Fire Damage Restoration Tips for Indianapolis Homeowners

4/26/2020 (Permalink)

Fire Damage Restoration Tips for Indianapolis Homeowners

It doesn’t take much for a fire to start. Every day, fires occur in homes across Indianapolis. Fires can start from faulty appliances, lightning, cooking, or forgetting to blow out a candle before leaving a room. If a fire should happen at your home, below are some tips to remember to keep you and your family safe and to make the cleanup and restoration process go smoother and quicker.

Don’t Enter Home Immediately After a Fire

Even a little tiny house fire can result in dangerous conditions in your home. A fire can cause damage to the home’s structure that could lead to a ceiling, wall, or floor collapsing and hurting someone. If the fire was put out with water, there could be a risk of electrical shock. Also, depending on what burned, there could be harmful vapors or residue left in the home. Don’t enter your home immediately after a fire until the fire department has given the all-clear. The firefighters will make sure all of the fire is extinguished and that there is no danger to entering the home. If there is danger, they may not let you enter or they may cordon off certain areas of your home that may be dangerous. 

Secure Sensitive Documents

Once you are allowed to enter your home after a fire, it’s important to secure any sensitive documents or items. These can include birth certificates, social security cards, insurance papers, financial documents, valuable jewelry, gold, and coins. If you have to move out of your home due to the fire, you want to secure anything that you wouldn’t want to lose especially if your home is vulnerable to thieves and vandals as a result of the fire. If you don’t already have a small fire safe to store sensitive documents and valuables, you may want to invest in one. A fire safe will keep these documents safe if a fire should happen. 

Contact a Fire Damage Restoration Company

While you may want to start cleaning up right away, it’s best to call a fire damage restoration company, like SERVPRO of Indianapolis West. They can quickly assess the damage and determine the best way to clean up and ultimately restore your home. They also have years of experience working with insurance companies and will know what to do to make the process smoother and easier for you. The reason why you don’t want to start cleaning is that you could be creating more damage by using the wrong cleaning solutions and/or equipment. 

Extract the Water & Dry Damaged Rooms

One of the first steps a fire damage restoration company will do is to extract the water that the fire department used to put out the fire if they used water. Some times with smaller fires, they may just use extinguishers which can contain powders, water, or other agents that will also need to be cleaned up. Once the water has been extracted, there still may be moisture in the air and seated deep into carpet pads and porous surfaces. The moisture is usually removed with commercial blowers and dehumidifiers. The reason it is so important to remove the water and dry out the damaged areas is to prevent mold from growing and creating further damage. The professional fire restoration company may also use products and equipment to keep mold from occurring. 

Do Not Throw Anything Away - Wait for Insurance Adjuster

Do not move anything or throw anything out or clean up anything until your insurance company has seen the damage. They will usually show up on-site to assess the damage and work with the restoration company to determine what damage is covered and what steps to take. If you do have to throw anything out or move anything, take lots of pictures of all of the damage before you or the restoration company touches anything. It’s usually a good idea to call your insurance agent right away after a fire to ensure you follow the right steps and do the right thing to make sure they cover your claim.

Save the Salvageable 

Once you have been given the clear by your insurance company to proceed with the cleanup, you will want to save anything that is salvageable. The experts at SERVPRO of Indianapolis West can help determine what can be cleaned up and what isn’t salvageable. Your insurance company agent or adjuster can also give insight into what is not salvageable and whether it is covered under your insurance to replace. You may be surprised what can be saved, so it’s important to ask the fire restoration pros at SERVPRO of Indianapolis West before tossing anything. They have specialized equipment and tools that can clean up some household items. 

When it Comes to Home Fires, SERVPRO of Indianapolis West Can Help

We hope you never have to experience a fire at your home. But if you do, no matter how small or big the damage is, SERVPRO of Indianapolis West can help with the cleanup and restoration. We have the experience and tools to quickly help return your home and your life back to normal. If disaster should strike your Indianapolis home, give SERVPRO of Indianapolis a call 24/7.