The ERP Plan from SERVPRO helps against Fire Damage for your home in Gilman

2/19/2023 (Permalink)

The ERP Plan from SERVPRO is a Valuable Tool Against Fire and Water Damage in Gilman

What is your preference if disaster strikes -- prepared or panicked? When fire or water damage threatens your property, knowing you have a detailed action plan solidly in place gives you confidence that your home or business is on the road to a speedy and sure restoration. We partner with you to get a complete recovery blueprint crafted and in place. 
 
Developing a SERVPRO Emergency Ready Profile and Plansafeguards your investment by streamlining our response to your troubles. Select us as your SERVPRO Franchise Representative, and start by scheduling a free, no-obligation walk-through of either your home or your business with one of our professional assessors. A review of your physical plant sharpens our focus on how to best respond to your property’s unique needs in the event of a catastrophic fire event in Gilman. We also recommend adjustments for you to better prepare for loss based on our experience. 
 
The next step is to create your account online. Complete an Emergency Ready Profile for your property, following the template provided. Owning or operating more than one property simply means you fill out a Profile for each. The Profile app directs the procedure, including prompts to take and archive pictures and layouts of all areas. Utility locations and shutoffs are pinpointed, and sprinkler and alarm systems are delineated. Key managers or employees to whom you delegate decision-making authority are determined. Identify the owner of the building if you lease space. 
 
We suggest the use of a tablet or phone to record the data requested in the SERVPRO Ready Plan Application, including taking pictures. A Field Form downloaded, printed, and completed as you tour the property also is acceptable for you to use as a preliminary source of information. Once you finish the walk-through, log into your account and load the details online, adding the pictures taken per the prompts. 
 
Once your Emergency Ready Profiles and Plan (ERPs) are saved our SERVPRO will hit the ground running when you or your representative contact us after a disaster or mishap. Use the mobile app to log into your account and alert us about the specific situation. The app speedily leads you through the process, using the information you previously inputted. We have a clear and concise plan at our fingertips, permitting our technicians to get to work immediately to restore the damage. The established plan is vastly preferable to our crew familiarizing themselves with the building under stress and needing many questions answered. 
 
Being "Ready for whatever happens" inspires faith in your customers, employees, and family. It is clear your business recovers and thrives, or your home again provides comfort and shelter. Work with the professionals at SERVPRO of Kankakee County to devise an Emergency Ready Profile and Plan to protect your business, home, or other property from fire damage by calling (815) 935-0077 before a disaster occurs.

Fire damage to your Kankakee home

2/19/2023 (Permalink)

Having a fire event on your property can produce some pretty destructive and violent results. Regardless of how large or small the damage is, you never hear a property owner say that they are glad it happened to them. 
 
What you need is a team that can respond quickly to your request and starts taking care of the fire damage to your Boulder property immediately. Our technicians arrive on site within four hours and give you the benefit of having a company with IICRC certified technicians working for you. 
 
Due to the extensive damage received throughout the duration of a fire, professional restoration services are your best bet to returning your home to a quality pre-damage condition in the quickest most efficient way possible. 
 
Heat alone does a significant amount of damage to your structure; it can warp your flooring and cause extensive damage. The contents of your home may be affected in various ways, requiring specialized item restoration services only available at SERVPRO. 
 
Smoke can reach into cracks and crevices throughout your home, leaving soot residues behind, staining surfaces and cause odors to penetrate various materials, SERVPRO can help. With a variety of deodorization and cleaning methods designed to return things to normal quickly. 
 
SERVPRO gives you access to technicians with the experience and training required to present you with the quality services you need to make your fire damage disappear, "Like it never even happened." 
 
We help you manage your insurance paperwork and communicate with your insurance company. Taking care of you and your family along the way to ensure a smooth restoration process. 
 
SERVPRO technicians also answer any questions you have about our services and only present you with those that you need. We have certified technicians to handle every aspect of your restoration, from water removal to finishing touches. 
 
Remember, we are a locally owned and operated company. We live, work, and play in the same places you do. Giving us a unique perspective towards your restoration needs. 
 
Give us the opportunity to provide you with a unique solution to your problem by calling SERVPRO of Kankakee County today. (815) 935-0077

The Importance of Dryer Vent Cleaning in Bourbonnais

8/30/2022 (Permalink)

The Importance of Bradley Dryer Vent Cleaning

Dryer vent cleaning prevents fires. If you live in Bradley or any other area within Kankakee County, you will want to make sure that your home or commercial property is completely safe. Whether by flooding, fire or some other mishap, there are plenty of ways that your property can be threatened. One of the best ways to ensure that you are prepared for a catastrophic emergency is always to have a local residential and commercial property cleanup and restoration service.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Prevents Fires 

Keep your property from sustaining irreversible fire damage. Making sure your dryer vents are clean and free from obstruction will help keep your property safe from the possibility of a fire. It's also an excellent precaution to take to keep the air in the building from getting choked up with dust, lint and other health hazards that can accumulate in a dryer vent. 

Get Help from a Local Cleanup and Restoration Service 

It's up to you to contact an expert local cleaning and fire restoration service to ensure that your vents get cleaned in a correct and timely fashion. When you are in doubt as to whether the vents or other areas in your home are functioning correctly, a good, thorough cleaning is never a bad idea. 

Even if it turns out that your property is not quite yet due for a full cleaning, a reputable local cleanup service can help such as removing any excess pollen or debris that has accumulated in the vents. This way, you can save a great deal of time, money and worry by taking timely preventative measures. Keeping the proper level of air quality in your home or commercial building will go a long way toward keeping the structure safe for your family or employees to inhabit. An expert local service will ultimately save you a great deal of time and stress.

Expert Help for Dryer Vent Cleaning Is Available 

At SERVPRO of Kankakee County, we know that dryer vent cleaning in Bradley prevents fires. This is only one of the many services that we can provide for you to make sure that your home or commercial property will be safe against the event of an unforeseen mishap or emergency. If an emergency should befall your property, you'll want to call a service that can get to you in a prompt and timely manner. 

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

If you are in need of quick and efficient dryer vent cleaning, we're here to assist you. We can also help residents in Bourbonnais, Gilman, Beecher, Dwight and other nearby areas. Call us at (815) 935-0077 for more information.

SERVPRO - Restoring Manteno Homes After Fire Damage

2/28/2022 (Permalink)

Left starting from scratch after fire damage has turned your home upside down? Call SERVPRO to help with all your remediation needs.

Revive Your Home in Manteno After Fire Damage Using SERVPRO

At just an hour south of Lake Michigan, Manteno is a perfect, little town just off I-57. Residents and visitors call it picturesque, and they are correct. Even so, our community still has its share of fires and other disasters.
 
When a homeowner must deal with fire damage in Manteno, the only way to ensure complete restoration is to hire an experienced company with an extensive inventory of tools and cleaners. Every SERVPRO office has access to a nationwide support network. With it, our restoration specialists can perform nearly every task except for total reconstruction of a damaged home.
 
House fires usually start in the kitchen and either burn themselves out or get extinguished quickly. Common forms of damage include scorched ceiling and wall tiles, melted or warped flooring, and residue deposits from the smoke.
 
For physically damaged items, SERVPRO specialists quickly remove all drywall, appliances, flooring, and ceiling tiles. It clears the home so they can clean, but disposal also reduces the number of odors left behind after the fire. Our team members break down and bag everything when possible to avoid accidentally spreading ash or soot throughout the home.
 
After clearing out the kitchen, personnel clean everything remaining from floor to ceiling. If not removed quickly, residues can continue to eat away at surfaces while also continuing to generate odors. Specialists have access to cleaners tailored to both dry or wet residues and the type of surface they settled onto such as porous wood tables and nonporous surfaces such as marble countertops.
 
As team members clean the salvageable items, others begin construction where needed. Specialists replace interior wall framing that cannot be cleaned of residues and then hang new drywall panels to enclose the kitchen from the rest of the home again. As the walls go up, personnel can also lay in new flooring to include wood, commercial carpeting, or vinyl tile.
 
Regardless of the level of damage or where it may be, SERVPRO of Kankakee County quickly works to remove or clean it from your home. If you have had even a very small fire in your home, call us at (815) 935-0077 today to schedule a visit. We are here for you.

Click here for more about Manteno.

Fire Damage in Kankakee County - SERVPRO Responds

2/28/2022 (Permalink)

First Responders at recent occurrence in Kankakee County

SERVPRO of Kankakee County recently responded to a fire damaged residence. Mitigating and restoring your Kankakee County home to its original condition requires a professional service trained to handle physical damage, smoke residues, and odors.

Smoke residues present a unique hazard that can be challenging to clean making it a situation many Kankakee County homeowners leave up to the expertise and skills of our SERVPRO professionals. From the risks present in the spread of these residues, from surface to surface throughout a fire-damaged address, to the staining that could result from improper removal, fire loss effects can permanently mar your property without the right approach. 

All of us here at SERVPRO of Kankakee County understand that having dedicated and trained technicians and utilizing professional protocols and equipment make a real difference in reducing claims and loss expenses. Our adage “Like it never even happened,” is our goal in returning damaged areas to a preloss condition and we are dedicated to both the property and lives of the customers we assist 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. We are SERVPRO of Kankakee County 815-935-0077

Proud to be an associate member of MABAS

1/26/2022 (Permalink)

MABAS is an acronym for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System. MABAS offers a statewide mutual aid response system for fire, EMS and specialized incident operational teams. Sharing the effort are representatives from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Public Health – EMS Division and Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. The system defines a resource response plan to any location within the state when the Governor orders a Declaration of Disaster.

SERVPRO of Kankakee County is an associate member of MABAS, and even have a firefighter on staff. We are committed to the keeping our county safe and are pleased to be associated with this amazing organization! 

Leave It To The Professionals To Clean Up Soot! Call SERVPRO!

1/17/2022 (Permalink)

Soot damaged framing at a home in Momence, IL.

You’ll probably be anxious to start cleaning your home after a fire, however, unless you take the time to get a professional to help you, you’ll be wasting your efforts and time or even creating more damage. Contact your insurance agent immediately; they can give you advice on replacement or restoration of any items which sustained fire damage. If you are a renter, speak with your landlord so you can both assess the damages.

Your insurance agent might also be able to help you find a professional fire damage restorer. These companies can give you hints to prevent any more damage, and help you figure out what items can or cannot be refurbished, plus give you estimates and services for thoroughly deodorizing and cleaning your home. Even if you think the services are pricey, it is well worth it to avoid more costly damages or replacing furnishings and floors they might otherwise be able to restore for you.

Avoiding More Damage

Before you get the professional fire damage restoration company in your home, there are some things you can do to prevent more damages. However, make sure that you have permission from the fire marshal first that it is safe to enter your home again before you do anything at all. Open up windows to get the air inside moving and ventilate areas of your home. If you can, place a fan inside as well to help circulate the air. If there has been water damage which is substantial and it is warm outside, you will likely have to keep the windows closed and use a dehumidifier. With cold weather, your heating system, if operable, plus the cold air will help to start to take the moisture out. Change your furnace filter daily in this case until no soot shows. When the professionals get there, they will have the proper industrial equipment to continue and finish the process of drying your structure out completely. You can begin the dry out process to help mold from forming, which can happen quite quickly. Put plastic food wrap or aluminum foil around the legs of our furniture, and over items that are clean and dry with plastic, so they are not damaged during the repairs process.

Soot in Household Textiles

Soot is oily and will easily stain your draperies, carpets, and other household textiles. This is why it needs to be removed before anything is cleaned or deodorized. Let a professional restoration company remove the soot with a heavy-duty vacuum. They will be able to get the soot out properly and thoroughly so that your belongings have the best chance of being restored. They will also know how to avoid other items from being damaged from the soot during clean up. The professionals will also be able to remove soot from walls and other items in your home before they professionally remove the odors left behind as well.

When Fire Strikes - You Need A Team That Responds Quickly! SERVPRO!

10/21/2021 (Permalink)

Fire Damage can affect any aspect of your life. Call SERVPRO to help with any Residential or Commercial Fire Damage Needs.

Having a fire event on your property can produce some pretty destructive and violent results. Regardless of how large or small the damage is, you never hear a property owner say that they are glad it happened to them.
 
What you need is a team that can respond quickly to your request and starts taking care of the fire damage to your Boulder property immediately. Our technicians arrive on site within four hours and give you the benefit of having a company with IICRC certified technicians working for you.
 
Due to the extensive damage received throughout the duration of a fire, professional restoration services are your best bet to returning your home to a quality pre-damage condition in the quickest most efficient way possible.
 
Heat alone does a significant amount of damage to your structure; it can warp your flooring and cause extensive damage. The contents of your home may be affected in various ways, requiring specialized item restoration services only available at SERVPRO.
 
Smoke can reach into cracks and crevices throughout your home, leaving soot residues behind, staining surfaces and cause odors to penetrate various materials, SERVPRO can help. With a variety of deodorization and cleaning methods designed to return things to normal quickly.
 
SERVPRO gives you access to technicians with the experience and training required to present you with the quality services you need to make your fire damage disappear, "Like it never even happened."
 
We help you manage your insurance paperwork and communicate with your insurance company. Taking care of you and your family along the way to ensure a smooth restoration process.
 
SERVPRO technicians also answer any questions you have about our services and only present you with those that you need. We have certified technicians to handle every aspect of your restoration, from water removal to finishing touches.
 
Remember, we are a locally owned and operated company. We live, work, and play in the same places you do. Giving us a unique perspective towards your restoration needs.
 
Give us the opportunity to provide you with a unique solution to your problem by calling SERVPRO of Kankakee County today. (815) 935-0077

Winter Is Around The Corner - Space Heaters Bring Risk Of Fires!

10/12/2021 (Permalink)

Space Heaters in Kankakee Need Watching

SERVPRO Tips to Prevent Fire-Induced Space Heater Damage to Your Home

When the weather grows colder, many homeowners turn up the furnace but also dig out the space heaters from storage. If your home is older with drafty windows and inefficient central heating, you may use the heaters to add another layer of warmth. Sometimes you may hold off on increasing the heat throughout the house because you think it will save money or you have rooms or areas you do not wish to heat. Whatever the reason for using space heaters you may find yourself calling SERVPRO if a fire sparks and your home is damaged. Space heaters often cause fires small and large, and it is essential that you do everything possible to avoid tragedy in your home if you choose to use one or more.

Kankakee home fire damage is not surprising when using space heaters in the winter for various reasons. Often they are located in bedrooms where the occupants are asleep and unaware that bedding or other objects have fallen into or have been kicked over the heater. Children's rooms are especially problematic with toys, games, and books in abundance, all of which can be very flammable if they touch the heater. Space heaters may also be knocked over by pets or people, especially if extension cords are used (which should never be allowed) and trip the unsuspecting. The expense of buying the most currently model may deter some from upgrading their space heaters, exposing family and friends to risks.
 
If you must use a space heater, please abide by the following tips that will make the use of it less likely to be hazardous and a call to your local SERVPRO franchise to restore your fire damaged property more remote.

Buy only space heaters that comply with current safety standards and dispose of those that do not.

Research the size heater needed for warming your planned area and do not exceed the size and power recommended. Watch the wattage.

Position the space heater with at least three feet in all directions of an uncluttered room.

Keep the space heater away from draperies, bedding, papers or anything else that is flammable.

Plug the space heater directly into a properly grounded outlet of the correct wattage for the heater. Know the limits of your electrical system and the load available for space heater usage.

Do not use adapters or extension cords to extend the range of a space heater.

Never leave a space heater on unattended in any room.

Turn off space heaters, including unplugging them, when you retire for sleep. If you are sleeping in the same room with the heater, please switch it off.

If you have the misfortune to experience fire damage from a space heater SERVPRO of Kankakee County stands ready to help you restore your dwelling and your peace of mind. Call for a consultation from one of our fire damage specialists at (815) 935-0077.

SERVPRO of Kankakee County Responds With Sense Of Urgency With No Time Wasted!

8/23/2021 (Permalink)

“Like it never even happened,” is our goal in returning damaged area to a preloss condition! We are SERVPRO of of Kankakee County 815-935-0077.

After a recent fire in Bourbonnais, SERVPRO of Kankakee County responded to assist the homeowner. SERVPRO’s fire mitigation specialists were on site within minutes of the event.

Immediate response time allows the minimization of damage and subsequent cleaning and restorative costs. Working with the homeowner and their insurance company, work has begun to mitigate the physical structure and the contents therein. Soot and smoke damage permeated the structure and contents. Soot and smoke damage is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, consisting of dust, acids and chemicals causing not only health hazards but significant damage to contents.

SERVPRO of Kankakee County’s Professionals clean and restore your property using time tested specialized equipment and cleaning techniques which reduces interruptions and gets you back to normalcy. All of us here at SERVPRO of Kankakee County understand that having dedicated and trained technicians and utilizing professional protocols and equipment make a real difference in reducing claims and loss expenses.

Our adage “Like it never even happened,” is our goal in returning damaged area to a preloss condition and we are dedicated to both the property and lives of the customers we assist 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year,  We are SERVPRO of Kankakee County 815-935-0077

SERVPRO Responds to Fire Damage in Kankakee County

2/23/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kankakee County on site at recent residential stucture fire.

After a recent fire, SERVPRO of Kankakee County responded to assist the homeowner. SERVPRO’s fire mitigation specialists were on site within minutes of the event. Immediate response time allows the minimization of damage and subsequent cleaning and restorative costs. Working with the homeowner and their insurance company, work has begun to mitigate the physical structure and the contents therein. Soot and smoke damage permeated the structure and contents. Soot and smoke damage is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, consisting of dust, acids and chemicals causing not only health hazards but significant damage to contents. SERVPRO of Kankakee County’s Professionals clean and restore your property using time tested specialized equipment and cleaning techniques which reduces interruptions and gets you back to normalcy.

All of us here at SERVPRO of Kankakee County understand that having dedicated and trained technicians and utilizing professional protocols and equipment make a real difference in reducing claims and loss expenses. Our adage “Like it never even happened,” is our goal in returning damaged areas to a preloss condition and we are dedicated to both the property and lives of the customers we assist 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. We are SERVPRO of Kankakee County 815-935-0077

Why SERVPRO? Fire Repair & Assessing Potential Hazards

2/17/2021 (Permalink)

Before professional fire restorers begin devising a plan to remove residues and debris in your Bradley home we must make the safety of the worksite and any living spaces you hope to occupy during the project a priority. Every fire scenario is different. The time taken to identify and manage safety hazards is well spent, ensuring workers and their loved ones avoid health concerns a potential accident during the restoration process.

Assessing Potential Hazards

Our project management team is highly-qualified to review the fire damage affecting your Bradley home. We have substantial experience in evaluating damaged structural components and the substances used to knock down the fire. The crew lead scopes the integrity of the floor, walls, and ceilings, securing surfaces if needed. We determine the category of water and composition of the chemical solutions used to put out the fire as inches to feet of water often need extraction prior to other tasks. The firefighting water commonly is contaminated, and our crew contains the fluids for appropriate disposal per local regulations. Electrical and other utility lines expose our technicians and the occupants of the house to the risk of shock, slip and fall, and further contamination with oil, propane, or natural gas.

Safety Considerations When We Clean Residues and Charring

Your dwelling shelters a broad range of building materials and contents that ignite and burn. As the fire moves through the building materials give off gasses and deposit residues that are toxic. Cleaning up without safety equipment exposes eyes, lungs, and skin to hazardous materials. Because of the potential harm to the health and safety of SERVPRO technicians and your family, we implement protocols to protect anyone in the space.

Negative pressure air scrubbers -- contain the workspace, filtering smoke, chemical, and microbial residues out of the air and exhausting to the outdoors.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) -- professional-grade clothing and accessories that cover bare skin, eyes, feet, and face for SERVPRO workers. Gloves, boots, goggles, and a respirator complete the ensemble. Changing into this apparel helps limit the tracking of water, soot, and other debris into unaffected areas of your home.

Once we address safety concerns, SERVPRO of Kankakee County is ready to remove post-fire water and debris. Call us at (815) 935-0077 to get the process rolling, transforming wet and soot-covered to “Like it never even happened.”

To find out more about Bradley, click here.

When Fire Hits Your Home, SERVPRO Is Here For You!

2/17/2021 (Permalink)

Your dwelling shelters a broad range of building materials and contents that ignite and burn. As the fire moves through the building materials give off gasses and deposit residues that are toxic. Cleaning up without safety equipment exposes eyes, lungs, and skin to hazardous materials. Because of the potential harm to the health and safety of SERVPRO technicians and your family, we implement protocols to protect anyone in the space.

Negative pressure air scrubbers -- contain the workspace, filtering smoke, chemical, and microbial residues out of the air and exhausting to the outdoors.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) -- professional-grade clothing and accessories that cover bare skin, eyes, feet, and face for SERVPRO workers. Gloves, boots, goggles, and a respirator complete the ensemble. Changing into this apparel helps limit the tracking of water, soot, and other debris into unaffected areas of your home.

Once we address safety concerns, SERVPRO of Kankakee County is ready to remove post-fire water and debris. Call us at (815) 935-0077 to get the process rolling, transforming wet and soot-covered to “Like it never even happened.”

To find out more about Bradley, click here.

SERVPRO responds to recent Structure Fire in Kankakee County

1/6/2021 (Permalink)

Fallen ceiling tiles and insulation at a recent residential structure fire in Kankakee County.

SERVPRO of Kankakee County recently responded to a fire damaged residence. As you can see from the photograph fallen ceiling tiles and insulation as the result of fire, smoke and water can cause extensive damage. Mitigating and restoring your Kankakee County home to its original condition requires a professional service trained to handle physical damage, smoke residues, and odors.

Smoke residues present a unique hazard that can be challenging to clean making it a situation many Kankakee County homeowners leave up to the expertise and skills of our SERVPRO professionals. From the risks present in the spread of these residues, from surface to surface throughout a fire-damaged address, to the staining that could result from improper removal, fire loss effects can permanently mar your property without the right approach.

All of us here at SERVPRO of Kankakee County understand that having dedicated and trained technicians and utilizing professional protocols and equipment make a real difference in reducing claims and loss expenses. Our adage “Like it never even happened,” is our goal in returning damaged areas to a preloss condition and we are dedicated to both the property and lives of the customers we assist 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. We are SERVPRO of Kankakee County 815-935-0077

Your Fire Damaged Residence in Momence

4/13/2020 (Permalink)

Extensive Fire and Water Damage at Momence Residence

When fire, smoke, soot and resultant water damage strike your Momence home you can rely on the Professionals at SERVPRO to assist in the restoration process. 

Fire, Smoke, Soot Damage at your Kankakee Restaurant

4/8/2020 (Permalink)

Extensive soot damage at Kankakee Restaurant

Unfortunately when Fire hits your Kankakee restaurant the professionals at SERVPRO are here to assist in the clean up so you can get back in business.  We are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year.  

Fire Damage Board Up in Herscher, Illinois

4/8/2020 (Permalink)

Fire Damaged Residence in Herscher, Illinois

SERVPRO provides 24 Emergency Board Up Services in Herscher, Illinois.  Securing your property is essential for the safety of all.  We here at SERVPRO are now involved in the process of Restoration in Herscher, Illinois.

Residential Emergency Board Up in Bourbonnais

4/7/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Emergency Board Up crew at Bourbonnais residence

SERVPRO provides 24 Hour Emergency Board Up Services in Bourbonnais, Illinois. 

For fire loss, storm damage, vandalism and many other exposures you can rely on SERVPRO in Bourbonnais. 

Emergency Board Up for your Bradley Commercial Structure

4/6/2020 (Permalink)

Board up of fire damaged commercial structure

SERVPRO of Kankakee County provides 24/7/365 emergency board up services for your commercial property. We sincerely hope and pray an incident like this never occurs.  When it does we here at SERVPRO secure your structure as the prelude to assisting you and your business with mitigation.

The Palmer Doll House and Training

4/1/2020 (Permalink)

Demonstration of how fire moves through a home.

The Palmer Doll House is an effective tool for the training of firemen in both classroom and hands on. For a Department to be effective as with any business knowledge and education are paramount.

The behavior of fire and its dynamics as well as the tactics employed by the fire service are faced by departments all over the world on a daily basis. 

Fire Dynamics means basically how a fire starts, how it spreads and how it develops. Fire Behavior is the way a fire acts in the environment it is in.

When the Department arrives on scene and open a door to gain access, air rushes in to give the fire its nourishment to grow rapidly and spread.

Using the Palmer Doll House is a superb vehicle to show and demonstrate how ventilation of positive and negative degrees allows to see how backdraft and flashover occurs.  It also can be a tool to demonstrate tactics and results therefrom.

Live fire training is a way to get students involved and it seems that most firefighters learn more from doing things in a up close and personal than as opposed to maybe a PowerPoint presentation.  Students who spend time at a doll house training can read the fire and the moderator can explain the science behind it. This type of training as well as all of the other things that go into the fire training allows them to be in a position to attack the situation.

Resolving Challenging Issues When Restoring Fire Damage Incidents in Manteno

2/28/2020 (Permalink)

Our professionals have state of the art equipment to clean up and restore your home so you can return safely after a fire.

Our SERVPRO Crews are up for the Challenge

Fire can cause widespread damages in a matter of minutes. Restoring such damage presents various levels of challenges depending on the materials or contents the fire affects. We offer professional fire damage restoration that helps address such challenges.

In almost all fire damage incidents in Manteno, the accumulation of residues such as soot and charring of surfaces is common. Cleaning off such residues is easy using sponges, cleaning solutions, and other materials. However, when the affected surface is made from unfinished wood, cleaning becomes more challenging. Most structural supports, including trusses, joists, and frames, are made from unfinished wood, which is rough, making it harder to remove residues through wiping. In the unfinished state, the material is also porous, allowing penetration of residues.

Although the structural supports may be hidden under other materials such as ceiling or drywall, leaving them caked with residues is not ideal because residues can cause deterioration. They also emit odors, so leaving them in place can reduce the comfort in the home. Our SERVPRO technicians use advanced cleaning procedures such as soda blasting, which removes heavy residues or charring from unfinished surfaces easily. The sodium bicarbonate used for soda blasting also helps with deodorization.

During the process of putting out a fire and restoring the damages, there is considerable movement around the loss site. Such movement can spread damages from the areas affected directly by the fire to other sections of the property. Materials on the floor, such as carpets, are affected most when people spread debris through movements. Our SERVPRO technicians are highly trained to handle such cleaning tasks comfortably. We use different approaches to ensure full restoration of carpets thorough cleaning, including, bonnet cleaning, deluxe precondition, rotary jet extraction, and hot water extraction. Apart from cleaning, we also use preventive measures such as placing covers on carpets over the areas with substantial movement during the restoration.

Restoring fire damage poses various challenges. Call SERVPRO of Kankakee County at (815) 935-0077 to help. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

See more about Manteno.

Fire Damage In Your Bourbonnais Home

12/29/2019 (Permalink)

Intervening early in soots and smoke residues can increase the likelihood of salvaging your possessions.

Protecting Your Upholstery and Carpets from Falling Soots after Fire Damage to your Bourbonnais Home

Hot air rises. As hot air rises, it pushes cooler air beneath, creating pressure. Understanding this process can help you to understand the types of harm your home may sustain during a fire, and how you can avoid excess damage. Property fires can come from just about anywhere. Leaving a hob on or a portable heater too close to dry fabrics and material can set alight, forcing you to evacuate in the middle of the night while the fire department deals with the resulting blaze.

The success of restoring fire damage in your Bourbonnais home depends on the extent of your knowledge of fire, smoke, and ash. Once a fire official declares your home is safe for entry, the first thing you may notice is the extent of soiling. The pressure created by rapidly rising temperatures causes smoke to spread out from the source of the fire exponentially. This pressure is why even a contained fire may present a homeowner with a myriad of soiling on ceilings, furniture, walls, inside cabinets, and your building's exterior.

When temperatures cool, loose soiling may drop from the ceiling onto your floor or furnishings. At SERVPRO, we always recommend that homeowners protect furnishings in the affected area as quickly as possible. You can use old sheets or tarpaulin to place over surfaces and upholstery as a simple solution that could mitigate losses significantly. Unfortunately, while soots remain in the property, the affected rooms are unusable.

The quickest way to regain access to living rooms or kitchens is by using a professional fire restorer like SERVPRO. Our team can scope the property, assess the damages, and put in place a gameplan to recover your contents. Carpets and upholstery that show signs of smoke damage are frequently restorable to a good condition. SERVPRO deposit carpet conditioners using truck-mounted wands in combination with rotary machines for upholstery and carpets. These can remove soiling while cleaning the carpet at the same time.

Intervening early in soots and smoke residues can increase the likelihood of salvaging your possessions. You can contact SERVPRO of Kankakee County by dialing (815) 935-0077.

For more about Bourbonnais click here.

How SERVPRO Determines the Best Restoration Methods for Fire Damaged Property in Bourbonnais

10/6/2019 (Permalink)

As soon as the fire department leaves, SERVPRO is ready to begin restoring your home.

Cleaning Smoke Residue in Bourbonnais Properties 

Smoke residues present a unique hazard that can be challenging to clean, making it a situation many Bourbonnais homeowners leave up to the experience and skillset of our professionals. From the risks present in the spread of these residues from surface to surface throughout a fire-damaged address to the staining that could result from improper removal, fire loss effects can permanently mar your property without the right approach. 

While smoke residues might only be one of many effects of fire damage in Bourbonnais homes, quickly addressing the situation prevents excessive migration of this and other symptoms. Smoke particulates can agitate respiratory concerns as well as cause other potential health effects. Though not as directly dangerous and hazardous as soot particles, smoke in the air can still cause concerns for those exposed and for all affected surfaces in rooms beyond the origin of the fire. 

We have many products that can work to remove various carcinogens and residues from surfaces, and we must carefully determine the type of damage our SERVPRO team is contending with before proceeding. Chemical sponges used both wet and dry can offer a powerful and potent cleaning potential while limiting possible smearing and staining as a result. This approach is ideal for contents and surfaces that remain installed and in place in your house as restoration and recovery continue. 

Content management is also an approach with proven results against soot and smoke residues that get attached to surfaces of items and your personal belongings. We have multiple approaches at our SERVPRO facility when pack-outs occur, such as restoring silverware, ceramics, and hard materials with our submersion ultrasonic tank. These units utilize the energy generated by exploding microscopic bubbles created by soundwaves to loosen and remove soot and smoke residues.

We have several approaches ideal for removing smoke residue from construction materials and the contents of your property. You can count on the fast response of our SERVPRO of Kankakee County team to assist you through each phase of this fire recovery. Call us today at (815) 935-0077. 

More about Bourbonnais.

Odor Control and Soot Cleanup Needed/ SERVPRO Helps Bradley Property Owners

8/6/2019 (Permalink)

Fires Big and Small in Bradley Are Restored by SERVPRO, "Like it never even happened."

Cleaning And Restoring Bradley Homes After Fire Damage

Surrounded by state and federal highways, Bradley is an important stop along the eastern border of our state. Residents work all over the area, but choose here for their home and to raise a family. Despite the benefits of living here, disasters, like a fire, can still happen.

Restoring a fire damaged Bradley home to its original condition takes a professional service, trained to handle physical damage, smoke residues, and odors. Most house fires are relatively small and extinguished quickly. For SERVPRO restoration teams, that means they deal primarily with cleaning and removing smoke residues, and eliminating the odors they generate.

As an example of what specialists clean and deodorize are the cabinets in a kitchen fire. Since these wood or composite surfaces are smooth, team members can usually wipe off the residues with a dry sponge. For thicker, or stickier residues left behind, they break them up with a minimal amount of water or cleaning agent for easier wiping and removal. In some homes, it might be necessary to remove the handles and hinges and clean them separately.  

The problem here for SERVPRO specialists are the odors the wood or composite absorbs before they can remove the residues. If the residues are dry and powdery and removed quickly after extinguishing the fire, then very little odor transfers to the cabinets. Stickier residues take longer to remove, so the cabinets absorb more odor particles.

With either type of residue, if odors linger after removal, team members start with a deodorizing spray. They apply it to the surface, allow it to dry, and repeat as needed. If odors remain after several applications, they can use a stronger deodorizing agent, switch to another method, or dispose of it.

To remove the deeper odors from the cabinets, specialists use a fogger to create a cloud of deodorizing particles. This cloud can penetrate as deeply as the smoke from the fire to neutralize the odor and eliminate it.

Our goal at SERVPRO of Kankakee County is to return every residence to a clean, safe, and odor-free condition it enjoyed before the fire. If your home here, Bourbonnais, Manteno, or in Momence, has had a fire of any size, call our office 24/7 at (815) 935-0077 to schedule a service call. We are here to help you restore everything to normal.

Here is your local FD

SERVPRO Assesses the Category of Fire Damage in Manteno Properties to Maximize Recovery

5/2/2019 (Permalink)

From New York to Manteno, This Brave Firefighter Puts It Out, Then SERVPRO Cleans It Up!

What the Category of Fire Damage in Manteno Means to the Restoration Effort

When a fire razes property, it damages the contents and structure in many ways. Combustion may consume materials fully or partially, while smoke residues pile up on surfaces. Heat action may also blister surfaces untouched by the flames. In addition to these central aspects of the fire, other damages can happen as water or other chemicals are pumped in to extinguish the fire. A fire incident can, therefore, have very different implications from what you expect. Working with a professional Manteno restorer can help manage your expectations.
 
You might expect the restoration processes after fire damage in Manteno to be same in every incident if you believe all fires are similar. To a professional, there are different types of fires based on the damages they cause. Minor fires leave light smoke residues in a few rooms or limited areas in the property. Medium fires leave moderate smoke residues spread out over more areas. More items are damaged to a level that requires replacement and floors may require refinishing. Major fires leave severe damage especially near the source of the blaze, and they also affect structural framing. Our SERVPRO technicians scope the loss when we arrive at your property to determine the required response plan.
 
Establishing the category of fire damage ensures the response plan meets the requirements. It also helps limit the chances of resource wastage. Structures affected my major fires require emergency services such as boarding up, winterizing and establishing electricity sources. Such steps would be a waste of resources if taken after medium or minor fires. Contents affected by major fires mostly require pack outs for restoration in an offsite facility, but in medium and minor fires, it is possible to clean them on the job site.
 
The number of steps involved in restoring each fire damage category differs. For minor fires, the bulk of the work is done through dry and wet cleaning. A few areas may require repainting to finish the job. For medium fires, the bulk of the work involves wet cleaning, repainting surfaces and refinishing materials. Odor problems might also develop necessitating deodorization. For major fires, all restoration steps including tearing down scorched areas, repainting as well as extraction of water used to fight the fire. Our SERVPRO technicians are Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified meaning we have sufficient skills to deal with every fire category.
 
For proper management of fire loss incidents, call SERVPRO of Kankakee to assist. You can reach us at (815) 935-0077 any time. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Here are the Village Board of Trustees members.

Manteno Possessions Are Cleaned of Soot from a House Fire by SERVPRO

4/24/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Provides Advanced Equipment for Cleaning Fired Damaged Possessions for Manteno Homeowners

Different Types of Fire Damage Require Different Clean Up Methods to Restore Property in Manteno

The restoration and mitigation specialists at SERVPRO take pride in the results of their IICRC training. We learn new techniques that help us restore your Manteno property and clean your possessions. We want to make everything like it was before the disaster, “Like it never even happened.”
 
To do this, SERVPRO employees use specific methods to clean different items in your Manteno house of the effects of fire damage. We use both dry and wet methods, depending on what we are in the process of cleaning and restoring. Our teams can do some of the work at your home, without needing to remove the items to our facility. We place these belongings in a secure area of your house where they do not impose on our other team members who are performing other restoration work.
 
Just like we use brushes, vacuums, and dry sponges to remove a large amount of soot from interior structures like walls and cabinet doors, we can use similar methods for many items that require attention to detail. Portrait frames with deep grooves can suffer corrosion and discoloration when soot remains embedded for too long. While we clean, we also take note of any bubbling or other effects caused by heat.
 
Sometimes, we need to apply cleansers in a wet or damp cleaning method to rid items of the blackened mess that mars their finish. Ceramic-coated tubs and windows are two examples. When we restore things that we can safely wash while submerging the item in water, we can use ultrasonic cleaning machinery.
 
The tiny waves produced inside an ultrasonic machine form bubbles in the water. These act much like the bubbles in hydrogen peroxide at lifting foreign substances from the surfaces of the item placed in the machine. Ultrasonic cleaning does not require any soap or detergent and does not bleach anything like hydrogen peroxide might.
 
Because it uses no foaming agents, rinsing is never required. We need to dry the items cleaned this way and return them to you. We can clean jewelry, stuffed toys, ceramic and porcelain pieces, and many other things. The results often surprise our customers with how well it works, even in tiny grooves and other areas that brushes barely reach.
 
SERVPRO of Kankakee County can help you restore not only your Bonfield, Aroma Park, or Momence house after fire damage happens, but also your personal belongings. Call us at (815) 935-0077, so we can help your family recover faster.

Click here for Village news.

Is Professional Remediation Necessary After a Manteno Fire?

4/2/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the expertise to restore your fire damaged home. Call us today!

Useful Considerations when Responding to Fire Damage in Manteno

After a fire incident, many homeowners naturally want to do something to fix the situation. Sometimes, the steps you take can worsen the state of affairs, so it is essential to know what to do after such incidents. Immediately calling a professional restorer is the ideal response because the crewmembers are trained to handle such situations. We offer professional restoration services in Manteno, and IICRC certifies our crews in Fire and Smoke Restoration.  

Although you might feel the need to clean up surfaces or items after incidents of fire damage in Manteno, you should avoid doing so. Some cleaning actions can exacerbate the situation or have no impact on general restoration efforts. For example, trying to clean walls can transfer the soot residues from the walls to materials on the floor staining them. Some ash residues might also be present in the areas you want clean, and they can cause problems if inhaled or exposed to your skin. Our SERVPRO technicians handle the process better because they have PPE, Personal Protective Equipment, and we use systemic procedures when cleaning up.  

Movement around the fire-damaged house can cause additional damages by spreading soot, ash and other residues around the house. Touching different contents with soot-covered hands can impregnate upholstery, walls and wooden materials with soot residues causing additional damages. Our SERVPRO technicians evaluate damaged materials separating them into salvageable, unsalvageable and questionable categories. We can also pre-clean some of the salvageable materials ensuring the occupant has access to what he or she needs thus eliminating the need to venture into the damaged house.  

Soot residues are acidic so that they can corrode or stain different materials in the house. There is a need to protect materials with chrome or other metallic finishes and stone surfaces such as granite. Our SERVPRO technicians pre-clean these areas then apply a thin coat of lubricant to protect them until it is possible to do thorough restorative cleaning.  

For the right response after fire incidents in Bourbonnais, Bradley, and Kankakee areas, call SERVPRO of Kankakee County to help. You can reach us at (815) 935-0077 any time. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Learn more about Manteno here.

How Our Experts Can Restore Your Fire Damaged Home In Bourbonnais

2/12/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kankakee County uses fire restoration industry best practices to restore your home “Like it never even happened.”

Some Things To Expect From Professional Fire Cleanup In Bourbonnais

A fire in your Bourbonnais home causes significant damage not only to the structural components but also to the contents. Cleanup is a complicated process, best complete by well-qualified fire damage restoration professionals. You need a company that can handle a comprehensive list of all the potential issues safely, efficiently, and in compliance with local requirements. Our team of Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) trained technicians can help.

Ensuring that your family escapes the flames in your home is your first priority. Arranging for fire cleanup in your Bourbonnais home with our skilled team is the second priority. As soon as the fire officials declare your dwelling ready for evaluation you need to move swiftly. Fire residues are toxic and corrosive. Within minutes and hours of the fire possessions and building materials become progressively damaged. We have the knowledge and a team of technicians to take on the challenge of mitigating fire damage fast.

When SERVPRO arrives, an experienced member of our management assesses the damage. Because of the fire fighting efforts, an initial task is frequently water and chemical removal and structural drying. Safety from slips and falls and electric shock is one reason this must be done immediately. Water damage also is just as devastating to your home as the fire and cannot wait as mold can infest wet areas after just 24 to 48 hours.

Personal possessions and furnishings might be packed out to our production facility in advance of fire cleanup. We use the SERVPRO Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS) to inventory and track the items removed. Digital photos, lists, and barcoding technology all assure that we account for each item, including documenting the cleaning and restoration efforts we make. This helps support claims made with your insurance carrier.

Back at your home, the SERVPRO crew matches the types of soot residues with the appropriate cleaning products, tools, and methods and the technicians go to work. If some spaces are relatively unaffected, a containment perimeter can be established to prevent drift of residues and odors. Heavy plastic sheeting might be augmented with air scrubbing equipment, filtering the floating debris and sealing off the work area with negative air pressure.

SERVPRO of Kankakee County uses fire restoration industry best practices to restore your home “Like it never even happened.” Call us at (815) 935-0077 day or night to arrange an assessment.

Click here for more about Bourbonnais.

Frozen Water Pipes are a problem. Don't use a blowtorch to thaw.

1/2/2019 (Permalink)

Frozen water pipes are a serious risk during very cold winter weather. When water freezes in a pipe it expands and can exert pressure at over 2,000 pounds per square inch. This pressure is enough to rupture almost any pipe filled with water, which provides no place for the ice to expand. A burst pipe can spill several hundred gallons of water per hour, and that equates to thousands of dollars of damage to your home. Pipes are most susceptible to freezing when they are located:

• in an outside wall
• in a cabinet under a sink (especially near an outside wall)
• in an unheated crawl space or basement

If your pipe is frozen but not yet ruptured, you must thaw it right away. There are a few thawing techniques to try, depending on where the frozen pipe is located.

Warning: Never use a blow torch or other open flame to thaw a pipe. This presents a serious fire hazard and can damage the pipe.

A frozen pipe that hasn't burst yet often reveals itself at a faucet: when you turn on the faucet and no water comes out or it has slowed to a trickle, there's probably a blockage of ice somewhere in the line. It's time take immediate action: 

• Shut off the water to the faucet locally or at the home's main water shutoff valve.
• Open the faucet that is supplied by the frozen pipe; do this even if you don't know where the blockage is.
• Identify the frozen pipe and locate the blockage: Follow the pipe back from the faucet to where it runs through cold areas, such as an exterior wall or unheated crawl space. Look for areas on the pipe that have frost or ice; it may also be slightly bulged or fissured.

When you find that the frozen—but not yet burst—pipe is behind a wall or ceiling, you've got a challenge on your hands. You have three options for thawing the pipe:

• Turn up the heat in the house and wait.
• Cut out a section of the wall or ceiling to access the frozen section of pipe, then thaw the pipe as an exposed pipe (see next slide).
• Use an infrared lamp to help heat the wall section in front of where you believe the pipe is frozen. Infrared lamps are better than regular heat lamps because they pass through the air without heating it and will direct more energy to warming the wall and frozen pipe.

If the frozen pipe is exposed, you have several options for thawing it. Whichever remedy use use, heat the pipe from the faucet toward the frozen area. This allows water to flow out as the ice melts.

• Hair dryer: Usually the easiest and safest way to thaw a pipe. If the pipe is close to the wall, place a cookie sheet behind the pipe to help radiate heat onto the backside of the pipe.
• Heat lamp: You can use an infrared or incandescent heat lamp. As with a hair dryer, if the pipe is close to the wall, use a cookie sheet behind the pipe to help reflect heat onto the pipe.
• Portable heater: A small, powerful heater works great for warming pipes under a kitchen or vanity base cabinet. Direct the heater onto the frozen section of pipe. It will work like a hair dryer on steroids!
• Electric pipe heat tape: Heat tape is a ribbon-like wrap that contains electrical heating elements. You wrap it around the pipe you want to heat and plug it into the wall. The temperature of the tape is controlled with a thermostat. Heat tape can also be used to prevent pipes from freezing in critical areas; you can leave the heat tape on the pipe and plug it in only when needed.

There are a few things you can do to prevent the problem of freezing pipes from occurring again:

• Leave the faucet dripping slightly during the coldest time of the day or night.
• Open the cabinet doors to allow the heated air from the room to reach pipes inside the cabinet.
• Wrap the problem pipe with electrical heat tape.
• Insulate problem pipes with foam insulation wrap, especially those that run through unheated spaces. Note: Insulation merely slows the transfer of heat and will not prevent a pipe from freezing if the surrounding air is cold enough.
• Heat unheated areas with a permanent heater, just to keep the temperature above freezing, or about 40 degrees F. Warning: Do not use portable heaters, which should never be left running unattended.
• Remove garden hoses attached to outdoor faucets (hose bibs or sill cocks). If the faucet is not a frost-proof type, turn off the water to the faucet inside the house and drain the exterior section of the pipe and faucet.

Board Up & Tarp Off - Kankakee

8/2/2018 (Permalink)

Fire is one of the most destructive forces in nature.

Fires can happen anytime without warning and that is why you need a company that can secure your structure (Residential or Commercial) anytime and anywhere. SERVPRO of Kankakee County is that Board Up Company. 24 hours a day 365 days a year, we are on standby to make sure your needs are met. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster and can quickly use plywood sheets or tarps to close any exterior holes or damage in your structure. We help to keep out bad weather, vermin, and even vandals!

Your personal belongings and home or business shouldn't be trusted to just anyone, you need professionals that the insurance professionals trust. We can help you recover from disaster and make it "Like it never even happened."  

                            815-935-0077

 www.SERVPROkankakeecounty.com

#BoardUp #FireDamage #SmokeDamage #WaterDamage #Mold #SewerDamage #BioCleanUp #SERVPRO #PlanetSERVPRO #Kankakee #Bourbonnais #Bradley #Manteno  

Fireworks Safety Tips

6/28/2018 (Permalink)

Recommended Safety Tips for Fireworks

• Obey all local laws regarding the use of fireworks.
• Know your fireworks; read the cautionary labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
• A responsible adult SHOULD supervise all firework activities.  Never give fireworks to children.
• Alcohol and fireworks do not mix.  Save your alcohol for after the show.
• Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.
• Light one firework at a time and then quickly move away.
• Use fireworks OUTDOORS in a clear area; away from buildings and vehicles.
• Never relight a “dud” firework.  Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
• Always have a bucket of water and charged water hose nearby.
• Never carry fireworks in your POCKET or shoot them into METAL or GLASS containers.
• Do not experiment with homemade fireworks.
• Dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and place in a metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials until the next day.
• FAA regulations PROHIBIT the possession and transportation of fireworks in your checked baggage or carry-on luggage.
• Report illegal explosives, like M-80s and quarter sticks, to the fire or police department.

And let’s not forget the safety of our pets!

• Don’t bring your pets to a fireworks display, even a small one.
• If fireworks are being used near your home, put your pet in a safe, interior room to avoid exposure to the sound.
• Make sure your pet has an identification tag, in case it runs off during a fireworks display.
• Never shoot fireworks of any kind (consumer fireworks, sparklers, fountains, etc.) near pets.

Keep your dryer vent clean in Gilman

6/27/2018 (Permalink)

The Importance of Dryer Vent Cleaning in your Gilman home.

Dryer vent cleaning prevents fires. If you live in Bradley or any other area within Kankakee County, you will want to make sure that your home or commercial property is completely safe. Whether by flooding, fire or some other mishap, there are plenty of ways that your property can be threatened. One of the best ways to ensure that you are prepared for a catastrophic emergency is always to have a local residential and commercial property cleanup and restoration service.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Prevents Fires 

Keep your property from sustaining irreversible fire damage. Making sure your dryer vents are clean and free from obstruction will help keep your property safe from the possibility of a fire. It's also an excellent precaution to take to keep the air in the building from getting choked up with dust, lint and other health hazards that can accumulate in a dryer vent. 

Get Help from a Local Cleanup and Restoration Service 

It's up to you to contact an expert local cleaning and fire restoration service to ensure that your vents get cleaned in a correct and timely fashion. When you are in doubt as to whether the vents or other areas in your home are functioning correctly, a good, thorough cleaning is never a bad idea. 

Even if it turns out that your property is not quite yet due for a full cleaning, a reputable local cleanup service can help such as removing any excess pollen or debris that has accumulated in the vents. This way, you can save a great deal of time, money and worry by taking timely preventative measures. Keeping the proper level of air quality in your home or commercial building will go a long way toward keeping the structure safe for your family or employees to inhabit. An expert local service will ultimately save you a great deal of time and stress.

Expert Help for Dryer Vent Cleaning Is Available 

At SERVPRO of Kankakee County, we know that dryer vent cleaning in Bradley prevents fires. This is only one of the many services that we can provide for you to make sure that your home or commercial property will be safe against the event of an unforeseen mishap or emergency. If an emergency should befall your property, you'll want to call a service that can get to you in a prompt and timely manner. 

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

If you are in need of quick and efficient dryer vent cleaning, we're here to assist you. We can also help residents in Bourbonnais, Gilman, Beecher, Dwight and other nearby areas. Call us at (815) 935-0077 for more information.

Keep your dryer vent clean in Gilman

6/27/2018 (Permalink)

The Importance of Dryer Vent Cleaning in your Gilman home.

Dryer vent cleaning prevents fires. If you live in Bradley or any other area within Kankakee County, you will want to make sure that your home or commercial property is completely safe. Whether by flooding, fire or some other mishap, there are plenty of ways that your property can be threatened. One of the best ways to ensure that you are prepared for a catastrophic emergency is always to have a local residential and commercial property cleanup and restoration service.

Dryer Vent Cleaning Prevents Fires 

Keep your property from sustaining irreversible fire damage. Making sure your dryer vents are clean and free from obstruction will help keep your property safe from the possibility of a fire. It's also an excellent precaution to take to keep the air in the building from getting choked up with dust, lint and other health hazards that can accumulate in a dryer vent. 

Get Help from a Local Cleanup and Restoration Service 

It's up to you to contact an expert local cleaning and fire restoration service to ensure that your vents get cleaned in a correct and timely fashion. When you are in doubt as to whether the vents or other areas in your home are functioning correctly, a good, thorough cleaning is never a bad idea. 

Even if it turns out that your property is not quite yet due for a full cleaning, a reputable local cleanup service can help such as removing any excess pollen or debris that has accumulated in the vents. This way, you can save a great deal of time, money and worry by taking timely preventative measures. Keeping the proper level of air quality in your home or commercial building will go a long way toward keeping the structure safe for your family or employees to inhabit. An expert local service will ultimately save you a great deal of time and stress.

Expert Help for Dryer Vent Cleaning Is Available 

At SERVPRO of Kankakee County, we know that dryer vent cleaning in Bradley prevents fires. This is only one of the many services that we can provide for you to make sure that your home or commercial property will be safe against the event of an unforeseen mishap or emergency. If an emergency should befall your property, you'll want to call a service that can get to you in a prompt and timely manner. 

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

If you are in need of quick and efficient dryer vent cleaning, we're here to assist you. We can also help residents in Bourbonnais, Gilman, Beecher, Dwight and other nearby areas. Call us at (815) 935-0077 for more information.

Fire damage in Bourbonnais

4/2/2018 (Permalink)

You’ll probably be anxious to start cleaning your home after a fire, however, unless you take the time to get a professional to help you, you’ll be wasting your efforts and time or even creating more damage. Contact your insurance agent immediately; they can give you advice on replacement or restoration of any items which sustained fire damage. If you are a renter, speak with your landlord so you can both assess the damages.

Your insurance agent might also be able to help you find a professional fire damage restorer. These companies can give you hints to prevent any more damage, and help you figure out what items can or cannot be refurbished, plus give you estimates and services for thoroughly deodorizing and cleaning your home. Even if you think the services are pricey, it is well worth it to avoid more costly damages or replacing furnishings and floors they might otherwise be able to restore for you.

Avoiding More Damage

Before you get the professional fire damage restoration company in your home, there are some things you can do to prevent more damages. However, make sure that you have permission from the fire marshal first that it is safe to enter your home again before you do anything at all. Open up windows to get the air inside moving and ventilate areas of your home. If you can, place a fan inside as well to help circulate the air. If there has been water damage which is substantial and it is warm outside, you will likely have to keep the windows closed and use a dehumidifier. With cold weather, your heating system, if operable, plus the cold air will help to start to take the moisture out. Change your furnace filter daily in this case until no soot shows. When the professionals get there, they will have the proper industrial equipment to continue and finish the process of drying your structure out completely. You can begin the dry out process to help mold from forming, which can happen quite quickly. Put plastic food wrap or aluminum foil around the legs of our furniture, and over items that are clean and dry with plastic, so they are not damaged during the repairs process.

Soot in Household Textiles

Soot is oily and will easily stain your draperies, carpets, and other household textiles. This is why it needs to be removed before anything is cleaned or deodorized. Let a professional restoration company remove the soot with a heavy-duty vacuum. They will be able to get the soot out properly and thoroughly so that your belongings have the best chance of being restored. They will also know how to avoid other items from being damaged from the soot during clean up. The professionals will also be able to remove soot from walls and other items in your home before they professionally remove the odors left behind as well.

Never use a blowtorch on frozen pipes. Prevent winter fires.

1/2/2018 (Permalink)

Frozen water pipes are a serious risk during very cold winter weather. When water freezes in a pipe it expands and can exert pressure at over 2,000 pounds per square inch. This pressure is enough to rupture almost any pipe filled with water, which provides no place for the ice to expand. A burst pipe can spill several hundred gallons of water per hour, and that equates to thousands of dollars of damage to your home. Pipes are most susceptible to freezing when they are located:

• in an outside wall
• in a cabinet under a sink (especially near an outside wall)
• in an unheated crawl space or basement

If your pipe is frozen but not yet ruptured, you must thaw it right away. There are a few thawing techniques to try, depending on where the frozen pipe is located.

Warning: Never use a blow torch or other open flame to thaw a pipe. This presents a serious fire hazard and can damage the pipe.

A frozen pipe that hasn't burst yet often reveals itself at a faucet: when you turn on the faucet and no water comes out or it has slowed to a trickle, there's probably a blockage of ice somewhere in the line. It's time take immediate action: 

• Shut off the water to the faucet locally or at the home's main water shutoff valve.
• Open the faucet that is supplied by the frozen pipe; do this even if you don't know where the blockage is.
• Identify the frozen pipe and locate the blockage: Follow the pipe back from the faucet to where it runs through cold areas, such as an exterior wall or unheated crawl space. Look for areas on the pipe that have frost or ice; it may also be slightly bulged or fissured.

When you find that the frozen—but not yet burst—pipe is behind a wall or ceiling, you've got a challenge on your hands. You have three options for thawing the pipe:

• Turn up the heat in the house and wait.
• Cut out a section of the wall or ceiling to access the frozen section of pipe, then thaw the pipe as an exposed pipe (see next slide).
• Use an infrared lamp to help heat the wall section in front of where you believe the pipe is frozen. Infrared lamps are better than regular heat lamps because they pass through the air without heating it and will direct more energy to warming the wall and frozen pipe.

If the frozen pipe is exposed, you have several options for thawing it. Whichever remedy use use, heat the pipe from the faucet toward the frozen area. This allows water to flow out as the ice melts.

• Hair dryer: Usually the easiest and safest way to thaw a pipe. If the pipe is close to the wall, place a cookie sheet behind the pipe to help radiate heat onto the backside of the pipe.
• Heat lamp: You can use an infrared or incandescent heat lamp. As with a hair dryer, if the pipe is close to the wall, use a cookie sheet behind the pipe to help reflect heat onto the pipe.
• Portable heater: A small, powerful heater works great for warming pipes under a kitchen or vanity base cabinet. Direct the heater onto the frozen section of pipe. It will work like a hair dryer on steroids!
• Electric pipe heat tape: Heat tape is a ribbon-like wrap that contains electrical heating elements. You wrap it around the pipe you want to heat and plug it into the wall. The temperature of the tape is controlled with a thermostat. Heat tape can also be used to prevent pipes from freezing in critical areas; you can leave the heat tape on the pipe and plug it in only when needed.

There are a few things you can do to prevent the problem of freezing pipes from occurring again:

• Leave the faucet dripping slightly during the coldest time of the day or night.
• Open the cabinet doors to allow the heated air from the room to reach pipes inside the cabinet.
• Wrap the problem pipe with electrical heat tape.
• Insulate problem pipes with foam insulation wrap, especially those that run through unheated spaces. Note: Insulation merely slows the transfer of heat and will not prevent a pipe from freezing if the surrounding air is cold enough.
• Heat unheated areas with a permanent heater, just to keep the temperature above freezing, or about 40 degrees F. Warning: Do not use portable heaters, which should never be left running unattended.
• Remove garden hoses attached to outdoor faucets (hose bibs or sill cocks). If the faucet is not a frost-proof type, turn off the water to the faucet inside the house and drain the exterior section of the pipe and faucet.

Holiday Fire Tips for Watseka

12/5/2017 (Permalink)

The holidays offer many opportunities for family and friends to gather, but they also come with an increased fire risk. With a little extra attention and care, you can help your family have a happy and safe holiday season.

Cooking

The holidays don’t feel like the holidays without delicious food. While cooking always presents potential fire hazards, home cooking fires always spike up around the holiday season.

When you have lots of cooks in the kitchen, it’s easy for things to get messy and confusing. However, a cluttered, chaotic kitchen is a hazardous kitchen. Make sure to keep flammable objects, like towels, packaging, and potholders, away from the stove. Communicate with everyone in the kitchen so you don’t leave the stovetop or oven on when it’s not in use. Wipe up spills quickly, and don’t let grease pile up around a burner.

If a deep-fried turkey is on the menu, make sure you fry it on a flat surface outside at least 10 feet away from the house.

Holiday Lights

While holiday lights can add a fun ambience to your home, it’s important to decorate safely. When you first open a package of new lights or crack open a box of previously-loved strands, take time to inspect each strand. If you find frayed or cracked wires or any broken sockets, return them or throw them away.

Don’t put more strands of lights on your tree than the packaging recommends. Overloading trees (and outlets) are a common cause of holiday fires. Unplug your holiday lights (and tree, if applicable) before you go to bed or leave the house.

If you want to hang lights outside, don’t use nails or staples as they can damage the wiring. Invest in quality hooks or hangers. Once the holidays are over, take down all outside lights. Small animals, like squirrels, may start chewing on the wires if you leave them up all year.

Menorahs

If your family uses menorahs for Hanukkah, you could consider using an electric one to cut down on fire hazards. If you prefer traditional candles, just be careful.

Keep the menorah at least three feet away from flammable items, and make sure you place a non-flammable surface, like an aluminum foil-lined tray, underneath the menorah to catch the melting wax.

Christmas Trees

Setting up the Christmas tree can mark the beginning of the Christmas holiday for many families. Unfortunately, if they are not properly set up and taken care of, they pose a large fire risk.

Keep the Christmas tree at least three feet away from fireplaces or heating elements in your home.

If you prefer a live Christmas tree, make sure to care for it properly. A dry tree can start to engulf a room in flames within a minute of ignition. Help reduce fire risks with the following guidelines:

• Buy a fresh tree. When you first choose the tree, the pine needles should be green and not easily broken.
• Cut off the bottom. When you get the tree home, cut two inches of the bottom to create a raw cut so the tree can soak in water.
• Water the tree daily. Well-watered trees are less likely to catch fire.
• Throw it out promptly. No matter how much you water it, your tree will dry out over time. Once the pine needles start to fall off and the tree starts to dry, it’s time to throw it out.

If you choose an artificial tree, consider flame-resistant or flame-retardant options.

Taking steps to prevent holiday fires can help reduce the risk, but there’s always a possibility of a fire. If your home suffers fire damage, SERVPRO of Kankakee County can help.

We have the knowledge and experience to properly treat fire and smoke damage to make your home “Like it never even happened.” We offer 24/7 emergency service; call us anytime at (815) 935-0077.