Recent Fire Damage Posts
3 Steps To Take After a Fire in Your Home
8/12/2022 (Permalink)
Call fire restoration professionals after experiencing a fire
Three Steps to Follow After a Home Fire
If your home in Marion, NC is affected by a fire, you will likely want to begin the fire restoration process as quickly as possible. There are several measurements you can take to help quicken the restoration process.
1. Contact Your Insurance Provider
After a fire has occurred in your home, it’s often helpful to contact your insurance provider in order to learn what your fire insurance will cover. Though every insurance company is different, damage from a fire is often covered, at least in part, by insurance. By talking with someone at your insurance company, you can also learn about the next steps your company may require you to take in order to complete your claim.
2. Avoid Causing Further Damage
Although you may be tempted to enter your home as soon as possible after a fire, this isn’t always the best idea. By entering your home after a fire, you could potentially worsen any structural damage, which could slow down the fire restoration process. Additionally, disturbing soot in the home could damage property and could cause respiratory issues. It’s often best to allow professionals who have the proper equipment to remove items from your home.
3. Request Board Up Services
When a home has been damaged by a fire, it’s often important that the home is protected in order to prevent more damage from occurring. Boarding up your home can help keep out wind and rain in addition to making it more difficult for thieves to enter the home. Once your home has been boarded up, the process of smoke cleaning and making structural fixes can begin.
The fire restoration process can often be made easier if you know how to properly make a fire claim and keep your home safe. If you need assistance restoring your home, it could be helpful to get in touch with fire damage restoration professionals.
Cleaning Your BBQ Grill: 3 Simple Tips
6/2/2022 (Permalink)
Cleaning your grill can reduce the risk of a fire.
Grill Cleaning Tips
When barbeque season comes to Mill Spring, NC, you probably look forward to creating a variety of delicious meals for your family. However, before you use your grill for the first time this season, learning a few handy grill cleaning tips can reduce the risk of fire, give your unit a longer life and make your grilled food taste better.
1. Burn Off Excess Grease
You can prevent a grease fire in your charcoal or gas grill by lighting the unit, closing the hood and letting it run at its usual temperature to burn away any grease deposits you may have missed when you cleaned and stored the grill previously. Allow the grill to run for at least 30 minutes to ensure all the grease softens or burns off.
2. Soak and Scrub
Grill cleaning can be simpler once you let the parts soak in hot, soapy water. You can also use a store-bought grill cleaner to remove especially tough stains. If your gas grill includes stainless steel parts, use a cleanser specially designed for cleaning the metal to protect the finish. Most gas grills feature removable burner tubes and control knobs, so remember to clean these thoroughly as well.
3. Practice Safe Grill Maintenance While Cleaning
Grill cleaning can be dangerous unless you practice proper safety measures throughout the process. Make sure all the parts cool completely before you handle them and remain especially cautious when cleaning your gas grill to prevent leaks. A fire mitigation and cleanup company can provide you with information about the dangers of gas leaks and their relation to serious fires.
Barbeque season in Mill Spring, NC, is usually an exciting time and gives you and your family the opportunity to share delicious meals together. Knowing how to properly prepare your grill for the summer can help ensure that the food you cook on it, whether charcoal or gas-fueled, can make all the difference in the taste and flavor of your grilled meals.
How to Keep a Cigarette Fire from Happening
2/16/2022 (Permalink)
The best way to ensure that a home cigarette fire doesn't happen is to always go outside to smoke.
How Can You Prevent A Cigarette Fire?
If you smoke and own a home in Marion, NC, you need to be extra cautious. One careless moment could lead to a cigarette fire, which could, in turn, cause severe damage to your home and cost you thousands of dollars in repair and fire cleanup bills. Even worse is the threat of physical harm to you or your loved ones. The good news is that, by following the common-sense steps listed below, you can easily keep an ashtray fire from occurring.
1. Check Your Smoke Detectors
It's important to make sure your smoke alarms are in good working order. Test them at least once a month. It's also a good idea to have one on every floor of your home, even in the attic and basement.
2. Go Outside to Smoke
The best way to ensure that a home cigarette fire doesn't happen is to always go outside to smoke. If you feel like smoking, limit the activity to outdoor areas such as the patio or backyard. This has the added benefit of keeping cigarette odors out of your house.
3. Never Smoke When You're Medicated, Drinking or Sleepy
If you've taken medication, had a few drinks, or feel like you might fall asleep, don't smoke. Never light up while laying down on the sofa or in bed; the cigarette could fall out of your hand and set something on fire.
4. Keep Cigarettes Away from Kids
Make sure your cigarettes and matches are safely put away where kids can't get ahold of them. A curious child with access to your smoking supplies could easily set your house on fire.
If, unfortunately, you've already been the victim of a cigarette fire, you may want to call on the services of a professional fire restoration company to get your home back in order. Hopefully, this is not the case, and the instructions given above can help keep your home safe for years to come.
A Fire Sprinkler Is a Simple but Effective Fire Suppression Device
1/30/2022 (Permalink)
A fire sprinkler cleanup is not a small job.
A Fire Sprinkler is a Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Fire Suppression System
Several fire sprinkler varieties are available in Old Fort, NC, but they all consist of the same four components. These are:
- A pressurized water pipe that is open on the end
- A plug that fits the pipe opening and blocks the flow of water
- A heat-sensitive device that holds the plug against the pipe opening
- A deflector that converts the flowing water to a spray
A Sprinkler Does Not Detect Fire
A fire sprinkler is a low-tech device activated by heat, not flames. If the temperature at the sprinkler head reaches a certain level, the following occurs:
- The heat-sensitive device breaks or melts, releasing the plug.
- Water forces the plug out of the pipe.
- Flowing water strikes the deflector.
- The deflector spreads water over a wide area.
- The sprinkler system controller detects the water flow and signals an alarm.
No Fire Suppression System Does Everything Well
The fire sprinkler is designed to handle a specific situation. This fire suppression system does, however, have some drawbacks.
1. The sprinkler does not shut itself off once the fire is out. Once triggered, the spray will continue until someone intervenes and shuts off the water to that zone.
2. Shutting down the sprinkler zone leaves that area unprotected. Leaving the building unattended in this condition is risky.
3. Sprinklers are not suitable for computers, telephone equipment, or other electrical devices. Instead, protect this equipment with a system designed specifically for electronics.
4. Sprinklers may not react to some small fires. A small, smoldering fire may cause extensive smoke damage but not generate enough heat to trigger a sprinkler.
Sprinkler Events Require a Skilled Response
By the time the water is shut off, an active sprinkler can pump hundreds of gallons of water throughout a business. A fire sprinkler cleanup is not a small job. There are fire and water remediation specialists in your area ready to handle all aspects of a sprinkler incident should it occur. All it takes to get started is a phone call.