ServiceMaster Restoration by Neverman Construction Company helps homeowners during the worst times – just after they have lost their home and belongings after fire damage. We create the right plan for each situation and begin working immediately. This makes us true experts in all things fire damage cleanup and restoration in Columbus, Ohio and beyond!
Today, we're going to discuss the different types of damage fire can leave behind and some of the important things to know about fire damage cleanup. Once you're done checking out our tips, don't hesitate to reach out to us for anything; whether you have questions about fire damage cleanup or need emergency services right away, we're here to help!
How to Clean Your Home After a Fire:
Remain Calm
First and foremost, remain calm and remember that fire damage is one of the common types of disasters homeowners face. In fact, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire every 23 seconds, with a home fire occurring on average every 93 seconds in the nation. Goes to show you how common residential fire damage really is.
To keep your family safe and curb the amount of damage your home takes, you should remain as calm as possible. Remembering the dos and don'ts of responding to fire damage can help –
What to do if your house is on fire:
- Keep calm and collected
- Evacuate your family and pets
- Call 911
What to do after your home has been damaged by fire:
- Open windows and doors for ventilation if possible
- Document the damage with photos and notes
- Throw away any food or drink
- Limit movement inside your home to keep damage from spreading
- Begin to arrange for temporary living
Don't do these during or after a house fire:
- Do not attempt to collect items quickly after a fire starts
- Do not enter the house without approval from the fire department
- Do not handle damaged materials
- Do not begin to clean walls, floors, or anything else
At the end of the day, you'll want to ensure that you are making the safety of yourself and your family a priority in the face of disaster!
Gather Items for Temporary Living
Unfortunately, a home damaged by fire cannot be lived in comfortably or safely. To make sure your family is safe while your home is repaired, you'll want to make different living arrangements. The good news, though, is that homeowners insurance often covers temporary housing.
To make not living at home a bit more comfortable, you'll want to collect some items from your home, including medications and other essentials as soon as it's deemed safe to do so by a firefighter or fire damage restoration professional. Clothes can be gathered but may need to be washed beforehand to remove any fire or smoke residue left behind.
Contact Your Insurance Provider
You'll want to be sure to contact your home insurance provider early on to understand your coverage and what's covered and not covered by your insurance plan. Typically, your homeowners insurance will cover accidental fire damage, but it's always safe to double-check early on and inform your provider of your current situation to get the ball rolling.
ServiceMaster Restoration by Neverman Construction Company works with insurance providers daily, so whether you have any questions regarding the insurance process or need help filing things, you'll have the help you need to make sense of it all.
Understand the Extent of Damage
While everyone has seen fire damage before, homeowners often don't realize the extent of damage fires can leave behind, some of which isn't always apparent at first glance. Knowing the type of damage left behind by a fire can help you understand what you can expect from the fire damage restoration process:
Burn or Heat Damage
Fires are hot. So hot that the damage left behind from a fire is more than burnt items. A fire's radiant heat can make a room skyrocket to 600° Fahrenheit!
The rapid spread, hot temperatures, and destructive flames of house fires can cause all kinds of damage, including:
- Drywall damage
- Wood damage
- HVAC system damage
- Electrical system damage
- Appliance damage
- Glass window damage
- Foundation damage
- Discoloration of interior
Of course, this is just a small sample of what kind of damage you could expect to your home after a fire.
Smoke Damage
The smoke emitted from fires can negatively affect your health, among other things. Due to the tight hold smoke odor can have on your property, skip trying to clean it yourself and hire local restoration professionals for help.
The soot, ash, and smoke emitted from the fire will leave behind residue on anything and everything it can land on in your home, including furniture, electronics, curtains, walls, counters, and more, so it's very much normal to see smoke damage dozens of feet away from the original fire source.
Water Damage
While you may not consider it right off the bat, fire damage restoration is usually accompanied by water damage restoration to clean up any water damage that was left behind by firefighting efforts, whether the local fire department had to be called out or your building's sprinkler system took care of the blaze. Proper water damage restoration is essential to avoid nasty mold growth throughout your home!
Luckily, you won't have to handle finding all of your home's damage on your own. ServiceMaster Restoration by Neverman Construction Company will start your restoration with a full assessment of your property's damage, identifying what items can be salvaged, what needs to be removed, and what level of restoration will be required to get things back to normal.
Skip Do It Yourself Fire Damage Restoration
Forget do-it-yourself fire damage restoration! Even if the fire was contained to one spot in your home, the smallest kitchen fire, for example, can deal serious damage to your appliances, walls, vents, and more.
Enlisting the help of a fire damage restoration professional will give you peace of mind that all damage has been successfully identified and removed. It'll also help you avoid common dangers of do-it-yourself fire, smoke, and water damage cleanup, including:
- Prolonging the restoration process
- Not having the right restoration equipment
- Spreading smoke damage to other parts of your home
- Damaging your health due to a lack of protective gear
Using the wrong cleaning solutions, restoration processes, or tools can lead to more damage in your space, so it's essential to skip DIY fire damage cleanup and hire trusted professionals instead!
Enlist the Help of ServiceMaster Restoration by Neverman Construction Company for Fire Damage Cleaning & Repair
ServiceMaster by Neverman and its local team of professionals provide a wide variety of cleaning and restoration services for homes and business properties after fire, smoke, water, or mold damage, so regardless of your disaster, you can rest assured you are in good hands with our Columbus, OH restoration company!
Contact us online to request your Columbus fire damage restoration services!
