How is Fire Damage Cleaned?
The aftermath of a fire on a residential home or commercial property is usually devastating. Not only does it inflict emotional scars on the owners, but it also leaves physical property damaged, sometimes beyond recognition.
A widespread fire leaves catastrophic destruction in its wake. Soot covers damaged property and stains textured surfaces. Furthermore, porous surfaces like insulation, ceilings, and walls absorb smoke.
Recovering from fire damage can be hard, but it’s possible. And it’s easy to attain a sense of normalcy after a fire damage cleanup.
In this article, we will discuss how to clean up fire damage and the things you should know before starting fire damage restoration.
What Is Fire Damage Clean Up?
Knowing how to clean fire damage involves several challenging processes that address the fire damage, smoke damage, and water damage. It can also address structural damage to a home in cases of fire and severe heat.
Things to Know About Fire Damage Clean-Up
Stay in a safe zone
If the fire is still active, don’t run into the house to save your items. Leave the firefighters to do their work. If you inhaled smoke or experienced a burn, then seek medical attention immediately.
After the fire subsides, don’t go back. Ash, soot and toxic fumes from burned material can pose a serious threat to your health. Only go back if and when the fire department says the area is safe.
Contact your insurance company
After calling the fire department, call your insurance company. Inform them of your current predicament, then ask what steps you need to follow immediately. The faster they get informed, the faster you can hire a fire damage restoration company and prevent any further damage.
Stay calm and be patient
We understand fire damage can be very stressful. Try to remember that you’re starting a long process that involves lots of emotional and time-consuming activities.
You’ll feel scared and sad, but this is normal. Rather than fighting these emotions or resisting what happens, allow yourself to grieve the losses you’ve experienced. However, keep in mind that things will go back to normal eventually.
Clean-up is time-consuming
Cleaning fire damage takes days, weeks, and sometimes months. Cleaning, repairing, and replacing things won’t happen with a snap of the fingers. Make a plan, find a restoration company that knows how to clean fire damage, and remember that every day that passes brings you a day closer to the end result.
How Fire Damage Restoration Companies Clean and Deal with Fire Damage
Fire damage restoration companies have tons of experience and knowledge in handling damage caused by fires, and while you may not know how to clean fire damage, they will. They handle the most difficult and dangerous part of the cleanup and help homeowners at every step of the cleanup.
The restoration companies will carry out several cleanup processes, including:
- Getting rid of stagnant water
- Removing smoke and soot particles accumulated in vents and various parts of the building
- Removing and replacing damaged materials
- Removing the smell of smoke and improving air quality
- Disposing of irreplaceable items with the approval of the property owner
If you’ve received authorization from your insurance company, contact a reputable restoration company to help you clean and deal with fire damages.
In this case, we recommend Integrity Restoration, a company that understands the damage inflicted by fire and has over 18 years of experience dealing with fire damage. Integrity will restore your building to an acceptable state, ready for redecoration. Call today at 770-966-9987.