Professional fire damage restoration is a very complex and time-consuming task. It includes the initial inspection, moving furniture and affected objects and materials for restoration, and drying and cleaning. But with all the hustle and bustle in your home, you probably wonder: When will this project be done?
But worry no more, dear reader. As an IICRC-certified firm, we follow the industry's best practices to deal with fire damage in your home most efficiently. Of course, our more than 50 years of combined experience play a role in how quickly we handle this type of project.
This article will discuss our timeline for a typical fire damage restoration project. From the moment you call us to the final walkthrough, we will explore all the steps and how long it takes us to get to your renovated house. So join us and discover our estimated completion timeline and the factors that can impact the project.
Fire damage restoration: A timeline
House fires leave more complex damage than, for example, a typical water damage case (think about an overflowed sink or a broken pipe). The soot and smoke left behind can cause many problems if not treated correctly. This is more notable when comparing the amount of work that needs to be done and the time it takes to complete it. Depending on the case, a fire damage restoration project can take as little as 30 days up to a year if there is extensive damage. Here is how we go about a typical fire restoration project:
1: Sealing off the area (1 day)
In some cases, to prevent further damage from extending to the house, we will need to board up and tarp the affected areas of your home. This emergency step is done once the firefighters have ensured the property is safe to enter.
2. Our initial response (1 hour within El Dorado)
It all starts when you contact us by phone. Once you get in touch with someone from Restore-It, we will ask you for your personal information, your insurance number, and the name of your insurance adjuster. If you haven't contacted your insurance company yet, we can help you file a claim.
We work with the insurance company to restore your home to its state before the house fire happens. That said, in most cases, we begin to mitigate the damage before the insurance adjuster arrives. This is because the longer we take to address the damage, the further it can spread through the house and even damage the objects.
In emergencies, we can send one of our technicians to your home within an hour if your property is within the limits of El Dorado, Arkansas. Locations like Camden, Smackover, and others will add up in traveling time, ultimately affecting our response time.
3. First inspection and documentation (1 - 2 days)
Our technicians will visit your house to assess the damage. After questioning you about your particular case, they will document the exterior and interior of your home. During this process, they will make observations and address your concerns. To further report the state of your home, we will use a 3D scanner called Matterport and take measures with specialized equipment like meters and infrared cameras. Sometimes, we may need to call an expert, like an electrician, which can impact the project's schedule.
4: Creation of the fire damage restoration plan (~1 week)
Having determined the severity of the fire, including all the affected building materials and your objects, our technicians will come back to report and build a restoration plan. This means a plan for restoring all the affected electronic equipment, others with hard surfaces, and things made with soft materials. Items that cannot be salvageable due to affected structural integrity will be listed for your insurance claim.
5: Water removal and drying (4 - 7 days/ during steps 6 & 7)
Firefighting efforts are the key to mitigating the damage left by a fire incident. However, they usually left some damage on the property as well. Mainly speaking, due to water damage and the destruction of building materials, firefighters may need to break a few walls, windows, or doors to access an area. Because of this, our technicians will proceed with water extraction (with pumps and HEPA vacuums) and dehumidification (with dehumidifiers and air movers). This process will be done while the next two take place, saving precious time.
6: Soot and smoke removal (~1 week/ during steps 5 & 7)
In this phase of the restoration process, our technicians will focus on removing soot and smoke from your building materials. Having determined the affected areas with chemical sponges, they will proceed to remove the damage manually. Meanwhile, the smoke odor will be handled via air scrubbers with charcoal filters. In this case, the extent of the damage, the size of your property, and the number of affected rooms will extend the time it takes to address the issues mentioned before.
7: Cleaning of materials (30 - 60 days/ during steps 5 & 6)
During this phase, which is done at the same time as the previous two, our technicians at Restore-It will clean and sanitize all your objects. We use equipment like electronic cleaners to clean appliances and other electric equipment. We also have ultrasonic cleaners for objects with a hard surface. Finally, we use the Esporta wash system to deep clean objects from soft materials. The length of this phase will be determined by the number of objects that need cleaning.
8: Rebuilding and repairing (30 - 90 days)
We will remove all the damaged affected material, replace it, and repaint it when necessary. This applies to fire damaged walls and ceilings or the ones affected with soot. During this phase, an electrical or plumbing technician will be called if there is a need for extra repairs, adding to the estimated completion time. Should structural damage present, the rebuilding will also add up to the final time.
9: Final inspection (1 day)
The final walkthrough will allow us to address any remaining concerns you may have and review the work done. Should there be a problem, this will extend the project completion time.
As necessary as it is, fire damage restoration can be very stressful, particularly if you are unprepared. However, thanks to this article, you should better understand how long it can take and the factors that affect the process. Now that you have learned the estimated timeline from us at Restore-It, there is one thing left to do. Call us and get a quote to start on the path towards your restored property!
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