Fire

Fire Damage Restoration

If you’ve ever had to deal with a fire, you know the sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you see what’s left after the flames have been extinguished: pools of disgusting water and sludge, ash and soot that’s settled on everything you own and may still be hovering in the air, ugly black smoke stains, burned carpets, damaged furniture, charred walls and floors. And that’s not even mentioning the sickening fire odor that’s impossible to ignore and may seem impossible to ever forget. Everyone who’s had this experience probably had the same initial question: “What do I do now?”

As you’ve probably guessed, the answer isn’t to grab a bucket, a towel, or some air freshener. It’s to call HCF Restoration. We respond to hundreds of fire cleanup calls a year and can immediately take charge of the scene, restoring your property to its original shape while restoring your hope that the ordeal will soon be over.

Here’s how we do the remediation, contingent on your approval (or that of your insurance company):

1. Initial Inspection: When we arrive at your home or business, the first thing we do is quickly go through the entire site to make sure there’s no immediate danger posed by damaged parts of the structure, or by the toxic sludge created when certain types of ash are mixed with water.
2. Site Inventory: We then make a more careful site assessment, cataloging all the damaged areas of your house or commercial building as well as all contents which have suffered fire damage. We remove the items we can and move them to a secure, safe area, while preparing a “game plan” for your full restoration work.
3. Soot, Ash, Water and Sludge Removal: Soot and ash have a way of settling everywhere after a fire, particularly in nooks and crannies. We use a combination of cloths, specialized cleaning solutions and industrial vacuums to make sure it’s all removed, even from tight spaces, ceiling fixtures, and “unaffected” rooms where soot and ash may have drifted. Naturally, we clean up all of the water left behind by firefighters, paying special attention to any “gunk” pooled on the floor because it could be an incidence of that hazardous sludge we mentioned earlier.
4. Smoke Damage Restoration: Telltale dark smoke stains are always one byproduct of a fire, and they’re not always easy to remove. However, we have proven techniques to get them out of most furniture and carpets; if they’re on the walls and can’t be scrubbed off, we’ll scrape them off, then sand and repaint the affected areas.
5. Wood: Wooden floors and furniture often show the most obvious signs of having been in a fire, because they’re likely to char. If their structural integrity is still intact, we can clean and seal them with wood cosmetics; otherwise, we can repair them or call in contractors to help with replacement work if necessary.
6. Odor: Even if you throw out everything that’s been touched by fire or smoke, the horrible odor will remain – and the process which causes that smell could also be creating a health hazard. We have industrial fans and other equipment which can eliminate the gases responsible for some of the smell, and we will use professional odor removal products and disinfectants to make your home or business smell like it did before the fire.
7. Item Repair or Replacement: Most items partially damaged in a fire can now be restored by modern techniques, and we’ll work with you to repair anything worth saving. You’ll also have our full inventory list for your insurance company, so you’ll know which items must be replaced.

What may seem hopeless when you first look out over the remnants of a fire is actually a situation which can be handled quickly and comprehensively by the professionals at HCF Restoration. All you have to do is make the phone call and let us do the work. Naturally, all estimates are always free of charge, and your insurance company often will cover most or all of our services.