Nature uses hydroxyl molecules to cleanse and decontaminate our outdoor environment. However, hydroxyls do not occur indoors, so a patented process safely generates molecules that naturally “seek and destroy” odour molecules, bacteria, viruses, VOCs, and other chemicals.

Hydroxyls actually neutralize odour molecules and gasses by breaking down their chemical bonds. This can be done with even some of the most difficult molecules, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3).

Contaminated air is directed into the chamber where ambient humidity and multiple nanometer wavelengths and frequencies combine to create anoxidizing formula and produce hydroxyls.

The purified air is recycled back into the environment along with hydroxyls to further decontaminate surfaces & contents.

Once the hydroxyls are created, they are sent to “seek and destroy” odour molecules, bacteria, viruses, mould, VOCs and other chemicals. The hydroxyls simultaneously decontaminate the air, surfaces, and objects.

This system does not require all of the contaminants within a room to pass through the processing chamber, which guarantees a more rapid and thorough decontamination.

Applications

• Fire and Smoke Restoration (protein, soot, grease, plastic and natural material)
• Water Damage Restoration (sewage backup and flood)
• Odor Removal
• Mold Remediation (kills mold and eliminates odor)
• Contents and Textiles (soft furniture, clothing and draperies)
• Rugs, Carpet and Upholstery

Effectively eliminates fire & organic vapors, odors, bacteria, viruses, chemicals fumes and gases. Unlike ozone, foggers and harsh chemicals, the equipment is safe for people, pets, plants, rubbers, plastics and other organic materials.

This will represent a significant cost saving on your next claim for the following reasons…

• Greater chances of successful restoration of contents items to pre-loss condition

• Completes jobs faster & more economically by eliminating odours from the internal environment, structure and contents during physical cleaning

• Maintaining occupancy resulting in a reduction or elimination of business interruption / additional living expenses

Safety Considerations

• It can be used to solve any indoor air problem from residential and commercial to industrial and agricultural applications.

• It is important to point out that there are traces of ozone emitted through the use of hydroxyl generating technology, however this amount falls well below the treshold of the acceptable Australian standard and is completely safe for people, plants and animals. For further information on this, contact the team at Excel Group and we can provide you with official verification from Odorox Australia

• The UV hydroxyl generating technology does not use any chemicals or create any toxic by-products.

• Unlike Ozone Generators this technology does not cause any bleaching effect to wet or damp contents

To understand more, or discuss how this technology would work on your next claim contact the team today on 1300 965 400.

It was great to catch up & network with those of you who attended, and for those that didn’t – check out some of the information we brought back from the presentations.

Thursday morning kicked off with a reminder of the devastation we have experienced in 2011 with Heinrich Eder from Munich Re providing some educational information from a re-insurers perspective. A notable statistic Heinrich brought up was that the dollar value of claims in the first half of 2011 was 5 times the annual average of a full year!

Climate Change expert Bruce Harper shaped the discussion towards the natural environment speaking about the effect of La Nina, El Nino and Neutral states as well as how this can affect the weather patterns here in Australia. Something the insurance and water damage industries should be aware of especially when a wet cycle is on the radar!

ANZIIF CEO, Joan Fitzpatrick highlighted the exciting times ahead for the insurance industry and their Gen Y targeted ‘know risk’ initiative alongside a number of other esteemed speakers representing a wide array of stakeholders in the claims process.

The annual conference dinner held at The Ivy Room provided a fun and relaxed environment to catch up with colleagues, professionals and new faces in the insurance industry.

Overall, the content from both days were relevant to the current state of affairs and highly informative. Our attending staff concluded that the discussions and information presentations provided in-depth insight of the developments in the insurance industry.

Keeping abreast of the key issues that insurance professionals, loss adjusters and risk managers are facing is certainly assisting Excel Group Sydney with a continual understanding of our commercial environment enabling us to provide an enhanced level of service to meet the objectives and issues faced by our clients.

Congratulations AICLA and ANZIIF for yet another successful event!

This classification is essential to determine the amount of water that is present and the likely or anticipated rate of evaporation. It is used a starting point to determine the initial dehumidification capacity required to handle the potential rate of evaporation. Refer to IICRC S500 – 2006( pp328,329) for complete classifications.

Class 1 (Least amount of water, absorption or evaporation): Water losses that affect only part of the room or area, or larger areas containing materials that have absorbed minimal moisture. Little or no wet carpet and/or cushion are present.

Class 2 (Large amount of water, absorption or evaporation): Water losses that affect at least an entire room of carpet and cushion. Water has wicked up wall less than 600mm or 24 inches. There is significant moisture remaining in structural materials; e.g. plywood, particle board, structural wood, VCT, concrete and substructure soil.

Class 3 (Greatest amount of water, absorption or evaporation): Water may have come from overhead. Ceilings, walls, insulation, carpet, cushion and sub floor in virtually the entire area are saturated.

Class 4 (Specialty drying situations): These consist of wet materials with very low porosity or permeance (e.g. hardwood, plaster, brick, concrete, light weight concrete and stone). Typically, there are deep pockets of saturation, which require very low specific humidity. These types of losses may require longer drying times and special methods.

A certified restoration company that understands the difference between such classes will ensure that the appropriate action is taken and the safest outcome achieved for all parties involved with the loss.

A clear understanding and qualified level of experience will ensure the drying, decontamination, restoration and replacement option decisions are made with a thorough understanding of the true extent of the loss.

Excel Group Sydney is a competent and experienced restoration firm with almost twenty years of delivery in the water and fire disaster recovery industry. With a Water Loss Specialist (WLS) certification and IICRC trained staff, Excel Group Sydney are the trusted restoration professionals.

Call our team today on 1300 965 400 to understand how we can assist with your disaster recovery efforts.

• Air movers are used primarily in drying carpets after enduring water damage, but also have the capacity, if used correctly, to dry structural elements such as flooring, walls and cavities. A restoration professional can use this equipment to remove water molecules from the wall surface, to accelerate the drying process. An air mover is an effective piece of equipment as it negates the further development of moisture in damp material caused by water damage. Through effective use of this equipment, a restoration professional can mitigate secondary damage such as mould growth, restore contents and property – lessening the overall replacement costs and thoroughly dry effected areas in 24 to 72 hours

• De-Humidifiers eliminate moisture from the air rapidly and effectively. There are many different types of de-humidifiers with varying capabilities. Commonly used inconjunction with air movers, the dehumidifier extracts and drains the moisture from the environment to create an efficient drying system. Without effective de-humidification, secondary damage can occur such as mould / mildew growth and further building damage

• A moisture meter or hygrometer is used by a restoration professional to detect the presence of humidity, moisture levels and the measurement of drying progress. A hygrometer can be used on a number of different surfaces to determine the relative change in measurement in comparison to a dry standard

A professional restoration company with educated and competent technicians can use the above tools and equipment to carry out the restoration works efficiently and correctly. Water-damaged property and contents only have a small-window of time to be restored. Choose the appropriate restoration professionals to get it right the first time around.

Excel Group Sydney is a competent and experienced restoration firm with almost twenty years of delivery in the water and fire disaster recovery industry. With a Water Loss Specialist (WLS) certification and IICRC trained staff, Excel Group Sydney are the trusted restoration professionals.

Call our team today on 1300 965 400 to understand how we can assist with your disaster recovery efforts.

Category 1 Water: Category 1 water originates from a sanitary water source and does not pose substantial risk from dermal, ingestion, or inhalation exposure.

Examples of Category 1 water source can include, but are not limited to: broken water supply; tub or sink overflow with no contaminants; appliance malfunctions involving water supply lines; melting ice or snow; falling rainwater; broken toilet tanks, and toilet bowls that do not contain contaminants or additives.

Category 2 Water: Category 2 water contains significant contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if contacted or consumed by humans. It can contain potentially unsafe levels of micro-organisms or nutrients for micro-organisms, as well as other organic or inorganic matter.

Examples of Category 2 water can include, but are not limited to: discharge from dish washers or washing machines; overflows from washing machines; overflows from toilet bowls on the room side of the trap with some urine but no faeces; seepage due to hydrostatic pressure; broken aquariums and punctured water beds.

Category 3 Water: Category 3 is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents.

Examples of Category 3 water can include, but are not limited to: sewage; toilet backflows that originate from beyond the toilet trap regardless of visible content or colour; all forms of flooding from seawater; ground surface water and rising water from rivers or streams, and other contaminated water entering or affecting the indoor environment, such as wind driven rain from hurricanes, tropical storms, or other weather related events. Such water sources may carry silt, organic matter, pesticides, heavy metals, regulated materials, or toxic organic substances.

Ref: IICRC S500, Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration; pp 327

A certified restoration company that understands the difference between such categories of water damage will ensure that the appropriate action is taken and the safest outcome achieved for all parties involved with the loss. A clear understanding of the abovementioned categories will ensure the drying, decontamination, restoration and replacement option decisions are made with a thorough understanding of the true extent of the loss.

Excel Group Sydney is a competent and experienced restoration firm with almost twenty years of delivery in the water and fire disaster recovery industry. With a Water Loss Specialist (WLS) certification and IICRC trained staff, Excel Group Sydney are the trusted restoration professionals.

Call our team today on 1300 965 400 to understand how we can assist with your disaster recovery efforts.

What is the damage after a fire?

Soot or Smoke Residue: Is the product of incomplete combustion and this contaminant ranges in size from 0.1 – 4 microns. This residue and contamination will affect structural surfaces and contents within the vicinity of the fire damage. Due to the minimal size of the particles, this can travel through doors, crevices, fissures and end up within numerous areas of a property.

Visible damage to surfaces such as walls, ceilings, floors and contents such as furniture and clothing is only half of the story…

During a fire, excess heat causes a rapid expansion of surfaces (pores) which facilitates smoke odor penetration making the odour persistent but not visible. A combination of restoration techniques are required to adequately eliminate the odor problems associated with fire damage when this occurs.

The Extent of Smoke Residue is determined by a number of factors including:

• Materials that have been burned during the fire. Burnt plastics tend to cause a ‘blacker’ residue
• Oxygen present during combustion – An oxy-rich fire burns rapidly, whereas an oxy-starved fire will burn slowly with much more residue left behind as a result
• Temperature Differential – Since smoke is attracted to cool surfaces, residue will tend to accumulate on cooler surfaces more rapidly

Significantly increased damage can be caused by:

• Rapid Drying of hot oils contained within residue will form a lacquer-like film, especially on surfaces above the heat line
• When soot residue combines with moisture acids commence an attack on surfaces causing ‘yellowing’

So what’s the process of cleaning up after a fire?

The structural deodorization consists of the following steps:

1. Removal of source – This includes any loose contamination & debris which must be removed at the commencement
2. Surface Cleaning – In those areas that have been subject to significant contamination not neglecting areas with no visible residue
3. Recreate the conditions of odor penetration – This process involves understanding the surface penetration process of the odor during the expansion of surfaces (pores) and appropriately ‘masking’ or ‘pairing’ the contaminant
4. Consideration of sealing the surfaces – Areas that have been exposed to extreme heat & odor may require a sealer once the above steps have been completed

The information contained above is a guideline only and requires adjustment based on the individual circumstances of the loss. However, a thorough understanding of the abovementioned points are critical for a restoration professional and our restorative techniques incorporate these key concepts to deliver an expert restoration service.