Fire damage to your home or business can be a devastating experience. Tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and tsunamis get a lot more media attention because they are uncommon but it can surely be as destructive to property and lives.
House fires are much more common than the other more sensational calamities. They don't often make the news headlines, but perhaps they should so that we'd all take a bit more precaution.
The most common reasons include appliances or electrical devices that have gone haywire, flammable items that have been placed too close to a fireplace, heater or woodstove, cooking projects that haven't been properly monitored, cigarettes accidentally dropped and forgotten and children playing with matches.
Hopefully smoke detectors have been properly installed in order to give a warning alarm to the household inhabitants. It is always wise to have a fire escape route and plan practiced and discussed, in advance.
Once the fire department has come and gone and it has been put out, there will be substantial damage to sort through and clean up.
Inspecting the home and attempting to salvage unburned possessions will be a difficult and heartbreaking task. There will be a burnt smell permeating everything along with a leftover oily residue to try to remove. Some steps that need to be taken can be done by the homeowner or a professional. These steps include:
- Demolition and removal of badly damaged items will be necessary.
- Repainting and resealing with a coating of shellac varnish will help to contain the odor. There is a product on the market called Bin which contains shellac. It is thin enough to use in a sprayer, which is an easier method of application.
- A restoration team may be hired to clean up the smoky air by using professional methods which include a hot-and-wet fogging technique, Ozone or HEPA air scrubbing procedures, a steam cleaning method and applying a baking soda and dry ice concoction onto the damaged regions.
- To clean fabric such as upholstery or curtains, use a vacuum that suctions rather than one with a beater bar device. The beater bar will force the soot further into the fibers and cause even more problems. Clothing and household linens should be soaked overnight and then laundered. Fire restoration informational websites carry a line of detergents especially designed to remove fire odors and soot.
- Masonry or drywall are porous surfaces and require a dry chemical sponge to wipe them free of residue. A spraying of grease cutting cleanser will also help.
- Metal appliances, glass or tile will need to also be sprayed with cleanser in order to be wiped free of the residue. Sponges and paper towels should be thrown out as soon as they become dirty and unusable in order to not further spread the debris.
A household fire can surely be a crisis. With a bit of work, the damage can be dealt with and the family can move on with their lives.
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