Keeping Your Valuables Safe From Fire

11/18/2023 (Permalink)

First Step: Fireproof Safety Box

We know how important it is to keep your belongings safe. The first step in keeping your valuables and important documents safe is purchasing a fireproof safety box. This box will make sure your items stay secure in case of a fire.

Items you might store in your safety box include:   

• Birth certificate
• Social Security cards
• Property titles
• Spare keys
• Digital hard drives containing family photos
• Jewelry  

What SERVPRO® Can Do

If your home does suffer from a fire, SERVPRO can help make it “Like it never even happened.” SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo specializes in restoring contents damaged by fire. Our expertise and “restore” versus “replace” mentality can help you save money while preserving precious keepsakes that can’t be replaced.

Board Ups: What They Are, Why They Happen

11/18/2023 (Permalink)

Board-ups - In some cases it may be important to secure openings to your home or structure using sturdy, durable materials designed to protect it from both weather intrusion and intrusion by outsiders. SERVPRO® of West Kalamazoo Professionals can and will perform the board-up themselves.

Damage caused by a fire is devastating for your family and your home. It’s a stressful and confusing time, so you’ll need a caring expert to guide you through this crisis. Our professionals will always treat you with respect and empathy, and we’ll always treat your home and belongings with great care.

SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in West Kalamazoo. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
• Faster to Any-Sized Disaster
• Highly Trained Restoration Technicians
• A Trusted Leader in the Restoration Industry
• Locally Owned and Operated
• Advanced Restoration and Cleaning Equipment 

We are the Fire Damage Restoration Professionals

7/23/2022 (Permalink)

The fire trucks may be gone but without proper immediate response, the real damage and the costs are just beginning. To return your residential or commercial property to its preloss condition requires professional restoration. This is not the job for a do-it-yourself property owner.

For results you can have confidence in, the IICRC recommends hiring a certified restoration firm. Restoration to a property can be complex. Proper smoke and odor removal are tasks that require technicians certified in these specific areas.

When selecting a certified restoration firm several factors must be considered:

• Formal and up-to-date specialized training
• Health and safety certifications
• Experience in a wide range of restoration projects
• Proof of proper insurance and licenses

SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo has all of the above. Call us today!

SERVPRO Is Here When The Fire Is Out

3/14/2022 (Permalink)

A fire can be devastating to your home or business. After the fire trucks leave, your property will likely suffer from not only fire and smoke damage, but also widespread water damage and flooding from firefighting efforts. SERVPRO of has specialized fire and water damage restoration training and experience to quickly clean up and restore your home to pre-fire condition. They also can remove the pervasive smoke odor and deep-clean soot from upholstery and carpet.

Board-ups - In some cases firefighters may break windows and cut holes in the roof in order to vent the fire. It is extremely important to secure openings to your home or structure using sturdy, durable materials designed to protect it from both weather intrusion and intrusion by outsiders.

Types of Fire/Smoke/Soot

Wet Smoke – Plastics and Synthetics; Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood; Fast burning, high temperatures, dry, powdery, non-smeary residues.

Protein – Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor.

Fuel Oil Soot – Furnace Puff Backs. Other Types – Tear gas, fingerprint powder and fire extinguisher residue.

What to do after a fire:

• Keep hands clean so as not to further soil upholstery, walls and woodwork.
• Place clean towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery and carpet traffic areas.
• If electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator and prop doors open.
• Clean and protect chrome with light coating of petroleum jelly or oil.
• Wash houseplants on both sides of leaves.

What NOT to do after a fire:

• Don't attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces or shampoo carpet or upholstery without contacting SERVPRO.
• Don't attempt to clean any electrical appliances that may have been close to fire, heat or water without consulting an authorized repair service.
• Don't use any canned or packaged food or beverages that may have been stored near the fire, heat or water.
• Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet. The wiring may be damaged.
• Don't send garments to an ordinary dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may damage garment further.

SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo has what it takes to restore your home back to pre loss condition.

SERVPRO Can Remove Unwanted Odors From Your Home

12/29/2021 (Permalink)

Tobacco smoke is composed of numerous types of gasses as well as carcinogens and heavy metals, like arsenic, lead, and cyanide.

Interesting fact about SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo, we can deodorize your home and business of the toxins that come from substances such as cigarette smoke!

Tobacco smoke is composed of numerous types of gasses as well as carcinogens and heavy metals, like arsenic, lead, and cyanide. Sticky, highly toxic particulates, like nicotine, can cling to walls and ceilings. Gases can be absorbed into carpets, draperies, and other upholsteries.

Many times hotels or realtors will call on us to come in and clean rooms that have been inhabited by heavy smokers. Your basic cleaning service is not going to have the expertise to effectively deodorize your home.

Take advantage of SERVPRO’s residential cleaning services to remove unwanted odors (including animal smells such as skunk and wet dog).

Call us today 269-342-2366

Do You Know How Quickly Fire Damage Happens?

12/29/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Is Ready For Whatever Happens 24/7/365 - call us immediately

ONE HOUR: Within one hour from notice of loss, a SERVPRO  professional will contact you to arrange for service. You’ll know help is on the way!

FOUR HOURS: Within four hours of loss notification, a SERVPRO professional will be on-site to start mitigation services. The key to reducing damage and saving money is responding quickly to your damage.

DETAILED EXPLANATION: A trained, uniformed and equipped SERVPRO Professional will walk you through the job process step-by-step, explaining what to expect and the anticipated outcome.

EIGHT HOURS: Within eight business hours of on-site arrival, a verbal briefing of the scope will be communicated to the appropriate person, normally your adjuster or property manager.

PRETESTING: A SERVPRO Professional will begin pretesting for restorability, working from the source of the damage outward.

CLEANING, RESTORATION & DEODORIZATION: SERVPRO Professionals will work neatly and efficiently to help you regain control of your property when a damaging event has taken over. They will use state-of-the-art restoration techniques to ensure your property is taken care of right the first time.

FINAL WALK-THROUGH: After the work has been completed, a final walk-through will be conducted with you to help ensure your satisfaction.

SERVPRO Urges You To Prep For Any Type Of Unannounced Disasters, Especially fires

12/29/2021 (Permalink)

Give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here ready to put our experience to work for you!

What Is The Best Way To Be Prepared For Fire?

Fires at your home or business can be a very difficult and stressful experience. In most cases the fire starts without notice. Each year more than 2,500 people die and 12,600 are injured in home fires in the United States. This number could drop significantly if we would prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

A big problem that we see, is that the average person has the attitude that it will never happen to them. Which is the worst attitude to have when it comes to any form of disaster. Here at SERVPRO we urge the people in our community to prep homes and businesses for any type of unannounced disasters, especially fires. They come on quickly, with hardly any warning and can destroy everything if not properly put out by your local fire department. Here at SERVPRO of we strive to make it "Like it never even happened."   

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here ready to put our experience to work for you! 

How A Safe Can Help You In A Fire

12/6/2021 (Permalink)

We know how important it is to keep your belongings safe. The first step in keeping your valuables and important documents safe is purchasing a fireproof safety box. This box will make sure your items stay secure in case of a fire.

Items you might store in your safety box include:   

• Birth certificate
• Social Security cards
• Property titles
• Spare keys
• Digital hard drives containing family photos
• Jewelry  

What SERVPRO Can Do

If your home does suffer from a fire, SERVPRO can help make it “Like it never even happened.” SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo specializes in restoring contents damaged by fire. Our expertise and “restore” versus “replace” mentality can help you save money while preserving precious keepsakes that can’t be replaced. 

SERVPRO Is Here To Help With Smoke and Soot Cleanup

11/30/2021 (Permalink)

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage? Call Us Today – (800) 630-7119

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

Smoke and soot facts:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
• The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Different Types of Smoke

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

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

• Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

• Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

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

• Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor. 

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

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

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?
Call Us Today – (800) 630-7119

Ask The Experts: I Understand Fire Damage, But What Damage Can Smoke & Soot Do?

7/15/2021 (Permalink)

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

Smoke and soot facts:

• Hot smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure.
• Smoke flows around plumbing systems, seeping through the holes used by pipes to go from floor to floor.
• The type of smoke may greatly affect the restoration process.

Different Types of Smoke

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

Wet Smoke – Plastic and Rubber

• Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.

Dry Smoke – Paper and Wood

• Fast burning, high temperatures, heat rises therefore smoke rises.

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

• Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes, extreme pungent odor. 

Our Fire Damage Restoration Services

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

Have Questions about Fire, Smoke, or Soot Damage?
Call Us Today –(269) 342-2366

Are You What Professionals Call "Disaster Aware"?

12/17/2020 (Permalink)

The regular occurrence of natural disasters demonstrates the importance of being prepared for any emergency or disaster. While each situation is unique, your family can be better prepared if you plan carefully, put emergency procedures in place, and practice for all kinds of emergencies.

The following are measures you and your family can take to start getting ready. A commitment to begin planning today will help support your family, home, and the community. Review the following questions to learn if your family and home are prepared.

Be Informed
Do you know what kind of emergencies might affect your home or daily life? Do you know what you and your family will do in an emergency situation?

Prepare Your Emergency Plan
Do you have an evacuation and shelter-in-place plan? Do you have a plan to communicate with your family before, during, and after an incident? Do you have an emergency supply kit?

Practice the Emergency Plan
Have you practiced your plan recently? Does your family know where to go in the event of a natural disaster? Have you reviewed your plans in the last 12 months?

Review Insurance Coverage
Have you reviewed your insurance coverage recently to see if you’re covered in a disaster?

Secure Your Home
Have you conducted a room-by-room walk-through to determine what safety measures can be taken?

Improve Cyber Security
Have you installed a firewall on your computer? Do you regularly update your antivirus software?
If you answered “No” to any of these questions, visit ready.gov and learn how to better prepare your family and home for an emergency or natural disaster.

The Vital Importance of Fire Extinguishers

12/14/2020 (Permalink)

As a homeowner, you need to be prepared for emergencies. If you've ever had a house fire and had to call in professionals to restore your home, you understand the importance of having a fire extinguisher on hand. Following the steps below can ensure that you're using it correctly.

1. Assess the Situation

First, understand what you're dealing with. If the blaze is already too big, the best idea may be to call the fire department and get yourself and anyone else in the house to safety. If you can safely douse it with a fire extinguisher, you need to next make sure that you have the right type for whatever material is burning.

2. Use the Right Extinguisher for the Fire

Experts classify extinguishers based on the type of fire they can combat. These include:

• Type A: for fires involving plastics, wood, textiles, and paper
• Type B: used on fires involving solvents, gasoline, oils, paints and other flammable liquids
• Type C: for electrical fires, including plugged-in equipment like computers or appliances
• Type D: for fires involving combustible powders or metals
• Type E: commonly used for a kitchen fire involving fats or cooking oils

These letter classifications are always found on the sides of the extinguishers, many of which are rated for putting out fires of more than one type.

3. Remember: "PASS"

The PASS method is an easy way to remember how to use most fire extinguishers. Each letter in "PASS" stands for the first word of an operational step. The "P" tells you to pull the pin at the top of the extinguisher; it needs to be removed before the operation. The "A" tells you to aim the nozzle. The nozzle should not be aimed at the top of the flames, but at the bottom, where the combustion is taking place. The first "S" tells you to squeeze the handle to start the flow, and the second one reminds you to sweep from side to side while spraying.

By acting quickly and following the instructions above, you can safely prevent fire damage before it has a chance.

Call us if disaster strikes! We are faster to any disaster and will make things "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Can Help You No Matter The Size Of Your Fire

7/6/2020 (Permalink)

The chance of a large fire damaging your home is not as high as it being affected by a small kitchen fire. Even though this is a good thing, it does not mean that a small fire cannot disrupt your life and leave behind a trail of destruction that requires a comprehensive plan to restore your home to mint condition. What fires of all sizes have in common is that they need a professional team to undertake the removal of smoke, soot, and particles left behind.

Recovering from fire damage is a specialty of our SERVPRO team. We train on the most up-to-date techniques to make the restoration of your home as seamless as possible, all while mitigating your losses. As soon as you call our 24-hour hotline, you begin to receive top service for your clean-up needs.

The effectiveness of our SERVPRO team partially lies in our ability to identify the different types of fire damage present at your home. Depending on the nature of each material, smoke can be different. Synthetic materials leave behind a different kind of residue than do natural materials, and we can identify it quickly based on our training and experience. What this knowledge means to you is that we use a targeted approach to cleaning each surface, instead of a universal method that may result in further damage to your home and its contents.

Whenever possible, we salvage your belongings by separating them from affected areas as soon as we can. At SERVPRO we believe in disrupting your life as little as possible, so we work efficiently to complete the restoration process, including removing the smell of fire and smoke so that you can enjoy the comforts of home. It is our goal to make your home “Like it never even happened.”

So call us today! We are faster to ay disaster and are here to put our expertise, equipment and experience to work for you!

Cleaning Smoke Damaged Contents

6/30/2019 (Permalink)

When it comes to cleaning smoked-damaged contents after a residential or commercial fire, the variety of contents in a typical job requires restorers to utilize a variety of cleaning methods.

Here is a quick description of each method of content cleaning:

• Dry Cleaning - Removes light to medium nongrease-based soils.
• Wet Cleaning - Removes moderate to heavy residues. The process involves cleaning using water, with or without a cleaning agent.
• Spray and Wipe - Apply a cleaning product using a spray bottle. After spraying, wipe the surface with a clean white towel. This method is effective for materials possibly damaged if saturated with cleaning product.
• Foam Cleaning - Effective for light residues or delicate materials. Clean with the foam of a cleaning agent rather than the liquid
• Abrasive Cleaning - Agitates the surface being cleaned. Apply a cleaning product containing abrasive ingredients
• Immersion Cleaning - Dipping contents items into a bath of cleaning product. This bath is an ultrasonic tank filled with water and cleaning solution. High-frequency sound waves then create high temperatures and microscopic jet streams of fluid to agitate and scrub contents.

SERVPRO recommends that you DO NOT attempt to clean smoke-damaged surfaces or contents yourself, and call the professionals

SERVPRO Announcement: Play It Safe This Fireworks Season!

6/18/2019 (Permalink)

After The Fire

12/13/2018 (Permalink)

Unfortunately, the end of summer in Kentucky welcomed some local fires. Due to the abundance of fires in our area, the SERVPRO team has been called to address some of the aftermath. This job is just one of many that the SERVPRO team has been called to assess the damages and help get the job done. The SERVPRO team wants to come into a residential home or business and make it look like, "it never even happened" by the time a job is completed. In this case, the fire attacked most of the family home. 

After the SERVPRO team arrives to a job and evaluates the amount of harm done to the building, they start working promptly to prevent the situation from worsening. Immediately, after a fire, soot residue settles onto the furniture and the entire area of the property. If not treated in a prompt manner, acidic soot may appear. If there are areas in the house that have wood, it may require refinishing after a fire. This is why SERVPRO is always faster to any disaster! 

SERVPRO: The Go To People For Smoke & Fire!

12/7/2018 (Permalink)

The fire trucks may be gone but without proper immediate response, the real damage and the costs are just beginning. To return your residential or commercial property to its preloss condition requires professional restoration. This is not the job for a do-it-yourself property owner.

For results you can have confidence in, the IICRC recommends hiring a certified restoration firm. Restoration to a property can be complex. Proper smoke and odor removal are tasks that require technicians certified in these specific areas.

When selecting a certified restoration firm several factors must be considered:

• Formal and up-to-date specialized training
• Health and safety certifications
• Experience in a wide range of restoration projects
• Proof of proper insurance and licenses

SERVPRO of West Kalamazoo has all of the above. Call us today!

Fire Prevention Month

11/8/2017 (Permalink)

October is Fire Prevention Month, and it is a perfect time to examine emergency preparedness plans for your home and business.  The 2017 theme for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is "Don't Wait - Check the Date!  Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years."  According to the NFPA in 2014 fires caused 2,745 deaths, 11,825 injuries and $6.8 billion in property damage.  Roughly half of home fire deaths occur in fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.  Smoke alarms save lives!  In fact, having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire, in half!  When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead.  Check your smoke alarms today to ensure your safety!