How To Repair A Fire Damaged House

• Assess the extent of the damage
• Dry out the property
• Deep clean your home
• Remove any lingering smoke odour
• Repair the structural damage and redecorate
• Book our fire damage cleaning services

In the aftermath of a fire in your home, your property will likely require an extensive clean up and fire damage repair process. This can be a very intimidating and stressful experience that requires specialist expertise, skills, and equipment that you likely will not have.

From structural damage to smoke and water damage, professionals who know how to repair fire damage are required to make your home safe.

Here at ICE Cleaning, our technicians can provide rapid response fire damage cleaning services. They can remove all traces of any soot and ash, collect and dispose of waste, and neutralise lingering smoke odours. We operate nationwide, 24 hours a day, and can be on site in several hours in an emergency.

Continue reading to find out the different steps of repairing your fire damaged home.

Assess the extent of the damage

Once the property has been declared safe to re-enter, you must review the damage and identify the specific clean up and repair services you require.

Check every room for structural integrity, even if they have not visibly been affected by fire or smoke damage. You may need to hire a structural engineer to assess the condition of the flooring, walls, and roof.

Next, collect evidence of this damage and contact your insurance company. Don’t throw out any charred or damaged possessions, furniture, or furnishings until your insurance company has seen the nature of the damage.

Dry out the property

Get rid of any items that have been soaked by the firefighters extinguishing the fire like drywall, insulation, rugs, and carpets. Standing water will also need to be removed.

The property then has to be completely dried out with fans and dehumidifiers to reduce the likelihood of water damage and mould growing. You can find out more about what causes mould to grow here.

Mould and mildew can start growing within 24-48 hours so quick and thorough drying is required. Professional cleaners will already have specialist equipment that can eliminate any excess moisture, including industrial dehumidifiers and air movers.

Deep clean your home

The soot covering all your property and possessions must then be removed. Soot is very dangerous to be exposed to and can cause breathing issues, coronary heart disease, and even cancer. It is also difficult to clean as it is gets into the smallest nooks and crannies.

Only restoration specialists will have the specialist products and equipment to clean every trace of soot from your property. Should you attempt to do this yourself, you may leave some behind and could end up living in a dangerous environment.

The toxic chemicals used to extinguish the fire must be cleared up, too. Cleaners will be able to safely get rid of the residue.

Remove any lingering smoke odour

Even after a fire has been put out, an unpleasant smoke smell will cling to surfaces. The tiny smoke particles left behind after a fire can also trigger respiratory problems and irritate eyes and skin.

The air quality in a property is lowered dramatically after a fire, too, and must be improved or it will not be safe to live in. It can spread through your home into difficult to reach areas, like through vents and walls, as well, which are near-impossible to clean without specialist tools.

Professional cleaners will have access to air cleaning equipment like air scrubbers and air movers, and can deep clean the affected areas.

Repair the structural damage and redecorate

After the property has been made sanitary, clean, and dry, you can start restoring your property. Tradespeople should be brought in to make the structure of your property safe again, such as replacing drywall, installing new flooring, and fixing the roof.

When your property is structurally-sound, you can think about the appearance of your home. You may need to bring in decorators depending on the extent of the redecorating that needs to take place.

Book our fire damage cleaning services

Our technicians can provide comprehensive fire restoration services for all levels of fire damage. They will use state-of-the-art equipment to quickly make your entire property clean and safe again so you can focus on repairing and redecorating your property.

We also provide fire smoke odour removal and smoke damage cleaning, should they be required. Our team can give you peace of mind that your property will be restored to a professional standard, no matter how extensive the fire and smoke damage.

Get in touch on 0208 066 0360 or at enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk for a free site survey and no-obligation quote for our professional fire damage clean up services.