At SERVPRO of Northridge and SERVPRO of Granada Hills we use state of the art drying equipment which has undergone a rigorous selection process by our equipment purchasing department at SERVPRO Headquarters. Using start of the equipment and techniques ensures we minimize demolition of materials saving costs while reducing drying days overall. Some of the specialty equipment we use are heaters, wall cavity drying systems, and desiccant dehumidifiers.  

This industrial space suffered heavy smoke damage due to an sudden electrical malfunction in some wiring. We were recommended by the insurance adjuster handling the claim to assist the landlord and tenant with the cleaning of the entire 20,000 square foot facility. In this photograph, our technician is cleaning a section of the ceiling using SERVPRO's unique blend of proprietary chemicals. A scissor lift is used for safety of our workers to prevent injury from falls. Also, we have placed a hydroxyl machine and a negative air machine which both help in the deodorization and cleanup of char and ash particles. SERVPRO of Northridge and Granada Hills has extensive experience in commercial fire cleanup. 

This commercial building called us as a pipe burst overnight causing damage to over 50,000 square feet of the facility. Here you see multiple air movers strategically placed in one of the affected areas to start drying the carpets, subfloor, and walls. It is very important to begin the drying process in a water damage situation, because the longer the water sits on building materials, the more damage is done. Air movers increase the rate at which evaporation takes place. You must use them though in conjunction with a commercial dehumidifier for maximum effectiveness. Call the professionals at SERVPRO of Northridge and Granada Hills at 818-993-9339 for your water damage restoration needs. 

Our client noticed large black staining on the pantry ceilings in her kitchen which had developed from a slow leaking toilet in the upstairs bath. She called out a mold hygienist who went out to the home and collected air samples. These samples were then sent to a laboratory for independent analysis which confirmed the areas contained high levels of Stachybotrys, penicillium aspergillus, and other types of mold. SERVPRO of Northridge and Granada Hills successfully remediated the mold creating a safe environment in the kitchen and getting the customer's pantry back to a mold-free condition. 

In this photograph, our technician is doing the demolition of glue-down wooden engineered flooring. He has to use a demolition hammer in order to remove the floors which is installed with a super-strong adhesive. Once enough water gets underneath glue down floors on concrete, it does require us to remove the wet portions of flooring as they do not dry fully. The insurance carrier did pay for the replacement of the new floors. 

Our customer suffered severe water damage due to a sudden failure of a portion of the roof during a rainstorm in the Greater Los Angeles area.Water came into breaches in the roof, through the attic, onto the ceiling, and then settled into the walls and floors creating heavy damage to several rooms. In this photo, our crew chief is doing the preliminary step of moisture mapping which involves using a precision moisture meter to detect exactly what building materials are wet so we can focus in on drying and removing only what is necessary. 

Here we are about to start a mold job that started from a slow leak from the roof into our client's kitchen ceiling. One of the first steps of our mold remediation process is to isolate the affected area using 6 mil poly sheeting and building a containment. A containment ensures that any mold in the affected area that will be remediated does not spread into other unaffected areas of the home and become airborne. The containment here is being held up but special tension poles while protecting the wood floors. A negative air machine with HEPA-rated filtration will also be placed in the containment area which also captures mold spores. 

Here our fire cleaning technician is vacuuming the walls and ceilings that have been affected by smoke due to a house fire. Most wall surfaces are porous in nature. Char, ash, and soot are composed of very fine particles that if left without cleaning, can cause lingering stains and odors in a structure. After we vacuum the ceilings and walls, we use a wet cleaning method consisting of a special blend of a cleaning and deodorizing solution. When you are in need of cleanup after a fire or from smoke damage, call or office.  

Our technician is starting to do the cleanup after this studio room suffered a fire. The first step will be to remove all of the charred drywall, and then we go in and clean the walls studs and subfloor. If necessary we seal the framing with a special odor blocker on severe fire damage. 

In this photo, our technician installed a thermal blanket floor drying system which saved the wood floors from costly removal. This system is one of the newest state of the art equipment pieces available to do in place drying. We have other sophisticated drying techniques that in many cases prevent expensive building materials from being demolished.  

Our technician is doing what is called a flood cut as part of the water remediation process. The purpose is to allow the removal of water-damaged drywall, and insulation in order to access the framing/studs for drying. We only do flood cuts on walls that do not show sufficient drying progress after 2-3 days or on walls that are contaminated. 

In this photo, our technician is coming out of a crawlspace where we are doing a sewage water cleanup and restoration job. A broken drain line expelled sewage-laden water for several weeks in this crawlspace until the homeowners discovered it. In a nutshell, the process consists of extracting sewage-laden water with portable or truck-mounted extraction units. We then remove the top 2-3 inches of contaminated soil and bag it for special disposal. We then disinfect the area using a high-quality ulv fogger doing this several times. We then dry the affected area using desiccant dehumidifiers, negative air machines, and sometimes with a specialized heater. Lastly, we apply an absorbent to the areas of the soil that were affected which continues to absorb moisture and acts as a deodorizer. Should you have a crawlspace that has sewage or water damage, do not hesitate to call SERVPRO of Northridge and SERVPRO of Granada Hills at 818-993-9339.  

Our fire cleaning technician is meticulously cleaning every square inch of this dwelling using our advanced fire restoration methods. A typical sized home can take a crew of our technicians several days to clean which assures that no char and ash particles are left behind.  

SERVPRO uses state of the art thermal imaging cameras that allow us to quickly detect elevated moisture in materials. The areas that are violet colored are indicative of water present in the walls. 

SERVPRO uses moisture meters which are used to measure the percentage of water in a given substance for example drywall and flooring. This can be used to determine if the material is ready for use, unexpectedly wet or dry, or in need of further inspection. 

This 22,00 square foot industrial building sustained a heavy fire damage overnight and smoke billowed through the structure for hours leaving noxious and harmful smoke odors and particulates. Our team came to the call and began emergency fire damage cleanup services the same day in order to keep the building operational and safe for the tenants. In this photo our team is doing detailed wall and ceiling cleanup to ensure char and ash particulates are cleaned from all surfaces. Also, in the background, specialty equipment such as Hepa rated negative air machines and hydroxyl machines are capturing particulates and odors to cleanse and exchange the air making it safer to breathe. 

Water extraction is the process of removing all standing water and excess moisture from the property. It not only helps prevent more severe structural damage, but also speeds up the drying process and minimizes the risk of mold growth and secondary water damage. This is usually the first step on a water damage cleanup should standing water exist on floors.