Fire damage can cause devastating consequences to a home or business. Time is of the essence when it comes to dealing with the aftermath, as it is likely that the impact will be worse if you do not act quickly when cleaning up after a house fire.

How fire and smoke damage can affect your home

No two fire incidents will be the same, and fire and smoke damage can go further than physical destruction. The contaminants involved in a fire are dependent on many variables such as temperatures, household materials, building construction methods and building materials, as well as the time frame that the fire or smoke was left untreated. These variables alongside the cause of the fire can also affect the fire damage cleaning cost and repair process.

Aside from fire damage such as heat devastation and burnt materials, it is common for there to be water damage following the extinguishing methods and the need to detect leaks from damaged bathroom or kitchen equipment. These are examples of secondary damage (damage that occurs after the incident within the subsequent few weeks) by a fire damage restoration company.

Smoke damage is often overlooked if it isn’t visible to the naked eye. The toxins and chemicals from smoke particles can cause future health concerns such as respiratory issues and even premature death if affected materials are not removed and appropriately decontaminated by specialists. This is why such importance should be placed on having your home or business fully de-contaminated professionally with the appropriate fire damage cleaning products.

The importance of immediate fire damage restoration

Fire damage leads to corrosion that, if not dealt with quickly, can limit the success rate of fire damage restoration. Decontamination must take priority within the fire’s stabilisation phase to mitigate further damage and maintain the potential of fire damage restoration over replacement. With more damage comes higher fire restoration costs, and a longer claim life cycle which may involve the need for a home or business to be vacant for an extended period. Polygon’s priority is to get people’s lives back to normal as soon as possible, which means that taking rapid action immediately in cleaning up after a house fire, is vital to be able to achieve this.

The 5 steps of a fire damage restoration project

There are several steps within a fire restoration process, which guide the direction of the project.

1. The Fire Damage Restoration Company is Notified

The fire damage restoration company is notified as quickly as possible after emergency services have finished putting out the fire and investigating the cause. Once the emergency services have declared the property safe to enter, the restoration company and smoke damage cleaners can act accordingly.

2. Assessment of the Situation

An assessment is carried out by the restoration company and loss adjusters to determine the extent of the property and contents damage. This step gauges the route that will be taken to restore the property by the smoke damage cleaners and the associated fire damage cleaning cost and estimated time frame.

3. Prevent Further Damage

Initially, action will be taken to prevent further damage. For example, if there is a water leak, the source must be identified and dealt with before the fire decontamination can commence. Fire damage cleaning costs will be reviewed at this stage to complete the necessary preventative work.

4. Smoke, Dust and Soot Decontamination

The fire damage repair will begin with decontamination of smoke, dust and soot. Methods for this may vary but include using appropriate fire damage cleaning products for tasks such as pressure washing, air scrubbing/cleaning, steam cleaning, dry cleaning or thermal odour removal. The restoration company will remove damaged furniture to be decontaminated or disposed of if unrepairable.

5. Contents and Property Restoration

Fire restoration will then take place for the contents and the property. When cleaning up after a house fire, the priority will be to restore and renovate the property to a pre-fire state as accurately as possible, without the need for replacement.     

For useful tips prior to or after a fire, take a look at our Simple Steps.

Financial and Sentimental Benefits of Fire Restoration 

There are many benefits to using a fire damage restoration service over replacement, most notably the cost savings it can afford insurers. Not only does it save money being spent on new building materials and fire damage cleaning costs, but it saves money on resources, time and home occupants’ alternative accommodation costs.

Additionally, fire damage repair offers sentimental benefits to policyholders whose personal items are often the hardest to face losing. A favourite toy, business records or family photographs, for example, are irreplaceable. At Polygon we understand what this distress means to claimants and so we consider contents restoration as critical to the overall repair process when cleaning up after a house fire.

Call us today on 01480 442327 to find out how we can help you with fire damage restoration solutions.