Fire's Out. Now Prevent Further Damage.

9/11/2015 (Permalink)

The best way to prevent further fire damage to your home is to contact a professional restoration company that specializes in fire damage cleanup.

After a fire in your home you can minimize further damage by following some simple guidelines like these.

1. Be sure you have permission from your fire marshal to re-enter your home.
2. Get the air moving. Open windows to ventilate areas. Install a fan to circulate air. (But see #3)
3. If your home has substantial water damage and the weather is warm, you will probably need to keep the
windows shut and run a dehumidifier. In cold weather, your heating system is operating and the cold air will usually help
remove the moisture. In this case, change your furnace filter daily until it shows no soot.

Need Soot Removal Services? Call (860) 216-2785

4. Dry wet items as soon as you can. Use fans and dehumidifiers to dry carpets and draperies. If not thoroughly dried, carpets and
floors underneath may be quickly damaged beyond repair by mold and mildew.
5. Don't attempt to clean any household textiles (like drapes and carpets) unless you know the proper procedure. You can cause additional damage.
6. Before carpets, draperies, upholstered furniture, and clothing can be deodorized or cleaned, the soot must be removed. Because soot is oily, it easily stains items. This is why these items should not be touched after a fire. We recommend you hire a professional fire restorer. They will remove soot with a heavy duty vacuum.
7. Remove brass and copper items and clean them using brass or copper cleaner. Smoke can etch brass or copper in 24 hours.
8. Place aluminum foil or plastic food wrap under furniture legs.
9. Remove oriental rugs or other colored rugs from wet wall-to-wall carpeting.
10. Cover your dry, clean items with plastic while the fire restoration process is in progress.
11. Remove any fabrics—including carpet, rugs, and draperies—that have sustained fire or water damage. This should clear some of the soot, ash, and moisture out of your home.
12. Remove any clothing from your home. Send clothing to a dry cleaner that specializes in fire and smoke removal. Proper restoration requires certain chemicals, so make sure the dry cleaner has the necessary materials to remove the smoke smell effectively.
13. The best way to prevent further fire damage to your home is to contact a professional restoration company that specializes in fire damage cleanup. They have special licensing, equipment, and expertise to clean your home effectively and safely return it to its former condition.
14. Before your hire a fire restoration company, secure some references from people the company has helped. Usually the professional fire restorer can provide helpful hints to prevent further damage, determine which of your items can be refurbished, and estimate the cost of deodorizing and cleaning your home.
15. When in doubt, check with a professional. We’ve seen too many people take soot removal, deodorizing, and cleaning into their own hands to save money. They end up losing money because they further harm or destroy the items they’re trying to save.

We’re here to help you. The team at SERVPRO Bloomfield/Enfield has specialized fire restoration training and experience to quickly clean up and restore your home to pre-fire condition. We can remove virtually any pervasive smoke odor and deep-clean soot from upholstery and carpet. We use a thorough fire damage restoration process:
Step1: Emergency Contact
Step 2: Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment
Step 3: Immediate Board-Up and Roof Tarp Service (if needed)
Step 4: Water Removal and Drying (if water damage is present)
Step 5: Removal of Smoke and Soot from All Surfaces
Step 6: Cleaning and Repair
Step 7: Restoration

Call SERVPRO Bloomfield/Enfield (860.216.2785) anytime, 24/7.

We've served clients in Ellington, West Hartford, Avon, Springfield, Manchester, Hartford, Newington, Bloomfield, East Hartford, Enfield, Simsbury, Coventry, South Windsor, Agawam, and beyond.

SERVPRO Bloomfield/Enfield
IICRC Certified
Ralph DiCristofaro, Nat Landon, Ron DeFeo
Certified SERVPRO technicians
Call 860.216.2785
24 hour emergency service