A fire-damaged house can be devastating for any family. The recovery process is complex, and you may not know where to start. Thankfully, you can plan on three aspects of restoration necessary for recovering your fire-damaged house—water damage restoration, soot damage restoration, and smoke damage restoration.
These are all essential for your home’s long-term health and need to be addressed as soon as possible fire damage.
This article will discuss what happens to a fire-damaged house after the firefighters leave and describe the three aspects of restoration in detail.
The very first step when dealing with a fire-damaged house is contacting your insurance agency. They’ll guide you through the process of documenting the damage to your belongings and recommend the next steps.
Once the fire has gone out, there’s a good chance you’re left with missing doors, windows, or other openings into your fire-damaged house. These openings can leave the interior space exposed to the elements, looters, or small animals looking for shelter.
Generally, protecting the fire-damaged house by boarding up these openings occurs regardless of the insurance agent’s initial assessment. This way, the two options you have for the fire-damaged house—demolition or restoration—are still available. Additionally, tarps are often used when the damage extends to the roof, keeping rain and snow from inclement weather from entering from above.
This section assumes your home is a viable candidate for restoration. If the fire-damaged house is beyond repair—as judged by your insurance agent—you may be looking at demolition and a complete rebuild.
You always have the option of getting a second opinion about demolition or restoration from an independent third-party candidate. They can present their findings to the insurance agency and provide more information when you file your claim.
There are three aspects of restoring a fire damaged house you’ll encounter during the process:
Let’s take a look at all three.
Most people don’t realize the role water damage restoration plays in the recovery of a fire-damaged house. But what do you think the firefighters used to put out the fire?
Additionally, fires can damage your home’s pipes and plumbing—other sources of water damage.
Drying the home is the priority since it eliminates the risk of mold growth. There are multiple types of surfaces in a fire-damaged house, from carpets to drywall, each requiring different treatment methods.
A quick, complete drying process guarantees your fire-damaged house is in the best possible position for a full, successful restoration.
This type of restoration is one of two that deals with the direct results of the fire. Soot can damage every surface of your home and must be dealt with immediately after the fire.
The longer it sits on the surfaces of your home, the greater the chance for penetration. Added time makes cleaning it more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.
The two main types of soot in a fire-damaged house are dry and oily. They result from two different types of materials burning, and each requires a different cleaning method. Your chosen fire damage restoration professional will know the difference and will provide details about how they’ll handle the issue.
The final aspect of recovering a fire-damaged house is smoke damage restoration. This step includes deodorization and removal of smoke from the HVAC system.
Smoke, like soot, can damage every surface in your home. Soft surfaces, such as curtains and furniture, are most susceptible to smoke damage.
Smoke damage restoration utilizes highly specialized equipment when getting rid of smoke residue from the various areas of your house and belongings.
A complete fire damage restoration professional will address the water damage, soot damage, and smoke damage. There are numerous surfaces present in every fire-damaged house, and they all require different treatment techniques, but quick, decisive action after the fire can put your home in the best position for recovery.
The key is contacting your insurance agency and protecting your home from the elements as soon as possible. By doing so, you minimize your risk for mold and protect your property from the elements, looters, or small animals looking for shelter.
ER Contracting’s team of fire damage restoration experts serves the Houston, Texas, area and surrounding suburbs. If you require a second opinion about your fire-damaged house or need fire damage restoration services, give us a call or reach out via our contact page and schedule your free estimate!
