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In late February, we were brought in to restore a town home in Fairfax that had an accidental fire in the kitchen. Even though the fire was not a cooking-related event, kitchens often contain an ample supply of fuel. These combustible items, such as wooden wall cabinets and drawers, and a large quantity of plastics […]

What Causes Mold Growth? Damage from fire and smoke losses vary in intensity and distribution depending on four factors that are required for combustion to occur:

Black Soot Deposition (BSD) and Furnace Puff Backs The idiom stating “where there’s smoke there’s fire” is really describing that when a group of people who suspect someone has done something wrong, there is likely good reason to believe them. The same goes in fire damage restoration; if you see smoke, there is good reason […]

In our line of work customers often have parting words after we have helped them restore their home and household goods; “you guys were great and I hope I never have to see you again”. Which, on the surface, sounds rather blunt and hurtful. Once you realize what they are really trying to say is […]

No two fires are identical but certain similarities suggest the damaging effects from the fire can often be called ‘typical’. We encountered a non-typical fire scenario in a townhouse in Alexandria, VA earlier this year. How did this fire start? First, this fire occurred due to a plumber’s negligence while working in a third-floor bathroom. […]

Every fire is unique as there are many factors that contribute to the extent of damage and, more importantly, the extent of restorability. There is no such thing as ’typical’ fire damage. During an active fire, heat, fuel, oxygen and a chain reaction combine which causes materials to combust. Smoke is the visible product of […]

After a fire who decides whether to replace or restore items in the home? Fire damage can range from slight to total destruction. After minor fires, cleaning alone may remove all of the smoke and odor damage to personal property. After a severe fire, it is likely that very little and possibly none of the […]

Microbial (Mold) growth most often occurs as a result of unaddressed direct physical water damage. Building materials can be wet and the property owner may or may not realize it. Since microbial growth can begin within days of a water loss, prompt response is needed to prevent mold from becoming a problem. This mold remediation […]

Most water damage occurs from broken pipes, busted water supply lines, or other internal building components that fail. For homeowner’s insurance to cover water damage, the damage has to occur form a single, one-time incident that occurs within the building. We recently serviced a townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia which sustained significant water damage under a […]

Background Information A fire broke out in the basement of this 3-level townhouse in Falls Church built sometime in the late 1960’s or early 70’s. The house was built using brick and block, wood framed platform construction. In other words, the exterior walls were brick or block and each of the upper wood floors were set […]