Dealing With Water Damage Post-Fire

5/8/2018 (Permalink)

If your home was recently in a fire, it is understandable if you want to begin the remediation process as soon as possible.

Dealing with fire damage after a fire can be stressful in and of itself, but adding water damage to the mix can be the icing on a burnt cake. Prolonged use of a fire hose can result in moisture issues, damaged items and structural problems. Fortunately, you can prevent excessive damage by taking care of those water problems right away—or rather, by hiring a Billings, MT, water restoration team to cleanup the damage for you. Your local remediation team can help reduce damage caused by a handful of common problems:

• Moisture damage from the hose
• Moisture damage from a sprinkler system
• Damage caused by burst pipes
• Cleanup after a sewage backup

Cleanup Efforts You Can Perform

Depending on the extent of the fire, your remediation team may or may not be able to arrive right away. Because mold can develop within 24 hours of a water problem, and because sitting water and fire damage can be harmful to your home’s structure, you may want to take measures yourself to prevent as much damage as possible. Here are a few things you can do before help arrives:

• Limit movement within the home to prevent soot particles from further embedding themselves into your carpet and upholstery.
• Place towels or old linens over carpet, upholstery and other furniture.
• Change your HVAC filter and tape cheesecloth over air registers.
• Wash the leaves of your houseplants and remove them from the home for the time being.

You should only stick around to do the above if your home is in a safe condition. If you think that your home is not safe to be in, use your better judgment and stay out of it until help arrives.

If your home was recently in a fire, it is understandable if you want to begin the remediation process as soon as possible. However, use your better judgment and only enter the home if you think it is safe to do so. More importantly, call your Billings, MT, fire damage restoration team for help with the bulk of the cleanup. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPRObillings.com/.