Allied Restoration - July 2022

Allied Restoration - July 2022

JULY 2022

Many Strengths, One Purpose: To Service

626.349.6515 www.AlliedRestore.com

Your Home’s Vents Could Leave You Vulnerable ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE

If you’ve been following the news, you may have heard about the Coastal Fire that affected Orange County in May. It destroyed multiple homes worth millions of dollars. We’re now helping several clients with clean-up and repair, but as I watched footage of the fire on television, I couldn’t help but notice that virtually all of the damage was preventable. The affected homes in the Coronado Pointe community didn’t burn down because a wall of flames spread out of control across a residential area. Like in so many other cases, they resulted from embers jumping from the fire onto parts of the property. Most homes didn’t have much damage on the lower levels; the fires started at the top of the houses and worked their way down. These homeowners generally thought they were protected. Many of the damaged homes had Spanish tile roofs, one of the most fireproof products. Underneath the tile was the heaviest 90-pound felt roofing paper. But despite using the least flammable materials, the homes still burnt due to a gap in the defenses. The houses had old-style roof vents that were not fire-rated. Standard vents have gaps that allow plenty of room for embers to enter a home. But newer models are much more fire-resistant and will act as an additional line of defense while still allowing proper ventilation. Allied Restoration works with Brandguard, one of the top-rated products on the market, and they offer both prefabricated and custom vents to match the aesthetic of your home.

We would love to help YOU! Please call us at (888) 489-3436 or scan the QR code to set up an appointment TODAY!

The average home has 6–8 vents spread across the roof, soffit, gable ends, and possibly the foundation. Replacing the entire system is the best way to keep your home safe from the threat of wildfire embers. But if you’re unable to replace all at once, starting with the vents most susceptible to embers and eventually moving on to others is better than taking no action. Our team will assess your property for wildfire threats and model the most likely scenarios. Once we determine where a fire is most likely to come from, we can recommend which vents to replace first. We also work with homeowner associations to upgrade the vent systems over multiple years. We start with the most vulnerable homes closest to where a wildfire is most likely to originate. The entire community is safer because the embers are less likely to burn one house and jump to the next. A firefighter’s job is to protect human life first and foremost and prevent any fire from spreading. Saving a home is a nice bonus, but they can rarely accomplish it in a wildfire scenario. The firefighters don’t have the resources to fight the fires in individual homes while beating back the overarching threat. So, the best way to protect your home is to prevent embers from breaching it in the first place. In our experience, most residential wildfire damage is preventable, and we’re eager to help as many homeowners as possible protect what matters most. Don’t wait until the next fire — call us today for an assessment of your property’s vulnerabilities. We can’t stop wildfires, but we can give you the peace of mind that comes with a home fortified against the most dangerous threats.

–Tim Bauer

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RAINWATER HARVESTING: IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU? How to Find Out and Get Started

How to Troubleshoot a Malfunctioning A/C Take These Steps Before Calling the Pros

Did you know the government has a website where you can track drought conditions in real time? It’s called Drought.gov, and when we visited, it showed 47.52% of the country was in drought. That means water shortages were affecting more than 100 million Americans — maybe including you and your family. Water scarcity is scary. We need water to live, bathe, and grow food! So, what can you do about it? One popular, eco-friendly way to get around cutoffs and shortages is by installing a rain harvesting system. Here’s how it works. Rainwater harvesting is pretty much what it sounds like. You create a system to “catch” the rainwater that runs off of your roof or another surface (think gutters and pipes), then store it in a barrel or tank to use later. This protects the local watershed because you capture the rainwater and use it before it gathers pollution during runoff, and it reduces your energy use by eliminating the burden of water transportation! Rainwater harvesting may be for you if … • You own your own home. • You want to be more self-sufficient and/or lower your water bill. • You’d like additional water for your garden or household. Rainwater harvesting may NOT be for you if … • You rent your property. In this case, you may have to run the idea of adding a rain barrel or other harvesting system past the property owner. • Rainwater harvesting is restricted in your state. Unfortunately, rainwater collection is highly regulated in some states. You’d need to have a permit or abide by certain restrictions. The best way to find out the restrictions in your state, if they apply, is to check the legislation on the official state website. If it’s feasible, get started!

It’s 100 degrees F outside. The sun is pounding relentlessly on the sidewalk. Vegetation is wilting. Meanwhile, you’re huddled indoors, basking in the A/C … until it rattles to a stop. This stomach-dropping scenario happens to hundreds of people every summer. A/C units across America are overstressed right now, and when you run your unit at full blast, it’s more prone to malfunctioning. Fortunately, you don’t have to call in the pros for every little issue. Here are a few DIY ways to fix an A/C problem. 1. Replace your air filter. The experts recommend changing the filter in your A/C system every month. If you don’t do this, it can get clogged and cause your A/C to turn off! Replacing the filter could kick-start a nonfunctioning A/C. 2. Double-check your thermostat. We know it sounds basic, but your A/C might have turned off because your spouse reset the temperature, the kids flipped the thermostat from “heat” to “cool,” or the device’s batteries died. Don’t rule these silly problems out without checking them! 3. Clean your condenser coils. Dust, dirt, and pet hair can clog your A/C’s condenser coils and limit the unit’s function. If you’re careful and handy, you can use compressed air or a shop vacuum to clean the copper tubing and aluminum fins composing the coils, which typically form the side walls of your outdoor A/C unit. 4. Test your circuit breaker. It’s possible that the entire circuit covering your A/C has been tripped, turning the A/C off with it. To test this, turn your thermostat off and head to your breaker box and look for any switch in the neutral position. If you find one, push it to off (right) then on (left). Wait 30 minutes, then turn your thermostat back on and set it to cool. These four steps may be the only ones you need to fix your A/C problem! If you try them with no success, then it’s time to call in the experts. Of course, you can also make that call from the get- go if you’re not comfortable DIYing your household systems. We promise they won’t judge you! It’s always better to be cautious than accidentally worsen the problem.

You can build a rainwater harvesting system yourself with supplies from a company like RainWater Harvest Systems (RainHarvest.com) or work with a business in your area like Innovative Water Solutions in Texas. The size, cost, and installation of rainwater systems can vary depending on your home and how much water you store. To learn more about rainwater harvesting, check out the book series “Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond” by Brad Lancaster.

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PROTECT YOUR GARDEN FROM HEAT

With Help From Your Kids

Not all gardening tasks are suitable for the entire family. Fertilizers can be dangerous, and you definitely don’t want a young child wielding sharp tools. But there’s one gardening project you and the kids can tackle together: protecting your plants from the heat. Last June, heat waves scorched the country, sending temperatures in Portland, Oregon, of all places to 110 degrees F. This is uncomfortable at best, and at worst a massive heat wave can ruin an entire spring’s worth of effort in the garden. To avoid that, rope your kids into helping you with easy heat solutions like these: 1. Build shade covers — Shade helps people survive the heat, and it’s great for plants, too! You can overlay greenery with umbrellas, canopies, “garden fabric,” or even bed sheets draped over your plants. If you have spare lumber or PVC pipe, build a trellis to hold up your shade cover. YouTube has plenty of tutorials for this — just search “Garden Shade DIY.” 2. Spread organic mulch — Adding 2–4 inches of light-colored mulch around your trees, shrubs, and other plants will protect the soil from the sun and keep it damp and cool. 3. Swap out terra cotta pots — Unsealed terra cotta pots are terrible at retaining moisture. If you water a plant in terra cotta, it won’t be long before that water evaporates. To avoid this, enlist the kids to repot your plants in oversized, light-colored plastic nursery pots. (Some nurseries give these away for free!)

4. Water, water, water — Your garden will dry out twice as fast during extreme heat, so take shifts as a family checking the soil and watering when needed. Don’t rely on your sprinkler system or usual watering schedule. These tips should help protect your delicate fruit and vegetable plants. Next year, get a head start by asking your local nursery to help you choose drought and heat- tolerant species for your region and beefing up your soil with organic matter. According to Farmers’ Almanac, soil rich with 5%–9% organic matter (think compost, manure, and decomposing leaves) retains more water, saving you trips with the hose.

TAKE A BREAK

MOUTHWATERING SOUTHERN BBQ Inspired by JustAPinch.com

Summer isn’t complete without some Southern BBQ!

Ingredients

Directions

• 3 lbs boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

1. In a 4-quart slow cooker, add the roast and 1 cup of water. 2. Cover and cook the roast on high for 7 hours or until tender. 3. Once tender, shred the meat. 4. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Stir in salt, pepper, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and hot pepper sauce. 5. Cover and cook on the lowest setting for an hour. 6. When finished, serve barbecue on buns with coleslaw (optional).

• 1 cup water • 1/2 tsp salt • 1 tbsp pepper

• 1/4 cup brown sugar • 18 oz barbecue sauce • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce • 10 hamburger buns, split • Deli coleslaw (optional)

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

3120 E. GARVEY AVE. SOUTH WEST COVINA, CA 91791

626.349.6515 www.AlliedRestore.com

INSIDE

1

Lessons From the Coastal Fire

2

DIY Tips for a Broken A/C

Get More Water — For Free!

3

Be the Superhero Your Garden Needs

Mouthwatering Southern BBQ

4

Outdoor Cooking Inspiration You Need

Level Up Your Outdoor Cooking Space

With These Handy Features!

2. The Warming Drawer: Warming drawers make even the biggest barbecues easy to use. You can pre-grill your corn and stash it inside, keep sides toasty while you pour drinks and socialize, or warm up the buns for your dogs and burgers. 3. The Outdoor Ice Machine: Install one of these, and you’ll never

have to sprint inside for ice

again. It’s a particularly

Outdoor kitchens were trendy in 2021 — and they’re still a must- have! If you plan to either build an outdoor cooking space or level up the one you have this summer, consider these game- changing features. 1. The Flat Top Grill: With a flat top, you can cook anything outside. Imagine outdoor breakfasts with pancakes and eggs! You can also cook burgers with lots of toppings without worrying about food falling into the flames.

handy feature if you have an outdoor bar and love to mix

cocktails for your guests.

Good luck and happy cooking!

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