It is devasting to see your house burn. A home is a place built out of love and many invaluable things that cannot be replaced once burned.
It is easy to read about fire-related incidents, but one cannot imagine the loss of that person who has to face this. Fire is multi-level damage as it causes water damage and smoke damage with it.
This blog talks about the restoration steps one must take after fire and water damage.
Securing The Premises:
Fire may create several holes in the roof, windows, or doors. It leaves several areas exposed. The fire and water damage can thus harm the place drastically.
Once the fire is let out by the fire department, your insurance policy will make sure that your home is safe from potential burglars or looters. They will send a restoration team to cover all the windows, doors, or holes to protect your home.
Drying The Place:
You may never think about this fact, but fire can cause water damage as well. If there is an excessive fire, the firefighter must use excess water to control it.
The fire can even lead to the melting of pipelines, and they may burst open. Excess water will damage the belongings more, and if they are not dried out, then mold may start to grow on them.
Fire Crew members have expertise in minimizing this fire and water damage by using specialized tools for drying the place entirely and reducing humidity there to prevent further damage.
Corrosive Nature Of Soot And Water:
Merely by extinguishing the fire, one cannot reduce the damage. There are smoke and soot particles in the place, which can cause further damage.
If water is not dried out, then mold may grow on it, making it unit for usage further. Similarly, the soot particles can react with the flooring and material due to their reactive property. Soot can lead to permanent staining and discoloration of things.
Clean-up of your places on an urgent basis to reduce the fire and water damage any further.
Throwing The Unnecessary Items:
The fire not only damages the external structure but equally harms all the things inside it. The fire burns out belonging, which usually carries some sentimental and emotional values. It is essential to identify the material which can be used or salvaged, and the rest needs to be thrown away.
All the food items which are either perishable or non-perishable as the fumes and soot particles might have mixed with them, making them rancid and unfit for consumption. Throw all the clothes that have been affected by the fire and water damage and get the rest of the cloth dry cleaned or launder before use so that they do not cause any allergy.
Throw out all the medicines and cosmetics as they have become unfit for further usage. Never keep anything as it may affect your health. Always refer to your restoration company if you have no idea how to clean it or help you with usage.
Cleaning The Debris:
After a few days, when all the things have turned to ash, it is time to clean the ash and the debris on the site. It is essential to follow the safety precautions as these substances contain carcinogens that can cause cancer.
Wear an N-95 mask or P-100 on the face with long boots and gloves in hand. I prefer to wear long pants and a full-sleeved shirt to avoid any skin infection. Take a bath after the clean-up.
It is preferable to hire a professional company to look after the cleaning of debris.
Restoration And Moving Back:
Once your home is declared safe, your insurance adjuster would visit the site to do an assessment. After the assessment is done, the claim amount is disclosed, and the possible repairs are done in the structure caused by the water and fire damage.
Once your house is restored, you can move back in and start living your life again.
The Bottom Line
This disaster may affect you financially and emotionally as it is not easy to see your house burn down to ash and sometimes leaves a scar for life that cannot be healed.
But what matters is that You and Your Family are safe. Do not panic in such a situation and take steps quickly. Always call the fire department and then a restoration company to make your place habitable again.
