Fire Damage Repair Tips

When you’ve experienced any kind of fire damage in your home or business, your first priority should be safety. You must first decide if the affected building is safe to continue living or working in. You should take caution when deciding if activities are safe to carry out on your own, and always err on the side of caution. It is imperative that you understand what you should and shouldn’t do after a fire in order to minimize further damage to not only the building, but yourself as well.

Once you have contacted a licensed and proven fire damage repair company and set up an appointment for an assessment, you may find the following list helpful in deciding which actions you can safely perform on your own and what all needs to be left for the professionals.

Do:

• Keep unnecessary movements inside the building to a minimum to prevent ingraining of soot particles.
• Be mindful that soot is easily transferred from one surface to another.
• Lie clean towels over high traffic areas.
• Switch out the HVAC filter with a brand new one as soon as possible.
• If you’ve experienced loss of electricity, empty out the freezer and refrigerator and prop the doors open.

Don’t:

• Do not clean painted walls or carpets without consulting a licensed professional first.
• Abstain from trying to repair any electrical appliances that were in close proximity to the blaze.
• Throw out any canned or prepackaged food that was stored anywhere near the heat or flames.
• Since the wiring may have been damaged, refrain from operating ceiling fans if the ceiling has seen water damage.
• Take special care in dry cleaning clothing that experienced smoke damaged. Improper care may set the smoke odor into the garment.