Repairing Fire Damage

Fire damage is the worst thing in the world to repair if you are not a professional. The damage from the actual fire is not as difficult to repair as getting rid of the odors and grime from the smoke and fumes that are associated with a fire.

Fire damage from the flames is easy to see after a fire and the extent of the flame damage can be determined easily. All flame damaged material must be removed to before repairing damage from a fire. Any flame damaged material will not be structurally sound. The building may need to be supported if the damaged materials being removed are structural.

All curtains, carpet, cabinets, and other decorative material that sustained fire or water damage will also have to be removed. Water damage may be extensive to decorative materials and to wall and ceiling covers.

After all the burned materials are removed the structural pieces need to be replaced to ensure the integrity of the building. There may also be plumbing, electrical and heating repairs necessary and these repairs need to be dealt with before floor, ceiling and wall surfaces are replaced. Professionals who are familiar with repairing fire damage should do all the replacement and repair work to insure that in the end that the structure is safe and structurally sound.

The biggest challenge in repairing fire damage is getting rid of the smell that penetrates everything in the structure. Getting rid of the smell takes a through knowledge of the available chemicals, cleaners and sealers on the market and how to use them properly. You can not get rid of the smell by spraying air fresher. Every surface in the damaged structure must be cleaned or sealed with special cleaners or chemicals. Hard surfaces, such as ceramic tile can be cleaned, but any surface that is slightly porous must be cleaned and sealed. All fabrics will need to be replaced, this a homeowner can do, but the rest of the cleaning and sealing needs to be done by a professional.

The cleaners and the chemicals that rid a structure of fire damage smells are hard to work with and their application needs to be done carefully. No part of the structure can be missed and the tools to do the required application are only good as the person using them. An experienced professional will get all the surfaces sealed and cleaned and the smell will be gone.

After the fire damaged areas are rebuilt and the remaining surfaces thoroughly cleaned and carefully sealed it is time to repaint. Before the final coat of paint is applied a primer sealer needs to be applied and allowed to dry and only then can the final painting can be done.

A structure that has been damaged by fire can be made usable again if all the correct steps to remove and replace damaged materials, clean and seal all smoke damaged surfaces are done in the properly. Fire damage repair is best left to the professionals with the proper knowledge and experience of how to clean up after a disaster such as a fire.