A fire in your home can be a devastating experience. After the threat of injury has passed, there is still such a giant mess left behind. It’s a problem that we all hope not to deal with, and it can be challenging to know what to do or where to begin. But worry no more – we are here to help guide you through the cleanup and restoration process to bring your home back to life, so you can move on.
Small fires
A small fire, such as a contained grease fire in your kitchen, may only require a good cleaning and a few simple repairs. Hot water, soap, and several scrubbing sponges, along with some elbow grease, can clean up the mess and help you assess the damage underneath.
After the ashes and debris are gone, you may find that your countertops, cabinetry, or flooring have scuffs or scars and need repairs or replacement. All of these items are made of many types of materials, but in many cases, your contractor can remove only the damaged section and replace it with a matching piece, so you can’t even tell there ever was a fire. With a small area to repair, the demolition and re-installation will take only a short time – perhaps only a day or less!
If any appliances were involved in or very close to the fire, such as your stove or refrigerator, they should be checked by a certified repairman to make sure that no permanent damage has been done and they are safe to use again. If a small kitchen appliance, like a blender, was involved, you may want to just replace it – those items are not intended to withstand extreme temperatures.
Medium fires
Larger fires that don’t cause significant damage still cause problems that will need repair. If your bedroom lamp shorts out and causes an electrical fire, you will definitely require the services of a licensed electrician. He or she will need to check the shorted appliance and all the wiring that it was connected to find the source of the problem and fix it. The fire may have damaged large sections of the internal wiring in your house, which will need to be replaced before you can use it again.
A fire in the living areas of your home may cause extensive damage to flooring and walls, as well as your furniture and other belongings. Carpet that has been burned will often need to be removed entirely, including unaffected areas, and replaced. Carpeting can be removed and replaced in a day. The repair options and time for other types of flooring depend mainly on the type of flooring and the extent of the damage – speak to your remodeling contractor for details. Smoke or soot damage on a wall may only require good cleaning and repainting, but flame damage (or water damage from extinguishing efforts) will usually require the replacement of the drywall. This process requires the removal and reinstallation of your wallboards, but it shouldn’t take more than a day or two for a small area.
Large fires
When the fire is large enough to cause significant damage, the repairs will be correspondingly large. No matter what the original cause of a fire this large, if it spread to multiple rooms and burned for an extended period of time, there will be an extensive period of cleanup to assess the damage and determine the course of repairs.
After the debris has been cleared away, demolition will begin. Damaged walls, floors, and ceilings that need repair will be carefully removed to avoid causing any further damage. This will provide a clean slate to begin rebuilding. Walls, floors, and other structural elements are built brand new. Once the structure is sound again, it’s time to make your house a home again. New walls need paint; new floors need new carpet or another flooring. Choose new appliances, new cabinets, and new fixtures. Make a fresh start with fresh colors and new items!
Air quality
One thing that many people are concerned about after an interior fire is the air quality. All fires release large amounts of smoke and dangerous gasses such as carbon monoxide into the air. These can be trapped in the house – in the walls and in the fabrics, for example – and can be difficult to remove permanently. All your fabrics, like draperies and bedsheets, will need to be washed thoroughly, and your upholstered items will need special care as well. Air purifying machines can be purchased or rented to filter the air in your home and remove dangerous gasses as well as particulate matter. The smell of smoke is notoriously difficult to remove, but commercial deodorizing products should be able to help with that problem.
When you’ve experienced a fire, it can be hard to imagine your life being back to normal. It is our goal to make the rebuilding process as painless as possible so that you don’t have to imagine it – it will be a reality.