Vacation Checklist: Things to Do Before You Leave

It’s summertime and that means vacations for most families. Unfortunately, your vacation buzz can be lost too quickly when you get home and realize that you forgot to take care of a few essentials. Your vacation should be an enjoyable and relaxing time, so before you head out here are a few things to be sure to check off your list so that you can come back to your home in the safe condition you left it.

• Hold mail and newspapers.

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Beat the Heat

Are you ready for another scorching Georgia summer?  Here are a few tips I have found helpful to stay cool on those hot summer days.

• Drink plenty of water


• Wear cotton clothes


• If you work outside tie a wet cloth or bandana around your neck  (it really does help)


• Keep freezer pops in your freezer for an instant cool down


• Do yard work in the early morning or early evening hours

Mollie Reets - Receptionist

Summertime Grilling Safety

p>It's Summertime and that means grilling time for most families! However, according to one study gas and charcoal grills caused an average of 3,400 structure fires and 4,900 outdoor fires in or on home properties in 2005, resulting in a combined direct property loss of $137 million.  So before you fire up that grill, take a few minutes to check out these safety tips so your cookout doesn't turn into a fire damage claim or a trip to the emergency room.

• Follow manufacturer's directions.


• Make sure the grill is stable and can’t be tipped over.



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To Packout or Not to Packout? That is the question.

Hello again from the contents department!

When I am scoping a new fire loss I have several tools with me to help asses the situation. These include: a digital camera(VERY important!), latex nitrile gloves, dust masks, caution tape, clean rags, high alkaline cleaner, and LATEX SPONGES!!

The sponges are in caps because they too are very important! They are made of a special blend of materials and have a great ability to pick up soot from all sorts of surfaces. This is the main factor I use in answering today's question.

If for example I am responding to a kitchen fire and find myself in the room farthest from the source of the fire and I am getting soot readings! It looks like a packout because there is a good chance that all items between me and the source are also going to be in need of remediation (or cleaning).

However, if it was a bedroom fire for example and I am only getting soot readings in the immediate area. I will establish a cleaning station in  an unaffected area of the home and look to utilize the garage or perhaps a truck or delivered storage container to de-odorize any affected items.

The high alkaline cleaner is useful in determining if an item or a surface will indeed clean or if it may need to be considered a total loss.

Thanks for reading and please let me know if there are any questions or suggestions you might have for me!! And, HAPPY PACKING!!

Peter Kanavas - Contents Department Manager

"What's the plan, boss?"

Do you know the emergency preparedness plan for your workplace? If you don't, make a point to ask.

Know multiple ways to exit your office building, participate in workplace evacuation drills and consider keeping some emergency supplies at the office. Visit Ready Business to learn more about how to prepare your business.  www.ready.gov

Prepare your business by preparing your building. Visit our Disaster Planning Center to enroll in our Emergency Response Program today. It's free and easy!

Icela Reets - Emergency Response Program Coordinator

Oh No! Not my wood floors!

As the Job Coordinator for our company, much of my time is spent in coordinating the selection and installation of replacement flooring.  To make the experience a little easier here is a Tip on Solid Wood installation.

If your floors are being sanded, finished or refinished, be prepared for some noise and disruption. Dust containment systems can minimize debris (we use an Air Scrubber), but no system is 100% effective, so cover any items that you want to keep dust-free. When the finish is applied, stay off your floors until it has dried. The time required will vary depending on the type of finish used. Keep in mind that no two floor boards will be identical. Variations in appearance are completely normal. As your floor ages, some color change can occur. This also is normal, but can be minimized by limiting exposure to direct sunlight, and periodically moving furniture and rugs. Cracks are normal as well, and will appear and disappear between floor boards during seasons of high and low humidity. Generally, anything less than the width of a dime is considered normal, and will correct itself as seasons change.

National Wood Flooring Association

http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/

Lisa Moore - Job Coordinator

Champion Construction Hail Damage Customers

We want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding.  Champion has received countless calls regarding hail damage from the recent storms. We thank you for understanding that we have to take care of our customers with the most damage to their homes first. Some have lost their entire roof and as we get them taken care of first, we thank you for your patience and understanding.

We have been serving the South for nearly forty years, in good times and bad. We are here to help and we promise that your patience will pay off.  You will receive the best restoration service experience possible. So when we call and say we can't come out for a couple of weeks, please know it is because WE DO CARE and we want to accomodate everyone's needs.

Icela Reets, Emergency Response Program Director

Prepare for Tornado Season

Tornado season is right around the corner and every family should take the time to prepare for it.  In Georgia, the average number of days with reported tornadoes is 6.  Most tornadoes in Georgia occur from March to May but they have been reported throughout the year. Tornadoes usually occur mid-afternoon to early evening time frame, but can occur any time of the day or night. Thirty-seven percent of all tornadoes are classified as strong or violent and these tornadoes are most likely to occur in April. In Georgia, tornadoes are often hard to see as they are surrounded in areas of rain and hail. The hilly terrain can also limit ability to see a tornado.  Therefore, it is very important that you educate yourself and your family about tornadoes and also have a plan of action in place before bad weather develops.  Some very helpful websites I came across are listed below.

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A Good Time Was Had by All...

Today we hosted a continuing education course for insurance agents and adjusters about wood floor drying.  We enjoyed having those ladies and gentlemen with us (as always) and it seemed that they had a good time, too.  Lunch from Cafe Pig was a real treat.  We're already looking forward to the next one, March 17, about Ethics. 

Today was an especially exciting day for us because the speaker was one of our very own, Jeremy Reets.  He shared a lot of valuable information about how the innovative Thermal Energy System (TES) he developed himself can be used (among other things) to save hardwood floors that would previously have been unsalvageable.  This saves time and money, is environmentally friendly, and spares homeowners a lot of stress and grief. 

Speaking isn't a new thing to Jeremy:  Every six weeks or so restorers from all over the US and beyond come to our facility for TES training.  We have a very unique "flood house" on site-- an actual house that gets flooded and dried over and over again.  One of the highlights of today's course was that the agents and adjusters got to flood the house and then see how TES is used to begin the restoration process.  Jeremy developed TES as part of his never-ending quest to find a better way to do things.  It's something I like to tease him about (I am his wife, after all) but I have to admit it's a pretty remarkable system!

Starri Reets - Event Coordinator

http://www.tesdryingsystem.com/

Fire Safety Season--Play it Safe!

 As we've been through a cold snap some may feel that they've got this auxiliary heating thing down pat. Well let's just take minute to cover some EXCELLENT reminders:

1.) Keep space heaters at least 3' from anything combustible.

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