Understanding the Fire Cleanup Process

1/21/2021 (Permalink)

A fire can cause your building structural, soot and smoke damage.

There are several types of damage that a fire can cause to your building in Roanoke Rapids, NC. Structural, soot and smoke damage all must be mitigated before the affected areas are ready to be used again. The fire remediation specialists that you hire to restore your building can keep you informed about what the cleanup process entails.

Steps for Fire Cleanup

Assessment

The first thing the mitigation team will do is assess the fire and soot damage. A representative will tour the building and create an initial report that includes vital information about the job:

• Extent of damage
  
• Existence or absence of secondary damage
  
• Actions needed to restore building
  
• Projected timeline for process completion
  
• Estimated cost of repairs
  

It may be helpful for the technician to assess your building while the insurance adjuster is present. It's useful to have someone there to verify the items on your claim are necessary.

Removal

All materials and items that are not salvageable must be torn out, removed and thrown away. This includes not only the things with irreparable smoke damage but also those that were ruined by the large amount of water needed to put out the fire.

Cleanup

All remaining surfaces must be dried and disinfected. Once the physical objects are clean, the air itself needs to be purified. Technicians may use an ozone machine or thermal fogger for smoke cleaning to reach the particles in every crack and crevice. This is necessary for removing the odor as well as the residue.

Restoration

Once everything is clean, the rebuilding process starts. The team puts in new insulation and drywall and replaces carpets, tile and wallpaper. You know you've hired a great restoration team when you can't tell where the previously damaged area begins.

No matter how extensive the smoke damage in your commercial building is, it's likely that the structure can be restored. Specialists can help you get rid of the damage and odors that the fire left behind.