Every home is at some risk for fire damage. But, there are ways to minimize the risk or reduce the damage if a fire happens. It helps first to know what fire risks you face.
If there is a fire, restoration and repair will take several steps after the fire is out and the insurance company is involved.
Restoration is never simple, but we do our best to make the process quick and low stress with 24-hour emergency response in and around Michigan.
Some Signs of Fire Risk
Many behaviors and many aspects of a home can increase the risk of a fire. Here are ten signs that your home is at elevated risk of fire damage.
- You live in a relatively new house. Modern designs tend to burn faster than older houses because of the finishes and materials used today.
- You live next to a new construction home. For the same reason that modern houses are more vulnerable to fire, living next to one increases the risk. If that newer home is close to yours, a common situation in the suburbs, a major fire can more easily spread to your home.
- Peeling paint. Depending on where the paint is peeling, it may indicate an overheating junction or wire in the wall.
- Your space is cluttered. This includes basements and garages. A space packed tightly with bags, boxes, furniture, and papers will help a fire get going and spread. Electrical shorts can’t start a big fire unless there is plenty of fuel nearby.
- You aren’t keeping the yard clean. Fall leaves and other debris create a great environment for a fire to begin and spread. On a related note, using hay or anything dry to decorate outside also creates a fire hazard.
- You have long curtains in the kitchen. These curtains get caught in strong breezes and blow onto gas burners, with a house fire being a likely outcome.
- Your extension cords are stored outside all year or used inside under rugs and furniture. Long-term exposure to the elements will damage extension cords, making them more likely to start a fire. Frayed and cracked cords are a major fire risk indoors and out.
- Your furnace is poorly maintained. Not following the required maintenance steps for your furnace leads to dust in the system, which can burst into flames. Stoves and space heaters start fires, but furnaces start more fires.
- You plug more than one major appliance into the same power strip. These strips can be overloaded, which overheats them and leads to the risk of fire.
- You let your kids cook without supervision. Cooking is a valuable skill for children to learn but under close adult supervision. Children are more likely to make a mistake and start a fire.
These risks are relatively easy to manage, though.
Tips to Manage Your Risk
You can take some steps to minimize the odds you will ever need our fire restoration services:
- Declutter your space, including your yard.
- Make sure all plugs and electrical cords are in good shape.
- Keep the furnace in good shape by following recommended maintenance practices.
If prevention fails, you may need to call professional fire damage specialists to fix the damage and do restoration work.
Dealing with Fire and Smoke Damage
The first thing to do after a fire is obviously to contact your insurance company. Your second call should be to a fire damage restoration company.
We will give you a written estimate that you can use when you file an insurance claim.
If a fire happens, there will be three or four kinds of damage that require restoration work:
- The flames and smoke (and soot) are obvious causes.
- The water used to put out the fire may do additional damage.
- Because water goes everywhere, it can be hard to clean up.
Restoration work almost always includes dealing. Some homes need mold remediation too.
Mold can begin to grow in a day. Waterlogged wooden materials are quickly ruined by water.
A Four-Part Fire Damage Restoration Process
Our first step is generally to protect the property. We move in after the fire is out. Our emergency board-up service is part of the protection step. We cover boards and windows as needed. We also cover damaged sections of the roof.
The next damage restoration step is to repair the fire and smoke damage to walls, floors, and ceilings. Our certified, insured, trained technicians know how to correct fire and smoke damage from grease, electrical, and kitchen fires. Odor removal is part of this step.
The inevitable smells left behind by a fire can be difficult to remove without professional equipment. Many restoration companies use thermal fogging to heat a de-sanitizing mist and spread it using handheld foggers. The mist destroys airborne odors and gets into cracks.
Step three happens once fire-damaged materials are removed, and soot and smoke damage is dealt with. After that, we move on to reconstruction.
We can coordinate with estimators, project managers, and construction workers to work with you to repair and rebuild. For example, we can demolish and replace damaged parts of a building or do a complete rebuild.
In the fourth step, we begin restoring your home or business to like-new condition, or we can help you create something new. Our fire restoration services include architectural design and interior design.
A fifth step sometimes becomes necessary. Firefighting always causes water damage, which leads to the risk of mold and mildew. We may have to revisit a building and clean mold or mildew.
The whole process may take a few days to months. It all depends on how severe the damage is.
Professional Fire Damage Repair in Michigan
Our certified damage restoration company is a full-service restoration business serving Detroit and the suburbs. Has lots of experience with smoke and soot damage, fire damage, water damage, and damage mold can do.
If you want to see our fire restoration service result, we have fire loss recovery photos elsewhere on the site.
We offer 24/7 emergency services to secure your home or commercial property from the environment and intruders and begin the restoration process.
Our fast, efficient service includes a guaranteed response within 1 hour.
