How Do I Restore Fire Losses to My Northampton Home?

4/24/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO can board up and then restore fire damaged homes in Northampton

SERVPRO Professionals Respond Fast After a Fire to Start Mitigation and Recovery

When you ask how fire damage gets restored in any Northampton area home, the answers that you get are much like asking a panel of top chefs for how they might make some traditional dish. While many of the ingredients are the same, the methods and the nuances of individual efforts set each happening apart. Choosing a restoration team means choosing skilled professionals that can appreciate these differences and how to provide the most efficient restoration.

Considering how widespread fire damage in Northampton homes can be, our SERVPRO professionals do not waste time mobilizing to reach your damaged property as quickly as possible. Restoring your home is a collaboration of effort between your initial reaction to the emergencies and how our technicians can begin vital mitigation steps upon arrival.

What Do I Do Once the Firefighters Leave? 

Fires are already overwhelming, but when first responders tell you that their work is done and you can go about the restoration needs, it can feel like an impossible task. It is often better to break this critical time into smaller pieces so that you are reaching out to the right offices at the right times. Your initial response should involve:

•    Calling Our Professionals 

While you might want to reach out to your insurance company first, but there are distinct advantages to choose to call our SERVPRO team before that. The sooner that you speak with our emergency response team, the faster these professionals can mobilize and get on their way to your damaged address. Also, in many cases, your insurance company is going to want an estimate and a thorough evaluation of the property conducted by professionals, which we can do.

•    Calling Your Insurance 

Reaching out to your insurance provider is an important step that should not get forgotten. These are the professionals that are going to be involved in the funding of the restoration that your property needs and can keep you from paying little more than the deductible.

•    Waiting for Qualified Assistance 

While it might be tempting to begin an evaluation of the property on your own, this is not always advisable. Entering your home until professionals have deemed it safe to do so can lead to potential health hazards and structural threats you are not prepared to face. Our professionals get prepared for these possible risks with extensive training.  

When Does My Insurance Company Get Involved? 

You might be wondering where your insurance company fits into all of this, and they are a vital part of ensuring that restoration begins when it should and does not miss vital steps to bringing your home back to its original condition.

•    Initial Phone Call

With the initial phone call that you make to our SERVPRO professionals, we can find out information about your insurance provider. We can interface in these situations to cut through the substantial red tape that can sometimes exist that slows restoration from beginning. However, we are not an insurance company, and we strive to simplify the process, not direct it.

•    Preferred Vendor 

Our SERVPRO brand is recognized among local and national insurance agencies as a preferred vendor in the area. We have established a reputation with these companies for our thorough work and fast response.

•    Experienced Inspections and Documentation

Our professionals work to quickly gather the information that your insurance company needs to approve your damage claim. In many cases, this is photo evidence and documentation of the damage along with our estimations of the work to get done and the proposed costs. We provide the CCIS Content Claim Inventory Service program to catalog non-salvageable items and more to assist our customers.

What Might My Home Need to Look Like it Used To? 

After a fire loss incident, there are several things that your home needs to return to its original condition. Between all of these standard stages, you can see a seamless collaboration between our restoration professionals and our in-house licensed contractors. Some of these needs include:

•    Controlled Demolition

Fires often cause a need for controlled demolition when partial damage occurs to construction materials and structural elements. By only removing part of the material, reconstruction can cost less material-wise and take less time to complete.

•    Surface Cleaning

Removing residues and staining is an essential element to restoring your home after a fire loss as well. With hazards like soot residues, it is vital to carefully clean these exposed materials as not to cause more significant structural loss or health hazards.

•    Deodorization

Smoke and burning odors are among the most challenging obstacles for our team to overcome, and we have several deodorization products and equipment to neutralize harsh odors throughout the entire house.

•    Repainting

Even though we have potent cleaning products and solvents, repainting many of the damaged surfaces and wallboard can help to make it “Like it never even happened.”

After a fire, it can take a lot to make your house look and feel like home again. Let our SERVPRO of Hampshire County team help however you need by calling (413) 324-1300.