Understanding Basic Fire Clean-Up When a fire takes place in the home or business of an individual, the resulting damages can be catastrophic. But beyond the physical damages caused to an individual or family, the mental and emotional damages can likewise be severe. During this hard period of recovery there will be many who will wish to get to work; to start restoration and recovery efforts on their own in attempts to reclaim their mental lives along with their physical possessions. This response to such a stressful and traumatic situation is normal among a large number of people.
VA Home Fire Restoration Fire damage to a home purchased with a VA home loan should be restored with the help of professional fire damage clean up and restoration companies. These fire damage restoration companies will have the man power, experience, and proper equipment to do the job of restoring damaged possessions and structures quickly and effectively. However, if you, the person who bought the home with a VA home loan, do not want to hire such a company, or if you cannot help but to start working on your own cleanup efforts, please consider some of the following fire restoration guidelines while going about your work. Also, again, please consider hiring trained professionals, if nothing else for your own safety as fire restoration can be dangerous. If you are determined to do it yourself, however, there are a few basic fire damage restoration guidelines to follow. The first, like always, is safety. Make sure that the city officials and fire department have check and cleared the structure for reentry before venturing in for recovery work. If the home or business is not safe to reenter, do not attempt any restoration efforts.
Personal Safety Once the structure has been deemed safe you may begin sorting through the damage. The second rule of fire damage restoration behind ensuring personal safety is ensuring the safety of the items or possessions. One of the best ways to do this by always wearing gloves while working in clean-up. When a fire burns, smoke is the natural byproduct. This smoke is made up of extremely harsh and corrosive elements and gases, such as varying forms of acids and sulfur dioxide to name only a few, which will damage even those items untouched flames.
When the natural oils found on our hands come in contact with these smoke residues left behind on items, the combination can increase corrosion and leave permanent scaring on metals and wood finishes. Beyond wearing gloves, the next basic action a homeowner can take in repairing and restoring their possessions is to clean all of the soot from the fire damaged dwelling as soon as possible following the fire. This can be best accomplished by the use of a dry or barely damp sponge. Sponges will also be helpful when cleaning soot covered walls and ceilings. Carpet covered floors, however, will need to have the carpet removed from the home so it can be thoroughly washed with water and carpet cleaner. The above were just a few of the basics of cleaning up after a fire in the home. To ensure that the job is done completely and correctly, it is still strongly suggested that fire damage restoration professionals are contacted to assist. Photo Credit: jewellanne, lusi