“An average of 358,500 homes experience a structural fire each year” that’s a surprising number since more often than not we just assume it will never happen to us. You never know when a fire might happen. So it is best to at least be prepared with the knowledge of how to fix fire damage when it occurs. In this article, I’m going to teach you just that, how to fix fire damage.
After a fire, homes and businesses usually have a few different kinds of damage not just from flames and smoke, but also from the water used to stop the flames from spreading. Either way, if you experience fire damage you’re most likely going to want to get things back to normal as soon as possible. While each different scenario is quite different and requires a somewhat unique battle plan. Some parts of the fire damage restoration process remain more or less consistent.
The first step is assessing the degree of fire damage.
You must examine the damaged area. It is important to make sure all damage is discovered before any restoration plan is made. you have to check everywhere, the floor may have water damage from the water used to put out the fire. if something like this is overlooked then it is bound to lower the value of your property if repairs are made on top of that. Having professional help assessing the scene will make sure nothing goes missed, they know exactly what to look for.
You are going to want to isolate unsafe areas. fire and water damage can weaken foundations and structures. Unsafe areas must be strengthened or blocked off entirely. Measures should be taken to protect the unsafe area from further damage from the elements.
Remove any water that was used to put out the fire and dry the area.
If any water remains in the area it must be removed as quickly as possible to prevent further damage. If ignored mold and rot will have time to set in lowering the value of your property and making more work for the future.
The next step is removing soot and smoke residue. The professionals use some high-grade equipment for this process. Some of that equipment includes ozone machines, Hydroxyl machines, thermal foggers, and dry ice blasting machines. Most of this equipment can be rented, but I suggest calling your local fire damage restoration professionals to get the job done right!
The final two steps are to sanitize and clean, and then repair and restore. Sanitize and clean all the property that was damaged and throw away any unsalvageable materials. After that is completed you should be ready for the repair and restoration process. This could include drywall replacement, painting, carpet or floorboard removal and installation. Sometimes even reconstructing areas on the property.
In my opinion, calling your local fire damage restoration professionals will sometimes cost more than just doing it yourself, but in the long run you will probably save some money not having to redo certain projects that could’ve been done right the first time. This is fire damage we are talking about, do-it-yourself YouTube videos aren’t gonna help like they do with other projects!