House Fire Cleanup Costs

RSS Feed posted January 6, 2012

House Fire Cleanup Costs – Incomplete Combustion

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Fire Damage: Before

House fire cleanup costs depend on the type of fire, the extent of the damage and the replacement or repair costs of affected building structure and personal possessions. Most house fires are complex as there are numerous toxic chemical compounds that fuel them. These compounds are present all around us, in our furniture, carpeting, cabinetry, upholstery, building materials, etc. In fact, these incomplete fire combustions produce soot and other deposits, forming more debris and contributing to higher house fire cleanup costs.

House Fire Cleanup Costs – Complex Chemical Reactions

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Fire Damage: After

Why do incomplete combustions cause higher house fire cleanup costs? During a fire, the glues, paints and other synthetic materials throughout our home release fumes that react with each other. These complex chemical reactions unleash various toxic gases that permeate our living areas and contribute to lingering smoke odors long after the fire is put out. Moreover, the soot that is produced is greasy and is easily transferable from room to room. It settles on every surface, even walls, and is hard to remove. In fact, the longer fire damage remains unattended to, the more damage occurs. A timely cleanup and repair of the property can save on restoration costs, both in terms of infrastructure and content salvaging. When not attended to quickly, salvaging becomes impractical or impossible. A complete rebuilding and replacement of content and infrastructure may be required.

House Fire Cleanup Costs – Insurance Policy Coverage

Depending on a homeowner’s insurance policy, standard policies should cover both structure and personal belongings. It is best to have household items listed and accounted for with the insurer ahead of any fire or water damage incident. Photographs of the items and documented receipts are helpful to have for valuation purposes. Some insurance policies are more comprehensive than others and include more robust coverage for expenses incurred for boarding up a pet or a staying at a hotel while the home is being rebuilt. However, these policies have either an amount or time restriction.

House Fire Cleanup Costs – Damage Replacement Factors

Other house fire cleanup costs to consider are the size of your house, extent of damage and repair or replacement costs in your area. In fact, there are various variables your insurance company takes into account when determining how much to pay out for an insured’s fire and water damage repair and restoration job. They will either send out an adjuster to estimate fire damage and repair costs or they may accept the estimate of a local fire and water damage restoration company it trusts and has a long standing business relationship with.

House Fire Cleanup Costs – Hiring Restoration Professionals to Estimate Damages

Fire and water damage situations are devastating, stressful and inconvenient to all family members. Instead of getting separate quotes for renting equipment, debris removal, content restoration and structural damage repairs from various contractors and coordinating such a monumental task, it is much easier to hire one full service company to handle all aspects of repair and restoration. Moreover, these experts know what to look for in terms of hidden or recurring post-fire and water damage issues, so they can proactively reflect complete and permanent solutions for smoke odor elimination and mold removal and remediation in their estimates, as needed. Most professional fire and water damage companies have comprehensive in house expertise to handle all parts of the job, from estimating the costs, to the actual cleanup, to debris removal, to content restoration and structural rebuilding, to insurance paperwork filing.

House Fire Cleanup Costs