Restoring your home after a house fire can be a frightening and confusing process. There’s so much to do, that most people don’t know where to begin. A mistake in the beginning can lead to significant trouble down the road, but reading these FAQs will give you an idea of what to expect when addressing fire restoration in Springfield Missouri.
What Can I Do On My Own?
It can be frustrating and disheartening to watch as the destruction unfolds. However, most homeowners lack the proper equipment, training, and cleaning supplies to deal with these fire damage situations. Do It Yourself cleaning methods may have detrimental effects, but our fire restoration experts can often salvage fire-damaged items.
While waiting for our professional fire damage restoration team to arrive, sort through things and set aside those that are good candidates for restoration. For instance, fragile, costly items such as TVs and computers must be restored before everyday things such as dishes and towels. Pre-sorting helps our technicians know what to do when they get there.
How Long Does Fire Restoration Take?
This depends on the severity of the smoke and fire damage and the level of complexity our fire restoration team faces. A fire that was confined to one room won’t take as much time to restore as one that engulfed the entire home. Contemporary buildings that don’t fall under historical building codes can be finished much sooner than older buildings can.
Will We Have to Relocate During the Fire Restoration Process?
This also depends on the extent of the damage. You can’t stay in a house with no utilities, a lack of structural stability, or severe damage. If the fire only affected one room, your family may be able to stay, depending on factors such as odor and the level of noise involved with the restoration project. Ultimately, the decision rests with you and our team.
What Should We Take If We Have to Evacuate?
If your family must leave during the restoration process, be sure to take valuable, irreplaceable items such as:
- Medications
- Checkbooks, credit cards, and cash
- Valuable artwork, coins, and jewelry
- Important personal documents such as wills, Social Security cards, and birth certificates
Though we prefer to perform on-site restorations, that’s not always an option. Some items are too severely damaged, and buildings may be so structurally unsound that our teams cannot work safely. In these cases, we’ll inventory everything we remove before taking it to our facility for a thorough fire restoration.
When Can We Turn on the AC or Furnace Again?
Families should never turn on their air conditioning or heating units until they’ve been thoroughly inspected by a licensed HVAC technician. These systems may carry unseen fire damage and turning them on afterward may cause a new set of problems. You’ll also want to prevent the system from pumping smoke and soot throughout the home.
Call The Professionals
No one plans to go through a fire, but it’s crucial to know what to do afterward. One of the most vital steps to take after a fire is to call the experts at PuroClean Certified Restoration in Springfield, Missouri. With our professional crews and emergency service, we’ll get the job done right so your family can get back to normal.