Addressing Fire Damage - Simple Tips To Do To Clean Up After a Fire

4/12/2019 (Permalink)

Fire damage is undeniably one of the most dreaded problems that could be experienced by any household. It is devastating, destructive, and it leaves marks that will remind you of the fateful events. For someone who experienced fire, the safety of family and pets comes first before your personal belongings. However, fixing smoke, fire damage together with water damage is a reality that you have to deal with once the whole estate has been put off from the smoldering disaster. In such situations of damage cause be fires be it a small incident or a catastrophe, it is important to know the ways to address the problem. It could be wise to get a contractor to do the task for you but for small and isolated problems, it is also important to know what to do to dry out the place, remove the fumes and restore the area to its regular self.

Prior preparation
Before making any clean up on the affected area, be sure that the fire marshal has already given you a go signal to enter the premises. The firemen should put off all fires, even burning ash can be a reason for new fires. You might want to call your insurance company also while on the waiting stage in order to have your damage assessed and see how much the coverage will be for the damage incurred on your property. Do not move anything until the insurance people are able to take pictures to serve as evidence. If you remove something or misplace anything, it might lower the appraisal value. Check also the electrical wiring. You can hire an electrical contractor to check the wires, outlets and switches if they were affected by the fire.

Start cleaning
If you are ready to address the fire damage, get started by wearing safety products like gloves and masks. Open the windows to let the smell out and let the fresh air in. take out all items that could result to mildew build up. For the water damage, if the damage is really very minimal like the stove top only or the cabinet, use a clean, absorbent mop or cloth to dry out the excess water. If the damage is too much for a cloth use a wet vac to suck all the water effectively. Since the smoke and fire can cause they are to smell, disinfect the area.

Clothing, drapes and carpets
Smoke can leave spots on fabric and it could leave nasty odors. Take them all out and wash them with a strong detergent. This will help in removing the odors. Anything that has been burned can be thrown away.

Washing the house off
While the place is still wet, take advantage of the moisture and wash the walls with a very mild soap. This is an important method to prevent the buildup of mold and mildew. Once the whole area has been cleaned but still is mildly wet, use an air blower to dry it out fast. If you have a dehumidifier, set up the equipment to the right humidity levels and let it take the extra moisture. This will also prevent the formation of mold and mildew.

Fixing fire damage is a very serious and rigorous task but you can still do on your own if you wanted to but be sure to do it fast so that microorganisms will not thrive. It might also be necessary to get a fire and water damage restorer to recover the house in no time, make it fresh smelling again and minimize the spots that remind you of that fateful moment.

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