Every year, fire inflicts an incredible amount of damage on people’s property. In fact, in a single year, more than $20 billion in property damage is likely to occur!
Of course, before you repair the damage done, it is hard to know exactly how much it’s going to cost you. In some cases, the smoke damage restoration process can restore your property to its former glory at a minimum cost. In other cases, it is almost impossible to undo smoke damage completely.
So how exactly does the smoke damage restoration process work? Read on to learn all about how this process restores damaged homes!
Assess the Damage
Before beginning smoke damage cleanup, the smoke damage restoration process first focuses on assessing exactly how much damage there is.
It is important to have a detailed plan before applying standard smoke damage restoration tips. After all, you don’t want to start redoing the paint in a room if it later turns out that you need to replace the walls!
On top of that, it is important to have a careful record of damage inflicted for insurance purposes. There needs to be a careful tally of property that has been lost, and damage was done so insurance companies can calculate how much money to payout.
Check the Foundation
The most important part of cleaning smoke damage is not cleaning at all. Instead, it is checking for the safety of a building to live in. In intense fires, the foundation of a home can be a weekend.
A weakened foundation can lead to collapse and injury if it is not repaired. It might not be clear how much danger you are in in some cases until a heavy rainstorm further weakens the foundation. This kind of assessment needs to be done by experts in fire damage.
Cleaning
Once the foundation is taken care of, it is time to clean out damage beyond repair. Fire damage often leads to water damage, so the longer you wait, the more there will be that needs to be cleaned out entirely.
In many cases, carpet and upholstery will have to be completely replaced. In other cases, it can’t be repaired. But be careful not to spend too much money repairing a piece of furniture that would be cheaper to simply replace.
Repairing
Some items have sentimental value and have to be preserved rather than replaced. With enough attention to detail and expertise, most family heirlooms can be carefully restored.
Damaged wood surfaces can often be repaired rather than replaced. In some cases, it is the odor that is the hardest part to eliminate.
If you are dealing with finished wood surfaces, then repairs are much easier to do. If you have unfinished wood surfaces, a sealant may eliminate odors, but not always.
Make Sure That You Understand Smoke Damage Restoration
We hope that you learned something helpful from this brief article on how smoke damage restoration works. If your home has suffered from smoke damage, it is important to realize what you will be able to repair and what you will need to replace.
To learn more about what can be done with your exact situation and find quality smoke damage restoration help, you can get in touch with us here!