The Do’s and Don’ts Of Handling Fire Damage Restoration In Your Carmel Home

Facing a fire in your Carmel home or business can be overwhelming, scary, and frustrating. Everyone has seen a tragic house fire on the news or in their neighborhood, but people generally seem to believe they’re exempt from tragedy until it happens. Unlike water damage, which is straightforward to handle (though still not easy), cleaning up from fire damage is like trying to perform heart surgery after taking only Biology 101. We’ll sum up the basics of the intricate process here so that you can handle any incident relating to fire damage like a pro.

Fire Damage Restoration In Carmel  

Do:

• Make safety a priority. One too many people have been injured by re-entering a fragile home after a fire. Loose beams, cracked drywall, and damaged water systems aren’t exactly a recipe for happy and healthy. Wait until a fire damage restoration professional or a fireman has indicated that the area is safe. 

• Take photographic evidence. Documentation is your best friend in a fire damage emergency. Take pictures of the damage, high and low. Record conversations with professionals and keep track of critical receipts and documents, if possible. These steps will help to expedite the process of filing an insurance claim. 

• Limit movement inside the building. Sure, it’d be interesting to show family and friends the damage, but the structure of the home can be compromised with even a small scale kitchen fire. 

• Call your local restoration company. Trust us on this one, you’ll want a professional in Carmel to be by your side during this process. Fire damage can involve harmful smoke particles and damaged interiors, calling for a professional to analyze and plan the best way forward. 

Don’t:

• Start cleaning up too early. Before damage remediation can begin, everything needs to be assessed by the insurer first. As you follow the process above of documenting damage, an assessment and claim can be sped up, allowing you to begin work sooner. 

• Use furnishings impacted by the damage. Upholstery and other porous surfaces trap smoke and dust particles, negatively impacting respiratory health. Even the pages of a book can trap microscopic particles. Smoke is great at infiltrating everything. A professional cleaning can remove much of the damage done. 

• Turn on the water, electric, or gas. Similar to a water damage emergency, fires can disrupt the foundation and inner pipe structure of a home. To avoid any further interior damage, wait for the green light from a professional before turning on any major systems. 

• Turn on, clean, or use electronic equipment. Fire and wires aren’t exactly the best of friends. Stay safe by avoiding outlets and electronic equipment. 

To avoid fire damage to your property, be sure to check smoke alarms regularly, and avoid the temptation to just take out the batteries when the alarm chirps in the middle of the night. (We’ve all been there.) Have plenty of fire extinguishers on hand, and have even more people who know how to use them properly. If you have questions about what to do after fire damage or need help recovering from a fire damage incident in Carmel, give us a call! At Total Restoration GC, we are happy to help you put things back in order.