Common Myths About Fire Damage

1/15/2018 (Permalink)

A fire in your West Kirkwood or Sunset Hills business or home can fill with smoke and soot so quickly that no one even has time to respond. When hiring a fire damage restoration team to help with the fire cleanup, the owners of those buildings sometimes remember some of the myths or misconceptions that they heard in the past and think that the company will charge them an arm or a leg or make mistakes when cleaning up the smoke damage that will impact the building later. Those owners can take a look at some of these fire damage misconceptions and find out exactly what the restoration company must do.

Fires Strike Older Homes More Often

Many people think that older homes are more prone to fires than newer homes because modern homes have more preventative features like smoke detectors and alarms. The truth is that newer homes are still at risk of fires that lead to soot damage and a thick smoke smell. Modern homes often feature more inexpensive building materials than older houses do. Those building materials can actually help the fire spread much faster.

Never Board Up a Home During the Fire Cleanup

Some building owners will actually fight commercial fire damage and fire damage restoration professionals when it comes time to board up windows. They swear that there is no benefit to boarding up the building and that leaving it exposed can actually help reduce the smoke smell they notice. While it is true that fresh air can reduce the smoke smell after a fire in a home or a fire in a business, it's untrue that using boards doesn't have any benefits. Fire damage restoration professionals board up windows and doors as a way to block off that building. This keeps birds, squirrels and other wild animals from nesting inside and also keeps the home safe from thieves. Robbers often seek out homes with fire damage and steal anything worth value because there isn't anyone living there.

Soot Damage is Easy to Clean

Those who think soot damage is easy to clean are those who never tried to clean it before. They do not realize just how much soot can build up on the walls during a routine fire in a home. The soot damage can look like large and thick streaks that spread from the source of the fire and along the walls or floors. Using ordinary soap and sponges can make those streaks look worse and cause the soot to spread along those walls.

Fire Damage Restoration Takes Months or Years

Though some people think that fire cleanup takes months or even years, the time it takes depends on the severity of the fire in a home or fire in a business. During the initial inspection, the restoration company will check the severity of the fire damage and determine what they need to do, which will help them create a fire cleanup estimate. This estimate will include the cost of fixing any smoke damage, repairing the effects of the fire damage and removing the smoke smell in the building. A residential or commercial fire damage estimate should state how long it will take and the total cost too. Homes or buildings that have limited smoke damage may only need to limit access for a few days.

No one ever expects to live through a fire in a business or home, but this is something that millions of people experience each year. Residential and commercial fire damage experts do inspections to determine the seriousness of the fire and the fire cleanup steps necessary. A restoration company may recommend specific techniques to clean up smoke damage and products that will help with the fire damage restoration process. A top restoration company will employ professionals who can help with both commercial fire damage jobs as well as residential jobs and board up the windows and take other steps to secure the building. Visithttp://www.SERVPROwestkirkwoodsunsethills.com/fire-smoke-damage-restorationfor more information on Fire Damage!