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D N'T HIT DELETE!!!
I hate junk mail! It's a nuisance, time consuming, and some can be very strange! With that said, I can guarantee this is not another piece of junk mail. Instead, this is the first issue of a monthly newsletter published by ALL-CLEAN USA. The sole purpose of this publication is to provide you, in the insurance industry with valuable information you can use as well as include pertinent information and articles pertaining to property restoration.
 So, welcome! We hope you find it useful, and if you don't, feel free to shoot an email our way and let us know what you would like to see published. If there is something you want researched, a topic you need be educated on, let us know! We want to be of service to you and not just "another" piece of mail that ends up in the spam box.
So keep this in your inbox and please let us know how we can further serve you, as that is our #1 goal!
Hayden Allred
870.926.7917
hallred@allcleanusa.com
Arkansas' Solution to Property Restoration
ALL-CLEAN USA
FIRE’S OUT...NOW WHAT?
 After the fire trucks are gone, after a water source is fixed or eliminated, the damage has only just begun. Without rapid response from trained restoration professionals, both the scope and the cost of a loss increases dramatically.
ALL-CLEAN USA has trained professionals ready to assist home owners as well as insurance personnel with all phases of the restoration process in your home as well as your business.
At ALL-CLEAN USA we understand the need to share with you the insurance professional our knowledge of what it takes to restore property after any water intrusion or fire damage.
We hope the tips and information made available to you through
this newsletter will help lessen the severity of any disaster you may be associated with in the future. This month we will consider some tips that should be helpful when you are faced with a fire or smoke related loss.
Professional restoration technicians are always time conscious. They know that damage increases and restoration costs escalate the longer neutralization, corrosion control and cleaning is delayed. When homeowners prolong the restoration of their home, they extend the effects brought on by the smoke exposure. Below is a time line of the effects of fire and smoke on a home.
WITHIN MINUTES
 Acid soot residues cause plastics to yellow; small appliances located close to the source of combustion to discolor; highly porous materials (marble, alabaster) discolor permanently.
WITHIN HOURS
Acid residues stain grout in bathrooms; fiberglass bath fixtures yellow; metals tarnish, counter tops may yellow; finishes on appliances, particularly refrigerators that extend into the heat line may yellow; furniture finishes may discolor.
WITHIN DAYS
In time, acid residues cause painted walls to yellow permanently; metal corrodes, pits and rusts; wood furniture requires refinishing; vinyl flooring requires refinishing or replacement; clothing becomes soot stained; upholstery stains permanently.
WITHIN WEEKS
Restoration costs escalate tremendously. Synthetic carpet fibers may yellow or discolor permanently; silver plate is corroded permanently; glass, crystal, china may require replacement due to severe etching and pitting caused by prolonged exposure to acid soot residues.
Cleaning up soot residue must be done as quickly as possible. During combustion, soot residue is carried by humidity, volatile vapors and air currents to surfaces throughout a structure, and deposited. This deposition process occurs repeatedly until combustion ends, with soot residue building up on surfaces layer-by-layer. By the time restoration technicians arrive, the hardened, lacquer-like soot residue may be quite difficult to dissolve and remove.
In addition to the removal of residue, ridding your home of its smoky odor is necessary. Professionals use this four-step process to remove odors:
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Remove the source of the odor, including non-salvageable debris that contributes to odor generation and recontamination of cleaned and deodorized areas.
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Physical removal of odor causing residue through cleaning of salvageable surfaces and items.
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Recreate the conditions of odor penetration and apply an appropriate odor counterbalance. This is accomplished with direct application of deodorants, or by generating a deodorizing fog that seeks out and combines with the odor causing substances.
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Finally, seal salvageable surfaces that are inaccessible or slightly scorched - not only for aesthetic purposes, but primarily to encapsulate odor and prevent progressive recontamination.
Understanding the effects of a fire can help homeowners evaluate the damage to their home. By learning more about residue clean up and deodorization after a fire, you can minimize the need for costly repair. Don’t hesitate to discuss these procedures with a trained fire and smoke restoration professional, because increasing your knowledge will ensure that your home is correctly restored. Fire and smoke restoration experts can help you get your home and furnishings back to a “pre-loss” condition. |
