Although you’d like to be able to prepare for anything, unfortunately, sometimes the unthinkable happens. If your home suffers from fire damage due to a variety of different reasons and risk factors, you may find yourself stumped and wondering just what exactly you’re supposed to do next. You may have a lot of different questions running through your head as you try to deal with this disaster in your home, too.
Below, we’ve listed some of the most common questions people have when it comes to fire damage issues. These are questions you may be afraid to ask, but remember that you should be able to speak confidently with your damage restoration company to find out any information you need about the services and repairs you are receiving.
1. Is there anything I can do on my own?
When you’re dealing with fire damage repair in your home, you may find yourself wondering if you can go into the property and take care of any of the cleanup on your own. You might want to go inside and move some furniture around, or you may want to get in to grab some items you’d like to have with you while you are evacuating. When it comes down to it, however, as the homeowner, you only have a couple of responsibilities in the aftermath of a home disaster: contact your insurance, and contact a restoration service company.
You should not attempt to re-enter your home after a fire to work on any cleanup or repairs. Even if you feel confident in your ability to do so, you should always wait until a professional has cleared the property for you to go back inside. Otherwise, you may risk injury or illness due to damage throughout the property.
2. Do I have to leave my house while the repairs are going on?
You want to get back into your home as soon as possible, and your restoration service company understands this. However, if there’s been a fire in your home, you’re looking at more than just fire repairs. Your property is also going to need smoke damage repair, and this alone means it’s going to take more than just a couple of hours to get everything back to good working order.
Because of this, you should expect to leave your home while the repairs are underway. There may be a wide variety of hidden issues that you don’t know about going on in a property that has suffered a fire. For your safety and the safety of your family, you’ll need to stay out of the home until the restoration company lets you know it’s okay to go back inside. They will tell you as soon as you can re-enter the property, but you may need to wait for some of the repairs and cleanup to be completed before this happens.
3. How long is it going to take/how much will it cost?
These are the top questions most homeowners ask when it comes to fire restoration services. You probably also want to know how long it’s going to take your fire restoration company to get your home back to a livable condition. However, this is not something that can be answered in a general sense. Every home is different, and every project is unique. Because of this, your company will need to give you a specific estimate tailored to your needs in order to help you figure this out.
The same is true of the cost of the project. Your restoration service company will let you know how much the project may cost, but the estimate may also not reflect the final total. If any changes need to be made to the estimate along the way, the company should let you know this. Bear in mind, however, that you may not know the precise cost of repairs until it’s time to pay the bill. This depends on how many changes need to be made throughout the project as well as the specifics of the project itself.
4. Are there other kinds of damage to be worried about beyond the fire itself?
Unfortunately, the damage caused by the fire is not the only concern you have when something like this happens in your home. You’ll need to consider damage related to scorching and melting due to heat and flame, of course, but you should also remember the reality of water damage, too. In fact, water damage is the leading cause of damage after a fire. And water damage, in turn, often leads to the presence of mold and the need to remove and replace drywall as well as other materials that make up your home. Following water damage, you will also have to deal with smoke damage to your home’s structure as well as furnishings. Therefore, there are actually several different underlying issues that may come up when you have a fire in your home. Your restoration service company will be able to examine your property and let you know which of these issues may be affecting it specifically.
5. What should I bring along when I have to leave my home?
When you need to evacuate your home due to damage related to fire or other types of disasters, there are several items you should bring along. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to keep this information with you when fleeing a fire, but in some instances, your restoration company may allow you to go back inside long enough to gather these items. They may also be able to bring you some items from inside the home, depending on several factors.
Here is a checklist of items to gather if at all possible before evacuating:
- Identification such as a driver’s license
- Insurance and home title/deed information
- Personal contact information
- Medical records and any prescription medication for anyone in your family
- Items needed for any babies in your family
- Pets and pet items
For help dealing with fire or smoke damage to your home or property in the North Aurora, IL area, reach out to Restoration Techs at 800.600.3594. We are available for emergency services as well as estimates 24/7.