How Do I Handle a Roof with a Hole from a Fire Until Repairs in Wilmington Can Get Made?

5/10/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage can displace families in the most severe cases. Contact SERVPRO to mediate the damage to make sure this doesn’t happen to your family.

SERVPRO technicians arrive quickly and perform temporary repairs to stop any further loss from occurring in your Wilmington home

After a fire in Wilmington, it is not uncommon for doors to either get stuck shut or suddenly be unable to close completely due to warping and swelling of the doorframe. Flames can quickly eat holes in the roof or walls, and windows may break from heat, pressure, or fire fighting efforts. When SERVPRO technicians handle restoration services in local properties affected by fire loss, one of the first actions they take is to secure the property with such tactics as: 

• Boarding up doors
• Securing windows
• All entrances get secured
• Security fencing may get erected if deemed necessary
• Tarping over damaged roofing or windows to protect the home from the elements during mitigation

Interior Clearing Out Serves Two Purposes

As SERVPRO techs remove charred items from the interior of the home with fire damage in Wilmington, they also inspect each thing removed for the potential for restoration through various cleaning methods. Soot-covered items from a china cabinet destroyed in a fire may also look like a loss. Still, after testing residues and construction materials that make up the items, so the best cleaning application gets chosen, they may have complete restoration possibilities for reuse in the home. 

During firefighting efforts, the first responders remove smoldering elements from the structure and contents and place them in the center of the room and douse it with water. More items and materials get added to this pile with copious amounts of water. When the fire gets extinguished, there is often a pile of very wet items and pieces of the home in the center of the room. This is the debris pile that SERVPRO techs go through to find restorable objects. 

Frequently Seen Actions to Mitigate Fire Loss

Unfortunately, in the case of fire damage in a Wilmington property, it often needs to look worse to get restored fully. Charred building materials get removed as they contribute nothing but odor. It is not unusual to see a room with significant fire damage taken down to the framework when this occurs; the techs prep the structure for the needed repairs. 

Regarding carpet, SERVPRO techs know carpeting is an investment and work hard to restore installed floor coverings. If the fibers do show evidence of damage from the heat, such as melting or deterioration from water, there is often restoration potential. The techs can clean and dry the carpet (also area rugs), and with their deep-reaching steam cleaners, leave the carpet refreshed without a sign of fire loss. 

Hardwood flooring gets inspected on a case by case as many factors that are unique to the fire loss situation can affect the outcome of the restoration efforts. 

Ceramic tile often fares the best of any of the flooring types customarily found in a home as long as the grout line seal does not receive damage from the heat. If the seal is intact, the subfloor gets protected from water and heat. 

If the water used in firefighting efforts seeped into the subfloor as verified by the moisture detection equipment. The techs utilize several different types depending on the surface they are scoping. The devices allow them to peer under floors and other areas with ease to track the precise migration path of the water.

Mold Remediation Needs are Possible

As part of their extensive training in the restoration sciences, the techs are always on the lookout for signs of mold infestation. Naturally-occurring airborne spores can germinate whenever conditions are right and spread quickly throughout the structure. The techs know the early warning signs and take preventative measures to stop mold damage before it starts. 

Restoration Goes Easier When You Use One Service for All

A home fire is one of the most stressful events that can affect a property owner. Years of investments in improvements, appliances, and valued collections may get ruined in a flash. Lumping the task of finding, vetting, and hiring a contractor to rebuild the damaged areas can be a headache. SERVPRO technicians have extensive on-going education for the latest in restoration techniques, and they also hold a general contractor license #1992104829, so they can shift from the cleanup to the reconstruction seamlessly. The techs can complete: 

• Needed structural repairs 
• Roofing
• Painting
• Carpet installation
• And any other needed actions make the home ready for habitation

SERVPRO of Hockessin / Elsmere at (302) 992-0104 brings compassion and professionalism to every fire damage cleanup and restoration. Using a combination of their experience, advanced equipment, and expertise, they can return a home to its pre-fire condition.