What is fire damage repair?
Fire damage repair is a multistep process best left to fire damage restoration services that are IICRC-trained in fire, soot and smoke damage repair. After a fire, there will be smoke damage, soot residue and even water damage, which may result in more damage to your home or business when left for too long.
How long does it take to repair a fire-damaged home?
The repair timeline depends on the extent of fire damage, including how much smoke, soot, water and debris need first to be cleaned up and removed. The time frame also depends on how quickly contractors are available to begin fixing your property. For minor repairs to drywall, paint and flooring, the process can take a few days.
What are the hours of a fire damage restoration company?
A fire damage restoration company, like RestoreMasters, is here to respond — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — to fire damage emergencies. Good, credible fire damage restoration companies are always on call.
What is the difference between fire and water damage restoration?
Fire damage restoration is the process of returning a fire and smoke damaged property to pre-loss condition. Fire cleanup and restoration jobs can take weeks or months due to the destructive nature of the disaster. Whereas water damage restoration involves mitigating water and drying out the property — a task that can often be completed in days...
How long does it take to repair after a fire?
When a fire causes major damage to your home, such as when it starts in one room and spreads to others, it can take days – or even weeks – to repair. Generally speaking, a small house can take around three weeks to repair and get back into livable condition.
How do you fix a house after a fire?
8 Steps to Rebuilding a Fire Damaged HouseCall the Insurance Company. ... Assess Your Home's Structural Damage. ... Make Sure the Property Is Secured. ... Address Structural Repairs First. ... Inspect and Repair the Electrical System. ... Address Problems Specific to Fire Damage. ... Clean Up Room by Room. ... Document Everything From Start to Finish.
How do you repair fire damage?
While each fire scenario is different and requires a custom battle plan, some steps in our restoration process remain more or less consistent.Assess the Degree of Damage. ... Isolate Unsafe Areas. ... Remove Water and Dry the Area. ... Remove Soot and Smoke Residue. ... Sanitize and Clean. ... Fire Damage Restoration.
Should I rebuild after a fire?
In some cases, your home needs to be razed and rebuilt after a house fire. There's too much damage to the home, including structural damage that has permanently compromised the safety of the home. In other cases, your home can be safely salvaged and repaired to pre-loss condition.
How long does it take to rebuild house after fire?
Finding help can be the longest step, but repairs can likely be done in 1-to 2 days. However, if a large fire has occurred, then rebuilding a home can be a lengthy process. In some cases, reconstruction can be completed in a couple of weeks. In more severe instances, rebuilding a home will take months.
Should you buy a house that had a fire?
If the home is safe, buying a house that's been renovated after a fire can save you a lot of money. You have a higher return-on-investment for fire-damaged homes because they're often undervalued. But if the home has not yet been repaired after a fire, the repairs may be less expensive than estimated.
Is it safe to be in a house after a fire?
While you may assume that once the fire is out and most of the smoke has cleared, it is safe to return, that's not true. Even after the visible smoke is gone, microscopic smoke particles will remain, posing immediate and long-term health risks.
How do you repair fire damaged wood?
You can't repair burned wood. You can only replace it. If you experience a fire and wood burns during the event, you must determine if it needs to be removed or sealed. If the wood is salvageable, a sealer will minimize smoke odors, cover stains, and serve as a primer for surfaces.
Can a foundation be saved after a fire?
Existing footings, slabs, and foundation systems in fire-destroyed buildings are typically compromised and are not permitted to be re-used. For property owners who enroll in the Local Program for self-directed debris removal, exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
What if I dont want to rebuild after a fire?
If you choose not to rebuild your home, you may receive a smaller settlement amount than if you were to rebuild. Homeowner's insurance is settled as actual cash value, meaning settlements are diminished according to depreciation, unless you have a replacement cost endorsement.
Do you have to pay your mortgage if your house burns down?
Do you have to pay your mortgage if your house is destroyed? The answer is yes; your mortgage obligation does not disappear even if your home does. That's why mortgage lenders require you to purchase homeowners insurance to get a home loan.
How long does it take to fix a fire?
Professionals can complete smaller fire repairs in a day or two, but extensive repairs can take up to several months. The size of the fire and affected household areas will determine your concrete timeline.
What to do after a fire extinguisher?
After emergency services extinguish the fire and consider your home safe to re-enter, you should contact a reputable fire damage cleanup company. Smoke and soot can hang onto your walls and floors, which produces a lingering smell, unpleasant appearance, and health hazard for residents of the home. Fire damage cleanup companies specialize in ...
What are the stages of fire cleanup?
Cleanup companies break down the process into three stages: damage inspection, restoration planning, and cleanup and repair. Once the fire’s out, the cleanup company inspects your property, determines the damage extent, and mitigates any existing damage. After creating a plan to repair problem areas and replace unsalvageable materials, ...
What are the major utilities that can be damaged by fire?
Major utilities, like electrical, plumbing, heating, and telephone systems , are subject to serious damage in a fire. The American Red Cross advises homeowners to look for frayed wires, sparks, and a distinct heat insulation smell, indicating problems with your home’s heating or electrical systems.
What are the three categories of fire damage?
Most fire damage instances fall into three categories: structural, utility , and household item damage . If you conduct thorough research on what problems you might encounter, you can confidently bring any concerns to your fire damage cleanup and insurance companies’ attention.
What is structural damage?
Structural damage includes issues with the ceiling, flooring, stairs, power and gas lines, and cracks in the foundation. According to Ready.gov, noticeable structural damage can point to a major problem inside your home.
How Long Does It Take to Repair Fire Damage to a Home?
Several factors determine how long it takes to repair fire damage to a home, including the extent of the damage and the home’s size. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how long it’ll take. Small projects can take just a few days, while projects stemming from larger and more catastrophic fires can take several months to complete.
Why Does It Take So Long to Repair Fire Damage?
There are several factors that come into play when it comes to repairing fire damage that it can take anywhere from a few days to several months. Your fire damage restoration expert will have to:
Do You Need a Disaster Remediation Expert in Washtenaw County or Jackson County?
If your home has already been damaged, we can help. Check out our services and call 734-352-9183 for your free disaster remediation quote today. We offer:
What do fire damage repair tradespeople do?
During fire damage repair, tradespeople will address damage to your home’s physical structure as well as its materials, such as drywall, flooring, roofing, windows and more.
What to do after fire damage?
Almost immediately after your property has been damaged by fire, repair technicians take over, alleviating you of the responsibility of fixing your home post-fire. Many technicians provide emergency response services and will arrive quickly after you call. Once they arrive, they’ll begin the repair process, which includes using techniques approved ...
What do repair technicians do?
Repair technicians create a full list of what needs to be repaired, which might include: 1 Removing and replacing drywall 2 Replacing windows and doors 3 Installing new flooring 4 Repairing or replacing the roof 5 Fixing damaged plumbing parts
What happens after a fire?
After a fire, your home will be covered in soot and will be overwhelmed by smoke smell. Fire repair technicians quickly work to remove soot and smoke, as well as other debris.
How long does it take to repair drywall?
For minor repairs to drywall, paint and flooring, the process can take a few days. For extensive damage to a large property with multiple floors, the process may take several weeks to a few months. Keep in mind that the repair process can’t begin until the site has been thoroughly inspected by the fire department, ...
What to do after fire extinguisher?
After the fire has been extinguished, a qualified inspector will account for the extent of the damage and determine what repairs need to be done, including structural damage repairs. Depending on the type of damage done to your home, you may need to hire multiple different professionals, such as roofers, carpenters, carpet installers, plumbers and more. In this case, hiring a general contractor to oversee the fire repair process may be necessary.
Why do fire restoration experts isolate and block off unsafe areas?
After the initial inspection and assessment of fire damage to the property, the fire restoration experts will isolate and block off unsafe areas to prevent injury or further damage. Blocking off these areas also protects you from liability, such as if anyone were to injure themselves from the various hazards found in a fire-damaged house.
How Long Does Fire Damage Restoration Take?
Fire damage restoration can take a few days or several weeks – and that’s because there are several factors at play in how quickly your fire damage restoration company can get things up and running again.
What Does the Fire Damage Restoration Timeline Look Like?
Before your fire damage restoration contractor can begin work (and before you’ll know how long fire damage restoration will take), experts will have to:
Do You Need a Disaster Remediation Expert in Washtenaw County or Jackson County?
If your home has already been damaged, we can help. Check out our services and call 734-352-9183 for your free disaster remediation quote today. We offer:
How long does it take to restore a fire?
Fire cleanup and restoration jobs can take weeks or months due to the destructive nature of the disaster.
What do fire damage contractors do?
After first confirming the property is safe to enter, the first thing a fire damage contractor must do is perform an assessment of the damage sustained in the fire and ensuing water intrusion. This typically involves assessing how far the flames and smoke have penetrated into the structure and how extensive any clean up is likely to be. This step also involves assessment of the contents inside of the property to determine what should be discarded and what can be packed out and restored. At the end of a thorough assessment, the restoration company will have a better idea of the scope of the work, how long it will take and can begin formulating a cost estimate.
What is fire restoration?
Fire restoration may involve things like of property board up, demolition and reconstruction on top of tasks such as debris, odor and soot removal, contents cleaning and working to remove any disturbed hazards such as lead and asbestos.
What happens if asbestos is found on a house?
If asbestos is detected on the property, it too will need to be remediated before the property can be restored to pre-loss condition. Other hazards that restoration contractors may encounter include mold growth from water damage or lead exposure from lead-based paints.
How to find a restoration contractor?
Look for a restoration contractor with the following qualifications: 1 Is licensed, bonded, and insured 2 Experience working with complex projects that require coordination with multiple different parties 3 Experience managing staged restoration projects that may require parallel demolition and installation 4 Experience working with water, fire, mold damage repairs and restoration 5 Experience working with insurance companies on damage claims
What is the most intensive part of fire damage restoration?
This is the most intensive part of a fire damage restoration job: clean up. This step typically involves a lot of manual labor to properly clean smoke and soot from interior and exterior surfaces. In many cases, every inch of the affected area will need to be cleaned.
What is the final step in returning the property to pre-loss condition?
The final step in returning the property to pre-loss condition is performing any necessary fire damage repairs or to rebuild fire-damaged areas. In the case of a fire, parts of the structure may be completely unsalvageable during the initial assessment, and therefore have to be removed and replaced. This may include: rebuilding and replacing the roof, replacing electrical, replacing and painting drywall, replacing flooring materials, replacing interior counters, fixtures, etc. to bring the property back to pre-loss condition.
What does a fire damage restoration company do?
The next thing that a fire damage restoration company will do in the fire damage restoration process is to assess the extent of the damage in your property. This will usually involve looking at how far the fire, the smoke, and the soot have traveled as well as seeing how badly affected your walls and furniture have been.
What is the priority of fire damage restoration?
Once the fire damage restoration begins in earnest, the main priority will always be to prevent damage from getting worse. For instance then, if you have a leak thanks to a hole burned in your roof or due to a hole in your wall, then your fire damage restoration company will start by addressing that. Likewise, fire damage restoration can also often ...
Why is sanitizing important in fire restoration?
Water damage can also cause health problems owing to contamination in the water, so sanitization is particularly important here. During this fire damage restoration process, companies will also ensure to remove any odors that can linger after the smoke has been in the room.
Can fire damage be reversed?
The fire damage restoration process can reverse the damage caused by a fire in your home or business premises so that you are able to get back to normal living as quickly as possible . When you use these companies, however, they will, in fact, provide a wide number of services that combined provide fire damage restoration.
