Seven Things You Should Avoid Doing If Your Home Needs Fire Damage Cleaning
Experiencing a fire in your home is scary and stressful. It's important that you don't make mistakes that can increase frustrations as well as health and safety risks after a fire.
The following are seven things you should avoid doing if your home is in need of fire damage cleaning services.
Re-entering your home before you've been told it's safe
It's important to not go back to your home after a fire before your home is declared safe. You need to wait until you've been told by personnel from your local fire department or another authority that your home is safe to reenter.
Neglecting to have a fire report produced
A fire report is an important document that can help you with issues like filing home insurance claims. Your local fire department can produce a fire report for you that compiles important details about the event.
Moving furniture and other items around if there is a lot of soot present
You should do everything you can to avoid spreading any soot that is present throughout your home before it can be properly removed by a cleaning service. Avoid handling and moving around items that are covered by soot because this could make the problem worse.
Running your HVAC equipment before getting the go-ahead from fire department authorities
HVAC equipment should be shut off as quickly as possible after the outbreak of a fire in your home. It also shouldn't be started up again until it has been inspected by local fire department authorities.
Using electronics before fire department authorities have told you it's safe
In addition to waiting to use your HVAC equipment, you should also wait to begin using electronics. Using electronics when your home's electrical system is still damaged from the fire creates safety hazards.
Procrastinating about arranging professional fire damage cleaning services
Having your home professionally cleaned after fire damage as quickly as possible is important. Living in your home before it has been professionally cleaned can be unhealthy because it could expose household members to soot and other harmful substances.
Waiting to schedule fire damage cleaning could also cause issues like mold or mildew growth that make problems even worse in a fire-damaged home. Mold and mildew growth can be caused by the dampness left by water that was used to put out the fire.
Failing to keep records of the damage
Be organized and save any records of damage or fire damage cleaning services. You can use these records when you file your home insurance claim to maximize the amount of compensation you get for the fire from your insurance company. For more information, contact a company like Vicari & Runner Restoration LLC.