Protect your property in Topanga Canyon

12/18/2023 (Permalink)

Fire Damage caused by AC portable unit

A fire can be a devastating for any property or business owner in Topanga Canyon and fire damage often includes much more than just what gets consumed by the flames. Smoke and soot stain paintwork, papers, clothing, upholstery and carpets. The water used by the fire service to put out the fire can cause further damage and opens up the possibility for mold growth if your property is not dried out quickly.

One way to help protect your assets from fire is to have a sprinkler system installed. The California State Building Standards Commission has adopted provisions of the International Residential Codes, making it a requirement to include a sprinkler system in all new build one and two family homes since since January 2011.

Many people don’t really understand sprinkler systems and think they work like you see in the movies with one tiny bit of smoke leading to a deluge of water pouring from the ceiling. They worry that sprinklers going off in every room will cause more damage than a small fire or the fire department’s hoses. In modern sprinkler systems, each sprinkler is independent from the others and is activated by increased temperatures in the room where it is located. Multiple sprinklers only start to operate if there are high temperatures in several locations. Plus, they release less than a tenth of the volume of water coming from a fire service hose. As with any automatically activating system, there is a slight chance of a sprinkler going off in error, but this very rarely happens.

Sprinkler systems have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of injury to people and damage to property. Because they operate automatically, sprinklers can start to damp down a fire long before the fire services are on the scene and work when buildings are unoccupied. While smoke detectors give a warning of fire to the occupants of a building, they do nothing to actually combat the problem and all too often battery operated smoke detectors are found to be not working properly. Some insurers offer discounts for homes protected with a sprinkler system as they know the likelihood of a large fire claim is reduced.

It is easier to build a sprinkler system into a property that is under construction, but one can also be fitted into an existing building. Modern sprinklers can be of a discreet design which does not spoil the decor. Any system should be installed by a competent professional and in accordance with the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association.

After any fire affecting your property, it is wise to call on the services of a professional clean up company to help assess the extent of the damage and to ensure that any insurance claim is fully calculated to include all the incidentals that may otherwise be missed. In addition, using the correct methods and specialist cleaning techniques, restoration professionals can bring many items back to a usable and safe condition. With a sprinkler system installed, the fire damage in your Topanga Canyon property will be much less than without one.