Dealing with fire damage is far from easy. It can even be overwhelming, especially when your property has been severely damaged by the flames. But no matter how far the damage has spread, it’s important to start the recovery process as quickly as possible (especially if you want to minimize your costs and downtime).
As soon as you have made sure everyone is safe and the flames have been put out, you should call a fire restoration expert as soon as possible. But you may have questions about the process or what to do. Here are some of the common questions people ask about fire damage restoration.
While the answer to this question will depend on the extent of the damage, most types of fire damage can be repaired. A fire restoration expert will be able to perform a detailed inspection, so he or she can assess the damage. Steps will then be taken to mitigate the amount of excess moisture that resulted from firefighting efforts. Soot and ash residue will also be removed before restoring any structural elements and belongings that have been damaged by heat, flame, or smoke.
Property owners will want to start the fire restoration process and do everything they can themselves to make it more efficient, but using household cleaning agents of any kind can make the damage worse. It can cause the residue to smear and seep even deeper into the affected material.
It’s best to wait for the restoration technicians to arrive because they have the right equipment, products, and resources to safely restore your building materials and personal belongings. But there is one thing you can do to help with the fire restoration process. You can set aside any items that must be restored first. It will help the technicians be more efficient during the restoration process.
The time it takes to restore a property from a fire will depend on the extent of the damage. If the fire only affected a single area (such as the roof), it may not take very long. But if there’s destruction that spans across multiple floors, it can take days or even weeks to restore. Commercial buildings (such as offices and warehouses) will usually take longer than residential homes because of their size and because they have to pass an inspection with the city.
The answer to this question will also depend on the extent of the damage. If the structure is unstable or has no working utilities (such as water and electricity), you should temporarily relocate. But for smaller fires that only affected one area of the house, you may have more flexibility with your decision. You will still have to think about other factors (such as noise disruption and the presence of smoke smell). In the end, it’s up to you to decide if you want to leave or stay.
You should take any personal belongings and valuables with you when you relocate. Some of them can include but may not be limited to:
-Family valuables (such as coins and artwork).
-Personal documents.
-Checkbooks, cash, and credit cards.
-Medications.
You also want to think about what you may need during that time.
In most cases, the contents of your home or building will be restored on-site. But there are times when the property has suffered so much damage that it’s impossible to do so. If the structure is unstable or doesn’t allow for ideal conditions, your personal items will have to be inventoried, packed, and delivered to a climate-controlled facility so they can be properly restored.
It can be hard to remember any specific items inside your home that were damaged, but any general information (such as the quantity, year it was purchased, and price) will be enough to have your insurance company cover the cost.
It’s a good idea to leave the HVAC unit turned off until it has been inspected by a fire restoration expert, because the fire might have affected it without you even knowing it. So, turning it on can cause soot particles to spread throughout the property.
If you’re looking for one of the best fire restoration services in the Coastal Bend, be sure to reach out to Gulf Shore Disaster Service.