Water Fire Damage Clean Up & Restoration Guide

Perhaps one the most devasting experience one can have in his/her life time is having his/her home burned to the ground together with everything in it that has been collected over the years.  Stll you will have to relive the sense of loss as you go through the burned items to see if something can still be saved.  However, you have to be very careful in doing this because going inside a place after fire can be extremely dangerous.  Places that might look to be untouched by the fire might just need a little touch to totally disintegrate or collapse.  You will have to ask a professional to look over the place and declare it completely safe to enter before you do so.

If your house is insured and have a coverage that you can claim for almost the entire value of what you have lost, you have to make sure that you do all that is necessary so that there will be no failure of insurance and you can get what is due you.  There are things you should do and avoid doing in respect to damage caused by smoke and fire.

After a fire, it is just normal for the home owner to want to find out as soon as possible what is left of their properties.  But this is foolhardy and should keep in mind to follow some guidelines prior to entering the premises:

What to Do

• Constrain movement so as not to spread the ashes and soot which could further soil and damage carpets and upholstery
• Avoid touching the furniture, walls and other surface with dirty hands
• Cover  the rugs carpet and furniture with towels or old blankets
• Since for sure electricity will be off, all frozen food items should be removed from your refrigerators and freezers and keep the doors open to keep it ventilated.
• Furniture and fixtures with chrome can be cleaned with oil or Vaseline
• You will have to clean your airconditioning and heating system as well as replace the filters.

What Not To Do

Attempting to clean the painted walls and surfaces or shampoiing carpets, rugs and upholstery on your own is not advisable.  You should let a professional restoration company do the job.  If you insist on doing it on your own, chances are, you will not achieve the desired result.

• Electrical appliances that could have been exposed to extreme heat or water should be checked out by a professional electrician to avoid accidents, such as electrocution.
• Canned food or any kind of packaged food that has been exposed to the fire should no longer be eaten as they might already be contaminated with toxic substances.
• Electrical fixtures such as ceiling fan should not be turned on at once because the ceiling might still be wet and affect electrical wirings.
• Soiled clothes that are still salvageable should not be brought to and ordinary wash & dry but to a professional dry cleaner to properly deal with the smoke odor and stains.

Fire damage cleanup is more complicated than you think and following the above rules can make restoration and cleanup a lot easier and efficient.  Following these guidelines will increase the possibility of getting the maximum out of your insurance claims.  Look for a reputable professional restoration company who can get the cleanup job efficiently and expeditiously.

After The Flood Comes Cleaning Up the Damage

After the flood comes the daunting job of flood clean-up; and if you want to seriously salvage your properties, then you should act quickly.  First, you have to endeavor to remove the items from the flood water and remove the excess water because the longer the flood water stays in your home soaking it and everything that is in it, the greater work it will entail for rehabilitation.  Excessive water in whatever form can ruin anything it touches; items made of paper will be unrecognizable in minutes; carpets can be soiled  and stained; wooden furniture can warp, get deformed and discolored in hours, even walls can soften and disintegrate.  Within 24 hours, stagnant flood waters can cause bacterias and molds to develop making our home temporarily unsafe for living.  I believe this time, you will have to employ the services of a reputable restoration company posthaste to start restoring your home, your properties and your life to a modicum of normalcy.

Have Flood Damage Properties Cleaned Up by Professinals

Cleaning up of flood damaged properties is best left to expert restoration or clean-up companies because it might not even be safe for you to enter the house.  The most common damage that can happen to your flooded property as well as the furniture and fixtures is the widespread development of molds and mildew, a form of fungus that can cause certain illnesses such as allergies, cancer and other diseases caused by bacteria.  It can enter your lungs through inhalation and cause lung damage.  Molds, under the right circumstances, that is, humidity and dampness, can develop within 24 hours.  Thus, it is highly advisable to employ the services of professional restoration company to clean-up and disinfect your home before setting foot on it again.

Water can also cause the house structure a lot of damage as soaked wooden walls and ceilings could warp, weaken or worse, disintegrate.  Have a professional inspect the building first to see if it is still habitable.

Advantages of Employing A Professional Clean-Up Company for Flood Damage

Aside from having your house professionally cleaned and restored, the clean-up company can also help get a proper estimate of the things that has been damaged and the cost of its restoration or replacement.  If there are things that can still be saved from your house, you have to endeavor to do so. This is important when you start to deal with your insurer as they will surely want to find out the extent of your claims.  The clean-up company can work with the insurance company directly so you can claim almost 100% of your loss.  This will make the task putting your life back in order a little easier in addition to being secured in the knowledge that everything has been professonally taken cared of expeditiously and competently to make your house livable again. 

Cleaning up your flood damaged property without delay is the key to saving your house from further damage.   Only a professional clean-up company who have the right cleaning and restoration equipment can do the job efficiently and fast.  Your insurer can refer you to a reputable company to help you with your needs.