What You Need To Do Immediately After A Home Fire
Posted on: 19 January 2015
Even a minor home fire can cause an extreme amount of smoke damage in your house. Additionally, ash and soot from fires are acidic substances. If left to sit on surfaces in your home, the acid will cause permanent damage. The most common issue caused by fire smoke is discoloration of plastics and painted surfaces.
You should never attempt to restore your own home after a fire. This is a job where a professional is a must. Professionals in this industry are specially licensed to handle the specific issues which come with fire and water damage. While you are waiting for professional fire damage restoration professionals to arrive at your home, there are some things you need to do.
Wear Safety Protection
When you are in your home, you need to wear the following safety gear:
- safety goggles
- breathing mask
- gloves
In addition to the above list, you should also wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt. Just as acidic fire remnant materials can damage your home, they can also damage your skin and lungs.
Open All Windows and Doors
As soon as the fire department says it is safe to do so, you must open all of the windows and doors in your home. Turn on any ceiling fans and ceiling vents, such as those in the bathroom and kitchen. If you have any portable fans, place them in your windows and blow the air inside your home towards the outdoors.
The more smoke, ash and soot you are able to remove from your home, the easier it will be to deep clean your home.
Vacuum All Carpeting and Upholstery
Using your home vacuum, or a shop vacuum, you need to vacuum all of the carpeting and upholstery in your home. The best way to accomplish this task is to start with your furniture. Vacuum the fabric many times. When you are confident that the upholstery is clean, then move to the floor. This will allow you to catch any material that has fallen to the floor while you were cleaning the furniture.
Quartz and Marble Counter Top Damage
The acid left behind after a fire is strong enough to etch the surface of your quartz or marble counter tops. Wipe all counters with a solution of baking soda and water to remove the acid. Stay away from using any water until fire damage restoration crews get there, as water can make smoke damage worse on corrosive-prone substances.
Conclusion
By quickly attending to any fire damage in your home, you can help to prevent permanent discoloration of surfaces.
Fire damage restoration is never a do-it-yourself task. The acidic materials need to be completely removed from your home by processionals trained to do the job correctly.
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