What Is Involved in the Fire Cleanup Process?

6/23/2020 (Permalink)

A fire in your home in Oklahoma City, OK can be devastating, and you are probably likely to want to start the process of cleaning your home. However, there are several steps that are helpful to take when cleaning smoke damage and other forms of damage from a fire in your home.

1. Taking Inventory

After a fire has taken place in your home, one of the first steps in the cleanup process is to take inventory of what damage has occurred. The items in your home, as well as the structure of the home itself, is examined by restoration professionals. Once you have an idea of what is damaged in your home, it is likely that you will have an estimate of how long the cleanup and restoration will take.

2. Cleaning

Once an assessment of your home has been made, the process of smoke cleaning and removing soot damage and smoke damage can begin. Many of your personal belongings, including clothes, photos and electronics can often be restored. Generally, a restoration company can help to determine the best methods to clean your belongings. If there is not a great amount of structural damage that has occurred, the process of cleaning may not take a great amount of time.

3. Removing Residual Odors

In addition to damaging items in your home, smoke can leave a lingering scent. While masking the odor with sprays or other products may be seen as a short-term solution, the smoke smell is likely to return. Methods to help remove the smell of smoke in your home can include replacing air filters, thoroughly sanitizing carpets, walls and ceilings and replacing the drywall in your home. After items in your home are clean and odors have been removed, reconstruction can begin if necessary.

Understanding the necessary steps to remove of smoke damage and other forms of fire damage can help you feel more at ease as the cleanup process begins in your home. If your home has already been damaged by a fire, it can be helpful to work with fire damage restoration experts.