A home fire is devastating to the family and emotions are running high. After finding adequate shelter and when everyone’s nerves are a bit calmer, there are several steps that need to be taken to deal with the damage and clean up of your home. Over ninety-five percent of homeowners have insurance that will help with the cleanup and restoration of your family home. A recovery plan is essential to this process.
First steps of the recovery plan after a fire
First and foremost before any cleanup plans can be made, a structural damage professional must inspect the property and deem it safe to enter. The next step is to secure and protect any areas exposed to the elements such as covering damaged parts of a roof or insulating exposed pipes. Experts most likely from your insurance company will inspect the damage to structural features, electrical systems, and heating/cooling systems.
Entering the home after the fire
As you go to enter your home after a fire inspector has said the structure is safe, there are still very important safety hazards to watch out for. If a door is wedged shut it might be because it is providing structural support for a damaged ceiling, so don’t force it open. Sagging in the floor might signal that it is not safe to bear weight, and you need to put down long plywood panels to walk on. If any of the breakers are tripped, do not switch them on. Contact a professional to make sure that there is no damage. This is the best time to take pictures and start the process of taking inventory of what has been damaged.
The cleanup process after the fire
Now that you and your family are faced with assessing the damage of your home, you will notice in most cases that there is a large amount of damage caused by the water used to put the fire out. Sometimes there is actually more damage from the water the firefighters used to put out the fire, than from the fire itself. Walls, if they are soaked with water, will not be structurally safe when they dry and will have to be replaced. Appliances need to be checked to see if they are in working order. There also is a lot of damage due to smoke and ash. Some of this can be cleaned up on your own, yet it is far easier to call in a professional fire restoration service. If you don’t have insurance, there are private aid organisations that can help you. Remember to keep all receipts for anything fire-related, as you may be eligible for compensation.
This is all very overwhelming, and it will take some time to get your home ready to move back into. Remember, you don’t have to do this alone, there are valuable resources available to help you get through this rough time in your life.
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