Follow These 4 Steps To Use Your Fire Extinguisher the Right Way

9/8/2022 (Permalink)

Use a fire extinguisher to limit the damage of a fire.

Few things can ruin a cozy evening at home faster than a kitchen fire. Whether you are preparing a meal for your family or cooking for friends, you must know how to effectively deal with flames in your kitchen. If you want to minimize fire damage in your Bountiful, UT, home, follow these four simple steps to use your fire extinguisher the right way.

4 Steps To Use Your Fire Extinguisher Correctly

1. Remove the Pin

Your emergency extinguisher probably has a pin to prevent accidental sprays. This piece of plastic or metal sits inside the trigger. It also likely has a ring that makes removal simple and intuitive. Before you begin to extinguish a fire, you must remove the safety pin.

2. Aim the Nozzle

Often, unaware homeowners point the nozzle of the extinguisher at the top of the flames. This is a mistake, as fires receive fuel from their foundations. Therefore, you must focus your spray on the base of the fire in your kitchen.

3. Apply Controlled Pressure

Your fire extinguisher may dispense more suppression agent than you anticipate. As such, it is important not to panic. Instead, apply controlled pressure to the extinguisher’s nozzle. Begin slowly before gradually increasing pressure to successfully extinguish the blaze.

4. Use a Sweeping Motion

To put out a fire of any size, you must concentrate on the base. As you probably know, fires tend to move around. By using a sweeping motion, you target all parts of the fire. Continue moving the extinguisher from side to side until the fire is gone.

Using a fire extinguisher to stop a fire in the kitchen is usually your best bet to limit damage. Still, extinguishers can be messy. If you have sustained damage or simply need a post-fire cleanup, working with a reputable restoration service in Bountiful, UT, is a good idea. Before you get to that point, however, you must be sure both you and your extinguisher are ready for action.

3 Steps for Deep Cleaning Your Home After a Flood

9/8/2022 (Permalink)

Flood Damage can leave mud and debris behind in your homes.

Flooding in Bountiful, UT, can wreak havoc on your home, especially when it comes to the mud, sludge, and debris it leaves behind. Cleaning walls, floors, and all your belongings once the waters recede can seem like an impossible task, especially if you must follow specific cleaning requirements from your insurance company, city, or state.

Steps to Take For Flood Cleanup

1. Begin With Hard Surfaces

Once you call your insurance agent and storm damage and flood restoration company to handle the drainage and disposal of contaminated floodwaters, you can begin cleanup efforts by creating a flood disinfectant for your home’s hard surfaces. Use clean scouring pads and a maximum-strength cleanser on your kitchen counters and other surfaces, then disinfect them with bleach or other germicide diluted with hot water. Remember to ventilate the room when you work with these chemicals and wear a mask and gloves to protect yourself.

2. Disinfect Your Kitchen Goods

Once your surfaces are clean, you can move on to your dishes, silverware, and canned goods. China, glassware and plastic utensils can be soaked in hot water treated with disinfectant, while metal silverware and cookware can be cleaned by immersing them in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Avoid using bleach on metal surfaces, as it may cause your items to stain or discolor. Remove labels from your canned goods, allow them to soak in disinfectant, and then air dry before you re-label them.

3. Sort Salvage From Trash

If you are following specific cleaning requirements from a local authority, it is important that you understand which items can be salvaged and which must be thrown away. As you were flooding clean, make piles of items that can be restored, such as non-porous toys and tools, and throw away mattresses, soaked bedding, and plastic toys that may have absorbed contaminated water.

Flooding in Bountiful, UT, can leave behind mud, debris, and soaked belongings. Following your city’s cleaning requirements and knowing where to begin may make the cleanup process simpler and give you peace of mind as a homeowner.

3 Steps for Home Flooding Recovery

9/8/2022 (Permalink)

Professional drying equipment in a Bountiful, UT home.

The damages left behind by floodwater in home settings can be extensive and leave an emotional toll behind as well. This is true whether the water damage resulted from rising waters after prolonged rain or a broken pipe. After flooding recedes, most people want to get back to their normal lives as quickly as possible, but the full recovery from the situation may take a long time. Breaking recovery tasks into orderly chunks may help the process move along more smoothly.

3 Steps To Recover From Flooding

1. Contact Your Insurance Company

Talk to your insurance agent about the terms of your flood insurance. The agent may recommend certain water damage restoration professionals in Bountiful, UT. Be prepared to share contact information, such as the phone number and address of where you are staying during the recovery process. Discuss steps such as keeping photographic evidence of the damages and holding onto damaged materials as proof of your losses.

2. Maintain Safety

Water in the home and electricity make a dangerous combination. Make sure you shut off the electricity to the home before attempting any repairs or cleanup. Ask professionals about whether it's safe to enter the residence to avoid injuries from gas leaks or fire hazards. Remember to practice basic safety procedures.

• Wear sturdy work gloves and protective hand and eye-wear.
• Consider wearing a respirator.
• Don't mix cleaning chemicals, such as chlorine bleach with ammonia.
• Watch out for pests, such as snakes and mice.

3. Separate Belongings for Professional and DIY Cleaning

You may be able to hose off or rinse out many of your belongings. Some items, such as clothing, can be cared for at a dry cleaning shop. However, many furnishings, such as carpets or upholstered couches, will require specific professional care. Water damage restoration professionals have the right tools and training to clean without causing further damage and will take steps to prevent long-term damages, such as mold.

Remember, after flood water in home settings recedes, contact Bountiful,UT, professionals, ensure safety, and then set aside tasks for professionals. Working methodically through recovery helps get things back to normal more quickly.

SERVPRO Helps With Claims

8/10/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage in Bountiful, UT home.

SERVPRO is a leader in its field, providing the best emergency response and post-disaster services to its clients in Bountiful, Utah, and nationwide. They not only restore homes to their preloss condition, but they also help with the associated insurance claim services. Here's how.

4 Ways SERVPRO Helps With Insurance Claims

1. They Begin the Restoration Job Quickly

The insurance company will need detailed information about the incident and the resulting damage. The damage restoration professionals will perform a thorough inspection of the affected area and determine what it'll take to restore it to its preloss condition. The team will share all of these details with the insurance company to get you compensated and on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

2. They Work With Your Insurance Company Throughout the Claims Process

Insurance can be complicated and especially challenging to understand when trying to recover from the unthinkable. You shouldn't have to endure the headaches of the claims process after a catastrophe. The professionals at SERVPRO understand the insurance claim services process well. This expertise enables them to work with your insurance company on your behalf.

3. They Do Efficient, Thorough, High-Quality Work

As the professionals perform your restoration services, you and the insurance company can be confident that they're performing high-quality work. The job will also be completed efficiently, thoroughly, and promptly.

4. They Provide Excellent Customer Service

You will always get excellent customer service working with this franchise. An office administrator will guide you through every step of the insurance claim process. They're available to take your questions or hear your concerns, and they keep you updated throughout the process. If any part of the claim is denied by the insurance company, we will still work with you to restore your home.

SERVPRO has been working with insurance companies for decades. This means they know their stuff when it comes to claiming services. In fact, many insurance companies prefer to work with them since they're a full-service provider, able to handle every portion of the claim for you.

6 Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Flood Risk

8/10/2022 (Permalink)

Air mover on laundry room floor after suffering storm damage in Bountiful, UT.

Floods are often unavoidable. Although you may not be able to fully flood-proof your home, every homeowner in Bountiful, UT, can take proactive prevention and flood safety measures to protect their properties against extensive flood damage.

Flood Safety 

1. Prepare Sandbags

If you receive adequate warning of an approaching storm capable of producing significant rainfall, such as a hurricane, create an external barrier with sandbags, which can divert water from your residence.

2. Install a Sewage Water Backstop and a Sump Pump

A sewage water backstop is an efficient flood safety device that prevents backwater from flowing into your basement. A sump pump is another beneficial machine that can drain water out of your home.

3. Assess Basement Windows and Your Foundation

A cracked foundation may enable water to flow inside your basement. Water can also seep through basement windows. To secure these areas, ensure that windows are properly caulked and sealed and repair any existing foundation issues.

4. Maintain Gutters

Routinely clean your gutters to prevent blockages that may restrict water flow. In addition, install downspout extensions to direct water farther away from your home’s foundation.

5. Plant Grass and Use Mulch

Both mulch and grass absorb water. So planting grass around your home and placing mulch around external foliage provides an additional flood safeguard. However, to ensure retained moisture does not damage siding, keep mulch at least six inches away from your home’s exterior.

6. Properly Grade Soil

Grading the ground away from your home is another efficient safety tip that also helps divert water away from your foundation.

Peace of Mind

Following these seven flood safety tips helps reduce your home’s flood risk. However, it is impossible to fully eliminate the threats of extreme weather and bursting pipes. For this reason, the best flood safety measure is a flood insurance policy, which provides financial security and ensures that you have funds available to cover cleanup and restoration costs and replace destroyed property.

How Do I Stop a Toilet That Won’t Stop Flushing?

7/30/2022 (Permalink)

Avoid a toilet flood in Bountiful, UT.

Running a business in Bountiful, UT, comes with various responsibilities, some of which can be quite an annoyance. A toilet overflow is terrible enough, but what about a commercial toilet with a faulty flushometer? As easy as they usually make life, like anything, things can sometimes go wrong with a flushometer. One common problem is the "never-ending flush," when the flushometer constantly runs water into the toilet with no sign of stopping. This can quickly waste hundreds of gallons of water and run your company's water bill through the roof. It can also take your only toilet out of commission for your employees and customers. Fortunately, it can often be an easy fix, so you probably won't have to worry about calling a plumber.

Fix a Faulty Flushometer To Avoid a Toilet Flood

These instructions are for repairing a manual flushometer. Taking these simple steps should solve your problem.

1. Shut Off the Water

First, you must shut off the toilet's water supply. You will typically need a flathead screwdriver for this job. You should see a screwdriver slot on one side of the flushometer. If you don't see a screwdriver slot, it may be hidden under a decorative cover. In this case, you should be able to pry the lid off with little effort to access the screwdriver slot. This will help avoid a leak while you work, particularly with a constantly running toilet.

2. Remove the Flushometer Lid

Next, you will need to remove the top lid of the flushometer. You will probably need a wrench to loosen the cover, but it should screw off with ease once it's loosened.

3. Remove the Flange Cover

You will now need to remove the flange cover. This can sometimes get a little messy with the accumulation of water that will come out when you take the lid off. Be sure to have a towel on hand.

4. Remove and Clean the Gasket

Under the flange cover, you will find a gasket. You will also probably notice a lot of sediment on the gasket. Remove the gasket and wash it thoroughly. Look closely, and you will see a weep hole built into the gasket. Although tiny, this hole is there for a reason and could be the main issue with your flushometer's poor performance; the weep hole helps control the suction of the toilet. To help avoid a toilet overflow, you'll need to clean the weep hole port with an unbent paperclip, needle, or some other object that is very small in width.

5. Reinstall the Gasket and Reassemble the Flushometer

Now that your gasket is clean reinstall it and reassemble the flushometer. Just go in the reverse order of the above instructions to ensure it's assembled correctly.

6. Test the Operation of the Toilet

Once the flushometer is put back together, test the toilet to see if the problem has been solved. If it is still not working correctly, it probably means the gasket is worn or damaged and needs replacement.

Sometimes you can't stop a toilet in time to keep it from overflowing. When this happens, it's nice to have the contact information for local water damage restoration specialists. After a toilet overflow, these professionals will ensure the affected area is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

If Your Commercial Roof Is Damaged in a Fire, Follow These Steps Before and After the Roof Repair

7/25/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage in Bountiful, UT.

A fire can cause plenty of damage to your Bountiful, UT, building on its own. You do not want any additional harm to occur once the blaze has been extinguished. Yet a broken roof leaves your property vulnerable to further damage. That is why you should take extra steps to protect the premises while you wait for the completion of the roof repair. You should also fortify the roof once it has been fixed. If a fire does harm your commercial roof, follow the below tips.

What To Do Before and After the Fire Cleanup

1. Have a Tarp Placed on the Roof

Flames can easily burn through a roof and create a giant hole. Firefighters also often create holes in roofs to eliminate the dark smoke that hinders their visibility.

Leaves and other debris could fall through the holes and into your property. If it rains before the roof is fixed, water could flood your building, as well. Unwanted animals such as raccoons and squirrels could even jump through the hole.
That is why you should hire fire remediation professionals who provide tarp services after a blaze. A tarp will keep the elements and critters outside of your property.

2. Contact Your Insurer

Before the restoration experts perform any significant repairs, you need to contact your insurance company. The insurer will likely send an adjuster to assess the damage before the restoration begins. The adjuster may also request photos and videos of destroyed items. Ideally, the insurer will then work with the remediation company to expedite the claims process.

3. Get the Shingles Replaced

The fire likely destroyed or damaged shingles on your roof. Even if some of the shingles just have missing parts, you should replace them entirely to be safe. The builder who constructed your roof may have left behind some shingles that the restoration company can use. Otherwise, you can find them at your local home shop.

4. Clean the Attic

The fire cleanup experts may need to access your roof through the attic. If the attic is cluttered with debris, this may be more difficult for them. If it is safe to do so, sweep the attic floor and removed any damaged items from the room. Be sure to wear protective clothing with a face mask.

5. Prevent Future Fire Damage With a Steel Roof and Sprinklers

If you need to replace your entire roof, you may want to opt for a steel one instead of a traditional shingle roof. Steel roofs improve your building’s appearance and are energy efficient. They are also more fire-resistant, so they are a great option for companies that often deal with combustible materials.
Installing roof sprinklers is another great way to prevent future fire damage to your building. These sprinklers are particularly useful if your property is in a wildfire-prone area.

Fire cleanup and roof repair can take a long time. Yet if you leave your commercial roof exposed to the elements for an extended period, debris, water or animals could enter the premises and cause further harm. By following the above steps, you should mitigate additional damage.

Steps of the Roof Repair Process After a Storm

7/19/2022 (Permalink)

Storm causes roof damage.

When a strong storm blows through Bountiful, UT, your roof and other areas of your home may get damaged. The exterior problems you see are probably not the only ones that the downpour and gusts left behind. It is in your best interest to make sure your home and roof repair get started right away.

The Roof Damage Repair Process

You may notice missing shingles or holes in your roof after a particularly heinous storm. Before you fix this problem, however, you should call storm damage mitigation experts to repair the issues that it caused inside your attic. The technicians board up the holes in your roof so that no further rain or wind damage occurs. Then they begin the interior remediation process.

1. Remove

Any portion of your attic that was touched by rain or debris may have damage. In addition to pumping out any standing water that is left behind, the mitigation specialists start cleanup by removing all materials that cannot be salvaged:

• Insulation
  
• Drywall
  
• Warped wood
  
• Carpet
  
• Floor pads
  

It is important to remove waterlogged materials promptly. Failure to do so can result in secondary damage such as rot or mold growth.

2. Clean

Your attic must be cleared of any dirt or debris that blew in with the storm. In most cases, technicians will also disinfect remaining surfaces to ensure that any bacteria from the rain are gone before roof repair gets started. This step also helps the team verify that no more ruined materials are present.

3. Dry

The way storms cause so much damage is by letting excess moisture into your home. Even if there is no standing water, the roof leak likely left things damp and increased the humidity. Prevention of further damage depends on the remediation team making sure all remaining surfaces are dry. Additionally, dehumidifiers can be used to bring the interior humidity back to an acceptable level.

4. Rebuild

Anything that was removed from your attic is probably something you want to replace. The rebuilding process involves not only installing new insulation, drywall and flooring but also making sure that the new materials match the remaining ones. By the time the restoration team is finished, you shouldn't be able to tell where the storm damage was.

5. Repair

After all the interior issues have been resolved, it's finally time to repair the roof damage caused by the storm. The roofing expert you hire starts by inspecting the roof to identify all the problems. If your insurance provider covers the cost of the damage, be sure to get an estimate before the work is started so that you can use it to document your claim. Fully repairing the roof is necessary to avoid further damage to your home.

Cleaning up after a storm is usually a multi-tiered process. If your house needs roof repair, you probably need to begin by fixing all the damage from the rain and wind that entered your home through its vulnerable spots. Once the mitigation inside your house is complete, then the roof can be fixed so that your attic is protected.

3 Rules To Limit Lint Fire Risks

7/12/2022 (Permalink)

A lint fire is often avoidable.

One of the leading causes of burned down homes is a lint fire. People underestimate the importance of routinely cleaning out their lint traps and dryer vents. If you want to avoid the risk of a dryer fire, then consider the advice of many fire restoration professionals in Bountiful, UT, and adhere to the following three rules.

3 Rules to Avoid the Risk of a Dryer Fire

1. Clean Lint Filter After Every Load

How often do you check the lint trap in your dryer? All dryers have a lint trap, and it is typically installed near the front of the drum. If you are not in the habit of cleaning the trap out, you might want to start. The trap should be cleaned before and after every load, reducing the risk of a fire in the appliance.

2. Clean Vent Pipe Every 3 Months

The dryer vent is often the leading cause of a lint fire. People neglect the vent because it is behind the appliance and can be cumbersome to get to. Thankfully, there are cleaning kits you can purchase, making the job somewhat more manageable. The vent pipe needs to be cleaned at least once every three months, but you might want to clean it more often, depending on the number of people living in the home.

3. Contact a Professional for Annual Inspections

Like all appliances, the dryer needs maintenance to ensure it operates as expected. To keep your dryer running at peak performance, consider hiring a professional technician to inspect the mechanics at least once per year.

A lint fire can be devastating, and it is often avoidable. Checking the trap before and after every load ensures that there are no combustible materials remaining in the system. Cleaning out the vent pipe once every three months ensures that lint does not build up in the line. Most households use dryers, it is up to those homeowners to ensure the proper upkeep to minimize the risks of fire.

How To Flush Your Water Heater in 5 Easy Steps

7/12/2022 (Permalink)

It’s essential to perform regular maintenance on your water heater.

Regular maintenance is crucial for your water heater’s longevity. By performing a water heater flush every six months, most water damage restoration professionals agree that you can avoid expensive repairs and even a failed appliance. Here’s how to flush your water heater in five simple steps.

5 Steps To Flush Your Water Heater

1. Turn It Off

Before you flush the unit, you should shut if off completely. If it’s gas-powered, snuff the pilot light. If it uses electricity, turn off the power supply line at the circuit breaker.

2. Hook Up a Hose

The garden hose tangled in your backyard will do. Attach one end to the drain valve, and place the other end somewhere that you’re comfortable receiving warm, sediment-filled water.

3. Drain the Water Heater's Tank

Open the valve and allow the water to flow freely for five minutes. Next, turn the hot water on in the kitchen, which will aid in the draining process.

After two minutes, turn off the water supply valve on the water heater. The water will slow down gradually and then stop. Turn the water supply valve on one more time for a final flush. When the water and sediment subside, close the water supply valve once more, then close the drain valve, too.

4. Restart the Water Supply

Once the valves are closed, turn the water supply on again and head for the kitchen. The faucet should still be on, but nothing will be flowing at first. When the water supply resumes, it’ll sputter a bit due to trapped air but will eventually return to a regular stream. This signifies that your tank is full, and you can turn the tap off.

5. Turn the Unit Back On

After the tank fills completely, you’re safe to turn the unit back on.

To keep the showers in your Bountiful, UT, home comfortably warm, it’s essential to perform regular maintenance on your tank. Follow these five steps, and you’ll likely see that flushing your water heater is easier than you thought.