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5 Tips that are a must do first

My building has had a fire…what do I do now? That question is heard every day at a Fire and Water Damage Restoratoin company.What any professional will tell you is the most important thing you can do is take immediate action.  Every minute that passes could add to the amount of money and time it will take to fully restore what you have lost…and you loss will expand if you wait.

Time is most critical in Water/Flood Damage. It only takes 24 hours for mold fungi and bacteria to begin to grow and multiply. The entire building will begin to be permeated with foul and unpleasant odors. Hardwood flooring will likely be ruined from warping and metal surfaces will start to tarnish and rust. Try to avoid self drying. You can mop up the large amounts of water, but just looking dry is not enough.

Moisture monitoring equipment is had by IICRC professionals that can show them where the moisture is and indicate whether or not more drying is needed. When left untreated, wet materials will warp or deteriorate and in worst cases grow mold causing thousands of dollars in un-necassary damge to you property.

Follow these steps when you have a disaster to help make your claim go smoothly:

1. Contact your insurance agent (Am I Covered?)

2. Immediately contact your local restoration company to star the cleaning and drying. Whomever you choose, make sure they are an IICRC certified technician. IICRC Certified companies can be found by zip code on the IICRC website. This cannot be stressed too much. There are hundreds of copy cat companies out there that will say they do restoration work, but they are not trained or certified.

3. Don’t try cleaning the soot or water damage yourself! Only certified specialist should handle fire cleaning and water extraction services. Doing it yourself will likely cause more damage. Again, check with the IICRC.

4. If you are a business, contact your employees and explain the situation. Contact major customers and explain there may be delays.

5. If you are a homeowner, contact the utility companies for your residence. If you have a water loss, call your sewage company. You may save money on your sewer bill since the lost water did not go through your drains.

Most significantly…act at once!

To limit the potential damage from a fire around the perimeter of you home, I would suggest you invest in some fire retardant shrubs and plants that you could add in and around your home/business.   Lists of ideas are:

• Jade Plants
• Rose Geraniums
• Ice Plants

Some other tips….firewood should be stored outside of and away from the building….Keep tree limbs at least 10 feet from your home…and remove dead leaves/pine needles from your gutters.  Find out where your water shut off is in your home.Inspect your breaker box so you know how to turn off the electricity to you home in an emergency.Get your fireplace and chimney professionally inspected.  Make sure your fire extinguishers are in easy to access places through your entire house.

There are times when no matter what you do disaster strikes.To be prepared remember and share these tips with your family members and or co-workers.

Our site at FGSWPA has detailed information about fire and water damage restoration. or for emergency services 24 hours 7 days a week call First General Services of Western PA at 1-800-553-8426.

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Oil furnaces require more maintenance than other types of furnace such as gas. It is better to keep your oil furnace well looked after so that you can ensure it lasts longer. The life expectancy of your furnace will be prolonged if you clean it each and every year. It is not a difficult job but it can be messy.

The power supply should be disconnected before you begin. The burner assembly which is located next to the electrodes should be removed next. You should check your own manual to find out exactly how to do this. The nozzle can then be replaced as long as the new one has the same type of spray pattern.

After you have done this, you should take care to wipe down the entire assembly in order to remove any soot or oil. You will need to replace any insulators of the electrodes if you find any erosion or cracks, when you inspect them. Make sure that you position and gap them before inspecting. You will need a special tool to do this as doing it without it could result in fires or an explosion if they are not gapped correctly.

Other items such as the transformer, air passages, cage on the combustion blower, oil pump and the electrodes on the transformer will all need to be wiped down too. After these have all been wiped, you can reassemble the furnace and get it going again. You should expect it to restart very quickly and silently

Making sure your oil furnace is cleaned regularly can help it to last longer but it is very important that it is done right. If you want to do it yourself you will find instructions on how to carry out this job in your instruction manual. However if you are concerned that you may not be able to do it correctly you could always get a professional to come each year to take care of it.

Some people spend a lot of money heating their homes in the winter. Fuel such as electricity and gas show no signs of coming down in price. Savvy people are changing over to oil as a home fuel though. And when this happens they have to ensure the tanks re always full of cheapest heating oil to make sure they don’t run dry in the cold weather.

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How often have you felt that it was becoming humanely impossible to clear away all the soot, oil stains and dirt from the walls? They look ugly and moreover you spend hours cleaning, wiping and moping without any satisfactory results. Things would have been different, if you had a granite countertop. They are easy to clean and keeping them stain-free is relatively easy, only if you know the right methods. There are a few specific guidelines about cleaning the granite. Are you keen to know more about granite cleaning methods? Wondering how you can easily but efficiently clean the granite surface? Then read on as we share a few tips with you…

Before you do anything else, you should always think of protecting the granite surface. You can follow a few simple rules and even teach your children those rules in order to keep the surface clean. You should always use coasters under cans, bottles and glasses and pads for the hot pots and warm dishes. This ensures that the surface does not come in direct contact with the heat. If there is a spill, you should clean it immediately, so that the stone does not retain the stains. As for the granite floors, it is better to use the pads for avoiding etching.

If you have a granite floor, you can simply put a rug near the door which will protect the surface. You should keep the granite countertop as clean as possible. Make sure that it is cleaned daily. You can wipe away all the dirt with warm water and a soft cloth. If there are water spots, you can use the soft cloth to wipe them. Make sure that after water is used on granite surface you pat it dry with a soft cloth as else water stains are likely. There are a number of granite cleaners available in the market. You can use them to clean the granite surface. The mild granite cleaner will be good for the surface. The solution should not contain any harmful chemicals which can discolor the countertops.

There are natural granite cleaners available in the market. They are not only good for the granite, but they are mild enough for human health. Although they are mild, they will be strong enough to keep the granite countertop clean. You can use the granite sealer which is most effective in protecting the surface. If you want to apply the sealer, you should consult a professional. During the installation process, generally the granites are sealed so that the stain does not penetrate in deeper levels. You can ask the manufacturer, how often the floor or the countertop should be sealed.

If you follow the guidelines carefully, you can be assured of at least one thing. Without any fail, you will notice that the granite tops look clean and shiny. They look absolutely amazing. With a few tips, it is possible to keep the granite as good as new. Take good care of the granite tops so that they do not look shabby or worn out even after years!

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A fire incident is one of the worst things that can happen to someone. Aside from the fact that it endangers lives, a fire can consume your home, business and everything you own in a matter of minutes.

A Good Way to Prevent fire damage

Just last year, the country’s primary association in developing codes for building and construction passed a requirement during a Minneapolis hearing calling for the installation of fire sprinklers in newly-constructed residential areas, including one- and two-family houses as well as townhomes beginning 2011.

This code is an important move towards better safety in residences, helping to keep fire damage minimal. Had this building requirement came earlier, many homes would have been saved from major fire destruction. Firefighters agree that sprinkler systems are necessary features in every home, putting out fires quickly before the fire grows or spreads to cause devastation.

Because the requirement covers only new residential construction, some owners of old homes may feel like they have been saved a costly upgrade. In addition, since the code’s enforcement is still a couple of years away, owners of fairly new homes may also be thinking twice about installing fire sprinklers in their homes again because of the added expense to an already soaring housing cost but this a home upgrade that can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in fire restoration. It can also help lower insurance costs. More importantly, it can save your life or the life a loved one.

When the Damage Has Been Done

First, protect your property right after the incident. There are windows and doors board up services available in Minneapolis that can quickly respond to secure your home.

Next, it’s time for cleanup. Aside from being distressing emotionally, cleaning up after a fire can also be tough physical labor. The smell of smoke and the soot are just some of the things that you have to deal with. Nevertheless, delaying the cleanup may further cause damage to your property so it is best to deal with it as soon as it is safe to go into the damaged area.

If you think you just cannot handle doing the cleanup on your own, you can opt to call professionals to do the job. There are many such contractors in Minneapolis. They will carefully remove fire debris as well as burnt structures from your home. They would also know how to effectively remove soot from the walls and get rid of the smell of smoke.

Many fire victims get professional fire damage repair and cleanup service even if there is minimal damage, especially those with home insurance since losses due to fires are often covered by standard plans. Just make sure to work with a reputable contractor.

In addition, secure service contracts in writing. Keep all receipts and transaction records so it will be easier for you when it’s time to file your insurance claim. However, before you seek a contractor to clean up the fire damage, report the incident to your insurance company first so they can send someone to evaluate the damage.

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