A house fire can be on the most frightening things you ever go through, especially if you and your family are home when the fire breaks out. Even if the fire department gets there in a timely fashion, the odds are good that you have a long road ahead of you. The water used to put out the fire can cause damage to each floor, and even rooms untouched by fire damage will have some smoke damage. When you know what to do, you can recover and get back to living in your home faster.
Go Through the House
As soon as the fire department gives you permission to go through your home, you need to get inside and start looking at the damage. You can pay for a professional inspection that lets you know the types of repairs that our home needs. This also gives you the chance to see which items you can save and which things need to go in the trash. Though you might think that you need to trash everything, many things are salvageable. Use trash bags and garbage bags to separate out what you want to keep.
Handle Smoke Damage
Depending on the severity of the smoke damage, you might want to open the windows and let the house air out for a bit. Using air deodorizers can neutralize those smoke scents. Smoke that penetrated deep inside the walls is harder to cope with, but you can usually use a few coats of primer and new paint to trap the smoke inside the walls and keep it out of the air. You’ll need to clean all the tiled and wood floors in your home and use a carpet shampooer or rug cleaner on other surfaces.
Cope with Water Damage
Water damage can happen because of the hoses that helpers used to put out the fire, but water damage restoration services will restore your home back to its natural state. Experts use pumps to remove standing water and any excess water for the home before using commercial fans to help dry out the walls, floors and other areas. These experts can also inspect the property to let you know if you need to replace any of your floors or if there is water damage that requires you repair or replace drywall.
A fire can break out at any time of the day, including while you’re at work in the morning or in the middle of the night as you sleep. The damage can occur in just one room or in every room. When you know what to do about smoke and water damage, you can make your house habitable again faster.
