment, will be set up to work in unison to both speed drying and to control water vapor lingering in the air. This equipment helps boost airflow in the loss zone, along with heat, both of which are necessary for proper drying of the space. The drying process gets carefully monitored, and our crew takes the time to adjust equipment strength and placement to achieve our trying goals.

Handling any water intrusion as soon as it happens helps to lessen the loss. This not only cuts back on the potential for structural damage, but it also prevents health issues from dangerous bacterial growth if water is left to fester. Our proven methods for water damage mitigation include:

Rapid removal of all standing water and moisture in and around the loss zone
Efficient dehumidification and drying
Full restoration of all personal belongings and structural elements
Total disinfection of affected areas
Careful removal of all mildew and mold development
Thorough deodorization and sanitization

Why SERVPRO?

With any water loss, the longer that moisture lingers, the more significant the threat. Our IICRC-certified technicians can handle all types of damage and we know all of the signs to look for that mold may be developing. We have strong attention to detail when it comes to water removal and drying to get you back to your normal routine faster.

What About Hidden Moisture?

Depending on the path that the water takes, migration can be an issue, and hidden moisture must get handled properly. If water made its way behind your baseboards or into your wall cavities, we have several techniques to try, including:

Scoping the area with moisture detection tools to pinpoint the problem areas that must be addressed.
Performing drainage techniques like drilling weep holes in your walls or ceilings – this allows for proper drainage and to facilitate better airflow for drying purposes.
Controlled demolition for materials such as saturated sheetrock, which can begin to swell and crumble. Once the unsalvageable sheetrock gets removed, it is replaced with brand-new materials and finished off to match the preloss condition.

You Can Count on Us for Total Drying

Despite best efforts, merely using fans, dehumidifiers and air movers may not be enough to achieve our set drying goals. We have access to specialized drying equipment that helps us to force air into tough or tight spaces. For example, drying mats are ideal for helping to push dry, warm air into wet floor joists, and subfloor. We also have the Injecti-Dry system that helps to facilitate speedy drying of wall cavities.

Can I Salvage My Carpets?

When water is from a clean source, such as a burst pipe, and your carpeting has not been saturated for too long, the chances are good that we can salvage it. Some exceptions might be issues with staining or rust spots from metal furnishings or finished wood surfaces sitting on the wet carpet for prolonged periods.

What About My Furniture?

Many furnishings can be thoroughly cleaned and then sanitized. If swelling has developed with furnishings made of porous materials like MDF, they will not be salvageable. In some instances, we can move furnishings and other belongings away from the loss zone or off-site for further cleaning and restoration.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos whenever you need help with water damage cleanup. To have our Green Fleet deployed to your property in as little as four hours or less, call us 24/7 at (650) 591-4137.

Who Can Help with My Flooded San Francisco Garden Level Living and Storage Areas?

7/6/2020 (Permalink)

Storm damage in your San Francisco home? Don’t let moisture take over, call SERVPRO right away.

Fast Water Removal and Structural Drying Are SERVPRO Specialties, Responsive to Flood Damage in Residential Walk-Out Lower Levels

Housing in San Francisco often features walkouts to backyard gardens or front door courtyards. We make the most of the footprint of our homes, building up while also inviting the outdoors inside on the street-level. This construction style can protect upper levels from storm-related flooding but exposes utility and storage areas, family rooms, and additional sleeping areas to storm damage risks.

What Should I Do While Waiting for Help?

When heavy rains cause water to rise inside your San Francisco home, flood damage causes safety risks as well as damage to structures. Appliances located on the lowest level can short out electronics and rust their metal components. You must shut down circuit breakers in flooded areas. Check storage, including tuck-under garages, to raise boxes, tools, and more above the flood line. Keep refrigerators or freezers closed until help arrives to seal out water and avoid spoilage. Remove piles of laundry and throw rugs.

What Are the Work Crew’s Focuses?

When the SERVPRO team arrives, we have three primary concerns. Our crew chief first inspects your space to manage safety issues and then devise a plan. As soon as the area is determined safe to enter, our employees follow up with the final two broad goals:

Aggressive Water Extraction and Disposal

Placement of submersible pumps for water deeper than two inches
Employment of truck-mounted extractors for the bulk of the remaining standing water
Use of portable extractors for confined spaces holding water
Containment of the water extracted and disposal according to local regulation

Structural Drying

Moisture detection and metering to gather baseline data for drying goals (including measurement of moisture levels in “dry” areas of the home for comparison)
Calculation of the positioning and number needed of drying equipment for efficacious drying based on flood damage restoration best practices
Drying structural components and fixtures, with periodic monitoring, using:

Air movers
Heaters
Dehumidifiers

The fast response and professionalism of SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos deliver successful flood damage restoration results. Call us at (650) 591-4137 to schedule a speedy assessment and implementation of a workable recovery plan.

Want to see more about San Francisco?

How Can I Be Sure that Water Damage in My Home is Removed?

6/25/2020 (Permalink)

Did you notice a leak in your home from a winter rain? Call SERVPRO in Redwood City to mitigate your problem.

Count on SERVPRO When You Need Water Extraction from Your Redwood City Home

Redwood City's dry, sunny summers allow homeowners to detect water damage from winter rain and snow. The December - February rainy season could have caused roof or gutter leaks to drip water stealthily through the ceiling down interior sheetrock walls. Visible plus invisible water damage indicates an expert in water remediation, and removal, like SERVPRO, is needed.

How Else Do I Know That I Need Help Correcting and Preventing Water Damage?

As you gaze at the ceiling stains and water damage to your Redwood City home, you also notice a few grayish and black flecks in the water discolorations on the walls. This stirs you to action. What if the water damage has sneakily spread and grown mold inside the wall? Your 2020 experience with COVID-19 has altered and upgraded your expectations to a higher standard of clean and water damage restoration. A national company like SERVPRO, whose local franchise employs certified technicians, is equipped to remediate and repair the water damage to the walls and ceiling resulting from slow leaks and surface microorganisms.

What Equipment and Methods Will Certified Technicians Use to Eliminate Water Damage and Restore My Home?

Our local franchise can send IICRC Certified Technicians to scope visible and hidden water intrusions in the structure. These trusted professionals use advanced equipment to identify and classify the extent of water damage and to ensure its restoration to the highest industry standards. Some tools for detecting and correcting the breadth of damage include the following:

moisture sensors
moisture meters
extractors
HEPA filtered wet vacs and air scrubbers

Walls are inspected and carpets are examined. Dehumidifiers and deodorizers are typically placed to maximize the drying time and eliminate foul smells. The rapid response time is always matched with excellent customer service that adheres to cleaning and decontamination standards. We are Certified SERVPRO Cleaned.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is available 24/7 to mitigate water damage to your home. Contact us at (650) 591-4137 for help.

Who Can I Call to Help with Flooding in My San Francisco Home?

6/14/2020 (Permalink)

Regardless whether flooding started inside or outside of your home, team SERVPRO can help. Contact us 24/7 365 days a year.

SERVPRO Expertly Addresses Flood Damage from a Storm to Restore your San Francisco Home to Pre-Loss Condition

Whenever rainy, stormy weather makes its way throughout the San Francisco area, it can leave a certain level of damage behind. If your home is in a zone prone to flooding, you need to have a plan of action for cleanup should an emergency develop. SERVPRO is available whenever you need us to restore your home to preloss condition, which includes making sure that your structure is sound. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster and have crews standing by for 24/7 emergency service.

Why Choose SERVPRO Over Another Restoration Company?

There are several reasons why we believe it is better to call on us for flood damage in San Francisco. This includes:

We work diligently to complete your San Francisco flood damage project. Most of our crew members are certified in safety and health as well as applied structural drying, odor control, water damage restoration, and applied microbial remediation.
SERVPRO technicians have received certification through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), so you can count on us to complete the job correctly the first time, every time.
We have a disaster recovery team available to address a significant flood loss event on your property.
Our Green Fleet comes with vehicles equipped with the latest technology and equipment to handle any size job.
A sampling of the tools that we bring to each flood damage project includes wet vacuums, submersible pumps, extractors, thermos hygrometers, moisture sensors, and moisture meters. We have a variety of dehumidifiers, centrifugal air movers, high-tech foggers, disinfectants, powerful fungicides, and more.

Our talented workforce and access to the best industry equipment make us the number one choice when a storm leaves you with flooding. The quick and precise way we respond to a flood loss situation can save you both time and money.

What Happens Once I Call SERVPRO for Flood Restoration?

We have a proven process involving several steps to address flood loss. Once we arrive on the scene, we inspect the loss zone to assess the damage and formulate a plan of action. This allows the team to select the right equipment and how many units we need to perform the most efficient water removal and drying endeavors. Our crew chief also inspects your building to ensure your structure is sound and pinpoints any areas where water may have migrated. We are experts in the field of water disposal, home interior drying, microorganism elimination, and sanitation. The steps generally followed when handling flood loss includes:

Determination of the level of water damage in your home
If necessary, securing your home to prevent further damage or intrusion from trespassers
Removal of all standing floodwater
Careful removal of debris, fallen trees, and any hazardous waste the storm left behind on your property
Dry the interior of your home until it reaches our drying standards
Utilization of EPA-registered fungicides and disinfectants that inhibit microorganism growth
Full disinfection and sanitation, which helps to remove any unwanted foul odors from floodwaters

All of these actions help to restore your interior to preloss condition so that it is “Like it never even happened.”

Is Safety an Issue During Restoration?

Floodwaters often bring contamination, so we have a list of safety measures, including:

Our team wears personal protection equipment (PPE)
We ensure electricity gets shut off to any affected areas of your home
Our crew ensures that the flood zone is closed off from the remainder of your home
We remain mindful of any potential hazards, including damaged structural elements
Repair of any penetration points to help lessen water migration

How Do You Handle Saturated Areas of My Home?

Flooding is a severe issue if not addressed promptly, so our team has access to a broad range of water extraction equipment. We get to work using high-powered pumps and truck-mounted extractors that not only pull up hundreds to thousands of gallons of water but also floodwater containing debris.

What Happens if I Wait Too Long to Call for Restoration Help?

The longer that you wait once water infiltrates your home, the more damage takes hold. Some common issues homeowners see after a flood loss event include:

The loss of carpeting and carpet padding below due to full saturation with contaminated flood water
Sheetrock that is damaged from water wicking, calling for controlled demolition with flood cuts or complete replacement
Tile flooring can fully delaminate in the water loss zone
Hardwood flooring that buckles and warps

With any flood damage project, sanitation and deodorization are critical. You can count on SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos to ensure your interior is clean and safe from contaminants. Call us 24/7 for emergency service at (650) 591-4137, and we deploy a crew as quickly as possible.

How Do You Know When My House Is Dry After Conducting Water Damage Repair?

6/3/2020 (Permalink)

No matter when you make the call, we have technicians who can assist you.

SERVPRO Can Use Various Types of Tools To Test for Moisture Content in Your Redwood City Home

After you suffer from a water leak in one of the pipes inside your Redwood City house, our SERVPRO technicians can inspect your entire structure for the presence of moisture. Once we determine what items got wet, we can then conduct extraction and drying procedures to dry them out.

How do you figure out which items got wet?

During our initial inspection before we begin water damage repair inside your Redwood City home, we use moisture sensors and meters to determine which structural components got affected. We can use moisture sensors to detect the presence of H2O in your carpets. We can also use penetrating and non-penetrating moisture meters to find the moisture content in building materials such as wood studs and drywall.

How can you tell how wet my drywall and studs in my house got?

As a part of our inspection process, we take measurements of several different materials in your structure. We can take several readings of areas in your home that we know got affected and rooms that did not get wet. By comparing the two moisture content numbers, we can then see how wet an item got. The moisture content reading of the unaffected areas in your house also serves as a drying goal.

How do you tell if the drying procedures are working?

Monitor the drying process- We can return to your home each day that we have drying equipment set up to make sure that your affected building materials and contents are drying. We can take moisture readings each day to figure out if the drying efforts are working how they should.

Ensure the equipment is working properly- We make sure all of our drying equipment is working properly each day until the drying goal is met.

Document the drying process- Each day we take readings, we document the numbers so that we can see the progress over time and show it to you the homeowner.

If a pipe in your house Foster City or surrounding areas ever leaks, call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 24/7.

Want to see more about Redwood City?

How Do I Stop a Burst Pipe From Causing Damage in Redwood City?

5/31/2020 (Permalink)

Make sure to react quickly when a burst pipe causes water damage in your home. We are available 24/7 for emergencies.

Residents Use Professional Water Removal Services in Redwood City for Pipe Bursts

Temperature changes can cause pipes in your home to expand or contract throughout the year. In older residential properties, pipes can burst or split as a result of the expansion. Burst pipes are a nightmare for Redwood City residents who can see as much as four hundred gallons per hour (GPH) of clean water entering their home. Stopping water to the pipe is essential to stemming the flood of water, but, likely, you may also need professional assistance to pump and extract the existing damage from your home.

What tools do I need for water removal?

Sandbags

Water extraction units

Submersible electric-powered pumps

How can I prevent standing water from spreading?

Water naturally migrates from wet areas to drier areas. Water migration can be a massive problem in a clean water emergency in Redwood City because more and more of your home is exposed to water. Stemming the flow of water to other areas of the home may be as simple as shutting doors and placing towels at the hems. Our technicians can bring heavy duty sandbags to the property, which not only absorbs moisture but can also prevent water from migrating into wall cavities. Strategically placing sandbags can isolate the water emergency to a specific area, which, in turn, leads to a more efficient drying process.

What is the fastest method of removing water from a property?

Water extractors are up to 1,100 times more effective at removing water from home than dehumidification; thus, electric submersible pumps are still more efficient. Our truck-mounted water extractors can remove up to 100 gallons of water without needing to empty. Using a wide berth hose, we can enter residential properties and extract moisture from carpeting and floors quickly. In tenement buildings, it may be more effective to use portable extractors, which, while still efficient, have a limitation of around ten to twenty gallons before they need emptying.

Get rid of water from your home, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

Click here for more information about Redwood City.

What is the Fastest, Most Effective Way to Remediate Flood Damage in Redwood City?

5/24/2020 (Permalink)

“Like it never even happened.”

The Best Means of Handling Flood Damage, if You Are Unable to Prevent It, is to Enlist the Aid of Good Remediation Experts.

Although Redwood City is sunnier than many other American cities, it does experience a distinct rainy season. This season generally occurs over the winter months, between December and March, and is the time when flooding becomes much more likely. It is crucial to properly prepare for and quickly address any flood damage when it occurs because, not only does this often make dealing with the issue much easier, it generally reduces overall repair costs. Limiting repair expenses is essential in our area since material and service costs are usually well above national averages here. Instead of simply replacing everything, companies like SERVPRO first attempt to restore existing materials. This policy helps them quickly restore flood damage while limiting expenses.

What Makes SERVPRO One of the Best Flood Damage Mitigation and Restoration Companies in Redwood City?

Finding the best mitigation and remediation company to deal with your flood damage in Redwood City is essential. There are several reasons why SERVPRO is one of the most effective of these services in our region. Some of these reasons are:

   •   Our company is expertly managed by a CEO with over twenty years of industry experience and more than ten master certifications by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).
   •   This franchise has operated for well over ten years, is one of the largest in the U.S., is IICRC-certified, and has received numerous glowing testimonials from pleased customers.
   •   We are one of a limited number of certified biohazard cleanup companies in California.
   •   Company technicians are specifically certified in water damage restoration and applied structural drying.
   •   Our large cleaning facility is centrally-located, allowing us to more quickly service both the San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay area.
   •   We have state-of-the-art equipment, like truck-mounted extractors, moisture sensors/meters, infrared cameras, thermohygrometers, dehumidifiers, injectidry systems, and advanced foggers, that can effectively remedy even the worst damage.

SERVPRO, with all of its extensive resources, is often the local service best able to successfully handle your flood damage. Moreover, we do our work efficiently, with minimal waste.

How Does SERVPRO Remediate My Flood Damage in Redwood City?

Our technicians are local to the Redwood City area and are available to help you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Often, within four hours of your call, we are on-site and ready to get to work. Once at your home, our experts:

   •   Evaluate your home’s flood damage
   •   Establish drying goals
   •   Extract floodwaters using pumps and extractors
   •   Eliminate harmful bacteria and fungi with professional-grade disinfectants and fungicides
   •   Scientifically dry your residence’s interiors until the drying goal is achieved
   •   Thoroughly deodorize your home with deodorants

Once our work is complete, your home often looks like it never even experienced flood damage. Additionally, because of our expert work, it is unlikely to be affected by future issues related to the flooding.

Is There a Way to Avoid Flood Damage in the Future?

There are a few proven ways you can limit your flood risks. Although nothing is 100% effective, or even close to it, these are some simple steps you can take to reduce your chances of being impacted by floods:

   •   Before leaving home, turn off your electric, gas, and water
   •   Trim or cut any tree limbs that could fall on your roof
   •   Repair any roof leaks
   •   Ensure your roof drainage system is clean and in good condition
   •   Seal any leaks in your foundation
   •   Cover all windows with plywood

If you follow these steps, your home is better protected against flood damage, and any incurred should be less severe.

Of course, like any other act of nature, floods can be quite unpredictable. Many factors determine when and where they occur and how severe they are. Sometimes they are triggered by heavy storm rains, while other times heavy rains only produce limited or no flooding. Other causes of flooding are high temperatures leading to rapid snowmelt, distant oceanic storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis. While it is certainly not possible to safeguard against all of these potential threats, you can protect your home from flooding related to seasonal changes and forecasted storms. If you take the suggested precautions, you better your odds of either avoiding flood damage entirely or at least escaping the worst of it.

With all that said, you cannot always escape the wrath of nature. So, if you are ever impacted by flooding, remember that there are companies that can help you overcome the associated setbacks. Research Redwood City area remediation companies, and if you ever need assistance, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

How Do I Remove Water from My Redwood Livingroom and Kitchen Floors?

5/22/2020 (Permalink)

Two children and their Mother washing the dishes in the kitchen sink.

We know how precious your home is, let SERVPRO help with your Redwood City home.

SERVPRO Restoration Specialists Remove Water from Your Redwood City Home

After a water leak in your Redwood City home, it is crucial to remove the excess standing water and moisture from the air right after you make sure you stop the leak at the source. If excess moisture is left unattended, severe secondary damage such as mold growth or damp sheetrock may occur.

What Types of Equipment Remove Water?

SERVPRO Technicians Use Appropriate Techniques with State-of-the-Art Equipment to Remove Water

Technicians use extraction equipment, air movers, and dehumidifiers for water removal in your Redwood City home. It is not enough to simply remove water with a shop vac since moisture can impact the humidity levels in the air, potentially causing further damage to your home.

What Does a Portable Extractor Do?

Used for removing water from all types of flooring and upholstery when needed.
Sometimes worn as a backpack, sometimes used as a floor rover.
Heated option to allow for more effective cleaning.
Pressure control allows for control over the agitation used to clean the surface.
Vacuum system to suck up excess water.
Waste Tank of up to approximately 12 gallons in larger units to hold dirty water.

Our IICRC specialists use a variety of equipment that best suits your situation. They may use portable extraction equipment in conjunction with truck-mounted equipment if there are more than two inches of standing water. Portable extractors can easily reach into places that larger equipment misses. After technicians remove the water, they use dehumidifying equipment to pull moisture out of the air and air movers to then blow warm air over impacted surfaces.

If you experience a leak, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos 24/7 at (650) 591-4127. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

To find out more about Redwood City, click here.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned – a defensive cleaning program

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

Table tent signs describing the Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned program on top of a wooden table.

Our defensive cleaning program gives your business a way forward by providing your employees and customers ongoing safety and assuredness.

Let us help you get back to business

As our communities re-open in Redwood City, we’re all moving back toward a new kind of normal. The expectations of visitors, customers, and employees who come into our establishments have evolved, and staying safe and well is a top concern. The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed what it means to be clean, and we’ve developed a program to help your business meet the new higher standard of clean that is now expected.

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned is a defensive cleaning program we’re offering to businesses and commercial locations to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. This proactive viral pathogen cleaning program goes well beyond janitorial or carpet cleaning. By choosing Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, you, your employees, your customers, and your community can rest assured that you’ve selected a higher cleaning standard – you are Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.

Extensive training and specialized products

As the #1 choice in cleanup and restoration*, we stand on more than 50 years of experience and expertise to help your business become Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned. Beyond fire & water, SERVPRO professionals are trained and experienced in biohazard decontamination and chemical spills – always adhering to the cleaning and decontamination standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities.

From formulating and creating our proprietary cleaning products, like SERVPROXIDE, at our headquarters in Gallatin, TN, to taking the utmost care while disinfecting, we will ensure you and your business are set up to inspire consumer confidence as the economy continues to reopen.

3 C’s – Consult, Clean, and Certify

When the stakes are this high, you want a partner who has developed an industry leading, proprietary training program, cleaning solutions, and remediation processes over decades. We’ve cleaned up some of the most challenging biohazards imaginable. Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned reflects our unique experiences and capabilities. The program is grounded with our unique 3 C’s: Consult, Clean, and Certify.

Consult – Every business is different, which is why you’ll be assigned a Cleaning Protocol Consultant who understands your business and will create a cleaning program to meet your specific needs. This program will be developed based on your business type, size of space, amount of high frequency touchpoints, foot traffic and congestion points.
Clean – Based on your specific business needs, your location will undergo a thorough, deep clean, using exclusive cleaning products, according to protocols set forth by the CDC. Our employees have years of experience, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform. Cleanup procedures generally include cleaning of porous and non-porous surfaces, disinfecting of non-porous surfaces, cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, tools, and/or supplies used for cleanup process, and disposal of hazardous materials. In the event of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 event, we will be there cleaning within 24 hours to ensure you get back to business as quickly as possible.
Certify - Once your business location has been Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, you will gain access to proprietary signage, digital emblems, and other collateral that communicates that you’ve selected a higher standard of clean available to help protect your employees and customers. And because we add the day, month, and year to that proprietary stamp of clean, your guests will know that not only did you choose Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, but that your location is being cleaned regularly at this standard.

Call today for a Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation

We’re Here to Help – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – until life is back to normal in the communities we all call home.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos today at (650) 591-4137 for your Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned consultation.

* #1 Choice in cleanup & restoration based Commercial Attitude & Usage Tracking study. Polling 816 commercial business decision makers on first choice for future needs related to cleanup & restoration work. Study conducted by C&R Research: October 2019

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned means professionally trained SERVPRO franchises perform the requested cleaning, sanitizing and disinfection services according to proprietary SERVPRO protocols and recognized industry and CDC standards with EPA approved cleaning products to deliver a SERVPRO certified cleaning experience. Each SERVPRO franchise is independently owned and operated.

What is the Best Water Removal Process for San Francisco Bathrooms?

4/23/2020 (Permalink)

Running water overflowing bathroom sink; running off onto floor

Looks like this homeowner needs a professional water restoration service. SERVPRO can restore your home, now matter the size or scope of the damage.

Eliminating Bathroom Water Damage from a San Francisco Home

While bathrooms are generally one of the most well-prepared areas when it comes to handling large amounts of water, there is a myriad of ways that water damage can still occur. Loose seals on resin shower installations, saturated porous wall surfaces, plumbing concerns, and saturated flooring that soaks subflooring underneath can all quickly grow from being a nuisance needing repair to a costly issue in your home.

If your San Francisco property requires cleanup after bathroom water damage, SERVPRO technicians are a call away from providing emergency response services. SERVPRO's sophisticated moisture measurement tools, extraction and drying equipment, EPA-registered antimicrobials, and rebuilding services can give you more cleanup and restoration for less than you might get when using several different vendors for your needs. Your local SERVPRO is also a licensed general contracting service in case you need more expanded reconstruction for your home (license #937457).

Choosing Water-Resistant Bathroom Surfaces

Single-sheet plastic and acrylic. These surfaces are both cost-effective and extremely common as a result. Both are very easy to install on your own. Acrylic is well-suited for tub surrounds.
Laminate and paint.Laminate offers lots of leeway in terms of appearance and installation choices, as you can buy both tiles and single-sheet installations. If you plan to paint your bathroom, use oil-based waterproof coating paint.
Tiles, constructed from a variety of materials, are the perfect blend of elegance and flexibility. Homeowners can even get pattern sheets to make installation even easier.
Glass and stone.These natural materials make a bold statement in any bathroom, but can be more challenging to install. However, if you want to achieve a specific look, these materials can last a long time with the right care.

SERVPRO Dries Moisture Fast

When drying water-damaged bathroom walls, it is crucial to ensure that air movers and dehumidifiers are perfectly balanced to keep drying fast while eliminating the risk of secondary water damage. In more open bathroom layouts, technicians can erect 6mm polyethylene drying chambers to contain affected areas and accelerate drying.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos leaves your home and its contents looking, "Like it never even happened." When you need fast, reliable mitigation services, you can call (650) 591-4137.

More about San Francisco.

After a Fire, How do I get Rid of the Bad Odor in My San Francisco Kitchen?

4/5/2020 (Permalink)

If your kitchen suffers from a fire, make sure the remediation is done correctly by partnering with Team SERVPRO during this tough time. Call 24/7.

SERVPRO Technicians Attack Unpleasant Odors Created by Fire Damaged Materials in San Francisco

One of the most significant issues after a fire is not the loss of possessions, but the lingering malodor left afterward. It can be very challenging to remove smoke smells, often requiring the assistance of professionals who understand what to do when smoke odors do not go away.

What are the steps SERVPRO technicians put into place to remove the smells in a fire-damaged San Francisco home?

Removal: We find and remove all sources of smoke, taking anything charred offsite for cleaning and restoration when possible, and disposing if unsalvageable.
Clean: We use dry cleaning for residue not yet absorbed and wet cleaning with solvents for absorbed residue requiring a deeper clean.

Neutralize: When the smells still linger after removal and cleaning, we use odor-absorbing beads and then thermal foggers which produce a smoke-like substance reaching throughout the home, attacking hard to reach smoke particles.

For 24/7 assistance after a fire, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

Click here for more information about San Francisco.

Some Mistakes With Water Damage Remediation That You Should Avoid

4/4/2020 (Permalink)

Don't ignore your attic space! If water damage has occurred there or in any other part of your home, contact Team SERVPRO for remediation.

Why Call SERVPRO to Handle Water Damage in the Attic of Your San Francisco Home

Most homeowners do not head to up to their attic often. Therefore, it can remain ignored for weeks or months. A water leak resulting from ruptured plumbing lines or a damaged water heater in the attic can go in for several days without notice.

Porous building materials can absorb the water, and it can cause damage to new areas of your home. If you have discovered water damage in your San Francisco residence, it is time to take action. Without intervention, the destruction can worsen, leading to costly repairs. You can rely on SERVPRO water restoration specialists to restore your attic and other affected areas of your home to the preloss state.

Our technicians can assess the area to know what has caused the water damage. We can fix the source of the leak and determine how widespread the damage is. Small dark spots on woodwork can be misleading. Behind them, the wood could be moldy or rotten to a great extent. Our team can examine the area thoroughly to determine which structural parts have sustained damage and if we can repair them. We can handle both the initial water damage mitigation procedures and the rebuilding of the affected areas.

Not all attics are easy to access. If your attic is challenging to work in, we can remove some building materials like sheetrock so we can access areas within the space. We perform controlled demolition to remove the materials to prevent unnecessary destruction to your house. Our team can extract the water and then dry the attic using air moving and dehumidifying equipment.

Restoring attics usually involves working with insulation. We can dry and save wet fiberglass insulation. It may not be possible to restore wet plaster or sheetrock under the insulation. Our team can remove and dispose of it properly. If the insulation is damaged, our team can use large insulation vacuums to remove it. Water-damaged insulation cannot function as well as new insulation. Replacing insulation is the right step. This may also be a chance for you to upgrade to more energy-efficient materials.

After a water loss incident, your attic may have mold growth or unpleasant smells. Our SERVPRO team can remove the mold and odors. We can also clean the attic space and wipe down affected surfaces with appropriate antimicrobial products.

When there is water damage in any part of your home, you need to take it seriously. Be sure to call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for quick and effective restoration of your attic. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Click here for more information about San Francisco.

Water Removal San Francisco – Sewer Backup

3/3/2020 (Permalink)

We can get your property back to the state it was in before the unfortunate incident.

The Importance of Thorough Water Removal After a Sewer Back Up In Your San Francisco Property

Sewer backups occur for a variety of reasons. Everything from tree roots encroaching on sewer lines, old corroded pipes, or consumers flushing inappropriate materials down the toilet can cause the sewer line to be plugged. The result can be dirty raw sewage backing up into your bathroom, sinks, showers, and overflowing onto the floor.

SERVPRO provides water removal services in San Francisco and surrounding areas. Residents of homes may uncover the mess only after noticing a foul smell or walking into a bathroom or laundry room to find sewage all over the floor. We can help clean and disinfect the area following industry guidelines for sewage contamination.

Removing Infectious Waste

When a toilet overflows or water bubbles up in the shower from a clogged sewer line, there is a possibility of infectious waste material in the liquid. The water may contain cholera, tetanus, typhoid, polio, hepatitis, and a variety of other infectious diseases, which can be very harmful to you and your family. There may also be blood-borne pathogens in the water, which can also be detrimental to everyone.

SERVPRO urges clients to avoid exposing themselves to this contamination unless the suitable protective gear is available. Our crew chief can assess the situation and deploy cleanup technicians with the appropriate protective gear, such as full-body suits, gloves, goggles or face masks, and, if necessary, respirators.

Disposal of the contaminated liquids and removal of contaminated materials must also follow industry guidelines. We clean all materials using EPA registered disinfectant chemicals on all exposed surfaces and contents. We disinfect contents and store these items in a clean staging area until the affected rooms are ready to be used once again.

SERVPRO is a licensed General Contractor - License:937457 and can help with all of the repair and construction work in your home. We can save our clients time to repair their building as well as the total cost.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for 24/7 service. We proudly serve Redwood City, Foster City, and surrounding areas. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

See more about San Francisco.

SERVPRO Provides Board Up Services to Secure San Francisco Homes After Fire Damage

3/3/2020 (Permalink)

Windows are frequently broken while extinguishing fires. SERVPRO has board up services to secure your home while the restoration work begins.

Fire Damage In San Francisco Can Require Boarding Up A Structure

If an inferno ever ignites inside your San Francisco apartment complex, the problems created by the heat and smoke can be quite catastrophic. If the flames burn for a long time before getting extinguished, they can cause you excessive fire damage. If the blaze burns hot, then they could destroy a large number of your contents and building materials.

During many fire damage cases in San Francisco, the windows get blown out, or they get broken by people trying to escape or by the firefighters attempting to extinguish the flames. The exterior doors of the home also often get purposely broken or destroyed in the fire. Having your building exposed to the outside due to broken windows or exterior doors can cause you more issues with items inside your dwelling.

Once the fire gets extinguished, our SERVPRO crew starts by assessing your building for any safety hazards. Once any potential safety concerns get mitigated, we then work towards boarding up your structure. The board-up procedure helps secure your structure after there are openings in it caused by the inferno as well as shield it from the elements of the outdoors.

In many cases, our SERVPRO technicians can conduct the board-up process ourselves as a first step in the mitigation process. However, some local regions may require that boarding up a structure gets completed only by a certified contractor with the proper license. When this is the case, we can refer the boarding up procedures to a subcontractor before we begin the restoration process.

Whenever the need arises to board up your charred structure, we can use exterior grade plywood along with other items like roofing tarpaulins, or rolls of polyethylene sheeting. When using plywood to secure the exterior of your building, we can attach it in three different ways depending on each specific opening. We can cover over the opening, insert wood inside the opening or bolt it with tension using two by fours. The most commonly used method is to cover openings with plywood by attaching to the surface around the opening with a hammer and nails.

If you ever need your structure boarded up after you suffer from a fire, call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 24/7.

More about San Francisco.

Air Quality

2/25/2020 (Permalink)

The EPA provides helpful information and informative material on a variety of indoor air quality topics for office and homes. A helpful booklet is: "An Office Building Occupant's Guide to Indoor Air Quality."

The booklet provides valuable tips to protect health of office workers. Here is a list of helpful tips (and topics) contained in the publication.

Comply with the office and building smoking policy
Do not block air vents or grilles.
Water and maintain office plants properly.
Dispose of garbage promptly and properly.
Store food properly.
Avoid bringing products into the building that could release harmful or bothersome odors or contaminants.
Notify your building or facility manager immediately if you suspect an indoor air quality problem.

If You Manage an Office:

Maintain a good working relationship with building management on indoor environmental issues.
Place office furniture and equipment with air circulation, temperature control, and pollutant removal functions of the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system in mind.
Coordinate with building management in instances when responsibility for design, operation and maintenance of the ventilation system is shared.
Establish an effective smoking policy that protects nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke.
Avoid procedures and products that can cause indoor air quality problems.
Integrate indoor air quality concerns into your purchasing decisions.
Work with the building manager to ensure use of only necessary and appropriate pest control practices, and nonchemical methods where possible.
Work with building management and the contractor before you remodel or renovate to identify ways of keeping building occupant exposure to pollutants to a minimum and to ensure that the air distribution system is not disrupted.
Encourage building management to develop a preventive indoor air quality management program following guidance issued by EPA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The booklet it available free from the EPA website. SERVPRO is pleased to have shared this information with you. We can also help you keep commercial spaces clean and healthy with HVAC cleaning and other specialty services.

Free Learning Oppurtunities

2/25/2020 (Permalink)

This article is about, educational programs including Lunch & Learns for Belmont/San Carlos Insurance Agents, Property Managers & Building Engineer.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos offers approved Continuing Education (CE) classes about: Water Damage Mitigation, Fire Cleanup, Mold Education, Odor Control and even Ethics.

Our classes are from two to three hours in duration, and they include a free lunch.

As the title to this article indicates, there are also less formal educational programs that include Lunch and Learn programs on a variety of topics. Classes are scheduled to include a breakfast or lunch. Topics are designed specifically for insurance agents, realtors and building engineers. We have programs that are fifteen minutes in length and expanded versions that are thirty minutes long. Often, we customize presentations for an organization’s specific needs. These lively programs stimulate questions. You can expect to spend another ten to fifteen minutes as we provide answers and engage in dialogue. (These programs do not provide State approved educational credits. However, some companies are able to apply certain topics to their “safety training” programs.)

Information about the disasters and the many problems that can affect your properties and your clients is important. We are always happy to share information about the remedies and solutions that make it, as our slogan says… "Like it never even happened."

Should you have an interest in using our free education programs, please contact us at 650-591-4137. It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Indoor Office Air

2/25/2020 (Permalink)

What You Can Do to Improve the Indoor Air in Your Office:

Do not block air vents or grilles.
Comply with the office and building smoking policy.
Water and maintain office plants properly.
Dispose of garbage promptly and properly.
Store food properly.
Avoid bringing products into the building that could release harmful or bothersome odors or contaminants.
Notify your building or facility manager immediately if you suspect an indoor air quality problem.

If You Manage an Office:

Maintain a good working relationship with building management on indoor environmental issues.
Place office furniture and equipment with air circulation, temperature control, and pollutant removal functions of the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in mind.
Coordinate with building management in instances when responsibility for design, operation, and maintenance of the ventilation system is shared.
Establish an effective smoking policy that protects nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke.
Avoid procedures and products that can cause indoor air quality problems.
Integrate indoor air quality concerns into your purchasing decisions.
Work with the building manager to ensure use of only necessary and appropriate pest

control practices, and non-chemical methods where possible.

Work with building management and the contractor before you remodel or renovate to identify ways of keeping building occupant exposure to pollutants to a minimum and to ensure that the air distribution system is not disrupted.
Encourage building management to develop a preventive indoor air quality management program following guidance issued by EPA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

These tips came from an EPA booklet available free from the EPA website. It is titled,"An office Occupant's guide to Indoor Air Quality."

At SERVPRO, we're pleased to share this information with you.

SERVPRO Handles Your San Francisco Fire Damage From Cleanup to Complete Restoration

1/20/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO tech wiping soot from ceiling of fire damaged room

One of our technicians is removing soot from the ceiling. We have specialized cleaners for soot and smoke removal.

Why Are Contents Piled in the Middle of the Floor After Fire Damage in San Francisco Homes?

Fire damage is a type of loss that homeowners can plan what to do in case it happens. Still, the total prevention of fire is difficult due to the myriad of factors that can cause a home blaze ranging from electrical malfunctions, improper storage of items in a garage or arson.

When homeowners see the fire damage in their San Francisco homes after a loss, one of the biggest questions they often have is how did their possessions wind up in a pile on the floor?

Fire Loss Cleanup

SERVPRO technicians encounter these piles frequently during cleanup and restoration. It happens as the firefighters use water to extinguish the fire. They pull the contents to the center of the room and wet them down. Each time more items get added, the piles receives another blast of water to ensure nothing reignites. The result is the same when the technicians arrive for cleanup, a collection of wet debris that needs removal and disposal as fast as possible to limit loss. At the same time, they remove charred building materials to open up the structure for drying, soot removal, and deodorization to ready the property for reconstruction.

Documenting the Loss for Homeowners

As items get removed from the property, SERVPRO techs photograph and give a detailed description of the article, its condition, and reasons it did not have restoration potential. This report assists homeowners in filing their insurance loss claims and expediting reimbursement.

Restoration and Reconstruction Services

It is an excellent idea to let the company that handles the restoration also handle the rebuilding. With their general contractor license #937457, once the fire loss cleanup efforts complete, the techs can go straight into the repairs necessary to restore the home to its pre-fire condition.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 serves the area in the cleanup and restoration of local properties from any size fire damage. Using their knowledge and equipment, the technicians make the loss, "Like it never even happened."

More about San Francisco.

Effective Cleaning Actions to Remove Fire Damage Residues in San Francisco

1/8/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's cleaning techniques will give you the very best results in bringing back your San Francisco home from fire damage.

The SERVPRO Method for Properly Cleaning Soot from your Fire Damaged San Francisco Home

When our crews analyze the residues left by a fire in your San Francisco house, we match our proprietary cleaning solutions to the characteristics of the soot evaluated and the surfaces upon which the coatings cling. One of the next steps then made is to choose among the most efficient cleaning actions for our technicians to employ while trying to break the tight bond between the soiling and the structural or contents’ surfaces.

A Quartet of Options

As they apply cleaning products to soot-encrusted surfaces, our technicians must take care not to worsen the damage or destroy an underlying surface because it is not durable enough to withstand the cleaner and the action. SERVPRO follows a protocol that emphasizes pretesting and continual adaptation to clean the residues away appropriately eventually. Four general cleaning actions comprise the repertoire of what our employees attempt:

Mechanical Action -- Examples include a pre-cleaning scrub or dusting to reduce loose debris before using agitation to dislodge adhered soot

Lubrication -- Using cleaners like detergents with wetting agents and surfactants to make surfaces or residues slippery to break their hold on each other, moving the soot into the cleaning suspension.

Chemical Action -- Some substances can change the characteristics of soiling at a molecular level, loosening bonds or altering their effect on a surface or material to remove staining. Oxidation is an example.

Suspension and Dispersion -- Finding a cleaning product that contains a substance that dissolves or emulsifies the soiling and then disperses it in the solution so it can be removed.

The Science of Dissolving Soils

SERVPRO technicians learn and apply the principle that "like dissolves like" when matching products with the residues that need removal. Hydrophilic or water-based/loving soils easily dissolve in water. Lipophilic or oil-based/loving soils easily dissolve in oil. Oil-based soiling sometimes emulsifies or spreads evenly throughout water, often with the help of detergent molecules that have a tail that attaches to the oily soil and a head that attaches to water.

Use of Solvents

Some protein and oil-based soot, such as the residue after a kitchen fire, requires the careful use of a solvent to dislodge. SERVPRO technicians handling solvents use personal protective equipment (PPE). We advise the evacuation of people and pets during solvent use and block the HVAC system, so the vapors do not spread throughout your home.

Finding the right combination of products and cleaning actions can be tricky after a fire deposits residue. Let the trained experts at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos help by calling us at (650) 591-4137.

Learn more about San Francisco.

The Key to Successful Flood Damage Remediation in San Francisco

12/29/2019 (Permalink)

Whether the flooding in your home is due to a storm or an appliance malfunction, contact SERVPRO for remediation services.

Anticipating Drying Issues within Flooded San Francisco Homes

Storm-related flooding in your San Francisco homes can be destructive to exposed construction materials and structural elements. Beyond the vulnerabilities created and areas in need of repairs, our SERVPRO team must anticipate drying issues with mechanical systems and utilities within the damaged structure. With numerous mechanisms and appliances within the house, our team must utilize the appropriate equipment to dry these areas in the most efficient manner possible.

Drying flood damage in San Francisco that has breached one of these systems begins with determining the extent and severity of these conditions. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are among the most commonly damaged appliances and circulation systems in the house. Determining the flow of air through these devices and areas can help to regulate the positioning of containment barriers and also assess the required drying approach to overcome potential obstacles to the HVAC system, fireplace, exhaust devices, or central vacuum systems.

Positive Pressure Systems

These are appliances or mechanisms that push air. These units, like the HVAC system, force conditioned air from an origin point through the vents and registers of the house. Running these machines after flooding can circulate contaminants in the air, but also affect more areas with the higher humidity levels typical to these recovery zones.

Negative Pressure Systems

Much like positive pressure systems force air onto a damaged space, the negative air options are vital to remove air from points in your home. Running exhaust fans in a flooded bathroom area could be a deterrent to drying, as it might remove drier air in place of moist air within the house. Our SERVPRO professionals can ensure airflow gets consistently monitored in the drying zones, and the appropriate tools and approaches counteract these obstacles for moisture removal.

Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team has unique training and experience in thermodynamics and psychrometry. With the drying hurdles that can exist in homes and businesses, we have a full-service team of professionals that can help with controlled demolition, cleaning, and recovery to make losses “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call anytime at (650) 591-4137.

Click here for more information about San Francisco.

What is the Best Way to Clean Fire Damaged Possessions in San Francisco?

12/11/2019 (Permalink)

Not all is always lost after a fire. SERVPRO has the knowledge and equipment to clean and restore your fire damaged possessions.

San Francisco Fire Damage Contents Cleaning Overview

Without a doubt, a San Francisco household fire brings your day to day life to a standstill. The residues left behind are unlike any conventional soiling. Quickly it becomes clear that you need professional help to respond to the crisis, but not only for the surfaces and fixtures that make up the structural components of your home. The same heat, flames, smoke, and soot that compromised your walls, floors, and ceilings also affected your furnishings, household goods, and personal possessions.

Emphasis on Restoration

When a blaze moves through the rooms of your home, everything is fair game as fodder for fire damage in San Francisco. Although the wet, sooty mess you view might seem destined for the landfill, it is much more cost-effective to restore contents as compared with discarding and replacing. The chances are good that your insurance company prefers exploring restoration options. As you consider what you fear lost, the possibility that we can return many prized possessions cleaned, dried, disinfected, and returned to function is an attractive outcome.

Contents Cleaning Basics

As SERVPRO evaluates the damage caused to contents by a home fire, we have six general cleaning options available to bring your items back to the preloss condition.

Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaning employs dry sponges, brushes, feather dusters, and cloths, which we use to remove loose, non-greasy light soiling like ash. Vacuuming is a dry cleaning method, as well. Dry cleaning can also be a pre-cleaning strategy to eliminate loose debris before deeper cleaning.

Wet Cleaning

Usually resulting in the items becoming completely saturated, wet cleaning uses water and selected cleaning products to loosen and rinse away soiling. Moderate to heavy residues are candidates for this method, and SERVPRO technicians might add agitation or an abrasive tool to dislodge tough soils.

Spray and Wipe

This option is a variant of wet cleaning, where we spray a cleaning solution on residues, followed by a wipe-down with a cloth. If an item cannot be soaked or saturated without damage, spray and wipe is a way to control the amount of fluid applied to protect the article while obtaining appropriate cleaning support.

Foam Cleaning

Used for upholstery or other materials that could bleed or shrink if immersed, the technique uses a brush or sponge to apply a foam that attracts the residues. As the foam lifts away, the debris comes along and can be discarded.

Abrasive Cleaning

Sometimes SERVPRO technicians recognize the need for an abrasive action to dislodge tightly adhered residues. We use cleaners with integral mild abrasives or apply cleaners with cloths, sponges, or brushes with abrasive properties, including steel wool or scrubbing pads.

Immersion Cleaning

Immersion cleaning is an option for articles that can withstand a cleaning product without ill effects. SERVPRO has portable tubs and basins for use on-site, and larger containers at our production facility. Ultrasonic cleaning is a type of immersion cleaning that uses sound waves to dislodge debris.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos has a broad range of options available for contents cleaning after a home fire. Set up an evaluation of your cleaning needs by calling (650) 591-4137.

More about San Francisco.

Proven Tips to Remediating Flood Damage in San Francisco

11/15/2019 (Permalink)

rendering of a flooded basement with broken pipe

Flooding can happen quickly and leave you needing mitigating circumstances. Contact SERVPRO immediately.

Get Fast Flood Damage Restoration Results In San Francisco

Storms can bring on significant water damage when you least expect it. Such damage can turn into a severe issue if you are unable to get to work as soon as possible. In the majority of cases, contacting the professionals to help you with flood damage restoration is the fastest way to get the results that you need.

Even the smallest amount of water can result in serious repercussions, including the loss of structural integrity as well as potential mold growth that can get out of control. Whether you are facing flood damage in San Francisco in your home or business, calling a premier cleanup and restoration company like SERVPRO ensures that you get the results you need quickly and efficiently.

The Restoration and Mitigation Process

Our trained technicians at SERVPRO use proven methods for helping clients with flood damage restoration and mitigation. We often follow a five-step protocol to tackle the onset of water damage after a natural disaster so that we leave no stone unturned. If we can get in and get to work within the first four to five hours after damage occurs, there is a much higher property restoration success rate. Waiting longer than 24 hours increases the chances of permanent structural damage and the development of hazardous mold.

SERVPRO can come to your property to assess the water damage using advanced detection technology. We look to see where water and moisture may have seeped into hidden spaces and make sure that there are no active leaks.

Next, we remove water using specialized vacuums and high-powered pumps. The drying process begins shortly after that using air movers and industrial dryers. We also have potent dehumidifiers that help to remove moisture from the atmosphere inside the building.

After the drying is complete, any items removed from the property are cleaned thoroughly using techniques similar to that of dry cleaning. SERVPRO technicians also use sanitization methods to rid your belongings of mold or mildew growth along with any lingering, unpleasant odors.

Call us right away at SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 so that we can deploy a team of trained technicians to your property!

Click here for more information about the city of San Francisco.

Call SERVPRO of San Francisco For Your Water Cleanup Needs!

11/6/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO vehicle parked in front of a white home.

We know what your San Francisco home needs for water clean up, call anytime.

San Francisco, SERVPRO wants to be there for your water damage.

Many scenarios could leave your San Francisco home in critical need of professional water cleanup services. Something as small as a water supply line could cause thousands of dollars of damage to your home. Imagine a situation where the water supply line underneath the basin of your kitchen sink broke quite spontaneously. Gallons upon gallons of water would rush out onto your kitchen floor and beneath the toe-kicks of your cabinetry.

The time that it takes for you to get to your water-shut off could be enough time to put your home in need of local San Francisco water cleanup services. When these kinds of scenarios do happen inside of your home, you must remain calm and reach out for help immediately. Quick and concise information can get a team of water damage restoration technicians (WRT) to your home even faster.

Here at SERVPRO, we pride ourselves on our fast service times. No matter the time of your damage emergency, or the weekday, we're open and ready to help you. Our technicians are certified with the Institution of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration (IICRC-certified). Furthermore, we have technicians with general contractor licenses, who can install drywall or lay down new floor tiles, if needed. At SERVPRO, we have your restoration needs covered.

So, what would happen if the water supply lines under your sink broke and you phoned SERVPRO? Well, our technicians would rush to your home because We're Faster To Any Size Disaster. Once there, we could get to work straight away, removing the standing water from your kitchen with wet/dry vacuums.

Furthermore, our techs could use infrared cameras to search for any hidden pockets of water that should be addressed, especially under your cabinetry. Once the standing water has been cleaned up, we can run some moisture level tests and spray an antimicrobial agent. Using the agent lessens the chance of mold growth significantly. Once we were to finish the job, we could then return your home to you.

If something breaks down on your property and causes water damage, always get help immediately. Communicate with SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos by calling (650) 591-4137. No matter what the time is, our technicians are ready to help.

To find out more about San Francisco, click here.

We Are Faster To Any Size Disaster In San Fransisco

11/6/2019 (Permalink)

Shelves of our equipment in our warehouse

We have to be equipped and ready for any emergency. Call us right away we are available 24/7 to help you with your flood damage.

Essential Issues to Address When Dealing With Flood Damage Incidents in San Francisco

One of the reasons why flooding incidents in San Francisco are loathed is the kind of filth they leave in the affected property. Restoring such property to the preloss state requires effort and time, especially if one wants to save more items. Seeking professional help can ease the cleanup process by addressing several issues that crop up, including:

Contamination and microbial growth

Deterioration of materials

Soiling

Debris pile up

Different types of contaminants accumulate in the houses hit by flood damage incidents in San Francisco. Before the floodwater reaches the house, it collects chemicals and biological agents, among other contaminants, from the areas it flows over. Such contaminants end up in the materials the water intrudes. Exposure to water also creates perfect conditions for microbial growth. Restoring preloss conditions is only possible after cleaning all the contaminants. Our SERVPRO technicians start by removing all porous materials left wet after the incident because they act as reservoirs for contaminants. We use detergents and other professional cleaning agents to remove all traces of contaminants from the rest of the building.

Water intrusion affects many materials in the house in different ways. Some swell, change color, or lose normal structural form. It is possible to save some like solid wood through cleaning and moisture control. Our SERVPRO technicians can create drying chambers to help save hardwood floors. We also ventilate wall cavities to dry studs and frames. Other materials such as drywall and carpets are unsalvageable, so we remove them for disposal.

Soiling is typical in the aftermath of flood damage with silt and mud being the common soils left. Fabrics can also spill dyes due to water action leading to stains. Cleaning all affected areas and contents thoroughly is a vital part of the restoration process. Our SERVPRO technicians use various approaches, including pressure washing, to remove stubborn soils.

The road to recovery after flooding incidents in San Francisco, Redwood City, or Foster City can be tough. Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 to help. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

See more about San Fransisco.

SERVPRO Is Ready To Restore Your San Fransisco Home 24/7

10/3/2019 (Permalink)

Inner wall cavity drying in a room of a home

The inner wall drying system drys the walls from the inside and when it is done a simple plast is all that is needed.

Saving Non-Valuable Priceless Heirlooms from Water Damage in San Francisco

One thing about water damage restoration is every job site has different priorities, even though the same end result wanted is complete restoration. For example, in one water loss situation, one of the first things someone may wish to remove from their home is their photo albums with their children's photos and notes about early developmental accomplishments. Everyone has things in their residence that may not have a monetary value, but are priceless just the same.

When SERVPRO handles water damage for San Francisco residents, the technicians compassionately listen to clients, so they know the items of the most worth to the homeowners. A wedding album may only have a value in the dollar amount of the cost as far as the insurance company goes, but its contents are priceless to the couple who have all their photographic memories of their special day stored inside.

Why SERVPRO?

Along with restoration services for the structure and contents, technicians have access to the latest technological advancements in the industry along with their continued education in the restoration sciences to ensure the best outcome for every loss situation, including for contents that are uniquely priceless.

Numerous Cleaning Methods

There is more than one cleaning method. SERVPRO technicians carefully test items before cleaning to ensure colorfastness, resistance to shrinkage, staining, and spotting before choosing from their diverse array of cleaning solutions, including specialized mixtures such as foam and immersive cleaners. They also have access to equipment for drying books and papers, and in cases of specialty items, they coordinate with industry professionals to work with the items on a case-by-case basis.

Pack-Out as Needed

When the water damage area in the home is extensive, the ambient humidity levels rise and affect contents left in the vicinity with both the potential for damage from exposure to continual moisture as well as mold growth, particularly on books, papers, and photos. SERVPRO technicians perform organized pack-outs as needed to remove undamaged items to a safe, secure area until the completion of restoration services to the property.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 is available 24/7 to handle any water damage to local properties. Our certified, knowledgeable technicians arrive within an hour of your initial call because We're Faster to Any Size Disaster.

See more about San Fransisco.

Our Certified Professionals Are The Leader In Water Damage Restoration In San Fransisco

9/24/2019 (Permalink)

two of our drying equipment set up in a bedroom of house after the floors were hit with water damage

When our customer came home to a large amount of water in her bedroom, she contacted us right away for water removal services.

Why SERVPRO Water Damage San Francisco

In San Francisco, water is everywhere. It helps define our city and most residents love it; until they wake up to a couple of inches in their home. Fortunately, when it comes to most water intrusions, it usually comes from treated sources like inlet pipes. That eliminates the need for cleaning in most cases so restoration agencies can quickly move on to restoration.

So why SERVPRO for water damage in your San Francisco home? Even an inch or two of water that rests on floors overnight can cause damage; only a professional can fully restore. That includes not just wood floors, but furniture as well. Our restoration crews train to handle these issues and more.

When the furniture is affected, crew members remove it from the flooded area and place it on blocks or pallets to drip and dry naturally, without accidentally staining floors or carpets. If it appears that the varnish or another stain may run or bubble before the item dries, they carefully place fans to increase air circulation and evaporation. If the varnish already bubbled and ran, they can make repairs to small areas or completely strip the old varnish and cover the item with a new coat is the damage is larger.

Wood flooring can absorb an incredible amount of water damage overnight and also allow it to seep into the sub-floor. SERVPRO crew members use moisture meters that measure the water content of the floorboards, and if it is high, they set up air movers that push warm, dry air over the affected parts of the floor. Crew members can adjust the temperature and speed of the airflow, allowing them to dry any floor without causing secondary damage like splitting or cracking the wood.

If our crews find water underneath the floor, they can remove it and dry the space using extraction wands and air movers. They drill or lift a floorboard from a spot usually under the furniture and quickly draw out the water. To remove the moisture and lower the humidity, crew members attach a hose to the air mover to direct air into the space and force out water trapped inside.

Our goal at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is to quickly provide a dry, safe home for every resident after a disaster. If this is what you want for your home, call us today at (650) 591-4137 to schedule a visit and begin the restoration process.

See more about San Fransisco.

Flood Damage San Francisco – Difficult to Clean Items

9/15/2019 (Permalink)

Room with the flooring taped off, with SERVPRO equipment on the floor. Room also has furniture moved to one side of the home

SERVPRO wants to be there for every part of your San Francisco flood damage, even the most difficult situations.

We handle it all when it comes to your San Francisco flood damage.

Flash floods can wreak havoc in minutes and cause thousands of dollars in damage. Whether it is from a broken water line or storms passing through, floods leave many homes and businesses with contaminated contents and damaged premises. Cleaning small intricate items and removing potentially contaminated material is efficient with our state-of-the-art ultrasonic cleaner.

SERVPRO responds to flood damage events in San Francisco as soon as a client calls for help. We begin an initial assessment over the phone to deploy the equipment and resources needed to meet the challenge. Once on-site, our crew chief can decide the specific steps required to return your home or business to its original condition.

Floods leave debris inside and outside the premises. We initially focus on removing the debris and then get to work, removing contents for cleaning or disposal as needed. We remove flooring, inspect walls, and inspect the structure before cleaning, dehumidification, and drying begins.

Cleaning Small Difficult to Clean Items

Many small intricate pieces are challenging to clean and until recently may have been disposed of or could not be properly cleaned. Our SERVPRO franchise owns an ultrasonic cleaning machine. These machines are used to clean mold and contamination from relatively small items with many hard to access crevices.

Ultrasonic machines create millions of microscopic bubbles in a cleaning solution using mechanical vibration. These bubbles remove any contamination that may be on the surface of an item. Also in crevices or from porous items. The machine can clean these items, “Like it never even happened.”

Restoration of your Home or Office

Our SERVPRO office has the equipment required to restore your home or office from flood damage. We are licensed (General Contractor License #: 937457) to provide restoration services for full structural damage repair and rebuild, as well as providing restoration of small difficult to clean pieces. Whether it is jewelry, family heirlooms, or industrial parts, we can clean them all.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for 24/7 servesus. We serve the towns of Laconia, Belmont, Tilton, and surrounding areas. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

If you would like to learn more about San Francisco, click here.

Is Your San Francisco Washing Machine Spinning Water Damage?

9/5/2019 (Permalink)

clothes in washing machine during spin cycle

Appliances are one of the leading causes of water damage inside homes. Inspect your washing machine hoses often.

Water Damage San Francisco – Eliminating Moisture

Eliminating moisture after a water damage event is essential to avoid ongoing structural issues and potential mold conditions. Attempting to remove moisture from difficult to reach areas of your home, drying wet carpets and behind walls, yourself, risks ongoing air quality issues for homeowners.

Delayed Action Can Cause More Damage

A homeowner called SERVPRO about water damage in their San Francisco home. He explained that a water leak occurred over a week ago and he mopped up all the water and dried all of the hard surfaces as best he could. With the air conditioning on, the humidity in the home decreased to acceptable levels. However, there seemed to be an ongoing odor coming from the area of the laundry room where the leak occurred.

The homeowner had further discussed with a team leader who specializes in water damage mitigation and mold infestations. The water leak had been extensive, and it was highly probable that the walls and flooring contain high levels of moisture, which can lead to the growth of mold. Long term moisture conditions can also compromise the structure of the floor and the walls in the area.

Initial Plan Discussed with Client

SERVPRO indicated that their technicians would need to take atmospheric readings in the home to confirm humidity levels. We would also remove the washing machine and dryer. Moisture readings are taken to determine the exact location of the moisture. The technicians may also need to remove sections of the walls or drill holes in the floor to properly dry the spaces containing liquid or areas of high humidity.

It is essential to remove all sources of moisture to reduce ongoing odor problems and potential long term damage to the floors and walls. We complete the repair and restoration of the walls and floors would also once the humidity levels returned to acceptable norms. All water leaks should be acted on immediately and thoroughly to avoid odor and structural issues in the home.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for 24/7 serve. We serve Redwood City, Inner Mission, Foster City, and surrounding areas. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

More about San Francisco.

We Will Save Your Flood Damaged Home In San Francisco

8/13/2019 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for 24/7 service.

Atmospheric River Floods Home In San Francisco

An atmospheric flood hit the area with widespread flooding to homes and streets. Our clients home basically had a river running through it at one point until the rains subsided. Atmospheric floods occur when warm water evaporates from the ocean and concentrates into narrow fast-moving air currents that dump heavy rains on inland areas. Storm drains cannot handle the volume and floods inundate streets and homes.

The client called SERVPRO about the flood damage in her San Francisco home as soon as she was able to gain access to her home. She was forced to wait until she could navigate flooded streets and traffic was allowed. The bottom floor of her home was severely damaged. Doors were forced open by the water, and many of her belongings washed away. Any remaining furniture was discarded due to the substantial damage.

Our SERVPRO team began by removing all of the mud and debris in the home, including furniture that remained. Tiled areas could be washed and dried. Hardwood floors were removed, including the subfloor due to the damage and high moisture levels. We removed the lower three feet of drywall for the same reason. Next came new doors and windows. Our team focused on drying the house and reducing the moisture levels with dehumidifiers.

Full reconstruction and restoration (in a General Contractor roll) of the home involved verifying all electrical circuits and laying new subfloor. Next, came new drywall and insulation, and of course, new hardwood floors. SERVPRO provided regular status updates on progress to the homeowner, which was passed along to their insurance company. The homeowner also had pictures of the original pre-flood condition of the home, which helped immensely with restoration and insurance claims.

The main focus was on the inside of the home. The owners wanted to move back into their home as soon as possible. Outside, landscapers were also making repairs. The team washed the outside walls, and the debris left by the flood was removed. Next, we restored the gardens and entertainment areas.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for 24/7 service. We serve Redwood City, Foster City, Inner Mission, Nob Hill, and surrounding areas. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

For more about San Francisco click here.

What is the Best Way to Remediate Water Loss Incidents in San Francisco

8/2/2019 (Permalink)

Each vehicle in our Green Fleet is stocked with equipment to dry your home. Call us today!

Professional Water Removal Service In San Francisco

Despite having the Pacific for a Western border, most San Francisco residents know that the water which spills into their kitchens or through their living rooms comes from a faulty water heater or a corroded pipe connection under a bathroom sink. Quickly getting it out of their homes without causing damage requires a professional service.

For SERVPRO, San Francisco water removal means finding the source of the leak, stopping it, and then using every piece of equipment in our inventory to draw it out of area homes before it can cause permanent damage.

Our first technician in every home is a trained inspector. She identifies the source of the intrusion, turns off the water to the problem appliances or pipe and then brings in the rest of the work crew to start the removal process. If the issue is a minor one, a crew member can repair or replace a connection, section of pipe, or a split hose leading into a refrigerator or a washing machine. For significant problems, the inspector recommends bringing in a licensed plumber.

With no more water coming in, SERVPRO technicians begin removing the standing water in the home. If the level is about ankle-high or more, they use one or more industrial-grade pumps to draw it out of the home quickly. For lower levels, crew members begin the process with small extractors.

For small rooms and closets, they can use devices that can be worn like a backpack and can draw out five to ten gallons before needing to empty the attached tank. For larger rooms, technicians have access to extractors that can draw water out of carpets and from between floorboards and pump it outside the home into a tank or the nearest sewer access point. With each size extractor, technicians can adjust the vacuum rate to carefully draw out the water without separating the carpet layers or splintering the floorboards.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos proudly, and quickly, serves our community and local area when it comes to any disaster. If you have a water intrusion or other issue with your home here or in Redwood City, Foster City, and Inner Mission, call us at (650) 591-4137 today to get the restoration process started. We are here to return your home to its original, dry condition.

More about San Francisco.

How do San Francisco Homeowners Handle Property Damage? SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos to the Rescue!

7/25/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is ready to meet property restoration needs in San Francisco. Our Green Fleet is on call 24/7.

Why Professional Restoration Services are Vital for Limiting Loss to San Francisco Homes

While DIY is never the recommended cleanup method for home disasters in the San Francisco from fire damage, water loss, flash floods and storms, earthquake or even mold, there are actions homeowners can take before help arrives.

Water damage in a San Francisco home is one of the most common types of loss that occurs. Take a minute and think of your own home, imagine all the places a pipe could leak, water tank seal failure or an accident such as forgetting a bathtub faucet was on and the tub overflows, where would the water go in your home? Since water follows the path of least resistance and goes where gravity takes it, it would stream down into your flooring. In an upstairs bathroom, it results in water removal required for floor joists and ceiling in the floor below, compounding the problem.

Before SERVPRO arrives to perform water extraction, there are things homeowners can do to limit loss, only if it is safe to do so, such as:

Mopping or blotting up excess water you can see from surfaces
Removing small items from the floor and tabletops to a dry area
If water damage is from a pipe break, turn off the water in the home
Put furnishings on wet carpeting up on blocks with foil, so the wood stain does not leech into the carpet or area rugs

Our team members hold certifications as Water Restoration Technicians and have the training and knowledge to scope the residence with advanced moisture detection devices to determine where water migrated and decide on the best kind of specialized equipment to use dependent on the type of water loss in the home. After extraction, we dry the property followed by disinfection of all water-affected surfaces.

Storm damage in San Francisco residences has many of the same concerns as other types of water damage, with a difference. There are two main types of water that enter the home-flash flood, which is groundwater and rainwater from events such as a damaged roof or broken window. While rain entering an attic poses no real threat from potential contamination, groundwater brings everything it has come into contact with into the property.

Due to the danger of slip and fall accidents, we do not advise residents to do any activity that brings them into contact with flood-damaged areas of the home unless it is safe to do so. The first concern of SERVPRO is for the safety of the residents. If there is a danger of electrical shock, we suggest not remaining on-site. We have the equipment to test the water to determine the level of toxins or contaminants. If the water is more than two inches deep, we have submersible pumps, so there are zero delays in water removal from the home. If any part of the structure has damage beyond the possibility of restoration, we are licensed general contractors #937457 for the State of California and not only perform restoration services but also reconstruction as approved and needed.

Drying and disinfection occur during floodwater mitigation, much like other water damage scenarios. However, after flood damage in a home, there are often odors left behind. Thorough drying and cleaning often reduce the residual scents, but more robust applications are sometimes required, such as ultra-low volume fogging which delivers an odor-neutralizing fog to eradicate musty odors.

Fire damage in San Francisco homes brings different challenges to our certified Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technicians. One of the most helpful things residents can do before our technicians arrive is to turn off their HVAC and stay out of fire-damaged areas. These actions assist in reducing the potential for the spread of soot in other areas of the house.

Containment is vital during fire cleanup and restoration. The two most common methods SERVPRO technicians use are negative air chambers or simple containment using heavy plastic over doorways and vents. We then do any necessary fire debris removal and determine the restorability potential of smoke-damaged items.

Smoke odors can be particularly stubborn to remove because when the air becomes hot, it expands. This expansion causes odor-causing soot particles to embed into porous objects. Our certified Odor Control Technicians have different types of equipment to handle any level of smoke odors. While time-release gel pellets or hand-cleaning with our professional-grade formulas assist with removing light odors, machines such as a hydroxyl generator use UV rays to capture airborne odor-causing soot particles and neutralize them.

Once SERVPRO technicians complete fire and smoke damage mitigation of the property, we provide the homeowner and adjuster with our unique Contents Claim Inventory Service that is a detailed report that catalogs every step of the restoration services including before and after photographs to assist in expediting insurance claims.

One of the most common DIY treatments SERVPRO technicians see in San Francisco homes with mold damage is the application of bleach or vinegar to kill visible colonies. In some cases, this action kills the visible colonies, but unless the circumstances halt that are encouraging spore germination and growth, the infestation is likely to return.

Our technicians scope the area to determine areas of excess moisture, which can lead to additional mold colonies that are not visible such as within wall cavities. Our certified Applied Microbial Remediation Technicians ascertain the reasons for the favorable conditions in the home supporting mold growth and the repairs necessary to end the infestation.

Much like fire damage mitigation, during mold remediation, containment is an essential part of the cleanup. This action inhibits airborne spores from spreading. After drying, we remove any visible traces of colonies and treat the areas with antimicrobial cleaners and sealers when needed to impede the return of mold.

Why SERVPRO? We know residents in San Francisco have choices for restoration services. Our technicians go through extensive training as taught through the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification to learn the best practices for any home loss.

The SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos emergency response team is ready to assist homeowners with any type or scale event that requires restoration services. Contact us 24/7 at (650) 591-4137, and we arrive soon after your call because We're Faster to Any Size Disaster.

https://sf.gov

We Get You Back To Business In San Fransisco After A Flood Disaster

7/15/2019 (Permalink)

Our SERVPRO storm team is ready for action for flooding disaster cleanup.

Removing Malodors from Businesses with Commercial Flood Damage in San Francisco

Places of work need to be safe for both employees and customers. Flooding, even with clean water, can have a significant on the safety standards of your commercial property by bringing in microbial infestations like bacteria, fungi, or viruses. To maintain high sanitary standards, you must bring in professional restorers to thoroughly clean and disinfect your property after flood waters have entered. Often in commercial properties, damages can be more severe if they occur out of hours due to the harmful effects of prolonged exposure on contents or structure.

We operate a highly efficient, rapid response unit for businesses with commercial flood damage in San Francisco. Upon notification of loss, our customer service team can arrange for a team of trained restorers to assess, remediate, and restore the damages with a minimum loss of revenue. Each team is selected for their skillset and is headed by an experienced crew chief who can communicate with you from start to finish.

Many commercial businesses are customer facing, making the odor problems that are common in flood damage properties a significant issue. SERVPRO has specialist Odor Control Technicians (OCT) who can use several different methods and techniques to bring that odor back under control, leaving a clean workspace.

Malodors often dissipate once structure and contents are thoroughly dry; however, there are several deodorizing methods SERVPRO can use to eliminate odors. Carpeting, which absorbs odor particles, can be treated on both sides using an EPA-registered disinfectant. This method controls both odor and microbial growth. Walls, ceilings, and floors can be treated using a ULV fogger loaded with chemical pairing agents to neutralize odor completely. Any remaining areas that have significant odors can be treated with concentrated deodorant pellets to mask odors until they dissipate naturally.

Keeping your commercial property sanitary involves both cleaning and odor control. Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 today.

See more about San Fransisco.

Our Certified Professionals Are Ready 24/7 To Restore Your San Fransisco Home

7/5/2019 (Permalink)

Our water cleanup technicians cut gypsum boards and remove them from a structure after water damage. Call us right away to prevent further damage.

What to Expect When Professionals Complete Water Cleanup in San Francisco

Rousseau houses in the Sunset area of San Francisco are a delight for the eyes, storybook European architecture with a view of the Pacific Ocean. Water damage can happen in any home regardless of its outer facade. If aging plumbing in your Bay Area house fails, sending vast quantities of water through several living levels, down stairs and walls, and into your tuck-under garage, you need a professional disaster company on your side.

When we arrive to manage the water cleanup in San Francisco, we have already made several crucial decisions to improve the outcome of your project. Our Production Manager sends a hand-picked team to your home, best suited to the damage likely after older pipes burst in a multilevel home. The team completes a swift but accurate assessment, developing the plan at your site personalized for your needs.

Our Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Reconstruction Certification (IICRC)-trained SERVPRO crew members get to work on the plan without delay. Our signature green vehicles stock all the water removal and structural drying equipment needed, so the process from task to task is exceptionally smooth.

To make water removal and drying efforts more effective, we might recommend a pack-out of household goods and personal possessions to our secure production facility. Concentrating on the wet structural components and fixtures is easier when furnishings and other items need not be moved from space to space as the project progresses. Our Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS) tracks pack-outs securely Technicians at our facility can clean, dry, disinfect, and deodorize the items in our care, readying them for reinstallation at your cleaned, dried, and sanitized home.

Decision by intelligent decision, our on-site crew proceeds with water cleanup. We choose to pump for water more than two inches deep, then move on to high-efficiency truck-mounted wanded extractors to clear the remainder. Throughout the job, SERVPRO updates the original moisture data we gathered using sensitive meters on structural components and thermal imaging to locate large pockets of water migrating from the original site. Special techniques and equipment assist with wet hardwood and carpeting. Drying after water cleanup involves air movers, heaters, and dehumidifiers positioned by our technicians for optimal effect.

Trust SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos to complete water cleanup in your home using industry best practices, care, and compassion. When a water disaster strikes call (650) 591-4137 for rapid water removal and through home drying.

See more about San Fransisco.

Water Damage to Your San Francisco Business? Call SERVPRO!

6/24/2019 (Permalink)

We have all the equipment necessary to tackle your commercial water damage.

On-call Restoration Technicians for Commercial Flood Damage in San Francisco

A busy commercial center needs constant care and attention. Sometimes, unforeseen events from adverse weather conditions or internal plumbing problems can cause temporary closures. In these scenarios using a professional service with the workforce and resources to complete the task efficiently is essential. We operate a local restoration service for a wide variety of property damages, including flooding.

Often commercial flood damage in San Francisco can occur out of hours. SERVPRO has local technicians on call should you run into an issue outside of regular nine to five opening business hours. Our customer service team is always available by phone and can arrange a service with you immediately upon notification of loss.

One of the first duties to carry out on a flooded site is a safety check. You may need to bring in third-party contractors to repair appliances or structure after flooding, so establishing a safe zone for them to work in is of critical importance. SERVPRO restorers have experienced professionals that can restore power to your location, safely remove hazards or debris, and establish designated clean rooms on or off-site.

Removing standing water and thoroughly drying the property is the next step. SERVPRO can mobilize heavy-duty water pumps that are well-suited to the removal of large quantities of water. We also use specialized extraction units that combine heating elements with vacuum power to remove water without causing unnecessary damage to floors, carpeting, or other structural components.

Cleaning and drying your property may remove unpleasant odors. Usually, we find that odors dissipate naturally once a property is thoroughly dried. We can also bring in thermal fogging equipment to fumigate large rooms or warehouses if needed. These equipment vaporize chemical pairing agents that find and neutralize odor particles rather than merely masking them like a household air freshener.

Ensure your business is given expert restoration attention after property damages, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

More about San Francisco.

How Water Damage Became an Unexpected Consequence of a Video Game in San Francisco

6/14/2019 (Permalink)

Someone forgot to turn off the water in sink. Looks like SERVPRO is needed!

SERVPRO Turns Around Water Damage in San Francisco Bathroom

There are many types of preventative maintenance a homeowner in the Golden Gate City can do to avoid water damage. Also, things then occur that you cannot foresee happening in your home.

Our local SERVPRO location answered a call from a San Francisco homeowner with water damage in an upstairs bathroom. His son had been filling a bathroom sink and then got distracted playing video games while more and more water overflowed first covering the vanity and then the floor. When water dripped from the ceiling in the living room below, the problem was apparent.

When our technicians arrived, we immediately began extracting water from the floor with our portable pumps. Since water had dripped through to the room below, it was already apparent the floor joists received damage from the water as well.

The seal on a portion of the tile in the bathroom floor loosened from prolonged exposure to the water, and we removed them so we could direct more air into the subfloor and floor joists to completely dry them. SERVPRO technicians drilled weep holes into the ceiling to allow for drainage and airflow.

Once we prepared the room for drying, we set up air mover to dry the floor and pull moisture to the surface so it could be ported away from the area by our dehumidifiers. We used drying mats to direct air into the floor joists to ensure they were adequately dried to inhibit mold growth.

After drying, we wiped down and disinfected all water loss areas. Our SERVPRO location holds a general contractor license, and along with giving the homeowner a list of the actions done on the property, we also gave him a list of the necessary repairs to bring the bathroom back to its preloss condition. This service makes the water loss cleanup seamless from start to finish and much more convenient for both the homeowner and adjuster.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 when you need cleanup or restoration to your home resulting from water damage, and we can make it "Like it never even happened."

Read about San Francisco here.

Let Our Specialists Repair And Restore Your Flood Damaged San Francisco Home

6/5/2019 (Permalink)

Our restoration professionals can take the right steps to restore your home to its normal condition.

How To Get Flood Damage Repair For Your San Francisco Home

Flooding is a problem that many homeowners deal with, and in areas close to oceans, high tides combined with strong storms often cause flood damage. When floodwaters enter your home, you need to stay safe by avoiding contact with the water, since it may contain hazardous microorganisms and insects.

You should also avoid using electrical or gas appliances that have been flooded. If your San Francisco home has flood damage, it is also essential to hire professionals who can handle the cleanup process. The remediation specialists at SERVPRO have years of experience and sophisticated equipment that can extract the water and dry your property to return it to its preloss condition quickly. We work on a 24-hour basis, and you can trust us to assist you any time you need us.

After water intrusion, the cleanup and drying process should begin quickly for the longer the water sits, the worse the destruction gets. Stagnant water and moisture create the ideal environment for mold growth. The repairs can be more expensive and difficult if you do not take action quickly. When we arrive at a water-damaged property, we inspect the affected areas, define the class and category of water damage, and outline the most appropriate means of restoring the home.

Our SERVPRO crew uses pumps and wet/dry vacuums to remove most of the water from a home to prevent bacteria and mold growth. Once we remove the standing water and vacuum the absorbent surfaces, we start the drying and dehumidification process. This step clears any remaining moisture after water extraction. It can take several days to dry saturated materials. We monitor the drying process using moisture sensors and moisture meters.

We also clean and use antimicrobial products to sanitize belongings like clothing and drapery to prevent mold and bacterial growth. Our technicians can also use air scrubbers to eliminate odors from your homes. The other step is the restoration process, which involves replacing damaged materials like insulation, carpeting, floors, drywall, or entire walls in serious cases.

If flood waters have pooled in your home, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for help. You can reach us through our helpline at (650) 591-4137. Our restoration professionals can take the right steps to restore your home to its normal condition. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

Click here for more about San Francisco.

What are the Four Steps for Odor Control After a Fire in San Francisco?

5/28/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos can have your home smelling fresh after a fire.

Four Steps to Odor Control after Fire Damage in your San Francisco Home

A house fire can be a scary situation, but it is rare that they result in significant damages. In our experience, most fires are contained reasonably quickly to a single area of the home and only cause damage on a minor or medium scale. Malodor, on the other hand, is far more difficult to contain since the particles can be microscopic despite having a significant impact on your indoor air quality.

We are available for the removal of odor after fire damage in San Francisco and the local area. SERVPRO technicians are trained to conduct a series of necessary steps that effectively combat the most stubborn odors. Those steps are to remove, clean, recreate, or seal areas that are causing persistent problems. Each step represents an increasingly concentrated effort that is relative to the severity of smoke damages gauged during our initial inspection.

Before putting any deodorizers into use, SERVPRO technicians remove debris and any perceivable sources of odor. Focusing on removing the source of odor is essential to ensure the following steps are practical and odor-causing debris does not release more particles once deodorization is complete. Charred materials must be removed, sanded down or cleaned away by your technician before using any further deodorizing methods.

In a fire, materials that burn release chemicals in the form of smoke. Some of these chemicals, particularly those in grease or synthetic materials, create unpleasant odors. Since smoke migrates quickly, malodors deposit on surfaces throughout the home. SERVPRO use sanitizers and chemical cleaning agents to remove soiling from all areas of your home.

Once we are confident that sources of odor have been removed and surfaces thoroughly cleaned, we can begin the third stage, deodorizing. The most efficient method for deodorizing a property is to recreate the conditions in which the odor initially spread. In a fire, that means vaporizing solvents using thermal foggers that mimic the behavior of smoke damages; reaching the same areas, cavities, and surfaces as malodors. We can then seal the surfaces to prevent any further odors.

A tried and tested strategy can remove malodors from your property, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137.

What Is The Best Way to Dry Water Damaged Carpets in San Francisco?

5/15/2019 (Permalink)

You can trust the SERVPRO Brand to dry your water damaged floors.

Call SERVPRO To Limit Water Damage To Your Carpets!

When water enters your home, carpet is usually the first thing affected and damaged. Unfortunately, it loses half of its strength when wet and permanent delamination may occur as a result. Carpet that undergoes large amounts of delimitation must be removed and discarded, which is why it is essential to contact professionals as soon as possible to prevent unfixable water damage.

Dealing with carpet removal, inspection, and replacement can be a tedious process. That's why the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) technicians at SERVPRO are available to assist in mitigating water damage to carpeted San Francisco homes. When we arrive at the scene, we can get to work clearing out excess water. Unless cleaned up, water can seep through vapor barriers, potentially ruining floors.

Once water is successfully pumped out, we remove the wet sections of carpet for drying. If you have lots of furniture, you may prefer the in-place drying of your carpets. While being slower and less efficient, in-place drying allows our techs to dry your home without rearranging your favorite furniture. However, many carpet water damage cases do not qualify for in-place drying.

If we are forced to remove your carpeting, we inspect it for large amounts of delamination. We also inspect subflooring for water damage. To ensure that your floors do not collapse, we can use air movers and dehumidifiers to dry out your subflooring. Additionally, this can help against mold growth.

Fortunately, carpeting itself can be easy to dry as it quickly absorbs and releases moisture. With the proper equipment, our techs can remove, dry, and reattach your carpet, making your life easy.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is available 24/7 at (650) 591-4137. Don't hesitate to give us a call if your carpeting has been exposed to water because we can make you feel "Like it never even happened."

Click here for information about the San Francisco Zoo.

Call SERVPRO To Avoid Issues After Flood Damage In San Fransisco

5/2/2019 (Permalink)

This torn roof allowed a strong wind to dislodge a water supply line in the wall of this house and we had the equipment needed to restore the home.

Managing Secondary Problems Likely to Occur After Flood Damage in San Francisco

A flooding incident in your property can leave you grappling with enormous financial and sentimental losses as the water soaks into items or deposits soils in different sections of your property. Avoidable problems can also develop if there is a failure during the restoration processes. Hiring a professional flood damage restorer can help prevent undesired outcomes by following the right procedures.

Most incidents of flood damage in San Fransisco only harm the structure and contents. However, it can affect occupants who try to save items without observing safety procedures. Floods mostly involve black water especially if it is a case of rising waters. Such water contains chemicals and biohazard wastes such as raw sewage so it can transmit disease-causing microorganisms when people wade in without proper protective gear. Flooding also increases the risk of electrocution if there are downed power lines or the water level reaches electrical outlets in the house. Our SERVPRO technicians use a variety of protective gear to avoid such risks. We have rubber boots that protect our crews from electrical shock and contact with harmful substances in the water. We also have full body suits, electrical testers, and other safety equipment.

Because floodwaters reach many concealed areas including subfloors, cabinets and wall cavities, there is a need to remove it properly. Leaving traces of water in such areas leads to many secondary problems including mold development and rotting or warping of wooden materials. Our SERVPRO technicians use different approaches to prevent such problems. We use thermal cameras to check for wetness in concealed sections then make flood cuts or drill vent holes to remove water. We can also use specialized equipment such as the injecti-dry system and drying mats.

Drying excess moisture from flood-damaged properties is part of the restoration process. The process mostly involves evaporation of the water that soaks into materials. Failure to manage the drying process can lead to other problems such as condensation or transfer of moisture to unaffected areas. Our SERVPRO technicians calculate the right combination of air movers and dehumidifiers for balanced drying.

To avoid recurring issues after flood damage, call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos to help restore your property to its preloss state. You can reach us at (650) 591-4137 any time. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Click here for all you need to know about visiting the Golden Gate Bridge

Our Water Damage Technicians Can Restore Your San Francisco Clothing Boutique

4/22/2019 (Permalink)

If your commercial facility needs expert disaster cleanup, give us a call today at (650) 591-4137, and we can send a team out to you within hours.

Cleaning Up Commercial Water Damage In A San Francisco Clothing Boutique

The unfortunate truth of commercial water damage is that it can often occur when you least expect it. Your stylish boutique's fitting room can be left with soggy walls from a leaky pipe that, if left unchecked, could become a breeding ground for mold and warped or crumbling drywall behind fixtures like full-length mirrors. To fully mitigate damage and ensure the safety or your customers and employees, it is prudent to hire a team of professionals to get the job done right.

If leaky pipes result in commercial water damage in your San Francisco boutique fitting room, SERVPRO technicians are ready to assist you. Our crew can restore your space to its pre-damage condition so you can get back to business as usual.

When our SERVPRO team comes to you, we use a variety of tools to measure moisture levels in your water-affected surfaces. Moisture sensors are an excellent preliminary measure, but tools such as thermal imaging and moisture meters are also used to get a more accurate read on and behind surfaces. If there is damage behind a mirror or other fixtures such as benches, we can move those and dry them to minimize or eliminate damage and stains.

For drying a soaked wall, small holes can be drilled to facilitate drying while centrifugal air movers can be placed at 45-degree angles to maximize drying. In many cases, air movers are positioned one per 150 square feet or 10 to 16 linear feet. Dehumidifiers take the moisture pulled out of surfaces by air movers, pass it over a material such as silica gel or refrigerated coils, and collect water to be drained while expelling warm, dry air. We can also use an EPA-registered antimicrobial to prevent bacterial growth on your surfaces.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos strives to leave your businesses pristine after disasters. “Like it never even happened.” If your commercial facility needs expert disaster cleanup, give us a call today at (650) 591-4137, and we can send a team out to you within hours.

Click here for more about San Francisco.

Winning Tactics for San Francisco Fire Damage Remediation

4/7/2019 (Permalink)

Turn to SERVPRO when overloaded sockets cause fire damage in your home. We make it “Like it never even happened.”

Get Prompt Fire Damage Restoration for Your San Francisco Residence

Home fires occur due to many reasons, one of them being overloaded sockets. If you plug many devices into an outlet using extension cords, too much power is drawn into the outlet’s apparatus, causing it to overheat, and possibly melt, ignite or malfunction. To deal with the aftermath of a fire, you need fire damage restoration services. Walls, ceiling, and carpets can absorb the smoke a fire leaves behind, and it can remain even after several months. You can avoid long term problems and high repair bills if you follow the right steps to get your property back to normal.

The most crucial step is contacting a fire restoration service like SERVPRO. Our technicians can assist you in restoring your San Francisco residence after fire damage. We have the technical expertise to assess your property and then plan and complete the restoration process. We respond to calls within an hour of receiving them and begin the cleanup process quickly since fire damage is corrosive.

We use our expertise to deal with fire and smoke destruction. Your carpets, floors, walls, and ceilings may need a thorough cleaning. SERVPRO technicians use the appropriate cleaning products and equipment to clean and protect different surfaces. We can clean the soot on the walls in preparation for refinishing or painting.

We can also clean and deodorize the restorable contents like furniture, area rugs, upholstery and draperies in the affected areas. We also clean and deodorize possessions like bedding, clothing, art, and electronics to restore them to the preloss condition. Deodorization eliminates bad odors.

If the fire was massive, fire-fighters might have used a lot of water used to put it out. The water has to be cleaned up for it can ruin construction materials and contribute to mold growth. We can use dehumidifiers, water extraction units and blowers to quickly remove the water. We can also assist you in filling out the insurance forms required to claim damages linked to your fire accident.

After a fire, SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos can help you to restore your property. We have the expertise to make your home look like it never caught fire. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. Contact us at (650) 591-4137 for fire damage restoration services in San Francisco, Redwood City, and Foster City.

Click here for more information about San Francisco.

Fire Damage in San Francisco? SERVPRO Has What it Takes to Restore Your Property

3/28/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is always on call for your fire damage restoration needs.

Fire Repairs and Reconstruction of Your San Francisco Home

Structural damages are an everyday staple to widespread fire emergencies that affect San Francisco homes. While many homeowners want to address these concerns immediately, it is only part of the widespread effects that could impact your property during and after a fire has occurred. Addressing all of these effects as well as the structural concerns that exist requires comprehensive restoration services that provide a seamless transition between mitigation, restoration, and final restoration steps.

While many residential contractors can work to provide reconstruction after fire damages to your San Francisco home, it is more cost-effective and efficient for your time to trust in a team that can provide both effective restoration and quality reconstruction. Our SERVPRO team has years of experience servicing the area with a 24/7 response to emergencies to begin necessary mitigation work immediately. This rapid response can reduce the need for reconstruction and help to prepare your home for that step to follow immediately after mitigation efforts complete.

Through the fire debris removal process, our licensed contractors oversee these efforts to ensure that only the damaged portions of your property get removed. Not only does this mean fewer materials that must get reinstalled, but it also means less out-of-pocket expenses and wait time for you to get back into your restored home.

We work to provide a seamless transition between the recovery efforts of the mitigation phase into the needed restoration work to come. With licensed contractors with experience in all of the building trades pertinent to residential reconstruction, we can transition from the initial mitigation into reconstruction right away. While other outfits might have you seeking out your reputable contractor, our SERVPRO team has already started work on returning your property to its original condition.

It might seem overwhelming to contend with fire damage that leaves structural damage to your house, but our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos response team can help. With effective mitigation and experienced reconstruction, we can make fire damage “Like it never even happened.” Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

After A Water Damage Disaster In Your Foster City Home We Are Here To Help

3/14/2019 (Permalink)

Effective mitigation of a water loss incident in your home begins with water removal services from competent professionals like ours.

Preventing A Spread Of Water Damage Through Your Foster City Home

Many things can cause water loss incidents to occur in your Foster City home from plumbing breaches to appliance malfunctions, but the damage caused is equally detrimental to your residence. It is critical to respond to these situations quickly by getting in touch with professional restoration technicians like ours with the tools and expertise to make a difference in your home to prevent other unaffected areas from becoming damaged as well.

There are many steps to contain a loss incident, but one of the first steps to restoring this hazardous situation is water removal in your Foster City home. Our SERVPRO professionals have many levels of extraction equipment and have extensive training in effective mitigation strategies that can help to reduce the spread of the water throughout your property.

With our team being available to work on your damaged home 24 hours a day, we can arrive to the situation with the ability to help contain the current damage and repair the source of the water damage to allow you to reopen the water supply valve to your property again. Our extraction equipment can help to clear out excess water present in exposed areas such as our gas-powered pumps and our weighted extractors that can help to pull saturation from carpeted areas of your house.

Rapid extraction work can allow our SERVPRO technicians to begin moisture removal and drying efforts which can contain the spread of the damage with the use of our efficient and effective drying machines like our high-velocity air movers, injectidry system, and LGR dehumidifiers. With the appropriate drops in moisture content, many exposed structural elements and materials can get restored without requiring replacement.

Effective mitigation of a water loss incident in your home begins with water removal services from competent professionals like ours. With our fast response time and industry-leading equipment, you can be confident in choosing our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos team whenever disaster strikes. Give our crew a call today at (650) 591-4137.

Click here for more about Foster City.

Our Specialists Explain Our Five Point Plan For Your Foster City Home After A Fire

3/5/2019 (Permalink)

A detailed plan of action is part of the journey to restoring your property to preloss conditions, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos to begin.

The Five Point Fire Damage Plan For Foster City Residences

Unforeseen events at home can result in lengthy restoration procedures and testing to ensure it is safe for you to return. Often starting in the kitchen, a fire can be contained to one place, but smoke can spread outwards causing significant damages to furnishings or other areas. Using professional services with experience can help to mitigate losses and reduce the amount of time it takes to remediate your home.

When it comes to fire damage in foster city residences the majority of cases are minor or medium in scale. SERVPRO classify a medium scale fire as significant smoke residues which may require repainting, restoration, and replacement to ceilings, fittings, contents, walls or floors. Thankfully, in most medium losses, contents restoration can be done onsite without the necessity for expensive pack outs or relocations.

SERVPRO has technicians with IICRC certificates in fire damages and operates with a five-point plan to bring your property back to preloss conditions. We begin with mitigation which could involve performing temporary board ups or drying properties that are wet due to firefighting procedures. Temporary electrical generators can be provided if the property's primary source of electrics is shutoff.

Mitigation procedure is about preventing further damage and performing immediate, albeit temporary repair. SERVPRO follow it up with structural and contents cleaning. Repainting damaged walls and ceilings or removing items to a clean zone to allow both in-depth cleanings of the structure and restoration of personal possessions.

Some property owners may need specialty restoration. This restoration could include valuable items like artworks to be packed out and treated to advanced methods. Ultrasonic cleaning can be provided where necessary to help remove ingrained soot from valuable metals or woods, mechanical cleaning for clothing or refinishing furniture.

It is rare for medium scale fire damages to require reconstruction. However, where it is necessary, SERVPRO can leverage our trusted third-party contacts to perform architectural remodeling if areas of the structure are beyond repair. Odors left behind after a fire can be treated at the source or neutralized using industrial grade foggers.

A detailed plan of action is part of the journey to restoring your property to preloss conditions, contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 to begin.

Click here for more about Foster City.

How Does a House Fire Impact the Air Quality of Your San Francisco Home?

2/25/2019 (Permalink)

Smoke and soot can cause damage to the indoor air quality of your home.

The Tools to Improve IAQ After a Fire in Your San Francisco Home

After a fire occurs in your San Francisco home, many homeowners work to reach out to their insurance company to get the process started for recovery and restoration. As a result, this insurance provider requires documentation, photographic evidence, and cataloging of the damage to approve a claim made for home restoration. As simple as it might seem to gather this information on your own, there are risks with entering a home after a fire that many homeowners might not understand.

Indoor air quality can often become steeply compromised after fire damage occurs in your San Francisco home. Smoke and soot particles can remain in the air after the incident, posing a risk of their own for inadequately protected people entering the home. Additionally, threats like chemicals, gases, and contaminants can cause health effects to exposed individuals assessing the property without respirators or even SCBA gear. Our SERVPRO technicians can assess these risks and arrive with the personal protection equipment needed for a thorough inspection of your property to acquire the information your insurance company needs.

Improving the indoor air quality of your home begins with reducing the particulates and contaminants that could be circulating through the air. We can set up several pieces of equipment including air scrubbers and hydroxyl generators. Both of these have HEPA filters inside that can trap particles as small as .3 microns. The equipment continues to run through debris removal and any necessary tear out processes to reduce dust, debris, and further spread of soot and smoke effects.

Our SERVPRO Franchise professionals can also work to improve harsh odors that often follow a structure fire. Treating open areas and exposed materials simultaneously with equipment like our thermal foggers can permanently eliminate odors and help to make the damage “Like it never even happened.”

From the time that the first responders leave, give our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos fire restoration technicians the opportunity to show you how our extensive training and industry-leading equipment can work to restore your home entirely. Give us a call at (650) 591-4137.

Some Tips To Help Your Home Recover From Redwood City Flooding

2/17/2019 (Permalink)

Whether flooding in your home is due to internal or external causes, the need to contact team SERVPRO still exists. Contact us for water removal.

Act Quickly When There is Flood Damage to Your Home in Redwood City

Living in Redwood City is ideal by most standards. Its proximity to San Francisco and the growth of technology makes it a lovely place to set up home. However, it can also fall victim to the effects of mother nature, and homeowners need to prepare. As implausible as it may seem, a torrential downpour can quickly escalate, causing floods and leaving significant damage in its wake. When water enters your home, it is best to call a professional team to your aid.

If you encounter flood damage to your home in Redwood City, SERVPRO is ready to become your most invaluable resource. Time is of the essence when reacting to a flood in your home, but so is a targeted approach. Our team is trained and specialized in assessing the extent of the damage, including the anticipation of collateral effects left by the entry of water into your home. Mold, for example, may eventually appear if the remediation process is not done correctly, which is why the help of our professional team makes a difference.

Upon arrival, our Green Fleet ensures that all work areas are safe. With precautions in place, we proceed to extract water remains from your home. We have at our disposal an array of tools and technology to achieve ideal moisture levels in your home, ranging from submersible water pumps to wet/dry vacuums. As we extract water, we collect information on the air quality of your home and continue to act accordingly. Once our sensors and monitors verify that we have achieved industry-defined optimal water levels, it is time for us to deodorize and disinfect your home.

The process may sound simple, but our SERVPRO team has carefully studied the principles of psychrometry to inform us of our progress. We also train on the use of techniques, such as drilling small holes on your baseboards, focused on promoting the air flow through your home and walls. This thorough approach far exceeds what the average homeowner can achieve with household-grade equipment. It is important to remember that any water excess can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, which may be a hazard to your health.

At SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos, we put our best foot forward to protect your home from long-lasting flood damage. All you need to do is call us at (650) 591-4137 where our team is ready to respond to your emergency 24/7 should you ever need our expert advice.

Click here for more about Redwood City.

What is Protein Based Soot and How Does it Affect your San Carlos Kitchen

2/4/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is ready to restore your fire damaged home.

What To Expect When Restoration Professionals Respond To San Carlos Fire Damage

Bringing your San Carlos home back from the damage done by a kitchen fire is a job for professionals. The residues deposited on surfaces are toxic and require a specific protocol for proper removal. Smoke and soot drift far from the original fire location, charred structural components need assessment to determine if restoration is possible, and lingering odors cannot continue to remind homeowners of the disaster. We can help.

Our team of trained and well-equipped technicians addresses all these concerns and more when we arrive on-site after fire damages your San Carlos residence. We are a full-service disaster restoration company, employing industry best practices to return a fire-ravaged residence to refreshed and comfortable preloss condition.

The first issue is almost always water and chemical removal, coping with these common complications after firefighting efforts. SERVPRO crews are experts in water extraction and structural drying, carrying the pumps, extractors, heated air movers, and dehumidifiers on response vehicles. Ridding the home of water first is a safety requirement, reducing the likelihood of slip and fall injuries and reducing the chance of electrical shock.

Then the crew assesses and begins to use appropriate techniques and products to clean sooty residues. Kitchen fires produce protein-based soot, nearly invisible on surfaces. It is difficult to remove without abrasive action and special solvents best applied by our trained workers. The SERVPRO crew leads also assess the characteristics of the soot deposited in other spaces. Depending on the fuel consumed coatings can be ashy, sticky, light, or thick. We might use brush and vacuum, spray and wipe, or agitation to clear the different types of soot, matching the types we observe to the correct products and tools.

Let us help with odor neutralization, using modern advancements in equipment and methods. SERVPRO technicians are also able to save structural materials you might fear too charred to consider for anything but removal and replacement. Throughout the fire damage remediation and restoration process, we work with your insurance to minimize your out of pocket costs.

Reach out to a leader in the fire mitigation industry when you engage the services of SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos. Call us at (650) 591-4137 immediately after the firefighters leave to get your home back.

Frederick Drake is known as the ‘Father of San Carlos.’ Read more here.

Foster City Property Can Suffer Flood Damaging Events from Many Causes

1/14/2019 (Permalink)

Flooding in Foster City--Call the SERVPRO Green Fleet For Cleanup and Restoration

Types of Floods and Flood Damage Restoration for Your Foster City Home

No matter where you reside, you can be a victim of flooding. Your home in Foster City is no different. There are various ways in which a flood can occur. The most common occurs when the ground cannot absorb all the melting snow or rain, a waterway is blocked by debris or ice, strong winds push seawater inland during a storm, or when a structure which is human-made fails, such as a sewer or dam.

If your home in Foster City has suffered flood damage for any reason, you need help from a professional remediation company. SERVPRO is standing by at all times to help you with a water damage emergency like this, no matter how big or small. The quicker we can get the water out of your home, the better, so we can try and avoid additional damage being done. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

The first type of flood that can occur is inland floods, which usually happen during periods of extended rainfall, or when levees or dams fail. The ground is not able to absorb the water quick enough, which results in water levels that are higher than usual. When the waters have invaded your home, our SERVPRO techs use industrial pumps to get all the standing water out as fast as possible, and then we use industrial fans and dehumidifiers to finish drying your home back out.

The most dangerous kind of floods, flash flooding, can happen without any warning at all. They are the most significant cause of deaths related to weather. They happen when water fills streams or rover beds that are usually dry or when storm drains are overwhelmed.

River flooding generally follows extended periods of rainfall which is heavy, creating water levels to rise over the edge of the river bank. Severe tropical storms can create the waters of the river to rise in a rather short amount of time. Melting ice and snow can also increase the chances of a river flood. Coastal flooding is caused by a mixture of a storm surge and heavy rainfall. If they are combined with a high tide, the water levels can get very high.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos does not waste time getting to your property in Belmont, Redwood City, or Foster City after there has been flooding of any kind from storms. As soon as the storm has subsided, call us at (650) 591-4137 so we can assist you in during your home out as soon as possible.

More about this Bay City by clicking here

Call The Experts At SERVPRO When Your San Francisco Home Is Damaged By A Flood!

1/2/2019 (Permalink)

Many problems can pop up after a flooding incident but involving a professional restoration company helps to overcome them.

Why SERVPRO Cleans Up Flood Damage In San Francisco Effectively

The soiling, debris, and contaminants left by a flood can be overwhelming. As floodwaters flow, they collect all types of wastes including silt, raw sewage, fuel oils and other chemicals from the areas they pass through before dumping them into your property. Various cleaning actions are necessary to eliminate all the wastes. Our IICRC certified restoration crews are highly skilled and have access to advanced equipment to help deal with any issues that arise.

Fast water removal helps to limit the effects of flood damage in San Francisco. Among other things, it limits the chances of microbial growth, which would otherwise complicate the cleanup process further. In case the water level is high, it might not be possible to extract it immediately. In such a case, moving contents away from the property or to rooms in higher levels of the property limits their exposure. Our SERVPRO technicians rely on different high-capacity water extraction tools including submersible pumps and truck-mounted water extractors to remove floodwaters from the property fast. We also handle any necessary move outs saving your contents from unnecessary exposure to contaminated floodwaters.

Thorough removal of soils and contaminants, left by the floodwaters is essential. Sometimes water pushes the debris into concealed areas which if left unaddressed can lead to bad odors and other problems. Our SERVPRO technicians take several steps to ensure thorough removal of these materials. We perform flood cuts on walls two feet above the water line. We also remove countertops and other fixtures creating room for thorough cleanup. We spray EPA-registered disinfectants in the affected areas and use power washers to remove all traces of soiling and contaminants.

Floods introduce excess moisture into the affected property, and if left unaddressed, it can lead to many problems later on. For example, when exposed to high moisture levels, wooden floors buckle or rot. Even high levels of humidity can cause mold to form on fabrics like draperies, carpets and other organic materials like insulation and drywall. Our SERVPRO technicians take measures to dry the affected surfaces and minimize excess humidity. In most cases, we create a closed drying system with small drying chambers made from hanging plastic sheets, expediting the moisture removal process.

Many problems can pop up after a flooding incident but involving a professional restoration company helps to overcome them. Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 to help.

Click here for more about San Francisco.

SERVPRO, San Francisco, Floods, and "Like it never even happened."

12/19/2018 (Permalink)

The Gateway to Flood Water Removal in San Francisco Is Through SERVPRO

Fast Response to Flooding in Your San Francisco Home

You cannot always predict when a disaster can strike your San Francisco property, but preparedness can help you to get the right assistance when that need arises. With the severe weather that can sweep in from the Pacific, many homes throughout our service area find themselves at risk for structural damages from high winds, torrential rainfall, and other treacherous conditions. Newly exposed vulnerabilities on the outside of your house can allow for runoff and rainfall to easily find its way inside and spread out quickly to affect a wide area of your property.

Finding the help that you need to combat flood damage in your San Francisco property is not difficult, but planning can help reduce the possibility of irreparable damage and unnecessary demolition for affected materials in your house. By calling our SERVPRO team right away when flooding occurs, we can dispatch our emergency response team to your address with our advanced equipment to remove floodwaters quickly and begin the vital task of drying out the damaged elements.

Our franchise commits itself to respond to the emergencies of our customers as quickly as we can. We understand how every minute in these situations makes a difference, so we stay ready for disasters whenever they might strike. Our emergency response team is available 24/7 with the personnel and the equipment to mitigate your loss from the moment that we arrive on site.

The comprehensive approach to restoration gives our customers the most efficient results. If you have flood insurance, we work with your adjuster to expedite the service. With having a licensed contracting division, our SERVPRO franchise can rebuild and reconstruct removed structural elements or demolished areas of the property too greatly damaged by flooding to salvage. Customers do not have to wait between mitigation and restoration for the building services to begin by a separate contractor, and our ability to offer all of these vital steps saves our customers time and money.

Flooding can be a challenge to overcome, but our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos restoration specialists are a wise choice. With our training and fast response, we can help to preserve your flood-damaged property to restore the property quickly. Give us a call anytime at (650) 591-4137.

Here is the iconic San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge

Avoid Failing to Disclose Important Details When Your San Francisco Bistro Faces Water Damage

12/15/2018 (Permalink)

Water can quickly damage and possibly close your restaurant if left unmitigated. Contact SERVPRO for remediation and restoration services.

Things to Tell SERVPRO When Calling Us for Water Removal from a Restaurant in San Francisco

Water removal from restaurants in San Francisco may be complicated by any number of factors, ranging from the placement of the building to its internal layout to where the water initially came from. Otherwise small differences between buildings on the same street can sometimes lead to drastically different water removal projects. SERVPRO technicians are experts at adapting to the situation and providing high-quality care no matter the challenges they face, but we could still face forced delays that may not be apparent from the initial call. Letting us know of any of these factors beforehand can help our initial mitigation response be more well-suited to your needs.

Size of the Building
Not only does the size of the floor space requiring water removal in a San Francisco restaurant matter, but so does the size of the building overall. Larger buildings are often constructed of different materials and have different regulations and building codes compared to smaller ones, so having prior knowledge of these conditions can alert us to potential dangers. If we ask about the size of the impacted area on the phone, be sure to mention a quick summary of the size and shape of the building, too.

High or Low Relative Elevation
If your restaurant sits at a lower elevation than one or more sides of the surrounding area, it may be especially prone to flooding and difficulty of water removal. Please make sure to let SERVPRO know if your establishment sits at the bottom or on the side of a hill.

Delicate Materials
Many restaurants in the area prize their decor and furnishings highly, but in a water damage incident, these objects can be easily damaged without appropriate countermeasures. We recommend immediately separating all cushions from furniture and removing rugs from carpeting and other flooring materials vulnerable to staining. Of course, you should take care not to put your safety at risk by doing this, and instead wait for SERVPRO to arrive with specially-made protective equipment if there is any question of safety. If this ends up happening, please let our technicians know of any particularly valuable objects in the area so that we can prioritize their removal.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides expert water removal and damage restoration services for homes and businesses across the community. Call our local office 24/7 at (650) 591-4137.

Click here for more about San Francisco.

Kick Out Mold From Your San Francisco Home With SERVPRO

12/5/2018 (Permalink)

Rest assured when SERVPRO is parked outside your home mold is being kicked to the curb.

What is Mold Remediation for Your San Francisco Residence?

Many San Francisco homeowners do not view every setback or incident in their home as an excuse to call in the cavalry and have someone else take care of the mess and damages left behind. Most homeowners feel so strongly about taking care of situations on their own that they do not always see when a circumstance genuinely requires intervention from highly trained professionals with advanced equipment.

When San Francisco homeowners consider mold damages, they rarely think of how easy these conditions can develop in their residence. With mold spores being active and present in almost every environment, the only missing component to allow colonization is often a damp area of your house where these mold spores can thrive. Once this process has begun, the damages can spread quickly to the point of being out of control. You need professional mold remediation, and our highly trained SERVPRO technicians can help.

You might be among a large group of homeowners that are unclear about what mold remediation is and why it can benefit you individually. This niche of the restoration industry focuses on removing present mold from the property and restoring the damage that the organism has caused. Our SERVPRO team has gotten comprised of highly-knowledgeable technicians who pursued extensive training to obtain their IICRC-certifications in remediation to provide our customers with high-quality, efficient service.

As a homeowner experiencing mold growth in your house for the first time, you want to protect the property and the belongings you have throughout the affected area above all else. Our team can help you by removing the at-risk items while the remediation is underway, but also through extensively drying the damaged elements to prevent further degradation or spread of the active colonies.

While the discovery of mold within your house might be cause for alarm for many homeowners, you can have some peace of mind with the right choice in professional remediation. You can count on our experienced, and well-equipped SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos applied microbial remediation technicians to remove the mold colonies fast. Give us a call today at (650) 591-4137.

Learn more about how the Golden Gate Bridge is supporting local food banks.

When Mold Has Taken Over Your San Francisco Home, The Team You Can Trust To Help Is SERVPRO!

11/28/2018 (Permalink)

With a 24-hour response team available to you, our technicians can arrive shortly after your initial discovery of mold growth in your home.

The Risks Of Mold Growth In Your San Francisco Home

Many threats to your San Francisco home can develop over time instead of happening all at once. With a situation like a mold growth that can affect so many homes within the service area, it can be a challenge to know what to do. Many homeowners mistakenly believe that they can handle this organism on their own or that the problem goes away on its own by ignoring the symptoms. You need professional remediation services, and this should happen as soon as possible.

With significant misinformation about mold damage in San Francisco homes on the internet, many do not realize the effects that microbial growth can have on structural elements in their home or the health of the occupants within the property. Our SERVPRO applied microbial remediation technicians can help you to quickly manage the spread of the organism within your home and remove the colony entirely through our advanced equipment and expertise.

With a 24-hour response team available to you, our technicians can arrive shortly after your initial discovery of mold growth in your home to prevent the situation from getting worse. We have antimicrobial solutions that we can spray on unaffected and lightly affected surfaces to prevent fungal growth from happening, helping to negate new colonies from forming throughout the affected areas.

With our advanced equipment available to our technicians on-site, we can effectively reduce the present moisture throughout the affected areas as well. Our industrial-strength dehumidifiers can dramatically reduce or eliminate moisture in affected areas of your home, and our SERVPRO technicians can work to resolve and repair the source of the water damage to prevent continual conditions that support mold and microbial growth.

When it comes to removing mold and preventing recurrences in your home, you need knowledgeable professionals with the equipment to remove the colony quickly. Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos applied microbial remediation technicians can help. Give our rapid response team a call anytime that you need us at (650) 591-4137.

Click here for more about San Francisco.

Flood damage specialists are ready to help

10/10/2018 (Permalink)

Be Prepared for Flooding Events in San Francisco--Contact SERVPRO to Reduce Water Damage and Disruptions

Flooding of Crawl Spaces and Structures Require Prompt Water Removal to Mitigate Damage

Any time a storm comes into town, high-speed winds and copious amounts of rain likely occur. When a storm hits your neighborhood, many different types of elements possibly harm your San Francisco residence. Rain sometimes creates flooding conditions, which often causes moisture to get inside your house. Other times, wind breaks windows and rain pours directly into your structure.

Unwanted moisture inside your home can cause many problems. It is sensible to seek out the help of SERVPRO's flood damage experts in San Francisco any time you notice water coming into your dwelling after a storm. It is possible that moisture ruins your contents and building materials. If high levels of humidity go unattended, then mold growth occurs and can flourish creating significant secondary storm damage.

One common place that water gets into during a storm or flood is the crawl space. When water builds up outside your home the first area that likely gets damaged is the crawl space under the building. Some crawl spaces are small and difficult to access. If water ever fills up your crawl space, our team at SERVPRO starts mitigating the problem by making sure there are no hazards in the area. Once the space is safe, we remove any standing water that is present. Often, this water is "black" contaminated muddy water. Pesticides, fertilizers, sewage, chemicals, and even animal carcasses can add to the filth and pathogenic organisms found in flood waters. Our technicians use submersible pumps to extract all of the water possible.

Next our restoration crew figures out the best way to dry the crawl space and flooring materials. If it is possible, air movers and dehumidifiers get set up inside the area. If there is not enough room to get equipment into the tight space, other measures get taken. Sometimes, part of the floor gets removed, so the area dries. Other times we run a warm air hose off of a dehumidifier into the crawl space. Conduits connected to large LGR dehumidifiers often do the trick of restoring normal RH levels after some days.

Any time a storm comes into town and harms your residence, it is best to consult industry professionals. To get your water damage problem mitigated as efficiently as possible call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at (650) 591-4137 for 24/7 assistance.

More about this Bayside city in CA by clicking here.

Board up Services

10/10/2018 (Permalink)

Board up is a basic and necessary service.

There are so many ways that a structure can be damaged and could require emergency board up services of windows and doors, or large gaps in walls... Wind damage, falling trees and falling tree limbs, vehicles crashing into buildings are common causes. Vandalism and robbery accounts for many window board up jobs too.

The heat from fires can blow out window glass, and in some situations, fire fighters may intentionally break out specific windows to pump water into a structure to extinguish the fire.

At SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos, we have performed emergency board up services for each of the potential sources discussed. Our trained and experienced technicians stand ready, with an inventory of board-up supplies to respond when and where we are needed. This is just another way we help our community.

Always Ready to Roll

10/10/2018 (Permalink)

53 Foot "Kentucky style" Trailer, ready to roll.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is a SERVPRO certified STORM TEAM company. Our technicians have traveled to various locations that have experienced storm events around California and the United States.

We are also experienced in large loss mitigation projects.

You can imagine that it often requires a great deal of restorative drying equipment to accomplish this work.

Our company owns and operates a fleet of cargo vans, pickup trucks, box trucks , a 24 foot trailer and we have use of a large, 53 foot "Kentucky style" trailer.

The 53 foot trailer is packed with hundreds of pieces of drying equipment, and supplies including cleaning materials. It becomes a staging point, sort of a warehouse on wheels, from which our technicians are able to work. You can count on SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos to be there and ready to help when you need us.

Do You Have a Plan for Cleaning Up Water Damage in Your San Francisco Supermarket?

10/8/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the expertise and equipment to quickly get your business up and running after water damage.

Plan For Water Cleanup In Your Neighborhood San Francisco Supermarket

Big, corporate groceries vie with smaller neighborhood stores in most San Francisco areas. Regardless of who owns the food store, a water emergency on the premises needs fast and professional attention. Competition is fierce, and your store needs to recover quickly from the water loss to prevent both property damage and a significant business downturn. Prepare for a water disaster with our help to limit your store’s downtime.

A professional evaluation of your water cleanup preparedness in San Francisco can limit the loss your company suffers when water invades and get your operations back up and running quickly. We set up an appointment to have one of our experienced water loss managers take a walk-through your business. The purpose of the inspection is multifaceted. We want to fully understand how your business works, where you store inventory, documents, and other crucial items, and the location of water mains, plumbing configurations, and exterior gutters and drains, among other pieces of information.

You have a chance to personalize the SERVPRO Emergency Ready Plan and Profile (ERP) we build together. Using our mobile app as a guide, you walk through multiple aspects of your business operations to increase our knowledge to be able to respond better and more effectively. Choose trusted employees or family members to stand in for you when a crisis happens. Nominating them as your agents allows us to promptly respond even if you are not available.

The ERP makes it clear that SERVPRO is your chosen restoration company. We can react to an emergency immediately, confident that we know your concerns and priorities. Take the time to list for us the names and contact information for vendors or contractors who installed the equipment or systems upon which you rely on delivering excellent service to your customers. Commercial water cleanup is streamlined when we have comprehensive information about your building’s layout and vulnerabilities.

SERVPRO makes suggestions before any water disaster so you can adapt your operations to limit possible water damage. Improving storage options, identifying the most likely ways water enters, and inspecting and repairing plumbing, coolers, freezers, roofs, and many other water damage risks help keep your grocery store meeting the needs of your customers.

Give SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos a call at (650) 591-4137 to create a personalized ERP for your Bay Area business. Preparedness is the key to a long-lived and profitable business.

Click here for the history of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Do You Struggle with Finding the Source of the Musty Smell of Mold in Your San Francisco Home?

10/7/2018 (Permalink)

Mold can lurk in many areas of your home before it becomes visible to the naked eye. Call SERVPRO to investigate.

The Oddest Places You Will Find Mold in Your San Francisco Home

Mold growth is prominent in basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. It grows in the rooms above because of the presence of moisture and food supply. What San Francisco homeowners do not know is that if there is the t possibility of dampness and darkness anywhere, mold can grow. To protect your family and get rid of mold, here are 5 oddest places where mold can grow.

Inside your child’s toys
Have you ever taken the time to inspect your child’s toys for mold? Well, mold removal technicians in San Francisco recommend that you do so today. As your child plays with his or her toys, moisture can find its way via an opening. Since it is the norm to store toys away in a box after playtime, this provides the perfect environment for mold to grow. To protect your child, keep a close eye on your child’s toys.

Chimneys
If your chimney is not well capped off, snow, rain, leaves, and other organic materials can find their way in. Since the chimney is dark, cool and damp, mold can grow. At SERVPRO, we recommend that you cover the top. Afterward, call a chimney cleaner to get rid of all organic material.

Coffeemaker
If you have never taken the time to inspect the inside of your coffee maker, then do so. Mold could be lurking inside. To avoid consuming contaminated coffee, clean and dry your coffee maker every day.

Refrigerator drip pan
The drip pan collects condensation. Apart from moisture, food particles also collect inside. This provides a breeding ground for mold. To prevent mold growth, clean the drip pan after every 3 or 6 months. Use vinegar, warm water, and soap. After cleaning, allow the drip pan to dry completely.

Makeup
Your makeup also provides the perfect breeding ground for mold spores. If you detect a musty smell originating from your makeup, throw them out.

At SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos, we are specialists in mold removal. If you suspect your home has a mold infestation, do not attempt to remove it. Call our 24/7 emergency line at (650) 591-4137 and let us protect you, your family and your home.

Click here for more about San Francisco.

Half Moon Bay Customer Service

10/3/2018 (Permalink)

William Wheeler, customer service driven.

Water Damage in Half Moon Bay & SERVPRO Customer Care

Andy and Gail in Half Moon Bay, regarding: William Wheeler and our SERVPRO team in Halfmoon Bay.

To whom it may concern,

Our Home after a hot water line in an upstairs bathroom… left hot water flowing throughout the house for 72+ hours… We were out of town and not due back in town for two additional days. Luckily our daughter and son-in-law stopped by. We have been told our house was close to a 90% loss. Our home was soaked with hot water and steam. It is an unimaginable disaster…

We would like to express our sincere THANKS for a job well done. by your employee William Wheeler… As we see it, Will is one of your greatest representative and a true asset to SERVPRO. He was professional at every turn and represented your company with great integrity. His hard work, incredible patience, concern, and ability to work well with your employees and us… were most impressive. In our mind, it went from, “Oh My God”, to ”It’s Going to Be Alright.”

His willingness to interact at each and every turn of this water damage disastor, along with the other representatives from both SERVPRO and FRSTeam, gave us a sense of calm and belief we could put it back together. We cannot be more impressed… and extend a Thank You to each and every one of them. We are months away from returning to our water damaged home. But the road ahead was made smoother by the concern and most professional handling by William Wheeler and his team. Thank You!

Most Sincerely,

Andy and Gail
Half Moon Bay

We’re Highly Trained Water Damage Specialists

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is a leader in the water damage industry. We have advanced training and expertise, not to mention a tremendous amount of hands-on experience. We use this training and experience to quickly dry your home and restore it back to pre-water-damage condition. We provide documentation of the drying process to validate your property is dry. Call us for 24/7 service. (650) 591-4137

When there is flood damage, Who will you call?

10/3/2018 (Permalink)

Flood damage can happen in Foster City.

SERVPRO Restores Flood Damaged Properties in Foster City

In Foster City flood damage needs to be taken care of immediately. Ignoring flood damage should not occur. For one thing, water is a double edged sword. On one hand, it could clean and purify. However, water in the wrong places could cause damage and contamination. For one thing, it does bring down the value of the property. It will get to the point where water damage will always be visible unless you can get a professional company like SERVPRO to do the water extraction, drying, cleaning, and restoration work necessary to bring the property value back up. Among the sections of the home that are usually vulnerable to water damage are drywall and other building materials.

For a house of frame construction, water is easily absorbed. Wood is like a sponge for water. It could not only get into the timber, but it could make its way to the walls. Once in the walls, it could bring water damage to other areas of the property. Another thing that water could do to the wood is cause warping as well as cupping in wood flooring. The water can also lift the laminate of manufactured wood. Wood will also become moldy. This will result in mold covering the floors as well as walls. Particularly in the case of warmer temperatures with hidden moisture or standing water.

Foster City flooding could cause damages to the plumbing and electrical systems. Even the ceiling can be vulnerable to damages caused by water. For homes that have faced the effects of flooding, it is important to call a professional from SERVPRO to come by and inspect every piece of the home including the plumbing and the electrical systems. If there is any issue caused by water, and there always is after groundwater intrudes on your property, then he has to remove the unsalvageable materials and possessions of the home. Contaminated Black Water from this type of flooding must quickly be extracted from the home and after drying out, sanitized and deodorized. Also, it is important to make sure that every leak is found and repaired if pipes ruptured due to the storm flooding. SERVPRO has the trained, certified IICRC technicians to tackle all flood problems and restore your home to its preloss condition "Like it never even happened." They are very experienced and willing to provide 24/7 services to your home. To get an appointment, give them a call at (650) 591-4137.

WOW!! Swift Water Removal in San Francisco from Trained SERVPRO Technicians

10/3/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Says Call Our Trained Team for Water Damage Restoration in San Francisco

San Francisco Home "Rescued" from Water Damage by SERVPRO

Many homes in Northern California suffer from water damage caused by plumbing failures, appliance leaks, and not just from storm damage. Who to call? Here is a reason to call SERVPRO for a seamless water damage restoration.

Our local SERVPRO franchise takes pride in providing our customers who experience water damage in the San Francisco area, superior service, and for a reason. Our great success as a water damage cleanup and restoration company meant we needed more technicians to ensure a swift, efficient service for our customers. One of our Production Managers, Jose Medrano, deserves special kudos for training four new production technicians in the expert techniques we employ to mitigate water loss. He conducted on-going training sessions at our shop, utilizing the SERVPRO training manual, demonstrations of our warehoused industry-leading equipment, and our specially formulated cleaning and disinfecting products.

Now, take a look at the Photo to your right. This top-notch setup was constructed by Jose and his new and enthusiastic technicians only a week after training started. Clean water had leaked from an adjacent bathroom fixture and covered the tiled flooring and the baseboards. Since We're Faster To Any Size Disaster, our crew arrived within the hour to remove the pooling water and attempt to negate any potential water damage. After vacuuming out the visible water, the challenge of total moisture removal was next. The water had wicked into the trim wood, the wall sole-plates that anchor the wall studs, and the grout lines of the tiles. Here is where our expertise and pride in workmanship shine.

The perfection of this setup can be appreciated by those who work in the water restoration services. We are often copied but never duplicated. The plastic sheeting, secured with blue painter's tape, isolated the treatment surface from unaffected areas. The large LGR low grain dehumidifier is working in concert with the yellow-hosed vacuum to draw moisture from the hard floor surface and the trim. The LGR is rigged with lay flat clear ducting to increase the evaporation rate and then condense the water vapor inside the holding pan. This assembled "rescue mat," was created by our new technicians. The low-profile heated air movers (three) directed a dry circulation of air at the baseboards and sole-plates to enhance the drying rate of the moisture components.

Mission accomplished. Training matters, and our rookies, under excellent guidance and coaching from Jose, knocked it out of the park. Why call another company when you can receive fast service and salvage your home and possessions, "Like it never even happened." Contact SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos for 24/7 emergency service. (650) 591-4137

Here is a beautiful city with plenty of history.

Is today the day for a disaster?

10/2/2018 (Permalink)

Flooding can close an office and bring business to a stop.

There is never a good time to experience a property disaster.

Providing emergency property damage services for commercial establishments is one of the main services we provide at SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos.

Water damage/flooding events are the most common disaster at offices and other commercial properties. Fire is second, followed by autos crashing into structures, falling trees, vandalism and others.

There are many restoration companies that are prepared to dry a wet building, only a few companies are equipped to help keep a company open or return them quickly to operation. It’s the business interruption solution services that can make the most difference to business survival. Insurance can pay to restore the business and in some cases even cover lost revenue. However, if a building remains closed so long that customers go elsewhere, then the “damage” is really more devastating than the structural repair.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos understands how to dry a wet structure. We can also help with electronics, office equipment, manufacturing equipment and the other parts of a business that might be impacted. Our team can set up electrical power generators and lighting. We will place storage pods and tents at a job site along with security so that temporary workstations can be set up.

If you experience a serious disaster at you office or facility call us at 650-591-4137.

San Leandro Safety Days

10/2/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO team at our safety booth.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos employees participated with sister branch employees from Stockton and San Leandro on Saturday, July 8. SERVPRO participated in the fun and popular San Leandro community event put on by the San Leandro Police Department, United 4 Safety. This annual summer fair takes place outside and around the San Leandro Police Headquarters. On a beautiful Saturday morning and early afternoon, dozens of canopied booths were there to greet folks from all throughout the community. Parents, grandparents, children of all ages wound their way through the whole fair sampling the delicious food, visiting the tremendously cute shelter dogs waiting to be adopted, and of course, the SERVPRO table and tent! SERVPRO is part of the United 4 Safety fair every year and we’re part of the community, working closely with the local Police and Fire Departments to immediately step in and complete the cleanup and recovery process when a disaster happens. Whatever happens, SERVPRO is there! We are frequently out in the community participating in events like United 4 Safety, out talking with folks, supporting the local Police and Firefighters, letting everyone know we’re here to help and will step in quickly to get your life back to normal after a disaster. SERVPRO. "Like it never even happened."

Water Damage Service in Foster City

10/2/2018 (Permalink)

Image show "flood cuts" to a wall that got wet.

Foster City Water Damage Cleanup Is Urgent

Water damage can leave lasting results if not dealt with quickly. Water can be peaceful and pure. It is soothing and relaxing. Water is necessary for life. It gives life to plants and humans. However, water in the wrong places can be devastating, and if left untreated, becomes a significant problem.

Howerer, Water Damage Lowers Home Value.The resulting damage from water intrusion is unsightly and impossible to hide without professional restoration. This may mean drying and repainting surfaces or demolishing and replacing building materials such as drywall. A home inspector will see the damage that stems from your unrestored water damage issues. This can lower your property value.

Water Affects the Structure of Your Home because Wood is a sponge for water. Standing water on the floors in your home can wick into walls. The longer that water sits the more damage it will cause. It will warp and cup hardwood floors and lift the laminate from manufactured wood flooring. It doesn’t take long for wood to become vulnerable to mold. Mold can cover wooden or plasterboard walls and floors. A small amount of standing water, or hidden moisture, and warmer temperatures make the perfect recipe for mold to grow. Mold can cause health effects.

Water Damage Can Destroy Electrical and Plumbing Systems, Walls, and Ceilings
Water can damage electrical circuits and cause shorts, requiring an electrician to address these problems. A professional must inspect all of your wiring and your electrical panel. Water can cause drywall to swell or become brittle forcing discarding while also helping to prevent mold growth. It can corrode or rust pipes which lead to more leaks. Undiscovered or un-repaired water leaks can escalate into larger issues involving unnecessary water damage and expenses. That small drip that you are not dealing with right now could be a costly leak in 6 months. Undetected dripping water can lead to degradation of your concrete foundation. This could leave your home structurally unsafe. It can destroy metal structures, trusses, and even home insulation. Damage to insulation can lead to mold and cause energy bills to increase because the outside elements can more readily enter the structure.

Water Contaminates Your Home
Flood water is contaminated. It can be dangerous to your health. The EPA categorizes this type of water as "Black water ." Chemicals, fertilizers, organics, and fecal matter residuals can remain long after you have cleaned up the water; too hazardous for a Foster City homeowner to attempt this cleanup. SERVPRO of Belmont San Carlos experts can sanitize and deodorize the house. The best way to eliminate the danger is with professional help. Call us for your water damage restoration and we will return your property to its preloss condition "Like it never even happened."

We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster

Immediate action is crucial when dealing with water damage. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is strategically positioned to be faster to any size water emergency in Foster City, San Carlos, and Redwood City. Call us for immediate 24/7 response. (650) 591-4137

Oh no. WE HAVE MOLD!

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

Mold caused by moist air from HVAC system vent.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed to control temperature and some are capable of reducing indoor humidity (condition the air).

HVAC systems can malfunction causing them to become breeding grounds for mold. HVAC systems can also be damaged by fire or water problems. Water can get into HVAC ducting, especially air delivering ducts that are installed under floors and in ceilings.

This photograph shows how a flooded air duct spread moisture and moldy air onto the baseboards, wall and into the room.

A scope (plan) to clean up the mold included removing contaminated ducting and replacing it with new ducting. SERVPRO knows how to remediate even the most complicated mold infested environments. When HVAC systems are part of the problem, we have expert cleaning methods to provide the solution to correct the indoor air quality.

Hail Storms

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

Hail damage can be intense.

As climate continues to change, hail storms could happen in California. After all, there have been water spouts and tornadoes in recent years. Perhaps we will never see hail storms of the magnitude that are experienced in Oklahoma or Texas. When regions of the country experience weather anomalies, the storms can cause significant damage, even if they are less intense by scale. The reason for this is that the plants and trees and the geography have not adapted for unusual weather. A simple freeze in Wisconsin does little damage. The same freeze in Florida would ruin millions of dollars in crops.

A significant hail storm in California would damage delicate plants and trees not to mention roofs that are not designed with hail storms in mind. As climate continues to change the chances of being impacted by unusual weather also increase. SERVPRO is ready to mitigate property damage no matter the source.

Commercial Fire Damage in Belmont is Restored By SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos.

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

A fire at a commercial establishment can be costly.

One of a business owner's worst horrors is a fire event to at their commercial property. However, this nightmare becomes an ugly reality all too often! While dealing with a commercial fire can be challenging and stressful, knowing how to expedite and optimize each component of the restoration process can save you money and a headache. Learn more about the steps you should take to restore your business by reviewing this short outline provided by SERVPRO:

Call Your Insurer
Once your commercial property is subjected to fire, call your insurer. In some cases, your insurance agent can help you locate temporary accommodations where you can continue conducting business transactions while fire damage restoration is on-going at your commercial property. The insurer will send out an adjuster to document the fire damage and to monetize fire damage restoration. Ask for a highly recommended company to promptly restore your property.

In addition to calling your insurance provider, you'll need to get in contact with a fire damage restoration company like SERVPRO. An inspector will be dispatched to survey the fire damaged property, develop a restoration plan, and provide you with a CCIS report. This Contents Claim Inventory Service will specifically document damages to the structure and the contents--including all business-related items. SERVPRO is an approved vendor for over 300 insurance companies, property management firms, and government agencies. We can work in cooperation with your insurance company to expedite the fire damage restoration services. We can help you with the claims process, and the paperwork while minimizing your expenses.

The fire damage restoration process is contingent upon the extent of damage to the building and the business assets.
• property assessment
• cleaning
• drying, water removal
• sanitation
• deodorization
• content restoration, document drying
• odor removal
• smoke removal
• vent cleaning
• air duct cleaning

Getting The Best Restoration Services Available
We can offer the following attributes to ensure a rapid return to preloss conditions for your commercial enterprise.
• IICRC-certified professionals, with corporate and franchise training
• excellent customer service, communication from start to finish with guaranteed results
• fair pricing
• a good reputation
• cutting edge equipment
• advanced methodologies

Call SERVPRO For Expedient fire damage restoration in Belmont and the surrounding area.
We respond immediately to assist you in restoring your commercial property to working order. We are faster to any size disaster. Our goal is to compete swiftly the fire damage restoration, with minimal expense to you and reopen your doors for business. "Like it never even happened."

24-Hour Emergency Fire Restoration Service

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos knows that fire damage can happen any time, so we’re ready to respond 24/7 —including holidays. Belmont, San Carlos, and Foster City are communities we proudly serve. Call us for help. (650) 591-4137

Ewwwwwww. Bed Bugs.

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

Vampires aren't the only blood suckers.

Bed bugs are a big problem for anyone who is infested by these tiny blood sucking creatures. They are also a huge problem for commercial and income property owners who discover they are in their property units.

In some cities such as Oakland and San Francisco, the burden of the cleanup cost may fall upon the landlord. Fair or unfair this risk exists for many income property owners.

While SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is not licensed to cleanup kill bedbugs or any other pest we can certainly perform post bedbug cleanup. We know how to cleanup the mess and remove the chemical residues following the treatment process. We also know how to see if the treatment was performed properly.

Our cleaning technicians are trained and skilled in looking for any signs that some of these little critters may have survived the pest control company's processes.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos has cleaned up the aftermath of bedbug infestations for several years. We have worked on the Peninsula, East Bay and the Central Valley performing this service. We have worked with several property management and senior care providers who have had their lovely properties invaded by bed bugs. (This is not a social class issue... any property from shack to mansion to high-rise can be affected)

We know good pest management companies who can help kill these rascals. We can be reached at 650-591-4137.

Storage needed? We can handle that.

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

Safe and secure storage vaults.

What happens if you experience a property disaster and your personal contents (dishes, furniture, toys, electronics, etc.) have to be removed from the damaged dwelling to clean the items, or to expedite the property repair? Where do they go? What happens to them? Your contents may be out of sight, but they are definitely not out of your mind.

At SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos, we provide a written contract about our pack-out services. It includes a content pack-out inventory list with photos of each of the contents. During the pack-out process, contents will be sorted for storage, for cleaning or perhaps disposal.

Once they arrive at our secure and climate controlled cleaning and storage facility located in Hayward, California (near the San Mateo Bridge), the appropriate work will be performed, which may include: drying and a variety of advanced treatments to remove soot, bacteria and odor. Items that were ruined by the property disaster event will be cataloged, photographed (again) to assemble a “non-salvage report.” Then the damaged items are set aside in a holding area for disposal, which will only happen after an authorization to dispose order has been received from an insurance adjuster, the content owner, or another agent. I each case the owner will be in final control of the disposal process.

Salvageable contents will be cleaned and properly packed into boxes to be placed secure into wooden vaults. Large items such as mattresses and sofas will be wrapped in packing blankets (and plastic sheeting) to be stored flat on a shelving system. This prevents warping.

A content inventory list is available in electronic format to keep track of the contents. In the end, the contents will be safely waiting in our facility for return to your restored property.

At SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos we have also provide these services for commercial clients such as: medical clinics, restaurants, offices and government facilities. We are prepared to help when and where you may need us.

Water Damage

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

There are many ways that a building can become damaged by water: Ground water flooding, rain storms, burst water delivery pipes, plumbing backups, failed/leaking water heaters, etc.

Over the years SERVPRO of Belmont/ San Carlos has responded to many unusual sources of water damage including: Punctured water beds; children watering indoor plants with a garden house; aquariums falling over during an earthquake; carpenters driving nails through hidden pipes, and the list goes on.

Perhaps the strangest water damage events that we responded to was one that happened at a three-story condominium in San Mateo. Children were riding bicycles in a parking lot next to their swimming pool and one cyclist rode into a strip of landscaping. The front tire of the bike knocked the head off of an irrigation sprinkler. A jet of water shot into the sky, higher than the building rooftop, and then arched and descended into an open condo window on the third floor.

Residents and guests at the pool gathered around the sprinkler head in awe. Who knew there was that much water pressure in an irrigation system? In short order, a resident made an emergency phone call to the property management company and in turn our emergency response water mitigation company was summoned to the location.

When our crew arrived, we were amazed to see a stream of water in the air shooting into an open window…. the one and only open window on that side of the building. Someone asked if we were from the landscaping company who could turn off the irrigation system? “No, but we can certainly stop this problem,” said I as my partner found a steppingstone in the garden and placed it atop of the broken sprinkler pipe. Sure the water was splashing around the garden, but it was no longer shooting into the condo unit on the third floor. The spectators felt rather stupid. The water had been running for 45 minutes causing about 900 gallons of water to enter the building. Later, I learned that someone wanted to call the fire department so they could bring a ladder to close the window. Other residents had said no, the fire department would charge for the service call. People can make you scratch your head in disbelief.

A few minutes later, the landscaper arrived to turn off the water and replace the sprinkler head. A locksmith arrived too, so we could be let into the affected condo units. The water had also wetted a unit on the second and first floor directly below the third floor “source” unit. Much less damage would have occurred if the spectators had been more resourceful. Sometimes people become shocked or overwhelmed by the circumstances. That’s one reason we’re here when you need us. We’re SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos.

I need carpet cleaning. But what kind?

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

Basic hot water extraction also called steam carpet cleaning.

By Clayton A. Barry, Partner SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos

I’m a second-generation carpet cleaner. My father owned an area rug and wall-to-wall carpet cleaning company that was established in the early 1950’s. As a little boy I hung around my dad’s shop on Saturdays. When I got a bit older, I would go there after school to learn how to clean the fringes on Persian rugs.

My family moved to San Mateo in 1968 and two years later we moved to Foster City. Since then, during my working lifetime I have seen the evolution of on-location carpet cleaning (and location water damage mitigation).

I know there is confusion about which cleaning system is best, shampoo, steam or dry cleaning? I can help you understand the difference between the various carpet cleaning systems.

Today, there are actually five types of on-location carpet cleaning in use for wall-to-wall carpets. This article will not address area rug (Oriental rug) cleaning. Instead, I will discuss the different, “modern” cleaning methods for wall-to-wall carpet cleaning. This material will be presented in the chronological order in which the cleaning methods were introduced to the consumer: Shampoo, Hot Water Extraction, Dry Methods, Bonnet and Encapsulation.

Please understand that each of these methods of cleaning will do a reasonably good job as long as a trained professional properly performs the work. Where does this training come from?

In the United States, the carpet cleaning industry is primarily educated by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). This leading institute has a governing board that is comprised of members from the carpet manufacturing industry, installation industry, cleaning chemical and cleaning equipment manufacturers, scientists and health professionals. Even government agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are represented. There are other trade associations such as the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) that also provide education for carpet cleaners. All of these associations have evolved along with the carpet industry. As the physical content of carpet fibers and carpet construction techniques have changed, the associated industries have modified their cleaning agents as well as equipment and products to stay current. Lets examine some of this history.

1930’s: In the very early days of wall-to-wall carpet installation, wool was the principle fiber used for the face yarn. Jute or hemp fibers were often used in the construction of carpet backings. In that era, carpet pads were usually made from horsehair (felt). Shampoo cleaning was the most appropriate method for cleaning those carpets. Shampoo cleaning did not have to use a lot of water. This was critical because a serious over wetting during cleaning often ruined those carpets by causing materials to shrink and dye colors to bleed.

1950’s / 1960’s: After the Second World War, our population exploded. The resulting housing construction boom called for more wall-to-wall carpets than ever. This demand outstripped wool production. Kodak, DuPont and Allied Fibers introduced synthetic (plastic) fibers along with new carpet backings that were virtually waterproof. The backing materials and underlayment (pads) evolved. By the end of the 1960’s, during the transition from natural to synthetic fibers, steam cleaning (today called hot water damage) became the preferred method. Carpets were being manufactured to withstand more moisture. Cleaning equipment manufacturers developed synchronized high-pressure water sprayers and powerful extraction vacuums to clean these manmade materials. Finally “steam” carpet cleaners could use pressurized water to flush and rinse the dirt and cleaning agents away.

It was during the transition era of wool carpets to synthetics that the first “dry” systems of carpet cleaning were developed. A highly successful franchise was built upon the ingenious use of corncobs being ground into a spongy powder that was saturated with dry-cleaning solvents to be spread across carpet surfaces to absorb soils. The spongy bits of corncob fiber were brushed into the fibers to adsorb soils. When the little bits of spongy corn cob dried they could be vacuumed away. However, these and other dry methods didn’t make much of an impact on carpet cleaning until the 1970’s as you will discover next.

1970’s: Unfortunately, when water extraction cleaning is not performed properly, carpets can become or remain over-wetted. Synthetic fibers won’t shrink, but the adhesives that hold the carpet layers together can delaminate. Wet carpets can also cause water damage to furniture. Molds may develop and sour smelling air often permeates the indoor environment. These kinds of negative experiences happened when low priced, portable cleaning equipment became readily available to the public. Unfortunately, the do-it-your-self crowd wetted and damaged a lot of carpeting. There was also a wave of “part time and weekend cleaning companies” without advanced training who gave a bad reputation to steam cleaning in general. This opened the door for a new batch of “dry” carpet cleaning companies. In fact, aggressive franchises advertised the advantages of “space age chemical technology” that could solve or prevent the over-wetting problems caused by “steam” cleaning. Dry cleaning methods used minimal moisture and they did an excellent job of surface cleaning. Carpets were dry and ready for use in just a couple of hours.

Advertising savvy dry carpet cleaners made a strong argument. However, as time went by, the public became aware that dry cleaning systems left a great deal of chemical residue in the carpets. The public noticed that high levels of cleaning chemical residue caused fibers to rapidly re-soil. Concerns arose over indoor air quality. During the next three decades steam and dry cleaners battled each other for public acceptance.

1990’s: Bonnet cleaning became a meaningful “comprise” method of cleaning. Let me explain what I mean by “compromise”. Shampoo carpet cleaners always reasoned that their system gently scrubbed and agitated the fibers. Scrubbing action is a good cleaning feature. Steam (hot water extraction) advocates spoke about the benefits of heat and the rinsing action that their water based system provides. Heat has proven to activate cleaning agents. Rinsing removes residues. Dry cleaners promoted the benefits of advanced chemistry… low moisture and rapid drying. Each system of carpet cleaning offers distinct advantages. However, bonnet style carpet cleaners believe their system combines the best parts of the other cleaning systems. Let me explain.

Bonnet cleaning utilizes thick, cotton pads that are dampened with water combined with various cleaning agents. These pads are fitted onto shampoo cleaning machines. The prepared pad is methodically worked across the surface of the carpet to gently agitate the fibers and to loosen the soil. With skillful operation, bonnet cleaning will provide more than just surface action. It can provide a deep cleaning. As soon as an area of carpet has been treated, the cleaning pad is removed and replaced with a clean, dry cotton pad, which is spun over the surface of the damp carpet to adsorb the moisture (and soils) from the fibers. The carpet is left fairly dry and ready for use within thirty minutes to a couple of hours.

By the way, dry bonnet pads can be utilized in another way. A dry bonnet pad can be spun over the surface of damp carpeting that has just been wet cleaned by, either, shampoo or hot-water extraction methods to provide an additional measure of extraction. Doing so will accelerate overall drying. While bonnet cleaning seems to be a versatile, effective, popular carpet cleaning system, cleaning technology is constantly evolving and changing.

2000’s: Recently, the IICRC has endorsed the encapsulation method. Today, many of the leading manufacturers are promoting “encapsulation” as the latest advancement. Some encapsulation systems use a new design of rotary brush to apply the cleaning agent and agitate the fibers. However, the more dramatic advancements are in the area of chemistry. Revolutionary polymer encapsulation cleaning agents blended together are able to target different soils in one application, capture these soils and, then, dry (cure) them into tiny crystals to be vacuumed away.

The science of encapsulation has become so popular among carpet cleaners that some of the chemical manufacturers are now making their liquid cleaners for use with bonnet machines and even for use with hot water extraction equipment. There are still old timers who are performing shampoo carpet cleaning… and some of the “encapsulation chemical companies” are making encapsulating shampoo just for them.

Let’s distill all this information down to practical application. What is the best carpet cleaning system for someone who owns or manages investment property? My best advice is to focus on finding the right company. My criteria for the right company would be:
1. Choose someone who is certified with the IICRC,
2. Someone who uses more than one cleaning technique, especially a combination of hot-water extraction and the latest bonnet-encapsulation.

There will be circumstances that demand both disciplines. For a greasy spill, hot-water combined with powerful vacuum extraction may be the most effective and inexpensive way to remove the majority of the source material. Then, if required, a bonnet method can also be used to provide further “extraction” drying. There will be other situations in which quick turnaround of rental property is required, a bonnet encapsulation method is a great answer.

When it comes to maintaining carpeting, it’s not just the overall cleaning method that has to be considered. Specialty spot cleaning and deodorization skills must be part of a professional carpet cleaner’s offering. When it comes to spots and spills, there is no one carpet cleaning method or “miracle cleaning agent” that does it all. Wine spills, candle wax drippings, blood, pet urine and chewing gum blobs happen, and their successful removal requires special treatments, advanced skills and experience.

Find a carpet cleaner you feel comfortable with, one who has experience, shows up on time, charges a reasonable price, and is able to enhance a carpet’s appearance. If he practices two systems of carpet cleaning, not just one system, that could be a real advantage.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos would be pleased to provide carpet cleaning for your residence or commercial facility.

Clayton Barry is a second-generation cleaning expert. He is a partner in one of the largest SERVPRO franchise operations in America, SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos and licensed territory also includes Foster City and Redwood Shores.

FAST Response

10/1/2018 (Permalink)

Property disaster recovery at multi-unit buildings is our specialty.

One of our specialties in the property damage restoration business is to serve multi-unit housing structures such as apartment buildings and condominium complexes.

The owners of our company began their restoration work back in the 1990's by specializing in work at apartment and condo buildings in Foster City, Redwood City and San Mateo.

Today, these types of jobs are among the largest that we do. There can be challenging too. It's important that response to a property damage emergency be prompt because delay will allow the water or smoke contamination to spread from resident unit to unit. This is especially important with multi-unit and multi-floor buildings.

Working in multi-unit buildings can be a challenge because more than one insurance policy may be impacted.

At SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos we will be there for our apartment and condominium clients.

Use Tips Provided by SERVPRO to Prevent Water Damage at Your San Francisco Care Facility

9/22/2018 (Permalink)

Having a constant washing machine leak at your facility can lead to water damage over time. Call SERVPRO to remediate the damage.

Appliances Using Water can Cause Commercial Water Damage in Care Facilities in San Francisco

Providing care to residents in a care facility in San Francisco requires you to address all areas of daily life – meals, clothing, bedding, medicines, personal hygiene, and several others. Ensuring that your facility's employees meet all of the residents' daily needs requires the constant use of appliances.

If one of the machines sustains a leak in a feed or drain line in your facility, your building can suffer commercial water damage in San Francisco. With rotating shifts, important details about malfunctioning appliances can get lost, letting leaks grow in size. SERVPRO technicians are always ready to respond to such situations and get things back under control.

Although major leaks require a call to a certified plumber, we can repair minor ones. Cleaning up the area of water from floors happens quickly, and then we begin measuring the water vapor in the air and how much moisture entered absorbent materials. Often, we find secondary water damage during these inspections, and we hold IICRC-certifications in these areas, also.

Working in a residential setting mitigating water damage can create noise that disturbs some individuals. We want to assure you that we understand this and can work with you to minimize this as much as possible. We adjust our work to match your needs, especially when residents' rooms and the affected area are close to each other.

Some of our activities produce odors, such as fresh paint or cleaning chemicals. If these odors might impact a resident, we ask that you inform us as soon as possible. We want to provide mitigation services in a manner while refraining from causing any discomfort but we need your input on this if it is a possibility.

Either of these might require moving residents to other areas, but we leave this decision to you and your staff. Our goal is to make everything “Like it never even happened.” and in the shortest amount of time possible. To help prevent similar incidents in the future, we can check if any other appliances give off readings of elevated moisture. Some leaks are located internally instead of along a hose where you can easily view it.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos wants to help you provide the highest level of care to your residents, and mitigation of water damage gets your facility back to a healthy, safe condition. Call us at (650) 591-4137, and we can explain how we can help you achieve this.

Click here for more about in San Francisco.

M O L D

7/30/2018 (Permalink)

Microscopic image of Mold

At SERVPRO of Belmont and San Carlos we have received late night calls about mold on our 24 hour emergency telephone line.

The phone line has been set up for calls about water and fire events that require immediate response. Mold is not an emergency. It takes weeks or months for mold to develop and it does not justify a late night call. However, we discuss subject to highlight how having mold in a home is an emotional experience for many persons.

Mold is also blamed for being the source of all sorts of illnesses, even things that are caused by bacteria and viruses. Yes there are many urban myths and unwarranted fears about mold. It is a modern day villain.

This doesn't mean you should ignore mold in your home or workplace. Mold in an indoor environment is always an unwanted guest. Call SERVPRO of Belmont San Carlos at 650-591-4137 for balanced advice and help concerning mold.

5 Types of Carpet Cleaning

7/30/2018 (Permalink)

Steam Cleaning

By Clay Barry

I’m a second-generation carpet cleaner. My father owned an area rug and wall-to-wall carpet cleaning company that was established in the early 1950’s. As a little boy I hung around my dad’s shop on Saturdays. When I got a bit older, I would go there after school to learn how to clean the fringes on Persian rugs.

My family moved to San Mateo in 1968 and two years later we moved to Foster City. Since then, during my working lifetime I have seen the evolution of on-location carpet cleaning (and location water damage mitigation).

I know there is confusion about which cleaning system is best, shampoo, steam or dry cleaning? I can help you understand the difference between the various carpet cleaning systems.

Today, there are actually five types of on-location carpet cleaning in use for wall-to-wall carpets. This article will not address area rug (Oriental rug) cleaning. Instead, I will discuss the different, “modern” cleaning methods for wall-to-wall carpet cleaning. This material will be presented in the chronological order in which the cleaning methods were introduced to the consumer: Shampoo, Hot Water Extraction, Dry Methods, Bonnet and Encapsulation.

Please understand that each of these methods of cleaning will do a reasonably good job as long as a trained professional properly performs the work. Where does this training come from?

In the United States, the carpet cleaning industry is primarily educated by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification IICRC. This leading institute has a governing board that is comprised of members from the carpet manufacturing industry, installation industry, cleaning chemical and cleaning equipment manufacturers, scientists and health professionals. Even government agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are represented. There are other trade associations such as the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) that also provide education for carpet cleaners. All of these associations have evolved along with the carpet industry. As the physical content of carpet fibers and carpet construction techniques have changed, the associated industries have modified their cleaning agents as well as equipment and products to stay current. Lets examine some of this history.

1930’s: In the very early days of wall-to-wall carpet installation, wool was the principle fiber used for the face yarn. Jute or hemp fibers were often used in the construction of carpet backings. In that era, carpet pads were usually made from horsehair (felt). Shampoo cleaning was the most appropriate method for cleaning those carpets. Shampoo cleaning did not have to use a lot of water. This was critical because a serious over wetting during cleaning often ruined those carpets by causing materials to shrink and dye colors to bleed.

1950’s / 1960’s: After the Second World War, our population exploded. The resulting housing construction boom called for more wall-to-wall carpets than ever. This demand outstripped wool production. Kodak, DuPont and Allied Fibers introduced synthetic (plastic) fibers along with new carpet backings that were virtually waterproof. The backing materials and underlayment (pads) evolved. By the end of the 1960’s, during the transition from natural to synthetic fibers, steam cleaning (today called hot water damage) became the preferred method. Carpets were being manufactured to withstand more moisture. Cleaning equipment manufacturers developed synchronized high-pressure water sprayers and powerful extraction vacuums to clean these manmade materials. Finally “steam” carpet cleaners could use pressurized water to flush and rinse the dirt and cleaning agents away.

It was during the transition era of wool carpets to synthetics that the first “dry” systems of carpet cleaning were developed. A highly successful franchise was built upon the ingenious use of corncobs being ground into a spongy powder that was saturated with dry-cleaning solvents to be spread across carpet surfaces to absorb soils. The spongy bits of corncob fiber were brushed into the fibers to adsorb soils. When the little bits of spongy corn cob dried they could be vacuumed away. However, these and other dry methods didn’t make much of an impact on carpet cleaning until the 1970’s as you will discover next.

1970’s: Unfortunately, when water extraction cleaning is not performed properly, carpets can become or remain over-wetted. Synthetic fibers won’t shrink, but the adhesives that hold the carpet layers together can delaminate. Wet carpets can also cause water damage to furniture. Molds may develop and sour smelling air often permeates the indoor environment. These kinds of negative experiences happened when low priced, portable cleaning equipment became readily available to the public. Unfortunately, the do-it-your-self crowd wetted and damaged a lot of carpeting. There was also a wave of “part time and weekend cleaning companies” without advanced training who gave a bad reputation to steam cleaning in general. This opened the door for a new batch of “dry” carpet cleaning companies. In fact, aggressive franchises advertised the advantages of “space age chemical technology” that could solve or prevent the over-wetting problems caused by “steam” cleaning. Dry cleaning methods used minimal moisture and they did an excellent job of surface cleaning. Carpets were dry and ready for use in just a couple of hours.

San Carlos Mold Damage

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

Mold patch

In the San Carlos hills, mold is a common concern among local homeowners, and mold growth can quickly consume a region behind walls or in dark corners. Mold is often difficult to detect, and by the time it is obviously present, significant damage can already have resulted in the home. This article outlines how mold damage occurs, what can result from it, and what must be done to remove it.

How Mold Damage Occurs
Mold damage most commonly results from a water leak or some other form of water damage. Even after the leak is fixed and the water appears dried, more can still be inside of wood or fabric, promoting mold growth. It should be noted that mold also typically requires an organic surface to grow on, such as wood or fabric. There is no way to stop mold from forming in these damp regions, at least initially. Mold patches form from airborne spores, of which you likely breathe in and encounter thousands of every day. If the conditions are right, one spore can eventually lead to exponential growth into a full colony. Thus, the only real way to prevent mold growth is to avoid water and moisture problems and fully dry out materials after any leaks have been fixed.

What Mold Damage Does
Mold often forms into large patches, which can grow to sometimes be several feet or larger in diameter. Some types of mold may also emit a strong musty odor when in high enough quantities, allowing for easier detection. However, if you can smell mold in your home, this may be cause for significant alarm as some molds may cause adverse health effects, especially if they are in large enough colonies to emit odors. Mold can chew through organic materials such as wood, causing permanent structural damage to your home. Additionally, its potential ill health effects make mold a silent but highly dangerous force acting upon your home. If a mold colony gets enough out of hand,

your home may be condemned for safety concerns. Thus, one should always work to stop mold as soon as possible.

What is Done About Mold
Mold remediation typically involves a company like SERVPRO coming to your home to do full-time work. You may potentially need to live elsewhere during remediation. Technicians will first identify the source and spread of the mold, then begin a process of air filtration and drying to help stop further growth. Damaged materials are then removed from the home and replaced, and everything potentially exposed to the mold and its spores is given a thorough scrubbing. Depending on the damage, final repairs and restorations may be made to any damaged regions.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is a locally owned and operated business and has had experience with dozens of mold removal and remediation projects in the past. If you require professional services or assistance with residential mold growth, call us at (650) 591-4137.

Restoring Your Property Back to Safety

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

Fire Damaged Home

House fires are one of the most stressful and frustrating experiences that a homeowner can endure. In addition to engendering substantive financial losses, house fires can pose several health and safety risks about which owners must be cautious. Because house fires can result in the loss of valuable property while also endangering the family's livelihood, it's no surprise that many homeowners experience profound emotional trauma during this time. To ensure that you can maintain your equilibrium and move forward, it's a good idea to obtain SERVPRO to help you. Learn more about how restoration companies can assist you by reading the short outline provided below:

Assessing Your Home’s Damage
In general, the first thing a professional restoration company will do when you call is to come to your property and complete an assessment. The assessment is designed to determine how much damage has been done to your home. During the assessment, SERVPRO specialists will inspect your entire home to decide what tools they'll need to clean and restore it effectively. The assessment will also help the specialists determine how long the restoration process will take and what the repair fees will be. Finally, the assessment will help the fire damage specialists determines whether the property is safe enough to start the cleanup and repair processes.

Cleaning, Repairing, and Restoring Your Home
Once the Fire Department specialists ensure that your home can be entered, they will start the cleanup process. Drying your home is at the top of the to-do list because it can help prevent the onset of mold and mildew accumulation. Mold and mildew thrive in moist environments, so exacting the drying process as quickly as possible is quite important. In addition to reducing the risk of mold accumulation, the specialists will use specific tools to remove ash, soot, and standing water from the premises. They will also carefully inspect the structure of your home and make any repairs necessary to ensure that the foundation remains safe and stable. The length of time the cleanup and repair process will take is ultimately contingent upon the extent of damage done to your home.

Conclusion
If your home has been subjected to a fire you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed at all of the work needed to restore your property. You don't have to worry. By contacting a team of professional fire damage specialists, you can get your property back in excellent condition. As a team of trained specialists who work with skill and speed to remediate your home, the SERVPRO crew is your first choice when you start searching for the ideal restoration services. Contact us now to obtain the professional, personalized services you need and deserve.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

We live and work in this community too; we might even be neighbors. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is close by and ready to respond to your smoke or fire damage emergency. We are proud to be an active member of the Belmont community and want to do our part to make our community the best it can be.

Our expertise in fire damage is extensive. SERVPRO utilizes IICRC training as part of our on-going education to stay ahead of the curve. Call us for help. (650) 591-4137

Putting A Boat Back on The Water

7/25/2018 (Permalink)

Fifty-One foot Boat

One of the most interesting and unique cleaning jobs our company performed was aboard a commercial salmon fishing boat. Our technicians cleaned up the contamination of an oily soot fire that started in the engine room.

The fifty-one foot fishing trawler also had significant soot contamination throughout its galley, sleeping berths and wheelhouse.

The fire occurred while the boat was “on the hard” which means while it was on the ground in a boatyard. The “chandlery” (boat repair company) caused the damage while they were performing routine repairs and service. The chandlery was responsible for the costs of cleanup. Our SERVPRO of Belmont /San Carlos technicians washed the interior surfaces from stem to stern…. Sorry for the pun. Our textile service provider, FRSTeam helped with the clothing and bedding that was onboard. Together, we had the boat cleaned and odor free in three days. The original engine repairs and the additional fixes to mend the damage caused by fire were completed in a timely fashion by the boatyard.

The captain was able to take her out on the first day of salmon season. Whether it’s removing a severe odor problem or cleaning carpets and floors, you can rely on the team At SERVPRO to make your boat, home or business look its very best. Call us at 510-785-0497 and we’ll get you back on the water again

Ozone Treatment

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Ozone is a colorless and odorless reactive gas. It is comprised of three oxygen atoms and is found naturally in the earth's stratosphere, where it absorbs the ultraviolet component of incoming solar radiation that could be harmful to life on earth. Ozone is a powerful oxidant (far more so than dioxygen) and it has many industrial and consumer applications related to oxidation, mostly in the cleaning of products. Perhaps you have seen television advertisements about the power of oxidation. This same high oxidizing potential, however, causes ozone to damage mucous and respiratory tissues in people and also tissues in plants, above concentrations of about 100 ppb. This makes ozone a potent respiratory hazard and pollutant near ground level.

The restoration industry learned how to apply the oxidant powers of Ozone to clean and deodorize, especially building that stink from smoke and soot. Portable Ozone generators can be installed in unoccupied locations to clean the air and remove odor. Ozone generators are also used to remove tobacco odor and the overpowering odor of death.

It is important that whenever a restoration company installs an Ozone machine that the room is sealed, warning signs are posted and there are no open flames such as in a gas powered hot-water heater. Ozone should not be used in a wet environment because compound chemicals can be produced that are bleaching agents. At SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos we take the use of Ozone safety seriously.

Water Extraction

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

The first step to recovery.

When SERVPRO technicians arrive on site at a water flooded office or home the first task is to identify all of the affected areas. Then the crew begins to extract the standing water.

If the water is badly contaminated the carpets and flooring may need to be removed. Our team still has to extract the excess water to make the material removal easier.

When the water is classified as "clean" we are able to extract and then install drying equipment to save the flooring material.

There are several extraction methods available. The photo shows a carpet cleaning wand being used to vacuum water from a glue down carpet. (There is no carpet cushion under the carpet).

In other situations, especially when there is a carpet cushion our technicians would use a weighted extractor. This is a heavy extraction tool that the operator stands on to apply more pressure to squeeze as much water from the carpet and pad as possible.

We have learned that the more water that is removed from the material, the faster the carpet will dry after the fans and dehumidifiers are installed. Our goal is to have the area dry in three days.

Hail, Storms, & Damages

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Heavy hail aftermath

Spider Webs?

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Soot Tags

We recently responded to a house fire in Woodside, California.

The fire department had to cut electrical service to the home. Without a light source, the homeowner was unable to survey the damage. After we arrived to do an initial walkthrough, equipped with our flashlights, the homeowner began to notice very dark "spider webs" on the walls. She said that she was disappointed with the quality of her house keeper's work. We smiled and explained that the "spider webs" are actually known as "soot tags".

As smoke/soot circulates through a home during a fire, the heat will move towards cold areas as the air seeks equilibrium within its environment. In areas of lower circulation, the soot will form what is known as "soot tags". Soot tags form when synthetic/petroleum based sources burn. It also has a lot to do with the Ion charge (static electricity) in the air.

Customers frequently mistake the soot tags as smoke that has attached itself to spider webs that were present during the fire. In fact, they are new unique chains of soot that look a lot like smoke covered spider webs.

Strange Fire in Atherton

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Have you ever heard of something this bizarre?

How many of us would like to have a crystal ball? Well, one homeowner in Atherton had a crystal ball, and it turned out to be not so lucky, nor an accurate predictor of the future. Their small crystal ball was an attractive decoration and an interesting conversation piece. It was placed on the wide windowsill of a gorgeous bay window in the formal living room of an Atherton mansion. At a certain time, each day the crystal ball caught sunbeams reflecting the dramatic prismatic colors into the room. As the seasons changed so did the angle and intensity of the sunlight until one day the reflected sunbeams from the crystal ball focused on the nearby crushed velvet draperies. Yes... the draperies caught fire. The fabric, wall and ceiling were badly scorched causing smoke to contaminate a stairwell and the upper hallway with soot. Luckily, a maid service was working in the house. One maid called the fire department as the other maid used a garden hose to extinguish the flames. Our SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos franchise was hired to clean up the damage. This was one of the most unusual origins of a fire we have experienced. The crystal ball was not damaged, but it was never placed in the direct path of sunlight again. However, it does remain a conversation piece with a notorious past.

SERVPRO's Professional Flood Damage Services

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Flooding is always what you think, damages can vary in severity.

Contact Us When You Need Flood Damage Restoration

The aftereffects of flood damage in Foster City or other cities within our service area can be as costly and potentially deadly as the flood itself. If your home or business has been hit by local flash flooding following heavy rain or has experienced burst water pipes or a sewage system backup, you know what an ugly, inconvenient mess it can be. If it's not addressed correctly and promptly, it can lead to your building being judged unsafe, and it could be condemned. To avoid the loss of property and the inconvenience this will cause, it's an excellent idea to contact a local cleanup and restoration service who can help you fix the situation.

We Can Address All Types of Flooding Damage
No matter what caused the flooding to your home or business, we are equipped to fix it. Our team of friendly, knowledgeable service technicians has been fully trained to identify and correct all known types of flooding damage. Our service team members have all of the necessary training and certifications to qualify them for the task of flood damage cleanup and restoration. Let us know the nature of the problem, and we will respond to your call immediately. We are available to help at anytime of the day or night.

If the flood damage occurred to your home, you and your family are likewise experiencing the discomfort and expense of having to stay elsewhere. For these reasons, it's best to immediately call a local cleanup service that can restore your property back to its original condition.

What to Expect from an Initial Analysis of Flooding Damage
When you contact us regarding your flood damage emergency, we will respond to your call by performing a complete analysis of your property. We will go over every corner of the building to make sure that water is not pooling in nooks and crannies, leading to structural instability and mold growth. The most important part of any major cleanup and restoration project is to ensure that the potential for further damage down the line is completely avoided. To do this, we will give you a complete diagnosis of the damage, followed by an estimate of the cost involved to address it.

Restoring the Effects of Flood Damage in Foster City
When it comes to addressing the harmful effects of flood damage in Foster City, it will require the urgent attention of a properly qualified and experienced cleanup and restoration team. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is a locally owned and operated service that can do the job for you promptly. We can also serve citizens in nearby areas including Redwood Shores, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Burlingame. Call us at (650) 591-4137.

Food for Mold

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

The paper liner on gypsum wallboard is like baby food for mold.

Mold problems in modern buildings are often the result of tighter construction that doesn't let a building breathe. Tight buildings can keep moisture trapped inside. When indoor relative humidity reaches 60% RH or higher, mold can begin to grow. But mold requires food. In nature, in the outdoors, wood and leaf matter is the main source of food for mold. In modern buildings that use gypsum plaster wallboards (Sheet Rock) the paper liner on each side of the wallboard provides the perfect food. Damp paper has been called "baby food for mold" for good reason. Paper is processed wood. In some situations when small amounts of mold is on small portions of wallboard, cleaning (removing) the mold from the paper may work. However, in most situations portions of the wallboard will need to be removed and replaced. SERVPRO of Belmont/ San Carlos will do it right.

Water Damage Heroes

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Any amount of unwanted water in a home is a disaster!

How Water Damage Restoration Companies Can Help You

Once water damage is in your home, it's important for you to obtain SERVPRO services. Restoration services are multi-faceted, they involve both cleaning excess water from your home and repairing regions of the house that have been subjected to substantive water damage. As water damage specialists know, it is important to start the cleanup and repair process right after the flood or fire to ensure that mold and mildew do not begin to accumulate on the property. Learn more about the helpful services that water damage restoration companies can offer by reading the following short reference guide:

Water Damage Restoration Companies Remediate Your Property Quickly
One of the benefits that result from employing SERVPRO is that they complete the cleanup and repair processes quickly. Additionally, water damage restoration companies employ several staff members who can work with expedience and excellence. This group effort ensures that they can tackle a plethora of problems that have resulted from the accumulation of water damage in your home. The result is the rapid restoration of your home, a reality that can significantly reduce the onset of secondary water damage.

Water Damage Restoration Companies Limit Mold and Mildew Proliferation
Another great service provided by restoration companies is the prevention of mold and mildew growth in your private living space. SERVPRO specialists accomplish this objective by removing excess water quickly so that the fungi do not have an opportunity to form and proliferate. If mold has already started to grow in your home, the restoration specialists can eliminate it through the use of cleaners and industrial-grade disinfectants. These cleaners will not put you and your family at risk. However, it is necessary to note that the presence of mold in your home can engender a plethora of health risks. For this reason, it's important to let a team of trained professionals handle your water damage issues rather than attempting to solve the problem on your own. In recognizing that water damage restoration companies can restore your home to its original condition, it's important to know that you can ask your insurance agent to give you a referral to the right company.

Let's Get Started Now
Homes that have been subjected to water damage are in need of high quality remediation services. Once you start looking for a professional water damage company to assist you in restoring your home, you should look no further than SERVPRO. Our company is committed to consistently offering cutting edge, expedient remediation services that get your home back in great condition with lightning speed. For water damage restoration services that work, contact us today and let's get started.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is strategically located to respond quickly to your water or flood damage event. When a major flooding event occurs, we can call upon our national network of 1,650 SERVPRO Franchises and special diaster recovery teams if we need additional resources or personnel.

We are proud to serve our local communities:

Our expertise in water restoration is extensive. We utilize IICRC training as part of our on-going education to stay ahead of the curve. Call us for help. (650) 591-4137

Belmont, CA - Water Damage Event

7/9/2018 (Permalink)

Water intrusion presents huge problem.

Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain can result in thousands of dollars of water damage to buildings and personal property quickly. Areas that are close to rivers, lakes, sewers or drain systems that are not equipped to handle large amounts of water can experience water damage to the structure of the businesses or personal property. Commercial water claims are the second most frequently filed losses for insurance in the United States.

Water Damage Caused by Gutters
Effective gutters should be cleaned and inspected several times a year. Since gutters are designed to collect the rain and runoff from a roof and carry it to the downspouts, if the gutter is clogged it cannot do its job. Overflowing gutters can cause damage to the roof or can spill over the edges causing commercial water damage to the structure of the building.

Maintaining Down Spouts
Along with the gutters, downspouts need to be properly maintained and cleaned. Since the downspouts are created to carry water away from the structure and foundation of the building, if they are not working properly will occur. The water needs to flow out into the yard or a drain field to keep it from seeping back into the home or building.

Using Sump Pumps
Basements that use sump pumps to remove excess water from around the building can help decrease the chances of rain water causing damage. Most sump pumps automatically begin pumping out water when it reaches a certain level. Making sure the sump pump is working correctly is essential. They should be inspected and routinely maintained so they can do the job when needed.

Rainwater problems can occur for a variety of reasons and can quickly cause damage to a building and contents. SERVPRO can come in and professionally clean up and dry out affected areas. Maintaining the roof, gutters, downspouts, and sump pumps can help ensure minimal water damage if there is a severe storm or drain systems overflow. If you ever need the skills of a water restoration company, SERVPRO can always help.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is strategically located to respond quickly to your water or flood damage event. When a major flooding event occurs, we can call upon our national network of 1,650 SERVPRO Franchises and special Disaster cleanup teams if we need additional resources or personnel.

We are proud to serve our local communities.

When your commercial property or home has water damage from leaks or flooding, we have the experience and expertise to help. Give us a call. (650) 591-4137

Ever heard of Thermal Fogging?

7/3/2018 (Permalink)

This solution and device kill heavy smoke odors.

The thermal fogging method of applying deodorants can be especially effective in treating odors caused by fire in a structure. As items are heated or burn, they may give off odors. Think about frying chicken or making French fries. The air is filled with cooking odors. Now, think about the smell of wood smoke at a campfire.

Campfire smoke can be very strong as the fire burns and the leftover ashes will have a lingering odor. The ashes usually won’t smell as bad as the larger leftover charred chunks of wood. That’s because the source wasn’t completely consumed and tiny odor particles are continuing to gas off.

When SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos cleans up a structure fire we have to remove the ashes and the sections of charred wood. That is a given. Our next concern in restoring a fire-damaged property is in addressing the smoke and soot contamination and the odor problem it creates. Soot with tiny odor particles can go everywhere. Because the hire of the fire is able to make the grains in wood and other surfaces such as paint to expand, the tiny odor particles can get trapped into the surface of these materials as they cool and shrink to normal size. This is where thermal fogging technology is useful.

A thermal fogging machine heats “oil that has been treated with odor counteractant ingredients.” The odor counteractant is transformed into a smoke that is laden with tiny odor killing particles. Because it’s “smoke” it will go into all of the same cracks and crevices the smoke from the fire went.

An important principle of odor cleanup is to match the sources of the odor. For example if the odor-causing source was wet, then a wet cleaning agent should be applied. When the odor-causing source was smoke, then a “smoke” treatment with matching additives can be applied. Allow us to explain. Smoke from a fire may contain specific additives. For example, it may be a grease fire, or a plastic fire. Whatever burned will have an effect on the lingering odor. There are specific cleaning treatments to match the fire source. There are special additives to attack each type of smoke that can be used in the thermal fogger.

Fire restoration work is technical, it’s complex and at SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos we believe we are good at it… 650-591-4137

It' s a Team Effort

5/31/2018 (Permalink)

Emergency property damage happens. When it does, prompt response can save you time and money. The faster a professional mitigation expert can be on scene to mitigate the disaster the better… the scale of damage is reduced and the inconvenience to the occupants can be minimized. People may be able to stay in their residences and business tenants ay be able to continue operating when a skilled response team is in charge. That’s why we provide 24/7 emergency response services for: fire and smoke, water damage, sewerage backups, window and door board-ups and crime scene cleanup.

Not everything is an emergency: Property owners, property managers and facilities personnel face a variety of important maintenance and restorations issues that can be planned and scheduled. That’s why our local SERVPRO franchise performs non-emergency, specialty cleaning and restoration services such as: Mold remediation, HVAC system cleaning, odor control, graffiti abatement, hoarder scene cleanup, death scene cleanup, power washing, Asbestos removal and reconstruction services. - You don’t have to have an immediate emergency to use our services.

SERVPRO is a nationwide cleaning and restoration franchise system that is well respected for its expertise in serving insurance companies. SERVPRO is proud to be an important part of that team. We also understand the property management and commercial real estate industry in our community. That’s how our company began many years ago. Today, serving property managers, risk managers and facilities engineers remains our focus.

Are you SERVPRO Ready?

5/23/2018 (Permalink)

When property disaster occurs at a business location, the operation of the business is often interrupted. Any interference in business operation can negatively impact the business and profitability of a company.

It is imperative that the damage to a commercial establishment be contained and repaired quickly so the impact of business is minimized.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos is an experienced specialist in restoring commercial properties. We have worked at many restaurants, office buildings, manufacturing plants and retail establishments in Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos and Redwood Shores.

When a property disaster happens many things can go wrong and quickly. Let’s use a burst pipe flooding as our example. While each building and business will face its own specific situations, these following items are fairly common problems:

1 - Portions of the structure will get wet and may need to be removed and replaced. 2 - Water service may be interrupted. 3- Electric service may also be compromised. 4 - Office equipment and manufacturing equipment could be ruined or in need of repair. 5 - Production and assembly processes may be compromised. 6 - Employee safety is in jeopardy (Slip hazard / risk of electrocution) 6 - Alarms, telephones, computers may not function reliably. 7- Elevators don’t work. 8 - HVAC systems compromised

An experienced commercial mitigation specialist should also provide solutions to business interruption. That’s why SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos provides restoration management services beyond just the initial emergency response of water extraction and structural drying, such as:

Water extraction, humidity control, document drying, emergency power, emergency lighting, security services, electronics cleaning and repair, HVAC system cleaning and service, elevator repair, communications systems restoration, structural repair, plumbing repair, temporary office modules, temporary fencing and toilets, OSHA safety inspection services, Industrial Hygienist services, consultation and more.

Being a great commercial mitigation and restoration company, is much more than simply drying a building. It is helping a company get back into operation as quickly as possible. 50% of companies fail within one year of having a disaster. It’s not because they don’t have insurance or resources. It’s because too much time goes by allowing clients to go to competitors.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos provides a free Emergency Ready Plan that can help any business be ready for a disaster. Preparedness reduces the down time and that improves the chances for a company to return to profitability after suffering a disaster.

Water Damage works like a Snake

5/23/2018 (Permalink)

During periods of heavy rain in Belmont the ground water was replenished, causing underground streams and springs to flow again. (Many underground water sources dried up during the recent draught.)

One particular client of ours owns and manages a commercial property in which a small channel of water flows through their crawlspace. Engineers determined that the flow of moisture does not pose a treat to the foundation of the structure. Our company was hired to install a moisture barrier in the crawlspace. A plastic barrier was installed above the ground surface, which prevents humidity and odor from the ground water in the damp soil from affecting the crawlspace.

During heavy rains the water flows through the crawlspace at an increased rate, but the plastic barrier keeps the moisture contained. No bad odors or excess moisture affects the building above the plastic.

SERVPRO of Belmont /San Carlos provides moisture barrier installation to protect residential, commercial and industrial properties. We also perform HVAC cleaning and other environmental specialty services to protect your indoor air quality.

SERVPRO 's Special Weapon

5/23/2018 (Permalink)

At SERVPRO of Belmont San Carlos, we have both cold “coil dehumidifiers” and “desiccant dehumidifiers.” Having one or more desiccants are the benchmark of a professional mitigation company.

Desiccant-Based Dehumidification is an interesting topic. Most people are aware of “cold-coil” dehumidification, which removes moisture from the air by condensing the moisture onto a cold surface. Desiccant dehumidification relies on adsorption or absorption power of desiccants, which are substances that attract water-vapor molecules from the air. They rely on adsorptive or absorptive process. Adsorption refers to a desiccant that does not change phase as it collects airborne moisture. Most adsorbents are solids; familiar examples include activated alumina, silica gel, and zeolites (molecular sieves). We see these packed in electronics cartons.

In water damage drying application, desiccant machines are designed to collect moisture on a rotating wheel coated with solid desiccant material. As damp air passes through one section of the wheel the desiccant on that section adsorbs water vapor, making the air drier than when it entered. Wheel rotation then exposes the moisture-laden desiccant to a “regenerating” air stream that strips the captured moisture away from the desiccant (desorption). The wheel rotates to the damp air collection port and it is ready to absorb more moisture from incoming air.

At SERVPRO we have dozens of cold “coil dehumidifiers” and a couple of commercial “desiccant dehumidifiers.” That’s one more reason we are proud to be an experienced and professional mitigation company capable of helping commercial clients. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos 650-591-4137

More Storms Ahead, AGAIN?!

5/23/2018 (Permalink)

Climate change is happening and is in full force. 2016 was an El Nino year. In Northern California we had increased rain that ended our five-year draught. In many ways we were lucky because, other than a few isolated locations, our region escaped the mega damage we might have experienced. (It was worrisome when we came close to a major dam failure that would have impacted hundreds of thousands of people.)

This year has all the indicators of being another El Nino year. It is also is shaping up to be a heavy hurricane season as well. Both events don’t usually happen in the same year. If we have hurricanes, the Eastern seaboard and Gulf on Mexico could be impacted. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph (Category 1). The highest classification in the scale, Category 5, is reserved for storms with winds exceeding 156 mph. It is possible that the west coast could be pounded by El Nino storms while the East and South are experiencing Hurricane damage.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is prepared to help any property owner who experiences storm damage here in Northern California, and we are ready to travel to other parts of the country to help with their local storm damage too. In the past we have performed Hurricane cleanup on the east coast and are prepared to do so again this year if need be. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos is an experienced property damage restoration provider.

Is Mold Really Our Enemy?

5/16/2018 (Permalink)

Mold is a four-letter word… the very mention of mold stirs negative feelings. Yet mold is a necessary part of life. Bread makers and people who make wine, beer and cheese also rely upon mold and yeasts, all part of the fungi kingdom. Molds are part of our ecosystem. Saying mold is bad is not a realistic statement. Tens of thousands of different molds have been identified and studied. Did you know that the commonly know pharmaceutical antibiotic Penicillin derives from the Penicillium Mold?

Only a few produce negative effects on people. Tell a baker, winemaker, brewer or cheese maker that molds and yeasts are bad and you will get a funny look.

There are molds that are able to produce tiny spores that become airborne and these spores can pass through our respiratory system and into the Alveoli sacks in our lungs and cause toxins to enter our bloodstream. Infants, seniors and anyone with a compromised immune system are susceptible. These molds are called, “toxic black mold.”

Problem is, the majority of molds are black in color. Some are white, yellow and pink, but black is the most common color. People hear about “black toxic mold” and then equate the black mold that they see on a window frame as being this potentially harmful variety of “toxic mold”. There are contractors who make a living playing off of the public’s fear and lack of knowledge about mold. They charge big fees to remove mold of any variety, harmful or not.

For realistic information about mold, one of the best sources to learn about mold is to visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website using mold as a search phrase. You will get easy to understand information about mold, and even tips on how to remove it. Another thing to do is to give us a call. SERVPRO of Belmont San Carlos at 650-591-4137.

SERVPRO's Grade +A Services

5/14/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is always ready to help NO matter the circumstances.

Belmont/San Carlos will host educational preparedness events for property owners and facilities managers.

And, our company will be there for our community to provide water and flood damage cleanup as we have done in the past.

Our franchise is experienced in storm cleanup such as: mudslides, ground flooding, wildfires, earthquake damage and falling tree cleanup.

Our advertising slogan is: "Like it never even happened." We always do our best to deliver that quality of service. When you need solutions call: 650-591-4137.

Sewage Happens

4/5/2018 (Permalink)

Sewage Spill Cleanup

Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos expert technicians are certified and trained to follow USA-EPA, OSHA and IICRC guidelines and special “standards” regarding sewage spill cleanup. The EPA is concerned with public safety. OSHA is concerned about the health and safety of restoration workers and persons in proximity to cleanup worksites. The IICRC is the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. It is an international association considered to be the leader in training and education for the mitigation and restoration industry. The IICRC classifies sewage as: category 3 water, in their S500 Standards & Reference Manual. Please review our summary of this:

Sewage spills are called Category 3 water. They represent grossly unsanitary water that contains pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents. It has the potential for causing major illness and infections in some persons. Its presence and lingering effects can cause the affected building’s environment to become unhealthy. Thus, highly porous and most semi-porous building materials should be removed and replaced. Sewage or unsanitary water entering a building from outdoors or from a toilet bowl overflow will be extracted and the carpet and pad will be removed and disposed if it were wetted. Cabinets and vanities will be carefully detached and removed while the surrounding wet walls and insulation will be cutout and disposed. The remaining building materials and framing will be cleaned, sanitized and dried before the damaged building is reconstructed.

The drying process is performed with great care to prevent bacteria particles from becoming airborne. Our special air cleaning equipment is installed at each Category 3 work location to insure that health and safety requirements are met.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos takes pride in performing mitigation and restoration projects, particularly restoring contaminated indoor environments by making them safe and like new again. Should you home or a commercial property suffer a sewage spill, please have the work performed by a skilled and certified company… we’re available! Call us at 650-591-4137.

Results from Fire Content Damage

4/5/2018 (Permalink)

Fires in homes and offices may completely destroy some structural materials and personal items (contents) too. Depending upon the insurance coverage purchased, policies will customarily pay to rebuild or replace structural materials, including personal contents that are destroyed. Insurance jargon refers to these as: total loss, or non-salvageable items. Adjusters request that restoration companies make an honest evaluation of what can be cleaned or repaired and what cannot be salvaged. If there is uncertainty, they direct the restoration provider to make a test by attempting to salvage. If the results are not satisfactory we are to stop cleaning. SERVPRO will provide an inventory of items that are deemed to be total loss/non-salvageable. The “total loss” inventory is usually supported by photographic evidence and job notes/reports. Sometimes, the adjuster or property manager/agent may want to personally inspect damaged items. It is the adjuster who makes the final determination concerning the total loss items based upon the terms of the insurance policy. Final cost settlement (reimbursement) is between the policyholder and the insurance company (not us).

Please Note: the term is “total loss” is not total lost. At all times, non-salvageable items are in a chain of custody. They are not lost. In fact items are disposed of only after we receive an “Authorization to Dispose” form from you (the policyholder) or at times your adjuster who has gained your approval.

If your property suffers a damage, we are here to help. If you need content cleaning or advice, please call us at: SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos 650-591-4137.

SEWAGE CLEANUP, A NASTY JOB

3/27/2018 (Permalink)

Sewage Spill Cleanup

Carpet Cleaning / Dust Mites

3/27/2018 (Permalink)

In the average home 85% of the “dust” particles that can be seen in the indoor air are skin flakes (dander). Shin flakes are the principle food source for Dust Mites. No wonder the average home is a breeding place for more than two million Dust Mites. Mites can double their numbers in ten hours. Each Mite produces between ten and twenty drops of feces daily. It is the Dust Mites’ feces that trigger allergic reactions in more than ten million Americans. This debris ends up in your carpets. (FYI… Dust mites do not bite people. They are more of a respiratory irritant.)

But the idea of having dust mites in a home makes you want to rip out your carpets? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that homes with wall-to-wall carpeting are healthier, as long as the carpets are cleaned frequently. This is because of your carpets’ natural filtering ability that traps all types of pollutants (mold spores, pollens, Mites, etc.) Once your carpet filter is full, its time for a thorough hot water extraction. There are official guidelines that establish carpet cleaning frequency standards. We can share this with you during our carpet cleaning inspection. On average most carpets should be cleaned at least two times each year. For details see: epa.com.

You might be wondering if NOW the Best Time to Have My Carpets Cleaned?

YES!! Every day you put off carpet cleaning, sandy soils are wearing and dulling your carpet fibers. This wearing reduces the life span of your carpets. Each day dust, pollens, debris from dust mites, oils, soot and cooking grease are deposited into your carpets. Does your indoor air smell stale? Indoor air pollutants make for a very unhealthy living environment. The good news is carpet cleaning can correct these problems! Our hot water extraction method will kill bacteria and Dust Mites. It will clean and remove unwanted pollutants from the largest filter in your home… your carpeting. According to the U.S. EPA, cleaning with water that is in excess of 140 degrees will improve indoor air quality.

Most folks want the satisfaction of knowing that their home is really clean and that one of the most expensive decorator features in a home, the carpeting will look nice and last longer. SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos can help.... reach us at 650-591-4137.

Free and Lunch and Learn Programs

2/19/2018 (Permalink)

Owner Clayton Barry performing a training program.

We offer eductional programs to the community. For example, Lunch and Learn programs on a variety of topics are part of SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos’s commitment to consumer education. Classes are scheduled to include a breakfast or tasty lunch. Topics are always designed specifically for insurance agents, realtors and building engineers. We have programs that are fifteen minutes in length and expanded versions that are thirty minutes long. Programs can be customized for your organization to address information that is of special interest to you. These lively programs stimulate questions. You can expect to spend another ten to fifteen minutes providing answers. (These programs do not provide State approved educational credits. But, in some cases the presentations qualify as “safety training” meetings.)

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos also provides Continuing Education (CE) classes about: water damage mitigation, Fire cleanup, Odor Control, Mold Education and even Ethics. These programs are approved by the California Department of Insurance and the Department of Real Estate. You can earn approved credits by attending these classes. There is no test, just a commitment on your part to attend the entire class. Most classes are two hours in duration. One class for realtors is three hours, as mandated by the State of California. Every class includes a complimentary lunch. We also perform live demonstrations of equipment and cleaning techniques whenever possible. Attendees love these demonstrations!

At SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos it our pleasures to provide your organization with information about the disasters and problems that can affect your properties and clients, and the remedies to make it "Like it never even happened." We have provided customized presentation for the San Mateo County Association of Realtors, among others. If you have interest in educational programs please call us at 650-591-4137.

Facility Engineers... conside using an emergency pre-work authization agreement.

2/19/2018 (Permalink)

We offer a special emergency ready plan that includes a pre-work agreement.

SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos has developed a simple pre-work auhorization agreement we call, Green Response for our commercial clients. It is a proactive disaster recovery plan provided by SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos. It allows us to work with you in pre-planning for the complex challenges that often arise during a major catastrophe such as fire, extreme flooding, earthquake, etc. Your participation in this plan will empower us to mobilize and direct a coordinated team of restoration specialists who will work on your behalf to make it… better than before.

Green Response clients sign an agreement that pre-authorizes our company to provide prompt emergency services. In this agreement the labor and materials pricing schedule and payment terms are determined in advance to prevent misunderstandings, and to expedite services.

Our Emergency Response Manager will tour your facility to work with you in developing a specific and comprehensive restoration/mitigation plan for your location.

Once a preparedness plan has been determined, our team will conduct a meeting at your facility to establish a working relationship, to address your concerns and demonstrate how we may best satisfy your needs. There is no charge for this service. Your investment will be a few hours… time well spent for peace of mind to protect your facility.

Call SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos at 650-591-4137 for additional details.

What happens when fire damages contents?

2/12/2018 (Permalink)

Contents, even important documents are often damaged during a property disaster.

If your property suffers a damage, we are here to help. If you need content cleaning or advice, please call us at: SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos 650-591-4137.

Mold cleanup for 1870 !

2/11/2018 (Permalink)

Renovation of a landmark building in old downtown Stockton revealed a brick wall that had experienced years of rainwater intrusion. SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos worked with our fellow franchise in the valley to perform non-abrasive mold cleanup using a baking soda medium. Following remediation, the bricks looked as good as the day they were laid back in 1870. Our mold experts stand ready to help with mold issues regardless of the age or type of property affected… simply give us a call.

Mold is a difficult issue for consumers because there is "urban myths" about the topic. Mold is a seroius problem and it needs to be remediated quickly, but seldom is it going to kill you. People are afraid of black toxic mold, but the truth is, most mold is black. (Pink, white and green are other mold colors, but black remaind most common.) Don't assume that because you see black mold it is deadly. At the same time, have it checked out to be sure. Our SERVPRO of Belmont / San Carlos certified mold technicians are skilled at observing molds and presenting a reasonable plan to mitigate the problem. We will never use fear tactics, or "urban myths about mold" as we explain your options and solutions. We don't do business like that.

The mold in the 1870 landmark building was a big job, yet we didn't take advatange. The cost of of seervice were fair... if you have questions about mold give us a call, we are here to help. 650-5914137

Winter Weather Tips

1/30/2018 (Permalink)

Keeping you home safe and warm from winter weather is important.

Wintry weather is great at turning up problems you didn’t even know you had. Like that first really cold night in front of your fireplace that you thought was pure bliss — until you noticed a leak in the ceiling corner, which apparently was caused by a lack of insulation. How were you supposed to know that?

Many homeowners don’t realize they’re making critical missteps that can cost a ton when winter sets in. Here are seven wintertime mistakes homeowners often make (and what they could cost you!):

Not Buying a $2 Protector for Your Outdoor Faucet

What It’ll Cost You: Up to $15,000 and a whole lot of grief

It’s amazing what a little frozen water can do damage-wise. An inch of water in your basement can cost up to $15,000 to pump out and dry out. And, yet, it’s so easy to prevent, especially with outdoor faucets, which are the most susceptible to freezing temps.

The simplest thing to do is to remove your garden hose from your outdoor faucet and drain it. Then add a faucet protector to keep cold air from getting into your pipes. They’re really cheap (some are under $2; the more expensive ones are still less than $10). “Get these now! “When the weatherman says we’ve got cold coming, they’ll sell out in minutes.”

While you’re at it, make sure any exposed pipes in an unheated basement or garage are insulated, too, or you’ll face the same pricey problem.

Wrap pipes with foam plumbing insulation — before the weather drops. It’s cheap, too, just like the faucet cover (only $1 for six feet of polyethylene insulation). And it’s an easy DIY project, as long as you can reach the pipes.

Instagramming Your Icicles Instead of Preventing Them

What It’ll Cost You: $500 — if you’re lucky; a lot more if you’re not

Those icicles make your mountain homes look so picturesque, you just gotta take a few pics. But you better make them quick. Those icicles can literally be a dam problem. (Yes, dam — not the curse word that sounds the same. )

Icicles are a clear sign that you’ve got an ice dam, which is exactly what it sounds like: a buildup of ice on your gutter or roof that prevents melting snow and ice from flowing through your gutters. That’s really bad news because these icy blocks can lead to expensive roofing repairs.

Depending on where you live, expect to pay at least $500 for each ice dam to be steamed off. Leave the ice and you risk long-term damage, which could ultimately cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your roof, depending on what type of shingles you have and the size of the damaged area.

How to prevent them? Insulation. “Ice dams, icicles, and ice buildup on the gutters is a symptom of not enough insulation in the attic.

And “you need to have at least 14 inches of insulation in your attic, no matter where you live. If you live in a colder climate, you’ll need more.

If you don’t have the cash to insulate, heated gutter cables, which run between $50 and $150 each, can be a less expensive alternative when temporarily affixed to areas prone to ice damming.

Going Lazy on Your Gutters

What It’ll Cost You: You really don’t want to be in a position to find out

It can be so tempting to skip gutter cleanups as winter nears. It seems like as soon as you clear your gutters, they clog right back up again. So what’s the point?

Well, if it looks like you’re living inside a waterfall when it rains, water is missing your gutter system completely. It’s being directed to your foundation instead. And a water-damaged foundation is never, ever cheap to fix.

A contractor can plug foundation cracks for $1,500 to $3,000, says David Verbofsky, director of training for exterior home products manufacturer Ply Gem. But a worse problem, one that requires a foundation excavation or rebuild, can set you back (gulp) $30,000 or more.

Suddenly, cleaning your gutters a few times each fall doesn’t seem so bad. A pro can do the work for anywhere between $70 and $250, depending on the size of your gutter system.

Giving Cold Air a Chance to Sneak In

What It’ll Cost You: Nights where you never feel warm, despite sky-high heating bills

“If it were possible to take every crack on the outside of a typical home and drag them together, you’d have the equivalent of a three-by-three window open all the time,” says Lipford. Yikes.

Yet cracks can be easily and inexpensively sealed with a simple tube of caulk, and it’s available in hundreds of colors to match your window panes, outside siding, and even brick. Not sure where to caulk? Look for visible cracks around:

Window sills

Baseboards

Fireplace or dryer vents

Anywhere something inside pokes a hole to the outside

Not Getting Personal with Your Thermostat

What It’ll Cost You: Money you could spend on something else besides heating

We all know we should, but we seem to have some mental block when it comes to programming our thermostats to align with our schedules. It’s not that hard, and sometimes all it takes is buying a new one that suits you. (Like maybe a Wi-Fi one that’ll give you a little money-saving thrill each time you swipe your app.)

“From a cost-savings perspective, a programmable thermostat is a great investment, as much as 10% off your energy bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Skipping Furnace Tune-Ups

What It’ll Cost You: A furnace that’ll die years before it should — and higher energy bills.

Forget to service your furnace and you could easily cut five years off the life of your system, five years is a full third of the typical unit’s life span. New units can cost around $4,000 installed, making the $125 annual maintenance charge a no-brainer.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to replace the furnace filter, which cleans the air in your home, and also keeps your furnace coils cleaner, which can shave up to 15% off your energy bill. We suggest at least every three months, but possibly as often as monthly if you have allergies, pets, or smoke cigarettes at home.

Foregoing a Fireplace Inspection

What It’ll Cost You: Possibly your life — and your home

A cozy fire is great, but if you don’t maintain your chimney, a fire can cost you thousands of dollars, not to mention the risk to you and your family.

Schedule your maintenance appointment as early as you can.If you wait until the busy season, you’ll have a hard time getting them out there, you’ll pay more, and you’ll get a lower quality job.

SERVPRO Training House

10/4/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Headquarters has a fire cleanup training building.

SERVPRO Industries, Inc., one of America's largest franchise systems provides training for 1,700 independently owned and operated franchise locations.

SERVPRO of Belmont/San Carlos owners learned how to perform fire cleanup at the SERVPRO training house at corporate headquarters.

The two story home is "smoked up" with a variety of different types of smoke. (There are at least four basic types of smoke and each is cleaned with slightly different cleaning agents.) Certain materials when ignited produced different gases and soot. Each major type of soot presents cleaning challenges.

Participants in the training classes perform hands on cleaning. They use the techniques and cleaning agents innovated by SERVPRO. This assures better results when a SERVPRO franchises and their technicians respond to a local and "real" fire.

El Nino is still with us...

9/8/2017 (Permalink)

El Nino is hanging around.

El Nino's Affects Ocean Currents

The news was filled with stories about this being an El Nino year in 2016. Yes, it is was a declared and official El Nino year. While the weather news is all about Hurricanes, recently meteorologists have extended their forecasts to say that the El Nino event could effect us in the fall of 2017 and winter of 2018.

That news means rain, right? Not necessarily. El Nino is a current of warm water in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator. The current often causes warm waters to flow along the South American coast and northward to Central America, Mexico and California. El Nino events can be dry or wet depending on other circumstances involving air currents and areas of high and low pressure systems. Even with today’s advanced science long rang forecasting is tricky.

In the past 14 declared El Nino events only three have brought heavy rains. For many of us who lived in Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City or Foster City in 1997 we remember that was the year when a Strong El Nino season brought a deluge of rain and flooding to our area. Waves battered the coast in Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. Small mudslides happened in various places in the Peninsula hills and lowlands flooded when a record high tide and rain occurred at the same time.

There are similarities to this year’s El Nino in what took place in the time leading up to the heavy winds, tidal flooding and rain storms that caused so much damage to the Peninsula, East Bay and most of Northern California.

In 1997, just like this year, a warm current caused crabs and other sea life to wash up onto California beaches. A huge algae bloom grew in the ocean from Mexico all the way to Alaska. These things have happened again in 2015. One other indicator of potential heavy rains is what happens with the Monsoon season in Arizona. Big Monsoon rains in that region happened in 1997 and they are happening again this year!

Perhaps the most significant indictor concerning potential heavy rains from this year’s El Nino is the fact that several years of drought preceded all three El Nino rain years in the past. In fact, each of these three former El Nino rain events brought droughts to an end. We have a drought now and we need it to end.

In 1997 I remember seeing flooding in Hillsborough along Crystal Springs Creek. I saw people in kayaks playing in flooded parking lots along El Camino Real in Belmont. My water damage cleanup company responded to flooding in buildings along the Bay Shore in Redwood City and elsewhere. We also cleaned up after fallen trees in San Mateo and Atherton.

We never really know if this will be a heavy rain year until it happens. But, I invite you to be prepared in case it does. Blog written by Clayton Barry. For more information or to register for our class, call 650-591-4137. We will be ready for our clients.

If you have a fire or water emergency, please call us now at (844) 945-5349

Archived Blog Posts

Actions to Take in the Event of Fire Damage

Actions to Take in the Event of Fire Damage

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Storm Damage Restoration.

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Storm Damage Restoration.

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Smoke And Fire Damage Restoration.

Why Hire SERVPRO Restoration Team For Smoke And Fire Damage Restoration.

Locations in your home may be at risk for water damage.

Locations in your home may be at risk for water damage.

Commercial Fire Damage Restoration Process

Commercial Fire Damage Restoration Process

3 Things To Look For In A Professional Storm Damage Service

3 Things To Look For In A Professional Storm Damage Service

Causes Of Fire In A Commercial Building

Causes Of Fire In A Commercial Building

ACTIONS TO TAKE IN THE EVENT OF WATER DAMAGE

ACTIONS TO TAKE IN THE EVENT OF WATER DAMAGE

Why SERVPRO Is A Certified Restoration Company For Water Damage

Why SERVPRO Is A Certified Restoration Company For Water Damage

Patching Drywall: A Guide

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

How To Detect Water Damage

How To Detect Water Damage

The Process Of Commercial Restoration For Fire Damage

The Process Of Commercial Restoration For Fire Damage

What You Need to Know About Water Damage

What You Need to Know About Water Damage

Commercial Restoration: What It Is And What You Need to Know

Commercial Restoration: What It Is And What You Need to Know

SERVPRO Is Your Perfect Smoke Damage Restoration Company

SERVPRO Is Your Perfect Smoke Damage Restoration Company

What To Expect From Storm Damage Restoration Experts

What To Expect From Storm Damage Restoration Experts

What Is Water Damage Remediation?

What To Do If Your Sink Gets Clogged At Your Business

Facts About Home Fires

Water Damage and Home Safety

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

What Is the Best Approach to Storm Damage Restoration?

SERVPRO Is The Only Way To Go After A Disaster

SERVPRO Is The Only Way To Go After A Disaster

How To Identify Mold In Your Home or Business

How To Identify Mold In Your Home or Business

Fire Safety in Your Home: Highly Flammable Everyday Items

How You Can Prevent Water Damage from Plumbing, Storm, or Flood Issues

The Common Causes of Water Damage

SERVPRO Provides the Latest Tips For Your Kids

SERVPRO Provides the Latest Tips For Your Kids

How to Prevent Water and Fire Damage In Your Home

Why It's Hard to Completely Get Rid of Smoke Smell in Your House

How Can I Get My Redwood City Home Smelling Normal After a Fire?

Our Professionals Have Many Long-Term Solutions for Neutralizing Odors in Your Home.

Is It Possible to Reduce Odors Before Deodorization?

What Equipment is Best for Odor Removal?

What Happens to Smoke-Damaged Contents?

Fast Action Is Required When Water Causes Significant Damage To A Historical Foster City Property

Protecting Flooring In Historical Foster City Properties

Hardwood and Water Damage

Addressing Pungent Odors in Redwood City with Kitchen Fire Damage Restoration

Redwood City Residents Get Results When Hiring SERVPRO for Fire Damage Restoration After a Kitchen Blaze

Do You Need Commercial Water Damage Restoration in San Carlos? SERVPRO Has The Experience You Need!

Why Commercial Flood Damage to San Carlos Businesses Should Have Professional Restoration Services

Water Removal Services

We Will Dry And Repair Your San Carlos Hotel Room Right Away

Broken Shower Head Can Damage San Carlos Hotel Rooms

Water Damage Restoration

What Crucial Things Should Redwood City Business Owners Note Before Attempting Mold Remediation

SERVPRO Provides Information and Helps Perform Black Mold Damage Repairs

Some Crucial Points to Note When Dealing With Black Mold Include:

Typical Moisture Issues can Stem From:

SERVPRO Makes Fire Damage in San Carlos Go Away

Mitigating Kitchen Fire Damage in San Carlos

Choosing the Right Fire Extinguisher

How SERVPRO Removes Fire Damage

Redwood City Flooded Homes Need the TLC of SERVPRO to Mitigate the Damages

Issues You May Deal With After Flood Damage in Your Redwood City Home

Storm Damaged Floors

Ruined Appliances