A Building Owner's Guide to Fire Restoration Methods and Services

2/4/2021 (Permalink)

fire damage to house

It was almost midnight when the candle caught your drapes on fire. If it hadn't been for your dog panic barking to wake you up, you might not have made it out in time!

Studies show that there were about 379,600 residential fires reported in the United States in 2018 alone! So, many people have had to go through the same nightmare that you did.

Now that the fire is out and the fire trucks have gone, how do you fix the damage that the fire inflicted on your home? Keep reading to learn all about the methods professionals use in fire restoration.

Top Causes of Residential Fires

While there are no limits to the ways a home could catch on fire, there are a few causes that occur more often than the others. Here are the most common causes for house fires.

• Cooking
• Heating Appliances
• Smoking in the Home
• Faulty Electrical Equipment
• Unattended Candles
• Faulty wiring

Try to mitigate these risks as best as you can. If your home does catch fire, the repairs can cost between $3000 and $40,000 depending on the extent of the damage.

Fire Restoration Methods

When you call in professionals to restore your home, there are a few processes that they go through. These are the 4 major methods they use for fire damage repair and restoration.

Water Damage Repair

When the fire department comes to put out a house fire, they use lots and lots of water. All that water sitting in your home will cause further structural damage if not dealt with right away.

They may set up dehumidifiers or large fans to help dry the area and help prevent mold from growing. The dehumidifiers and fans help draw water out of the walls and floors as well.

Soot Removal

Do you see a fine layer of black or grey covering your belongings? That's soot left behind when something burns until there's nothing left but carbon.

You'll want to clean up the soot fast too. If you leave soot on a porous surface like fabric for too long, you'll never get it all the way out again!

Smoke Damage Repair

After the soot and water damage, the next step is to look at any smoke damage. Regular cleaning methods may get all the visible soot, but you'll want to do a deep clean to get all the smoke remnants out of the cracks, crevices, and fabrics.

Burn Damage Repair

The last method is to remove anything that the fire touched. You may love your Mom's old stuffed animal, but if it has char on it, you'll need to get rid of it.

Don't Let a House Fire Be a Total Loss

No one wants to go through the trauma of your home going up in flames. But, with any luck, it doesn't have to be the end of your life!

As the professionals take care of restoring your home, focus on your family and finances. If you feel overwhelmed, don't shy away from asking for help.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you learned a few things about fire restoration methods. If you have any questions about this article, or if you need home restoration services in the Tallahassee area, contact us today!