grease fire

How to Extinguish a Grease Fire on Your Stove

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

Cooking for the most part is not a dangerous activity when taking the proper precautions. However, even when taking the right safety precautions while cooking, fires can still happen. Sometimes flammable materials like grease can set on fire while you are cooking and cause major damage to your property. It is important to be aware of how kitchen fires start …

Burn Marks on Laminate Countertops

How to Fix Severe Burn Marks on Laminate Countertops

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

Upon cooking up a feast, pots and pans fresh from the oven may be accidentally placed on the laminate countertop. Unsightly burn marks will be the inevitable result. Surface burns can be easily fixed, but deeper ones require extra physical effort. Here’s how to fix burn marks on laminate countertops. Setting a scorching pan on a laminate countertop will burn …

restaurant's kitchen

Tips for Restaurants to Remove Frying Oil Smoke and Odors

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

A thriving restaurant busy preparing sumptuous dishes throughout the day will undoubtedly be overcome by offensive odors. Frying oil smoke, burned meat, and raw seafood are just a few contributors to smelly restaurants. Here are tips to remove unpleasant odors. Not all restaurants have the luxury of opening up their windows year-round. Old Man Winter can force restaurants to keep …

How to Clean the Cooktop of Kitchen Stoves

How to Clean the Cooktop of Kitchen Stoves

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

Spills and splatters are likely to occur on the cooktop of a kitchen stove—even when a homeowner only cooks occasionally. Liquids can harden on a heated stove and make it tougher to clean. Here’s how to clean the cooktop of a kitchen stove, whether it’s gas, electric, or glass. Even simple meals, from pasta to soup, create a mess on …

How to Protect Your Home from Wildfires

How to Protect Your Home from Wildfires

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

Wildfires are a growing threat, especially as climate change wreaks more and more havoc on the planet. A home is one of the most important pieces of property in which an individual can invest, so it is critical to take the following steps to protect it from wildfires. Unanticipated events can trigger wildfires. Lightning strikes, unauthorized fires caused by humans, …

how to clean fire damaged walls california

How to Clean Fire Damaged Walls

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

Cleaning a small amount of fire damage or smoke damage on walls of a home can seem doable yourself. If your home has fire damage or if you are looking to purchase a home with previous smoke or fire damage on its walls, you should consider how much work might go into cleaning. Smoke damage, smoke stains, and other types …

Wildfire threatens a house

Wildfire Forest Fire Smoke Odor in Your Home – How to Remove

Steve VanDenBerg Blog, fire damage

Smoke from a wildfire can spread for miles and it contains ash particles and soot that can be damaging to your property and dangerous for your health. If you live close to the wildfires in California, it is very important to be aware of the potentially dangerous levels of smoke and what you can do to protect your home from the odor.  The following tips will help you protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of wildfire smoke, and remove residual smoke odors from your home.