Every 90 seconds, someplace in the house catches fire. Although not all fires are destructive, even a little fire may cause damage to your property owing to the heat, smoke, soot, and water produced by the fire and the attempt to extinguish it.
If your house catches fire, you may have to deal with fire damage repair. Continue reading to learn about the procedures required in recovering your property after a fire.
What do you do immediately after a fire?
Seeing your house burn is a heartbreaking experience. Despite the shock, you must act swiftly after the fire has been out to avoid future damage to your home. Delays may cause more damage, such as precipitation entering your property or mold growth, raising repair expenses.
Contact your insurance immediately to report the fire and determine what measures you need to take next. These might involve securing the premises, taking an inventory of the damage, and calling a fire damage repair firm. Check out their website for more information.
When the insurance adjusters assess your property for fire damage, make sure they do a thorough job. You want all damage to be detected and covered by your first fire damage claim. Inspection areas should include the following.
- Roof. Burning embers might have caused damage, or the shingle’s wood could have been moldy.
- Stucco and siding. The heat from the fire might melt the siding or break the stucco.
- Windows. Window frames may melt or blister as a result of heat. It may also cause warping or discoloration of the glass.
- Heating and plumbing. Pipes, ducts, and soldering or connections may all be damaged by fire.
- Interior frame and walls. To examine the framework or search for mold, the inspector may need to remove some wallboard.
Services for professional fire damage repair.
A Smoke and Fire Damage Restoration firm specializes in assisting customers in recovering from fire damage. These businesses provide a variety of services, including:
- Securing the property. To avoid weather damage, a repair firm may board up the home and lay tarps on the roof soon after the fire.
- Counting the losses. They will evaluate all of the rooms to determine the extent of the damage caused by fire, smoke, soot, and water.
- Water extraction and drying. To prevent mold and mildew from forming, it is critical to dry out the home as soon as possible. The firm will use air movers (huge fans) and dehumidifiers.
- Getting rid of smoke and soot from surfaces. For these jobs, restoration firms use specialized equipment.
- Cleaning. They will clean salvageable goods using several procedures.
- Restoration. If the organization additionally has a home improvement license, they may do minor repairs such as replacing wallboard and adding carpeting. They may also be capable of greater tasks, such as room reconstruction.
What You Can Do
It makes it logical to employ a professional restoration firm with the necessary experience and equipment to complete the cleaning properly. But there are some tips you can do to help.
- Leave soot-covered things for the specialists to clean.
- Dehumidifiers and fans should be used as soon as feasible to dry damp materials. Place lightweight things, such as clothes or pillows, in the sun to dry.
- Keep the windows open to allow the home to air out until the repair team arrives.
- Run the HVAC system’s fan continuously to circulate the air. Replace the filter daily until no soot is visible on the filter.
- Cover clean goods with plastic to keep them clean while repairs are done.