Archive for January, 2011
Water Damage Restoration | Insurance Claim | Am I Covered? | Who Can help Me?
Posted by: | CommentsAl’s Absolute Best..Connecticut’s Best Water Damage Restoration Company (860) 537-1594
Water Damage Restoration | Mold Remediation | Ice Dams | 24 HR service | Flood Cleanup | Mold Remediation | Structural Drying |
Okay, so maybe u woke up this morning to find out that your basement has six inches of water from the all melting snow over the past few weeks here in Connecticut. Now the first thing that comes to your mind is to look up a good company to call, so you pull up a search engine online google and enter ” Flood Cleanup” or maybe “Water Damage Restoration”….and maybe that’s how you got here. The good news is you came to the right place! Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration is Connecticut’s worst kept secret when it comes to Water Damage Restoration Services. Here’s Why.. Simply because we go the extra mile, we are knowledgeable and friendly. We actually love what we do and we want to help you with your water damage emergency. We also enjoy educating our customers and guiding them through their mess, most people have no idea what to do when water damage strikes. Here’s a few pointers..
First, you have to consider a few things
1. Do I have Insurance?
2. If so, am I covered?
3. If not, how will I pay for this?
For starters if you have insurance call the insurance company and tell them you need to submit a claim. One very important detail you need to know about your policy is that “you are very responsible for taking the necessary steps to safeguard your home or office from further loss”. This means to full-fill your requirements to your insurance policy it is your obligation to act fast and try to contain the water and minimize loss by getting the water and your valuables out ASAP . In order to do this properly and efficiently it’s best to hire a professional of your liking (this is actually another right under your insurance policy) you have the right to choose which company you would like to hire. Click Here to View an Article we created to help you understand your rights under your home owners insurance policy.
As you can see when it comes to water damage restoration and insurance policies, things get complicated fast and even scary at times. Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration guides their clients through their claim every step of the way. We also document everything into a file, taking pictures and moisture readings. All of this is included when you choose us, we want to see your insurance claim go smoothly, we do whatever it takes to get you immediately, get the water out and then dry the structure. Afterwards we can even do the re-build if required in your situation.
People who aren’t covered by insurance, need not worry. We work with plenty of people who don’t have insurance or who just don’t have coverage in their situation. We can certainly be of huge assistance to you, the most important part is getting the water out, and sometimes when people aren’t covered that’s all they want us to do. We also work out payment plans in some cases. We always try to help people as much as we can!
For 24 HR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE CALL (860) 537-1594
Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration
Water Damage Restoration | Mold Remediation | Ice Dames | 24 HR service
Full List of Services
Mold Damage Removal, Wet Document, Mud Removal, Debris Cleanup, Danbury Water Removal, Water Damage Documents, Flooding,Document Drying, Water Damage Company, Black Mold Removal Company, Sheetrock Repair, Residential Disaster Cleanup, Water Damage Repair, Sewage Damage Cleanup, Fire Damage Restoration, Broken Sprinkler System Flooding, Black Mold Removal Experts, Crime Scene Cleanup, Sewage Backup Cleanup, Flood Cleaning, Commercial Building Water Damage, Mold Damage Contractor, Mianus, CT Wet Flooded Carpet Removal, Sewage Damage Repair, Mold Damage Restoration, Wet Laminate Floor Removal, Wet Tile Floor Removal, Power Outage, Mold Damage Repair, Mud Cleanup, Backed Up Drain, Water Damage Removal, Sewer Backup Restoration, School Flood Damage, Wet Sheetrock Removal, Residential Flood Damage, Water Restoration, Water Damage Service, Rising River, New Fairfield Boiler Puffbacks Cleaning, Lordship Mold Damage Company, Apartment Building Flood, Muddy Water Removal, Office Building Flood, Runoff Water Flooding, Black Mold Removal, 24 Hour Water Extraction, Commercial Disaster Cleanup, Wet Carpet, Foundation Leak Water Damage, Puff Back Cleanup, Rain Water Flood Cleanup, Wind Damage, Old Greenwich Water Damage Restoration, Generators, Fire Damage Cleanup, Storm Damage Cleanup, Flooded Carpet Cleaning, Frozen Pipes, Basement & Crawlspace Water Pump Out, Wet Drywall Removal, Flood Damage Cleanup, Flood Cleanup, Flood Damage Repair, Black Mold Inspection, Wet Basement & Crawlspace, Trash Debris Removal, Disaster Cleanup, Wet Hardwood Floor Removal, Hospital Water Damage Restoration, 24/7 Emergency Cleaning Service, Broken Pipe, Fire Damage Cleanup Company, Water Extraction, Leaky Roof, Waterproofing, Mold Remediation, Contaminated Flood Water Cleanup, Mold Removal, Smoke Damage Restoration, Sewer Damage Restoration, Wet Kitchen Cabinet Removal, Leak Flood, Water Damage Clean Up, Wet Plaster Removal, River Flooding, Black Mold Testing, Greenwich Mold Damage Experts, Water Damage Experts, Basement & Crawlspace Flood Cleanup, Wet Furniture Removal, Painting, No Power, Soot Damage Cleanup Company, Wet Ceiling Removal, Mold , Frozen Pipe Break, Damage Service, Flooded River, Temporary Power, Long Ridge Mold Damage Restoration Service, Gutter Overflow Flooding, Garbage Hauling, Carpet Water Extraction, Water Damage Contractor, Mud Cleaner, Flooded Basement & Crawlspace Cleanup , Mold Remediation.
Dryer Fires!
Posted by: | Comments
This home was severly damaged by a Dryer Fire
Every year over 12,000 residential fires are caused by cloths dryers, these fires result in death to approximately 15 people, injure another 400 and cause over 80 million dollars in damages. The most distressing fact of all is the majority of these fires could have been prevented through proper maintenance.
The No. 1 cause of dryer fires is “failure to clean” this information comes directly from the U.S. Fire Administration.
It’s the lint build up on the screen and in the ducting that causes the fires, lint is extremely flammable and if it builds up to the point that it restricts air flow which could cause the dryer to over heat or even make the dryers thermostat malfunction a fire may occur. Daily cleaning of the screen will avoid lint buildup
When the dryer screen is full lint gets forced through and can build up in the ducting any kinks twists and turns in the ducting can cause even more buildup, always keep your exhaust ducting as short and straight as possible. At Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration Service we have seen the damage caused by dryer fires first hand. The pictures below are from a dryer fire in 2009 and the home was not properly covered by insurance, we were recently called to bid on the cleaning and repairs for a potential buyer.

A circle of light shows through at bottom left where the clothes dryer was ducted outside
The folks at Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration don’t want to clean up after a fire in your home, please take a couple of minutes and check your dryer screen and ducting. If you are not sure how or physically incapable ask a friend or give Al’s Absolute Best a call @ 860-537-1594 and maybe we can help
Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration Moves to New Location
Posted by: | CommentsAl’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration is very happy to announce that we have moved to a NEW, improved location at 215 Lebanon Ave. in Colchester, CT. As many of you know we had just recently moved near the movie theater in Colchester (in the old NAPA building) . Once we had moved in and got adjusted an even better opportunity arose we just couldn’t resist. Now we are just a stone’s throw from the infamous “Colchester Bakery”. This new location has a lot of potential. We actually now offer an Area Rug cleaning salon service with pick-up / drop-off options. We will be updating you in further detail about our area rug salon in one of our next blogs. As we were finishing up with the move over the Christmas/ New Year Holiday we decorated the windows with lights and Christmas trees. It really added a lot of beauty and holiday spirit to this side of town.

Everyone here at Al’s Absolute Best is very excited about moving to our New Store Location, we have the area rug cleaning salon downstairs, upstairs we have our office, flood and fire restoration equipment and we even have an additional room where we will be holding classes for insurance agents and further education to other cleaners and restoration professionals around the US. This summer we are hosting one of the nation’s largest cleaning and restoration festivals, now we will also be able to hold a tour of our shop and other activities.
This location is great in many, many ways. Now that we have an area rug cleaning salon, area rugs will come out better than ever, we also have plenty of parking to keep all of our water damage restoration trucks, the convenient location allows us to easy access to the highway so we can get to you faster, when seconds count….call us first! From fire and water damage restoration to carpet, upholstery and tile cleaning, we are ready to go, exceptional service with a smile. Of course its also backed up with the latest methods and technology and Al’s 100% satisfaction Guarantee enabling us to deliver an unbeatable service experience that you’ll refer to friends and family for years to come!
Recently, at a CBA (Colchester Business Association) meeting last week, our company was informed of the plans Colchester has for the improvement of our town. One major improvement will directly impact our new location. The town is using state funding to completely renovate Lebanon Ave to make it prettier and more appealing to walk from the center down Lebanon Ave. This improvement should add much more traffic to this side of town, which will draw more attention to us! Please stop in and say hi, or schedule your next cleaning. We have two beautiful new signs on the building (which is the old “Ramco” building), right in the center of the fork past the Colchester bakery. We look forward to doing business with you in the future! Questions or Concerns? Call Us 860-537-1594
Snow and Ice Causes Major Water Damage in Connecticut!
Posted by: | CommentsThe record snowfall we just had here in Connecticut has many people worried, Ice is dammed up on almost every roof in the state! Just drive down the street and look at the sagging gutters, icicles and accumulated snow on the roof tops.

20 inches of snow falls on Al's Absolute Best Cleaning and Restorations Shop
To make matters worse more storms are on the way, including ice, rain and more snow!
Storms combined with fringed temperatures that could also freeze pipes in your home and cause even more serious problems. Did you know wet and packed snow can way over 20lbs. per cubic foot? Imagine an entire roof holding snow of this weight, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Frozen gutters causing an "ice dam"on Colchester CT. home
Here is an actual scenario from a clients home, they knew to call Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration because we had done a water damage restoration job at their home last year and they were extremely satisfied with our service.
An ice dam on the enclosed porch roof forced water into the home as the ice melted, the intrusive water froze in the soffit of the home.

Checking under flashing and finding solid ice!
We had to get right to work melting the ice that was damaging this Colchester Ct. home so we could begin the structural drying process.

Frozen soffit in Colchester CT home
Every job is different in this case we used ice melt as described in our “Ice Dam” blog from a few weeks ago. Then with some creative thinking from the Restoration Team at Al’s Absolute Best we decided to construct a tent around the entire area and heat it with a salamander heater, this got the ice melting at a rapid pace.

Heated shelter to melt "Ice Dam" on Colchester home
“When Seconds count, Call us First”! Al’s Absolute Best Cleaning and Restoration, Colchester CT.
Prevent your pipes from freezing this winter!
Posted by: | Comments
Frozen pipe burst
Frozen pipes are a major cause of water damage, statistics say that approximately 250,000 homes are ruined or severely damaged by pipe bursts each year. It doesn’t take much just a very tiny split in a pipe can spew hundreds of gallons of water into your home in one day. Imagine the damage to your home and disruption to your schedule this could cause. At Al’s Absolute Best Restoration and Cleaning Services we receive several emergency calls each winter from folks with pipe bursts and water damaged homes.
How do you prevent frozen pipes? You can’t totally prevent them, one unpreventable scenario would be a power loss while you were away from home causing loss of heat but aside from that the single best thing you can do to prevent pipes from freezing is insulate them.
Here’s how
Locate the exposed pipes in your basement or crawl space and wrap the pipes in foam insulation, it’s simple they come in different lengths and are pre-slit down the center so it can be slipped right over the pipes, be sure to check the diameter of the pipes before you go to the hardware store for your foam insulation so you get the right size.
Also this is a good time to shut off your outdoor faucets from the inside if you haven’t done that already.
On nights when it will be severely cold a little tick is to leave the faucets in your bathroom tub and kitchen sink on and constantly running but only a very small trickle, the idea here is that the moving water will not freeze.






