Have you experienced fire damage to your business? According to data, there are around 37,000 fires at businesses or manufacturing facilities every year. These fires result in approximately 18 deaths, 279 injuries, and more than $1 billion in property damage.
If your building experiences fire damage, you need to take action as soon as possible to mitigate further damage and protect the property. Delaying the fast remediation of your property allows damage from soot and smoke to spread, increasing your repair costs.
This post unpacks the steps to commercial fire damage restoration.
The Commercial Fire Damage Restoration Process
Cleaning up a property after a fire is an extensive process. If you have no experience working with fire-damaged properties, it’s probably a good idea to call in professionals to assess the damage.
Typically, your insurer will require you to hire an assessor, or they will send an in-house assessor to your property to evaluate the damage. Here are the steps to the fire restoration process.
Assessing Fire Damage to Commercial Properties
A professional assessment service specializing in fire-damaged properties will visit the premises on your request or that of the insurer.
They document all the damage to the property and the cost of repairs. After finishing the assessment, they send it to the insurer for approval.
Cleaning up the property, remediating the air, and repairing the damage is an extensive and complicated process. A fire restoration or roofing specialist will help you navigate the complexities of the project.
Board Up Entrances and Windows
After you have the fire under control and put it out, immediately board up the affected area. Board up the windows and walls to prevent the elements from entering the property, causing further damage. The boards keep out the rain, preventing mold from settling and spreading.
Water entering the property may also cause structural damage, so boarding up all entrances and windows is a necessity to keep your property from experiencing further damage.
Handling Soot and Smoke Damage to Commercial Properties
Smoke and soot caused by the fire can spread throughout the property if you don’t attend to it right away. The carcinogenic compounds in smoke and soot can create health problems in people.
You’ll need to ensure that you clean all traces of smoke damage and remove all the soot from the affected areas of the property. You’ll need to throw away all fire-damaged furniture and fixtures. You can remediate and refurbish any items dealing with smoke damage.
Hire Professionals for Commercial Fire Damage Restoration
After assessing your property, it’s time to call in the professionals for help. Sure, you could do the restoration yourself, but do you have the time and experience to do it right? Working with professionals might cost a few dollars more, but it’s worth the expense.
In most cases, your business insurance will cover the costs of the repairs and hiring a contractor to do the work. The best contractors in the industry work with your insurer to file and navigate your claim to completion.
Make sure you work with a team with plenty of local experience and a solid reputation in the market.