Happy Halloween from SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon!

10/30/2024 (Permalink)

Halloween is here, and SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon wants to wish you a safe and spooky holiday! As you enjoy trick-or-treating and haunted festivities, keep in mind a few Halloween safety tips for your home. Make sure walkways are clear and well-lit to avoid tripping hazards, and opt for battery-operated candles in your jack-o'-lanterns to reduce fire risks.

We know accidents can happen, and we're here to help if you need us. Whether it’s fire damage from a Halloween candle mishap or unexpected water damage from fall weather, our team is ready 24/7 to restore your property to pre-damage condition.

Have fun, stay safe, and remember that SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon is your go-to for reliable restoration services. From our team to yours, Happy Halloween! We’re here whenever you need us, making sure your holidays stay safe and enjoyable all season long.

Contact: (707) 724-8977

What Happens After a Fire?

8/13/2024 (Permalink)

Customers often tell us, “I don’t know how this process works.”  Here at SERVPRO®, we are thankful for two things in this regard - first, that most of our customers do not have any experience with fire previously affecting their homes, and second, that we have an experienced and helpful group of professionals who are ready, willing and able to help at a moment’s notice.  We thought it might be helpful to put together a narrative of what you should do in the event of a fire affecting your home, and how to get the help you need to get your home back "Like it never even happened."

If you are evacuated or forced to leave your home because of a fire either in your home or in the vicinity surrounding your neighborhood, be sure to stay out of your home until your local authorities give you the “all clear” to return to your residence.  Once any restrictions regarding entering your home have been released, place a call to a restoration specialist, such as SERVPRO and schedule an appointment for an inspection as soon as possible.  Be prepared to provide the SERVPRO scheduler with your name and address, along with a description of what is specifically happening in your home.  For example, can you see evidence of ash inside your home or only outside?  Did your oven catch fire and therefore walls and other areas in your home were burned or subsequently dampened with water due to firefighting efforts?  In the event of a fire in your neighborhood, were windows left open during the firestorm?  How close did the fire come to your home?  Also, it is helpful if you have the name of your insurance company, your adjuster’s contact information and your claim number available to provide to the scheduler.  This will help make the process go much faster down the road.  Contact your homeowners' insurance company and file a claim regarding your potential loss.  Be sure to have your policy number, policy holder’s name and address, and the date of the incident on hand when you make the call.  Be sure to write down the name of the claim adjuster assigned to your specific claim and your claim number.  You will need this information for future reference. 

It is also a good idea to find a folder or binder to put all your information regarding your loss into for safe keeping, or we can provide you with a binder.  This would include your insurance policy information, your insurance adjuster’s name, phone number and email address, your claim number and all the notes you take when you talk to your adjuster.  Having one place for all this information makes it easier to find and organize this information, and much easier to reference your notes in case there are questions or issues later.

Once your inspection has been scheduled, an experienced professional will be dispatched to your home to perform an inspection and take photos.  These will be used to produce an estimate for services, which will be submitted to your insurance adjuster.  (This is why providing all the pertinent information to your scheduler is so vital and timesaving.)  Once the estimate is complete and submitted, SERVPRO will work with your insurance adjuster to gain approval of the estimate so that work can begin as soon as possible on your property. 

Once our estimate has been approved, we will schedule your services to begin as soon as possible and dispatch our highly trained production team to your home to begin the cleaning and restoration process.  This often begins with pressure washing the outside of a home (in the event of a wildland or neighborhood fire), wiping down walls and surface areas inside the home, cleaning of carpets and floors, as well as cleaning of individual contents.  We work directly with a vendor to help our customers have their “soft goods” cleaned, which include clothing, removable rugs and drapes.  And when the job is complete, our Crew Chief walks the job with the homeowner to ensure that it is completed to their 100% satisfaction. 

If you or anyone you know experiences a fire in or around your home, call the professionals at SERVPRO at (707) 724-8977.  We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year to respond to your emergency and we are Here to Help®.

Signs that Your Hot Water Heater is Failing

8/13/2024 (Permalink)

With an average tank size between fifty and one hundred gallons, leaking hot water tanks can be a major source of water damage problems and can flood an entire home and cause significant damage if not detected quickly.  But how do you know if your hot water heater is about to fail?

A lack of hot water is the most common sign of a failing hot water heater.  Rumbling, creaking or popping noises are another common indicator of an unhealthy water heater.  This can mean that sediment is forming on the surface of the water heater or that the unit is on the verge of a crack or leak.  Murky or foul-smelling water are also signs of a failing water heater.  Additionally, the pressure relief valve opens to release pressure buildup in the water heater and can sometimes fail to function properly.  This can have dangerous results and should be inspected by a plumber if you suspect a problem.  And finally, pooling water beneath the unit can be a sign of a leaking water tank.  

Pooling water beneath a hot water tank can lead to other, more dangerous problems.  If your tank sits on a wood surface, the wood can become spongy and rot through if left wet for a long period of time.  Be sure to act quickly if you know your hot water tank is leaking to avoid this problem.

If you see any of these common indicators, contact a plumber immediately to help determine the source of the problem.  And if you do experience a water leak or damage of any kind, call the experts at SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/ Fairfield/Davis to help you remediate all of your water problems.  

At SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis, we are experts at assessing water damage in your home or business, as well as removing standing water and drying out damaged materials. We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to answer your calls and respond to any and all water emergencies you may experience.  Call us today at (707) 724-8977.  We live and work in your community and we are here for you.

Mandarin Time!

12/12/2023 (Permalink)

It's Mandarin Time Again!

It's that time of year again.  Not for Santa or decorations, but for Mandarins!  Rather than gifting chocolate or candy, SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis likes to hand out boxes of mandarins during the Holidays.  And they are very well received and anticipated by our customers!

Mandarins are smaller in size than regular oranges and have a bright orange skin that is easy to peel.  Mandarins typically have a sweet taste and are a good source of Vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. 

Our mandarins come from Newcastle Mandarin Ranch, which is located at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Established in 1998, the ranch is family-owned and operated.  All 800 trees bear a plentiful crop during peak mandarin season, which typically runs from November through December. 

Happy Halloween

10/31/2023 (Permalink)

The ladies of SERVPRO and 4 Edges Construction's administration teams.

Our "Boo Crew" from SERVPRO and 4 Edges Construction gathered together for a fun picture outside the office of SERVPRO recently.  These are the ladies that answer the phone when customers call with emergencies and are the ones who get help on the way.  

If you ever experience a fire or water emergency, call our "Boo Crew" at (707) 724-8977.  They are always Here to Help.

Follow these Grilling Tips for a Safe Grilling Experience

8/7/2023 (Permalink)

When the weather warms up, one way to beat the heat is to turn off the oven and cook outside on the barbeque.  Unfortunately, this causes the number of grill-related fires to increase.  Each year, outdoor grilling causes over 10,000 home fires, but SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/ Davis has put together some easy safety tips you can follow to keep your home and family safe this grilling season.  

The most common cause of fire involving a barbeque is related to cooking on an uncleaned grill.  Grease that accumulates on the grill can cause fires, so just like clearing your dishes from the table and loading them in the dishwasher, cleaning your grill should be a part of your routine when you are done preparing your meal and cleaning up.  Another important part of a clean grill involves your coals.  Make sure they are completely cooled before cooling the grill and removing them.  The safest thing to do with the coals is to put them in a fire safe bucket and allow them to remain there until you are ready to dispose of them.  Hot coals can smolder for a very long time.  It is always better to be safe and make sure they are completely cold before disposing of them in your trash.  Many dumpster fires have been started by not-cooled coals.   

The second most dangerous cause of fire from grilling comes from unattended barbeques.  Just like inside your home, never leave an open flame unattended outside.  Your grill can flare up while you aren’t watching and catch something nearby on fire, and if you are not immediately available to deal with the problem, it can quickly escalate into a much larger problem.  Be vigilant and always stay near your barbeque when you are cooking.  That means you will have to do quite a bit of prep work in order to have everything you need before you begin grilling so you won’t have to leave your grill unattended, but safety should be your number one concern.

Related to this previous point, always make sure your grill is on a stable surface and cannot easily tip over.  Once you load up that barbeque with all those yummy steaks and veggies, you want to make sure it won’t topple on the ground, spilling all your food and the hot coals everywhere.  If the unthinkable happens, and you do tip over your barbeque, think before you act.  Remember those coals are hot and combustible.  Pick them up with something that won’t catch on fire, like a metal shovel and put them in a fire-safe container or metal bucket. 

Also, be sure your grill is not near any hanging tree branches or other structures that can easily catch fire.  If the area you have designated as your barbeque area is beginning to become overgrown, be sure to trim those trees or bushes before you start grilling.

Although the taste of the grill is temping all year long, if you don’t have a safe area to barbeque during the winter, never barbeque inside any kind of structure, including your garage.  Besides the obvious fire hazard that this would pose, barbequing in your garage would also release the deadly Carbon Monoxide gas, so please stick to outside grilling only.  No, opening your garage door doesn’t make a difference. 

And lastly, if you are using a gas grill, be sure to shut off the gas valve completely when you are done grilling.  Make it a habit to turn it off as soon as you take your food off the grill so you won’t forget. 

By using these easy-to-follow tips from SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis, you and your family should be able to enjoy a safe and fun grilling season. 

Check your Air Conditioner Drains

8/7/2023 (Permalink)

Summer is here, so a working air conditioner is more important than any other time of the year.  But there are more things to think about than just whether or not the unit is pumping out cool air.  It’s also imperative that you make sure that your air conditioner is not causing damage to unseen areas of your home.  In order to ensure this, you should understand a little about how air conditioners work and what to look out for to make sure they are working correctly.

Many air conditioning units are located in the attic of a home and work by taking in warm air, chilling it and pumping out the cooler air.  When you chill the air, condensation is produced, which is just water.  That water needs to be directed out of the attic, and this is done through a condensation drain that drains out of a house at ground level.  You may see water dripping from a drain up against your home when your air conditioner is running.  This is the condensation being drawn away from the air conditioner and means that the drain is working properly.  

Sometimes, however, drains stop working properly because they get plugged so homebuilders have designed a very creative solution for recognizing when this happens.  If you have ever seen water dripping from a drain over a window during the summer when your air conditioner is running, this is an indication that your condensation drain is plugged and water is now be rerouted to the emergency drain.  That drain is purposely routed to dump water over a window so homeowners will notice that there is a problem with the drain of their air conditioning unit.  If not addressed, the excess water can lead to water damage and mold growth, something SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis has a lot of experience eradicating.  Although we would be available to help with all your water and mold remediation needs, we also are happy to offer homeowners help in avoiding damage in the first place. 

So if it’s a hot day and you notice water running down your window, check to see if it is coming from a drain located directly above the window.  If it is, your air conditioning drain is likely plugged and you should get it checked out as soon as possible to avoid water damage to your attic.

If you do experience water, fire or mold damage in your home, call the experts at SERVPRO today.  We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to respond to your needs.  We are local and Here to Help.  Call us today at 707-724-8977.

Safely Storing Your Belongings

6/29/2023 (Permalink)

One of our friendly SERVPRO employees loading up customers' contents and getting them ready for storage.

Meet Barbara, one of our excellent employees!  She is in charge of packing our customers' belongings and assuring that they are stored safely until they would like them returned.  As you can see, Barbara brings a fun and positive attitude to work every day, and we are lucky to have her as part of our SERVPRO team.

If you experience a loss of any kind at your home or place of business, from water, fire, or mold, you can be assured that we have trained, professional staff ready to help you pack up your belongings safely and store them until you are ready to have them returned to you.  We do the heavy lifting so you don't have to.  Remember, we are always Here to Help.  

Visiting with our Vacaville Dispatchers

4/18/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Vacaville enjoyed our visit with dispatchers during Public Safety Telecommunications Week 2023.

SERVPRO of Vacaville has a great time visiting with our local dispatchers during Public Safety Telecommunications Week 2023.  We delivered some treats and got to meet the selfless, kind and patient individuals who answer the call during very stressful times. 

During Public Telecommunications Week, the local dispatchers get to cut loose and have a bit of fun while they work.  They pick a theme for the week and have different dress-up days each day, with raffle prizes and fun games during breaks.  They definitely deserve a little stress-relieving fun since they work so hard to protect our cities and provide such important community service. We are so grateful for the men and women who answer the call during our most stressful and worrisome times.

Thank you so much to our local dispatchers!

These Are the Clean-Ups We Like!

2/14/2023 (Permalink)

These are the kind of clean-ups that SERVPRO likes to get called out to perform, but we can do the messy ones as well. Call us today at 707-724-8977

Yes!  SERVPRO can help clean up spills, stains and odors in your vehicles.  We use an ozone machine to help alleviate odors, clean upholstery, offer a wipe down service for inside vehicles and can utilize a fogging agent to help alleviate unwanted smells.  Call us today at 707-724-8977.