What You Should and Shouldn’t Do After a House Fire | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

6/3/2022 (Permalink)

When you have fire damage, call your local expert at SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston so that we can get the job done right.

Once the smoke clears and the flames have been stopped, the fire department leaves and you might be stuck with a disaster that you don’t know how to handle. Regardless of the extent of the damage, it’s crucial that you plan accordingly and know the next step when fires erupt.

While the fire is roaring, and even days after it’s put out, your home can suffer extensive damage caused by the flames and the resulting smoke. It’s not often mentioned, but when this happens, your home is exposed to the elements and can suffer serious water damage as well.

In places like South Carolina where rainfall is a constant part of life, our homes can be at extreme levels of risk once a fire opens them up to the outside world. And while fires may not seem like a major concern to us, this recent blaze in Charleston displaced over 180 people in just over an hour of burning.

This is why we recommend that you contact your local restoration professionals at SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston—that way you can get back into your home as quickly as possible.

Common Mistakes Homeowners Make

Many homeowners believe that it’s safe to walk around their home once the fire has been stopped, but this is often not the case. There are many factors you must consider before deciding whether or not to traverse your damaged home. If the damage is severe, there could be major structural issues and your walls could be mere moments away from collapse.

A lot of people who suffer fire damage immediately begin to clean up and gather personal belongings, discarding ones that are fully destroyed. This can actually hinder you, and you should keep everything until your insurance company has had ample time to assess the damage and potential claims for your situation.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, it can take as little as 30 seconds for a small flame to grow into a major problem and do major damage to your home. This does not mean that you should give up hope.

Recovering from a home fire can be very stressful and demanding. With these following ideas, however, we hope to lighten the load and keep you on the right track to restoration.

The Right Moves To Make

It goes without saying that when fire damage happens to your home, you ensure the safety of your family, and then you pull out your phone to call the insurance agent. This process is often thought of as annoying and trivial, but doing it properly can actually help you restore your home quicker.

By documenting the important information like the date and time of the fire, the specific location, potential causes, and the level of damage done to your home, you can breeze through this step.

Along with keeping the crucial details, taking photos is an absolute must! Many people become too overwhelmed by the damage and forget to photograph the damage, but you can’t allow yourself to do the same. Once it’s safe to approach the home, take as many pictures and videos as your phone can store to guarantee that all of your losses are properly documented and logged.

The last step is to remember to breathe, and attempt to stay calm. During these horrible events, emotions run high and stress levels skyrocket, which only makes you feel worse about the current situation. Hopefully, you follow these steps and call your local experts at SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston so that we can get the job done right.

If you have experienced fire damage or want to learn more about our fire damage restoration services, contact us today. We’re here to act fast, ²⁴⁄₇.

Spring-Clean to Get Rid of Fire Hazards | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

5/25/2022 (Permalink)

A fire can break out at any time, SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston is ready to take your call, day or night.

When you think about spring-cleaning, you probably think about sprucing up the house and making it sparkle. But as you clean up this spring, you can also boost your family’s fire safety.

That’s because many fire hazards lurk in plain sight. You walk past them on a daily basis, without ever really thinking about the danger. Taking a close look at your house and cleaning up those hazards this time of year can keep you safer year-round.

Have an hour or so and want to give your house a good hazard-cleaning? Start here:

1. Look for flammable objects in the kitchen. That handy rag you keep near the stove may help you wipe up spills, but it’s also a fire hazard. Nothing flammable should be kept near the stove or other cooking appliances, so clear out the space.
2. Check and put away heating devices. We’re probably past the time of year when you might need a space heater or portable fireplace. Take time to give them a good once-over, looking to ensure the cord isn’t frayed or otherwise damaged. If it is, it’s time to replace the device. If not, store the heater away safely until next winter.
3. Have the fireplace checked and cleaned. Have a fireplace? Now’s a good time to have a professional inspect it, make repairs and clean it out.
4. Clean out the lint trap in the dryer. Hopefully you do this after every load of laundry, but if not, it’s time to remove the lint. Even if you do check it regularly, take time during your spring-cleaning routine to give it a more thorough cleaning.
5. Take a look at your outlets. Are any of them overloaded? Are you using multiple extension cords? Are any of your cords frayed or otherwise damaged? All of these are fire hazards, so make corrections and find replacements.
6. Review your grill placement. You might be ready to fire up the grill, but is your grill in a safe place? Grills should be placed at least 10 feet away from the side of the house and any other flammable surfaces or objects. It should also ideally be near a working water source.
7. Clear the clutter. This is probably already part of your spring-cleaning list, but it’s an important part of preventing fires. When you have piles of clutter, including items such as newspapers, the clutter is a double fire hazard — it can quickly spark in a fire and it can make it more challenging to get out of the house safely if a fire occurs.

Need help cleaning up after a fire sparked in your home? Get in touch today to get your restoration started—we’re here 24/7!*

What to Teach Your Kids About Fire Safety | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

5/16/2022 (Permalink)

If you have been impacted by a fire event, contact SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston.

When a fire strikes, you may have only around two minutes to safely escape from your home. That’s scary for an adult to consider, but even more alarming when you consider your kids.

Because children aren’t fully developed, physically or emotionally, it can be even more challenging for them to react properly when a fire sparks. That’s why it is important for your entire family to be informed about fire safety basics and what to do when a fire occurs.

But what do your kids need to know? Read on as our SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston team gives you a guide.

Teaching Kids Fire Safety Basics
As with anything, the amount of information you share with your kids about fires will depend on their specific ages and maturity level. But here are some basics to share with any kid, tapered to an age-appropriate message:

- Don’t play with fire. This may well be the most important message you should share with your kids. Each year, an average of 300 Americans are killed and $280 million in property is destroyed as a result of children playing with fire. Keep all matches and lighters out of your kids’ reach—and teach them to never play with or even make contact with fire.

- Follow the fire escape plan. As a family, create a plan for escaping your house in the case of a fire. This plan should include two ways to get out of any room in the home. Practice the plan repeatedly with your entire family. Depending on the age of your kids, part of the plan may be that an adult needs to go to the child and help him or her escape. Regardless, every person should know how to get out, and it should be practiced enough that it becomes familiar.

- Know what the alarm sound means. Would you recognize the sound of an alarm alerting you to a fire in the home? It’s important that you are able to do so easily, and that your children can also discern between the smoke alarm and other alarms and noises in the house. When the smoke alarm goes off, it’s important to leave the home until it’s determined that the home is safe and a fire isn’t present.

- Don’t come back inside. This tip is important enough to stand on its own. Your kids need to know how to escape the home and when to do so, but they also need to know to never come back inside until they’re told to do so by an adult.

- Firefighters are your friends. While kids might idealize firefighters and other fire responders, when they encounter firefighters in an emergency situation, like a fire, it’s not uncommon for them to be scared. After all, they’re in full gear and often carrying heavy equipment. Teach your children that firefighters are there to help and to follow their instructions carefully.

If a fire strikes, your next move matters. You can get in touch] with SERVPRO professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week to start the restoration process. We’ll help get your home back to looking “Like it never even happened.”

Fire Safety in the Workplace | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

If you sustain damage from a fire at your workplace, call our highly trained experts in green at SERVPRO of Downtown Charlestown.

A fire at your business is never something you can predict, but you can properly be prepared for one. On top of having insurance, there are preventive measures you can take to ensure a fire doesn’t take your business down with it.

A fire can be a significant setback and pose a serious threat to lives for your employees. Fire prevention and safety should be emphasized and promoted in the workplace.

Read on to learn the two most important elements for preparing everyone in the workplace be prepared in case of a fire.

EDUCATION. The best way to prepare your employees for a fire emergency is through education. The evacuation plan should be prominently visible and known by everyone.

You can provide fire safety workshops as well. Fire safety workshops once a year are an easy way to educate every current employee on the plan. One idea for these workshops would be to arrange for a local fire marshal to visit your workplace and conduct an educational session for all employees.

These workshops can also serve as a training session for first-aid and fire extinguisher practice. At the end of the workshop, everyone will be aware of your fire-escape plan and will know where to find it prominently visible in the facility so that when the emergency occurs, there is no confusion.

EQUIPMENT. Having safety equipment available is essential to any safety prevention plan. Almost every fire code that you will ever encounter will mandate that your company have at least one fire extinguisher, and it’s never a bad idea to have extra fire extinguishers available, since they are able to swiftly extinguish tiny flames and protect important equipment from harm.

Most regulations will also require you to install a sprinkler system and smoke alarms. Make a habit of testing the batteries in your smoke detectors on a regular basis, since they may serve as your first warning of danger.

Particle detectors capable of alerting you to the presence of other chemicals or hazards may be an important purchase as well. Finally, keeping a first-aid kit in a well-known place, such as the kitchen, may help treat any injuries sustained in a minor fire.

Because fires are unpredictable and may result in significant damage, being prepared to prevent or extinguish one can save lives and costly damages to your business. It’s important to contact local fire safety experts to educate you and workers on exactly what your facility can do to best be prepared for a fire emergency.

If you sustain damage from a fire at your workplace, call our highly trained experts in green at SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston. We are available whenever your emergency occurs, so don’t wait to get our expert care and support.

The Common Causes of Fires in Schools | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

1/24/2022 (Permalink)

If there are any groups of people who need extra attention when it comes to fire prevention, they would be groups which may need special care in the event of a fire—the elderly, those with developmental healthcare needs and children.

So it goes without saying that leaders of school and educational environments, in which children are gathered daily in large groups, should pay careful attention to fire prevention protocols and be aware of common causes of fires in those facilities, in order that they may work toward education and prevention in the future.

A recently published five-year study by the National Fire Protection Association details, among other things, the top causes of fires in educational facilities. During the study period, there were an average of more than 3,000 fires per year in these facilities, resulting in an average of more than 38 million dollars per year in damages. And while those numbers may be big, the causes of these fires are few, indicating that a select number of fire safety areas need attention.

Let’s start small. The least common occurrence of school fires, at 10%, is from heating equipment. These fires are responsible for less than 10% of injuries and less than 5% of direct damage to property.

These would be fires directly occurring from heaters and other high-temperature devices, as opposed to the next most common fire type—the 19% of fires that start because of heating sources being toyed with. These indirect fires could be caused by students laying paper on or near a radiator, or other accidental mishaps involving heating equipment. The accidental distinction is important as well, as we’ll soon see.

The next most common source of fire is the worldwide top contender for most common fire cause—cooking. Cooking fires are responsible for 31% of fires in educational facilities, though they only result in a small percentage of property damage or injuries.

This leads us to our top cause of school fires. Have you guessed it? It may surprise you to learn that the No. 1 cause of fires in educational facilities, clocking in at an occurrence rate of 43%, is fires being set on purpose. These range in intent, but the damage they cause is undeniable—purposeful fires cause six out of every 10 fire-related injuries, and more than half of all fire-related property damage.

So what have we learned today, class? Our biggest takeaway may be that, while the overall number of annual school fires has decreased over the last two decades, we must continue to educate students about the danger of playing with and starting fires, and the threats they pose to property and, more importantly, human life.

When fires affect educational facilities, SERVPRO is on the scene to rebuild and restore. Contact SERVPRO to get the industry leaders on your side for fire recovery.

Fire Safety for the Colder Months | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

12/7/2021 (Permalink)

If a fire issue pops up during the holidays, remember the trusted leader in the recovery industry, SERVPRO of Downtown Charlestown.

Summer is fully in the rear window, Halloween has come and gone, and all eyes are now on the closing weeks of the year—you might even be ready to decorate for the holidays. But keep fire safety at the forefront of whatever you do this fall and upcoming winter.

Let’s run though a few reminders to keep you safe as colder weather sets in.

Campfire and Fire Pit Safety

The weather is still reasonable for some camping adventures, and many homeowners like to build backyard fires this time of year for warmth and recreation.

Your fire needs a 25-foot clearance from any tents or other structures. Ignite your fire only with old-school tools like matches or a lighter—kerosene or lighter fluid may get things going quickly, but they can get out of control just as quickly.

Always ensure that any fire is tended by an adult at all times. Keep a water bucket nearby for any errant embers or flames, and use it to properly douse any and all embers when your fire is finished. You’re not ready to leave the fire for the night until it’s cool to the touch and no embers are left glowing.

Space Heaters

For the crisp mornings while you sip your pumpkin-spice coffee at your home office (or really anytime for the cold-natured among us), portable space heaters are a great solution to save energy but still provide some extra warmth. But they are also one of the most frequent causes of winter fires, so be careful to use them properly and turn them off when they’re not needed.

Keep all heaters at least three feet from anything that could catch fire. Never run space heaters in areas where children play, or they may get tipped over. And space heaters draw a surprisingly high amount of power, so avoid extension cords or only use cords properly rated for their use.

Consider upgrading to a newer model with extended safety features, and never, ever leave your space heater running while you go to sleep.

Decorations and String Lights

When you’re decorating for the holidays, it’s important to be aware of the presence of candles and their proximity to any decorations or wrapping paper. Whether it’s Advent candles, a menorah or something else, keep anything flammable at least three feet away.

When stringing lights or putting up a tree, upgrade to modern LED bulbs that draw less power—older lights can present a strain on your home’s electrical system, causing shorts and sparks, especially if left on for long periods. Turn off any lighting decor when not in use.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Deaths related to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning rise in winter because more heat sources are being used, and the incomplete burning of fuel creates the toxic gas. Always be sure your home and heat sources are well-ventilated, and that you have a CO alarm installed at home.

If you use a generator during power outages, make sure you run it outside, never indoors or in the garage, as it creates an acute CO hazard.

If a fire hazard should threaten to ruin your holiday season, remember the trusted leader in the recovery industry and contact SERVPRO to get your property fully restored.

How SERVPRO Can Help After A House Fire

10/12/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is always here to help!

House fires can cause extreme amounts of stress on home owners. SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is ready 24/7 to jump to action to help you and your family after fire affects your home or business. Smoke and water damage are likely if your fire is large enough and our team is certified to handle all of these and make your home "Like it never even happened." Smoke's fine particles, from even the smallest of fires, can linger in your home and on your belongings if not mitigated by certified professionals. SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is prepared to help remediate smoke, fire, and water as soon as you call. If you have had a fire in your home and would like to get a professional out immediately, please call our office at 843-577-2470.  

Fireworks are Fire Hazards | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

6/28/2021 (Permalink)

More fires are reported on July 4th than any other day of the year. Let’s break that tradition!

Okay, quick facts: Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires a year. This includes 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and nearly 17,000 other fires.  Yikes! 

It’s the season of summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, bonfires, and the 4th of July and that means FIREWORKS. Even sparklers – as small as they are – can burn at 2,000 degrees. That’s as hot as a blow torch and can melt some metals! Crowds and barbeque grills and the heat and the explosive nature of fireworks don’t mix. This combination makes for a higher chance of fireworks accidents. In fact, more fires are reported on July 4th than any other day of the year. 

If not used properly, fireworks can cause destruction ranging from wildfires to injuries. Children between the ages of 10 and 14 are most likely to go the emergency room for firework injuries. The second most likely group is adults between the ages of 20 and 24. 

Fireworks can also lead to fires that burn down homes, damage entertainment venues, and cause bushfires on property. This accounts for up to $105 million in direct property damage annually. Who’s responsible for covering this damage? That depends. Homeowners insurance typically covers house fires, but damage caused by fireworks is sometimes a gray area. Usually, if the fireworks were legal the damage might be covered, whereas if they were illegal the damage likely will not be covered by your insurance. Reach out to your insurance agent to make sure you’re covered. 

To make sure our property and everyone around us is safe, follow these guidelines when using fireworks: 

• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them 
• Only light one firework at a time 
• Point fireworks away from homes, trees, and shrubbery 
• After fireworks finish burning, douse them with plenty of water from a bucket or garden hose before discarding them 
• Do not carry fireworks in your pocket 

• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case of fire or other mishap 
• Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities 
• Do not allow children to play with or light fireworks 

If your property suffers fire damage, you can depend on us. You can contact us at any hour of the day to learn more about our services.

Fire Damage In Your Charleston Residence Can Necessitate Soot Cleanup Services

5/6/2021 (Permalink)

After a fire, homeowners commonly find soot on ceilings, walls, and other objects or materials in their homes. Most wall surfaces, including painted drywall, brick, or wallpaper, are porous. Soot consists of fine particles that can penetrate deeply into porous surfaces, causing lingering odors and stains.

Most of the time, it's possible to remove soot from ceilings and walls, but in serious cases, it may be necessary to remove, repaint or reinstall affected materials like wallpaper and drywall. To get the best outcome from soot clean-up after fire damage in your Charleston residence, you should hire a professional restoration firm like SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston. Our fire restoration experts are equipped to handle the smoke, ash, and soot cleanup process quickly and effectively. We begin soot cleanup by removing most of the dry soot using a duster, HEPA vacuum or dry cleaning sponge.

When cleaning some surfaces like wallpaper, the appropriate method to use is dry cleaning. Other surfaces can respond well and tolerate wet cleaning procedures. Using a chemical-dry sponge or a dry-cleaning sponge is appropriate when a high oxygen fire has caused soot to build up in a particular area. The soot can smear and leave an unsightly stain if one attempts to use a wet cleaning method. Before we perform any wet cleaning procedures, we test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous, small area behind a switch plate to see if it causes any staining.

Soot can cause further damage in your home if it is ground and smudged into paint, plaster, wallpaper, walls, upholstery, and carpets. The odor that soot can cause is difficult to eradicate with typical cleaning methods and household products. Normal household vacuums are inefficient in removing soot and ash for they redeposit the particles around a house which can contaminate previously unaffected rooms and areas. Our SERVPRO technicians can use HEPA vacuums to remove soot from the affected areas, including sockets and light switches. If you do not clean these fixtures before use, short-circuiting can occur. HEPA vacuums trap the particles, preventing them from redepositing.

For help in removing soot from your home, contact SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston at 843-577-2470.  We have the tools and expertise to deal with the aftermath of a fire and restore your property to its pre-fire damage condition.

Dryer Vent Fires

4/1/2021 (Permalink)

One of the most common causes of fires is also perhaps the most preventable.

Dryer vents connect from your clothes dryer, and can build up lint. If not cleaned out properly, the air cannot flow properly, and a fire can result. This type of fire happens most frequently in homes, posing dangers to adults and children.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year. These fires cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss. The U.S. Fire Administration also reports that the leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is failure to clean them (34 percent).

Apart from cleaning your dryer vent, the U.S. Fire Administration has suggestions to enhance safety when using your clothes dryer:

• Don’t use a clothes dryer without a lint filter or with a lint filter that is loose, damaged or clogged.
• Don’t overload the dryer.
• Don’t use a wire screen or cloth to cover the wall damper. They can collect lint and clog the dryer vent.
• Don’t dry anything containing foam, rubber or plastic. An example of an item not to place in a dryer is a bathroom rug with a rubber backing.
• Don’t dry any item for which manufacturers' instructions state “dry away from heat.”
• Don’t dry glass fiber materials (unless manufacturers' instructions allow).
• Don’t dry items that have come into contact with anything flammable like alcohol, cooking oils or gasoline. Dry them outdoors or in a well-ventilated room, away from heat.
• Don’t leave a clothes dryer running if you leave home or when you go to bed.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event; as well as mold remediation. We can handle any size disaster!

Call us today at 843-709-0145

Fire Safety Advice for Charleston Restaurant Owners | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

If you experience any fire damage to your business, contact SERVPRO of Downtown Charlestown. We are your local fire restoration experts.

Charleston is known for a lot of things. We have beautiful architecture, proximity to idyllic beaches and great food.

Residents and visitors to Charleston benefit from the wide variety of delicious eateries located across our area. Whether you’re cooking up Southern soul food or something a perfect, juicy steak, know the community appreciates everything you do to ensure we’re well-fed.

While fire risks are always present for business owners, our local restaurant owners have to take special considerations.

Our teams are well-versed in restoring businesses after fire damage. But we’re also great resources for other information, too. We’ve put together these tips to help restaurant owners mitigate their fire risks.

Empowering Restaurant Owners

Here are a few ways you can ensure your restaurant is prepared to prevent fires:

Train your staff appropriately. Be sure everyone from the kitchen workers to your hostesses and managers knows what to do in the event of a fire. Practice drills can help make sure everyone remembers what to do if a fire starts.

Ensure that everything works before you need it. It’s smart to check things like your sprinkler system, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers regularly. These are vital in helping keep your restaurant safe from fires.

Follow proper protocols. Be sure everyone who works in the kitchen (it’s a good idea for people who work in other areas as well) know not to put water on a grease fire. Use chemicals the right way and dispose of cooking and cleaning rags correctly.

Even if you take all the precautions you can, things can still happen that are out of your control. If that happens to you at your restaurant, you can call on our team. We’re fire damage experts, and our teams are available ²⁴⁄₇.

And, as a locally owned company, we want to see you open again quickly so we can enjoy a good meal.

If you need fire damage restoration assistance at your business, we’re here. We have crews who are available ²⁴⁄₇ in the event of an emergency. Contact us at any time to learn more about our cleaning services and how we can help you.

Do You Know the Most Common Way That House Fires Start in Winter? | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

11/6/2020 (Permalink)

Make sure your fire risk is low during the colder months. If you experience any damage, SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston will be here to help.

House fires are something that can happen any time of year for a multitude of reasons, but in the winter, they are something we recommend that people be extra cognizant of as they live their lives.

The Red Cross has found that house fires are most likely to occur in the wintertime, but by knowing the reasons why this is, you can better prevent and prepare for fires in your own home.

What a Restoration-First Mindset Means to Us | SERVPRO® of Downtown Charleston

10/6/2020 (Permalink)

Have you sustained property damage but are not sure what do to next? We are here to help, contact SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston.

For many people, sustaining major household damage is a first. After there is a fire, water incident or some other type of damaging event, it can be difficult to know what comes next and how to begin the recovery process—especially when you consider the emotional impacts of sustaining damage in addition to the physical ones.

Fortunately, we have helped so many area residents through this type of scenario, and we are here to help you, too. While many types of damage are covered by a standard insurance policy, for expensive scenarios like water damage, saving where you can is key. That is why we approach the restoration process with a time and money saving mindset to help you recover quickly and efficiently.

How We Approach the Restoration Process

We will save all your items when possible. We understand that liquidating your items is not always an ideal option. Not only can this get expensive, but it also fails to account for the sentimental and emotional value that many things often carry. When we approach household damages, we make sure to restore all the items we are able to, made possible by the high-tech restoration equipment we have invested in over the years. We have restored documents, art, photos, electronics and other objects to their pre-damaged state, so you do not have to worry about replacement.

We will make your home safe again. Compounding damage is a serious problem after any type of fire or water event. After a fire, there will be smoke and soot odors to deal with, and after water, there is always the threat of microbial growth on anything the water has touched. For this reason, it is not enough to simply clean the items—which is why we have the equipment and expertise required to sanitize and deodorize a variety of objects to make sure it not only appears clean but that it is safe for your family to use as well.

If you sustain damage to your home from a fire, water or another source, we are here to help you recover. You can contact us as soon as you discover the damage to have us assemble a restoration team and get to you quickly. Get in touch to learn more.

Need Smoke or Fire Damage Cleanup Services?

6/29/2020 (Permalink)

In order to protect yourself from a home fire, it’s essential to understand how a fire acts. When a fire occurs in your home, you only have a few minutes to escape. There is no time to collect valuables once you hear the smoke alarm, especially at night. Here are some fundamental facts about home fires that show how dangerous they are and why you have precious little time to get away:

• Fires can get out of control very quickly - usually in less than 30 seconds from the event that caused them. In homes and properties with synthetic furniture and furnishings, fires can spread even faster due to the flammable nature of the materials.
• After about a minute, smoke begins to fill the room. At first, it rises to the ceiling, then it descends, until the room is entirely filled with smoke. Fire produces black smoke that makes it very difficult to see anything, not to mention that it contains toxic chemicals that cause drowsiness and asphyxiation.
• The temperature in the room increases steadily. In fact, heat and smoke cause more deaths than the actual flames. After about 3 minutes, the temperature can reach 600 degrees at eye level, and breathing this hot air will severely burn your lungs. This is also the point where fire spreads to other rooms.
• After about 4 to 5 minutes, the heat in the room of origin increases so much that it causes everything to ignite. This is called a flashover. Flames and smoke can be visible from the outside, through windows or other openings. Rescuing victims may not be possible at this point.
• Fire reaches its fully developed stage when it has spread over all available fuel (furniture, walls, etc.) and the temperature has reached its peak. 

To be prepared for a fire, install smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and a fire sprinkler system in your home. Making a fire escape plan is also extremely important.  In addition to fire, smoke, and soot damage, your Redding home may also suffer from water damage as a result of the firefighting efforts. This type of damage can be especially upsetting and destructive for your family to process. You may feel stressed, confused, and vulnerable, so you’ll need a caring expert to guide you through this crisis. We’ll treat you with respect and empathy, and we’ll always treat your home and belongings with care.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston specializes in fire and water damage restoration. We have the specific damage restoration training, personnel, and equipment and can quickly restore your home to pre-fire conditions.

Need Smoke or Fire Damage Cleanup Services? Call Us Today – 843-577-2470

Apartment Fires in Charleston

5/7/2020 (Permalink)

Accidents can happen to the most careful tenants in Charleston, and fire damage is no exception. When a small blaze happens in your kitchen, SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston can solve this problem. Doing so can help save your reputation as a responsible renter, and help you receive your deposit when it is time to relocate.

Carefully removing the charred wood and drywall can help reduce the amount of smokey smell remaining in your kitchen. However, we need to go deeper than this and also treat your furniture and carpeting with special odor-blocking agents. These neutralize the soot particles that continually produce the noxious odor.

Clearing away the soot clinging to the walls and ceiling in your kitchen also reduces the odor you smell. The longer we wait to remove this, though, the less efficient it is at removing the soot and restoring the paint or wallpaper. Waiting can result in the need to repaint or rehang wallpaper.

If a grease fire was the reason for your kitchen mishap, cleaning this without special cleansers can prove extremely difficult. At SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston, we have the correct cleaning agents and tools to remove all traces of the fire and the damage it leaves behind. Certified by the IICRC, we know the latest in accepted procedures and can provide the attention you need to make things “Like it never even happened.”

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston helps homeowners, landlords, and tenants in restoring their dwellings to pre-disaster condition. When fire damage happens to your home or apartment, call us for 24-hour services.

Don't Forget to Clean Those Dryer Vents

3/26/2020 (Permalink)

Most of us don’t think about maintenance on our clothes dryers, but we should! The U.S. Fire Administration reports that every year there are thousands of home fires started by clothes dryers. Lint and debris can build up in your dryer vent, reducing air flow to the dryer, backing up dryer exhaust gases, which can result in a fire hazard. It is recommended you have your dryer exhaust system cleaned at least twice a year.

How to tell if you dryer vent is clogged

• Normal drying cycle is not drying clothes
• If it takes more than 40 minutes to dry a load of clothes
• Clothes smell musty after normal cycle
• Clothes are hotter at the end of the cycle
• Large amount of lint accumulates in the lint trap
• Your laundry area is more humid
• Burnt smell in your laundry room
• Outside dryer vent cover is not lifting

What you can do to reduce the risk

• Clean your lint filter after each load of clothes
• Use dryer sheet and fabric softener sparingly
• Remove the back of the dryer to vacuum out lint that is trapped
• Keep area around dryer free of dust and debris
• The duct line that vents outside should be as short as possible

There are tips online on how to clean you dryer vent system, but it is recommended you hire a professional. The cost is $100 - $150 depending on the length and location of the vent. In addition to the reduced threat of fire, a cleaning can pay for itself in less than a year through the improved efficiency with less drying time required.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is here for you should you do have a loss from a dryer vent fire. Please call 843-577-2470 for help

How SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston Can Help You After A Fire

3/26/2020 (Permalink)

We never think it can happen to us, the trauma of having all our personal contents and our security threatened is too hard to even imagine. If you do experience a fire in your home, call for help immediately because time is important in minimizing your loss. Once the fire department has addressed the immediate threat, the fire marshal will determine the cause of the fire loss and will authorize the safe re-entry into your home.

The next phone calls you will want to make is to your insurance company and a professional restoration company such as SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston. Our trained office staff will ask you important questions regarding your loss and will schedule a professional Production Manager to your home to evaluate your loss.

The Production Manager will inspect your home and to determine the extent of the fire damage. This will include your structure’s interior and exterior and all your possessions. They are trained in determining what can be cleaned and what will need replaced.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston has a full-service construction division that can remove fire damaged structures and replace them with new.

When the fire damage is severe enough that your home is not livable, it is often necessary to move your salvageable contents into our warehouse. Your contents will be inventoried, cleaned and returned once your home’s construction is complete.

Your Production Manager and Construction Project manager will work closely with you to restore your home to pre loss condition.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is trained and prepared to handle any size fire loss. Call us at 843-577-2470.

What To Do Until Help Arrives After A Fire

11/11/2019 (Permalink)

WHAT TO DO UNTIL HELP ARRIVES

DO:

• Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpet. 
• Keep hands clean. Soot on hands can further soil upholstery, walls, and woodwork. 
• Place dry, colorfast towels or old linens on rugs, upholstery, and carpet traffic areas. 
• If electricity is off, empty freezer and refrigerator completely and prop doors open to help prevent odor. 
• Wipe soot from chrome on kitchen and bathroom faucets, trim and appliances, then protect these surfaces with a light coating of lubricant. 
• If heat is off during winter, pour RV antifreeze in sinks, toilet bowls, holding tanks and to tubs to avoid freezing pipes and fixtures. 
• Wash both sides of leaves on house plants. 
• Change the HVAC filter, but leave the system off until a trained professional can check the system. 
• Tape double layers of cheesecloth over air registers to stop particles of soot from getting in or out of the HVAC system.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is a team of specialists, trained to professionally clean your home and personal belongings. If you experience a fire in your Downtown Charleston home or business, give us a call at (843) 577-2470

Happy Fall! Fire Pit Safety!

9/24/2019 (Permalink)

It's finally that time for outdoor BBQs, parties, and camp-outs and it's important to always keep safety at the forefront. Whatever type of fire pit you have in mind, make sure you follow all the rules for proper ignition. This will keep not only your family and friends safe but also those around you, like your neighbors.

Getting Started

Before you start digging to build your summer fire pit, think through the process. Where are you going to build your pit? How deep should you dig? What should you use to create the above-ground wall? When selecting your spot, take care not to dig too near other items that would easily flame up. So place your pit at least ten feet from other structures and avoid overhanging branches. It's important that if you are installing a prefabricated pit, you need to ensure your ground is level. Using pavers is a great way to ensure that any burning embers that may escape won't spread to other structures or brush.

When digging your own summer pit, ensure you remove at least one foot of earth. Place large stones or landscaping bricks around the outside edge of your site and cover-up at least one foot. Using concrete to secure your bricks will provide a safer, stronger pit. Once you have your pit completed, create a ten-foot circumference around it by clearing any brush, leaving only bare earth, or by using pavers to secure the area and help prevent drifting embers.

Enjoying Your Pit

Light your pit before the light is too dim. Twilight is a bit late, but with some skill, you should be able to get it lit. Make sure you have enough water stored near your pit to quickly douse flames. Finally, keep your wood well away from the pit. And it goes without saying; no horseplay should ever happen near the pit. While we would rather you enjoy your summer safely; the professionals at SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston can help you with any fire disaster--large or small. You can reach us 24/7 at (843) 577-2470.

Why Professionals are Needed for Fire Debris Removal in Charleston

6/18/2019 (Permalink)

Fire debris removal is dangerous. Let SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston use their expertise to restore your home.

SERVPRO Eliminates the Risk to Homeowners with Removal of Fire Debris from Burned Charleston Homes

The shock and confusion that affects a family in Charleston after a fire breaks out in their home can last until the condition of their residence gets restored to its normal, safe condition. We at SERVPRO realize the complications that any size fire can impose on a family. Our understanding of the situation makes a difference in how well your family copes with the stress and inconvenience until you can move back home and get things back to normal for everyone.

As soon as possible after a house in Charleston burns, removal of the fire debris needs to take place. Even in a property where the family can avoid the temporary moving out that many people must do, getting all of the rubble gathered together, bagged up, and carried out of the home needs to happen to eliminate the associated risks.

As we bag ruined carpets, rugs, draperies, blankets, and other charred remnants from the fire, we also use shovels and buckets to scrape floors clear of anything left behind. We also remove damaged belongings and dispose of these, also.

Should you want to go through such belongings to make sure that anything that holds particular value to you gets moved to the restoration pile, instead, and tagged as requiring priority attention. Just as we wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when removing and handling damaged materials, you should do the same when handling soot-covered items. Not only will gloves keep your hands clean, but once-safe items might now have splintered parts, jagged edges, or sharp points.

When we uncover things with a thick layer of soot but that otherwise do not show any signs of physical damage, we often take these things outside. Although they may not have sustained any burning, charring, or melting, they can still have damage at the molecular level. Some structural elements release gases that can cause health effects. We discuss these items and how industry standards prefer we handle them.

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston can help make your home safer, faster by removing the debris created by a fire. Reducing your expenses related to disasters like this enables you to recover more quickly. We are always here for you, only a phone call away, at (843) 577-2470, day or night, 365 days a year.

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Charleston Properties Rely on SERVPRO for Effective Smoke Odor Removal

5/9/2019 (Permalink)

Charleston Home Has Smoke Odors? Fire Damage? Call the Green Fleet for Improved Indoor Air Quality and Cleanup

Our Smoke and Fire Odor Removal Team Gets Your Charleston Home Smelling Lovely Again

There are many reasons why a home in Charleston might smell like smoke. Wood-burning stoves can back smoke into the home, stove-top fires can spread smoke into other areas of the house, and small fires that you managed to put out before it became necessary to call the fire department can leave smoky odors in your home.
 
We want homeowners to know that SERVPRO can help make their Charleston home smell healthy again after fire-related odors take hold and make things uncomfortable. We know how to make it “Like it never even happened." When we arrive at your home, we come prepared with the different tools and devices that can rid your property of the substances that create the odors. We do more than just adding a scent to cover the odors – we perform the work that makes them unable to bother you again.
 
We physically remove as many as possible items coated with soot or charred from a fire. Our first step in controlling odors is the removal of the soot and smoke residue that produces such odors. Cleanup can be the most crucial step to restoring good indoor air quality (IAQ.)
 
Sometimes smoke gets into the cavities inside your walls and ceilings. If possible, we remove the smoke deposits from those areas. Many times, we seal these areas so smoke particles cannot get back into your living space as they disintegrate into smaller pieces.
 
Thermal fogging works to remove leftover particles that cause odor. However, first, we discuss with you this and other result-producing options. Fogging forces chemical neutralizers into the same areas that the fire's heat pushed the smoke into, which is a good option for homes with numerous enclosed areas. Our hydroxyl generators and ozone machines can help deodorize the contents in your home if they seem to be producing offensive odors.
 
Ozone's benefits include working more quickly than hydroxyl generators can, while we can continue working in the area if hydroxyl generators suit your needs better. Hydroxyl generators can keep running even while the area remains occupied, and does not cause harm to damp carpets like ozone often does.
 
If your home has developed an odor from a past fire or other issues, call us, SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston at (843) 577-2470. We can make things pleasant again for you and your family.

Introducing the CFD right here.

How to Remove Smoke Odors From Your Charleston Home

3/11/2019 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is ready to handle all of your fire damage restoration needs.

Odor Removal After a Fire in Your Charleston House

Since Charleston homeowners do not expect or predict when disaster might strike, there are often common functions of the house that can exasperate the spread of the damage from an incident like a fire. With conditioned or heated air being a staple to nearly every home in the area, circulating air throughout your home is something that happens almost continually. Whenever situations like fires take place, a running HVAC system can become adversely affected and become instrumental in spreading damages like soot and smoke residue to otherwise unaffected areas of your property.

One of the hardest obstacles to overcome after a disaster like this in your Charleston home is your need for fire odor control. Smoke damage can seep into materials, fabrics, furniture, and much more. We have many pieces of equipment that can help to eliminate these harsh odors permanently from your home, and we also have specialized areas and tools at our facility to deodorize contents of your home removed during the mitigation phase and pack-out process.

Our SERVPRO professionals work to respond immediately to your emergency with the necessary mitigation to help protect the contents, furniture, and affected items within your home. These often get taken to our nearby facility for focused cleaning and deodorization efforts. The most effective approach for many of these items is time in an ozone chamber. This special compartment of our facility adds air with added oxygen to neutralize odor molecules in the items we have placed inside. This practice, even in portable units, is not safe for use around pets and your family, however.

To remove noxious fire odors in open areas and permanent fixtures throughout your damaged property, our SERVPRO professionals can combine the use of hydroxyl generators and thermal foggers. If there are no people or pets present in the home, ozone generators can also be a practical solution for deodorization in your home.

Restoring your home after a fire requires addressing lingering odor concerns throughout the house. Our SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston fire restoration specialists have the tools and expertise to help. Give us a call anytime at (843) 577-2470.

Read about Charleston here.

SERVPRO Will Put The Flame Of Worry Out In Your Charleston Home After A Fire

1/16/2019 (Permalink)

Only the experts offer restoration after smoke from a fire has invaded your home.

Fire and Smoke Restoration Methods for Charleston Homes

Smoke can be a devastating effect from a fire that occurs in your Charleston residence. While many different areas could ultimately become affected by the spread of this damage throughout the property, homeowners often lack the specialized equipment or training to sufficiently clean up and restore the exposed elements. Our professionals can arrive quickly to begin the steps necessary to return your home to its original condition.

Fire damage can create a challenging restoration process for your Charleston home. While many homeowners tend to fixate on the structural damages that could have occurred throughout the disaster, these often get resolved with controlled demolition and reconstruction. Overcoming smoke and other fire effects on the contents of the property and the base elements of the house, such as studs and supports, requires the advanced technology and extensively trained technicians that arrive with our SERVPRO rapid response team.

Smoke effects can vary in your home based on the materials that combusted, the heat of the blaze, and how long it burned before it got extinguished. Our professionals can do an accurate and thorough assessment of the full reach of the fire damage to determine what equipment is necessary to overcome the effects. Often smoke damage lingers as a residue on surfaces and contents or a noxious odor that spreads throughout the property.

Cleanup for these effects often falls to high-powered vacuums, wet and dry sponges, and SERVPRO approved industrial cleaning detergents designed to break apart residues and their stains to recover the full vibrancy of the original material. To remove harsh odors from the premises, materials, contents, and even fabrics, our technicians have equipment like our thermal foggers. These machines release an odorless chemical compound that breaks smoke molecules apart to leave no discernable scent behind.

While there are many steps to overcoming smoke and fire damages in your home, our SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston team has the equipment and expertise to help. Give our rapid response team a call anytime disaster strikes at (843) 577-2470.

Discover Charleston click here for more information on tours.

Fire Damage In Charleston Is No Match For Our Skilled Technicians

11/12/2018 (Permalink)

With the professional restoration services that we offer, it is possible to safeguard the structure and its occupants.

Professional Help Is Necessary When Restoring Fire Damage In Charleston

When flames engulf a property, the danger is obvious. However, the threat does not end after putting out the fire. The combustion process introduces gases and aerosols in the affected environment, and if not cleared, they might lead to health problems when inhaled. In addition to affecting the occupants, the structure also continues to deteriorate in different ways after the fire goes out. Debris and residues, some of which are acidic, can cause such deterioration. The water used to put out the fire from your Charleston property might also lead to deterioration. With the professional restoration services that we offer, it is possible to safeguard the structure and its occupants.

Some level of preparation is necessary before starting the restoration of fire damage in Charleston. It might include the separation of items based on the level of damage. Our SERVPRO technicians separate items into salvageable, unsalvageable and questionable categories which helps reduce the chances of throwing out salvageable items. With our electronic CCIS, content claim inventory service, we can even group items room by room. We also board-up the structure, which helps prevent further damages by intruders or weather elements.

The smoke produced as a fire burns causes some of the damage, so cleanup is necessary. While it is possible to wipe off some of the soot, most of the residues require further steps for proper cleaning. Our SERVPRO crew uses various approaches to clean your property. Mechanical agitation helps dislodge debris from affected areas. We also use some professional cleaning products, which work through chemical action that either dissolves or suspends the soils effectively removing them from the affected material. From our experiences handling clean up after fires, we understand the easiest ways to deal with different kinds of soiling. For example, we know that like dissolves like, so we evaluate the type of soiling before choosing a cleaning solution.

Some aspects of fires like smoke damage and bad odors spread easily even to parts of the property not reached by the flames. By working as a team, our SERVPRO crew cleans and deodorizes all affected areas.

Restoring damages after a fire should not overwhelm you. Call SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston at (843) 577-2470 to assist. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster.

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Choosing Professional Restoration For Fire Damages In Your Charleston Home

9/17/2018 (Permalink)

Disasters never strike your home at convenient times, and widespread damages can be difficult to see firsthand when you make it back to your house.

Fire Damage In Your Home

Disasters never strike your Charleston home at convenient times, and widespread damages can be difficult to see firsthand when you make it back to your house. Among the most challenging of these circumstances can be dealing with a fire in your residence, as there are so many potential effects that could spread out through the entire property. Your insurance provider likely suggests the use of professional restoration services, and there are many reasons why this is a wise decision.

Many Charleston homeowners seek to take care of the problems and maintenance needs of their home on their own as best as they are able, but fire damages pose a threat to inexperienced individuals. Our SERVPRO professionals get uniquely trained to handle all facets of fire restoration, including the extensive use of safety and precautionary equipment to keep our technicians safe.

The risks to both providing the photographic evidence and catalog of the damages for your insurance claim and working to clean up the mess are severe following a fire. Once the first responders have completed the extinguishment, there can still be airborne toxins and the overall weakening of multiple areas of your home that could collapse or break loose without warning. Leave the necessary cataloging and assessment to our trained estimator.

Another thing that you should consider as you debate the need for a professional company like our SERVPRO professionals to help overcome the fire damages is the efficient manner in which we approach restoration work. From the moment that we arrive at your home, we begin the process of limiting the damage that you experience, as well as put a plan in place to begin restoration work as quickly as possible.

Your insurance provider might not demand that you use a restoration company to bring your home back to preloss conditions, but it is a wise decision for you to make. Our SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston can work efficiently to restore all of the damages to your home, making it quickly “Like it never even happened.” Our rapid response team is ready 24/7 at (843) 577-2470.

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What Smoke Damage Affects in Your Charleston Home After a Fire

7/30/2018 (Permalink)

Drapes in your home can harbor odor even though they weren't physically damaged by the fire. Contact SERVPRO for remediation and odor removal.

SERVPRO Technicians Remediate Fire Damage Including Any Foul Smells Left Behind

One of the biggest problems that homeowners face after a fire in their Charleston home (regardless of size and severity) is a lingering odor that is challenging to remove. Professional restoration techniques are usually very effective in breaking apart this noxious odor and leaving no scent behind, but better understanding the nature of this effect from the fire is important.

Regardless of how fire damages occurred in your Charleston residence, you work quickly to hire the right professional restoration team to take care of the problem and get your home back to the way it used to be. Our SERVPRO team of technicians can help you to overcome all of the obstacles in bringing your home back to preloss conditions, including the deodorization of affected areas and items.

Open areas can often harbor much of this persistent smoke damage and harsh odor following a fire in your home. SERVPRO technicians work to break apart these odor molecules using various pieces of equipment, ultimately leaving no odor behind at all.

Another problem area for the smoke damage to seep into is the carpeting of your home. Since the carpets act as a natural magnet for dirt and debris, this same magnetism helps them to store these odors inside the fibers and into the base of the material. Premier carpet cleaning and deep cleansing approaches by our technicians help to remove the soot and smoke damages.

Another problem area to trap smoke odors is furniture and fabrics in the affected areas. Upholstery and drapes can hold on to this harsh odor long after the fire has gotten extinguished and require specific deodorization techniques to relinquish it.

Understanding the effects of a fire in your home can help you to understand better the processes required to remove them and restore the area they have affected. Choosing the right professional restoration company can help you to overcome these obstacles and get left with high-quality restorative work. Rely on our SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston experienced technicians to respond quickly and clean up the mess and restore the damages your home has experienced. Give us a call today at (843) 577-2470.

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SERVPRO - Cleaning and Removing Fire Damage in Charleston Homes

6/10/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is here for you every step of the way when it comes to your home and your precious belongings.

SERVPRO Has The Tools and Technology to Restore Fire Damage From Your Charleston Property

A Charleston house fire can result in a massive loss of structure with damaged interiors and loss of personal property. More often, smoke and soot cover the home and property in layers of residues.

That is why SERVPRO places fire damage to Charleston and other homes into minor, medium, and major categories of cleaning, restoration, and repair. The intensity of the heat and how long the fire burns results in how our specialists decide which cleaning agents, tools, and methods to use after arriving at the home.

Minor Cleaning and Restoration – Here, the fire burned out quickly and the smoke and soot did not reach the entire home. The primary service our technicians perform is dry and wet cleaning to remove the residues from walls, ceilings, and personal property. Paper products like documents and books may need replacing.

Medium Cleaning, Repair, and Restoration – In these situations, the fire burned hotter and longer, leaving thicker residue layers throughout more of the house. It usually eliminates dry cleaning as an option, although our specialists can still clean and restore most of the structural and personal property at the location.

The increased heat also causes splintering and cracking of wood products like furniture and cabinets. SERVPRO restoration teams engage in minor repair work to these items, to include sanding surfaces and using sealants to repair the splintering. Odors left by the smoke and soot require intense cleaning at this level of damage and small, personal property items often require disposal.

Major Repair, Restoration, and Removal – Here, the fire burned very hotly and open flames caused physical damage to the structure and personal property. Smoke residues are on every surface in every part of the home, and the odors are very strong. Team members first actions are to remove and dispose of all burned property. It clears the home for restoration and removes many sources of the odors. If doors and windows were damaged, other specialists board them up to prevent secondary damage from the weather and to prevent animal intrusions into the home.

Technicians can still clean most items at the residence, but property with thick layers of residues such as curtains and upholstered furniture need the larger cleaning devices, such as an immersion tank, at our offices to completely remove the contamination.

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

Restoring a home from fire damage is not a short or inexpensive process. SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston is here to help every homeowner through it and even help coordinate with all major insurance companies. If you need us, call (843) 577-2470. We are here for you.

For more on Charleston, click here. 

Overloaded Outlets Could Cause Fire Damage to Your Charleston Home

4/10/2018 (Permalink)

A fire from an overloaded outlet does not always leave structural damage, but can leave behind strong odors that need to be removed.

Call on SERVPRO for Any Size Fire Damage 

Even small electrical fires can still do substantial damage to your Charleston home. While you might not have as much in the line of significant structural damages and reconstruction costs, there are still lingering effects that threaten your ability to live comfortably at home. To combat these conditions and restore your home back to the way that it used to be, professional restoration services might be what you require.

While the culprit for the fire damage in your Charleston residence might be an overloaded outlet that sparked, the surrounding area would also inevitably experience the damaging effects of this modest blaze. In these situations, some of the biggest threats that you face to live comfortably in your house again are the lingering scent and aesthetic damages to flooring, ceilings, walls, drapery, and contents in the affected area.

Deodorization is often one of the biggest concerns that homeowners have because the lingering smell from a fire can prove noxious to those even passing through the affected areas. Resolving this requires several pieces of equipment that our SERVPRO IICRC certified technicians use to eliminate the odor in the environment and from furniture and other contents around. One critical piece of equipment for this process is our thermal fogger. This equipment sends out a dense chemical fog that nullifies noxious odor molecules and leaves no scent behind.

When it comes to cleaning up the soot and smoke damages, often this involves vacuum systems and brushes on the surfaces, floors, and ceilings that soot has settled on. For set-in soot that does not come off easily, a wet cleaning solution may get applied to help remove the sediment and dirt. This process prepares these surfaces to be re-faced or repainted depending on where the damage was.

Fire damage in your home might not always require things like reconstruction, but they all leave behind effects that are difficult to contend with on your own. Trust the experienced restoration specialists at SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston to help you bring your home back to preloss conditions quickly and professionally. We can get reached 24/7 by calling (843) 577-2470.

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Full-Service Fire Damage Solutions For Your Charleston Area Home

2/26/2018 (Permalink)

When the Firefighters Have Finished Call SERVPRO to Restore Your Damaged Home in Charleston

Need Cleanup After Smoke and Fire Mishaps? Call the Skilled Team from SERVPRO to Make Your Life Easier

A fire has the destructive power to damage natural walkways, sidewalks, parking lots, roads, cars, and buildings. You should always consider fire-damaged structures on your Charleston area property as unstable. It is entirely possible to suffer structural damages that could pose dangerous risks to anyone that attempts to enter.

Always avoid working in or around fire damage in your Charleston area home. It is essential to have a restoration professional you trust inspect the entire area including, stairs, floors, roofs, ceiling, walls, and all utility supplies for safety before beginning work. You and your family should remain clear of all debris, leaving the heavy lifting to a professional.

Water used to combat the fire can expose untreated building materials to water damage that poses health risks and leads to additional damages or corrosion, rot, and mold. It is a given that it is necessary for your restoration company to understand multiple recovery methods and have access to the necessary equipment to handle each situation appropriately.

SERVPRO technicians can help ventilate the entire house, utilizing air-moving equipment to mitigate smoke odors after a fire. We also help you determine which items remain salvageable while transporting and disposing of all heavily damaged items. Smoke and soot residue can seep into a variety of surfaces, and each requires professional attention to limit losses you might experience.
 
SERVPRO's cleaning technicians wipe down all affected surfaces including countertops, appliances, walls, ceilings, and any furniture or personal belongings found in your home. We use EPA-registered disinfectants and advanced cleaning methods, both dry and wet, to mitigate damages as much as possible.

SERVPRO provides you with fully-certified IICRC technicians, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, year round. We diligently provide members of our local community with cleaning and restoration services you can trust and show it in every service that we offer to protect your home. You can count on our proprietary cleaning agents to be top of the line products to mitigate fire and damaging smoke effects to your belongings.

Contact SERVPRO of Downtown Charleston for full-service recovery solutions throughout the surrounding area. We help you make your property look its best when you can only imagine the worst. (843) 577-2470

Local advice on what to do after a fire. Very important, please click here.

Fire Damage Emergency Tips

11/20/2017 (Permalink)

Most house fires start in the kitchen. Cooking is the leading cause of home fire injuries. Electric stoves are involved in more fires than gas.

What you can do until help arrives

After any fire damage situation, your primary focus should be safety:

• Is it safe to stay in the house?
• Electrical and "slip and fall" hazards are some of the most prevalent concerns.
• Only do activities that are safe for you to perform.
• Wet materials can be VERY heavy. Be careful!

What To Do After A Fire

• Limit movement in the home to prevent soot particles from being embedded into upholstery and carpets.
• 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.
• Change HVAC filter.
• Tape double layers of cheesecloth over air registers.

What NOT To Do After A Fire

• Don't attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces or shampoo carpet or upholstery without contacting your SERVPRO Franchise Professional.
• 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 set smoke odor.

Have A Fire or Smoke Damage Emergency?

       Call Us Today – (843) 577-2470