Fire damage can ruin the structural integrity of your home and leave behind soot and smoke damage. But how do you fix fire damage? Learn about the process
Your worst nightmare has come to life, and your home fell prey to fire. Whether through wildfire or other means, having your home mangled by a fire is a harrowing experience. One that will take some significant time and restoration to get back to normal. Unfortunately, it's a more common story than you'd think: there are an estimated 358,500 house fires annually. However, it's time to forge ahead and see how to fix fire damage and restore your home.
But what do you do first after a fire? We've compiled what you must do if you want professionals to fix fire damage in your home.
First thing's first: call your insurance company
Before safety officials give you the 'all-okay' to enter your home again, you need to contact your insurance provider. This is a crucial step of the process and could affect the cost of repairs in the future.
While fixing fire damage and cleaning up your home is doable, it's not advisable. There are specific safety codes to be met,
As repair and reconstruction professionals, we take care of everything for you.
At Five Star, we specialize in getting rid of smoke and soot damage, limiting dust contamination, and saving anything that can be saved.
When we come to your home to examine the damage, the initial diagnostic is entirely free. There are also the services of our in-house contractors to help reduce the cost of cleaning up your home.
We can even help you through the very first steps when dealing with insurance. We can help take pictures of extensive damage, helping the entire process run smoothly.
Plus, we consult with a hygienist to meet the latest AQMD standards. This means you're getting the safest cleanup process possible during the fire damage restoration process.
If you're actively cleaning a fire-damaged home, you need to be safe at all times. That means you need to have a few crucial safety measures in place.
Always wear a mask, gloves, and other protective gear. Remember, just because the blaze has died down doesn't mean the home is safe to live in like normal. Smoke from a house fire contains highly toxic gasses and carcinogens like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and ammonia.
Fires don't just blacken walls, destroy your furniture, and leave behind smoke and soot damage. There could likely be extensive structural damage left in a fire's wake.
So, have a professional examine these potentially dangerous areas and close them off. The last thing you need is further distress or possible injury from unsteady structures.
Water damage can prove to be just as much of a problem as the fire damage you're aiming to fix.
Water that lingers in a home can quickly produce a large amount of toxic mold if left unchecked. The last thing you need is more damage, especially from water.
That's why you need professionals to remove any excess water, water-damaged items, and water-damaged drywall. It's a race against time to prevent rot and stanch mold growth.
Next, it's time to remove those pungent smells and residue left behind by smoke and fire damage.
And if smoke damage isn't bad enough with its unpleasant appearance, it's also hazardous. Inhaling even a small amount of soot in the wake of a fire can result in smoke inhalation symptoms like coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, and even irritation and agitation. Plus, soot itself turns acidic over time.
So it's crucial for uyour chosen professional to get every affected spot if possible. It's absolutely essential to eradicate smoke damage as soon as possible, as it can become permanent, as well as contain carcinogens.
Now that all the problem areas are cordoned off, the water and smoke damage is taken care of, what’s next? It's time for the Five Star Restoration team to get to work bringing your home back to a semblance of normalcy.
After we fix fire damage, Five Star Restoration helps you install new drywall panels, flooring, and more. Get in contact with us about all of the different methods of restoring your home that we cover.
Although we're exploring what to do after a fire, it's always important to discuss safety measures to ensure your home is safe in the future. Here are some crucial fire safety tips to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario.
It's crucial that you openly discuss a cohesive fire safety plan with your family members. Work out a few potential exits in the case of a fire. Remember, if you live in an apartment building with an elevator, do NOT use the elevator. Always opt for the stairs.
Form a fire safety plan, then practice it with your family a few times a year to ensure everyone's on the same page.
While convenient, space heaters need monitoring. Always keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything, especially flammable material. And always remember to turn them off before leaving your home.
Space heaters have recently become front-page news regarding the tragic apartment fire in the Bronx. Don't become another cautionary tale.
While smoke alarms don't prevent fires, they're an invaluable method of preparing you and your family in the event of a house fire. And you'll be glad you had them
Remember to always check a smoke alarm's batteries.
You must set up smoke alarms on each floor, especially in the area right outside of sleeping areas.
With interconnected fire alarms, smoke alarms around the active fire will trigger the others in the house. This network of alarms gives you a massive window of time to prepare you and your family for evacuation.
Regardless of severity, fixing fire damage in your home can be a big task. That's why it's essential to call a repair and restoration company you trust.
Since this is a sensitive time for you and your family, we want to do everything we can to restore your home to its former beauty. Call the professionals who know damage restoration, inside and out.
Call us at 951-368-2227 for more information, and get your home and life back on track.
If you are not sure your location is in the areas we cover, or if you'd just like to chat or ask a question, give us a call.
We are committed to an excellent finished product and even better customer service. Rest assured that when we show up for your restoration needs, you'll be informed, confident and stress-free.
