The impact of any home fire goes beyond property damage. Emotional and financial hardship also take a toll. But, with the help of trusted fire damage restoration specialists, the recovery process is faster and more manageable. The first step is understanding the full effect of a fire on your home. The second is restoring it to become the home you love again.

The Impact of a House Fire

A home’s construction materials and furnishings determine how quickly a fire spreads. Their combustion creates smoke composed of toxic gases and chemicals. Hydrogen cyanide comes from burning carpets, plastics, fabrics, and insulation. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide may also be given off. Arsenic vaporizes from wood preservatives, and ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and hydrogen chloride may also be present. All of these toxins contaminate everything smoke contacts. Also, water damage from extinguishing will cause microbial contamination issues.

Restoration of a Fire-Damaged Home

It’s plain to see how the damage from a fire is about more than lost property. Smoke also affects hidden and seemingly undamaged areas in harmful ways. With that in mind, here are the cornerstones of safe, effective fire damage restoration:

• Evaluate the structure: The top priority is ensuring the house is structurally safe for repairs and eventual re-occupancy. Schedule an inspection to ensure safety standards include parts of the house that aren’t easily accessible such as its framing and subflooring.
• Inspect the HVAC System: Your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are its lungs and circulatory system. That’s why it’s critical to inspect, replace, or restore any part of it affected by smoke. Turning on a contaminated system spreads toxic particles that trigger health problems when inhaled.
• Treat for odor and other contamination: Everyone knows how stubborn smoky odors are. When they’re coming from a home’s framing, there’s also the risk of lumber degradation or contamination from burning materials and water. Fire damage restoration specialists treat all affected components with counteractants designed to eliminate odor and microbial contamination.
• Pull Up Affected Floors:  Toxic ash, soot, and dust carried with smoke find their way under flooring materials. To ensure there’s nothing unhealthy lurking under your feet, fire restoration experts remove all flooring exposed to smoke.

In the aftermath of a home fire, nothing matters more than knowing how to get trusted help. If you have a home with fire damage in the Evansville, IN, area, the fire damage restoration specialists at Restoration 1 of Evansville are here for you. Their technicians carry a certification from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)  for recovery and clean-up. They’re available around the clock to help you get home again. To reach them 24/7, call (812) 641-8132 or visit them online.