Fire Damage Restoration: The Insurance Process

The Steam Team Helping Install Fire Alarms

When you and your home or place of business are victims of fire damage, the recovery process can be overwhelming. One of the first things you’ll need to do is contact your home insurance company to discuss how to proceed—and ASAP, to prevent further damage to belongings that could potentially be saved. We’ve compiled some tips for communicating with your insurance company during the claims process.  

Leave a trail

Document everything! Have a mindset of gathering proof or evidence, in case any challenges come up later. Confirm updates on your claim or any promises made over the phone by sending a quick follow-up email or letter.   

Be polite and proactive

Everything goes into the company’s records, so no matter how frustrated or justified you feel, refrain from saying or writing anything that would make you come across uncooperative or the cause of any delays or problems. And don’t make the insurance company a target of your venting emotions related to your loss. Instead, be proactive about staying in touch and offering proof of your losses.  

Stay organized

Keep a separate folder, notebook, and/or binder of all paper mail and printouts, and organize any related electronic communications in a separate folder in your inbox. Also, keep a diary of when you spoke with your insurance company, to track info and jog your memory should you need to look back.

Cleanup and restoration are going to require professional help, so you’ll want your insurance company on your side. After speaking with your insurance, you will need to hire a company that can take care of the fire and water damage. It’s important to act fast to minimize permanent damage. The Steam Team offers restoration services 24/7 within 24–48 hours of a fire. Call the emergency line at 800-880-7785, and we will send out a restoration professional to assess the extent of the fire or water damage and provide you with an estimate of costs.   

Water Damage Georgetown Texas

Water Damage In Georgetown Texas

No matter how prepared we are, we simply can’t predict the wrath of a disastrous house fire. Fire spreads relentlessly, damaging our possessions, and sometimes- our entire homes. Regardless of the degree of damage, house fires are devastating and the aftermath is daunting.

In best-case scenarios our homes get away with minimal fire damage. But even if these cases, most of us are unprepared for cleaning up the smoke, ash, and soot that blankets our belongings! It’s best to begin the cleanup process with the help of a professional cleaning and restoration company- like The Steam Team.

In the meantime, we’ll provide a few handy tips for handling the aftermath of fire damage in your home.

Launder All Washable Items

Anything that can withstand a machine wash should be put into the washer as soon as possible! Afterward, gather the remaining affected items to be dropped off at your local dry cleaner.

Be sure to check on the washer in between the next two steps…

Wash Walls & Surfaces

Left behind ash and soot will perpetuate odors inside your home. Use a rented steam cleaner (or a professional restoration company) to wash interior walls and surfaces. This method is perfectly safe for everyone involved: the environment, your children, and pets. A steam cleaner will use nothing but high water pressure and intense heat to remove soot and ash without leaving behind any residue.

Steam Clean Upholstery, Drapes, & More

Curtains and drapes can be sprayed down with deodorizing products (just be careful not to use sprays which only mask the odor), or otherwise steam cleaned. Steam cleaning is also safe for upholstered furniture, countertops, flooring, tables and chairs, and so many more items.

Once again- in the event of a fire in your home, don’t wait; call The Steam Team! You’d be surprised by a steam cleaner’s effective and efficient results!