Choose the Right Fire Restoration Company for Your Business

Fire damage can be devastating to your business. Fires can ruin structures, possessions, and lead to water damage from the water used to put out the fire. It’s important to call a professional restoration company as soon as possible to prevent further damage. Construction restoration companies have different levels of services and repair and rebuilding timelines.

Fire Damage Restoration Checklist for Your Commercial Property

Figuring out what fire damage restoration company is right for your business can be overwhelming. Use this checklist to help determine how to choose the right professional restoration company for you.

1. What kind of professional restoration services do they provide?

Fire damage restoration companies provide essential services to help get you through the fire damage assessment process. A professional company will provide services that include, but aren’t limited to: an initial inspection to assess the damage, board up and roof tarp services, smoke and soot cleanup, odor removal, and water damage restoration.

2. Do they work outside of normal business hours?

A good fire restoration company will have an emergency response team that can come onsite 24/7. When you call them, they will pick up right away and promptly arrive at the scene

3. Did they conduct an inspection of the fire damage before anything else?

A trustworthy company will never provide a quote or scope of work before conducting a thorough inspection of your property. They’ll come to your building to do a walk through. Notes on the extent of the fire damage, what needs to be done to make your building safe prior to cleaning or rebuilding will be obtained before a plan is written up. Any restoration service that gives you a cost estimate and time of completion before actually looking at your property in person should not be trusted.

4. Do they conduct a board up service?

Board up services tend to be overlooked in fire damage restoration, but this is one of the most important steps. Fires can destroy a building–damaging the structure, walls, and windows that hold up the building. Before crews can safely cleanup burnt items, glass, and debris inside the business, they need to board up vulnerable spaces. This includes window and door jambs, as well as any gaps and holes created by the fire. It also helps prevent further damage occurring from rain, high winds, looters, and vandals. The professional cleanup service may need to tarp any damaged rooftops to protect the building from rain, hail, and snow.

5. How do they handle soot and smoke damage cleanup?

The most important service a fire restoration company provides is soot cleanup and smoke damage smell removal. Soot is a carcinogen and is toxic to breathe in. As fire burns, it creates a smoky layer that is left behind and absorbs into the materials it lands on. The longer the acidic soot sits on an item, the more it can corrode the material, the less salvageable it becomes. The most telling example is the yellowing of walls from acidic residues that aren’t cleaned off right away. Fire restoration companies use professional techniques to safely remove the soot and smoke odor left behind and restore your business to pre-loss condition.

6. Is this company also certified in water damage restoration?

Water damage restoration is often not thought of when preparing for fire damage cleanup. However, if your business had a built-in sprinkler system or the fire department had to use a hose to put out the fire, then hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of water may have been poured into your building to ensure the fire was put out completely. This water left behind, if not cleaned up quickly, can worsen the structural damage to your building, and may cause mold growth. Professional fire restoration companies will offer to clean up the water with dryers, submersible pumps, and dehumidifiers.They will also use sanitizers after the fact to make sure your building is of bacteria and pathogens that may have lived in the water, to maintain the health and safety of your business.

Fire damage restoration companies should offer to help you with any emergency with both minor and major repairs. If you find a local professional restoration company that meets all of your criteria and can restore your building within your budget and time frame, then you should have your business up and running again to your satisfaction.