A fire can cause devastation, and even in the most contained cases, requires an extensive clean-up process long after it’s been put out. From fire and smoke damage to water damage caused by sprinklers and hoses, broken down doors to blown-out windows, if your property has experienced a moderate to severe fire, repairing the damage is a painstaking and detailed process.
Repairing after a fire can seem intimidating, but as with all big jobs, breaking it down into smaller tasks makes it much easier to deal with. Following this method you’ll also be able to see how work is progressing, adding positivity to the process.
Step 1 – Assess the Damage
Once the building is declared safe to enter by professionals such as the fire crew, it’s time to assess the true damage caused. If the damage seems largely aesthetic, it’s still important to carefully consider every area and room within the building for structural safety and integrity, even if they weren’t directly affected by fire or smoke.
Step 2 – Collect Evidence
Take photos to document the damage for your insurance company’s loss adjusters and if you choose to work with us, to make it easier for the Action Insurance Repair loss assessors to calculate an appropriate quote for your insurance payout. If you are removing damaged furniture and furnishings such as carpets and fitted kitchen units, be sure to keep them wherever possible so that your insurance company can see the damage for themselves.
Step 3 – Minimise the Damage
Damage can occur long after the fire has been extinguished, and the root cause of this is from residual smoke and soot in the air. It’s important to be very mindful of soot staining, mildew and mould build-ups that can happen in the aftermath of a fire, as well as the corrosion of metal surfaces, electronics and even structural ballasts. Remove all the furniture you’re planning to restore and ready the building for cleaning. Professionals should begin the smoke-damage restoration process on your furniture immediately to increase the chance of a complete successful restoration.
Step 4 – Purify the Air
Air quality takes a nosedive after a fire, and your property will not be safe for occupants until all remaining pollutants from the smoke damage has been removed. Action Insurance Repair’s quality assured contract cleaners use smoke-damage cleaning products like air scrubbers and air movers to clean the air, and take care to deep clean any surfaces that may have absorbed smoke.
Step 5 – Dry and Dehumidify
The next step in repairing a fire damaged property is to remove all the standing water and excess water that might be absorbed in the property. Professionals should clean up any standing water as soon as possible before running other water restoration equipment. At Action Insurance Repair, we can arrange for our quality assured contractors and cleaning professionals to install air movers and commercial dehumidifiers to dry everything out properly.
Step 6 – Deep Clean
Once your insurance loss assessors and adjusters are satisfied with your claim, it’s time to get cleaning. Start planning carefully which items need to be cleaned and restored, and which would be safer to be replaced. Professional cleaners – which Action Insurance Repair can provide – can use specialist cleaning products to de-odourise and remove mildew, smoke and mould, so bear this in mind when discarding items with little to no damage.
Step 7 – Redecorate
Once your property is safe, dry and clean, you can start the redecoration process. Some people prefer to wait until their insurance payments clear before beginning to redecorate, but if you’re in a hurry to get back to normal, it’s understandable that you’d like to paint and plaster as soon as possible. Again, the Action Insurance Repair team includes quality assured contractors who can carry out work on your property quickly and efficiently with the utmost care.
If you’d like more information about the fire damage repair services we can provide totally free of charge to you, please call 01254 665 333.