Finding a New Normal after a House Fire
The U.S. Fire Administration has some interesting and encouraging statistics for homeowners concerned about fires. They are happening less! According to USFA, there were 1.24 million house fires in the U.S. in 2013 – a 21.6 percent decrease from 2004! There were also 21 percent fewer deaths related to fires from 2004 to 2013, and 6.6 percent fewer injuries. Plus, the cost of fire losses has also dropped 10 percent – from $10.35 million in 2004 to $11.5 billion in 2013.
Despite those stats, however, house fires remain all too common. They happen from simple mistakes, and from acts of Mother Nature. Each, not matter the cause, is traumatizing to the family involved. This is where professional restoration companies, like Clean Masters in Summerville, come into the picture. Clean Masters has the ability to work directly with your insurance company to get your home restored and you back home and finding your new normal as quickly as possible.
Let’s take a look at the basic fire damage restoration process.
Assessing the damage & scope of work.
As soon as Clean Masters arrives on the scene, we get to work assessing the extent of the damage. This will help determine the equipment and supplies needed to restore your home, as well as the size crew we should send in. Restoration companies can work closely with your insurance company and adjuster to ensure work is being done according to what your policy will cover.
Remove and clean or toss damaged items.
Any items beyond repair will be removed and properly thrown away.
Depending on the severity of the fire, items like your dishes, photos, and appliances may be salvageable. They will be carefully packed up to be cleaned with special tools and techniques by contents cleaning experts at Clean Masters. These skilled cleaning technicians will carefully go through all your items and save everything they can. When the cleaning process is done, the
Clean, restore and deodorize.
Professional restoration companies use professional-grade chemicals, disinfectants, and cleaning products during the fire damage restoration process. Every single surface touched by smoke or fire will either be replaced or thoroughly cleaned. This means cleaning all the walls, framing, countertops, inside and outside of cupboards.
During the cleaning process, it is important technicians clean areas you can’t see. While you may never see the soot trapped between your cabinets and the kitchen wall, that soot will leave a pungent smoke smell in the air for a very long time if not properly cleaned and all the sources of the smoke odor treated properly.
Move back in!
We wouldn’t say you are ready to get things back to normal. After a house fire, it is often about finding a new normal. However, you can rest a little easier knowing everything has been properly restored to its pre-loss condition and odors removed. When you look around, there should be no more visible evidence of the fire, nor any lingering smoke odors.
