Conducting Your Own Fire Damage Restoration

Although it is not advisable to enter your home after it has been ravaged by fire and, if you don't know what you're doing, you can cause more harm than good. Fire damage restoration is a specialist job and for the most part should be left to the experts to do. Soot is an amazingly stubborn substance to remove unless you are aware of the techniques that work and those that should be avoided.

That being said, the sooner a fire damage cleanup can be started the better the chance that objects can be saved. Even though the fire may be out, some materials continue to be affected if they are not treated promptly. While waiting for the experts to arrive there are a few simple tasks that can be carried out that may reduce some of the ongoing damage.

What to do if you have smoke/fire damage

* Blow off or brush-vacuum loose soot particles from upholstery, drapes, and carpets.
* Cover carpeted traffic areas with towels or old linens to prevent additional soiling.
* Discard open food packages. The food could be contaminated.
* If electrical service is off, clean out your freezer and refrigerator. Leave the doors propped open or place charcoal in the unit.
* Send clothing with heavy smoke damage to a qualified professional dry cleaner who specializes in smoke damage.
* Clean Formica and chrome fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom to prevent permanent tarnishing.
* Wipe residue from porcelain bath fixtures to prevent etching.
* Wipe the leaves of houseplants to remove smoke residue.
* Change the air filter on your furnace if it uses forced hot air.
* Tape cheesecloth over intake and outlet air registers to capture any loose soot in the air. This is even more effective if the cheesecloth is damp.
* If the outside temperature is above 60 degrees, air out the house to reduce smoke odor.

Important warnings on smoke and fire damage

* Do not attempt to wash any papered or flat painted walls without consulting your professional cleaner. Incorrect cleaning procedures could compound the soot residue problem.
* Do not attempt to clean carpets or upholstered furniture. Again, incorrect procedures could increase damage.
* Do not use electrical appliances that have been close to fire or water before having them checked. They could malfunction.
* Do not use ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet. A short circuit could result.
* Do not touch anything. Soot on your hands can permeate upholstery, walls, and woodwork, causing further damage.
* Do not eat food that has been exposed to fire or smoke.
* Do not wait to call for professional help.

Tips To Prevent Fire Damage

There are some valuable steps that you may think about taking before a fire ever has a chance to occur in your home. Rather than find yourself in the position where you have to get someone to come and perform fire damage restoration, you can fireproof your home.

Make sure your power points aren’t overloaded nor are the electrical circuits. Make sure that smoke detectors have been fitted throughout the house and that they are situated close enough to bedrooms that they will be heard and will wake a sleeping person. Clothes dryers can be the cause of a house fire if the lint tray isn’t regularly cleaned. Make sure that this becomes a regular task, particularly if you use your dryer a lot.

Generally, taking extra care when there is an open flame, such as from a fireplace fire or even the gas cooker, is essential. So many kitchen fires are started simply by not taking close enough care to the open flame and brushing clothes or a piece of material into the fire which catches alight.

Failing to extinguish a cigarette properly is also a recipe for a fire disaster, either by falling asleep while smoking or throwing it in a bin without ensuring that it is no longer alight. Taking an extra few seconds to finish the job will eliminate the possibility that you risk starting a house fire.

By following as many of the common sense tips for preventing fires as you can, you may just avoid having to call in a fire damage restoration professional after all.