According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were 352,000 house fires reported in The United States in 2016 alone! A fire can spread very quickly, engulfing an entire house in less than five minutes! Even when the fire has gone out, the trouble is far from over. But if you’re careful to follow this advice, you can make your home good as new!

Safety and Preparation

First things first, NEVER enter a fire-damaged area until fire officials give you the all clear- and even when you do, be sure to make use of the proper safety attire;

• Waterproof boots

• A body suit made from plastic

• A breathing mask

• Goggles

• Industrial strength cleaning gloves

Once you’re all suited up, the next step is to search the structure for any breaches, and seal them immediately. The best method for addressing a breach is by using a rugged tarp that can create a full seal around the breach.

Restoration

Now that you’ve protected yourself and your home from any potential harm, you’re ready to get to work on the house itself. You’ll want to begin by removing any water from the house, which is normally pooled all over the ground after a fire. You can remove the water using a water pump and a press extractor, which can either be purchased from a supplier, or at a local store such as Home Depot. The next step is to remove the soot and ash from all the surfaces of objects in the house. This can be done with sponges and heavy-duty cleaners. With the soot removed, you can examine the damage and decide whether your things can be restored, or need to be thrown out.

Once the fire-damaged items have been removed, walk around and see the extent of the damage to the floors, walls, and ceiling, to determine what needs repairing. Thoroughly clean the soot off of the entire foundation- This step may take a few days. When that’s finally done, you’ll want to replace the filters in all of your heating and A/C units to reduce that smokey smell. Then, you’re finally prepared for the long process of fully restoring those heavily impacted areas.

Professional Help

If doing all that work yourself sounds too daunting, you’re in luck, The Steam Team has restoration professionals that are ready for your calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! They’ll start by inspecting the entire structure of your building(s) to get a good picture of the extent of the damage. This process allows you to get a full report on the scope of the damage, as well as a great estimate of repair costs.