What Do the Professionals Inspect After a Fire in My Advance Kitchen?

6/9/2020 (Permalink)

We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster!

SERVPRO’s IICRC-Certified Techs Can Eliminate Fire Damage from Advance Homes

Kitchen fires are not just the most common variety of home fire today, but they also account for a whopping $1.2 billion in damages each year based on the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA)'s data. These fires present a bevy of concerns, including contamination of food, protein residue accumulation, and damage to appliances and electronics in your Advance home.

SERVPRO technicians are a phone call away from assisting Advance property owners with rapid response fire damage mitigation. This team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to render mitigation services and minimize damage to structures and contents. Your local SERVPRO team is also licensed to render residential contracting services (license #NC 26671).

Why is SERVPRO Available 24/7?

    •    Loss prevention through fast response times. Soot can become acidic on contact with moisture, which turns these often difficult-to-clean soils into corrosive residues that can damage or discolor items in your home.
    •    A restoration-first approach to cleanup. SERVPRO focuses on restoring as much as possible after a disaster and wants to keep home repairs cost-effective while keeping occupants safe and comfortable. Some items may require removal with the approval of homeowners and insurance adjusters, and others may be more cost-effective to replace than to repair.
    •    Specialists that mitigate both water and fire damage. SERVPRO technicians are also trained to combat water damage and can dry your home before focusing on fire damage mitigation. Firefighting efforts can leave structures and contents highly saturated and requires fast drying to prevent microbial growth.

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Fire Damage Policies

Can insurance policies pay for mold cleanup? It depends on the policy. Some companies have mold damage exclusions for Advance home insurance policies. Go over the terms of your contract to determine if this is the case. Even if there is a mold exclusion, there are likely coverage options for cleaning.

    •    If your insurer refuses to cover cleaning and mold develops as a result of that decision, the entire damage may still be covered despite the exclusion outlined in your policy. However, it is necessary to determine what was caused by the refusal to cover cleanup costs and what was caused by fire suppression efforts. Firefighting is especially notorious for causing mold to develop in drywall and wood framing behind walls.
    •    Does your home insurance policy cover smoke damage cleanup? Smoke damage is covered in a typical homeowner’s insurance policy. Smoke and ash cleanup is, therefore, usually covered by your insurer after a fire. However, there may be disputes with your adjuster over whether repairs or replacement are sufficient for some items. SERVPRO technicians use restoration industry standards to determine the best course of action for your mitigation and restoration needs. They can communicate with you and your adjuster with a recommended cleanup strategy from that perspective.
    •    What are your options if your policy is not sufficient for covering all the damage? If there are specific repair and restoration costs that your insurance policy does not cover, consider claiming these expenses on your taxes as a casualty loss deduction. This can only be done with costs that were not reimbursed by your insurer.

What Professionals Typically Inspect After a Partial Loss Fire

When you invite a professional inspector into your Advance property after a fire, they look at a variety of locations around the home because a kitchen fire can spread damage well beyond the confines of a single area of your home.

Inspectors may evaluate the following areas around your home looking for fire-related damages:

    •    Interior walls and framing may show signs of mold proliferation or water damage from fire suppression
    •    Window frames can melt, discolor, or blister from heat and residues. Glass can warp and change color, as well as lose some of its transparency. Fire-damaged windows can invite unwanted moisture into your home.
    •    Stucco on your kitchen walls or ceiling may have spalled or cracked from “baking” in the heat from a fire. There may also be mold in or behind it.
    •    Plumbing and ductwork both need to be checked for soot residues as well as damage to solder and connectors.

When you contact SERVPRO for your mitigation, service begins with a home inspection.

SERVPRO’s Approach to Kitchen Cleanup

Fire damage cleanup is a process that works from ceiling to floor and light to heavy. SERVPRO technicians start with dry cleaning sponges and EPA-registered detergent solutions for light soils before moving on to more heavy-duty cleaning. As soot deposits are dislodged from surfaces, techs can vacuum them up with a commercial-grade HEPA filter vacuum.

SERVPRO of Davie & Yadkin Counties provides emergency-response disaster cleanup services that keep homes looking, “Like it never even happened.” Call (336) 677-1415 to begin the mitigation process.