After The Fire: Starting The Restoration Process For Your Home Or Business

Fire & Smoke Damage: What to Expect

In the wake of a fire, don’t attempt to clean up and complete repairs yourself. It’s important for your health and safety to call in a restoration expert to assess the damage caused by fire, smoke, and water.

While we tend to think of the flames as the primary cause of destruction, smoke and soot can worsen the damage even after the fire has been put out.

Smoke:

• Smoke spreads to rooms that the fire didn’t reach, carrying with it destructively high temperatures, acidic components and corrosive properties that are damaging to metal items such as kitchen fittings and pipes.
• Smoke often discolors porous materials as well, including plastics, countertops, tiles, porcelain, and hardwood flooring.
• Along with a lingering unpleasant smell that can soak into carpets, rugs, drapes, furniture, clothing and other personal items, smoke residue can even degrade wallpaper and paint.

Soot:

Soot, a byproduct of fire, can be equally as damaging. Like smoke, soot has corrosive properties that can severely damage walls, floors, ceilings, insulation, rugs, carpets, furniture, mattresses, pillows, clothes and more. Soot can even cause electronics to short circuit.

Health Risks of Fire, Smoke & Soot

It’s important to understand the risks to your health and safety following a home fire or business fire. To avoid these risks, be sure not to re-enter your home or place of business until you’ve been told by the proper authorities that it’s safe to do so. Once inside your home or business, do not attempt to turn on gas, water, lights, or any utilities again until the authorities have given you the green light.

Be especially careful in the presence of soot, which comes with a wide range of health hazards. While not always visible to the naked eye, soot contains tiny particles that can be inhaled into the lungs. Soot can also contain a whole host of nasty chemicals. Prolonged exposure to soot has even been linked to a higher risk of cancer and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Given the ongoing damage and health risks that can happen even after the fire’s been put out, you will want to start the restoration process as soon as possible. You’ll also want to reach out to your insurance company to get the claims process started. Photographing and documenting all fire-damaged spaces and items can help streamline your claim.

Dealing with the aftermath of a fire can feel overwhelming. There are many Restoration Teams that will work quickly and expertly to inspect your property and create a plan for restoring your home or business. You don’t have to face the damage from a fire alone.