Useful Fire Damage Recovery Tips
10/2/2020 (Permalink)
A fire disaster can be devastating and can leave you feeling stressed and helpless. Fire victims are often confused and traumatized and don’t know what to do next. This is why the last thing you want is to deal with fire damage. But look – misfortunes and accidents happen unexpectedly, and it’s prudent to prepare for them. Even though you should not try to remediate your property yourself after a fire, there are helpful fire damage recovery tips that can help you bigtime. They include:
- Talk To Your Insurance Company As Soon As Possible
When you face a fire catastrophe in your home, it is natural to think of calling the fire department and a few of your friends and families. One important phone call you might forget to make during this time is to your insurance provider. Before you start coming up with ways to deal with this menace, you need to inform the insurance company about the incident. This will help you understand what is covered what is not be your fire damage recovery insurance coverage. Don’t forget to inform your insurance company about your fire damage recovery plans, and avoid taking any actions before you get a green light from your agent. By doing this, you will avoid breaching the terms of the insurance coverage.
- Get A Copy If The Fire Damage Report
Requesting for a fire damage report is an integral part of your fire damage recovery plan. This report will give you all the details surrounding the fire incident, including when, how, and why it happened. This data will not only give you an account of the damage but will also help you make your insurance claims.
Contrary to what some sources of information claim, getting a fire damage report is not difficult. This is a public document you should receive without any complications.
- Confirm Whether The Property Is Safe To Enter
Before you enter your damaged property, you need to make sure it is safe to enter. It is recommended that you work with a remediation professional, who will use advanced methods to check for signs of structural damage that may compromise the safety of your home. They will carefully inspect the property from outside before the door is opened. You can also work with an inspector who will assess the property and deem whether or not it is safe to enter. Regardless of the company you choose, make sure it is locally owned and operated for guaranteed reliability.
- Keep A Record Of Damaged Items
Most homeowners insurances include contents coverage. If you have this insurance, it should cover the cost of replacing items damaged in a fire. Before they are replaced, however, you will need to provide an inventory of damaged items. Therefore, create a detailed register of everything in your home and document all losses. However, if you lost essential documents such as passports, title deeds, vehicle log book, driving license, and more, you need to replace them yourself as soon as possible.
- Clean The Property To Mitigate Damage
Smoke and soot can damage property even after the fire has been put off. You need to be concerned about the air quality, mold and mildew, rust and corrosion, and soot staining in the home. You need to clean all surfaces to mitigate damage. Doing this will also increase the chances of an overhaul restoration, which is the #1 goal of your fire damage recovery plan. Once you have done this, hire a professional restoration and recovery contractor to rebuild your property.