Recent Posts

Mandarin Time!

12/12/2023 (Permalink)

Picture of buckets of mandarin oranges It's Mandarin Time Again!

It's that time of year again.  Not for Santa or decorations, but for Mandarins!  Rather than gifting chocolate or candy, SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis likes to hand out boxes of mandarins during the Holidays.  And they are very well received and anticipated by our customers!

Mandarins are smaller in size than regular oranges and have a bright orange skin that is easy to peel.  Mandarins typically have a sweet taste and are a good source of Vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. 

Our mandarins come from Newcastle Mandarin Ranch, which is located at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Established in 1998, the ranch is family-owned and operated.  All 800 trees bear a plentiful crop during peak mandarin season, which typically runs from November through December. 

Happy Halloween

10/31/2023 (Permalink)

Images shows the staff of SERVPRO and 4 Edges Construction posing in front of the office The ladies of SERVPRO and 4 Edges Construction's administration teams.

Our "Boo Crew" from SERVPRO and 4 Edges Construction gathered together for a fun picture outside the office of SERVPRO recently.  These are the ladies that answer the phone when customers call with emergencies and are the ones who get help on the way.  

If you ever experience a fire or water emergency, call our "Boo Crew" at (707) 724-8977.  They are always Here to Help.

Follow these Grilling Tips for a Safe Grilling Experience

8/7/2023 (Permalink)

When the weather warms up, one way to beat the heat is to turn off the oven and cook outside on the barbeque.  Unfortunately, this causes the number of grill-related fires to increase.  Each year, outdoor grilling causes over 10,000 home fires, but SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/ Davis has put together some easy safety tips you can follow to keep your home and family safe this grilling season.  

The most common cause of fire involving a barbeque is related to cooking on an uncleaned grill.  Grease that accumulates on the grill can cause fires, so just like clearing your dishes from the table and loading them in the dishwasher, cleaning your grill should be a part of your routine when you are done preparing your meal and cleaning up.  Another important part of a clean grill involves your coals.  Make sure they are completely cooled before cooling the grill and removing them.  The safest thing to do with the coals is to put them in a fire safe bucket and allow them to remain there until you are ready to dispose of them.  Hot coals can smolder for a very long time.  It is always better to be safe and make sure they are completely cold before disposing of them in your trash.  Many dumpster fires have been started by not-cooled coals.   

The second most dangerous cause of fire from grilling comes from unattended barbeques.  Just like inside your home, never leave an open flame unattended outside.  Your grill can flare up while you aren’t watching and catch something nearby on fire, and if you are not immediately available to deal with the problem, it can quickly escalate into a much larger problem.  Be vigilant and always stay near your barbeque when you are cooking.  That means you will have to do quite a bit of prep work in order to have everything you need before you begin grilling so you won’t have to leave your grill unattended, but safety should be your number one concern.

Related to this previous point, always make sure your grill is on a stable surface and cannot easily tip over.  Once you load up that barbeque with all those yummy steaks and veggies, you want to make sure it won’t topple on the ground, spilling all your food and the hot coals everywhere.  If the unthinkable happens, and you do tip over your barbeque, think before you act.  Remember those coals are hot and combustible.  Pick them up with something that won’t catch on fire, like a metal shovel and put them in a fire-safe container or metal bucket. 

Also, be sure your grill is not near any hanging tree branches or other structures that can easily catch fire.  If the area you have designated as your barbeque area is beginning to become overgrown, be sure to trim those trees or bushes before you start grilling.

Although the taste of the grill is temping all year long, if you don’t have a safe area to barbeque during the winter, never barbeque inside any kind of structure, including your garage.  Besides the obvious fire hazard that this would pose, barbequing in your garage would also release the deadly Carbon Monoxide gas, so please stick to outside grilling only.  No, opening your garage door doesn’t make a difference. 

And lastly, if you are using a gas grill, be sure to shut off the gas valve completely when you are done grilling.  Make it a habit to turn it off as soon as you take your food off the grill so you won’t forget. 

By using these easy-to-follow tips from SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis, you and your family should be able to enjoy a safe and fun grilling season. 

Check your Air Conditioner Drains

8/7/2023 (Permalink)

Summer is here, so a working air conditioner is more important than any other time of the year.  But there are more things to think about than just whether or not the unit is pumping out cool air.  It’s also imperative that you make sure that your air conditioner is not causing damage to unseen areas of your home.  In order to ensure this, you should understand a little about how air conditioners work and what to look out for to make sure they are working correctly.

Many air conditioning units are located in the attic of a home and work by taking in warm air, chilling it and pumping out the cooler air.  When you chill the air, condensation is produced, which is just water.  That water needs to be directed out of the attic, and this is done through a condensation drain that drains out of a house at ground level.  You may see water dripping from a drain up against your home when your air conditioner is running.  This is the condensation being drawn away from the air conditioner and means that the drain is working properly.  

Sometimes, however, drains stop working properly because they get plugged so homebuilders have designed a very creative solution for recognizing when this happens.  If you have ever seen water dripping from a drain over a window during the summer when your air conditioner is running, this is an indication that your condensation drain is plugged and water is now be rerouted to the emergency drain.  That drain is purposely routed to dump water over a window so homeowners will notice that there is a problem with the drain of their air conditioning unit.  If not addressed, the excess water can lead to water damage and mold growth, something SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis has a lot of experience eradicating.  Although we would be available to help with all your water and mold remediation needs, we also are happy to offer homeowners help in avoiding damage in the first place. 

So if it’s a hot day and you notice water running down your window, check to see if it is coming from a drain located directly above the window.  If it is, your air conditioning drain is likely plugged and you should get it checked out as soon as possible to avoid water damage to your attic.

If you do experience water, fire or mold damage in your home, call the experts at SERVPRO today.  We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to respond to your needs.  We are local and Here to Help.  Call us today at 707-724-8977.

Safely Storing Your Belongings

6/29/2023 (Permalink)

Photo shows employee loading contents into a SERVPRO truck One of our friendly SERVPRO employees loading up customers' contents and getting them ready for storage.

Meet Barbara, one of our excellent employees!  She is in charge of packing our customers' belongings and assuring that they are stored safely until they would like them returned.  As you can see, Barbara brings a fun and positive attitude to work every day, and we are lucky to have her as part of our SERVPRO team.

If you experience a loss of any kind at your home or place of business, from water, fire, or mold, you can be assured that we have trained, professional staff ready to help you pack up your belongings safely and store them until you are ready to have them returned to you.  We do the heavy lifting so you don't have to.  Remember, we are always Here to Help.  

Visiting with our Vacaville Dispatchers

4/18/2023 (Permalink)

Image shows staff of Vacaville Police/Fire Dispatch SERVPRO of Vacaville enjoyed our visit with dispatchers during Public Safety Telecommunications Week 2023.

SERVPRO of Vacaville has a great time visiting with our local dispatchers during Public Safety Telecommunications Week 2023.  We delivered some treats and got to meet the selfless, kind and patient individuals who answer the call during very stressful times. 

During Public Telecommunications Week, the local dispatchers get to cut loose and have a bit of fun while they work.  They pick a theme for the week and have different dress-up days each day, with raffle prizes and fun games during breaks.  They definitely deserve a little stress-relieving fun since they work so hard to protect our cities and provide such important community service. We are so grateful for the men and women who answer the call during our most stressful and worrisome times.

Thank you so much to our local dispatchers!

These Are the Clean-Ups We Like!

2/14/2023 (Permalink)

Image shows colored M&M's spilled inside a vehicle These are the kind of clean-ups that SERVPRO likes to get called out to perform, but we can do the messy ones as well. Call us today at 707-724-8977

Yes!  SERVPRO can help clean up spills, stains and odors in your vehicles.  We use an ozone machine to help alleviate odors, clean upholstery, offer a wipe down service for inside vehicles and can utilize a fogging agent to help alleviate unwanted smells.  Call us today at 707-724-8977. 

Ugly Sweaters Were Out in Force

12/28/2022 (Permalink)

Image shows employees dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters posing in front of a SERVPRO vehicle Who has the ugliest holiday outfit on...hard to choose!

Our SERVPRO employees got into the Holiday spirit and sported their favorite ugly sweaters and outfits in anticipation of the Christmas holiday.  They took a few minutes to pose in front of one of our production vehicles before sharing some holiday cheer together.  We can't decide which ones wins for "Best of the Worst!"

Annual Inspect Your Fireplace to Avoid Fires

11/17/2022 (Permalink)

The end of daylight savings time brings darkness earlier and colder days, which causes many of us to stoke up the fire when we get home for some warm, comfy evenings watching television or reading on the couch.  Unfortunately, this also brings with it an increase in the number of fires associated with fireplaces and wood burning stoves.  Sometimes there is no way to avoid a fire involving a fireplace, but often there are steps we can take to reduce the risk and even prevent a fire from taking place.

First and most importantly, schedule an annual inspection and cleaning of your chimney and fireplace by a professionally trained chimney sweep.  The layer of residue that is left after you burn in your fireplace or stove builds up and can catch fire.  A professional will clean the inside of your unit, as well as the chimney, to rid the area of harmful residue.  This will also help your fireplace to work more efficiently.

Also, make sure you are only burning dry, properly seasoned firewood.  And do not burn anything besides wood in your fireplace – no garbage or miscellaneous items. 

Burn your fire as hot as possible, which doesn’t allow creosote to build up on the walls inside of the chimney.  Creosote can get thick and take on a glazy texture which catches fire very easily.  If you keep your fire burning at a high temperature, creosote is less likely to develop.

Fireplaces can be a place of comfort and warmth during cold winter months and proper maintenance and care makes them a perfect alternative to electric heat. 

Power Washing Can Help Your Business

10/3/2022 (Permalink)

Image shows power washing of a sidewalk Power washing can help your commercial business in many ways. Call SERVPRO today for all your power washing needs.

When you think about power washing, you might automatically think about using the high powered water device for cleaning of your common household items, such as driveways and decks.  But pressure washers play an important roll in the day to day operations of commercial businesses as well.  Pressure washers come in a variety of sizes and have just as many uses, many of which SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis can assist your commercial business with by providing cleaning services.  

For example, our company has used pressure washers to clean bus stations, public bathroom facilities and water fountains.  By using high-pressure, narrow jets of water to blast dirt free, pressure washers are able to get rid of ground-in dirt that won't normally come off with just water and a scrub brush.  And because the machines only use water, they don't damage most hard surfaces, making them extremely versatile. 

Other areas that commonly need cleaning in commercial facilities that can be served by a pressure washer include parking lots, concrete or tile patios used as break areas for workers, and floors used for storage.  These are all areas that can accumulate dirt and grime which can be more easily removed by a power washer than a simple mop or broom. 

SERVPRO of Vacaville/Dixon/Fairfield/Davis can help your commercial business with all their commercial cleaning needs, including all those that involve pressure washing.  Call us today at (707) 724-8977 to schedule cleaning at your commercial facility today.  We are Here to Help.