‘Twas two weeks before Christmas

Wishing you all the best for a safe, happy, and healthy holiday!

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

  From our house to yours, wishing you the very best for a safe and happy holiday season!

So here’s the list of 7 tips for you to begin the process of recovery after water damage to your home or business:

1. Think Safety First!!
Slips, falls and electrocution are the 3 biggest immediate hazards after your home or business is flooded with water.
Protect yourself from potential accidents that could add injury to the insult of vacation water damage by moving slowly and carefully in waterproof footwear (rain boots will do!) and turn off power to the affected rooms at the circuit breaker on the electrical panel – if you can reach it safely. Whatever you do, don’t enter rooms with standing water until the electricity has been turned off!

2. Next, shut off the source of the water at the main coming into your home or business –if you can reach it safely.

Whatever you do don’t panic!

Things might look bad, but you’ve done the right thing by calling in the Paramedics of Property Damage ®
We’ll get you clean, dry, and sanitized in the shortest time possible. And we’ll take photos of every stage of the work we do for you and communicate with you and your insurance company every step of the way.

For emergency help with water damage clean up in the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Region, call 877-750-7876

12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety Tips:

• Day 1 – Use wooden or fiberglass ladders when decorating outdoors. Metal ladders conduct electricity and could cause a nasty shock or spark an electrical fire!
• Day 2 – When decorating outside, use caution near power lines. Keep yourself and your decorations at least 10 feet from power lines. Take care not to attach the lights in a way that could damage the cord’s insulation (e.g., with a staple gun). Place spotlights used to illuminate decorations in well-ventilated areas, protected from weather, and placed a safe distance from flammable items. And, if we should be so lucky to have a White Christmas, remember to keep all extension cords and light strings clear of snow and standing water.

GFCI Portable Plug In Adaptor (Photo Courtesy of Home Depot)

• Day 3 – Use extension cords wisely. Make sure all extension cords and electrical decorations used for outdoor decorating are marked “for outdoor use,” and inspect them for cracks before you use them. Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). If circuits are not GFCI-protected, consider getting an electrician to install them for you. But, in a pinch, portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold and require no special knowledge or equipment to install!
• Day 4 - Use lights and extension cords approved for safe use by a nationally recognized testing laboratory like Underwriters Laboratories (UL), ETL-SEMKO (ETL) or Canadian Standards Association (CSA). And never connect more than three strands of incandescent lights together!
  This year, you might want to consider purchasing LED lights – they use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights. And, make sure you turn off all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep.
• Day 5 - Water Fresh Trees Daily! When it’s time to trim the tree and you decide to use a fresh one, make sure to keep the base of the trunk in water at all times. And keep your fresh tree or holiday decorations away from ignition sources like space heaters, fire places or candles.
• Day 6 – Make sure you have working smoke alarms and working carbon monoxide alarms. Remember they wear out after 7-10 years, so if you can’t remember when they were installed, it’s time to think about replacing them as you decorate this year.
• Day 7 – With that little holiday nip in the air, space heaters help to keep things warm and cozy inside. But . . . make sure to give space heaters space! Remember to keep them at least 3 feet away from anything like curtains, upholstery or holiday decorations that could ignite.
• Day 8 – Keep family members who smoke outside when they light up! Careless smoking is still the leading cause of fatal fires, so ask your family members who smoke to make sure their cigarette butts are extinguished in water or sand-filled ashtrays before returning to the festivities inside.

However you choose to celebrate, PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services wishes you and yours a safe and happy holiday!

Day 9 – Whether it’s Hanukah, Kwanza, or Christmas you celebrate, candles are part of the celebration that help to keep the season bright. Remember: When you go out, blow out! Candle fires are second only to cooking for causing fires during the holidays. Keep candles away from kids, pets, and anything that can burn like curtains and furniture.
• Day 10 - There’s more to responsible drinking than calling a cab to take your tipsy guests home after a party! With all the festive cheer this time of year, keep a close eye on anyone attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol is a common causative factor in many holiday accidents and fires.
• Day 11 – Watch what you heat! The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year. It’s easy to get distracted from cooking – which is why cooking fires increase at this time of year and is the leading cause of fires during the holidays. Always stay with your project, especially if you’re cooking with oil or grease. If it does catch fire, slide a tight fitting lid over the pot to smother the flames and turn off the heat. If the oil has over-boiled and flames erupt, never use water on a grease fire or the flames will explode. Smother them instead with baking soda.
• Day 12 – While it’s not fun to think about, with all the visitors that make their way to your home for the holidays, make sure everyone knows how to get out safely if a fire occurs. Make sure you have a designated “someone” to help young children, older adults, or persons with disabilities who may need additional assistance in the event of a fire.

But if the worst should happen and you need help after a fire, remember PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all your fire damage restoration needs! Call 877-750-7876

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/28/the-12-days-of-holiday-fire-safety-tips/feed/ 0 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-from-puroclean-emergency-recovery-services/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-from-puroclean-emergency-recovery-services/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2014 17:35:37 +0000 http://www.purocleanpers.org/?p=2385 Continue Reading]]> At this season of Thanksgiving, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible: our customers, agents and referral partners   

There is no more fitting time to say:
Thank You for choosing PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services for all your property damage restoration needs! 
And now, meet the Team at PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services that makes it all possible:
 

Thank you John Harrison, Operations Manager

 

It takes a special kind of person to dedicate their life to relieving the suffering of others . ..

Thank you Kyle Brabant, Lead Technician

From all types of property damage . . .
 

storm and hurricane damage . . .
 

fire and smoke damage . . .
 

crime and death scene cleanup . . .

Thank you Craig Brabant, Lead Technician

Days, nights, weekends and holidays too . . .
 

To our most excellent crew: Thank you!

And for those of you who plan to fry your turkey this year, here are six helpful safety tips:

Considering that more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year, it’s time to make fire safety in the kitchen even more of a priority on this day!

• First, make sure that the turkey is completely thawed before going into the deep fryer. Based on recommendations from the National Turkey Federation (NTF), a turkey should be thawed in the refrigerator one day for every five pounds it weighs. So, if you have a 20 pound turkey, you’ll need to thaw it for 4 days before cooking it.
• Second, turkey fryers should never be used inside the home, inside of a garage or on a wooden deck – hot oil splatter has the potential to cause fire and injury.
• Third, always keep the deep fryer on a level surface to prevent accidental tipping.
• Fourth, keep the deep fryer a safe distance from any buildings or materials.
• Fifth, don’t ever leave the fryer unattended. This is especially important because many fryer models don’t have thermostat controls. If the oil continues to heat when left unattended, it will inevitably catch fire.
• Sixth, in the event of a fire, make sure you have a fire extinguisher nearby. Remember, water and oil don’t mix, so don’t attempt to douse a grease fire with water! It could even cause an explosion!

Even with all the proper precautions in place, life happens! Accidents and equipment malfunctions happen!
And that’s where PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services comes in. We can restore your fire- or smoke-damaged property to a pre-loss condition – even if it comes from a turkey fryer fire.
 
For more information on PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services fire and smoke damage restoration services, as well as water damage, disaster restoration, mold and biohazard cleanup services, call 877-750-7876

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-from-puroclean-emergency-recovery-services/feed/ 0 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/19/5-tips-to-prevent-water-damage-to-your-home-before-you-go-on-vacation/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/19/5-tips-to-prevent-water-damage-to-your-home-before-you-go-on-vacation/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2014 19:00:50 +0000 http://purocleanpers.org/?p=1771 Continue Reading]]> The holidays are upon us!

For many of us it’s a time for rest and relaxation and vacations away from home with friends and family.

Statistics gathered from the US Travel Bureau tell us that Thanksgiving and the Christmas/New Year’s holiday periods are among the busiest long-distance travel periods of the year – so much so that during the Thanksgiving travel period, the number of long-distance trips (to and from a ­destination 50 miles or more away) increases by 54 percent! And travel during the Christmas and New Year’s Holiday period the number rises by 23 percent, compared to the average for the rest of the year.

But for some unlucky homeowners and business owners, getting back to reality after the holiday vacation includes coming home to a basement flooded with water from a broken supply line or over the ground flooding. And, because the water has been allowed to dwell – sometimes for days or weeks – the first indication that there’s a problem is an awful smell greeting them at the front door when they return home.

So, here’s a list of 5 helpful tips to help you savor all that rest and relaxation you bring home with you from your vacation by avoiding costly water damage when you’re away:

Prevent vacation water damage when you’re away! Shut off the water at the main before you go

1. The best protection against water damage and flooded basements when you’re on vacation is to shut off the main valve that controls all the water entering your home before you leave.

If you’re not sure where it is, look for your water meter; the main shutoff will be located nearby. (It’s a good idea for everyone in your home to know where the main water shutoff valve is so they can stop the water in case of an emergency.)

Old or corroded valves on water mains need to be treated with care

2. If you’ve never shut off the main water valve before, test it before you leave on vacation. Turn on a faucet somewhere in the house and shut off the main water valve. All the water should stop.

An old valve can break, so be gentle when you’re performing this test. If the valve is stuck, leave it alone. If it leaks or doesn’t shut off all the way, have a licensed plumber replace the valve. (You’ll need to call your water department to have the water to your house turned off at the curb while you have the repairs made.)

Valve stops for bathroom sinks can be closed to prevent leaks

3. If you don’t want to shut off the main water supply because you have a neighbor watering the plants while you’re gone, shut off the valves to the most common sources of water damage: dishwashers, icemakers and washing machines, in case a hose cracks or leaks while you’re away. Individual shutoff valves or “stops” are installed on the supply lines leading to most appliances as well as to toilets and faucets. Water supply stops usually have a small round or oval handle that you turn clockwise to shut off the flow of water.

4. If you have a well, shut off the electrical switch for the well before you leave so it won’t pump any water while you’re gone. But don’t shut off the electric to the whole building! If a leak should occur, or a storm floods your basement with water, your sump pump needs the electricity to do it’s job!

Clear gutters of debris to keep water outside your home while you’re away

And one more thing:5. While nobody wants a bigger “to-do“ list before going on vacation, a short inspection trip around the outside of your home to check the gutters and down spout extensions can save you thousands of dollars later by preventing storm water damage while you’re away.

A 1,000-sq.-ft. roof can cast off about 620 gallons of water during a 1-inch rain storm. That’s about 103 gallons per downspout if you have six of them. And, you really don’t want all those 620 gallons of water in your basement to greet you when you return! So, a quick check to make sure the gutters are clean and the downspouts are draining away from the foundation are key to prevent basement flooding while you’re away.

For these unfortunate homeowners in Cherry Hill, NJ water filled their basement when they were away

But if the worst should happen and you need help cleaning up water damage in a flooded basement, PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get your home clean, dry and sanitized before mold can grow Call 877-750-7876

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/19/5-tips-to-prevent-water-damage-to-your-home-before-you-go-on-vacation/feed/ 0 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/14/the-6-most-common-causes-for-mold-growth-in-your-homes-attic-and-what-to-do-about-it/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/14/the-6-most-common-causes-for-mold-growth-in-your-homes-attic-and-what-to-do-about-it/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2014 12:20:33 +0000 http://purocleanpers.org/?p=514 Continue Reading]]> If you’re like me, you probably store your Christmas decorations in the attic. If that’s the case, this is probably one of the few times you ever actually visit your attic during the year. For some of us, there could be a nasty surprise waiting for us: mold!

Most of us assume mold only happens in bathrooms and basements. It doesn’t even occur to us that mold can grow in our attics too. However, with the recent storms many homes have endured, homeowners are finding out the hard way that mold can indeed grow in attics.

The six most common causes of mold growth in the attic are:

Yes, mold does grow in attics too!

Cause #1: You guessed it! A leaking roof
Sometimes a roof leak is bad enough that water leaks into the floors below and becomes immediately apparent. While this kind of water damage is never fun, the good news is that at least you know what the problem is and can get it dried before mold starts to grow. However, for an unfortunate few, the roof leaks from the recent storm damage have gone unnoticed until the attic is visited to retrieve our holiday decorations. For these folks, mold has already begun to grow. Remedy: Get the roof repaired!

Roof leak in this Vineland NJ home leads to mold growth

Cause #2: Missing insulation or improperly installed insulation
For many of us DYI’er (Do-It-Yourself’er) homeowners, the first thing we think about to save money on heating and cooling bills is to install more insulation in our attics. Unfortunately, improper installation or choosing the wrong kind of insulation causes moisture from the lower levels of the home to rise and get trapped in the attic. This moisture feeds mold growth. If you’re layering insulation atop other insulation, don’t use the kind that has “kraft face” finish (i.e., paper or foil backing). It acts as a vapor barrier and can trap moisture in the insulation. Remedy: Ask a better question – do you really need more insulation?

Condensation from improper venting causes mold growth in this Cherry Hill, NJ attic

 

Cause #3: Inadequate attic ventilationI know it seems counter-intuitive, but the basic ventilation principal for your attic is to keep it as cool as possible during the cold season. Many of us think the opposite, and seal all of the attic vents or even insulate the roof decking, assuming it will lower our heating bill. Unfortunately, by sealing the vents or tacking insulation to the underside of the roof we create ideal environment for attic mold to grow, by keeping moist, warm air trapped inside.

Mold remediation requires proper safety equipment

So how good is your attic ventilation? A perfect time to find out is the next snow storm. If you look at your roof for several days after it snows and you see an even distribution covering your roof your attic ventilation is just fine. Any roof surface section where snow starts disappearing suggests the areas in the attic where warm air has been trapped instead of being properly vented to the exterior. Remedy: Make sure your soffit vents are free of insulation, bird nests, & debris and think about hiring a home inspector to evaluate your attic.

Cause #4: Dryer vents, plumbing vents, kitchen or bathroom fans vented into the attic
Related to #3 above, this practice can pump warm moist air into the attic where it can be trapped and begin the cycle of mold growth. Mold needs 3 things to grow: moisture, food, and warmth. If you eliminate just one of these elements, mold will starve and die.
Remedy: Hire a handyman to re-route those vents outside.

Cause #5: Water heaters or furnaces installed in the attic
Recent building practices for larger homes have changed. It used to be that only basements were used for water heaters and furnaces. However, larger homes with several heating and cooling zones, as well as spa style bathrooms with huge soaking tubs, it is now common practice to have designated systems to support these luxuries. Unfortunately, this can contribute to adding moisture to attics if leaks are not detected in time or the appliances are improperly installed. Remedy: Get a maintenance contract with a service company to inspect your system twice a year.

Cause #6: Ice damming
Ice Dams occur when water can’t drain properly from the roof, freezes, and backs up into the home through the attic. The best way to prevent this: clean your gutters when you’re installing your outdoor Christmas lights so that winter’s rain and melting snow can drain. As you’re cleaning the gutters, look for leaks and misaligned pipes and make sure the downspouts carry water at least 10 feet away from the house’s foundation.

PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services technician ready for duty!

If you do find mold in your attic, DON’T use bleach! The first step is to call in the experts for an evaluation.
At PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services, we’re standing by to answer any questions you might have about mold growth in attics or anywhere in your home.
For help with attic mold in the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region
call

877-750-7876

today!

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/14/the-6-most-common-causes-for-mold-growth-in-your-homes-attic-and-what-to-do-about-it/feed/ 2 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/13/avoid-the-crush-and-the-cost-of-clutter-givingtuesday/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/13/avoid-the-crush-and-the-cost-of-clutter-givingtuesday/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2014 13:04:29 +0000 http://purocleanpers.org/?p=6814 Continue Reading]]> First there was Black Friday. Then came Cyber Monday.

Doesn’t it seem ironic that these two days come after the one and only day of the year in the United States we’ve set aside for expressions of Thanksgiving and Gratitude?

Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to all this stuff after the holidays because we give out of a sense of obligation to people who really don’t need or want anything but our company and our positive regard?

I remember my grandmother talking about receiving a gift of an orange in her stocking. That’s all. Nothing else.
And, she was grateful for it. It was a rare and extravagant gift to receive tropical fruit in the winter during her childhood. I’m sure no orange ever tasted so good as the one she received on Christmas morning. In our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ time, gift giving at the holidays was a small thing.

• It was a way to recognize the bounty of the harvest in the fall.
• It was a way to share with others a symbol of our love for them.
• It was a way to allow the gesture to be a reflection of all that’s been given to us.
• And, it was a way to celebrate the season.

But now the season of giving has turned into a series of meaningless gestures that make many of us feel poorer. We’re poorer today than in my grandmother’s time because after the holidays we have bills we can’t pay and/or closets of stuff we can’t use.

We help families of hoarders with the crisis of clean up

Here at PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services we’ve seen first-hand the danger of hoarding and clutter in homes when property damage happens from fire and smoke or water and sewage. We see how much the clutter imprisons our lives, and how much it can cost us when homes get damaged.

But, even if we’re not hoarders, massive collectors, or clutterers, many of us have solved the problem of having too much stuff by using off-site self-storage rental units. And this has created a problem of it’s own . . .

How big is the problem?

The Self Storage Association estimated that in 2013 almost 9% of all households in the United States rented a self-storage unit. That’s over 10 million households! 30% of these households will rent their self-storage unit for two years or longer. And, most of these households have basements, attics, and garages to store stuff too!

But at what cost?
In 2013, the self-storage industry in the United States generated more than $24 billion in annual revenue. Yes, that’s billion with a “b.” It’s been the fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry for the last 40 years. So much so that by the end of last year, there were approximately 59,500 self-storage facilities worldwide, with most of these, 52,500 facilities, in the United States. That’s a total of 2.3 billion square feet or 78 miles of self-storage space!

And, all that space and all that money is spent to store stuff that people aren’t using, and in many cases don’t even want anymore.

It’s a crush of stuff from a culture that’s constantly on the move.

The problem of our collective inability to let go of stuff has even been featured in a very popular A&E show “Storage Wars” where enterprising folks bid on forgotten and abandoned property in storage spaces.

Doesn’t this all sound just a little insane? $24 Billion dollars just to store stuff no one is using . ..

And so as you make your holiday shopping list to see who’s been naughty and nice, we ask you to consider checking it twice. Before you go out on Black Friday or sit down at your computer on Cyber Monday, you might ask Is there a better way?

Yes, there is a better way!

Alternative gift giving

If you’re tired of receiving gifts you don’t want or need or if you’re looking for a different way to celebrate this season of giving, consider asking for or giving an “alternative gift.”

What’s an alternative gift?

Alternative gifts are charitable donations that can be given with a name attached! Your loved ones receive a card that mentions them by name – and you as the giver! These are monetary gifts that go to work as soon as you give them to help these organizations locally and world -wide.

Check out the links below to some of our favorite local, national, and international charities for some information about how to give gifts in honor of the special people you know and love – and avoid the crush and the cost of clutter this holiday season!

The Habitat for Humanity ™ Philadelphia program is not just another “handout” it’s a program for home ownership that actually helps to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring that the families who work their 350 “sweat equity” hours on their own house or other Habitat ™ houses get to see the results of their labor in the form of a down payment and a no-interest mortgage.
Thinking of clearing out that rental storage space?

Think Habitat!
The Habitat ReStore serves as an outlet to accept donated goods for resale, and the profits are used to help fund the construction of more houses. And, when you donate to the ReStore, you enjoy a tax deduction, help to provide the Philadelphia community with a source of low-cost building materials, furniture and home goods. An additional benefit: donations to the ReStore save tons of materials from going into landfills.
And, if you’re in South Jersey, check out
Habitat for Humanity Burlington County
and
Habitat for Humanity Camden County
They have ReStores too!

Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth. It’s a group that empowers families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity – but their approach is more than just giving a handout. Heifer links communities and helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. The animals provide partners with both food and reliable income, as agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey that can be traded or sold at market. When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings and funding small businesses.

Give Heifer – If you’re looking for the perfect present for someone who already has everything, then give Heifer. What better way to honor someone on Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanza than with a gift that keeps on giving!

Contributions in the form of alternative giving to the Food Bank of South Jersey will help deliver much-needed food to more than 173,000 people struggling to make ends meet in South Jersey. 92% of all donations directly fund programs & services that deliver and distribute nutrient rich food, support social service outreach, and educate people on the ways in which healthy eating and cooking can help them live better and healthier lives.
Your donation helps them continue the critical mission of delivering food and hope to the people of South Jersey.

 

Philabundance was created in 1984 with the simple belief that no man, woman or child should go hungry. Their growth and eventual integration with the Philadelphia Food Bank in 2005 has made them the region’s largest hunger relief organization. Philabundance has taken a stronghold on the issue of hunger in the Delaware Valley, providing emergency relief and long-term strategies to strengthen the hunger safety net. There is no quick fix, but with unified dedication from partners, donors and the public at large, they are creating innovative programs and support to agencies that make nutritious food accessible to everyone in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Our business exists to solve problems . . . if you need help with compassionate hoarding cleanup, or just need to dig out from the crush of stuff call 877-750-7876
We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even on holidays!

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/13/avoid-the-crush-and-the-cost-of-clutter-givingtuesday/feed/ 0 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/07/fireplace-fires-5-tips-for-prevention/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/07/fireplace-fires-5-tips-for-prevention/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2014 20:28:48 +0000 http://www.purocleanpers.org/?p=2475 Continue Reading]]> Did you do a “double-take” when reading the title? I know what you’re thinking. “Fireplaces are supposed to have fires!” But not to cause them.
Unfortunately, fireplaces, and their close cousins wood burning stoves, are involved in 42% of all home heating fires. And of course, most of these fires increase right around the holidays. Believe it or not, 33% of American homes use fireplaces and wood stoves as primary heat sources. And the cost? Nationally, about 30 million dollars each year! (Statistics from the Chimney Safety Institute of America)

So what can you do to make sure your holidays are warm and bright and without the tragedy of a fireplace fire – or the hidden hazard of carbon monoxide poisoning from a cracked or broken chimney?

What happens when fireplaces don’t get maintained properly

1. Hire a chimney sweep!

Signs that you have a chimney fire are excessive smoke blowing back into your home after lighting the fire – even when the flue is open; popping and crackling sounds coming from above the fire, and noticing burns on your roofing tiles when putting up your Christmas lights.

Of course, all these signs mean it’s a little late to prevent a fireplace and chimney fire.

Therefore, the National Fire Protection Association recommends that chimneys be cleaned once a year at the beginning of the winter to remove creosote (i.e., soot) and debris – including bird’s nests and squirrel nests that can ignite as soon as you light the first fire.

When creosote builds up in chimneys,

fires can happen like it did for these

homeowners in Cherry Hill, NJ!

Chimney sweeping is NOT something for a “Do It Yourselfer” to tackle! Unless you have the right equipment with a vacuum truck you’ll only be creating an unbelievable mess in your home. For a few hundred dollars you can have peace of mind that the job was done right – and a clean home without the mess. The price is well justified when you consider that the average cost of cleaning up after fire damage from a chimney fire is between two and twenty-five thousand dollars!

To find a certified chimney sweep in your area contact the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

What it looks like after the flue of a wood burning stove catches fire

• 2. And, while they’re at it, have them check for damage

In addition to cleaning, a professional chimney sweep will inspect the chimney structure and liners for cracks, loose bricks or missing mortar. They know what to look for. And, they can replace the chimney cap fitted with wire-mesh sides so it covers the top of the chimney and keeps rain, birds, squirrels and debris outside, where they’re meant to be.

 

But beyond hiring professional help, you can decrease your risk of fireplace and chimney fires by:

• 3. Burning ONLY seasoned hardwoods

Before you build your fire, choose dense woods like oak, maple, or walnut. Green wood and resinous softwoods such as pine produce more creosote, a flammable byproduct of combustion that can build up in the chimney. Make sure the wood has been split, stored and seasoned in a dry place for at least six months. And, don’t burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.

• 4. Setting it up right!

Before you build the fire, clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate. Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke. A fire that is too large or too hot can crack the chimney. And, whatever you do, don’t use flammable liquids to start a fire in fireplace or wood stove – use kindling instead.
Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney. But keep the metal mesh screen closed when the glass doors are open to keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.

And one more thing:

• 5. Protect the Outside of Your Home

Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home. This keeps the hazard of ignition down in case embers escape the chimney. But, it has an additional benefit too: it prevents your home being infested by termites! Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris and remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.

But, if these tips for prevention have come too late and you find your home filled with smoke and soot, don’t despair. PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services is here to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And, we’re only a phone call away at 877-750-7876

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/07/fireplace-fires-5-tips-for-prevention/feed/ 0 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/02/6-steps-to-winterize-your-home-to-avoid-frozen-pipes/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/02/6-steps-to-winterize-your-home-to-avoid-frozen-pipes/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2014 02:37:42 +0000 http://purocleanpers.org/?p=628 Continue Reading]]>
Frozen water in pipes causes water pressure buildup between the ice blockage and the closed faucet at the end of a pipe.
Once the pressure builds, the pipes burst at their weakest point.
A cracked hose bib outside is no joke!
It can lead to gallons of water flooding your basement . . . as in this case in Riverside, NJ.

Cracked hose bib outside leads to flooded basement inside this Riverside, NJ home

So, what can you do to prevent this?

Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are more likely to freeze in extremely cold weather than pipes anywhere else in a building. Other areas that can cause concern are pipes near openings in the outside wall of a building, including where television, cable or telephone lines enter the structure.

To keep water in pipes where it belongs and keep it from freezing, homeowners and business owners can take these 6 easy steps:

1. Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer. The more insulation the better.
2. Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulking.
3. Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes (particularly in the kitchen and bathroom).
4. Keep a slow drip of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space.
5. Drain the water system, especially if your building is vacant during cold periods.
6. If you have a sprinkler system, make sure you have it blown out every year and the water supply is turned off to the system.
(For the unfortunate owners of this Riverside, New Jersey home, it was this last very important step that was forgotten!)

And remember: For any kind of water loss, time is of the essence to prevent mold from growing! The more quickly the water is pumped out and dried, the less chance there is for mold to grow.

Call PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services at 877-750-7876 for all your water damage restoration needs!

]]> http://purocleanpers.org/2014/11/02/6-steps-to-winterize-your-home-to-avoid-frozen-pipes/feed/ 0 http://purocleanpers.org/2014/10/26/fire-damage-cleanup-in-aisle-four/ http://purocleanpers.org/2014/10/26/fire-damage-cleanup-in-aisle-four/#comments Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:13:42 +0000 http://purocleanpers.org/?p=6704 What do you do when you’re a property manager of a department store in Springfield, Pennsylvania and a light fixture on the sales floor causes an electrical fire?

The damage to the carpet in this department store was minimal, and luckily there were no injuries, but the damage to the inventory was in the thousands of dollars!

Burned carpet and debris caused by the faulty electrical outlet

The questions is, could these fires be prevented?

Owner Harry Allcroft is on the job with his team and special HEPA equipment after an electrical fire caused damage to a Department Store in Springfield, PA

It’s easy to see the “before-and-after” and why you need a professional IICRC trained firm to clean after a fire extinguisher discharge