Ever seen what a fire can do to a home? And what about the water used to fight the fire? The water and smoke can do as much damage as the fire, sometimes more. The cleanup from such a disaster can be huge and daunting. Here is the real deal on fire damage cleanup.
Safety
Only a professional can tell you when your home is safe to re-enter after a fire. The structure could be compromised; the electricity still on creating an electrocution hazard, and dangerous debris could still be present.
Smoke and Soot
Not only are smoke and soot stubborn and hard to clean up, they create odors that don’t go away on their own. And since most home fires include the combustion of a huge amount of synthetic materials including carpet, some fabrics, and pretty much anything made of plastic, this type of clean up requires special cleaning products, tools, equipment and expertise. It’s not just a day with rubber gloves and a spray bottle to take care of this type of damage.
Carpet
When carpet gets wet during a fire, it can grow mold very quickly in addition to causing the wood floors underneath to buckle. Removing the carpets is not a one-man-job, especially heavy, wet carpet that may also be full of debris, soot and chemical toxins from the burn.
Cleaning
Fire damage cleanup is just that. Clean up. It’s not just a quick wipe up, a little paint and a vacuum and you’re done. Even cleaning the walls takes special knowledge and equipment. Cleaning them incorrectly can actually cause more damage.
After a fire, don’t try to do all of the fire damage cleanup on your own. Talk to a professional who can help you get it done quickly and get it done right.
