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A house fire is devastating. Damage to your house and your furnishings from the fire itself is pretty obvious. However, once the fire is out, you have to deal with secondary damage — damage caused by smoke and the water and chemicals firefighters use to put a fire out.
Smoke residues are usually very chemically active. They attack the surfaces they fall on or stick to. Chemicals from smoke residues can permanently stain or change surface finishes, the texture of fabrics and the performance of finishes and textures. Qualified fire-restoration contractors know how to do this specialized cleaning and save as many items as possible.
In most fires, firefighters use at least some water to quench the flames. More moisture can enter through broken windows and holes in the roof.. Therefore, the vital first step in preventing mold growth is getting relative humidity at the surface of materials below 65 percent within two days.
The first stage in drying is removing liquid water. The second is removing moisture from the air, to allow materials to dry through evaporation from the surface. Normal household dehumidifiers cannot do this job adequately. Restoration contractors have high performance dehumidifiers that can dry very rapidly — so rapidly that surfaces are usually dry to the touch in less than two days.
Get on the phone to Clean Image Services, Inc. right away. It is not only your right to choose the best contractors and to ensure that they do the work promptly and well — it is your responsibility. For the work, insist on a firm whose workers are certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. You define the scope of the work, with help from your insurance professional and advice from the contractors you select. In Snoqualmie Pass, your experience partner is Clean Image.
Your next call will start working with your insurance company agent or representative to find out what is covered, what is not covered and what may be subject to further discussion. Get all this in writing as soon as possible, because it will influence what you do and what you put off until later. Major insurance companies have 24-hour hotlines and will get resources and information flowing right away. All major carriers will coordinate with Clean Image to start the immediate work — making your house and property secure, removing water and seriously damaged materials, drying the house and contents and removing smoke residue.
Finally, call the company that holds your mortgage. Fire lowers the value of your house and affects your mortgage. Properly restoring your house will restore its value, but the mortgage company must be involved until your house is restored.
Understanding the effects of a fire can help you evaluate the damage to your home or business. By learning more about residue clean up and deodorization after a fire, you can minimize the need for costly repairs. Call Clean Image Services, Inc. and see how we can help. Increasing your knowledge and partnering with qualified restoration technicians ensures that your home or business is correctly restored. Clean Image and our qualified subcontractors can help return your home or business and its furnishings back to what it was like before the fire.
The frustrations and trauma form fire damage can cause so much stress for home and business owners. Even after the fire trucks leave, additional damage is possible. Begin restoration as soon as possible to keep your costs down. The longer neutralization, corrosion control, and cleaning is delayed, the greater the scope and cost could be. Get Clean and Restore on site to properly evaluate the loss, test damaged materials, select the best restoration techniques, coordinate with your insurance company, and attempt to restore your home or business to pre-loss condition.
Clean Image Services, Inc. is a Kittitas County, family-owned cleaning and restoration company with nearly 20 years of experience. They accept a duty to treat each property and possession with respect when they help people and businesses in and around Yakima, Washington.
