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The Next Step After Having Fire And Water Damage
3/20/2017 (Permalink)
Fire and water damage are nightmares for any home or business owner because they typically force expensive repairs. This is particularly true when the building is flooded or a pipe bursts. Such disasters can destroy entire floors of a building, and make it uninhabitable until it is cleaned out. But cleaning it out is something that only professionals should be allowed to handle, especially if there is contaminated fluid or a lot of ash residue present. Certified technicians will have the tools and expertise needed to restore the building to normal and allow people to work or live in it without fear of health issues.
How do professionals perform fire and water damage restoration?
The only way to deal with a flame’s aftermath is to clean the area up thoroughly. Even a small fire can leave behind a good deal of ash and soot, and it will become more than just an annoyance if it is allowed to spread through the building. Smoke is another concern, as it will create noxious odors that penetrate through walls and seemingly last forever. Technicians are prepared to work through the building, scrubbing down all affected surfaces, and surveying the property to find areas where the residue has settled. This includes the ventilation system as well, as ash is readily picked up by the building’s climate control system. In places where the residue has formed a thick, almost lacquer-like substance, technicians have special detergents that can eat through the muck and make it easy to wipe away. As for smoke odors, professionals typically use a device known as a thermal fogger. This device will fill the building with particles designed to neutralize smoke odors, and these particles are small enough to reach through walls, so they can go where the smoke is.
Floods, sewage backflows and plumbing disasters offer their own challenges, and take a lot of equipment that only fire and water damage restoration professionals have access to. For example, if the building is harboring several inches of water, industrial strength pumps will be needed to pull it out, and these pumps are often mounted to a truck. Once this is done, trained professionals will be able to identify what materials can be rescued and what materials are completely compromised. It is essential to get this part right because destroyed materials that are left behind can ferment mold and bacterial growth.
Technicians will then work to dry the building, a process that requires several heavy duty air mover fans and dehumidifiers. This normally takes several days to see through, and technicians will monitor drying progress with moisture meters and regular inspections. Also, if there are any areas infested with mold or other microbes, fire and water damage restoration professionals can eliminate the threat with fungicides or other cleaning solutions.
Certified fire and water damage restoration professionals are the people to call when disaster strikes. They can operate in any environment and ensure a building is as good as new, giving people the peace of mind they need when returning home or to work.