Winter Holidays Cautions to Prevent House Fires

December 19th, 2022
outdoor-string-of-lights

In our last post, we discussed general ways you can prevent house fires. The next two weeks are one of the prime seasons for accidental house fires starting—winter holidays, even in Southern California, offer too many opportunities for electrical hazards and open flames to ignite into the least cozy blaze you can ever experience! According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

If you follow our basic safety tips for the holidays, you can relax and enjoy the festive end-of-the-year celebrations without having to worry about calling us for help with fire damage in Orange County, CA. 

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Ways to Help Prevent House Fires

December 5th, 2022
outlet-with-scorch-marks

For homeowners in Southern California, no concern is greater than the danger of wildfires. But fire damage to homes doesn’t only come from wildfires. It can occur because of cooking accidents, electrical shorts, using wood stoves, gas leaks, and more. In 2020, fire damage was responsible for 23% of all home insurance losses. 

We’ve previously written about how you can protect your home against wildfires. Today we’re going inside the house to look at preventing fires from starting indoors. This is especially important at this time of year, when holiday decorations, crackling hearth fires, and visiting guests increase the risk of fires.

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Why Choose an IICRC-Certified Company

November 21st, 2022
IICRC-Logo

When you need home restoration from water damage or fire damage in Orange County, CA, you don’t want to make any hasty choices when it comes to hiring a restoration contractor. You want trustworthy people who know the business, have extensive experience, are properly trained and equipped, deal honestly and ethically with customers, and have a history of completing jobs quickly and effectively.

The best way to tell a reputable damage restoration company is to see if they are IICRC-certified. We’ll explain what IICRC certification means and why you should always select an IICRC-certified contractor—like Jarvis Restoration—when you need vital home restoration services.

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Preparing Your Southern California Home for Winter

November 7th, 2022
neo-craftsman-house

If you read this blog title and did a double-take, we can’t blame you. Anyone who visits our website looking for restoration services lives in Orange County, which experiences winter weather temperatures that occasionally drop to the upper 40s. (Brrr!) We don’t get snow or freezing temperatures, and people sometimes go to the beach to celebrate New Years. Why would we need to winterize our homes?

The reason is … we do experience seasonal changes. There’s more rainfall, frost can appear on windows in the mornings, and temperatures in the 40s affect our homes. Since Southern California buildings are constructed without winter as a major concern, they often have thermal deficiencies that lead to higher heating costs, and they can suffer from cold weather damage they aren’t well-prepped to handle.

Here are some So Cal-specific home winterizing tips:

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The History of Asbestos: A Strange Tale of an Unhealthy Material

October 24th, 2022
interior-of-home

Asbestos has been banned from use in homes for more than 30 years, and yet asbestos testing and abatement in Orange County is one of the most common services we offer, and one of the most useful for homeowners. Asbestos is a harmful carcinogen, and it has a nasty ability to just “hang around” long after its use was stopped. The problem is that asbestos is extremely good at hiding in unusual places. We recommend any home built before 1989 have asbestos testing done to ensure that any harmful amounts are removed.

Just what is the story of asbestos? How did this carcinogenic substance spread so far and wide? We’re going to briefly answer those questions today in this post—although there is much more to learn.

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Tips to Protect Your House From Wildfires

October 10th, 2022
wildfire-in-distance

The fire season in Southern California used to last from July through October. Unfortunately, the season for dangerous wildfires has continued to lengthen in both directions, and some experts consider California’s fire season to be all year. It’s never a good time to let down your guard when it comes to protecting your home and family from the danger of wildfires. Always have a plan in place in case you need to evacuate and have a “go bag” prepared with all you’ll need when you do need to evacuate. (CalFire has this checklist for an emergency supply kit.)

Although your family’s safety comes first, you can also help make preparations to protect your house from wildfires. We’ll look at some below.

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What to Do Right After Serious Water Damage in Your House

September 26th, 2022
underwater-room

If you encounter water damage in your house, such as from faulty plumbing, a disconnected washer hose, or water coming in through the roof, you’ll probably feel panicked. This is understandable, but we want you to know that there is help. You don’t have to go through this alone, and eventually you’ll be able to solve the problem. Water damage requires immediate attention to prevent further issues and costly repairs.

We offer extensive service for water damage in Orange County, CA. When you need us, we’ll be right there on-site to assess the damage and work on solutions. We’ll work with your insurance agent through the process.

Right now, we want to give you advice about what to do right after your house has sustained water damage, as fast action is crucial in minimizing the impact of water damage.

What Should You Do Immediately After Major Water Damage?

After significant water damage, act quickly to limit property loss and prevent mold growth or structural deterioration. The first steps usually include:

  • Stop the water source if possible
  • Document the damage
  • Remove standing water
  • Begin the drying process
  • Contact commercial water damage restoration professionals

Fast action helps protect the building, reduce downtime, and support a more complete restoration.

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Can I Remove Mold on My Own?

September 12th, 2022
mold-on-wall

The short answer to this is: “Yes, in certain circumstances. Most of the time, however, you’ll want professionals to handle this job for a range of reasons.”

Mold in a home is a serious problem, and people often underestimate how much work must go into removing it. This is why the job is referred to as mold remediation and not just mold cleaning. Simply taking out some spray cleaners and a few rags won’t get the job done—especially if the mold resulted from extensive water damage. Remediation requires special training and equipment, and you’ll only find that with professionals like the Jarvis Restoration team.

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Where Asbestos Can Hide in Your House

August 15th, 2022
digital-house-blueprint

Asbestos has a long history of use in residential and commercial buildings, but it was finally banned from use in the US in 1989 because of the health hazards it creates as a carcinogen. That may sound like a long time ago and therefore it’s nothing that you need to worry about in regards to your home. However, you may be surprised! Asbestos is not a “yesteryear” problem, but an ongoing health concern that can hide in homes in unexpected places. We strongly recommend you arrange for an asbestos abatement treatment in your house if it was built before 1989.

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Check Out Our Blog for Advice on All Things Home Restoration

June 21st, 2022

Be sure to bookmark the Jarvis Restoration blog to start learning the ins and outs of home restoration.

We’ll regularly post energy saving tips, how-to’s on troubleshooting your systems, and breakdowns on even the most complex industry related terms and concepts.

Need help now? Send us a message or get in touch today.

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