FAQs

The health risks of mold depend on the type of mold and the person exposed. There are some individuals who would not experience any negative symptoms from mold exposure. While other individuals are sensitive or allergic to certain molds and may experience symptoms such as eye irritation, stuffy or runny nose, wheezing, skin rash or irritation, and even fever or shortness of breath. Since it is not possible to tell for certain whether an individual will be adversely affected by mold or not, if you have mold in your home, it is important to have it properly removed to avoid risk. Mold removal should not be attempted without the help of experts who specialize in mold remediation.

Your insurance agent is allowed to recommend preferred companies to handle your water or fire restoration, yet the final decision is completely yours. They cannot require you to use a specific company, which means that you are free to choose a reputable local restoration company. USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC is highly recommended by many insurance companies.

Water damage can be more expansive that it appears. Water damage can immediately delaminate furniture, crack or swell drywall, and cause wallpaper adhesives to fail. After a few days, water damage can have even more adverse effects such as corroded metal surfaces, swelling and splitting of wood materials, and discolored or bleeding fabric dyes.

More seriously, mold can begin to grow within hours after water damage, and within days those people who are affected by mold allergies can begin to have serious reactions. After a week, the effects of water or flood damage continue and insurance claim costs can increase, and health problems can become a more serious issue. This is why bringing in a water damage repair company right away is so critical.

Smoke odors might not go away on their own; there are a few factors that contribute to this. If the area is not well ventilated, properly cleaned, and treated with necessary odor removing processes by smoke removal experts, the odor may linger. The faster you act to bring in a fire repair company, the more likely you are to be successful in removing smoke odor causing particles and the odor itself. We pride ourselves on responding to emergency calls quickly so that we can give your home or business the best chance of recovering completely from the fire damage.

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC’s emergency fire recovery crew is equipped with advanced structural cleaning and deodorization equipment. Give us a call, and we’ll safely and effectively remove smoke residue, and then we’ll completely eliminate the odors from your home. Our fire restoration team will get the smell out of all of the areas of your home.

There are several types of smoke damage, once at a fire scene, a USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC professional will runs some tests to identify the specific types of smoke damage present. The main component of smoke damage is the smoke residue that is left behind.

For your information, we have listed three categories of smoke residue typically encountered with fire damage:

Protein Substance Smoke Residue – Ever cooked bacon, and noticed the big greasy mess it makes? Things like meats and other proteins typically leave greasy residues that require the type of extensive training and experience that USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC smoke removal professionals have.

Synthetic Substance Smoke Residue – Plastics include a variety of substances that burn, melt, smear, blister, etc. This means that in order to clean up these fire damage residues, you need to bring a variety of skills and a wide range of knowledge in order to properly clean and restore them to their original condition. Our extensive smoke restoration experience aids us in having the right approach to eliminate these complex odors.

Natural Substance Smoke Residue – Plant based materials, like wood or paper, usually burn to black or grey ash and soot. Sometimes it’s as simple as using a vacuum and perhaps a dry sponge to remove these residues. Unfortunately, you might not be able to see all of the smoke particles these products produce when burned. This is because these smoke particles can be very tiny, even microscopic. Their tiny size allows these smoke particles (which even a few can cause a detectable odor) to float and blow into the smallest of spaces. They can be found inside wall cavities! If not removed from all surfaces and cavities, these powerful odorous particles can cause annoying odor issues. Our emergency restoration professionals are able to use the latest smoke residue removal processes and technologies to ensure that not a trace of odor is left to linger in your home or business.

Mold is a fungus that can grow indoors and/or outdoors. Molds prefer warm, humid, moist conditions like the conditions that occur after a flood or pipe leak. Molds reproduce and spread by making spores - these spores can tolerate harsh conditions such as cold or dry conditions that mold itself wouldn’t survive in. Once given the opportune warm, moist environment, these spores can grow into expansive molds. Mold is fast growing and invasive, which makes it particularly difficult to remove mold once it has started growing. There are many different types of molds ranging from the type you might see on a forgotten loaf of bread, to dangerous, toxic strains. Because of the resiliency of mold, mold removal specialists are needed to completely eradicate mold from an affected home or business.

Any environment that offers warm moisture is an environment where mold can thrive. Basements and showers are the most common household place that molds can be found. You might notice a musty or damp odor to indicate mold is growing in your home. Other signs of mold growth in your home might include water stains, water damage, or visible mold growth (in a variety of colors from white to black or blue) on surfaces such as walls or ceilings. Once you have spotted mold, the problem is often much bigger because mold can get under flooring and behind walls or baseboards. Calling in a professional mold removal team is the best way to get mold out of your home safely.

It is impossible to tell different types of mold from one another without specific testing equipment. Even though not all molds are dangerous to your health, some are, and it is important that you call a trusted reconstruction company such as USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC to determine what type of mold you are dealing with and how to properly and effectively remove mold from your home.

The most important thing to consider after a flood is your safety. Any flooded area can be full of hidden dangers. The flood water could be contaminated with dangerous chemicals or even have an electrical current. It is best that you stay away from the flood water damage. If you are able to safely turn off the electricity and water to the flooded part of your home that would be helpful. You could also move any valuables from the area that are vulnerable if the water level were to rise as long as you can do so safely. Once our water restoration crew arrives, they will assess the situation and communicate the flood water cleanup plan with you.

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC can provide complete water damage cleanup services. With any water damage, no matter how big or small, mold can begin to grown within hours. Our first step in battling mold is ensuring that the area is completely dried as quickly as possible. This is why we show up right away to do the emergency water pump out. After the area is dried, if any mold is detected the necessary steps can then be taken to completely remove mold and prevent it from reoccurring. Proper mold remediation is key to preventing costly issues in the future.

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC is prepared with the trained professionals and necessary equipment to reconstruct and restore any property after a major flood. We will pump out flood water, dry the structure from the inside and out and then rebuild the damaged area as needed. We can walk you through every step of the water restoration process from initial clean up through returning you to your property in its original comfortable condition.

You won’t need to call multiple contractors if you call USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC That’s because we’re an experienced and qualified disaster cleanup provider. USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC are prepared with skilled and trained emergency restoration workers along with top of the line equipment that combined can handle any problem associated with a fire. We work with you every step of the way, starting with pumping out standing water and cleaning up debris, all the way through reconstructing your property to its original comfortable condition. If your home or business experiences a fire, contact the fire cleanup professionals at USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC today!

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC has a construction crew that can take care of even the largest property restoration projects. No matter how extensive the damage to your home or office, our crew will completely restore it so it’s like the fire never happened.

The damage to structural and other property can often seem as though it is beyond repair. Our expert team will first work with you to secure the property by boarding up doors and windows, then work on emergency water removal if required – frequently, the bulk of the damage is caused by putting the fire out. Finally, cleaning and deodorizing will restore your property back to its original comfortable condition. Fire damages require a highly specialized process in order to be returned to pre-fire condition. USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC are fire restoration experts, and we know what it takes to get your property back to the way it was. No property is too big or too small for us to completely rebuild and restore.

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC is equipped with an excellent crew of skilled and experienced professionals who are able to remove soot residue completely and efficiently. As for the discoloration on your walls, they can take care of that as well! No matter how extensive the damage, our team will ensure your home is returned to its original comfortable condition after the soot removal is complete!

Yes! Our USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC fire recovery crew is equipped with advanced structural cleaning and deodorization equipment. Our extensive fire restoration experience and knowledge of smoke removal give us the best possible chance of completely getting rid of smoke odor. We’ll safely and effectively remove smoke residue, and then we’ll completely eliminate the odors from your home.

The Fire Department most likely recommended a property board up company to ensure that your valuables are secured and further damage is prevented. USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC will come out to your property and board up the premises as part of our emergency fire restoration procedure.

The person you spoke with when you bought your insurance policy, your insurance agent, is the representative of the insurance company. Then there is the person who is handling your claim, this is the claim adjuster or insurance adjuster. The claim adjuster will be the person USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC works with to be sure your insurance policy coverage approves and pays for the flood and fire repair. As an added measure, the mortgage company might assist with making sure your home or business is repaired back to its original, comfortable condition. USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC, would like to be your restoration contractor. Once we’ve been hired by you we will work with all the different parties to repair your damaged property and return it to its original comfortable condition.

Following water damage, the humidity levels in your house can be double or triple the normal levels. This higher humidity can cause materials in your home that are not designed to get wet to collect moisture from the air. After a few days, a sour smell could indicate the formation of bacteria. Once everything is dried and cleaned during the water restoration process, the smell should be gone. Let our local home restoration experts get your home smelling nice again.

Not all fire damages are alike. In every home or business, there are different materials, in different ratios and quantities, when these materials burn they create specific cleaning and fire restoration challenges. For example, some materials burn quickly, while others smolder. There are also differences in terms of the extent of the fire damage, which need to be considered when undertaking local fire restoration.

It can be tempting to attempt to clean the fire damage or smoke damage yourself. It is often difficult to put your precious space and belongings in the hands of restoration professionals. How can you be sure they will restore it to just the way you had it before? USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC understands these concerns. We urge you to consider that there are several types of smoke residue that may be present, as previously discussed.

This variety can lead to cleaning challenges that are not plainly visible initially. To further the complexity, you might be successful in removing the visible fire damage, but the odor may persist. This is because the smoke particles can be microscopic and spread throughout the ventilation system or wall cavities of your home or business. Smells are strong memory triggers; the last thing you want is a lingering odor to take away from the comfortable condition of your home or business. In most cases, it is in your best interest to call fire restoration experts such as USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC to ensure your property is properly returned to its original comfortable condition.

The main difference is the complete service provision that a flood and fire restoration company, such as USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC offers in comparison to what a traditional general contractor can offer. USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC are experienced in handling the various professionals involved in managing a flood or fire restoration insurance claim. We can assist you in navigating the disaster restoration process and avoid the stress and hassle of handling this alone, as you might have to if you were hiring a traditional general contractor.

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC can typically dry out a property in 2 to 5 days. Depending on the length of time that materials have been exposed to water and humidity, it may take longer for the dry out process to be complete. This drying out process cannot be rushed because it is crucial for proper flood restoration. After everything is dry we will assess the damage and work with you and your insurance company to determining what will need to be replaced and what can be restored. Our business is disaster restoration services, so we will keep you informed all throughout the process in case any delays arise.

It depends on the areas of your home that are affected by the water damage. Often even if you are able to stay in your home you may lose the ability to use your bathroom and kitchen as usual. If you need to stay outside of your home, during the water restoration process, you may want to speak with your adjuster about additional living expense coverage.

Cleaning up smoke damage can be a complicated process. Oftentimes, when you try to remove smoke damage on your own, you end up causing more damage! USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC smoke removal professionals are highly trained and have the necessary tools and chemicals to identify the specific damage present and the most accurate and effective method to restore it to its original comfortable condition. Let our fire restoration experts help your home or business get back to normal quickly!

USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC has the highly trained disaster recovery professionals and the necessary technology and equipment to remove the soot, residue, and discoloration left after a fire. Even if the fire damage seems irreparable, our fire restoration experts can return it to its original comfortable condition.

If a professional isn’t hired to clean smoke and fire damage, the costs for restoration will increase dramatically after a few weeks. Metals may need to be replaced, carpet will permanently discolor and glass may be severely etched, which will necessitate replacement. It will also become apparent that the odors caused by the disaster may still be present and intense enough to be distracting. Because ash is acidic, the longer it takes to hire fire restoration experts, the more destruction it will cause.

While fire is always the immediate danger, once it is gone, what it leaves behind will continue to affect the house. Ash and smoke, if left unhindered, will cause extensive corrosion, etching and discoloration, not to mention lingering powerful odors. Disaster recovery professionals that clean fire and smoke damage, like USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC can stop this before it becomes a major problem, assuming they are contacted soon enough.

There are a number of processes and chemicals that are involved in working to remove smoke damage and odor during fire restoration. Smoke is the result of incomplete combustion, and is a mixture of tiny solid particles, known as soot, oils, and various gases. The odor of smoke is produced by what are referred to as volatile molecules which are released in the burning process of materials. Even after the actual smoke is no longer visible, the smell will often continue to linger.

First and foremost, the process of smoke odor removal begins with taking the source of the odors out. This might mean physically removing charred or burnt items/surfaces such as furniture or drywall, but could also mean cleaning salvageable contents with proper cleaning products. Once this step has been accomplished, the focus becomes removing any lingering odors.

Odor causing smoke and soot particles can be found in the duct system of the home, these along with any dust or other particles in the duct system should be removed promptly to prevent circulating the odor causing particles throughout the atmosphere of the home.

Finally, removing the volatile air-borne smoke particles is integral in a complete smoke damage and odor removal and restoration process. There are several techniques available today for this, several of them are listed and explained below:

Ozone Generation- utilizes oxygen to neutralize volatile molecules in the air, this process is very popular and used frequently for its efficacy even with difficult odor molecules from protein smoke. Ozone is not an air purifier, but is a successful odor remover. This process should be supervised by trained disaster recovery professionals, who should only enter the treatment area briefly. The treatment area should be a controlled environment in which odorous items should be exposed to ozone gas for 24 to 48 hours for full effectiveness. This is why it is important to bring a fire restoration company in to do the work.

Fogging- this process involves a deodorizer that is petroleum-based in a mist which fills the smoke damaged or odorous area. Fogging accomplishes odor neutralization through fragrance modification. When this process is being performed people in the area should wear respiratory protection or leave the area immediately. An emergency restoration team will know how to accomplish this process effectively.

Vapor Modification- involves mineral oils which are non-toxic, non-flammable, and not oily. These mineral oils are transformed into a vapor and distributed throughout the affected area with a fan or blower by a fire restoration professional. The vapor can penetrate any porous surface such as that of upholstery and drapery. This process allows persons to remain in or near the treatment area.

High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (HEPA) Air Scrubber- these are highly effective units that can remove up to 99.97% of particles from the air that are 0.3 microns and larger in size (a micron is 1/1,000 the thickness of a dime). The removal of these particles is important because it removes any additional materials that may be the source of odors.

As mold remediation professionals, we know that mold does not always result from a catastrophic event. Mold can also grow as a result of normal activities. The best way to prevent mold growth in your home is to prevent warm, moist conditions anywhere in your home. You can reduce humidity with an air conditioner or dehumidifier. It may be useful to check the humidity levels in your home more than once a day. Also, be sure that your home is well ventilated. Other preventative measures include not carpeting bathrooms or basements, as the carpet can retain moisture giving molds time to grow. There are also products available that can be added to paints prior to application which work to inhibit mold growth.

When cleaning areas in your home that tend to be warm and moist, such as bathrooms, it is wise to use mold killing products. Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. If you choose to use bleach to clean up mold: Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce dangerous, toxic fumes. Remember to open windows and doors to provide fresh air. Wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using bleach or any other cleaning product.

It is important to remember that thorough cleaning of any mold is necessary to prevent reoccurrence. Spores as well as present mold growth must both be eliminated to ensure the effective removal and prevention of future mold growth. Contact USA Water and Fire Restoration Service LLC to ensure that a qualified, well-trained mold remediation specialist removes the mold from your home or business efficiently and effectively.