How to Salvage a Home Damaged by Fire

For homeowners, dealing with a house fire is one of the most stressful and emotionally gripping experiences to endure. This stress worsens when homeowners realize the extent of the damage they have to deal with cleaning up after the fire as well as the valuable possessions they have lost. While the aftermath of a fire can be overwhelming at first, it is necessary to take measures as soon as possible to clean and restore your home to prevent the fire damage from worsening. When determining the best way to salvage a home damaged by fire, it is important to understand some of the basic things you should and should not do directly after a fire in your home.

Avoid Entering a Home Damaged by Fire

While it may be tempting to rush into your home directly after a fire and try to salvage what personal items you can, it is not a good idea to do so, as your home is most likely unsafe for you to enter. The first thing you should do after a fire in your home is to call your homeowners’ insurance agent to determine if your insurance includes coverage for restoration of items damaged by fire in your home. You should also contact a professional restoration company to take a fire damage assessment and determine the extent of the necessary labor. While it is never a good idea to attempt to clean and restore your home yourself after it has been damaged by fire, there are a few things you can do to prevent further damage to your home.

Salvage Items in a Home Damaged by Fire

Regardless of whether you hire a professional fire restoration company, you can minimize further damage to your home by following some guidelines. You should make sure you have permission to enter your home before doing so, however.

• Get the air moving—you should open all the windows in your home and install fans to circulate the air, as this reduces the chances of mold and mildew growth. However, if there is substantial water damage and the weather is warm, you should probably keep the windows shut and run a dehumidifier to get rid of the excess moisture.
• Dry wet items quickly—you should use fans and dehumidifiers to dry carpets and draperies as much as you can, as these items can quickly become a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
• Remove brass and copper—you should clean these items with brass or copper cleaner, as smoke can etch brass or copper within 24 hours of a fire.
• Place foil under furniture legs—you should also remove rugs from wet carpet.

After you do these things, you should wait for a professional restoration company to take care of the rest, as they possess the experience, expertise, and equipment necessary to handle such a task.

Salvaging items in a home damaged by fire can be difficult, especially if the items also have water damage. The best thing you can do to improve your chances of keeping as many items as possible from your home is to contact a professional restoration company immediately. This not only ensures your safety, but also means you can live in your home again safely.