Every Houston home can be better protected from fire with thoughtful prevention and good habits such as smoke detectors kept in good condition, a well-thought escape plan, and no candles left unattended.
When your home has suffered from fire damage, you will need comprehensive damage recovery services: removing soot, making structural repairs, and protecting your personal belongings. Common areas that require fire damage restoration are drywall, any rock or brick accents, and wood trim. The following are steps within the restoration process that you would expect your home to undergo.
Cleaning up after a fire is more complicated than just sweeping out the ashes. Soot from burned materials contains complicated molecules that make it very difficult to remove. Wiping the walls with water will just make the mess worse.
The acrid smoke and airborne chemical debris can cause damage to the finish of wood, mar metal, and etch glass. A DIY cleaning will not work. You need the experience and expertise of professional fire damage restorers.
The smell will not go away on its own as well. It could linger for several weeks in an enclosed space if not taken care of. After a fire, it’s important to clean thoroughly and ventilate as much as possible to improve indoor air quality.
Burning scented candles and perfumed aerosols are often used to remove smoke odor from a house. These remedies most often only mask the odor temporarily. but you will need a professional fire damage restoration to remove all traces of the fire left behind. For example, they may use an ozone generator to destroy the smoke molecules that are causing the overpowering odor.
Many house fires also cause water damage and losses due to firefighting efforts. After the fire department uses water to put out flames, you’ll need a team that can also provide water damage cleanup, drying, and remediation services beforehand.
Due to quick bacterial growth, professional restorers will assume that you now have a risk of mold growth in the home. Spores can start to flourish in wet areas in as little as 24-48 hours after firefighting efforts. The technicians will ensure that mold spores are properly taken care of as they find them.
If it is your habit to tackle home improvements step by step over several weekends, you’ll need to change your plans. Every night that you sleep in an unclean home after a fire can affect your health. Not only is it bad to breathe in smoke particles, but the residual from firefighting chemicals, construction dust, and airborne mold spores can all affect your lungs without you realizing it.
Call a professional fire damage restoration team ASAP. They will maximize resources and minimize dust at the worksite. You’ll get back to normal faster and with less stress. 24/7 Restoration Specialists is a full-service property restoration company. When your home or business is impacted by fire, your Katy neighbors are here to help. Locally owned and operated, their extensive experience has been helping property owners repair their properties and their lives after a disaster for years. As soon as it is safe to do so, let them be on-site to protect your home. Damage from smoke and soot will continue after the firefighters are gone. You risk damaging your property and belongings permanently by delaying the restoration process.