What To Expect During Restoration After a House Fire

3/14/2022 (Permalink)

Learn More about Restoration After a House Fire, by Following These Tips.

Even if the flames get extinguished before a total loss, a fire in your Salt Lake City, UT home still means dealing with the aftermath. After ensuring everyone’s safety and filing a claim, the next step is contacting a professional fire restoration company. Along with expertise with soot and smoke damage, a professional will also be able to properly correct any water damage sustained while the fire was being put out. Once the experts arrive, you can expect the following five steps to happen as they get your home back to once it what was.

Important Tips to Consider about Restoration After a House Fire

1. Damage Assessment

Before any work begins, an assessment of the damage needs to happen. First, it means ensuring the property is safe to enter. After that, the experts will inspect the property to determine the height of the flames, amount of water intrusion, contents affected and more. They will identify items that must be tossed, as well as possessions that will be able to be packed up to be taken to a secure site for deep cleaning and restoration.

This step provides the homeowner and insurer a solid understanding of how much work will be required, how long it will take and the estimated cost.

2. Property Securement

A key element of fire restoration is ensuring the property is secure. The last thing homeowners want is extra damage to an already damaged home. Work will be completed to board up openings and seal the roof to keep unexpected weather and intruders out. In some cases, a temporary fence will be installed. This step also involves removing perimeter debris and sealing off unaffected areas to reduce the potential of the damage spreading.

3. Dry Out

When it comes to damage cleaning, getting the home dry is critical. While that may seem strange when dealing with a fire, it’s likely a significant amount of water was needed to extinguish the flames. Water removal is essential to keeping mold and other secondary damage at bay. Professionals use industrial equipment to speed up this process, as well as have the knowledge and know-how to remove and water-logged materials prone to spreading the damage, such as drywall.

4. Cleanup

Before the home can be returned to its original state, deep cleaning must happen. The most intensive step of the process, it involves removing smoke and soot damage from all surfaces, inside and outside. Oftentimes, this will include cleaning the ducts to ensure that no lingering odors or damage is left behind. After cleaning, the home will be thoroughly deodorized and treated to eradicate mold growth.

5. Restoration

During this last step, repairs will be made to damaged areas. Depending on the extent of the damage, it may mean replacing or rebuilding the roof, walls, floors, cabinets and more. While it may seem overwhelming, it is a necessary task to ensure that the home is back to like new.

Dealing with a fire is never anything anyone wants to deal with. While fire restoration may not be a fast process, getting the right help means restoring your home to its preloss condition faster and more efficiently.