Reliable Restoration for Fire Damage in Downtown Chicago

12/24/2023 (Permalink)

After fire damage in your home, there is a lot of damage that needs to be repaired. Contact SERVPRO 24/7 for certified technicians.

Downtown Chicago High-Rise Smoke and Soot Cleanup

Homeowners understandably struggle with the aftermath of a household blaze. The stress is particularly intense, and restoration is complicated when facing destruction in an urban condominium or apartment many stories above street level. Whether you are dealing with the harm from an event contained entirely within your unit or your home suffered collateral damage from a neighbor or common area’s fire, you need professional help.

Downtown Chicago fire damage presents significant logistical issues, but SERVPRO® is up to the challenge with research-based and practical solutions. Our technicians are certified in industry standards by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). But perhaps even more importantly, in a high-rise situation, our crews have the support of an extensive inventory of state-of-the-art equipment capable of reaching the heights. The unique combinations of skills and tools means our team can complete fire mitigation and remediation services such as:

• Firefighting water extraction, collection, and disposal off-site using the most efficient combination of truck-mounted and portable equipment 
• Structural drying to complete water damage management, preventing progressive building material deterioration and inhibiting mold growth 
• Air quality monitoring and improvement (smoke and particulate removal) through the use of air scrubbers, including containment of smoke-affected spaces and using negative pressure to force contaminated air through HEPA filters before exhausting outside 
• Soot residue removal using IICRC-sanctioned techniques and EPA-registered products, with cleaning tactics matched to the various types of soot encountered 

As we move through your downtown Chicago home high above the busy grid, we bring our fire cleanup experience, ingenuity, and flexibility. Our commitment to every fire damage devastated homeowner, no matter the circumstances, makes it  “Like it never even happened.”

Have confidence that the fire damage experts from SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich will restore your apartment or condominium. One call to (847) 279-1940 delivers the fast response needed.

Let SERVPRO Handle Your Fire Restoration Needs in Buffalo Grove

4/17/2023 (Permalink)

Need help with your fire restoration in Buffalo? Call SERVPRO. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Fire Risks Lurk in Every Room of Your Buffalo Grove Home

Most homeowners in Buffalo Grove do not experience fire damage first-hand, but that doesn’t mean they are not at risk. The COVID pandemic and the shift to work from home invited many homeowners to repurpose some rooms to create home offices and additional living spaces. In the process, they may have increased their vulnerability to a home fire without knowing. Should a computer or printer start a fire, you must be ready to act quickly.

For fire restoration services in Buffalo Grove, call SERVPRO. Once you call our 24/7 hotline, we arrive quickly and thoroughly inspect the damage. With the information, we create an action plan that may include move-out services and specialty drying solutions. We also move industrial-grade equipment into your home to help clean up and deodorize. As needed, we set up physical barriers to isolate affected areas and avoid cross-contamination throughout the home. All these steps happen quickly to mitigate the fire’s impact on your home life.

To help protect your home, keep in mind a few checkpoints you should consider to reduce your risk of fire. Some of the most common culprits, particularly in newly created home offices, are the following:

• Space heater, especially those positioned too close to paperwork or other easily flammable items
• Excessive electronics plugged into outlets. Chargers, computers, printers, etc., could create an electrical hazard and spark a fire.
• Burning incense or scented candles too close to curtains, paper, or other items can quickly catch fire.

When many of us relocated to working from home, we focused on space availability. If your makeshift home office is now a permanent space, assess its safety. But when there’s trouble, call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/ Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 and let us leave your home “Like it never even happened.”

Helping Hundreds of Buffalo Grove Homeowners Overcome Fire Damage

3/27/2023 (Permalink)

Fires and the damage they leave behind can be overwhelming. After your home in Chicago has suffered fire damage, contact SERVPRO.

We Use Professional Technicians for Fire Damaged Buffalo Grove Homes

There are 358,500 house fires in the US every year, according to data from 2022. Over 50% of these fires occur in the kitchen. Other common areas include bedrooms and chimneys. Emergencies like this can be hard to plan for because of their unexpected nature. SERVPRO is here to help return your fire damaged Buffalo Grove home to its preloss condition after a sudden disaster. 

Technicians specializing in restoring fire damage in Buffalo Grove often act as the crucial contact between homeowner and insurance adjuster. Adjusters assess the necessary claims for your insurance while technicians perform the restoration. One task for technicians in the early stages of restoration is to consult and test the damages in your home. By physically testing soot deposits on your home's contents and structure, we can pass on accurate advice to an insurance adjuster. A pre-testing toolkit usually includes dry sponges, detergents, scraping tools, and measuring equipment. The toolkit is vital to allowing technicians to organize restoration, assess equipment needs, and sort salvageable versus non-salvageable materials. A home may appear irreparably damaged after a fire, but careful testing can prove that this is not the case. 

Technicians Use Fire Pre-testing to Assess:

• What parts of the structure and contents are cleanable. Cleanable items can reduce claims expense by restoration instead of replacement.
• Color comparisons can provide definitive information on which parts of the home are unaffected and do not require additional work.
• Testing allows us to present an accurate data set to your insurance adjuster, which can help to speed up the process and estimate the overall work.

Efficient pre-testing can help SERVPRO to coordinate production. Coordination can include putting together a roster of technicians with the right skill set to perform the restoration. These may consist of carpet cleaning specialists (CCT), odor control technicians (OCT), or even general construction experts (OSHA). We can also organize subcontractors such as electrical repair to ensure the production process runs smoothly. A job file is created with photographic evidence of damages caused by fire, forms such as the authorization to perform service, briefing notes, and documenting damages. Job files help us communicate with you about works done and pass notation onto your insurer for a stress-free claim. 

Common tasks that result from pre-testing and coordinating production involve cleaning stubborn smoke residues and tackling odor problems. Smoke residues move into clean pockets of air during a fire. This movement can result in deposits building up in crevices and cracks. Sometimes, smoke can be stubborn to remove or greasy and wet. Using the results of our pre-test, we can use dry solvents to help dissolve soots into a solution. Applying a rinsing agent allows us to simultaneously remove both the soot and the solvent, leaving surfaces clean and smoke-free. Odor control often occurs once a property is clean and dry. If odors persist, advanced equipment such as misters are deployed to disperse deodorants into the environment. 

Restoration Equipment That Tackles Smoke and Odor

• Ultra low-volume thermal foggers (ULV) vaporize deodorants and allow technicians to fumigate large areas of the home quickly. 
• Chemical pairing agents in the ULV mist find odors and bond with them. This bonding process causes the particles to sink to the floor, where they can easily be cleaned. 
• Solvents for use on metal, wood, or textiles can be highly effective at cleaning, provided the material has been carefully pre-tested to avoid accidental damage. 

A home can often be restored from smoke or odor without replacing all belongings. Contact SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich for fire damage restoration at (847) 279-1940.

Buffalo Grove Homeowners Have Access to Fire Restoration Services

11/22/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO fire damage restoration services are second to none. Call now for the help your home needs.

SERVPRO is a Leader in the Fire Damage and Restoration Industry 

The winter months quietly pose a risk for fire incidents in the home. Home and space heaters, candlelight evenings celebrating the holidays, and warm fires by the chimney could all turn disastrous with no warning. Although home fires don’t happen to everyone, every homeowner should have a plan in place, including a team of experts, to combat the aftermath of flames in the home, including ash, soot, and unpleasant odors. Letting the experts take care of things is the first line of defense to restoring your home.

In Buffalo Grove, fire restoration services are readily available as soon as you call our SERVPRO office and invite us into your home. As overwhelming as the situation may seem, our expertise prepares us to examine the residue and safely establish an action plan for your home. To be effective in our process, we chart the fire’s path and consider the source of the burnt materials. Understanding the origin helps us determine what kind of residue is present. Organic materials leave fine dust behind, while polymers tend to leave a sticky residue that requires a different kind of cleaner. Our team is ready to meet your restoration needs with the right tools and techniques to return your home to its pre-fire condition.

When handling fire restoration, our clients often appreciate our deodorizing efforts the most. The foul odor left behind is not easy to neutralize, and traditional scented sprays and candles are insufficient. SERVPRO staff arrives with specialized equipment such as-

• Thermal foggers to disseminate and reach furniture and fixtures
• Deodorizing pellets placed strategically around the home
• Air scrubbers to neutralize smell molecules

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/Lake Zurich is available 24/7 at (847) 279-1940. Call us and let us leave your home “Like it never even happened.”

Fire Damage Cleanup in Lake Zurich by SERVPRO--The Right Choice

5/14/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO says to inspect your chimney and hearth before next cold season to prevent a fire in your Lake Zurich home.

SERVPRO Technicians Provide Expertise When Dealing with the Aftermath of a Fire

With the cold weather finally gone in the Lake Zurich area, you are probably not using your fireplace to keep warm. If you have not considered the condition of your chimney in a while, however, it could turn your relaxing night into a disaster. Dirty chimney can cause fires. An intense, hot smell, loud popping or cracking noises, and lots of dense smoke can indicate a chimney fire. Check your hearth area before next winter season commences.
 
Even if the fire is caught early, the fire damage to your Lake Zurich home that is left behind is best handled by professionals. Fire, smoke, and soot, plus water damage from putting the fire out, all need to be dealt with quickly to avoid additional damage. Our staff at SERVPRO are specially trained to handle restoring your home after a fire.
 
When restoring smoke-damaged materials in your home, our goal is to restore them to their preloss condition. We follow simple methods of cleaning to do this. We carefully inspect the affected area to find smoke residues. Our inspection starts out close to the source of the fire, and then we trace the distance the smoke traveled in your home.
 
Different types of soot residues can be found in the same environment. SERVPRO techs pick a method of cleaning that removes the kind of residues in your home efficiently. The type of surface determines the cleaning methods and products which are safe for us to use. We carefully preserve the material or surface being cleaned, and some materials may not be restorable since they cannot hold up to the cleaning process.
 
Some residues can bond with the surfaces they contact, so we use dry or wet cleaning processes to loosen and carry the particles of residue away from the surface. We dispose of the cleaning debris and waste when we are done.
 
SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/Lake Zurich works to clean your home after fire damage. Trust and call us at (847) 279-1940.

Fire Damage Needs Not to Derail Your Dinner Plans for Long in Buffalo Grove

4/18/2022 (Permalink)

Restaurants are at greater risk of fire damage due to the hot stoves and ovens constantly burning.

SERVPRO Works Quickly and Efficiently to Restore Your Restaurant

Restaurants in Buffalo Grove are naturally more at risk than other businesses for a fire damage disaster. Anytime commercial stoves, fryers, and ovens operate, a momentary lack of attention can result in a fire. Because of food safety considerations, a restaurant fire requires a professional response. We can help.

Most restaurant kitchens have fire extinguishers or sprinkler systems on-site, so the fire damage to your Buffalo Grove pizzeria may seem minimal. Fires involving protein and grease exude a sticky, hard-to-remove residue, and standard cleaning techniques are not up to the challenge of eradicating it. Also, the odor remaining even after a thorough cleanup is not very appetizing. We have the skills, the products, and the equipment to manage these issues.

When the SERVPRO work crew arrives, water mitigation is the first concern. If your sprinkler system was engaged or firefighters used water to knock down flames, removing the moisture and drying the area is the most critical item of business. Slip and fall worries and the risk of electrical shock require management of the water issues before moving on to cleanup.

Then our crews tackle the residues coating the kitchen area. SERVPRO technicians study the types of soot and smoke residues resulting from the combustion of different materials and learn to match them with effective cleaning products and solvents. The tenacious film coating that burnt food and cooking oils create can necessitate abrasive cleaners and tools. We know the local rules concerning proper cleaning of food preparation areas and choose products and techniques with that in mind.

Although we initially concentrated on the restaurant area where the fire occurred, SERVPRO workers inspected and evaluated damage in other spaces. Smoke and soot drift and table linens, dishes, tables, and chairs require thorough washing and surface attention. Condiments might need to be discarded as contamination is likely because soot and smoke are invasive.

Any lingering smells are not good for a restaurant business. SERVPRO deodorization specialists systematically eliminate the sources of the smell. Any burned items need discarding, and surface areas require a thorough cleaning. If some surfaces retain an odor despite cleaning, sealing is an option. We also use professional sprays and thermal fogging, which duplicates the combustion environment, allowing neutralizing chemicals to find and change the composition of any odor-bearing particles still airborne. Hydroxyl generators also eliminate odors through a dynamic change in the makeup of the minute bits of burned food, plastic, or other materials that contain the smells.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich has the skilled crews and innovative tools and products to restore your fire damaged restaurant. Call to schedule an immediate consultation at (847) 279-1940.

Bonfire Safety Tips to Avoid Fire Damage in Lake Zurich

3/14/2022 (Permalink)

Please follow SERVPRO tips for a safe bonfire gathering in Lake Zurich--prevent fire damage to your property and injury to yourselves

SERVPRO is Available to Help if Your Bonfire Gets Out of Control and Causes Damage

Fall is upon us and for many people that means bonfires. It is the perfect season to get a bonfire going in the yard of your Lake Zurich home and invite friends over for s’mores, hot beverages, and potatoes baked in the embers. Unfortunately, many people do not realize how dangerous bonfires can be. A bonfire that gets out of control can spark a blaze in your outbuildings or even your home. That is why SERVPRO recommends the following safety tips to avoid fire damage this fall season.

Choosing the right location is essential in order to avoid fire damage in Lake Zurich. If you have a huge yard, you can build your fire in a secluded area. However, for most people, a fire pit is a much safer option. Build or place your pit in a clear well-ventilated area, at least ten feet away from any structures. Make sure there is room to sit beside it without getting too close to the flames.

Start and finish your bonfire safely. Start with crumpled paper and small sticks, and progress to larger pieces of wood as the flames take hold. Do not use lighter fluid or gasoline as these can accelerate the blaze out of control. When it is time to wind down for the evening, let the fire burn down, and then carefully spread the ashes out and pour water on them slowly. Check for any remaining embers before going back indoors.

Check the weather – do not host your fall get-together on an evening when the breeze is high. The wind quickly blows sparks onto surrounding buildings, trees, or even people. If necessary, move your gathering to another night.

Always be mindful of children and pets. Teach kids the safest route to walk to and from the seating area, and keep an eye on them at all times. Put pets indoors if you can; if any pets are going to be out, fit them with glow-in-the-dark collars, and supervise them at all times.

Having a bonfire is terrific fun, and if you follow SERVPRO’s tips, it is very safe.

If you run into any problems with fire damage, call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 for assistance.

What Are the Different Types of Restoration Services Available After Fire Damage to Your Lake Zurich

2/24/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO professionals fully restore your home, offering several services to return your home to its original state "Like it never even happened."

Understanding the Services SERVPRO Offers for Proper Fire Damage Restoration

An incidence of fire damage can be rattling for any homeowner. To see your beloved home ruined by the fire is truly heartbreaking. Thankfully, professional restoration services can help you get your home in order following such damage.

Fire damage restoration to your Lake Zurich home is a multi-step process involving many services to get the damage under control. The restoration services can be classified into the following five categories.

Mitigation Services

The primary goal of these services is to prevent further damage to your home. SERVPRO Professionals can board up the openings, winterize the plumbing and establish a source of electricity temporarily. Drying the wet structures is also a big part of the mitigation services.

Structural Cleaning Services

Cleaning the structures damaged in the fire, such as walls and ceilings, falls under these services. SERVPRO technicians can talk to you and the adjuster regarding the cleanability of the structures and the extent of damages. Various methods are used to eliminate the smoke and soot residue, including wet and dry cleaning and scrubbing.

Contents Cleaning Services

Professional restorers also offer content cleaning services. Contents such as furniture, upholstery, utensils, and other objects are cleaned using the appropriate tools and methods. If the technicians cannot clean the items on the job site, they can be shipped off to an off-site location as well.

Specialty Restoration Services

Cleaning electronic items, artwork, furniture finishing, and dry cleaning of clothes fall under the specialty restoration services. These services are often outsourced, and a subcontractor is often used.

Reconstruction Services 

If the fire has caused some severe structural damage to your property, you may need reconstruction services. Fire damage restoration experts do not perform reconstruction work. While IICRC certified SERVPRO professionals could clean the damage caused by smoke and soot, licensed general contractors are often needed for reconstruction.

It is essential to understand all the services available to you after the unfortunate incidence of fire damage. Make sure you seek professional help as soon as possible to get your home restored to pre-damaged conditions.

Call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 today to schedule an appointment.

Need Fire and Smoke Restoration in Lake Zurich – Call SERVPRO

2/3/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO will get your house back to feeling like home again. Call on our professionals for help after a fire in your home.

SERVPRO Provides Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration and Cleanup in Lake Zurich

Cleaning and removing smoke residues after a fire can be a daunting task for many people. Even a small fire produces a great deal of smoke and odor, which natural hot air currents can carry to the remainder of the home. In addition, the HVAC system distributes smoke residues and odors throughout the house. Small grease fires deliver a greasy residue that clings to everything. Hot fires produce light, fluffy smoke residues, easily brushed away.

SERVPRO can help residents of Lake Zurich with fire and smoke restoration after a fire in their home. Our fire and smoke technicians can be on-site in less than four hours after your call to assess the situation and mobilize the equipment and professional experts to clean up your home and restore damaged structure and contents. 

We urge clients to avoid attempting to clean smoke residues. Smoke residues produced by a grease fire tend to smear when wiped by cleaning cloths. We use a combination of detergents and water to clean greasy residues from nonporous surfaces and immersion techniques to clean porous materials. We vacuum fluffy smoke residues and clean the surface. Improper cleaning tends to drive the smoke molecules deeper into materials and should be avoided.

Our team at SERVPRO also uses controlled demolition techniques to remove structures damaged by the fire to avoid damaging undamaged areas of your home. Once we remove damaged structures, smoke, and odors, we can help with the restoration and cleanup of your home. Our services include:

• House fire clean up
• Fire damage restoration
• Smoke damage restoration and odor removal

Call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich in Lake Zurich and nearby areas. We can help 24/7. Call (847) 279-1940.

Fire Damage During Your Buffalo Grove Remodel

12/27/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich is waiting to help you through the smoke.

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Many Different Types of Fire Damage Residues That are Left Behind

Electrical fires occur for a range of reasons. Cords can be frayed, water can act as a conductor, tools can malfunction, or operators can damage wiring inside walls, among other things. If there are construction materials nearby, the blaze can get out of control fast. We pride ourselves on our equally swift response to your request for fire damage help in Buffalo Grove.

During demolition, a contractor cut through the electric wiring for your new kitchen remodel. The shorted wires started a smoldering fire in your Buffalo Grove home, that slowly burned through some of the original drywall before your kitchen’s fire extinguisher put it out. The fire department carefully evaluated your home’s wiring during their visit, ensuring that no further risk of fire in the walls existed. Our team arrives as the firefighters leave, ready to assess the situation.

Thankfully the fire did not spread, but a thick, acrid coating of smoke moved throughout your home. SERVPRO’s highly-qualified technicians, skills mastered through Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) training, immediately devise a comprehensive plan to clean the kitchen area and also inspect the rest of the house to ensure all smoke and soot residues are eliminated.

The soot produced by a slow-burning, low oxygen electrical fire is thick and wet. Wet soot is likely to smear, so techniques have to remove it require a systematic approach of spraying cleaning solutions and then wiping up the loosened substances. Even though your kitchen is in the middle of a renovation, it is essential to clean up the soot thoroughly. Allowing any soot to remain risks deterioration of both existing and new building materials used in the kitchen rehab and also allows the oppressive smell to remain.

The smell of this type of low-oxygen fire is pungent and persistent, requiring the expertise of SERVPRO’s deodorization specialists to remove it. If removing the burned wiring and the wet soot in all areas does not dissipate the odor, our experienced deodorization crew moves on to sprays or thermal fogging in hopes of eradicating the stench. These airborne methods work by applying like-sized neutralizing agents to the odor-bearing particles.

Fogging adds a combustion step to replicate the way odor was created. Research shows this to be a more efficient method to match the neutralizer to the smelly bits in the air and even deep within materials. Another option for strong smells is a hydroxyl generator that creates negatively or neutrally charged particles that naturally “seek and destroy” odor molecules.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich features specialized equipment and work crews to remediate the sticky residues and strong smells after an electrical fire. Call (847) 279-1940 to schedule an inspection and start the recovery process.

Is Professional Fire Damage Restoration for Chimneys Available in Buffalo Grove?

7/20/2021 (Permalink)

From skyscrapers in Downtown Chicago to your Buffalo Grove residence, SERVPRO provides fire damage-related cleanups

SERVPRO Helps Buffalo Grove Residents with Fire Damage from Puffbacks, Furnaces, and Fireplaces

Fireplaces can be cozy and warming during the winter months. However, they require regular maintenance of both the flue and grates to ensure that your home does not suffer accidental fire damage. The causes of fireplace-related property damage can be linked to low burning fires that buildup fuel residues (creosite) inside the flue to irregular sweeping of soot or ashes. If a disaster happens, SERVPRO can help with:

• Fire and smoke damage restoration and cleanup
• Water and fire damage restorations
• Smoke damage

Enlisting professional fire damage restoration services in Buffalo Grove can speed up the process of returning your home to its preloss condition. Furnace puff backs or chimney blockages can result in smoke damage affecting nearby carpeting and walls and ceilings around the area. The spider-like soot accumulations in corners and cool spots need vacuuming first to prevent smearing of the oily substance.

• Cleaning and clearing out the chimney using specialist tools can help to guard your home against future damages.
• Applying a pre-conditioner and rinsing agent to nearby carpets can often see them return to a preloss condition.
• Masonry or stonework around the fireplace can be cleaned using a solution with ammonia to help break down soot without damaging the surface.

Our professionals can help address furnace fire issues in Downtown Chicago. Contact SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich for fire damage restoration at (847) 279-1940.

Complete Fire Restoration from SERVPRO in Buffalo Grove

6/18/2021 (Permalink)

No fire damage restoration project is too tall for SERVPRO--count on us for Chicago and Buffalo Grove Help

SERVPRO Restores Fire-Damaged Buffalo Grove Homes Using Time-Tested Procedures.

A house fire is likely one of the greatest dangers your Buffalo Grove home faces. These residential fires can occur at almost any time, with little to no warning, and are often the result of little accidents. When they happen, professional assistance is needed to remediate their damage.

SERVPRO, experts in fire and smoke damage remediation, usually know just what fire restoration work your Buffalo Grove home needs. Over their years of performing house fire cleanups, smoke remediation, and fire damage restoration work, our skilled technicians have developed time-tested procedures for quickly and effectively restoring fire damaged homes. These procedures include, among other things:

• Rapidly sanitizing interior air with powerful air movers, air scrubbers, and ozone machines
• Thoroughly inspecting your home for issues associated with fire damage
• Removing harmful acidic, fire-related residues from surfaces around your home with wet, dry, abrasive, or peroxide active cleaning methods
• Treating impacted carpeting and upholstery with innovative injection devices
• Neutralizing or otherwise concealing unpleasant odors with thermal foggers and professional-grade deodorants
• Employing ultra-low volume foggers to deodorize hard-to-reach parts of your residence

Once all of these measures have been taken, homes are usually back to their pre-fire condition, "Like it never even happened."

With all that said, if your residence ever suffers fire damage and needs fire restoration work, call your helpful neighbors at SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 for assistance.

SERVPRO Saves Buffalo Grove Residents Time and Money in Fire Damage Restoration

5/23/2021 (Permalink)

Affected by a recent house fire? Contact SERVPRO for trained technicians and equipment to get your home back to pre-fire conditions.

SERVPRO Offers Fast and Reliable Fire Damage Restoration service to Buffalo Grove Homeowners

Fire damage at your Buffalo Grove residence can be a stressful event. Between the smoke and soot-covered walls and that unbearable burnt smell, getting your home back to normal might feel like an impossible task. But SERVPRO restoration experts can do just that for you. With our years of experience and training in restoring fire-damaged homes, you can count on us for fast and efficient service. 

The lingering smells due to fire damage at your Buffalo Grove home can be difficult to mitigate. SERVPRO experts use several techniques and agents to ensure that your home smells like home once they are finished with the restoration process. 

Deodorizing Techniques used by SERVPRO During House Fire Cleanup in Buffalo Grove

Deodorizing is a major part of fire and smoke damage restoration. SERVPRO restorers of Buffalo Grove deal with both real odors and imaginary odors. Here are some ways we combat these odors in a fire-damaged home- 

• Using Masking Agents: These are chemical compounds that mask or cover up the bad odor with a pleasant one. We use them for both real and imaginary odors. Often their use makes the fire damage cleanup process less unpleasant.
• Using Pairing agents: These combine chemically with odor-causing molecules and neutralize them. Pairing agents are used in controlling real odors and need ULV wet foggers to dispense
• Using Electrically Generated Deodorizers: Ozone gas, an unstable oxygen molecule, is generated in these machines that oxidize the odor-causing molecules. These work best if the odor has already penetrated deep into the structure and contents. There are safety limitations to its use.

Call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 for 24/7 assistance.

Know What to Do to Prevent Dryer Fires in Lake Zurich

4/28/2021 (Permalink)

Fire from a dyer will be a mess. SERVPRO techs are IICRC certified for any size fire disaster.

The need for fire damage restoration in Lake Zurich fires often occur due to circumstances that could be prevented. 

Keeping your home safe from fires is not always possible, but fires are often preventable when safety precautions are taken. Dryer fires fall into this category.

What Causes a Dryer Fire?

Faulty wiring or dryer overheating causes dryer fires, but over 1/3 of all of them are due to lint buildup. When this happens, you need fire damage restoration in Lake Zurich. There are signs you may have lint built up, such as overheating dryer or clothes taking longer than normal to dry. Prevention is the best policy.

Dryer Fire Prevention

There are some things you should do to ensure your dryer works safely and efficiently. These include:

• Do not run the dryer with no lint filter in place.
• Do not operate the appliance unless you are home.
• Be careful not to overload the dryer.

If a fire does occur, our team provides fire damage restoration. We deal with fire-damaged homes every day, and our team is experts at house fire cleanup. Even when the flames do not impact much in the home, smoke remediation is often needed. For experienced fire and smoke damage restoration and cleanup, contact SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940.

Does Fire Restoration Cover Contents or Structure?

4/5/2021 (Permalink)

You need expert assistance for any level of fire damage in your home. Call SERVPRO today for help.

SERVPRO Helps Buffalo Grove Residents Restore their Home and Contents after Fire

A typical fire insurance policy draws distinct lines between structure and contents. As a rule of thumb, SERVPRO technicians abide by the same distinction to ensure that an estimate is made readily available to you as quickly as possible. Your home structure includes any permanently attached parts such as walls, flooring, staircases, and fittings. 

The job of a technician performing fire smoke cleanup in your Buffalo Grove is to assess and restore the structure and contents to a preloss condition. If you are safe to remain on the property during restoration, our technicians can carry out emergency cleaning to make the home safe. We can quickly establish a livable environment using restoration equipment and expertise. 

• Urgent cleaning of rooms that are in constant use, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
• We can conduct laundry and dry-cleaning of clothes, sheets, and towels to remove smoke odors and make them safe for use.
• Using signage and physical barriers, we can cordon off affected areas of the property and allow you to continue using unaffected or recently restored parts of the home. 

Minimize inconvenience following a fire. Contact SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich for fire smoke cleanup at (847) 279-1940.

Who Can Restore a Buffalo Grove Kitchen After Fire Damage?

2/23/2021 (Permalink)

Kitchen fire? Call us. SERVPRO can cut through the smoke and soot and restore your home.

Certified Fire Restoration Technicians in Buffalo Grove Hold the Key to a Successful Restoration

After the flames subside and firefighters leave the home, homeowners may be tempted to grab a household cleaner and start wiping down every surface in their home. Although acting quickly certainly helps mitigate losses associated with a fire's aftermath, understanding the fire's behavior is just as important.

Understanding the fire damage to your Buffalo Grove home and taking action to restore it is not easy, but SERVPRO is here to help you navigate the process. As the SERVPRO team arrives at your home, we assess the problem areas and immediately take steps to prevent unnecessary collateral damage. Some may not realize that restoration services include ridding the space from the acrid smell a kitchen fire leaves behind. Our team achieves that by using products such as:

• Thermal foggers
• Hydroxyl generators
• Deodorant pellets

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/Lake Zurich is ready around the clock to meet your restoration needs. Contact us at (847) 279-1940 so we can leave your home "Like it never even happened."

What Factors Impact Cleaning Buffalo Grove Homes After Fire Losses?

9/18/2020 (Permalink)

When it comes to cleaning up after a fire loss incident, there are several obstacles that professional restorers must face.

There are several potential obstacles to cleaning and restoring fire-damaged Buffalo Grove homes.

Cleaning up after fire damages is a vital process for your Buffalo Grove home, but it can be difficult to achieve without careful considerations and evaluations. Soot and smoke residues are standard with structure fires, but the type of soil and the most appropriate cleaning methods vary based on numerous circumstances. Factors that can impact the efficiency and efficacy of cleaning products and approaches include the type of residue, the affected material, and where these damages exist in the house.

Fire damage in Buffalo Grove can be anything from structural concerns to lingering odors in the house after extinguishment. One of the most substantial obstacles in the restoration of homes and businesses after a fire is smoke residues and soot adhering to materials, contents, and circulating in the environment.

How Does the Material Type Change Cleaning Approaches?
There are multiple factors specific to affected materials or burning materials that can impact the produced residue and make cleaning more difficult. When too many of these factors are working against our SERVPRO team's restoration professionals, it might be more cost-efficient to consider controlled demolition over restoration. Some of these modifying factors include:

    •    Porosity – This is a measure of how readily particles can penetrate a material. The greater a porosity rating, the more particles and odor molecules from combustion can become a restoration challenge.
    •    Age of Material – Aging materials are more sensitive to severe residue damage. Part of this has to do with a change in porosity as a surface degenerates over time.
    •    Softness – The composition of the material can change how readily soot and smoke residues can get removed. Soft materials can be more challenging to clean than hard surfaces like glass and porcelain.
    •    Material Burned – The type of material burned changes the kind of residue generated. Plastics and rubber create coatings that can easily smear, while wood and natural elements leave drier residues that are less stubborn.

Can Temperature Present Cleaning Obstacles?
Changes in the temperature of surfaces or the environment can impact how efficient cleaning approaches are. Our technicians monitor and modify temperatures when applicable for the shortest recovery times. This monitoring process must continue throughout the entire restoration and mitigation phases. Changing temperatures, such as rapid cooling, could cause hot oils in specific residues to leave behind a film.

    •    Heat of the Fire – Regarding cleaning, the higher the fire's heat, the harder surfaces generally are to clean for many reasons. Residues can be thicker, porous materials can become more damaged, and many other reasons.
    •    Charring – High-heat and direct flames can char or blister surfaces, making cleaning and removing residues impossible.
    •    Temperature for Cleaning – Warmer temperatures can be a benefit to chemical processes used in cleaning residues. Excessive heat can damage surfaces, however, requiring a balance for efficient chemical processes.

What Are the Types of Smoke Residues?
The combustion of various materials produces different residues to contend with on exposed surfaces nearby. Identifying the type of residue that must get cleaned is a more efficient approach to removing these soils than sample testing with different products and techniques. Each of these potential coatings presents its own specific obstacles to cleaning, making its determination vital for our team's responding professionals. The likely residues present in your home might include:

    •    Dry Smoke – Fast-paced combustion eliminates many fuels in your home like wood framing, flooring, and supports. High heat fires like these produce a thinner, chalky residue for our team to clean.
    •    Wet Smoke – Higher humidity and other factors can change the pace that combustion occurs and the speed of moving fires. Smoldering produces thicker smoke, which becomes a compromising residue on surfaces and contents.
    •    Furnace Puff-Backs – A small explosion in the oil furnace's combustion chamber can shoot ionized soot throughout the ducts. These residues appear as dark black spider webs in the corners of the room and around the vents.
    •    Protein Residues – Kitchen fires often result from the mismanagement of cooking appliances and surfaces, so when proteins are involved in the burning and combustion, a thick, greasy residue can adhere to exposed nearby surfaces.

When it comes to cleaning up after a fire loss incident, there are several obstacles that professional restorers must face. Our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich team is well versed in various residue types and the hurdles that can make surface cleaning more challenging. Give us a call anytime at (847) 279-1940.

How Does My Buffalo Grove Home Get Clean and Deodorized After a Fire?

8/13/2020 (Permalink)

Our fire damage experts can have your home back to its original state, “Like it never even happened.”

Mitigation and fire restoration are intricate processes for our SERVPRO professionals beginning as soon as our team first arrives. 

There are many elements to fire restoration that must begin as soon as our team arrives at damaged Buffalo Grove homes after a disaster. Emergency services and mitigation alike work to reduce the total property loss and damaged contents within the structure to increase the efficiency of restoration and reduce costs for customers. As a leading fire damage restoration company in the area, we offer a one-stop-shop solution for restoration and reconstruction after these debilitating emergencies.

Because DIY fire damage restoration for Buffalo Grove homes is often ineffective and rejected by home insurance providers approving damage claims, many seek the fast and reliable response of our SERVPRO team. We utilize multiple industry-leading tools and products to promote surface cleaning after soot and smoke residues impact construction materials and contents. Likewise, thermal fogging and hydroxyl generators can neutralize smoke and burning odors throughout the property during the final stages of restoration. 

How Likely is the Need for Reconstruction? 

Partially burned construction materials or overly soiled surfaces might require demolition and removal rather than restoration approaches. Cost-efficiency must play a role and how restoration efforts unfold, often dictating where tear-out and reconstruction are more beneficial than lengtheir recovery efforts. Our experienced building trade professionals on our roster can offer multiple layers of aid in returning a property to its original condition after a fire. Some of these services include: 

• Controlled Demolition
• Debris Removal
• Repairs 
• Temporary Construction Solutions
• Build Back 

Fire loss incidents can have an immediate, destructive impact on homes. Our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich crew can help with restoration, repairs, and reconstruction as necessary. Give us a call today at (847) 279-1940. 

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What Should You Do While Waiting For Fire Damage Restoration Services In Buffalo?

7/17/2020 (Permalink)

For help with fire damage restoration, call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940.

How Buffalo Grove Homeowners Can Help The Fire Damage Restoration Process

Buffalo Grove homeowners sometimes ask us what they ought to do after a fire breaks out in their home. Of course, the first step is to call the fire services and make sure the blaze is extinguished. But what happens after the fire service leaves?

SERVPRO understands that fire damage is stressful for Buffalo Grove homeowners. It’s only natural that you want to start cleaning your home as quickly as possible. However, there are some tasks that it isn’t safe to carry out by yourself. So what can and can’t you do while waiting for SERVPRO technicians to arrive?

What can I do while waiting for restoration services?

    •    Limit your movements – too much movement around the home spreads soot particles into other areas of the house
    •    Change the HVAC filter if possible
    •    Empty your fridge and freezer and leave the doors open if there is no power to the appliances
    •    Use a light layer of petroleum jelly to protect chrome fixtures and fittings

Please don’t carry out these activities unless it is entirely safe for you to do so.

What shouldn’t I do while waiting for restoration services?

Please refrain from doing any of the following:

    •    Cleaning walls, floors, carpets or drapes
    •    Send damaged garments out for dry cleaning
    •    Clean or repair any electrical appliances that were in the vicinity of the fire
    •    Turn on fans or any other devices in areas that are still wet from firefighting efforts

We train our technicians to clean all kinds of fabrics and surfaces after ablaze. Our fire damage restoration service is fast and efficient, and we know how to restore your furnishing and personal items with the minimum of damage.

We also train our technicians to assess the damage to appliances and fans. Our teams will ensure your devices are safe or dispose of them if they are not.

It’s much safer to wait until our team is on-site and let them deal with restoration and cleanup. We have specialist equipment on hand and robust training in the best techniques.

For help with fire damage restoration, call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940.

How Do I Respond to All the Water in My Fire Damaged Buffalo Grove House?

6/8/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO professionals are trained to handle all types of damage after your home suffers from a water or fire incident.

SERVPRO’s Multi-Certified Workforce Manages All Aspects of Buffalo Grove Fire Damage, Including Property Destruction Related to Firefighting Efforts

After a household fire, Buffalo Grove residents can find the magnitude of water damage shocking. Firefighters use all resources at their disposal to save your property’s structure. Copious quantities of water are distributed throughout your home to extinguish flames and cool down hot spots. Once the fire is out, you are on your own in responding to the damage from this necessary intervention.

Can a Fire Damage Recovery Company Help with Water Loss?

Our team regularly responds to fire damage restoration scenarios in Buffalo Grove that include significant needs for water removal and structural drying. We train our workers in the mastery of both water and fire mitigation and remediation best practices through courses developed by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Water removal and structural drying go to the top of the list for the following reasons:

Safety Considerations

• Water increases slip, trip, and fall risks.
• Water exposes increases the potential for electrical shock.
• Water collected in building cavities overhead or between walls can collapse building materials.
• Water remaining after firefighting contains a broad range of toxins.

Ongoing Destruction

• Lingering water fuels mold growth.
• Porous material can all lose functionality, weakening, and eventually failing to support expected loads. 

How Does SERVPRO Manage the Water Phase of Fire Damage Restoration?

We contain the affected areas with 1.6 mil polyethylene and air scrubbers to limit airborne drift as we roil the waters during pumping and truck-mounted extraction. Our project manager ensures the lawful disposal of the contaminated water, following local rules and regulations. Structural drying is essential to inhibit mold growth as we move toward the fire residue removal phase of the overall damage restoration project.

Have confidence in SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich when entrusting us with your fire damage restoration project, including required water loss recovery. Call us at (847) 279-1940 as soon as practical to schedule an assessment and implement a best practices-based plan.

Find out more about Buffalo Grove

How Can I Eliminate Lawnmower Fire Damage in My Buffalo Grove Garage?

6/3/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich provides emergency response service that is Faster to Any Size Disaster.

SERVPRO Removes Fire Damage from Buffalo Grove Homes 24/7

Did you know that your lawnmower can pose a garage fire risk? Fuel leaks and motor malfunctions are just a couple of the potential catalysts that can cause this piece of essential lawn care equipment to ignite in Buffalo Grove homes.

SERVPRO is available day and night to mitigate fire damage in your Buffalo Grove home, including weekends and holidays. This firm uses a combination of tried-and-true restoration techniques in tandem with sophisticated technologies for effective disaster cleanup.

What Can I Do to Fireproof My Garage?

    •    Install a new garage door. Older doors may not have as high a fire rating as their newer counterparts.
    •    Update the electrical system. Instead of relying on extension cords or ungrounded outlets, consult with an electrician about updating your electrical system and installing additional outlets around your garage.
    •    Reinforce the walls with fire-rated sheetrock. Type X and Type C drywall rely on gypsum and fiberglass, respectively, for their fire-retardant properties. Fire separations are installed on either side of wood-framed walls to slow the progression of fires that ignite in your garage.

How Does SERVPRO Preserve Fire-Damaged Framing?

Charred wood framing can be preserved with a variety of techniques:

    •    Agitation tools may be necessary for eliminating surface charring. Lighter damages may require scrapers or wire brushes, while heavier char may necessitate removal with abrasion blasting materials like a sponge or dry ice.
    •    Dry cleaning sponges or wet cleaning with EPA-registered detergents work for lighter damages. Surfaces that cannot be cleaned fully can be sealed.
    •    Technicians can replace damaged framing that is affected to the point of affecting structural integrity.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich provides emergency response service that is Faster to Any Size Disaster. Call (847) 279-1940 for mitigation that starts within hours of your initial contact.

We Are Ready 24/7 In Wheeling To Restore Your Fire Damaged Home

11/26/2019 (Permalink)

Our advanced cleaning techniques and state-of-the-art equipment will restore your property to pre-damage condition after a fire.

Fire Damage in Wheeling Kitchen Gets Fast Turnaround

Kitchen fires are one of the most common ways that fire damage hits homes. In fact, in a report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, these types of fires account for just over one billion dollars in property damages every year.

When fire damage occurs in Wheeling homes, quick cleanup is vital to limit the spread of the odor throughout the house. Protein fires that occur during cooking are particularly challenging to clean up entirely as the fats turn into a fine, nearly invisible mist with a strong, pungent odor that coats surfaces.

Ceiling and Roof Damage

The high heat and fast burning nature of this type of fire often results in the ceiling and sometimes roof damage. SERVPRO technicians scope the property on arrival to determine if the property requires any temporary emergency repairs such as tarping over fire damaged roofing or boarding over windows. Additionally, if there is a danger of cross-contamination to other areas of the home, it is common for technicians to establish containment around the work site area.

Removal of Non-Restorable Items and Clean Up

The removal of charred sheetrock and other burned items lessen the odor issues in the home. Anything removed is cleared through the property owner or adjuster along with a detailed report created to assist with filing loss claims. SERVPRO technicians test the smoke damage and apply the appropriate chemical agents for the type of residues they are cleaning.

Steps to Eliminate Odors

The intense odor left behind by charring and residues requires several steps to eliminate. SERVPRO technicians remove the soot and deposits using cleaning agents for the particular type of residue they are cleaning. If the HVAC system remained on after the fire, the technicians could also inspect the ductwork to determine if it requires cleaning and if other areas of the home received cross-contamination from the kitchen fire. In cases where additional odor-neutralization applications are necessary, the technicians have different types of equipment to handle the task.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 is ready to help homeowners with fire damage 24/7 and make the fire loss "Like it never even happened."

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Cleaning Soot In Your Buffalo Grove House

10/15/2019 (Permalink)

Give us a call today at (847) 279-1940.

Cleaning Soot Exposed Surfaces After Buffalo Grove Housefires

Soot can be a dangerous and under appreciated threat throughout Buffalo Grove homes following a fire. Many homeowners mistakenly believe that because a fire gets extinguished that its main threats have also gotten quelled, but this is not the case. Particulates like microscopic soot created from partially burned fuels like wood, oil, and other sources can be a health risk to those exposed without the appropriate protective equipment.

Addressing these and other effects of fire damage in Buffalo Grove residences comes down to a fast and confident response. We have a full roster of dedicated professionals with training and expertise as Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) accredited through the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).

Because of the acidic composition of soot residues, they become a danger to surfaces, countertops, construction materials, and the contents of your home right away. The longer that these residues sit on the affected areas, the more damage they can do. Marring and staining of surfaces can happen while you debate on the best restoration company to handle the fire loss effects in your home. The prompt response of our SERVPRO team can help to limit these irreparable effects by clearing soot and smoke residues from exposed surfaces quickly.

It is unwise for homeowners to attempt to remove soot residues on their own, primarily because of the risks involved with airborne soot particulates. These microscopic hazards can be a considerable health risk with the right level of exposure, and any DIY restorer should proceed with caution. Also, improper cleaning techniques for settled soot can lead to smearing. Once smearing occurs, then staining follows. Even with the advanced equipment and products available to our SERVPRO team, stained construction materials and contents are almost impossible to clean.

We strive to provide every customer with a tailored experience that suits the specific needs of their home, and that begins with identifying the presence of soot and the best approach to remove it safely. You can count on the swift response and expertise of our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich team after a fire. Give us a call today at (847) 279-1940.

For more about Buffalo Grove click here.

Our Certified Experts Respond Quickly To Wheeling Home Fire Damage

9/4/2019 (Permalink)

Our advanced cleaning techniques and state-of-the-art equipment will restore your home after a fire right away.

How Fire Assessment Helps Clean Damaged Wheeling Homes

When you hear terms like assessment and inspection after fire damage in your Wheeling home, many tasks might come to mind. In truth, assessment is both one of the most thorough actions that our professionals take once we arrive at a home and also one that must be among the fastest of our functions. The inspection of fire damage is multi-purpose and goes far beyond determining the inevitable cost of restoration and recovery.

We cannot always expect customers to think calmly amid a crisis, and that is why it is ideal to trust in the experience of our team to determine the extent of fire damage to Wheeling properties. We have a full spectrum of qualified personnel devoted to every facet of fire recovery, including cleaning technicians and odor control specialists. The determination of which team members are necessary for the restoration of a house after a fire is a critical element of this assessment.

Also, our SERVPRO management can look to identify potential problems by beginning at the ignition point and working out. Starting our inspection at this point helps our team to gain an understanding of the spread of effects like smoke residues, soot, and odors. Because different materials and substances can combust and burn during a fire damage incident, the type of smoke damage might differ from one part of the home to another. These varying circumstances require unique strategies and products to remove and clean successfully.

Another important aspect of our inspection is working with an insurance provider to meet their specific demands. While many have a uniform approach to documentation and photographic evidence, our standing relationships with all insurance companies in the area have helped our SERVPRO team get to work more quickly when time is of the essence.

Fire loss incidents can occur with no warning and be a devastating force in area homes. You can always count on the fast response and expertise of our certified SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich fire restorers to help however you need. You can reach us 24/7 by calling (847) 279-1940.

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How Our Professionals Can Help After A Fire In Your Wheeling Home

8/3/2019 (Permalink)

Call us at (847) 279-1940 to arrange an assessment and mitigation and remediation plan.

What To Expect From Professional Fire Damage Recovery In Wheeling

After the firefighters leave your Wheeling home, it is clear that professional assistance is needed to cope with the aftermath. Until you experience a household fire, it is difficult to understand how pervasive and disruptive the harm from flames, heat, and smoke can be. One of the core components of our business mission is to assist members of our community as they navigate the challenges presented after fire harms the structure and contents of their homes.

Prompt assessment followed by swift mitigation and remediation of Wheeling fire damage is vital for a successful resolution. Fire residues are toxic and corrosive, requiring special handling for safety and efficiency. Our managers and technicians receive extensive and advanced training from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). On the job experience and the mentoring of newer employees by our seasoned experts deepens and enhances the knowledge provided by IICRC coursework.

Water containment and removal is usually the first task, often unexpected but understandable as you wade through dirty fluids left by firefighting. Safety concerns drive water cleanup. Avoiding slips and falls and electric shock risk is crucial for SERVPRO technicians and occupants. The Category 3 water can carry significant contamination, and our crews are familiar with and follow local hazardous waste handling requirements.

Evaluation of the residues left by combustion is next, guiding SERVPRO employees as we choose cleaning products, tools, and techniques. Wet, dry, and protein-based soot can all exist in different spaces of your home. Our training helps us use the most effective cleaning approaches to protect surfaces that otherwise would discolor and deteriorate because of the corrosive substances in fire residues.

Charring of building materials can be remediated in many circumstances. Our team uses brushes and other stripping methods to reach undamaged layers for refinishing. If materials are extensively damaged, we help you arrange for repair and rebuilding, documenting our efforts and results for insurance purposes.

Deodorization is a SERVPRO specialty. If debris removal and deep cleaning leave lingering smells, we utilize advanced equipment like thermal foggers and hydroxyl generators to neutralize tiny odor-bearing particles at the molecular level.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich offers trained managers and crews and up-to-date products and equipment to manage fire damage in your home. Call us at (847) 279-1940 to arrange an assessment and mitigation and remediation plan.

For more about Wheeling click here.

Take The Stress Out of Fire Damage Remediation in Your Lake Zurich Home

7/23/2019 (Permalink)

Fire damage can leave many linger odors and residues. Call the remediation professionals at SERVPRO today for help.

How to Navigate Insurance after Fire Damage in Lake Zurich 

While addressing the damaging effects to your Lake Zurich home might be overwhelming and traumatic enough, there are many hoops to jump through and red tape to navigate when dealing with your insurance provider after a disaster. Understanding some practices that you can employ immediately can help to soften the blow of this fire loss incident while you await the professional restoration that your insurance provider is likely to encourage. 

Fire damage to Lake Zurich properties can be a challenge to overcome, even with the advanced equipment and products available to our SERVPRO team. While there are specific steps and stages to filing a claim and getting restoration and mitigation work started in your home, here are some things that you can do right away to make things easier for your displaced family: 

• File a Claim – As basic as this might seem, many homeowners attempt to handle hundreds of other things before they get around to notifying their insurance company of a problem. They need to know about the situation immediately. 
• Protect Your Property – While you might not have the skillset to perform full mitigation, you can board up some windows and other breaches in your home to prevent others from entering or worsening conditions like animal infestations. 
• Get the Immediate Items You Need – Instead of paying out of pocket for the essentials you and your family need to survive, try reaching out to your insurance company directly. Often you can get an advance on the claim to replace these items you’ve lost to the disaster. 
• Ask Your Insurance Adjuster What They Need – You might not even know what your coverage provider needs after a fire, because they are not likely to come right out and tell you. For damage assessments, photographic evidence, and other documentation to expedite claims approval, you can count on our SERVPRO estimation team. 

These are a few practices that can help you to navigate the challenging period after a fire loss incident, and what can happen immediately to help your family. You can count on our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich team to perform the damage assessment, mitigation, and any restoration necessary after this loss. We can make fire effects “Like it never even happened.” by calling (847) 279-1940.

Click here to see more about Lake Zurich. 

Lake Zurich Property Owners Rely Upon SERVPRO for Fire Damage Cleanup and Restoration Services

6/12/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Announces to Lake Zurich Homeowners in Shock after a Large House Fire--Call Us, We Can Provide Restoration Services

Repairing Structural Concerns after Fires in Lake Zurich Homes

As you might expect, substantial fire loss incidents can take a heavy toll on the structural integrity of Lake Zurich homes. While there are ultimately many effects that must get addressed on the path to a full recovery and restoration following an emergency like this, contending quickly with the structural concerns can help to prevent further damaging effects from occurring while our restoration and mitigation processes get underway within the structure.  

It is not difficult to see how widespread and detrimental fire damage can be in a Lake Zurich home, and as such, these situations require highly trained professionals. Our SERVPRO team has extensive in-house training and certifications through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) as both Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) and Odor Control Technicians (OCT.) In addition to our expertise in recovering these damaging effects for your home, we also must address the structural compromise of the property.

When the disaster first occurs, our contractors on the team must provide temporary construction solutions to allow our restoration professionals to get started on mitigation. While part of our contracting team oversees and aids with controlled demolition to start fire debris removal, another portion works to establish board-up and tarping services when required to cover exposed areas of the property from bad weather and vermin.

In many cases where the fire loss is widespread, firefighters must approach the blaze from various angles to successfully extinguish it. In these situations, holes and openings can get made in the exterior of your house to give an easy access point to these professionals. These areas must also get fully rebuilt and repaired by our SERVPRO contractors during the mitigation phase of restoration to help make this fire loss scenario “Like it never even happened.”

Many effects must get overcome to return your damaged property to preloss condition after a fire incident, and many of these approaches require reconstruction and build back. Let our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich help you through every phase of recovery after a fire loss incident by calling (847) 279-1940.

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Call Our Licensed Contractors To Handle Your Wheeling Home Restoration Needs

2/15/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's professional team will restore your kitchen after a fire and make the process easy. Call us today, we are available 24/7.

Restoring Cabinets and Counters in Fire-Damaged Wheeling Kitchens

Kitchen fires can vary in both size and severity, but all require professional damage assessment and recovery solutions for your Wheeling home. As widespread as fire effects can be in your home, even localized incidents that do not leave the kitchen can spread out smoke residue and soot throughout the entire property. Even more pressing than these effects is the immediate structural damage and need for mitigation in your kitchen area where the problem originated.

While fire damage can take many forms in your Wheeling home, the immediate effect on the cabinetry and counters of your kitchen requires professional assistance to overcome. Our SERVPRO team can accurately assess the damage to your property, in any location, and work to preserve these structural elements if possible. When it is not possible to restore these fixtures and décor with advanced techniques, our team must resort to controlled demolition.

The determination of the condition of cabinets and countertops in your fire-damaged kitchen comes down to the estimator dispatched to your address along with our rapid response team. While their job is to identify the full scope of the damage to the property and to provide an accurate estimation of the cost for this repair for both the homeowner and the insurance company involved, they can also be instrumental in determining if cabinets, countertops, shelving, ceilings, flooring, and other available elements in the kitchen require removal and reconstruction.

Our SERVPRO team features licensed contractors that can oversee controlled demolition of ruined structural items throughout this area of your house. Once the demolition completes, these same professionals can transition into the necessary reconstruction and build back services. Having competent and reputable contractors on our team ensures that our customers do not have to wait between mitigation and reconstruction to see efficient results with their fire-damaged property.

As traumatic as a fire could be for your property, understanding what to expect from professional restoration teams can help make the process easier to manage. Our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich can arrive quickly with the resources and expertise to restore fire damages fully. Give us a call anytime at (847) 279-1940.

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Your Best Guide to How Fire Damage Affects Your Mundelein Home's HVAC System

12/15/2018 (Permalink)

When your heating and cooling system is affected by fire and subsequent soot, contact SERVPRO for remediation and cleaning services.

Soot Damage in Your Mundelein HVAC System

When even a smaller scale situation occurs in your Mundelein home that leaves smoke and soot damages behind, these effects can spread readily throughout the home through the HVAC system. No matter the time of the year, most homes throughout the area condition the indoor air to match a specific desired temperature which steadily circulates air throughout the house. With soot and smoke, these effects can move quickly through all of the connected rooms even when the fire itself remained localized to one area of the home.

Overcoming this situation, and other fire damage effects in your Mundelein residence, you need experienced professionals that can arrive quickly to mitigate your losses. Our SERVPRO team can begin our assessment of the spread of the damage from the moment that we arrive at your address, and this process doubles as an estimation for the work to get done. Those who determine that filing an insurance claim is cost-effective for them can benefit from this initial inspection, as it provides the insurance adjuster with all of the pertinent details required to file a claim.

Our professionals have unique tools and methods for cleaning the HVAC system and the portions of each room affected by the spread of soot through this ductwork. With high-powered vacuums and bristled brushes, we can clear out the ducts from any settled residue and debris left behind after the fire. We can also provide premier cleaning approaches with industrial-strength cleaners and solvents to restore the look and functionality of affected surfaces like walls and ceilings.

Deodorizing the area is another concern when these effects spread throughout the ductwork from room to room. The SERVPRO team at your house can use our thermal foggers to eliminate the harsh odors left behind by wet smoke both in open areas and what seeps into the contents and materials throughout the property.

Fire damages present themselves in several ways. When you go to overcome these effects in your home, trust in our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich rapid response team to arrive quickly with the tools and trained technicians to make a difference fast. Give us a call today at (847) 279-1940.
 
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The Most Efficient Way to Fire Damage Restoration in Wheeling

11/9/2018 (Permalink)

When fire damage affects your home, some items will need replacement but many simply need to be restored. Contact SERVPRO for remediation services.

Restoring Your Wheeling Home’s Contents Following a Fire

While preserving your Wheeling home’s structural integrity during a disaster might be a priority for every homeowner when possible, protecting the contents of the property often is more important still. These collected items, furniture, heirlooms, and keepsakes define the life you have lived and built in the house that you own. When a fire breaks out, you want to know that someone can protect these items and restore them to their original conditions if need be.

Fire damages can affect your Wheeling property in multiple ways. For preserving and restoring the contents of your home, the most common contributors to the damage of these items is soot and smoke. These effects are among the most widespread from fire and require specialized equipment and focused cleaning efforts to overcome. Preserving the at-risk items begins with the pack-out process from our SERVPRO Contents Department.

Pack-outs involve a specific team of our SERVPRO technicians that remove at-risk or damaged items from your home and take them to a safe and clean location. Often, this location is our local warehouse. We can focus our efforts on each item individually to catalog damages and work to restore each item to its original condition. This process can also serve to provide your insurance company the necessary information they need regarding a loss record and complete the estimation figures.

Once the steps have been taken to restore the home, including reconstruction or remodeling in areas substantially affected by the blaze, these items can get returned to where they once were. During their time with our professionals, you can have an accurate inventory available for where your contents are and what is happening to them while the home gets restored.

While many effects can result from a fire in your home, the damage to the contents of your property is a focal point for homeowners. Knowing that our mitigation efforts not only work to preserve what can get salvaged from the structure of your house, but also the contents therein, you can appreciate the need for professional restoration that our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich team can provide. Give us a call today at (847) 279-1940.

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An Odor is Often the Lingering Effect of Fire Damage in Lake Zurich

9/4/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Crew's Green Fleet Arrival Means Great Odor Control and Fire & Smoke Cleanup in Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich Homes Benefit from SERVPRO's Expertise in Odor Elimination After a Fire

Fires cause damage that is brash and obvious, coating every surface in your Lake Zurich home with soot and leaving charred and burned through areas. Today’s restoration experts can clear away the soot and even brush and scrub deep charring aside in preparation for recovery efforts. One persistent issue that can remain after earnest efforts, however, is the odor. We have strategies to manage tough to eliminate smoky smells.

Depending upon what types of materials burned in your Lake Zurich home, the fire damage you face can vary. This impacts the techniques our crews choose to clean up the soot. The fine, airborne residues from combustion also spread unpleasant smells throughout your home. Our deodorization specialists have a variety of strategies to employ to eliminate the odors eventually. To complicate smoke odor removal click here to see about phantom smells.

SERVPRO crews make sure that the cleaning done inside your home is thorough to begin attacking smoke-damage related odors. Removing charred items and cleaning every surface with appropriate products goes a long way toward reducing the smell. Our crew members might pack out personal possessions, furnishings, linens, pillows, mattresses, clothing, and window treatments to our production area for specialized cleaning. Inside the home, we use industry best practices following IICRC guidelines and honed on previous projects to clean carpeting, inspect and clear HVAC systems, and seek out hidden sources of odor like windows and screens, favorite toys, and books.

Smells can infiltrate surfaces, so priming and painting previously soot-covered walls can make a difference. Woodwork and floors might benefit from sealing if a detailed cleaning of intricate surfaces does not quite do the trick. Lighting, including shades and chandelier crystals, can retain smells, demanding deep cleaning on-site or at our SERVPRO facility by our talented technicians.

Recreating the method by which the odor spread is the first step in more advanced deodorization techniques. SERVPRO technicians employ thermal fogging, passing odor neutralizing chemicals through a heated chamber to create particles that seek out the odiferous molecules the fire made floating in the air or settled on surfaces. Ozone machines or hydroxyl generators use differently devised gasses and radicals to hunt down and render neutral in smell the lingering bits of soot. These strategies all depend on a chemical reaction to eliminate the odor.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich offers an array of odor eliminating options for residents suffering from persistent fire damage-related smells. Call us at (847) 279-1940 for a consultation that includes resolving this unwelcome reminder of the fire.

Click here to learn about fire alarms.

Dangers of DIY Restoration Following a Fire in Your Lake Zurich Home

8/31/2018 (Permalink)

When the Fire Is Out in a Lake Zurich Home, Folks Call SERVPRO for Cleanup and Restoration

Lake Zurich Properties Benefit from SERVPRO's Professional Fire & Smoke Loss Cleanup and Restoration Services

While it might be a common occurrence for Lake Zurich residents to work on the maintenance and minor repairs of their homes as the situation arises, there are some circumstances where this approach is not feasible. With more widespread disasters and emergencies in your home, professional restoration services can help you get your home back to the way it used to be more effectively than you can on your own.

However, many Lake Zurich homeowners might still be under the impression that even with fire damages, they can overcome these effects without the need for the expense of professional intervention. There are multiple reasons why you should not attempt DIY restoration on your own following a fire in your residence and why professional restoration like our SERVPRO team can help you get the work done more efficiently than you could on your own.

Among the first things that you need to consider regarding DIY restoration work is the pitfalls and dangers of entering your home once the fire has gotten extinguished. While first responders might be able to identify when the fire is out, they cannot adequately divulge whether areas are safe to enter or if there are structural weaknesses you could encounter. Fires can burn through nearly all of a material, leaving the surface intact, which can provide an illusion of safety.

Professional technicians like our SERVPRO team have certifications, training, and industry-leading equipment to make the restoration process as efficient as possible. Even elements like personal protective equipment is a safety aspect that our team gets uniquely trained to use and identify where it should get used. The atmosphere following a fire might not be safe to breathe or get exposed to until cleansing measures have occurred.

While you might be among the many homeowners that want to save money and repair the damages to your home on your own, this is not the best choice to make. Even if your insurance company has not insisted on the use of professional restoration services, you can still benefit from the expertise and efficient approach of our SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich technicians. Give us a call anytime at (847) 279-1940.

Here are the local fire stations

Seek Professional Advice on What Contents are Safe to Keep After a Lake Zurich Fire

8/2/2018 (Permalink)

Fires and the damage they leave behind can be overwhelming. After your home has suffered fire damage, contact SERVPRO to assess and remediate.

Team SERVPRO Understands How Fire Damage can Affect Different Items in Your Home 

The focus during recovery from a fire in your Lake Zurich home usually concentrates on the big things. First and foremost, you, your loved ones, and pets must get out unscathed, Then, the structural components of your home need evaluation by a reliable and experience fire restoration company, with a plan for cleanup and mitigation of the effects fire residues caused. Our highly-qualified fire damage mitigation team can help you with all of these aspects.
 
An overwhelming number of household goods, furnishings, clothing, electronics, linens, and more can suffer from fire damage in your Lake Zurich home. Trying to sort through these things without the training and the experience of our contents technicians risks two opposed approaches. On the one hand, you might toss badly soiled or tarnished items our employees can restore. On the other, you might expose your family to hazards if you keep and consume foods perhaps invisibly affected by the fire or use or wear fabrics contaminated with toxins from residues.
 
SERVPRO production technicians learn many strategies to remove discolorations residues, from practical items to irreplaceable heirlooms. Use our knowledge and skills to restore as many things as practical, limiting replacement costs and saving your precious memories.
 
Take care when contemplating using food, even in sealed cans and boxes. The heat of the fire can raise the temperature of foods inside containers, exposing your family to the growth of hazardous organisms you might not see, smell, or taste. Soot is often so fine it makes its way up and into jarred foods, following the threads that secure lids. SERVPRO technicians are familiar with these risks, including the chance that foods inside freezers and refrigerators thawed or warmed to unsafe temperatures during the fire.
 
Although many fabrics can be restored, if clothing or other fabrics have charred areas or retain a strong, smoky smell it is wise to discard because the toxins might remain on your skin. SERVPRO can help you make the decisions, informed by the level of success we assess after attempts to eliminate fire residues after washing fabrics at our site or arranging for dry cleaning from fire damage-experienced contactors.
 
We have a wealth of information, experience, and skills to guide homeowners in sorting through their possessions after a fire. Contact SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 immediately after the firefighters leave to access our assistance.

Click here for more about Lake Zurich.

Fire Damage To Your Lake Zurich Residence

1/9/2018 (Permalink)

Smoke and flames cause a significant amount of damage without needing to consume your entire home.

Fire Damage To Your Residence

Smoke and flames cause a significant amount of damage without needing to consume your entire home. Heat alone can make a home in Lake Zurich unsafe to live in, even if the fire remained in only one room.

Lake Zurich residents should only occupy their homes after proper remediation of all smoke and fire damage. While smoke and soot may seem non-dangerous and more along the lines of a nuisance, these substances can aggravate asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and researchers have discovered that soot contains carcinogens. SERVPRO professionals hold IICRC certificates in Fire and Smoke Restoration (FSRT) and carry the proper equipment needed to remove these substances from your home.

When a house fire spreads, we have the equipment to handle any aspect that a home might need to become livable again. Our experience includes large government complexes, but we still view mitigating small amounts of damage as crucial to a family's well-being. More massive fires can mean weak spots in floors and framing structures that might collapse unless we rebuild them.

Elimination of odors can help in both large and small fires. If a fire occurs in a non-living area, such as the garage or basement, odors can still permeate into living areas. Our Odor Control Technician (OCT) can discuss with you the measures available to control such invasive smells.

Tarping areas of your home that firefighters opened up during the blaze help prevent rain and snow from entering and causing water damage. However, since fighting a fire often requires the use of water, we are ready to remove the water and elevated humidity from your home, so it stays protected from water damage and mold growth. There are many different aspects to mitigating after fire damage, and we understand all of them.

SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove / Lake Zurich can be contacted by calling our 24-hour service line at (847) 279-1940. We can help make fire damage a thing of the past, and help your family recover quickly.

Click here for more about the city of Lake Zurich.

Which Fire Extinguisher is Right for You

10/12/2016 (Permalink)

The Five Classes

Reading the Label

In the United States there are five classes of fire extinguishers.  They are A, B, C, D, and K.  A means that the fire extinguisher is effective against wood, paper, and trash fires.  B is good for combustible liquids and gasses such as gasoline or propane.  C is good for use against electrical fires because it will not conduct electricity.  D is for fires started by combustible metals.  These fire extinguishers are usually more for commercial use.  Lastly, K is for grease fires.  It effectively turns the fat in the grease into soap to stop the fire.  Fire extinguishers come in all sorts of different combinations of these classifications.  Typically for a homeowner, it is a good idea to get at least one that is ABC and a K for the kitchen.  In front of A and B there will be a number.  The higher the number, the more effective it is for that type of fire.   

Here is a list of what each classification stands for, its designated color, and its geometric symbol.

A – Ash – Green – Triangle

B – Barrel – Red – Square

C – Current – Blue – Circle   

D – Dynamite – Yellow – Star

K – Kitchen – Black – Hexagon

Disposable or Rechargeable

Fire extinguishers come in both types.  It is important to note that a refill on a rechargeable fire extinguisher is usually cheaper than buying a new disposable one.  The rechargeable fire extinguishers also usually have metal parts in comparison to the disposable which usually has plastic parts.  Generally speaking, the rechargeable ones have better quality parts, longer lasting charge, and the ability to refill it.  The initial cost is higher for a rechargeable one, but usually worth it in the end.

Size

This completely depends on your situation.  Bigger normally equals more chemicals, but also means heavier and less maneuverability.  The weight listed, just accounts for the chemical contents.  This is NOT the total weight, meaning it does not factor in the weight of the canister.  Pick what works best for your situation.  Consider the strength of anyone that might be using the fire extinguisher.  Also take into account the dimensions of the tight spaces the fire extinguisher might be needed in for maneuverability purposes. 

For information on what to do after a fire refer to our SERVPRO website

Smoke Detectors: An Important Necessity

9/22/2016 (Permalink)

Smoke detectors are an important safety feature that should be in every building and may help reduce/prevent fire damage.  They can warn of possible smoke using two different types of methods.  The first method is optically.  If smoke particles inside the detector chamber scatter enough light for the sensor to notice, the alarm will sound.  The second method is through ionization.  This method uses positively and negatively charged surfaces along with a small radioactive element to detect particles like smoke.  The second method is more commonly used in the United States, mainly due to cost. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends testing smoke detectors once per month and changing their batteries twice a year.  A smoke alarm is useless if it malfunctions.  That is why it is important to test an alarm regularly and often. 

Unfortunately, many people fall victim to nuisance tripping.  This is when there is somewhat of a false alarm.  This includes situations such as minor smoke from burning a piece of toast or steam from a hot shower or bath.   This in turn causes many people to deactivate their alarms.  Most people do not realize that the nuisance tripping can be significantly cut down by switching types of alarms.  The ionization alarms tend to be triggered more frequently.  Photoelectric alarms react more effectively around the board than ionization alarms.  However, one of the many tests performed by Underwriters Laboratories did favor ionization alarms.  This was the “burnt toast” test also known as nuisance tripping.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends having both types of smoke detectors.  Smoke and fire damage should be taken seriously.  For information on the fire damage restoration process please refer to our SERVPRO website.

Chicagoland Smoke and Soot Cleanup

7/13/2016 (Permalink)

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

Smoke and soot facts:

Different Types of Smoke

There are two different types of smoke–wet and dry. As a result, there are different types of soot residue after a fire. Before restoration begins, SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/Lake Zurich will test the soot to determine which type of smoke damage occurred. The cleaning procedures will then be based on the information identified during pretesting. Here is some additional information:

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

Protein Fire Residue – Produced by evaporation of material rather than from a fire

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

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

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?
Call Us Today – (847) 279-1940