Cleaning up process after fire damage
Fire and smoke damage is one of the worst damages a property can subject to. After fire has been controlled, the clean up process is quite hectic and needs professionalism. In this article, we will discuss the proper cleanup process.
After a fire disaster, homeowners commonly want to know right away to what extent the fire has damaged their property. They want to see if there is anything left of their valuable possessions that are still salvageable. Understandably, fire victims want to immediately get into rebuilding and restoring their home and their lives. It may be tempting for property owners to go into the burn site area the instant it appears that the flames have died down. However, under no circumstances should anyone re-enter a fire-damaged property without the approval of the fire fighters first. Even if the fire seems to fully extinguished, flames can easily reignite with just a small gust of wind. The foundation holding up the property structure could be weak and crumbling after being damaged by the fire.
Fire Fighters
Fire restorers are armed with the right knowledge and the proper equipment needed in cleaning up after fire damage. They cannot only minimize further damage to a homeowner’s burned property, but they can also salvage precious belongings and restore them to their original condition. The outright cost of hiring fire restoration professionals may seem steep at first, but they could save homeowners a lot of money (not to mention save a lot of their original property) in the long run. They can determine which items can be saved and restored, instead of having the homeowner buy everything brand new.
Fire and smoke damage in Mississauga is not uniformly similar for all fire victims. It is therefore important to check the extent of the fire damage first before doing any cleaning. Doing so can help homeowners form a battle plan on how to proceed with the cleaning process. It will also help them estimate how much the cleanup is going to cost them.
Fire damage Clean up
Find out how much of the property has been damaged by fire. Also find out how much of the property has been damaged by the water used to extinguish the fire. Check which furniture pieces have been damaged and what their damages are. Determine how much time had passed since the fire occurred. Ideally, fast and immediate action should be undertaken when cleaning after fire damage. Many items might not be salvageable anymore especially if left in their current scorched state for some time. But if getting professional fire restorers is out of budget and still needs to be planned, there are some things that homeowners can do themselves to save some of their personal belongings.
- The first thing that homeowners can do themselves after Fire and smoke damage in Mississauga is to ventilate the fire damaged property. Open windows, use electric fans, switch on dehumidifiers – anything to get the air circulating within the area. Smoke particles and other toxic fumes trapped within the area need to be dispersed as soon as possible.
- Secondly, anything that had gotten wet such as clothes, draperies, wall-to-wall carpets, and rugs should be dried immediately. Hang them on clotheslines, lay them out under the sun, and use fans to help them dry quicker. If these things are left wet, mold and mildew could form on them and make cleaning a lot harder.
- The same goes for floors, walls, and other parts of the house that are made of wood. These need to be dried to prevent damage from mold and mildew. Removing a wet carpet cannot only save the carpet itself, but also the wooden floor that may be underneath.
- Cover any furniture, fabrics, and other small items that are dry, clean and have not sustained fire damage with a plastic cover. Take these out of the house while the repairs and restoration are going on. Keep them safe and away from the other fire damaged items so that soot and smoke odors will not transfer between them.
- In the clean up process after Fire and smoke damage in Mississauga, carpets, rugs, clothing, and other textiles need to be rid of soot stains before cleaning or deodorizing. Because it is so easy to accidentally mark other surfaces with soot, these things should be first carefully removed and taken out of the house. It is wise to let professionals take care of both the cleaning and the transferring of soot-stained items.
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