Things You Can Do for Your Home After a Fire | SERVPRO of Marlton/Morningside

10/16/2019 (Permalink)

If you've experienced a small isolated fire or a complete burn down, you need a property restoration company to properly assess the damage. SERVPRO of

Without a doubt, a house fire is catastrophic to a family. It does not matter if the fire completely destroyed everything or if only a portion of a single room was involved, your family will be greatly affected. You want to get things back to normal as soon as possible, which means you’ll need a professional fire damage company to do repairs and restoration.

But while you wait for the professionals to do their work, you can take care of some things yourself. Of course, you must wait until the fire department gives you the all clear that the place is safe for you to enter. Even if only one room was involved, you need to know that the house is secure. In any fire, burning materials release toxic fumes that linger and can be dangerous if you inhale them.

In addition to toxic fumes, the structure of the building may be impaired. The fire department is trained to inspect all the places that were involved in a fire and decide if the house is structurally sound or not, which is crucial before you can enter. Once you have been told the house is safe to enter, here are a few things you can do yourself.

Secure the House

You do not want any more damage to the house after a fire. To ensure that the house is secure from wind, rain, and any unwanted people, board up all windows and doors that are damaged. If the roof or walls were damaged, be sure to put a tarp over the open areas if you cannot cover them with wood.

If the whole house was damaged, you may want to put a privacy fence around the property. You don't want anyone going in or being around the place who may get hurt, cause more damage, or even take things from your exposed house.

Pump Out Water

Firefighters use a lot of water to put out a fire. You need to get any standing water out of the house before it starts to mold. You can rent a pump from a local tool rental facility. Make sure the fire department and electric company have okayed the use of the electricity for the pump. If not, ask a neighbor if you can run an extension cord from their home to the pump.

Remove Trash

Some of your belongings won’t have survived the fire. Go through your home and throw out anything that is not salvageable. This includes getting rid of food items in the refrigerator and cupboards. Be sure to get rid of burned clothing, medicine, and cosmetics too.

Pull Out Furniture

If the furniture has not been burned but is covered in ashes or has water damage, you should pull it out of the house. Even if you do not see any soot or water, the material will smell like smoke. Taking the furniture outside gives it a chance to dry and air out. Keep in mind the pieces will still need to be professionally cleaned if you plan to keep them.

Ashes and soot are difficult to remove from furniture, walls, floors, and ceilings. Getting the smell out of the house and furnishings is also hard to do. Professional fire restoration companies understand what is required and have all the equipment and know-how to get things back to as normal as possible.

Whether you need to have a few pieces of furniture cleaned, or the whole house restored after a fire, contact SERVPRO of Marlton/Morningside to take care of things for you. We can handle it all so you can begin rebuilding your life.