FIRE DAMAGE RESTORATION SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR LONG ISLAND HOME

1/24/2019 (Permalink)

If you have experienced fire or smoke damage in your residence it is important to contact SERVPRO for quick and effective mitigation and restoration.

FIRE DAMAGE RESTORATION SOLUTIONS AND HOME FIRE PREVENTION TIPS

Artic temperatures across the Northeast have Long Island homeowners in Western Suffolk getting warm and cozy by their fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. It is important to remember proper maintenance and fire safety actions when starting that fire this season, for the first time and each time after. Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves pose a considerable fire threat to your home and family, a fire can result in the loss of personal items, property and even life. Taking proper precautions when using your fireplace or wood-burning stove can help you avoid a property fire disaster negatively impacting your life this winter.

Chimney fires and puff backs can cause major destruction to your home and possessions; smoke and soot can continue to cause damage long after the flames have gone out.

If you have experienced fire or smoke damage in your home it is important to contact the SERVPRO team for quick and effective mitigation and restoration, depending on the surface material and the duration and time elapsed, damage from soot and smoke maybe completely reversible. Smoke and soot cleanup is expensive and time-consuming, our SERVPRO professionals take careful steps to minimize further damage from soot staining, mold and mildew, rust and corrosion and improve the air quality in your home following a fire emergency. Our trained professionals have the knowledge, skills and equipment to restore your property quickly and efficiently saving you valuable time and money.

STEPS FOR PROPER FIRE PROPERTY RESTORATION:

STEP 1: THE INSPECTION

The first step in the fire mitigation process is determining the cause of the fire, as well as the extent of the smoke damage, and then documenting it through photos to provide to the homeowner’s insurance company. How the fire was started and what materials were damaged gives insight to our professionals on how best to cleanup and restore the loss areas. SERVPRO professionals will explain the cleaning process, go over what you can expect from the demolition and repair/rebuild phases, explain the types of equipment used during the process and begin to decide what items are salvageable after a thorough inventory has been completed.

STEP 2: PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE WITH CLEANUP & INTERVENTION

SERVPRO cleanup teams will remove any contents from your home as quickly as possible to minimize further damage, our technicians will focus on improving air quality and removing soot and debris to avoid continued damage to your home and contents. HERE TO HELP TIP: If you can turn off your homes HVAC system until a professional arrives for the inspection to avoid spreading contamination to unaffected areas. Our restoration professionals may recommend having vents, ducts and furnaces cleaned/serviced to prevent soot from circulating throughout the home.

STEP 3: REMOVAL OF ITEMS DAMAGED BY FIRE AND SMOKE

SERVPRO professionals know how important your home and possessions are, we take extra care in removing items, and involve homeowners during the inventory process. Make sure to notify our SERVPRO technicians of important/sentimental items, or things your family may need returned to them quickly. Contents are photographed, inventoried and packaged, and then taken offsite to our cleaning facility where they’re stored during the repairs. Since the fire cleanup process can vary, it’s common for fire- or smoke-damaged items to be inventoried and later determined as salvageable or non-salvageable.

STEP 4: CONTAINMENT, MITIGATION, REPAIRS AND RESTORATION

SERVPRO professionals will start with containment to help restrict odors and debris from contaminating the air throughout the house and keep the damage contained at the source of the fire and affected areas of the home.

Mitigation – water restoration equipment including air movers and dehumidifiers will remove moisture from walls, flooring and subflooring. Our SERVPRO team will give advice when deciding what items and materials to clean and restored, or what should be replaced. Carpets, fabrics and other porous materials usually need special attention because they are easily ruined. SERVPRO of Oakdale/North Bay Shore’s licensed construction team is an asset to our organization, with them our professionals can provide an additional estimate to continue your complete home restoration solutions with scheduling your repairs and reconstruction phase getting homeowners back into their property as quickly as possible.

WHILE YOU COZY UP TO YOUR FIREPLACE or WOOD-BURNING STOVE PRACTICE THESE FIRE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

Before making a fire in the fireplace, open the damper and crack open a window, keep the screen closed to encourage airflow up into the chimney. Light a match, blow it out and watch the smoke to see if it is properly going up the chimney. To increase the draft in your chimney, burn your fires hot and for short periods of time instead of all day. Improper airflow can cause smoke and soot damage to your home’s contents. Poor airflow can result from excessive creosote deposits, closed or plugged dampers, malfunctioning flues, and chimney blockages or a dirty cap, always remember never leave a fire unattended.

Avoid using wood from recently cut trees, they contain high levels of moisture which contributes to additional smoke and deposits inside your chimney. Seasoned and dry wood appears dark, has cracks on the end and will sound hollow when hitting another piece of wood. Look for signs of creosote and soot buildup, creosote is a dark substance that accumulates if wood isn’t burning completely, it’s a major factor in chimney fires and a good reason to have an annual inspection to avoid costly fire property damage and repairs.

SERVPRO professionals have all the tools, equipment, and experience necessary to manage your entire property restoration from beginning to end. Our team work tirelessly to produce quality results from quick and effective mitigation, to putting the finishing touches on any repairs and reconstruction needed to complete the job.  

Fire & Smoke Restoration Technician
Odor Control Technician
Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician
Water Damage Restoration Technician

SERVPRO of Oakdale/North Bay Shore services Suffolk County – Long Island, providing full-service solutions for all your fire, smoke, sewage and water emergency situations 24/7, 365, day or night. Call us today for access to fully IICRC certified cleaning and restoration professionals you can trust. (631) 563-1709