Building Fire and Water Damage Safety: How to Prevent & Restore
Fire and water damage to a home, facility, or building can be very costly and might require time to be restored back to its original condition. Fortunately, there are ways to lessen the chance of fire or water damaging a property. There are also some best restoration practices that can be observed to reduce the cost and secure your home or property from future damage.
What to Do if Fire Happens
When a fire happens, the most important thing to do is to ensure every person’s security. According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire causes over 2,500 fatalities per year. If you and your family are inside your dwelling and a fire started, the first step is to extinguish the fire if possible.
Grab your fire extinguisher, pull the pin, aim at the base of the flames, and sweep it from side to side until the fire is extinguished. As one person does it, the other should call for help (911). Be careful when opening doors.
If it feels warm to the touch, it could be that there’s the fire raging on the other side. Look for a second exit. You should get out of the property as soon as possible and let the fire officers handle the job.
Water Damage Restoration after Fire Extinguishing
Property damage as a result of water is a common problem. Apart from usual plumbing problems such as broken pipes, roof leaks, ruptured water lines from the toilet, dishwasher, sink or washing machine, water damage as a result of fire extinguishing efforts can also be very serious. The longer the water sits, the harder the cleanup becomes, so as the restoration work. Thus, addressing the issue right away is essential to keep the costly damage down.
The restoration process can be time-consuming and complicated, depending on the damage caused to your property. Basically, it involves water removal, decontamination, and drying. Also, parts of your home or property that have been water-damaged may need to be replaced, such as shelves, floors, ductwork, clothing, heating and air conditioning units, and more.
But before anything else, you will need to call professionals who will conduct a thorough inspection of the damage and what should be repaired. Defining the extent of the damage is essential in determining the best way to restore your property.
Fire and Water Damage Restoration: Best Tools and Practices
When there is water damage occurring inside a home, commercial, or industrial facility, it is important to use the right drying equipment to minimize the damage. The following are the major tools and equipment used by professional restoration companies:
- Air Movers – these are portable machines that move a large volume of air around the flooded area. They facilitate fast drying of floor areas and provide general air circulation in the entire indoor space.
- Dehumidifiers – these are great for removing the excess moisture from the air, which could cause mold and mildew in various surfaces of your home. This portable equipment comes in a range of sizes, as well as ionizing and non-ionizing models.
- Air Scrubbers – this tool removes odor and smoke particles from the air. There are two types of air scrubbers – wet and dry. Wet air scrubbers are used to eliminate airborne particulates while dry scrubbers are used as an ionic purifier.
The most efficient restoration process starts with a plan. Professional companies offering restoration service conduct a detailed inspection to assess the extent of damage and be able to create a plan that saves you time and money. In addition to the drying tools above, some other tools and equipment might be used, such as thermal imaging technology that detects hidden moisture and manage the indoor humidity levels in your home or property.
Injecta drying systems are also used to efficiently dry difficult areas with minimal damage. Depending on where the water damage is and what works best, various tools and procedures are applied throughout the restoration process.
You might also be confronted with other issues associated with fire damage, apart from water damage. These include electrical issues. Fire can damage your electrical wiring, appliances, and plumbing system. Therefore, you might need other services from other professionals.
Lastly, implementing a fire protection system is an important practice to prevent fire hazards in the future. Fire safety systems can be complicated and sophisticated and could be different for just about every home, facility or building. Thus, careful planning and execution are necessary.
Professional fire safety system designers use an integrated approach where they analyze the building components first before designing a plan. Often, the whole process involves engineers, architects, electricians, contractors, and consultants.
Keeping your property safe from fire and water damage can take lots of effort and money at first. However, it might be the only way to prevent more costly and painful loss in the future.
