property damage mitigation Archives - Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling

Is Your Washing Machine a Potential Water Hazard?

March 13, 2013 by admin

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. [Read more…]

California Earthquake Early-Warning System May Get New Funding

February 28, 2013 by admin

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. [Read more…]

Extreme Weather, Natural Disasters Can Hinder Medical Assistance

February 20, 2013 by admin

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. [Read more…]

Stay Warm This Winter With Our 10 Safety Tips

February 13, 2013 by admin

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. [Read more…]

Hanukkah Fire Safety Tips

December 5, 2012 by admin

(decorative photo)

Hanukkah starts this Saturday, December 8th, and for those of you who are not aware, one of the traditions of the Hanukkah celebration is the menorah. The menorah is a candelabra with nine branches that are lit during the eight-day Hanukkah holiday, and is used to celebrate a miracle, when the Jews found only enough pure olive oil to light the menorah for one day after a successful revolt centuries ago. The miracle was that the supply lasted eight days, until a new supply could be obtained. Nowadays, the menorah has eight candles to light each night during Hanukkah.

In addition to the menorah, another Hanukkah tradition is making latkes, pancakes made of potato and onion and fried in oil—another celebration of a small amount of oil keeping a long-lasting flame. And even as careful as you can be, most house fires are started in the kitchen, which means that you should be extra vigilant when using hot oil for cooking.

With one to eight candles burning nightly plus hot oil or grease, there’s bound to be some fire-related accidents. Please review this handy list of safety tips to practice during the Hanukkah celebration to keep your family safe and sound. Don’t ruin the holiday by accidentally burning your house down!

This week is the perfect time to test the smoke detectors in your house, and change the batteries if needed.
Buy a fire extinguisher and keep it near the place you’ll be setting up the menorah.
Place the menorah on a non-flammable, solid and level surface.
Make sure all candles are secure in their holders.
Keep all flammable materials, including drapes, blinds, decorations and plants, away from the menorah.
Before lighting your menorah, make sure that it is meant to be lit, and not for decorative purposes only.
Electric menorahs should not be used if wiring insulation is frayed or broken.
Never, and we mean NEVER, leave a lit menorah unattended.
When cooking latkes, keep children away from the hot oil; ideally, keep children away from the kitchen.
Keep frying pans on the back burners of the stove, and keep the handle of the pan(s) away from the edge so children cannot reach it.
If cooking oil catches fire, turn off the gas or electric range and cover the pan with its lid—if you can do so at no risk to yourself. Ideally, use a fire extinguisher appropriate for grease fires.
Never throw water or a wet towel on an oil fire, as that will cause the hot oil to splatter on you or ignite something nearby.

Please have a happy and safe Hanukkah celebration! If you do have an accident in the kitchen or with your menorah, please call us immediately after you call the emergency services: (877) 732-8471.

Preventing Flooding in Your Home This Winter: 4 Tips from PDR

November 7, 2012 by admin

It was difficult for us in Southern California to understand the devastation left behind on the East Coast by Hurricane Sandy, especially as the Inland Empire’s residents were enjoying record temperatures in October and November. We actually went out to New Jersey to help, and it was no joke—the Eastern Seaboard got hit hard.

But just think back to two Decembers ago, when downtown Laguna Beach was under four feet of water right before the Christmas holiday. Although not as bad as a hurricane by any means, that storm devastated south Orange County, and had people being rescued from their roofs, homes were destroyed and old-growth trees uprooted. Then there were the windstorms last year at this time that were sweeping the Southland, causing millions in damages to homes, businesses and cities. [Read more…]

Be Safe, Inland Empire, With Our Halloween Fire Safety Tips

October 24, 2012 by admin

No child can resist the lure of Halloween, it seems. And why not? Besides the promise of bags and bags of candy and treats, they get to dress up as their favorite princess, superhero or character. It’s when the whole nation comes together to let their alter egos run free!

But because children get so excited about the holiday, it’s up to us adults to keep them from mistakes and accidents that might happen on Halloween, and in the preparation. From costumes to decorations, there are dangers that can be easily avoided with just a little forethought. All of us at PDR Inland Empire wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween, so we wanted to share some safety tips that will keep both your house and its visitors free from fire-related accidents. [Read more…]

Beware Inland Empire Scam Artists After Disaster Strikes

October 17, 2012 by admin

We might think that just because we’re in beautiful Southern California, where usually not much happens in the way of disasters, we’re safe from people who prey on the misfortunes of others. Sadly, you’ll be wrong. Although we don’t have hurricanes, flooding rivers, tornadoes or blizzards, we have wildfires, mudslides and earthquakes, and criminals that are ready to make money off the back of someone losing their home or business.

Whenever a disaster happens, whether its as devastating as losing your entire company to a fire or less dire like a leak in your home’s roof, it is a troubling time for a homeowner or business owner. There are so many details to worry about, on top of the event itself—and this is exactly the time when unscrupulous fly-by-night contractors and other scam artists will move in to capitalize on their misfortune. [Read more…]

Disaster Planning on a National Scale and in California

October 3, 2012 by admin

Hurricane Isaac makes landfall.

Whether or not you agree with the claims about global warming, you can’t deny a few facts about the weather from the past few years. And finally, groups like the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) are trying to be proactive.

Let’s have a recap on extreme weather events across the country: [Read more…]

It’s All Sunshine Now, But Winter Is Coming

September 27, 2012 by admin

If you see this on your roof, you will have some unwanted water in your home when it rains.

And even though our winter won’t be as bad as the fictional winter we referenced from Game of Thrones in the title, we should be bracing for an El Niño. Last year we had an La Niña winter, which means it was dry and fairly warm, so you can guess what an El Niño is. That’s right, it’s the exact opposite.

Even though there are varying degrees of El Niño weather, and we’re not absolutely sure what to expect this year, we’re advocating some preparation to head off any potential disasters. Even though flooding and water damage is our business, we’d like to help the Inland Empire stay dry and safe.

We’re more than happy to come out and check your roof—you do remember that we are fully licensed and bonded contractors, don’t you? But there are ways for you to check your roof yourself. Just please be careful—we don’t want any accidents on ladders! (For our commercial customers, we highly recommend that you use a professional to check your roof.) [Read more…]