How To Safely Clean Up After Fire Damage in Austin, Texas

Austin Cleaing Professionals

​Nobody wants to think they’ll have a fire occur in their Austin, Texas home or business, but they’re more common than you may think. It's important to know how you’re going to clean up after such a disastrous event, and how to do it safely. You might be thinking of cleaning up the mess yourself and restoring your home or business to its former glory. But before you get in there and start scrubbing, here are some things you might want to know. Call your fire damage cleaning Austin, Texas headquarters.

Harmful Chemicals For Fire Damage Clean Up

The modern home in Austin is filled with all sorts of chemical compounds that can become dangerous when they combust or combine with other chemicals. In the event of a fire, the smoke can contain many of these dangerous chemicals and should under no circumstances be inhaled.

Carbon Monoxide

Inhaling carbon monoxide (which is in smoke) can decrease your body’s supply of oxygen. This can cause reduced alertness, headaches, aggravate existing heart conditions and cause a variety of other health concerns.

Irritation and Nausea

There are also more immediate effects that almost anyone will have when exposed to smoke, such as irritation in the eyes, nose and throat, as well as an odor that can sometimes cause nausea. These are all signs from your body telling you to stay far away from the smoke.

At-Risk Individuals

Infants, children, and the elderly are particularly at risk of health issues as a result of smoke and soot. No children, seniors, or anyone with a weakened immune system should get near a room or building that has just had a fire.

Long-Term Health Risks

Long term exposure to smoke has been associated to an increase in cardiovascular diseases. Some studies have shown that firefighters, for example, are more likely to develop long-lasting respiratory issues and cardiovascular disease.

A Safer Way To Clean Up After Fires in Austin, Texas

Because of all of the reasons listed above, and many more, it is highly unsafe to try cleaning and restoring a fire damaged home yourself. To keep you and your loved ones safe, hand the job over to the professionals. The Steam Team of Austin who are experts will be able to safely restore your home, business or room, without your safety or the safety of your loved ones at risk.Call for a free fire damage restoration estimate in Austin.

How Steam Team Technicians Repair Your Leaky Appliances

water Damage Repair

Through the years of experience cleaning and restoring countless homes, The Steam Team restoration technicians have learned a thing or two from lots of water damage experience. One important thing we’ve learned is that every home or business owner needs to keep a close eye on their appliances for potential water damage and leaks. Far too often, people don’t notice leaky appliances until the water has already done significant damage to the property. Let’s talk about how The Steam Team can help when you’ve found a leak in your appliance to prevent water damage. Things like water heaters or fire suppression systems.

Repairing Leaky Appliances

When you catch a leak in your home or business, whether it's just starting to drip or it has already caused flooding and water damage, call in The Steam Team and our restoration technicians will be there in no time. They’ll arrive with only the most effective restoration equipment for water extraction, leak cleanup, water damage restoration and even structural drying. We can handle any burst or overflowing appliances including AC units, water heaters, dishwashers and sinks. Any overflowing drain or pipe in the home will be easily handled by our technicians as well. 

Steam Team Water Damage Experience

When it comes to plumbing and leaky appliance issues, certainly there are other restoration companies or restoration contractors that you could hire for repairs, so you might be wondering what it is that sets The Steam Team professional technicians apart from other groups. Well first of all, our pricing policies on all water damage restoration services. We offer direct insurance billing for your convenience, as well as free inspections and free onsite estimates from all of our technicians. But if that isn’t enough to convince you, you should also know that we always have someone available to take your call and we always have technicians ready to be sent to fix your leaks, since we have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week availability when it comes to water damage in Austin. We know that your leaky appliances and plumbing issues are time sensitive, so we strive to have a team of skilled and readily available restoration technicians.

For more information on appliance leak repair to prevent water damage and our many other restoration services, please visit The Steam Team website. We have been serving Austin for 40 years. Since 1983 our water damage team has been helping Austin recover from water damage.

Worried About Plumbing Overflow In Your Home in Austin? Read This

Water Damage austin texas

One of the most damaging things in homes and businesses today is plumbing overflow and the flooding it can cause. Here at The Steam Team, we want to help you fully understand the dangers of plumbing overflow, what steps you should take, and how we can help.

Damage From Plumbing Overflow

Whether you have tile, carpet, or wood floors, you probably already know that water will damage your floors. But water can also damage the subfloor underneath your flooring if it isn’t cleaned up soon enough. With spills this is easy to do, but in the case of plumbing overflow you won’t be able to prevent the water damage, and the floor and subfloor may need to be removed. In cases where the plumbing overflow occurred on a second or third story, the water may leak through the floor and drip from the ceiling of the lower floor, causing further damage to whatever surface it lands on.

Having your home damaged is awful enough, but unchecked plumbing overflow can also cause serious health risks. If the floors are wet, keep that in mind and take all precautions so that you can try not to slip if you must walk on the wet floor. Also, be sure to stay away from any electrical outlets that may have gotten wet, as they might electrocute you.

Dangers of Mold

Unchecked plumbing overflow can also cause mold to grow in certain places. It can happen anywhere dark with just a little bit of moisture, and it can quickly become a health hazard for anyone in the home.

When it comes to mold growth, but also floor damage and the other jobs required when you have plumbing overflow in your home, The Steam Team can help you! Our professional technicians are trained to use high-powered technology and expert methods to fix all of your plumbing overflow problems. For more information on how we can help, please visit The Steam Team website.

Who Cleans Up After Construction and Water Damage In Your Home?

Commercial Water Damage in Austin, Texas

After any major construction or remodeling in your home, there’s probably a big mess that needs cleaning. Luckily, our Steam Team Professionals have the right experience and equipment to clean any post-construction water damage mess. Here’s our team’s process:

Detailed Surface Cleaning

Construction is a messy process after flooding, and your home or business may have been left covered with layers of dust and debris after a water damage. Dust knocked off of certain surfaces, pieces of wood, sawdust and chipped paint may be covering your counters or shelves. Our technicians will clean all windows, cabinets, shelves and countertops by hand until all debris is removed. Floors and walls will be sanitized with steam cleaners, vacuumed or mopped as needed to remove debris. Furniture will be cleaned according to its specific material. Our technicians won’t quit until the surfaces of your home or business are spotless!

Finishing Touches

After thoroughly cleaning all surfaces and furniture, our technicians will move on to the more detailed areas. If any debris of any kind remains in the ventilation system after construction, it could enter the air of the property and cause problems for anyone breathing inside the building. All vents will be cleaned and dusted to make sure this doesn't happen. Then our team will move on to things like electronics, small appliances, light fixtures, small decorative items and ceiling fans. At the end of the process, your home will be even cleaner than it was before the construction or remodeling took place!

More From The Steam Team

We do a whole lot more than just clean up after construction or remodeling! Here at The Steam Team, we provide a wide range of cleaning and restoration services including tile and grout cleaning, pet odor elimination, marble polishing and many, many more. For more information about our many services, visit The Steam Team website.

Steam Team Solutions For Leaky Appliances

Water Damage Marketing Team

In homes and businesses the world over, nothing causes more damage than water. Water damage can be extremely costly to fix, but you can avoid it altogether with the right practices. One common cause of disastrous water damage is leaky appliances, so keep a close eye on any appliances that use water and look out for the signs of a leak. If you do happen to find a leak, call in The Steam Team. Here’s how we can help:

Quickly Addressing The Leak

When you’ve called in our Steam Team professional technicians, they’ll quickly address the problems of your leaky appliance. They’ll come with all the equipment necessary for water extraction, leak cleanup, water damage restoration and structural drying. Even overflowing or burst appliances like sinks, dishwashers, AC units, or water heaters will be no problem for our skilled technicians. They’ll also provide plumbing overflow cleanup services. Any overflowing drain, burst pipe, toilet, shower or tub will be fixed up in no time! There’s nothing our technicians can't handle!

Why Choose The Steam Team?

If you have leaky appliances, burst pipes, or any of the problems listed above, there are many services and companies to choose from to have your problems fixed, so what set The Steam Team apart?

Well first of all, our services will likely be more convenient for your spending, since we offer free inspections and free onsite estimates for all jobs that our technicians do. We also offer direct insurance billing for your convenience. But more importantly, we always have someone ready to take your call, and technicians ready to meet your needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our technicians will quickly reach your worksite after you’ve called, since most of our services are time sensitive.

For more information on our many other services, visit The Steam Team website.

Possible Covid Infection In Your Home or Business? Call The Steam Team

water damage austin texas since 1983

We’ve all learned the importance of keeping our home and business clean through the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have frequent guests you’ve probably been even more conscious of the cleanliness in your space. Here at The Steam Team, we want to help protect your home or business from all bacteria and viruses, which is why we’re offering a covid-19 cleanup service, both pre-treatment and post-treatment cleanup of your home or business.

Contact Steam Team

If you’re interested in our Covid cleanup service, feel free to give us a call today for a free consultation, where you’ll get to discuss exactly how you’d like your home or business cleaned. Call us at 512-451-8326 or email customerservice@thesteamteam.com and we’ll be in touch with you for a free consultation. We can clean all types of Coronaviruses! 

Thorough Covid Cleanup

Safety always comes first with The Steam Team, and as soon as our technicians arrive, they’ll have all the OSHA-certified personal protective equipment they need to get the job done. During the cleaning process, all surfaces in the home or business office will be disinfected using EPA-approved products only. Our technicians will get every detail, disinfecting door knobs, light switches, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, faucets, sinks and many other frequently touched areas. This is the perfect cleaning process if someone in your home or business has had covid-19 recently, and you’re wanting to ensure the virus is removed from all possible surfaces.

After the initial cleaning is finished, we’ll protect your surfaces to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, fungi etc., by applying the long-lasting antimicrobial Bioshield 75. This powerful antimicrobial, when used in conjunction with other cleaning products, will protect your surfaces and keep them cleaner for even longer than just the standard disinfectant! It’ll reduce the growth of bacteria and other substances for a period of 90 days.

To receive this complete Coronavirus cleanup, be sure to contact us at 512-451-8326 or email us at customerservice@thesteamteam.com.

Everything You Need to Know About Carpet Padding

Professional carpet and rug cleaning services in Austin, Texas.

Many homeowners may not realize it but, carpet padding (the cushion underneath your carpet flooring) is an extremely important part of carpet installation. Often, when people purchase new carpeting, they try to cut corners to save a dollar here and there - typically leading to choosing a less effective padding. 

In fact, the best scenario possible is to find carpet and padding that compliment one another. That’s going to be the best way to get your desired result.

So, let’s talk carpet padding for a minute to help you understand the best decision to make when installing your new carpet flooring.

Types of Carpet Padding

The following types of carpet padding are found in different densities and thicknesses:

• Urethane Foam

• Waffle Rubber

• Bonded Urethane

• Fiber Cushion

• Flat Rubber

Now, depending on the area you’re laying flooring in your home and the amount of traffic you’re expecting, you’ll want to consider different types of padding. But, that’s not the only way this choice will affect your carpeting...

Beneficial in Several Ways

As you can see; the padding underneath carpet flooring serves many purposes - from providing a softer, more comfortable cushion to step on, to absorbing liquids and protecting the sub floor from damage. In fact, the carpet padding serves an even more important purpose than either of those. 

Carpet padding protects your carpet and its backing. As you step onto carpeting, the carpet absorbs the force. With a high quality carpet padding, the force has less effect on the carpeting itself - protecting the backing and fibers from any extensive damage and therefore elongating the lifetime of your carpet installation.

Ultimately, here’s the bottom line: in order to best protect the lifetime and condition of your carpeting, consult a professional. Not only will this ensure that you’re using high quality materials, but you’ll also guarantee a job well done!

How Do You Handle Leaking Appliances?

Commercial High-rise Water Damage Professionals Austin, Texas

Appliances are everywhere around our home. From the dishwasher to the washing machine and even our toilets- they help us move through our days easier. Unfortunately, they’re not perfectly designed (technology hasn’t advanced that far, yet) and they do breakdown occasionally. What happens when your appliances breakdown? What if your appliances start to leak? How do you handle a leaking appliance?

Don’t worry, these are all questions we’re here to answer for you on today’s blog.

Appliance Leak Cleanup

If you have an appliance that continually holds or filters water, it should be monitored regularly to check for leaking or malfunctioning. Even a slow, steady drip can turn into a major flooding problem if given enough time to develop. Fortunately, The Steam Team offers water damage restoration services to the following appliances: water heater, washing machine, AC unit, refrigerator or ice maker, and sink and dishwasher. Don’t stress; just pick up the phone instead! 

Plumbing Overflow

Plumbing is no exception when it comes to taking care of water overflow! Too often, our toilets leak, our shower tub stops up, or the sink floods the bathroom! It’s disastrous! Luckily, again, The Steam Team is here to help. We’ll help repair and clean up damage from leaky, broken, burst, or frozen pipes. We’ll also take care of your drain, sink, toilet, or water heater! You can count on us to get the job done right the very first time. 

Contact The Steam Team

We’ll inspect the situation, determine what to do, and get to work right away. You won’t need to worry about doing it yourself, dealing with the damage, or even dealing with mold- we’ll take care of everything for you. 

If any of your appliances have gone kaput, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We’re available 24/7 for anything you may need to repair or cleanup. Just contact The Steam Team right away. 

How To Properly Care For Your Leather Furniture

Professional Residential Cleaning Services in Austin, Texas

Some people out there complain that leather furniture maintenance is too much or too complicated, and that leather furniture isn't worth owning, but here at The Steam Team we don’t think so at all! As long as you have a basic understanding of leather furniture care, anyone can have a leather couch, chair or other piece of furniture and keep in in great condition! Let’s discuss what needs to be done to keep your leather in tip-top shape.

Cleaning Spills

As with any piece of furniture, you’ll probably spill something on it at some point, and cleaning up those spills quickly before they can become stains is key. Leather tends to stain easier than some other materials, but as long as you use a soft, dry cloth to wipe up the spill you should be just fine. After you’ve wiped the area, allow the leather to air dry to help avoid staining.

Annual Conditioning

With real leather, since it used to be animal hide, it requires a certain level of moisture to be maintained for it to stay healthy. Most leather will need to be conditioned once every 12 months, but some leathers need conditioning every 6 months. Since this can change based on your specific make of leather, be sure to check the tag or call the manufacturer and ask. But keep in mind that only products specifically designed for leather conditioning can be used on leather. Other products may do harm to the material.

Leather Care From The Steam Team

As you now know, leather cleaning and conditioning isn’t too difficult and can be done all on your own! But for those who don’t have the time or aren’t sure what products and methods to use, Our Steam Team technicians can handle detailed cleaning and conditioning of your leather furniture for you! Just be sure to give us a call or visit The Steam Team website for more information.

Cleaning Up After Construction or Remodelling

Have you recently had a construction or remodelling job done on your home or business, and now you’ve been left with a big mess? Are there paint chips, sawdust or other debris scattered around the property? If the answer is yes, who’s going to clean the whole mess up? Do you have the time or the equipment to take care of it all yourself? If not, it's time to start considering hiring professionals to handle the cleaning for you!

Surface Cleaning

After any serious construction or remodelling, you’ll need a deep clean of the property, starting with all the major surfaces. Floors, walls, countertops and shelving will all be cleaned accordingly. Our professional technicians will use high-powered steam cleaners, commercial vacuums and other top notch equipment to make sure that every surface in the home looks even cleaner than it did before the construction job. Furniture will also be vacuumed and cleaned as needed to remove any dust or debris.

Finishing Touches

With all surfaces and furniture thoroughly cleaned, our team will move on to the rest of the property. Since dust and debris from the construction can enter vents, causing respiratory issues, our cleanup crew will be sure to clean out the vents completely so that the air stays clean. Then we’ll move on to the commonly overlooked areas like small appliances, decorative items, electronics, lamp shades, light fixtures and ceiling fan blades. Our cleanup crew is going to make sure every inch of your home or business is cleaner than you’ve ever seen it, no matter how much of a mess the construction made!

The Steam Team

We’re proud of the cleaning restoration services that we offer all across the Austin, TX area and beyond. For a full list of all of our many services, or to contact us so that our team can clean and restore your home, please visit The Steam Team website.

Eliminating Mold Growth Following Water Damage

According to studies around the United States, 7 out of 10 homes suffer from water damage and mold issues, alone. After water damage, inevitably comes mold growth. Water damage unfortunately creates the perfect environment for mold spores, leaving homeowners health at risk. On today’s blog, we’re going over the risks of this mold growth and how we can help eliminate this risk for you and your family. 

The Risks of Mold Growth

If mold begins to grow in your home, it can cause some serious health risks- particularly for those who already have frequent lung or sinus issues. Living or working in a building with mold growth in the vents or nearby at all can cause eye irritation, throat irritation, allergies, cough, nasal irritation and plenty of other symptoms. If you already experience these in your daily life, there may be mold hidden somewhere in your home or workplace. With all of this in mind, it's important to have your home or business inspected for mold, and to have that mold eliminated if it’s found.

Our Mold Experts

When you call in The Steam Team, our technicians will get to work right away, inspecting the property and identifying the damaged areas. To begin our professional mold remediation process, they’ll extract all the water and seal off the area to prevent the mold from spreading. All affected materials will be disposed of, eliminating the mold at its source. Then the HVAC and AC systems will be fully inspected and have mold removed from them as well. A powerful disinfectant will be applied before the final step of repair and restoration. By the time our experts are finished, there won’t be any signs that you had mold to begin with, and you’ll be able to breathe freely again.

For more information on our mold remediation process, as well as our many other services, visit The Steam Team website.

How The Steam Team Handles Pet Odor

We love our pets but there are few things as irritating as coming home to find that your floor is riddled with urine stains and the air is filled with pet odor. In many cases, the urine can even soak through the carpet into the padding underneath, or even the subfloor underneath that, causing the odor to linger and allowing for bacterial growth. But don’t worry, The Steam Team can help.

Treatment

To begin treatment, the urine stained area must be removed or neutralized. In some cases, the entire carpet, padding, or even subfloor may need to be removed, and sometimes the odor still persists. But if the urine is allowed to sit in the carpet long enough, the odor will settle into other furniture in the home over time. Luckily, The Steam Team has a wide range of solutions for these issues.

Urine Control

Keep in mind, the cleaning and removal of urine spots and stains may not entirely remove the odor from the home. Pet urine is easier to clean when it is fresh, if it is allowed to sit for days or weeks it will become “alkaline”, and will permanently stain the carpet. This means that it may not be possible for all urine spots to be removed. To prevent permanent staining, blot urine spots with a white cloth or paper towel as soon as you notice them.

The Professional Method

In the case of deep “alkaline” urine stains that are harder to remove, The Steam Team professionals will follow all of these steps for stain removal. In less extreme circumstances, some of these steps will be left out:

• Pulling up the carpet.

• Removing the affected padding.

• Cleaning the back of the carpet.

• Treating the floor with a specialized enzyme treatment.

• Sealing the floor with an odor barrier.

• Treating the back of the carpet with an enzyme treatment.

• Installing new tack strip.

• Installing new padding.

• Re-installing carpet.

• Clean carpet.

• Topically apply enzyme.

For more information of what we can offer including full service water damage, visit The Steam Team website.