fire damage

Chemicals Are A Big Residual Risk From Fires

Fire Damage Restoration Service fire damage

When a property experiences a fire, it’s understandable that one of the biggest concerns a home or business owner will have is the primary damage that occurs from the flames, the burn damage. However, in addition to burning or melting items in a property due to extreme heat, there is another big risk present in a fire, especially for commercial and industrial properties, which is the risk that comes from chemicals.

Heat & Chemicals Is A Reaction

Everything in a property, whether a home or a business, is composed of materials that interact with fire in different ways. Paper burning, for example, is different from plastic burning or melting and then solidifying. And if a part of a home, such as a workshop or a garage, stores chemicals like paint thinner or acids, these chemicals will have their unique chemistry reactions when they interact with fire. Chemicals in a pressurized aerosol spray can potentially be explosive once a certain temperature is reached.

These chemicals may change as they are exposed to fire, contaminating the areas they are in as they become smoke particles that disperse. As a result, even after a fire has been put out, there may still be hazards in the environment from exposed chemicals that are now present in the area, such as:

Formaldehyde

This is an extremely aggressive carcinogenic but is also a harmless substance when used correctly. Formaldehyde appears in many items and materials in the home, depending on owner decisions, such as drapes, the upholstery material used for furniture, and even as part of the coating used for wooden construction materials, flooring, and furniture.

As a carcinogenic, formaldehyde can cause cancer in those that overexpose themselves to it, so caution must be exercised in areas with a strong smell of formaldehyde in the air.

Benzene

This is another chemical that is common to many homes and businesses, though the amounts on a property will vary. At low levels, benzene in the system can cause dizziness and drowsiness, but at higher levels, such as breathing in benzene vapors, unconsciousness, and even death can result.

Benzene is found in many different items, such as glue, paint, detergent, and even furniture wax. When exposed to fire, it vaporizes during the fire and can settle back down as smoke or soot particles in the environment. It’s important to limit breathing in benzene particles for health and safety.

Get Professional Help After a Fire

Even if a fire doesn’t appear severe, that doesn’t mean that people should immediately reenter a property once the fire is under control. It’s not just the risk of burning from flames that puts people at risk. Any kitchen, garage, workshop, or industrial area with chemicals may have loosed dangerous vapors and particles into the air.

Breathing or touching these particles can be hazardous to health. This is why it’s important to ensure a professional evaluation before allowing yourself and other family members to reenter a property. And when it comes to repair and restoration, this should always be undertaken by experienced professionals that know how to navigate the potential structural and chemical hazards that may lay in wait after a fire. If you need help with this, contact us today.

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Fire Damage Restoration Involves Multiple Processes

Fire Damage Restoration Service fire damage, fire water damage

A fire at a residential or business property is one of the worst things imaginable for property owners, and it can happen in any number of ways. Fires can be completely uncontrolled forces, coming to a property as a result of a wildfire, or the fire can begin in the property itself, caused by anything from people falling asleep while smoking cigarettes to children playing with fire.

Once a fire has occurred, it may be possible to repair and restore a property, but this process involves multiple stages and different approaches to repair and restoration.

Damage Assessment

The first and most important step in repair and restoration is the damage assessment. A restoration team can’t do a complete and thorough job without an accurate idea of the nature of the damage, as well as the scope. There’s a big difference between a fire that breaks out in a bedroom with some upper floor burn and smoke damage versus a fire that was put out in the basement and had extensive damage from the fire itself but the water to put out the fire. Assessing the structural damage is also important since a fire affecting load-bearing beams or the foundation could seriously impact the safety and stability of the entire building.

Property Preparation

Once the full scale of the job is known, it’s time to make the site ready for work. One of the first things done for this is erecting safety barriers and barricades to keep the public protected and out of the way. Boards are usually also put up to help protect the building from further damage from the elements, such as over damaged windows to prevent rain from leaking. If parts of the property aren’t damaged, these are usually sealed or protected to avoid cross-contamination.

Damage Prevention

In many cases, damage to a property can continue even after the fire if the property is not properly attended to. The chief cause is water damage resulting from the firefighting efforts. Items like furniture and artwork on the premises may be structurally intact but wet due to firehoses doing their job. If left alone, the water can damage these items, incurring further restoration and repair costs, so finding them and preventing further damage is important.

Clean Up From a Fire

The most active phase of the repair and restoration process is the clean-up. It’s here that debris is removed. More importantly, however, this is also when judgment calls are made about those items that can’t be repaired or restored and must instead be removed. Drywall, for example, is usually extremely difficult to restore once damaged.

Repair & Restoration From a Fire

The final phase is repair, restoration, and, when necessary, replacement. Different methods will be used here depending on the times involved; as mentioned, drywall will likely be replaced. However, carpeting or furniture will receive different types of care, depending on whether the item was damaged by fire, smoke, or water damage. This largely depends on the item, nature of damage, extent, and materials involved.

If you’re recovering from a fire, we can help. Contact us 24/7 for a prompt, professional response.

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5 Important Factors For Restoring A Property After A Fire

Fire Damage Restoration Service fire damage

Whether it’s a residence or a business site, a fire can be one of the most devastating things that can happen to a property. Unlike flooding, where the only concern is water damage to property and items within, fires are a critical combination of burn, smoke, and structural damage.

This is why it’s important to consider these five factors when repairing and restoring property due to a fire…

Environmental Safety

In the aftermath of a fire, property owners and other residents/employees should not enter the site. Depending on the items in a property, dangerous residual chemicals may be left after the fire, the footing is unstable due to all the damage, and structural weaknesses may put people at risk.

Wait for clearance from the authorities before moving in to assess the damage personally. The fire department or some other organization should declare the area safe first.

Insurance Notification

A home or business fire is exactly the kind of event that insurance was created for, so it’s critical to notify your insurer of what has happened. It’s important to do this as quickly as possible and, more importantly, before any work has been done. Don’t go in and attempt DIY repairs yourself, and don’t bring in professionals to start work until your insurance company has been informed of what happened.

Document The Damage

The reason it’s important not to begin work immediately if you want your insurance coverage payout is that the insurers themselves must know the extent of the damage to determine the payout. An important part of this process is looking at the damage, a process you can speed up if you take it upon yourself to shoot videos and photos of the site. This is the same as taking pictures and videos of car damage at the scene of an accident. It’s easier for insurance companies to get a clear idea of the situation if you can capture recent imagery of the incident.

Residual Hazards Like Smoke Residue

As you enter the property, it is important to remember that even if the authorities have said the property is safe to enter, that doesn’t mean it is completely safe. Potential hazards are everywhere, from getting cut or scratched by shrapnel to feeling sick from inhaling or touching chemicals.

Remember that various materials have just burned, and the smoky reside of that chemical reaction has settled down around the property. Some acids and other chemicals may have spilled out and spread through certain areas.

Professional Assessment

Unless you are a structural engineer, you are not advised to undertake repairs of a property yourself. Fires can destroy or weaken important structural components of a building, such as the foundation or certain load-bearing posts or beams.

You should always seek help from a professional fire repair and restoration team experienced in fire damage. They will have the tools and knowledge to assess the damage accurately, tell you what items in a building can be saved, recovered, or repaired, and what parts are beyond recovery and require replacement or rebuilding. This is a highly specialized task that only experienced teams can do quickly, accurately, and efficiently.

Putting out a fire can lead to water damage

Preventing Secondary Damage: Addressing Water Damage After Firefighting Efforts

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If you are a homeowner who recently lived through a house fire, then a lot is probably already weighing on your mind. Among those worries is how damaging the water from the firefighting efforts can be to a home that may already be in shambles.

It is important to address water damage after firefighting efforts to prevent secondary damage and ensure you will have a much smoother and more successful recovery process. When responding to a fire, firefighters often have to use large volumes of water to extinguish the flames. This can lead to water damage in the affected areas.

Here are some steps you can take to prevent secondary water damage…

Safety Is the Top Priority

Before you even step onto the property, you need to ensure it is safe to do so. The home’s structural integrity may be compromised, and there may be electrical hazards and other safety concerns. Ensure all the safety concerns have been addressed and you are cleared to enter the home.

Assess the Extent of the Water Damage

Now it’s time to assess the extent of the water damage following the fire. Check for standing water, soaked materials, and potential moisture intrusion in the walls, ceilings, and floors.

Remove Standing Water

You must remove as much standing water as possible and do this as soon as possible to prevent secondary damage. You must use pumps and a wet/dry vacuum to remove all standing water. The quicker the water is removed, the lower the chance of further damage and mold growth.

Dry Out the Space

Once all the water has been removed, it is time to dry out the space. You can do this properly with dehumidifiers, industrial fans, and other drying equipment. This step is essential for preventing mold growth. It should be done right away because mold only takes 24-48 hours to develop in an area with excess moisture that is not being controlled.

Find All Salvageable Items

Now, see if there are any items you can possibly salvage and remove from the affected areas. This can include but is not limited to furniture, electronics, documents, and any other material possessions you own that were not severely damaged by water or fire. Many things can probably even be saved with quick and proper restoration.

Find and Address Hidden Moisture

You have done everything you can see to prevent secondary damage, but what about what you can’t see? Water can easily seep into concealed places, like within the walls and under the floorboards. Use moisture detection tools to help identify these invisible pockets of moisture and then use the appropriate drying techniques to mitigate damage.

Follow Through With Mold Prevention

Mold growth is always a big concern after any kind of water damage. To combat this, apply antimicrobial treatments and mold inhibitors to prevent mold and mildew from developing.

Work With Professionals

Finally, consider working with professionals with the specialized equipment, skills, and knowledge to ensure each step of the process is followed through and done properly to cut down on the secondary damage you can experience after firefighting efforts in the home.

Following these tips and working with professionals can support recovery from both fire and water damage. Acting quickly in these scenarios is crucial in mitigating further issues so that you can achieve the best possible outcome.

What You Need To Know About Smoke Damage

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A fire at any property is devastating. Even if every occupant makes it out unscathed, and the fire gets extinguished quickly, property owners are still looking at a mountain of cleanup to restore their properties to a safe and usable condition once again. How are smoke and fire damages remedied to restore a property? Every job is unique.

Not All Smoke Damages Are Created Equal

For most property owners, smoke is “smoke”, regardless of what may have caused the fire or what may have burned in the process. However, not all smoke is the same. Knowing what kind of smoke damage is present is one of the first major tasks professional teams take on in order to best begin a restoration project.

A property that is made primarily of wood will see smoke damage high in soot and organic materials. If a great deal of natural material burned in the fire, penetrating ash may be present on standing surfaces and belongings. On a property that contains a lot of plastic, the smoke damage will be accompanied by a sticky “gummy” residue attaching to all surfaces. If a fire begins in the kitchen, a home or business owner may see a great deal of greasy brown smoke stains in the area.

Knowing what kind of smoke damage is present helps restoration teams to approach cleanup in the most effective fashion. The cleanup process that works best for a protein kitchen fire will be different from the methods used to clean up after a fire in a log cabin.

What Does Smoke Damage Do?

If a home has a fire in the kitchen, homeowners may be surprised to find that belongings in their bedrooms on the other side of the home are affected. Walls, furnishings, personal belongings, carpeting – nothing in a property is immune from the damage that smoke can cause.

Even within the first minutes to hours after a fire has been extinguished, soot can cause permanent staining. While some belongings may be able to be wiped down and cleaned fairly easily, others will be more challenging, and some property may not be able to be recovered at all. The longer a property owner waits for restoration after a fire, the more property is likely to be lost.

If a property sits for several days to a week with smoke damage, irreversible damage begins to set in on a wide scale. Linens, drapery, and upholstery may not be able to be recovered at this point. If more than a week goes by without restoration, permanent damage may set in on surfaces like windows, mirrors, grout, and other hard surfaces. At this point, the damage will go beyond soot staining, and corrosive debris will begin to create pits or dimpling even on tough areas like tile or glass.

Smoke damage restoration requires specialized equipment, careful processes, and a knowledge of different types of smoke damage and how they need to be addressed individually for the best possible results.