We've all seen how destructive fire can be, but many homeowners are unaware of the additional harmful effects a fire can have on your home besides the actual fire damage. Throughout the house, even in sections untouched by fire, you can see or smell soot and smoke, which will not come out quickly and can even require additional work to be completed to rid you of these lingering aftereffects.
Dos & Don'ts of
Fire/Smoke Damage
DO
Do put our number (419) 504-1601 into your contacts and speed dial.
Do call us for names of vendors whom we know to be proven to handle testing, fire remediation and board up if necessary.
Do wear a mask and protective clothing if you are going to enter the property before clean up has occurred.
Do keep anyone not directly involved in the claim or clean up of the claim from entering your property before remediation. If someone gets sick you could be liable.
Do understand that the smoke from fires carry cancer causing droplets from all sorts of plastics that melt and burn. Many of the burned plastic coatings of electrical wiring have the possibility of causing lung cancer.
Don’t, after a heavy smoky fire, sleep in the house. Smoke and fire damage can be hazardous. Your home needs to be tested for harmful chemical changes to the air quality in your home. These tests take a few weeks to come back from the laboratory. You do not want to inhale carbon black residue left over from a fire.
Don’t start any work until you and the insurer agree on the Scope of Loss. Without this, you may jeopardize having enough in your final settlement to restore your property to its pre-loss condition.
Don’t throw away any damaged items until the insurance adjuster has had an opportunity to come and assess the damage. Know who has salvage rights.
DONT
Disclaimer: We're not contractors, please seek contracting advice from licensed contractors who specialize in this field.