Fire Damages: More Than Meets the Eye

7/6/2018 (Permalink)

Some hoses can pump out up to 1200 gallons per minute.

Along with the obvious damage caused by the flames of a fire loss, there are often hidden damages that SERVPRO® of Haddon Heights/Voorhees are professionally trained to handle. Those damages can include but are not limited to, smoke damage/odor and water damage from firefighter hoses or fire extinguishers.

Smoke Damage

Smoke/soot damage is one of the primary hidden damages of the fire loss. Here are some things to look for to determine whether you have smoke damage:

• Stained fabric and upholstery
• Paint discoloration
• Rust, pitting and corrosion of piping, jewelry, and other metal objects
• Strong odor
• Flooring damage

You need to take care of smoke and soot damage, and pronto! This is not the time for a DIY fix in an attempt to save a few bucks on your home’s restoration after a fire.

Failure to properly deal with smoke/soot damage can cause long-term issues for your health as well as your property. Exposure to smoke/soot during fire restoration can occur via the skin and eyes, inhalation and ingestion. Because airborne soot particulate is invisible, you may unknowingly be affected. Once soot enters your bloodstream, it can cause respiratory issues, shortness of breath, bronchitis, asthma, stroke, heart attack, cancer, and even premature death. In infants, even short-term exposure to soot has been shown to have lifelong health consequences.

Water Damage

Before dealing with the fire damage created by smoke/soot, you must first deal with the water damage. Although it’s a relief when firefighters put out the fire, pouring all that water on the flames results in water damage that can cause significant structural issues, damage to your electronic devices, appliances, furniture and important documents and, if not remedied quickly, hazardous mold growth.

Black mold can release dangerous spores into the air that can cause nausea, headaches and severe respiratory problems especially susceptible to children, the elderly and people with deficient immune systems. Pets can also be susceptible to health problems associated with the proliferation of black mold.

It’s important to take care of water damage as soon as possible so you can get on with the rest of the resulting damage, and to ensure hazardous mold does not grow in your property and negatively impact the health of you and your family. The only real viable solution to the dangerous effects of water damage is to hire the professional emergency restoration services of SERVPRO® Haddon Heights/Voorhees to keep your home/ business safe and healthy for you and your family.

SERVPRO® offers the following 7 step process to restore your home or business to the way it was before the loss:

1. Emergency Contact
2. Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment
3. Immediate Board-Up and Roof Tarp Service (if needed)
4. Water Removal and Drying (if water damage is present)
5. Removal of Smoke and Soot from All Surfaces
6. Cleaning and Repair
7. Restoration

To find out more, visit http://www.SERVPROhaddonheightsvoorhees.com/fire-repair-process or call us at 856-566-3388.