Repairing and Restoring Fire Damage in New Providence

2/23/2023 (Permalink)

We can quickly get fire and odor damage under control in your New Providence home.

SERVPRO Fire and Smoke Damage Technicians Can Help Rescue your New Providence Home

Fires can spread quickly through a home, latching onto combustible materials like woods and fabrics. Leaving candles, stoves, or electronics unattended can all contribute to a property disaster that often requires professional help to restore. SERVPRO is a local organization that can help return your home to a preloss condition after an emergency.

The impact of fire damage in your New Providence home can vary depending on where it began, the type of belongings that ignited, and whether doors or windows were open. One of the most significant impacts is smoke which can travel quickly through a home and leave behind unpleasant odors or residues. Combustion increases the temperature in an indoor space which in turn causes air to rise rapidly and push cooler air toward the floor. This pressure often results in the heaviest smoke deposits directly above the flames, while lower portions of the room, such as carpets or floors, only sustain moderate damage. Placing old sheets or towels over belongings, surfaces, and floors immediately after extinguishing flames can help reduce damage by covering items from falling soot or ash. 

At SERVPRO, our goal is to restore your home to a preloss condition. But there are many steps in that process because a disaster like this can affect your home in many ways. First, our technicians must clear the property of all non-salvageable materials. Common materials damaged beyond repair are flammable ones such as draperies, wallpaper, and textiles. Sometimes parts of a building assembly, such as gypsum board, maybe deemed non-salvageable due to intense penetration from smoke. Our approach is to divide these tasks among our team members to ensure that the work is completed as quickly as possible. A production technician works on disposing of debris and storing or packing away items to clean later. Simultaneously, our crew chiefs set to work pre-testing smoke damages and with your adjuster to provide a verbal estimate. 

Early Stages of Restoration 

• The service team receives your notification of loss and arranges equipment, trucks, and personnel for arrival at your home within four hours.
• Technicians pre-test smoke deposits and charred materials to produce a verbal estimate with your adjuster.
• Technicians arrange dumpsters for debris removal and work to pack away salvageable items for restoration later.

A critical part of restoration is odor control. Odor particles are volatile particles that are released when materials combust. Synthetic materials remove the most pungent odors, but the burning of organic materials can also fill a property with a burning smell. Odor particles gradually dissipate by themselves, but we understand that the several weeks this dissipation takes can be unacceptable to homeowners and affect your quality of life at the property. We have specialized odor control technicians (OCT) that have an arsenal of equipment to counteract malodors. Despite this technology, it can often be the case that odors are dealt with through thorough cleaning and smoke removal. Our team can use various methods to control odor when that is not the case.

Equipment for Removing Smoke Odors from Home

• Air Filtration Devices (AFDs) can be set up in your home to extract microscopic particles from the air and pass them through filters. AFDs can often indirectly reduce odor.
• Hydroxyl generators use UV-C rays to neutralize odors or compounds from indoor air and are safe to use in properties with occupants or pets.
• oZone generators release an unstable gas into the area that eliminates odor. However, O3 gas is harmful, meaning these machines require temporarily vacating the property.

If an accidental fire damages your home, contact SERVPRO of Western Union County for fire damage restoration at (908) 791-9177.

Mitigating Water Damage for Residents of New Providence

2/23/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the training and equipment to restore your water damaged home in New Providence.

SERVPRO Technicians Have Extensive Experience in Water Mitigation and Restoration

When properties become wet, they begin to suffer damage. Water intrusion can occur from multiple sources but are most commonly the result of a malfunction in the home's infrastructure. Water can permanently harm your property's structure and contents without professional intervention.

When consulting about water damage in New Providence, it is essential to recognize that restoration is a highly-skilled job. Technicians train, grow experience under supervision, and gain qualifications before being put in charge of restoring a homeowner's property. One of the core roles we perform for this community is mitigating loss following unexpected property damages. The fastest way to reduce loss, and protect your belongings or home from moisture, is through drying. Once moisture is out of the property, we can confidently say that no more damage is likely to occur, so the mitigation phase of our work is complete. Our job then becomes returning damaged belongings or structures to a preloss condition which is part of the restoration phase. 

Many methods when mitigating damage relies on psychrometry: the drying science. Psychrometry allows a restorer to understand and calculate the interaction between temperature, moisture, material, and air. You may find that certain items, such as clothing, dry quickly. That occurs because textiles are generally porous, allowing air and temperature to circulate rapidly through the fibers. Other parts of your home, such as the subfloor, may absorb moisture slowly, which can take longer to dry depending on the density or porosity of those materials. Some materials may lose their shape, color, or strength following exposure to moisture. Our team can calculate and apply the correct solution to any size disaster using drying science.

Basic Principles of Psychrometry and Drying Method

• Drying a wet property relies on speeding up natural evaporation by using air circulation, heat, and knowledge of material porosity.
• The moisture on wet materials evaporates into surrounding air until it reaches cooler surfaces, where it recondenses into liquid. 
• When the surrounding air becomes saturated (high humidity), it is no longer capable of absorbing additional moisture. Humid environments slow the evaporation of wet materials.

Moisture can harm your property in two ways. The first is the impact of liquid which can absorb into materials causing them to warp, discolor, bleed, shrink or buckle. The second impact comes from evaporated liquids which can deposit moisture onto upper surfaces, windows, or inside walls. Drying a property correctly needs to focus on controlling humidity to increase evaporation of liquid while preventing vapor damage or high humidity. In a nutshell, drying the air is essential to dry the floor. To achieve both of these goals, our technicians must combine two pieces of equipment. Air movers circulate heated air to evaporate moisture, and dehumidifiers extract the evaporated water from the air. SERVPRO technicians calculate their approach first and then monitor the conditions using equipment readings to ensure they are balanced efficiently.

Methods for Drying Wet Materials

• The solid wood used in floorboards or frameworks of a home can take longer to dry and often requires advanced equipment such as desiccant dehumidifiers to dry appropriately.
• Drywall generally dries quickly, but if it imbibes too much liquid, it may weaken or break apart, requiring replacement.
• Wall, floor, or ceiling cavities often require special attention to prevent water from pooling inside and stagnating. We can either remove wall portions to allow circulation or adapt equipment to direct air into the cavities. 

Drying a wet property can be complex without professional knowledge. Contact SERVPRO of Western Union County for water damage restoration at (908) 791-9177.

Effects of Mold Damage on Materials and Air Quality in New Providence Homes

2/23/2023 (Permalink)

Don’t despair when your home or office in New Providence sustains mold damage. Contact SERVPRO to assess and remediate.

SERVPRO Can Provide New Providence Residents with Expert Mold Remediation Technicians

Mold can eat away at clothing, drywall, and organic matter. It can also be challenging to remove due to the penetrative hyphae, which allows these microbes to cling onto or to surfaces. Some microbes do not need light to grow, which means an infestation can stay hidden for several weeks or months. You must enlist a professional remediator if you suspect or discover microbial growth in your property. 

Local remediation technicians can help restore mold damage in your New Providence home. We use cutting-edge technology to find the sources of microbial growth and eliminate them. Once the source of the problem is resolved, it is often just a case of disposing of moldy materials and cleaning surfaces to get your home back to its preloss condition. Like all living things, microbes require moisture to grow. If parts of your home smell musty or have a visible infestation, there is likely a moisture problem. Our technicians use moisture sensors, meters, and thermal imaging cameras to search for potential water leaks or vapor damages in the home. This equipment measures wall or surface temperatures to calculate the likelihood of moisture residing in or behind them. We are halfway towards solving the microbial issue by correcting the moisture problem. 

Another core condition for the reproduction of microbes is energy. Mold uses digestive enzymes to break down organic matter, which they convert into energy for growth. A home environment is full of organic matter; it is the wood frames deep in the building assembly, the subfloor, and the interior surfaces like drywall. Denser materials such as lumber wood can often be restored by either cleaning the surface with anti-microbial chemicals or removing layers using sand-blasting equipment. In rare situations, lumber woods may have an abnormal moisture content, measured using a penetrating meter, which can be the source of the infestation, commonly called dry rot. Porous materials such as plyboards, gypsum boards, or drywall often suffer more from microbes which makes replacing them a requirement. SERVPRO technicians can professionally remove and replace infested materials that are deemed non-salvageable.

Preventing Microbial Growth in the Home

• Maintaining insulation in garages or exposed areas is a useful preventative measure for condensation damage.
• Crawlspaces can become wet during periods of heavy rainfall. Installing a vapor barrier can be both energy efficient and protect against infestations.
• If water pressure drops, it can result from a slow leak. Using professional plumbers or water restoration technicians to repair the problem. 

Infestations can harm indoor air quality. When mold grows into full-size colonies, it begins to release spores into the surrounding atmosphere. Spores are microscopic seeds that settle on surfaces where they can grow into new colonies. While spores are airborne, they can be ingested or inhaled by occupants in the home. One method of tackling this air quality issue is air filtration devices (AFDs). This equipment is measured by the size of particles they can filter, with certain types going as low as 0.3 microns. A human hair, by comparison, registers at 70 microns. SERVPRO technicians can set up AFD devices in affected areas of the home to clean the air and ensure that your property fully recovers after an infestation.

Air Filtration Devices

• High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are the best at removing microscopic matter from indoor air, including spores. 
• These devices can also use carbon filters which help to remove odorous particles from indoor air spaces.
• Active air purifiers can also purify indoor air by releasing ions that attract and neutralize potential contaminants into the space.

If your home emits a musty odor or has a microbial growth problem, contact SERVPRO of Western Union County for mold damage removal at (908) 791-9177.

Revamping Your Floorboards During Commercial Water Damage Repair in New Providence

2/22/2023 (Permalink)

Call your local professionals at SERVPRO to ensure your property is dry and sanitary.

SERVPRO Can Restore Your Water-Damaged Floorboard in New Providence 

Repairing damaged floorboards can present unique challenges when performing commercial water damage repairs. We have to perform the necessary restoration procedures to ensure they keep on playing their role of making your business appear appealing and functional. Floorboards can be made of stone, tile, laminate, engineered wood, or hardwood.

The floorboards in your New Providence property can be impacted in different ways after a water damage incident. It is our SERVPRO technicians' work to assess the damage's extent and determine whether it can be salvaged. Since the different types of floorboards have varying susceptibility to water damage, we use different restoration techniques.

If hardwood floorboards get exposed to water for a long time, they may develop cupping and warping. We perform the following procedures during restoration:

• Sanding: We sand to remove the water stains
• Refinishing: Normally done after sanding to ensure restored sections match with the existing ones
• Replacement: We do this when the damage is so extensive.

Although engineered floorboards are more resistant to moisture damage when compared to hardwood, they still get affected by cupping and warping. The restoration procedure is the same as the one we use when restoring hardwood floorboards. It is also not possible to restore laminate floorboards that have been exposed to water for an extended period; the only remedy is to do a replacement.

When SERVPRO technicians restore stone and tile floorboards, it is a different scenario. Even though they are resistant to water damage, they can still get damaged once water infiltrates to cause discoloration, chipping, and cracking. Our team normally removes and replaces the affected stones or tiles and re-applies the sealant if it has been compromised.

Contact SERVPRO of Western Union County for effective and fast water damage mitigation solutions. Our team offers 24-hour emergency services and is Faster To Any Size Disaster. Call (908) 791-9177 and get to work with highly skilled restoration technicians.

Fire Restoration Building Services Provided by SERVPRO in New Providence

1/24/2023 (Permalink)

If you find yourself in need of assistance with fire damage remediation, call SERVPRO.

Fast Fire Damage Restoration Saves Time and Costs for New Providence Homeowners

Homeowners are often overwhelmed after a fire damages their homes in New Providence. The devastation from the fire, the odor of smoke residue throughout the house, and the damage from the efforts of the fire department to quell the fire can be extensive.

SERVPRO can assist clients with fire restoration and cleanup of their New Providence home after a fire. Our SERVPRO technicians have a great deal of experience with fires. We are onsite within four hours of your call and ready to begin fire restoration as soon as your insurance company approves. Our approach is as follows:

• Remove damaged contents that cannot be cleaned or repaired
• Removal of damaged structure – cabinets, drywall, flooring, ceiling tiles, etc.
• Non-porous items are cleaned, deodorized, and removed for safe storage
• Cleanup and odor removal throughout the home

Once your home is ready for reconstruction, many homeowners are faced with finding drywall installers, electricians, and plumbers. Then the arduous task of ordering and installing new cabinets and appliances, flooring, and many more tradespeople before your home is returned to its original condition. Let SERVPRO help with a seamless transition from cleanup to building back.

This restoration phase after a fire is also overwhelming for many consumers. SERVPRO provides construction, building remodeling, and restoration services. We coordinate all trades to reduce the time needed to complete repair and restoration. Our efforts reduce the total cost to the client as well and include the following:

• General contracting
• Plumbing, electrical, flooring, roofing, insulation, drywall, painting, etc.
• Furniture restoration and cleaning inside and outside your home
• Temporary services, including roof tarps, board up, and warehouse space to protect your recovered and cleaned contents

We aim to return your home to its original condition, “Like it Never Even Happened.”

Call SERVPRO of Western Union County for fire restoration services. We provide service to New Providence and nearby areas. We can help 24/7. Call (908) 791-9177.

Why SERVPRO Trains & Learns About Mold Removal in New Providence

1/16/2023 (Permalink)

Have you or your family smelled mold or seen the signs? Call SERVPRO for an effective investigation and for remediation services. We're here 365 days.

Mold Removal Experts Need Training & Experience

When your family residence in New Providence shows signs of microbial contamination or infestation, you want to know that a capable team of mold removal and remediation specialists can help. SERVPRO has dedicated professionals who receive extensive training in this and other areas.

Our technicians receive ongoing training in the techniques of mold removal. Our New Providence customers needing mold removal services benefit from having up-to-date removal and remediation technicians who understand the latest developments. Much of our training is based on IICRC guidelines. The course instructors who provide our training are also certified by the IICRC.

Here are a few of the reasons we engage in continuous training:

• New developments in building materials,
• Scientific discoveries regarding microbes, and
• New types of equipment are purchased.

When new materials to be used in building homes come on the market, SERVPRO wants to know how these can impact our customers who are already dealing with water disasters. Microbes can grow on non-cellulose materials if the dust settles on them long enough. Other new materials might also provide locations for microbial colonization. We want to know how to treat this new material without damaging it.

New microbes are continually being discovered. Some might require different handling methods that allow us to continue performing excellent mold removal work. New discoveries can help us provide better services to our customers.

Other times, the new development is closer to home. We often purchase new equipment to help us work more efficiently and provide our valued customers with the best possible services. Knowing how to use each new piece of equipment before arriving at a customer's location means less time spent learning and more time handling a disaster with skill and expertise.

SERVPRO of Western Union County is dedicated to serving the public in every disaster, including mold removal and remediation. Call us at (908) 791-9177, 24/7.

Water Damage Repair in New Providence Homes after a Storm

11/22/2022 (Permalink)

Our techs are ready 24/7, 365 days a year.

For Efficient New Providence Storm Cleanup, Contact SERVPRO

A storm is usually characterized by torrential rains and high wind speeds that exert colossal pressure on the exterior surfaces of a structure. The windows, doors, and roofs are the most sensitive components of a home, as the winds can snap tree branches throwing them all over. Significant water volumes could enter your New Providence home when windows and roofs are compromised and cause appalling damage.

Speedy water damage repair at a New Providence property is essential, as excess moisture can affect every structural component, including the framing and foundation. When your floor is exposed to large amounts of water, the floor covering may deteriorate. Signs of high moisture levels in your flooring include buckling, cupping, and warping. SERVPRO responds quickly to storm emergencies extracting excess water, using a pump or squeegee, from your floors to prevent material deterioration.

Readily identifiable damage includes:

• Fallen and sagging ceiling panels
• Deteriorated drywall and insulation in walls
• Soaked carpet and furniture
• Damage to electrical fixtures

Storm Damage Repair

The restoration professionals at SERVPRO determine the best approach based on the state of your home - the affected contents and structural components. Since storm-damaged structures pose many hazards, like broken glass pieces, exposed nails, wood splinters, and other sharp objects, our teams are well-equipped with PPE to avoid injuries.  

Steps during repair:

• Boarding up and installing tarps to halt water intrusion
• Remove absorbent materials such as carpet padding, furniture, and drapes
• Use air movers and dehumidifiers in affected areas to restore humidity
• Remove hidden moisture behind wallboards to avoid mold

Board-ups are crucial to help stop further moisture intrusion. Before installing tarps, SERVPRO crews determine the structural integrity of the roof. The ceiling may also pose dangers as it might be holding water. We drill weep holes starting from the edge of the sagging area to drain the cavity.

Trust SERVPRO of Western Union County for efficient water damage repair, even in the most complicated situations. Call us at (908) 791-9177. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Why are Infrared Cameras Beneficial During New Providence Water Mitigation?

9/30/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO provides fast and quality water damage restoration services in your area. Call now for the help you need.

SERVPRO Utilizes State-of-the-Art Water Damage Equipment in New Providence Properties

Water damage in a New Providence property can come in many different forms, presenting challenges in the cleanup methods needed. The advanced equipment SERVPRO uses assists in making the restoration service have the best outcome possible.

During water mitigation in New Providence properties, locating the migration path of the water is crucial, no matter what the cause of the incident is. Among the equipment SERVPRO uses, the infrared camera also referred to as "thermography," is one of the most frequently relied on devices because:

• It causes no damage to the structure
• Reduces the challenge of inspecting difficult-to-reach areas
• Allows the techs to cover more area in less time

A penetrating moisture meter makes small holes with a needle to obtain accurate readings during the inspection phase of the restoration service. The use of infrared cameras need only be pointed at the area where water is suspected. The display shows color differentiations designating cooler and warmer areas behind walls. A frequently seen use of this equipment to find moisture within a home is seen in homes with extremely high ceilings. Without a ladder or scaffolding, it is difficult to use moisture meters in these areas of the structure; however, the infrared camera can detect the temp differences while the technicians stand below on the floor. The area coverage of the thermal camera makes inspecting the property go far more efficiently, so the areas that need attention from SERVPRO get focused on more quickly. In some cases, previously unknown issues can get found and repaired during the water damage mitigation service.

SERVPRO of Western Union County at (908) 791-9177 is available 24/7 for all types and sizes of water mitigation in New Providence properties. The trained techs make the damage to the home "Like it never even happened."

Quicken Your Water Damage Remediation Process in New Providence with SERVPRO

8/21/2022 (Permalink)

Don't let water damage dampen your wedding plans in New Providence! Call SERVPRO for cleanup and restoration.

Boutiques and Bridal Shops Benefit from SERVPRO's Services

Water damage affecting stores can happen anytime from accidental or negligent leaks. When that happens, you should focus on how to save items and restore the store to its preloss state. A bridal shop can develop a wide range of issues, including secondary damage affecting high-value items such as gowns. A response plan that relies on variety will likely produce a better outcome.

Commercial water damage in your New Providence bridal shop will likely affect many areas. While most of the damage may be from the water pooling on floors and other surfaces, the incident can affect your store differently. Contents made of fabrics such as gowns have hygroscopic properties meaning they can easily absorb moisture from the air, which can ruin them. Our SERVPRO technicians anticipate such problems and can help move the contents from your facility. We can section of the property unaffected by the spill. We can also take further steps, such as sealing doorways with plastic sheets to limit air movement between affected and unaffected areas, thus limiting the effects of high humidity levels on your contents.

The restoration process differs at different stages. Immediately after discovering the spill, removing water from visible surfaces is the main priority. Having efficient extraction equipment is crucial to ensure that no standing water remains in the structure after 24 hours. After dealing with standing water, there is a need to address water in concealed areas such as subfloors or wall cavities. Our SERVPRO technicians have access to a wide variety of equipment, including high-pressure pumps, truck-mounted water extractors, and submersible pumps. We also have specialized cavity-drying systems, which help us remove moisture from concealed areas with minimal demolition.

Drying moisture remnants from the shop is necessary to comfort and prevent microbial growth. Various types of dehumidifiers can help dry the property to the desired level. Our SERVPRO technicians use different dehumidifiers, including conventional refrigerant, low grain refrigerant, and desiccant dehumidifiers. Conventional ones are efficient when drying up to 55gpp humidity level. If we need further drying, we can use LGR dehumidifiers which can achieve levels as low as 40gpp.

Water loss situations can be full of surprises, so preparation is necessary. Call SERVPRO of Western Union County at (908) 460-5426 to help provide various solutions. "Like it never even happened."

Become Familiar with New Providence Fire Damage Disaster Recovery

8/21/2022 (Permalink)

New Providence homeowners love how SERVPRO restores their fire damaged properties. "Like it never even happened."

Before We Begin Cleaning Smoke Damage in New Providence Homes

As much as homeowners want to have their properties back to preloss conditions as quickly as possible, rushing to restore New Providence residences after a fire can do more harm than good. With every scenario offering unique challenges for even our professional SERVPRO fire restoration specialists, we must carefully determine the full scope of the damage, the spread of these conditions, and the most efficient and practical approaches to fully restoring the property. 

Smoke damage and effects can be among the worst lingering examples of fire damage in New Providence homes after an emergency. Because of its ability to affect the property in more than one way, our Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) must stay trained in the latest and most effective practices for addressing residues, debris, and odors that smoke effects can leave behind. Before we can begin cleaning damaged areas, however, there are preliminary steps to help ultimately make these restorative actions more successful. 

One of the first steps we must take is identifying the full extent of these damaging residues. Between smoke and soot, coatings could spread out far from the initial source of the fire. Careful inspections can determine how fire and smoke moved through the structure and residues directly impacted each surface. We would also use this opportunity to determine the type of residue, as there are different practices for restoring smoke, soot, and other coatings we might encounter after a fire. 

Before cleaning the residue away, we must consider the type of surface and the best approach to capture and remove soot and smoke particles from this material. Because of a bonding that occurs, which can also lead to staining with improper cleaning techniques, taking an extra bit of time to identify the best cleaning approach for the material type protects both the material itself and prevents particulates from getting stirred up into the air. 

Fire loss incidents can affect your home in many ways, but our SERVPRO of Western Union County team can help. (908) 460-5426.