Fire, Smoke & Water Damage
Fire. Smoke. Water. When they get out of control, disaster follows, and the actions you take immediately following can determine how well your possessions survive the experience.
The primary things you should keep in mind when Mother Nature and her elements wreak havoc on your home is to take photos and place a call to your insurance agent/company. This is necessary in case you have to file a claim for professional services to deal with the damage or replacement of items beyond salvage. Also, whether your damage is fire or water related, always have electrical appliances checked for safety before attempting to use them.
WATER DAMAGE - Water damage, whether from flooding, rain or household mishap can be a messy and costly problem. Here are the top 10 things to keep in mind:
1. Do not use any electrical fixtures that have been exposed to water without first having them checked. This includes ceiling fixtures which could short circuit if wet.
2. Wear water resistant protective gloves and rubber soled water proof footwear when working.
3. Remove as much water as possible by mopping, blotting and the use of a wet/dry vacuum. Do NOT use a regular household vacuum on water soaked goods and do not use ANY electrical appliance when standing in water.
4. Use fans to circulate air and aid drying.
5. Wipe hard surfaces (ex furniture, floors, counters) dry.
6. Remove wet area rugs and other floor coverings and hang to dry. Do not attempt removing wall-to-wall carpeting. Improper lifting techniques could result in injury, and improper removal techniques could promote shrinkage.
7. Remove wet seat cushions and hang or prop up on end to dry
8. Remove contents (clothes, books, household linens, etc) from shelves, drawers and closets. Hang or spread out to dry.
9. After mopping, blotting and wet/dry vacuuming, leave closet doors and drawers open to facilitate drying.
10. Water damaged textiles (clothes, draperies, rugs, etc) must be washed or cleaned and dried promptly to avoid bacteria, mold or mildew growth, as well as water rings, dye migration damage or other problems. Call us promptly. You’ll find our professional assistance invaluable.
If you experience smoke and/or fire damage, here are the top 10 things to keep in mind about that:
1) Throw out any food that was on the kitchen counters. It could be contaminated. If electrical service has been interrupted to the refrigerator, remove all perishables and leave freezer and refrigerator doors open.
2) Protect carpeting with tarps, old sheets or blankets to prevent additional soiling.
3) Smoke damaged clothing should be sent to us for both cleaning and odor removal treatment.
4) Formica and chrome fixtures should be wiped cleaned promptly to avoid permanent tarnishing.
5) Porcelain bath fixtures must be wiped clean promptly to prevent etching.
6) Cabinets and furniture should be wiped clean promptly.
7) Douse the leaves of household plants with water to remove soot residue and restore moisture to soil.
8) The air registers (intake and outlet) of your HVAC unit should be covered with damp cheesecloth to filter out any soot in the air.
9) Do not attempt to wash any painted or papered walls or clean any carpets or upholstered furnishings without first obtaining our guidance. Incorrect cleaning procedures could aggravate the residue problem.
10) Do not attempt DIY cleaning of carpets or upholstered furniture, without first asking for our guidance. Again, incorrect procedures could increase damage.
