A fire can be a dangerous event that has the potential to cause major damage and leave chaos in its wake. When disasters like this occur, many people often wonder what they should do next. If you’re one of those people, then this article is for you! We’ll cover some general guidelines for handling the aftermath of a fire, as well as how to prevent fires from happening in your home or business. Let’s get started!
Consider Hiring A Facilities Management Company
After a fire, cleaning up and repairing the damage is often far too much for one person to handle. If you don’t have experience in this sort of thing, it can be hard to figure out how to proceed. That’s why many people choose to hire facilities management companies after they’ve had fires. When there’s so much work to be done reestablishing your home or business, it pays off to use someone who knows what they’re doing!
Hiring a facilities management company after a fire can save you time and stress, not to mention your sanity! When fires happen, they often leave so much damage in their wake that it becomes too much for one person to handle. For example, not only do you need to clean up the mess, but you also have to repair it. If you don’t have any experience with this sort of thing, then it can be hard to figure out how to proceed. That’s why many people choose to hire a facilities management company after fire-related damages! When there’s so much work to be done reestablishing your business, it pays off to use someone who knows what they’re doing!
Take Photos Of The Damage
Of course, no matter who you hire, you’ll still need to document what happened and gather whatever information that you can. This is the first step in repairing your home or business and getting things back to normal! As such, it’s important that you take plenty of pictures as soon as possible after the fire has occurred. Not only will these images help show how much damage there really was, but they’ll also give professionals a starting point for working on repairs. If there’s any chance of insurance companies covering some of this cost, then collecting as much documentation as possible is vital!
This is especially relevant if you’re thinking about selling or transferring ownership of an affected property anytime soon. While a little bit of noticeable smoke damage can be overlooked, a larger amount will certainly need to be addressed in the near future. Of course, not everyone has the option of selling or transferring their property anytime soon.
In fact, some people don’t have that choice at all because they own their homes! If you’re one of these individuals, remember to take photos as soon as possible after the fire has occurred. Not only will this documentation help show just how much damage there really was, but it’ll also give professionals a starting point for working on repairs. In the long run, this will save you a lot of money and time!
Stay Safe While Inspecting The Aftermath Of A Fire
Of course, you can’t just run around your home or business taking pictures of everything. While it is important that you carefully inspect for damage and take plenty of documentation, it’s also critical that you don’t do this all at once. In fact, the best way to go about looking over the aftermath of a fire is to be as organized as possible. First and foremost, make sure that there’s no more active fire present! Even small fires can produce large amounts of smoke and hot ashes, so make sure that these things aren’t a threat before moving on with any inspection work.
Only after you’ve confirmed that the area is safe, take your first round of pictures. Make sure to get photos of any structural damage first, followed by anything related to smoke (e.g., soot on the walls). Finally, make some notes about areas where there might be some hidden threats like electrical problems or asbestos exposure. Of course, don’t move into these areas for more inspections until after professionals have come through and made them safe!
Get An Estimate Of The Damage
After you’ve documented the damage, it’s time to get an estimate of what all this will cost. This is where hiring a qualified company comes into play. Make sure that they are at least A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau, have high online reviews, and are licensed for your state! It’s also smart to do some background research on these companies just in case there are any negative comments or complaints that might be useful later on. Once you have multiple estimates for repairs, compare them closely to make sure you’re getting the best rate possible. If not, then find another estimation method!
It doesn’t matter whether you hire someone directly or use an insurance company to help cover some costs. Either way, always work with a professional that can help you get the best rate possible! Don’t just stick with the first guy that gives you a cheap estimate, either. You might even want to call local companies that specialize in this sort of work to ensure that you’re getting the best deal possible. You’ll never know unless you check, so don’t be afraid to shop around and compare rates as much as possible!
Contact Your Insurance Company
If you have a home or business insurance policy, now is the time to contact them and see what they can do! Even though it might seem like a hassle, especially after going through such a traumatic event, always work with your insurance company. In some cases, they’ll cover all or part of the repairs that are needed. In other situations, they might only be able to provide monetary compensation for certain costs. Either way, this is something you need to deal with as soon as possible because there’s no telling how long it will take to come up with a solution!
If none of these options work out in your favor, then you might need to make some hard decisions about what parts of your property can be repaired and which ones can’t. In many cases, it’s hard to tell what areas of a house or business are salvageable and which ones aren’t. Keep in mind that you might need to replace some things even if they have only been partially damaged by an event such as this!
In this article, we covered what to do after a fire has occurred in your home or office. Fires can be devastating and as such, it is important that you know the proper way to deal with the aftermath. This includes inspecting for damage, staying safe, and getting help from professionals as needed. We hope these tips have been helpful!
