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What Does Fire Damage Restoration Include?

Suffering from a house or business fire is one of the most impactful and devastating disasters one can endure. The sheer devastation that fire and smoke can cause can be overwhelming, not to mention the danger that unexpected fires pose.

While you are busy getting everyone out of your home or building safely, fire could be ravaging its way through the levels of your property. In fact, even a small fire that is contained to a single room can have lasting effects all over your home.

Unfortunately, your ordeal isn’t over just yet once the fire has been extinguished. Fire damage can be extensive, and tackling it right away is essential for a full recovery.

But what does fire damage restoration include, and why is it so important after a fire? Let’s dive into the details of fire damage restoration below.

What Causes House Fires?

No one wants to suffer a house fire, but they are actually more common than you may think. Approximately 350,000 house fires are reported every year, and a few hundred deaths are reported as a result.

The good news is that house fires are largely preventable as long as you put in the work and are diligent about fire safety in your home. Some of the most common causes of house fires include:

Kitchen mishaps or electrical appliances
Unattended candles
Fireplaces
Faulty wiring
Smoking accidents

In most cases, house fires result from some sort of negligence. Even stepping away for a minute from a candle or a boiling pot on a stove can be enough time for a spark to catch and spread.

How Fast Does Fire Spread?

Once a fire starts, it is imperative that you get it under control right away. Within 30 seconds, a small flame will grow into a large fire by consuming curtains, walls, and other flammable materials.

After one minute, black smoke fills the room, and after two minutes, blackout conditions are more likely. This makes it much harder to navigate safely to an exit.

After five minutes, your entire home may be engulfed in flames. Once that happens, exiting safely can become really difficult or even impossible.

If you cannot extinguish your fire quickly, you need to back away and prioritize finding a safe exit with you and your family. Call 911 once you are outside and meet up with your family at your pre-determined meeting location.

What To Do After a Fire

Once the fire is out, and you have determined that your family is safe, call a trusted fire damage restoration team to help you fully recover. Attempting to clean up the fire damage on your own can be dangerous, and it can even be impossible without the right training and equipment.

To start, a project manager will come out to your home to evaluate your property and to assess the damage. Common home damage after a fire includes:

Structural damage
Residual soot
Smoke odors
Water damage

Your entire property will be evaluated, even the rooms that the fire didn’t reach. This is because soot and smoke can travel all over your home, even if the fire was contained to a single room.

Once the assessment is complete, your restoration plan will be created to restore every part of your home.

The Steps of Structural Fire Damage Restoration

Structural damage is perhaps one of the most obvious types of damage after a house fire. Fire can rip through drywall, hardwood, and carpet with ease; it will melt plastic and wiring, and it can make glass bend and soften.

When the fire is out, it will be obvious which parts of your home will need structural restoration. A professional fire damage restoration team will start by removing fire-damaged debris and assessing the space(s) for safety. If the floor was severely damaged, additional supports would be needed to ensure everyone’s safety.

Once your space is secure, it will be rebuilt from the ground up with new and approved materials.

Smoke and Soot Removal

One of the more overlooked parts of house fire restoration is smoke and soot. Soot is a fine layer of carbon that is left behind after a fire is extinguished. It is incredibly light and can travel through the air all over your home before settling onto your floors, furniture, and clothes.

Smoke is also troublesome and sneaky! Smoke odors can work their way into your soft materials like couches and curtains, and this odor can linger for years if it is not properly treated.

Thankfully, a professional fire restoration team can help tackle smoke and soot with ease. The air will be filtered with air purifiers, and specialized equipment can pull smoke odors from your possessions without damaging them further. Industrial vacuums are also used to remove soot without creating more dust.

Water Damage After a Fire

Did you know that water damage is also a common problem to deal with after a house fire? When firefighters show up to put out your fire, they will use copious amounts of water and chemicals to extinguish the flames. While this process is essential, it also leaves behind a serious amount of water and a messy situation.

The longer you wait to have your home professionally restored, the greater the risk you run of a suffering from mold or rot on top of everything else.

Water damage restoration includes removing the standing water as well as the hidden moisture behind your walls and under your floors.

Possession Recovery After a Fire

It is always the goal of any professionally trained restoration team to help you recover your belongings rather than having to replace them. Doing so requires some intricate and delicate restoration work! Fragile belongings like documents and books can be carefully dried, sentimental furniture and blankets can undergo deodorization, and even clothes can be restored to their former glory.

Unfortunately, it is the truth that some things simply cannot be saved after a fire. Your fire damage restoration team will work with you if those discussions have to occur, and they can handle removing any debris from your home.

Recovering from a house fire is possible if you rely on a fire damage restoration team to help. Call Exit Mold right away for a complete recovery!

Don’t let a house fire take control! Call the team at Exit Mold today, and we will help you recover after a fire disaster.

Meta: Wondering what fire damage restoration includes and why it is necessary after a fire? Exit Mold explains the details around fire damage restoration.