Steps to Take While Waiting for Fire Damage Restoration

Recovering from a fire is no easy feat. It takes a lot of determination to get through such a disaster without succumbing to the stress that it brings. While you will want to get back into your home to start cleaning up and fixing things the moment firefighters declare that the fire is out, you should not.

There are some steps you need to follow to ensure that you don't void your fire damage insurance. The first step is to contact your insurance agency before anyone else. They can advise you on what to do before restoration can begin and even before assessments are made.

The next steps that you need to take while waiting to get your home assessed by your insurance adjuster and restored by a reputable restoration company includes the following:

• Secure your home to prevent further disaster and looting - Fire-damaged homes are not safe from thieves and vandals. To ensure that your home does not become an open invitation to potential intruders while waiting for an insurance assessment before restoration work can begin, have your home tarped and secured with a tarping and boarding up service.
• Document the losses – Don't clean up the area where the fire disaster occurred. Instead, document what happened by taking pictures and describing what you see via notes that you take regarding the incident. Take note of items that have been burned, water-damaged, and impacted by soot or smoke. This will help you with your insurance claims.
• Don't touch anything – As much as possible, avoid touching anything in your home after a fire has happened. You may end up aggravating the situation by touching items that have soot on them. It is also advisable to avoid walking around your home after the fire has been put out because this can worsen the damages.
• Separate damaged items from undamaged items after assessment – Once your insurance adjuster has assessed the damages and you have enlisted the services of American Restoration Disaster Specialists to restore your property, separate the damaged items from those that were untouched. Check these items for possible soot and smoke damage. If salvageable, try to restore them via content restoration.

If your home in Cleveland County and its surrounding area is impacted in a fire, American Restoration Disaster Specialists is the company to call. We have been doing restoration work since the early 1970s. In addition to fire damage restoration, we also offer water damage restoration, content restoration, and smoke & soot damage restoration. We can help you clean out your ducts from the residue left by the fire and assist with your fire damage insurance claims.

To get the help you need after a fire, contact us online or give us a call at (704) 482-7586. We will gladly assist you in getting your home back to normal with as little stress on your part as possible.