Fire Damage Restoration: Six Steps to a Stress Free Recovery After a Fire

The Boy Scout’s motto urges you to always be prepared. While this is sound advice, there are plenty of things you cannot ever truly prepare for: the birth of a child, the loss of a beloved friend, and certainly the sight of a fire ravaging your beloved home or business. Although there is no way to truly prepare for such an event, there are plenty of ways to take action on the heels of a fire, all of which can mean the difference between a home being saved, and a home being lost to damage. Beginning the evaluation, minimization, and fire damage restoration process is essential to make sure that the home is saved from additional damage and unnecessary procedures down the road.

The Six Steps of Fire Damage Restoration

A basic understanding of the fire damage restoration process can help homeowners find peace of mind as they sort through restoration options. All homes may not require each and every step in order to achieve full restoration—particularly if the damage is minimal—but an understanding of the full process can prevent the possibility of coming upon any unwelcome surprises during the restoration process.

1. Initial Safety Assessment and Entry
In the initial assessment phase, fire restoration professionals will arrive at the home, determine that it is safe to begin the assessment and renovation process, and begin evaluating the extent of the damage. The amount of damage that has occurred will inform any next steps that must be taken. Although some homeowners choose to complete some of this process themselves, home renovation companies and experts are trained to recognize signs of damage even when homeowners might not notice or suspect that anything has gone awry.

2. Securing the Home
This step may be short or can extend over a few days, depending on the amount of damage a house has incurred. A home that has had a small fire, for instance, will likely have a great deal to secure and sort through to check for damage. Undamaged or salvageable items must be removed during the cleaning and renovation processes, so it is vital to complete this step as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Securing the home is important as the next step in the renovation, as this portion of the process allows home renovation professionals to prevent additional damage that might occur as the result of holes, weakened beams, or other structural damage. During this step of the process, home renovation experts may reinforce structures, remove any structures that pose a hazard, and secure any doors, windows, or roofing structures that leave the home open to the elements. This step often involves tarping any open spaces in the home.

3. Water Assessment and Removal
Not all homes with fire damage will also have a large amount of water damage, but many will have some damage occur while the fire is being extinguished. Examining a home for water damage is essential to addressing all potential issues within the home, and the process of assessing for water damage and drying out the interior will typically precede cleaning and debris removal.

4. Cleaning and Debris Removal
A house fire does far more than simply cause damage. A fire is a devastating event that leaves behind a truly enormous amount of wreckage and debris. Even small fires can burn through a great deal in a short amount of time, and are likely to leave plenty behind in need of cleaning. Soot, dirt, water, smoke residue, and items that have been burned will all be sorted through and either cleaned thoroughly or removed as part of the content restoration process.

5. Repairing the Home
Repairs typically cover structural damage and other foundational concerns that have occurred during a fire. Beams, walls, and other structures are all repaired during this step. Paint that has blistered or begun peeling as a result of heat exposure is sanded or removed, and all exposed wood will also be sanded down and stained or resealed to make sure damage does not escalate, and all renovation projects are completed with sturdy components.

6. Completing Renovations
The final step in the process is completing renovations, which usually involves replacing or reinstalling the drywall, paint, flooring, and other functional and aesthetic components of a home. The choices for renovation are vast: home and business owners can have their homes renovated to look and feel almost identical to the home before the fire or can use the renovation process to create something entirely new with the area.

Finding the Right Restoration Company

Discovering that your home has caught fire is one of the most difficult experiences homeowners have to go through. Understanding the next steps involved in saving the home can provide homeowners with some peace of mind and comfort as they sort through the aftermath of a fire. Although the home renovation process can initially seem daunting, it is a straightforward process that will usually follow the same basic pattern and process. If your home has suffered fire damage, there are two important components to keep in mind as you seek restoration experts: experience and speed. When searching for a home restoration expert, such as Master Restoration, remember to always seek out a company that can offer an expert team and a quick turnaround time, to make sure your home is in the best of hands and receives the help it needs as quickly as possible.