No matter what caused the blaze, the result is a serious case of fire and smoke damage in your home. The next step, after the fire is put out, is to begin the cleanup process. It can be a time-consuming, costly endeavor, but it’s well worth the effort.

When you call in a professional restoration company, they will bring all the tools and expertise necessary to tackle the fire and smoke damage. It is highly advisable that you call a professional restoration team to handle fire damage cleanup.

You could theoretically begin the cleanup process yourself. However, fire and smoke affect different portions of the home differently. As a result, various methods are required to clean the mess. Most homeowners are not equipped or trained to tackle fire damage. Plus, smoke damage requires specialized equipment to completely eradicate.

The steps of fire damage cleanup include:

Inspection – First, a complete assessment of all damages must be performed. There is no telling just how severe the fire is at first glance.

Mitigation – With a better understanding of the fire damage to the property, mitigation is the next step. You must prevent any further damage or smoke contamination. Start by shutting down the HVAC system to prevent soot from circulating.

Removal – Any items damaged in the fire, including furniture, carpeting, and other possessions, need to be removed from the household. Otherwise, you risk further damage and contamination to each item.

Repairs and Restoration – Finally, repairs and restoration services begin. If you hire a restoration company, they may need to provide reconstruction services if the damage is severe enough.

While the damage caused by the flames is bad enough, you cannot forget about the contamination caused by smoke and soot. Both can be quite severe. Smoke is known to cause indoor air quality concerns and property damage, making it a two-fold problem.

The smoke damage cleanup process involves:

Testing any items for smoke contamination before treatment. Smoke and soot can often be washed from clothing.

Removing the smoke and soot from the walls, furniture, and flooring can usually be done using restoration equipment or a thorough cleaning process.

Any walls that have accumulated smoke damage need to be cleaned one area at a time to prevent any streaks or re-occurring damage.

Following a severe house fire, contact Restoration 1 of Central Maryland for 24-hour fire damage restoration services. Call for emergency restoration services, we take the matter seriously and will dispatch a team to your home immediately.