water damage after fire

How to Deal with Water Damage After Fire

Are you dealing with water damage after fire? Call (323) 970-4761 to schedule a free consultation or enlist emergency services today!

A fire is one of the worst disasters in any home. They are unfortunately more common with climate change, especially in Southern California homes. 

While in-home sprinkler systems and emergency response teams can quell destructive fires, the impact of a fire on a home extends far beyond the catastrophic event itself. Having a responsive and highly-rated water damage restoration company in Los Angeles on-hand in case of these emergencies is crucial to addressing water damage after fire and restoring your home to its initial condition.

Damage Caused by Fires

Before understanding how to deal with water damage after a fire, it’s essential to know the different types of damage that threaten your home. After a fire, corrosive soot and smoke damage can ruin objects in your home and leave a lingering odor. Although professionals address this toxic damage immediately, the challenges won’t end there.

High-pressure hoses used to eliminate a fire leave their mark as well. While these tools are necessary to stop the fire, the lingering moisture can cause mold growth that leads to irreparable structural damage. Water damage repairs should start as quickly as possible for any home to recover fully.

Dealing with Water Damage After Fire: The Do’s

Knowing what steps to take if your home endures a fire is crucial. These steps give you the best chance at a quick, decisive repair response and complete recovery.

Ensure Your Home Is Safe to Reenter

The first step to home recovery is to inspect your home for any signs of water damage. However, the fire itself and water damage after fire can cause severe structural damage to a home. Therefore, it’s crucial to confirm with emergency responders and firefighters that your home is safe to enter after the event so that you can inspect and assess the premises.

Contact Your Insurance Providers

Paying out of pocket for complete home repairs is likely not in anyone’s budget. That’s why contacting your insurance providers immediately after the disaster is critical. 

Notifying your insurance company immediately also helps you evaluate your options for a temporary living situation. Since most homes that endure a fire will remain unlivable for a few months, your insurance company might assist with the financial burden of food, shelter, and other necessities while repairs occur. 

Assemble Detailed Documentation of the Damage

In addition to contacting your insurance provider promptly, collecting detailed data and records about the damage to your home will help strengthen your coverage case. Premier water damage restoration services like Restorerz offer full 3-D renderings and scans of your home to provide the most detailed account of damage. Obtaining specific records also gives restoration professionals the best idea of the required repair work.

Enlist a Water Damage Restoration Professional

Now that you’ve inspected your home, called insurance, and logged detailed accounts of the damage, it’s time to call a water damage restoration professional like Restorerz. Our professionals have the best eye, tools, and expertise to assess the damage and begin developing a comprehensive repair plan.

Starting repair work as swiftly as possible gives your home the best chance at a full recovery. Enlisting professionals from the best Southern California restoration company provides the tools, resources, and technicians necessary to bring your home back to life. Delaying your call for help could be the difference between mold growing and comprising undamaged parts of your home and eliminating potential damage before it begins.

Air Out the Home

One final step to improve your home’s recovery is to air out the space. Ensure that the structure of your doors and windows is sound enough to open and close. Afterward, open as many spaces as possible to let fresh air naturally rejuvenate your home.

It’s also crucial to remove any damp rugs or wet pieces of furniture that might increase the house’s humidity. Any additional moisture in your home will give growing mold the upper hand.

Dealing with Water Damage After Fire: The Don’ts

Just as knowing the critical steps to take after a fire is essential, learning the risks of making the wrong choices is just as vital. Brief yourself with these three “don’ts” so you can avoid dangerous situations or accidentally worsening the damage in your home.

Don’t Use Household Appliances

Even if your household appliances like ovens, microwaves, or toasters go undamaged, do not attempt to use them. Any machine that utilizes electricity will be dangerous, especially if there is persisting standing water from fire hoses or sprinklers. Allow time to clean and restore your home before attempting to use household appliances normally again.

Don’t Vacuum Excess Water

While it may be tempting to try and vacuum excess water from your floors, this action poses many of the same risks as using household appliances after the disaster. Not only will this likely destroy your vacuum, but it could easily electrocute you or spark and ignite another fire. Allow water damage restoration professionals to use sump pumps and other water extraction tools to effectively and safely remove excess moisture from your home.

Don’t Assume Your Home Is Free from Water Damage

Finally, it’s critical to understand that water damage isn’t always as apparent as it might seem. Since your home is likely much less recognizable than usual, it won’t necessarily show signs of water damage besides any clear standing water or excess moisture. 

Nevertheless, water used to eliminate the fire from your home has likely already seeped into your house’s infrastructure and caused water damage hidden from sight. Restoration professionals from Restorerz will use advanced tools to identify water damage, assess the necessary repairs, and develop a plan that fits within a reasonable budget and timeframe.

Fix Water Damage After Fire with Restorerz Emergency Services

Learn how intense water damage cleanup can be the necessary first step to restoring your home from water damage after fire by calling (323) 970-4761 for emergency service today.

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