Recent Commercial Posts

Smoke Damage In Your Building

10/28/2022 (Permalink)

Visible damage to a commercial building following a structure fire Commercial building fire.

Smoke Damage In Your Building

Smoke damage can be a very serious issue. When it occurs in a building, it causes both structural and cosmetic damage, forcing you to pay for expensive repairs. The good news is that many insurance companies consider smoke damage to be covered under their policies. However, make sure you know the facts about coverage before filing a claim

In the event of a fire in a commercial building, smoke and water damage is typically covered. This means that even if you have an adjacent company that is not a part of your insurance policy, their property damage may still be covered if it was caused by the fire.

What to Expect in the Cleaning Process

The cleaning process will be different for each building and each fire. The type of damage and soot that your building has suffered will impact how long the cleanup takes, but in most cases, it will take at least several weeks to fully complete. Some types of soot are more difficult to remove than others; this is why it often takes so long to clean a burnt building.

If you have been affected by smoke damage in your business or home, you may not know what to expect during this time. Here's what you can expect from us:

  • We'll come out right away and perform an initial assessment of your property with our crew on site (if possible). We'll determine whether there is any real danger present.
  • Next step is determining whether or not there was significant damage done inside the structure itself from heat exposure as well as water used during fighting fires outside their walls.

Cleaning Techniques

While wet cleaning is the most effective way to clean smoke damage, you may be forced to dry clean in a pinch. If that's the case, be aware that dry cleaning only removes soot from walls and does not remove smoke odors. Often, further remediation is necessary, so call a professional if needed!

Smoke Damage Needs To Be Cleaned Quickly 

Fire and smoke damage is a covered loss under your insurance policy. Smoke damage can be caused by several things, such as cooking appliances, unattended candles, or incense and even fireplaces.

If you have a fire in your building and it causes substantial smoke damage to your property, you should clean the area quickly using specialized cleaning methods to prevent further damage or corrosion. However, if there was no fire involved then this is considered water damage from the sprinkler system and should be handled differently according to local regulations on how long after an incident that water must be removed from a building before people can enter again so that mold does not grow inside walls, etc.

Don’t worry about your smoke damage—we got this. We have a team of experts who are ready to help you quickly and efficiently get back up and running. Contact us today for more information!

Saving Wet Documents After a Flood

7/13/2022 (Permalink)

Wet documents An experienced flood restoration company can extract water from the premises, clean, and dry wet documents.

Document Preservation Following a Flood

If your business experiences a flood in Estero Island, FL you may take urgent measures to save your furniture and equipment from water damage, but what happens to wet documents? The valuable information on original papers may not be lost forever, thanks to these document drying and preservation techniques.

Vacuum freeze-drying

This paper restoration method, also used by the Library of Congress, is the best way to restore your irreplaceable documents. It involves freezing the wet paper as quickly as possible after flooding to ensure that the ink does not have time to bleed or that delicate fibers are not compromised further. The documents then go into a sealed chamber that creates a vacuum. Controlling the chamber's temperature causes sublimation, which causes the frozen water to convert directly to gas and evaporate out of the document.

Gamma Irradiation

Flood water can carry bacteria and other pathogens that contaminate wet documents. A professional restoration company can use powerful sanitization methods to remove any traces of harmful particles without damaging your papers. The gamma irradiation process allows gamma rays to pass through the document. Along the way, they cause ionization or electron disruption at a molecular level that kills contaminants. The process does not harm the paper or ink.

Digitization

If your business has a significant amount of paper files, you may want to consider the following benefits of digitization:

-Better security and compliance
-Lower risk for damage
-Easy retrieval
-Efficient storage


A professional service with the technology to efficiently and carefully scan and digitize bulk or fragile documents can help ensure that the most sensitive information upon which your business relies is never at high risk for future water damage.
Flooding of your business can lead to significant damage.

An experienced flood restoration company can extract water from the premises, clean and, dry wet documents and prevent further problems that keep you from operating in Fort Myers, FL.

How To Deal With Electronics After a Fire

5/10/2022 (Permalink)

Short circuit, burnt cable, on dark color background Even a small electrical fire may have a big impact on the vital electronics in your business.

To successfully run your Estero Island, FL, business, there is a good chance you rely on various electronics to make that happen. If an electrical fire happens, you need that equipment functioning to preserve and recover essential data. Unfortunately, some electronics won’t be salvageable and those that are will require special techniques and equipment for the cleanup. Understanding the type of damage is important to determine the extent of the damage.

Types of Damage

There are three types of damage that professional fire damage restoration will look for to determine salvageability and cleaning methods.

Fire: Electrical fire damage is the easiest to spot. Devices that have been touched by flames will likely have visible plastic melting or scorch marks. In many cases, fire-damaged items will need to be tossed.
Soot: This black residue drifts in the smoke and attaches itself to items. It is often oily or smears easily. Soot also has a high acidity level, which may affect the longevity of electronics even after cleaning.
Smoke: When there is smoke, there is still heat and residue drifting into devices. It also leaves a lingering odor. A professional is usually able to eradicate that odor and bring devices back to life.

The Effects of Smoke Damage

While soot and char marks are indicators of damaged equipment, smoke is a bit tricky. Even if the flames never reach a device, they can still be damaged by smoke. Smoke carries an electronic charge that may short circuit a device. This makes it important to inspect all electronics that have been in the area in which the fire occurred.
Even a small electrical fire may have a big impact on the vital electronics in your business. While it may seem easy, computer cleanup requires expertise and tools. While not all may be saved, turning to an expert may result in not having to replace devices.

3 Things You Should Know About Ice Dams

3/13/2022 (Permalink)

Man adding insulation to walls Install or reinforce insulation to keep the heat inside the building.

Ice Dams: Three Things You Should Know

One risk factor to observe during the winter is an ice dam. This temporary structure usually forms on the edge of your business's roof. While the icicles may give the Estero Island, FL, building a pleasant look, it can also create a variety of issues, including the emergence of black mold. Learn more about dams and act before they harm your establishment.

1. Common Causes

Ice dams occur when the heat on the rooftop is distributed unevenly. Usually, this means the snow on the top part will melt to the edges where the gutters are. However, the meltwater will freeze in those areas instead of flowing away from the building. The frozen water creates a dam that also blocks melting roof snow. With no drain system available, the water enters the building through shingles or any present cracks.

2. Effects on Business

Even though the ice dam seems distant from your business, it can affect it when left untreated. The roof water can spill on the walls, floor and other property inside, damaging it in the process. The combined humidity, present nutrients and high temperature create a perfect environment for mold growth. The problem increases if the water seeps into out-of-sight areas like between the walls. Since this mold is hard to notice and clean, it will instead develop and spread throughout the area.

3. Resolution and Prevention

Once you see the fungus, call your insurance company and a commercial mold cleanup crew. Also, bring in roof specialists to remove the dam from the affected area and repair the roof as needed. Preventative actions stop the damage before it even starts. Find and seal any areas in the roof and ceiling where heat escapes to keep the roof consistently cold. Additionally, install or reinforce insulation to keep the heat inside the building.
An ice dam can cause heavy water damage and mold growth if it is not treated immediately. Contact the right specialists to eliminate the damage and keep the roof's temperature even to prevent any more dams.

4 Steps for Mitigating Wind Damage

2/23/2022 (Permalink)

Hole on ceiling A small roof leak can quickly turn into a huge hole.

Four Steps to Wind Damage Mitigation

High winds from thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes can turn small objects and debris into dangerous projectiles in Estero Island, FL. When these items hit buildings, they can cause a roof leak and broken windows. With some planning and preparation, structural damage can be kept to a minimum.

1. Maintain the Landscaping

Trees, shrubs and decorative items such as fountains and planters can turn into missiles in high winds. Keep the greenery trimmed and secure the fountains and planters. If tying them down isn’t an option, move them inside during storm season. This can prevent them from being hurled against the building or through windows.

2. Cover the Windows and Doors

Keep a supply of plywood on site to protect the windows from flying debris. It is strong enough to protect the glass from most large items and small debris such as gravel may embed itself in the surface, without penetrating all the way. Screws can be more effective than nails when securing the plywood to the building.

3. Reinforce Weak Areas

For buildings that have loading docks or interior parking for company vehicles, the garage doors may be susceptible to damage caused by debris. Strengthen glider wheel tracks and add braces across the back of the door to minimize damage. Plywood can be used to cover windows and bolster the braces.

4. Inspect the Roof

As materials age, they weaken. This can result in a roof leak or missing shingles during storm season. Use tarps and plywood as temporary measures to protect weak areas and prevent an already damaged roof from getting worse.

Severe storms can devastate a business in Estero Island, FL. Untrimmed trees and downed powerlines can result in a damaged roof. A minor roof leak can become a gaping hole. If a severe weather event does strike, a disaster recovery team can help you keep downtime to a minimum, whether a passing thunderstorm or a significant hurricane caused the damage.