What You Need to Know When Recovering From Fire Damage.

3/7/2016 (Permalink)

A home damaged by soot and smoke.

While the fire is always the immediate danger, once it's gone, what it leaves behind will continue to affect your home and everything inside it. Ash and smoke if left and not cleaned by professionals, will leave extensive corrosion, etching and discoloration as well as lingering odors, if left and not cleaned by professionals,  So what are the first steps to your homes recovery and what should you know?

1. Don't risk doing further damage by attempting to clean up the damage yourself. Refer to the list below.

2. You should call your insurance carrier and file a claim.

3. Then call SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outer Banks. to assess the damage. We will then communicate with your insurance company to plan the damage recovery process, and the process will be explained to you.

The sooner you contact us the better, because damage will continue and your structure and all your contents will have much more extensive damage to them. Carpets may become permanently discolored, and glass may be severely etched. And those odors aren't just odors, they are acidic and filled with toxins that can be harmful to you, and the longer they stay the more damage it will cause to your home.

Keys Things to Avoid:

1. Do not wipe or attempt to wash residue from walls, ceilings, or absorbent surfaces.

2. Do not use carpeting or upholstered furniture impacted by heavy smoke residue or debris.

3. Do not use food items or canned goods exposed to heat.

4. Do not turn on computers, TV's, stereos or electrical appliances until they have been professionally cleaned and checked.