seemingly small moisture issues can cause big problems

Posted on: 12 September 2019

When your home has had a fire, dealing with restoration is a lot of work. There are inspections to be done and repairs that come with the restoration process. It is also important to quickly clean up any messes that the smoke and water have left behind. Putting out the fire probably left a mess of soot and watery sludge. The following tips will help you clean up the mess of soot, smoke and water damage that needs to be cleaned before you can complete repairs: 

Inspecting the Exterior of Your Home for Damage That Causes Leaks

The exterior of your home can be one of the areas there was affected during the fire. Therefore, you will want to inspect materials on the roof and other areas for leaks that can make the process of cleaning up the damage difficult. This is something that may require professional repairs, but you will want to make sure to cover up the leaks while you are cleaning up the mess inside your home to prevent problems from getting worse.  

Remove Personal Items That Have Smoke Damage and Need to Be Restored 

While a fire damage restoration service may do most of the cleaning and repairs to your home, personal items like furniture and other property may be something you need to deal with. Remove all your personal items that you want to restore and begin the process of cleaning them before you put them back in your home.  

Use an Industrial Vacuum to Begin Cleaning Up the Mess of Soot and Water  

The mess that is left behind in your home after a fire is a mixture of soot, water and fire-retardant chemicals that is sludge-like. This sludge can be difficult to clean up, so the best solution is to use an industrial wet-and-dry vacuum to begin cleaning up the mess and getting rid of the sludge.  

Cleaning Smoke Damage, Removing Moisture, Cleaning Again, and Dealing with Odors  

The smoke damage in your home will be one of the most difficult things to deal with, which is why you will need to repeat the cleaning process over and over again. First, begin cleaning the smoke-affected areas, then allow the moisture to dry by airing out your home, and then, repeat the process using commercial cleaning products that help eliminate odors of smoke.  

These are some tips that will help you with the cleaning that needs to be done to prepare your home from fire damage restoration and repairs. If your home has recently been damaged by fire, contact a fire damage restoration service for professional help dealing with the mess the fire left behind.