Restoring your home or building after a fire can be a stressful, daunting task. But it is the first necessary step in rebuilding your life after such a serious event.
Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone. When you learn more about what goes into the restoration process, you’ll have a much easier time finding the right team to help you get settled again after a fire. In this article, we’ll talk about what you can expect from your restoration team, price estimates, and everything else you need to know about what happens when the firefighters pack up and leave.
As your trusted smoke and fire damage restoration team in Atlanta, One Stop Restoration want to give you as much information as possible so that you don’t have to deal with any more surprises during this challenging time.
Unfortunately, damage from a house or office fire can extend far beyond the actual flames. Here are a few ways that smoke and fire can damage a property:
Structural damage is what we tend to think of first when it comes to building fires. As the fire grows and moves, it consumes whatever is in its path, including wooden beams, flooring, ceilings and walls. At the same time, the intense heat from fire can impact concrete and steel. This, of course, can weaken the structural integrity of the building.
In some cases, the structural elements can be salvaged or restored to maintain safety. But, if a fire was severe, a structural engineer may conclude that repairs need to be made to the foundation, floors, walls, beams, or other integral pieces of a building’s structure before it’s considered safe again. One Stop Restoration in Atlanta metro area can handle all types of fire damage situations for both residential and commercial customers.
The inside of a property after a fire can look black, even in areas where the flames never reached. That’s because smoke and certain chemicals released during the fire can permeate other areas of the home, covering surfaces such as drywall, stone, windows, and more.
The smoke, flames, and intense heat of a fire can also penetrate behind the visible walls in your home to affect your insulation as well as electrical, gas and plumbing systems. If not assessed and repaired, you could deal with the lingering smell of smoke as well as issues with your lighting and plumbing throughout the home.
Furniture, decor, and appliances can be subject to fire and smoke damage as well. Smoke can easily penetrate soft surfaces like couches, mattresses, and paintings, and heat damage can affect electrical appliances, such as vacuum cleaners and microwaves.
One of the most unexpected sources of damage that homeowners face after a fire is water damage. But it’s actually a common occurrence after a fire.
Firstly, high pressure hoses that are used to extinguish a fire can create water damage in the home. And, If you live in an area with high humidity or rain, water damage can also occur as a result of damage to the exterior walls of your house.
It’s for this reason that smoke and fire damage restoration often go hand in hand with water damage restoration. This will prevent your home from developing mold and lower the risk of parasites drawn to standing water, such as mosquitoes and flies. One Stop Restoration in Atlanta metro area can handle all types of water and flood damage situations for both residential and commercial customers.
There are a few different ways that your family could be at risk for health conditions in the wake of a building fire. Firstly, the smoke that clings to surfaces after a fire like this can expose your family to harmful chemicals that were released during burning. The soot itself, which can linger in the air after a fire, poses respiratory problems when inhaled. These substances can be circulated through your property’s ventilation system, which means that occupants can suffer the effects for months after a fire if not properly dealt with.
As we mentioned, the water damage sustained after a fire can pose health risks in the form of mold exposure and pests. Inhalation of mold spores can lead to respiratory problems such as infections and a worsening of asthma symptoms, while a spike in mosquito populations can increase a risk for West Nile Virus and other diseases.
Clearly, there can be a lot of damage to contend with after a building fire. So, what can a remediation team do to get your home or office back in a safe, livable condition?
As you probably guessed, it will depend a lot on the extent of the smoke and fire damage. A small fire that was quickly put out will still need a restoration process, but it likely won’t be as extensive as a large fire, which could require a complete gutting of the home. That said, your smoke and fire restoration team will likely follow these steps:
After learning more about the process of smoke and fire restoration, you might be wondering just how much a job like this will cost.
For small fires that are localized to one room, average prices for the Atlanta area tend to be between $2000 and $4000. But, for more severe fires in larger homes, the prices can increase dramatically. In some cases, fire and smoke restoration can be upwards of $50,000. Here are a few factors that can determine the final price of a restoration project:
Have questions about pricing? Call one Stop Restoration today to schedule a free on site estimate!
It might have become pretty clear by this point that this is not your average DIY clean-up job. If you don’t restore your space the right way at this stage, you could be dealing with additional damages from water, as well as lingering smell of smoke that can last for months or years.
Here are a few more reasons why hiring the right remediation team is your best option:
When it comes to fire and smoke damage, it’s always best to rely on a professional team to help you rebuild. One Stop Restoration, Your trusted Atlanta restoration team is here to take some of the stress out of dealing with a house or building fire so that you can focus on getting your life back. Give us a call so that we can get started right away.
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