Hurricane Sandy drowned the New York coastline.

The American spirit of community becomes very evident when a local disaster becomes a national relief effort. The circle of damage may be relatively small like a flooded street, or a Hurricane Sandy that ravaged almost the entire east coast. The response of help from businesses and individuals draws from all communities from east to west north to south. Caution is quickly thrown aside by the empathy of helping fellow countrymen in trouble.

Hurricane Sandy is a not-so-recent natural disaster that brought out the best from volunteers. Crews from Paul Davis offices right here in California were quick to respond in the aftermath of the storm. The extent of the damage to properties covering miles and miles of eastern coastline was significantly mitigated by emergency services, restorations, and even reconstruction services for many homeowners that were helpless.

This kind of selfless assistance regardless of the distance is a reflection of the professional pride Paul Davis Restoration and others in the industry display in the time of a disaster. We were very pleased to be mentioned in the latest issue of Restoration & Remediation magazine for our assistance, but of course, we didn’t do it for accolades. It’s our job, and as professionals, we go where our help is needed.

A horrific storm or an unexpected leaking water line can change your life and pocketbook. It is good to know that the professionals at PDR are only a phone call away (877) 732-8471. Distance is no matter to them, the goal is to minimize the property damage and get your life and property back in order.

Don’t be held captive by your washing machine’s potential for destruction.

Of all the hazards that can damage property, water is the most insidious. Water is for the most part silent, travels in all directions from the source, and often doesn’t surface immediately. It just lies quietly in the dark doing its damage. Sometimes it goes undetected for weeks and even months.

There are many preventative steps any homeowner can take themselves to detect a water leak. Checking the water bill every month is a simple check, as an unidentifiable spike may lead to detecting a leak. Be alert to water stains or standing water. Usually you can track down the leak and correct the cause.

One highly recommended practice for the non-handy homeowner and for landlords that have rental properties in remote locations is to engage a plumber or recovery contractor to do an annual inspection for water leaks and damage. That can even extend to automatic replacement of faucet seals, hose connections, and areas where frequent water damage can occur yet be undetected. If your sewer lines are prone to root invasion, schedule a six- or 12-month cleaning to avoid clogging and subsequent sewer water back-up.

Changing habits that, left unchecked, can lead to water damage can also be a preventative measure. For example, if you are in the habit of starting a load of clothes in the washing machine just before retiring for the night reconsider. There have been instances where the washer malfunctions during its cycle. A cycle stuck on “fill” for an entire night can pump a huge amount of water on to the floor of your home. If the washing machine is on the second floor, the entire home will be flooded when you awake—and you will awake if your bare feet hit a floor covered ankle deep in water!

One more warning while we talk about laundry. Make sure your dryer exhaust has no leaks and that it transfers the dryer exhaust to the outside. Lint carries moisture. If the lint gets deposited via a leak inside your home’s sub floors, moisture will collect and, given enough time, will cause serious damage to the structure. The same can happen if the exhaust screen is plugged. It’s simple to fix, but very expensive if ignored.

If you want more ideas about how to protect your property from water damage call the restoration experts at PDR at 877-732-8471. Better yet, ask them to inspect your property as a preventative measure for water damage—it could happen when you least expect it.

Image courtesy of winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did a pipe burst and flood your home? You’ve got more to worry about than ruined carpet.

If you have a fire in your home, you call the fire department. Once the fire is extinguished, you have time to take care of insurance assessment and renovation. But water damage—that’s a different story. If you incur water damage of any sort or source, you should be aware of several precautions recommended by restoration professionals and insurance companies. Here’s PDR’s top five tips if you experience a water-damage emergency in your home or business:

Take action quickly. Even if the source of the water has been eliminated, the residual water will continue to penetrate and damage more parts of your home. The water will be absorbed into the insulation, the wiring, under cabinetry, and if on the second floor, into the first floor! If ignored weeks or even months the second damaging blow will be mold. Getting restoration cleanup started quickly will limit damage from the water and prevent your home from becoming a petri dish for future mold problems.

Be cautious. Urgency can lead to making foolish and expensive mistakes. You may be surprised that a restoration company may arrive on or before the emergency vehicles. Many firms employ “look outs” that give them the edge in being at the scene first. They may be legitimate, but check credentials.

Call your insurance company immediately.  Contact your insurance company before signing any restoration contract. Have an insurance investigator visit the scene and give you direction for actions to be taken. They will be able to advise you regarding the credentials of approved restoration companies, not just the one parked in your driveway.

Contact your Homeowner’s Association. If you have one, they also should be notified immediately. The HOA will have experience working with on other such disasters in the community and will help with the recovery process. Also, the HOA has a blanket insurance policy, which often can be used to rectify some of the charges you will begin to amass.

Review all documents before proceeding. Estimates for water damage will usually be broken into two segments—water removal and then repair. Study your insurance company’s estimates and compare them with the renovation company estimates. Understand what charges you may be liable for in the process. Be surprised early rather than when everything is finished!

Experience offered 24/7 is just one part of our restoration and renovation services. Call us for help in water damage assessment or any other types of damages to your home. A call to (877) 732-8471 will get you started on the right path to recovery. Our professionals are here to help.

This is just some of the devastation caused by the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

Late last month, State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) introduced legislation to fund a statewide earthquake early-warning system using technology that already exists. During a press conference at Caltech in Pasadena on January 28th, it was discussed that the prototype called the California Integrated Seismic Network needs more money in order for it to go public, and the estimated cost is $80 million.

This amount will fund public outreach and education as well as the technology, like adding new seismic monitoring equipment and upgrading California’s existing network. Lucy Jones, senior adviser for risk reduction for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), commented that if they were to build the system from scratch “it would cost $650 million”. The USGS is one of the monitoring network partners for the system.

Padilla added, “If you think about the lives we can save, the injuries we can reduce, and the billions upon billions of damages associated with every large earthquake, the system would more than pay for itself.”

Although it would only take one to three years to fully launch the new system, according to Jones, that’s not the real problem. Padilla’s bill has no funding within the state’s budget, but he’s hopeful that he will find a funding source by August, since the state is finally recovering from years of billion-dollar deficits. And although the project also needs federal funding, luckily private groups have stepped in to help, such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, that donated $6 million for the prototype back in 2011.

And why is this so important? Some of you reading this may be in your early 20s or younger, and have not lived through one of California’s catastrophic earthquakes. But remember the tsunami in Japan just under two years ago? That was caused by an earthquake off shore. And there is a 99 percent chance that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 or more WILL hit California within the next 30 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s most recent forecast five years ago. And a recently published study suggests that the San Andreas Fault could produce a statewide earthquake, with the fault ripping apart for hundreds of miles. That’s especially scary when you think about the the last big one that hit California in 1994 in Northridge was only a 6.7 magnitude, and it killed 60 people and cost $13 billion in damages.

Although an early warning system will save lives, it won’t stop the damage to structures, roads and other infrastructure. If you’ve had damage to your home from an earthquake, a fire, a flood or mold, please give us a call. Our experienced technicians are standing by to survey your damages and help get your home or business back to how it was before the problem occurred. Call now: (877) 732-8471

Scenes from Boston in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

When storms hit a populated area, like Hurricane Sandy did in late 2012, we usually think of devastation like what’s pictured above. We can imagine that it’s hard for emergency vehicles to get through, and that there’s chaos at hospitals across the affected areas.

But did you ever stop to think about how flooding and/or fire can affect the actual tools of the medical industry? Think of how many sterilized products go into just a simple, routine blood test, or even a throat swab. Now think about how you would perform these procedures when you’re entire storage facility has been flooded with rank stormwater, causing all of your hypodermic needles, gauze and other implements to be completely useless.

In fact, today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has publicly asked for input from both the medical industry and the public on how extreme weather and natural disasters affect the production and supply of medical devices. Once collated, the FDA will use the information to identify steps that the agency, manufacturers and the public can take to prepare for these events. And whether you believe that global warming exists or not, you have to admit that these severe storms and natural disasters are happening more and more frequently, so this is a problem that we’re happy to see the FDA addressing.

According to the FDA’s press release today, extreme weather and natural disasters “can interrupt the manufacturing and distribution of medical devices and affect their safety, quality and availability. For example, flooding and fire can damage facilities where sterile products are stored; electricity outages or lack of access to filtered water can stop or slow down medical device production; or large storms can disrupt the shipping and distribution of medical devices or the materials and components used to make them.” These aren’t things that we, all the way out here in California, realized was happening during a storm like Sandy.

On April 11, 2013, the FDA will collect input during a meeting of the Device Good Manufacturing Practice Advisory Committee and also through a public docket announced today in the Federal Register. The docket will stay open until May 10, 2013 for public comment.

This advisory panel meeting will focus on how the medical device manufacturing-chain processes and marketed medical device safety and quality are impacted by extreme weather, and through the public docket, the agency is calling for comments on the effects of extreme weather on the following:

• devices in use for patient care;
• new or unused devices, components or accessories in storage or in the process of being shipped; and
• damage to medical device manufacturing sites.

If you work in a hospital, doctor’s office, assisted-living facility or any other location where sterile and/or electronic medical devices are used and have had hands-on, work-related experience with an extreme weather event, we encourage you to comment on this docket—not just for your patients’ safety, but for the safety of victims across the world. The panel meeting and the call for comments are part of an ongoing effort on the part of the FDA and the federal government to improve disaster preparedness efforts.

During and after extreme weather and natural disasters, the FDA offers the following recommendations for medical devices.

• Keep your device and supplies clean, dry and secure.
• If you have a life-sustaining device that requires electricity, discuss with your physician what you should do in the event of a loss of power, water, or phone service—before severe weather happens. Notify your local public health authority to request evacuation prior to adverse weather events.
• Always use battery powered flashlights or lanterns rather than gas lights or torches when oxygen is in use (to minimize the risk of fire).
• If your device appears to be damaged or if you need a back-up device, contact your distributor or device manufacturer.
• Check all power cords and batteries to make sure they are not wet or damaged by water. If electrical circuits and electrical equipment have gotten wet, turn off the power in your home at the main breaker.
• Maintain your device in a well-lit area so you can assess your device’s performance (e.g., refilling your insulin pump, checking your glucose meter).
• Always make sure your device is clean before you use it (e.g., syringes, mechanical devices).
• Store the backup equipment for your device (such as spare batteries and accessories) in the same location as the rest of your emergency gear.
• Keep backup batteries for your cellular phone. If there’s a problem with your medical device during an emergency, your phone might be your lifeline to let someone know that your device is not working, and more importantly, that you need help.

If you have medical equipment at your home or office and need assistance in putting a comprehensive plan together in case of extreme weather, natural disasters or accidental fire or flooding, please call us immediately. We can help you be prepared for the worst, should it ever happen. Call now for an appointment; our experienced technicians are standing by: (877) 732-8471

It will have to be a strange day indeed if the Inland Empire residents have to dig their cars out of snow. But we do need to take precautions!

No, it doesn’t get that cold in California in the winters, although the mountains do see snow this time of year. But we dare anyone to tell us they didn’t get shivers up their spine seeing photos and video of the snowstorm back East! Anyone? No, we thought not.

And even though us Californians don’t have much to worry about in the way of freezing temperatures, we are complete “weather wimps” and still bust out the space heaters and start up the fireplaces when the nights and mornings are chilly.

And if you are one of those people, please read our ten tips on how to stay safe while warming up those cold fingers and toes this winter season. And don’t worry—we live in  California! It won’t last long.

1. A furnace should be serviced at least once a year, so if it has been more than 12 months since you’ve had your furnace looked at by a professional, please call them to set up an appointment.
2. Do you know what “creosote” is? It’s a tar created by burning wood, and it’s probably been built up in your chimney if you use real logs in your fireplace. Make sure you have your chimneys and vents cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional, because creosote build-up is the leading cause of chimney fires. This cleaning should also be done once a year.
3. Luckily, us Orange County folks are rarely out in the back forty chopping wood for the fire. We buy it at the grocery store, like the city dwellers we are. But some people buy it in bulk from sellers on the outskirts, in order to enjoy fires all winter long. Before you do, make sure the wood is dry and seasoned, otherwise you’ll get all sorts of nasty surprises when you try to start a fire.
4. Did you buy a fancy or decorative fireplace screen at a department store or consignment shop? You should be extremely careful with your screen if you’re lighting real fires—it’s imperative that it is made of metal or heat-tempered glass, is in good condition and won’t fall over easily.
5. Are you building a fire with real logs? Please don’t just dump those ashes anywhere. You need to wait until they’re cooled (like in the morning), and dispose of them in a covered metal container just for this purpose that’s kept at least 10 feet from your home and other buildings.
6. Have you talked to your children about the fireplace and space heaters? Make sure they are aware that they need to keep at least three feet away from fireplaces, wood stoves and space heaters. And keep the pets away too! They like warmth, and there’s many a cat and dog with a singed tail in winter.
7. Speaking of portable space heaters, does yours have an automatic shut-off?
8. Don’t use an extension cord for your space heaters—plug it directly into the wall socket, and place it at least three feet away from anything that can burn. That includes bedding, paper, walls, curtains and even PEOPLE.
9. Test those smoke alarms! Did you know that you should have one in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on each level of your home. Plus, they should all be interconnected, so when one sounds, they all sound. Think that’s a pain to install? It’s nowhere near as painful as losing a loved one in a fire.
10. If you have a carbon monoxide alarm, test that too. If not, please go out and buy one. There’s ones that have a ten-year battery life, so there’s no future fuss, just the potential to save lives.

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, so you might want to snuggle up with your loved one in front of a fire—and we don’t blame you!  But please read our tips and take them to heart. Who knows? The one you save may be that sweetie sitting next to you.

Mold on the abandoned house on Staten Island, NY.

Here in California, Hurricane Sandy is but a distant, pre-election, pre-2013 blip on the weather map. But to most of the people on the Eastern Seaboard, the after effects of Hurricane Sandy are still felt on a daily basis.

Take Pat Scala of New Dorp Beach in Staten Island, New York. She’s not so concerned about her own home, but more about the two abandoned houses next door. You’d think the dead animals would bother her—and they do—but what scares her more is the mold growing on the inside and outside of the houses.

“In 10 years, they’re going to tell me I have cancer because I had to breathe in their mold when it gets warm?” asks Scala. Her neighbors report children with sinus infections, asthma and other problems. Being told to not go near it, or to wear masks and gloves, doesn’t stop the airborne mold from affecting them.

Although they have State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and City Councilman James Oddo on their side, the city has yet to react, even after a letter from the two. The city has responded that the “potential presence of mold in an abandoned building is not considered something that poses an immediate safety hazard to adjacent structures.” Tell that to Scala and her neighbors—they’re not buying it.

Because homeowners are responsible for the upkeep of their own properties, and the city can only force landlords to comply with the housing code, these abandoned homes will probably stay as they are for the foreseeable future. Why? Because at least one is a foreclosure, owned by a bank, and banks are notoriously good at neglecting their foreclosures.

With the weather we’ve been having in Southern California, the alternating cold and wet weather with hot, dry days, mold is having a heyday. Conditions couldn’t be any better for mold, so if you see anything that looks suspicious, don’t ignore it. The longer you leave a mold problem, the worse it gets. And remember, if you ever have a water leak or flooding (no matter how small), mold remediation is usually three times more expensive than water damage restoration. Calling us sooner rather than later will most likely save you money.

Call us for an estimate on (877) 732-8471—and if you have an emergency, we are open 24/7 to serve you.

A wildfire can mean heartbreak for homeowners in its path.

We hope that your home is never destroyed by a fire, because we’ve seen the aftermath. Southern California’s Santa Ana winds can make a simple fire widespread and deadly, and can burn a home to the ground. We’ve dealt with homeowners who have lost everything and this is just the first shock.

Some of these people have found out that this isn’t the worst part of losing your home. The worst part comes when you submit the insurance claim, only to find out that you’re underinsured.

According to a 2008 survey from industry watchdog United Policyholders, over 75 percent of claimants from San Bernardino and San Diego counties experienced this devastating scenario. The same survey found that these victims of wildfire were underinsured by an average of $240,000.

Even in California’s high-priced real estate market, that’s a huge chunk of change when it comes to a home price! And why the discrepancy? Mainly because many Californians don’t realize that there’s different types of home insurance available, and some are more restrictive than others. There’s a big difference between insuring your home for cash value versus replacement cost, and there’s three types of replacement-cost coverage:

• Guaranteed replacement-cost coverage: Guaranteed replacement-cost coverage offers the broadest protection. Under guaranteed replacement-cost coverage, the full cost to repair or replace a residence is payable for eligible risks described in your home insurance policy.
• Extended replacement-cost coverage: Like guaranteed coverage, extended replacement-cost coverage pays repair or replacement costs beyond basic policy limits. Extended replacement-cost coverage is capped by additional dollar or percentage amounts.
• Basic replacement-cost coverage: Basic replacement-cost coverage has a single set of limits for home repairs or replacement, often much lower than the upper range in extended or guaranteed replacement-cost policies.

Although usually less expensive, actual cash-value coverage can leave homeowners woefully underinsured, as it deducts your home’s physical depreciation from eligible repair costs. If your home is fully destroyed, actual cash-value claims are limited to the fair market value of the home at the time of loss. Although the real estate market here seems to be recovering, it’s not a smart gamble to take, especially if you are in an area where wildfire damage is a real and present danger.

Many parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties are vulnerable to wildfires. In fact, the insurance company will check the location of your home to see if you are in a fire hazard area before issuing a policy. So if you’re in an area that has seen a lot of wildfire action in the past, you really need to read the fine print on your homeowners policy.

Does this all seem very complicated? It can be. But don’t worry. You can call your insurance agent and have them check your coverage before anything bad happens. But if something does happen, call us—we have been dealing with insurance companies for years, and can easily navigate all of their tricks and red tape. Whether it’s fire, water or mold restoration, or just a remodel for a home makeover, give us a call! We’re in the business of getting your life back to normal as soon as possible. (877) 732-8471

Would you want to live here? This is after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Yes, it’s been 19 years since an earthquake caused some serious devastation to Los Angeles. It almost seems like remembering a movie starting Bruce Willis where he ends up saving the world. But it really happened. So why are we talking about it? Because it’s important to remember earthquake safety all the time. The most dangerous thing about earthquakes, besides their ability for destruction, is that even scientists cannot predict them with any certainty.

Nineteen years ago last Thursday, the San Fernando Valley in Southern California was violently shaken by what is now known as the Northridge earthquake. Lives were lost, and there was widespread catastrophic damage estimated at $15 billion in the earthquake that measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. Freeway overpasses were cut in half. Almost 60 people were killed, and over 20,000 were made homeless by the quake. Is that serious enough for a reminder?

“On this 19th Anniversary of the Northridge earthquake we must be aware of our region’s ever changing geology,” said Commissioner Dave Jones via press release on the California Department of Insurance website. “The Northridge earthquake was a tragic event that impacted many Californians. We must be more prepared for the next big earthquake that scientists say may come at any time.”

Here’s some more scary news: Based on a data review by the Department of Insurance, almost 90 percent of homeowners and renters do not have earthquake insurance. And just last month, California experienced an earthquake off the San Diego coast—and it was almost as big as the Northridge earthquake. It was 6.3 on the Richter scale, and scientists called it the biggest of 2012—one that could have easily caused major land damage or even a tsunami, since it was located underwater.

We in California are usually so blasé about earthquakes that we easily forget how devastating they can be. We, on the other hand, have first-hand experience at how terrible the aftermath of an earthquake is. So that’s why we want to share the Commissioner’s list of how to be prepared for an earthquake:

• Review your insurance policies at least once each year with your agent or broker to ensure you have adequate coverage
• Consider purchasing an earthquake policy if your home is in an earthquake-prone area, doesn’t meet current building standards, or is built on unstable ground
• Take measures to retrofit your home to increase your safety during an earthquake (We can help you with this!)
• Brace your water heater to minimize the risks of fire and water damage caused by water heaters that topple during earthquakes. (Click here for our instructions and why it’s important.)
• Bolting your home’s wood frame to its foundation can prevent damage resulting from the structure sliding off its foundation. And for houses on raised foundations, the bracing of “cripple walls” can also reduce damage from earthquakes
• Mobile home owners should use earthquake-bracing systems to reduce the chance of damage from homes slipping off support jacks
• Fasten cupboard doors with child-proof latches to prevent them from opening and spilling their contents
• Secure bookcases, mirrors, televisions and other tall or heavy objects to wall studs
• Gas appliances should have flexible attachments, and family members should be familiar with gas shut-off techniques

Not all water and fire restoration companies can help with earthquake damage, but PDR Inland Empire can. Why? Because we are experienced contractors, and our team of professionals, both in the office and out in the field, have advanced degrees in engineering, healthcare, science, construction management and accounting. We promise that this is a combination of expertise that other restoration companies in Southern California cannot offer. So if your house is damaged from an earthquake, please call us for an estimate: (877) 732-8471

Read your lease carefully for mold liability.

Mold is quite an insidious tenant in any property—rented or owned, commercial or residential, nobody wants mold around. And it’s really not surprising, as it can cause significant health problems, including rashes, chronic fatigue, nausea, memory loss and reduced brain functions, hemorrhaging, asthma—and that’s just to name a few.

Although the naturally humid climates of California, Texas and across the Southern United States usually experience more cases of mold than in other areas, mold can grow just about anywhere water is present. And all those health problems we mentioned? There is considerable debate within the scientific and medical communities about mold, particularly about which molds in what situations actually cause serious health risks to people. That’s because many molds are perfectly harmless to humans, and it takes an expert to know which mold is just annoying and which is dangerous.

In rental situations, tenants certainly don’t want exposure to mold, especially if they have children or elderly people living in the unit. Landlords definitely don’t want the lawsuits, especially since millions have been won against landlords in cases across the country, but are they willing to do the work to prevent them? And as a tenant, what are your rights?

Luckily, California is one of the few states that has taken steps towards establishing mold standards and what is or isn’t permissible. Other states include Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey and Texas. (Thank goodness New Jersey does, especially in the wake of Superstorm Sandy!) We’re lucky, as in many cases landlord responsibilities regarding mold have not been clearly spelled out in building codes, ordinances, statutes or regulations, making it even harder for tenants to win any litigation.

Our state’s Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001 authorizes California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to set permissible levels of indoor mold exposure for “sensitive populations”, which means children or those with compromised immune systems or respiratory problems. Over the years, the DHCS has started implementing the Act, developing standards for identification and remediation that contractors, owners and landlords have to follow, and requires landlords to disclose the presence of any known or suspected mold to any current of prospective tenants.

San Francisco has gone even further, enacting a local law to count mold as a legal nuisance, which puts it in the same category of trash accumulation or vermin infestation. That means that both tenants and health inspectors can sue landlords under this law if they fail to clean up serious problems.

Yet there still is a “duty to repair” for landlords, whether or not your state or city has laws for mold. For example, mold can be caused by a landlord failing to perform maintenance on the property, like fixing roof or plumbing leaks. As this is the cause of most mold infestations, it is likely that a tenant can hold the landlord responsible. This works both ways, though—if the tenant has done something like leaving windows open during a rainstorm or failing to maintain a certain level of cleanliness, the tenant can be held responsible.

As a tenant, read your lease carefully. As a landlord, try to maintain a high level of upkeep on your properties to avoid any mold problems. In any case, if you feel you have a mold problem, call a professional like us to assess the damage and provide an estimate for remediation. If you feel you have a case against a landlord or tenant, we recommend you seek legal advice before acting—this article should not be considered legal advice. We know what we’re best at, and that’s water, fire and mold remediation, and we’re happy to help. Call us now: 877-732-8471.

Image courtesy of Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net