Having a fire in your home or business can feel overwhelming. Depending on the severity of the fire and the damage, you could have just lost everything in a matter of minutes! It can be a very emotional time as you navigate the restoration process, possibly living someplace new for a time period, and restoring the possessions lost in the fire.

There is a lot to consider and think through when this happens, and Swartz Restoration is here to help you through it all.

This blog post will help you with understanding the extent of the fire damage restoration process. You will learn why fire damage isn’t just about the damage from the flames and how our team will care for you throughout the entire restoration. At Swartz Restoration, We Care about you and your family.

Fire Damage isn’t just about the Flames

Maybe you have seen pictures of a home after a fire. You see the blackened structure that’s left standing, evidence of the flames that burned the building and its contents. Yet there are two other factors that damage the building after a fire. There is smoke damage and water damage that affect the home.

Fire Damage:

• • This is the obvious first cause of damage. The flames ignite from the source, spreading to flammable materials close by. The flames consume the objects they ignite, and they spread quickly as its heat grows in intensity.
  • Walls, floors, ceilings, contents–all are damaged by the flames’ touch, which can compromise the integrity of the whole structure.

Smoke Damage:

• • A field trip with my kids to Safety City in Lima, Ohio, will teach you that the proper way to get out of your home if there’s a fire. You crouch down low, to move toward safety, so that you do not inhale the smoke that is filling up the home.
  • That same smoke can cause more damage throughout the home than a fire that has been extinguished quickly. The smoke covers the walls and ceilings, travelling through the ventilation system of the building, leaving sticky residue all over everything.
  • When you walk through a building that had a fire, you can smell the smoke and charred remains. That smell is difficult to remove, and usually requires gutting the drywall and affected studs and replacing the entire ventilation system.

Water Damage:

• • Water damage? In a fire? Well, yes! Who are the first people to respond to a fire? Fire fighters! They spray water into the building to extinguish the fire. They have been trained to put out the fire quickly, and to help anyone inside to get out safely.
  • Because fires can get very hot very quickly, it can take a lot of water to extinguish a fire. That water sits on the floor, runs down the walls, seeps into anything dry, and then sits in the aftermath of the whole emergency. That water is no longer clean, now turned black from the charred materials and smoke.
  • Water damage is often the second biggest cause for restoration after a fire!

Our Approach to Restoration: We Care

Our team at Swartz Restoration understands that you are going through a difficult time–one you never dreamed you would have to face. We promise to patiently answer any and all questions, even if you repeat the same question day after day! We will be thorough with the smallest details as we help you restore your home, carry on with your life as best as possible, and create a fresh space for you to call home once again.

Here are three things that set us apart as We Care for you through the fire damage restoration process:

Comprehensive Assessment:

• • Our team responds quickly to help begin the process of restoration. If your home requires a board-up to provide extra security as the investigations and assessments begin, we can do that. When the fire department has finished with their duties, we step in and help make the initial assessment for what repairs can look like and how extensive they will need to be.
  • Once we complete that phase, we can create an estimate of repairs that we will provide you and your insurance adjuster. We specialize in working with insurance companies, helping ensure everything that needs replaced and restored gets replaced and restored.

Specialized Equipment:

• • Our team has been trained and equipped to efficiently and properly complete the restoration of your home or business. We use industrial-grade equipment for drying out the water damage, air scrubbers to neutralize odors, and other equipment to speed up the process. Your restoration project will not be our first, and we promise to give you our best effort and focus while working with you.

Odor-Free Guarantee:

• • Remember all of that talk about the smoke damage? We promise to not let you smell it in your home when we are finished! We offer our Odor-Free Guarantee to each of our fire damage restoration projects, meaning we will thoroughly clean, cover and protect your home from all fire damage and smoke damage.
  • From the day we first step onto your property to the day we shake hands and walk off with another job complete, the smoke and charred wood smell will only be a memory.

Conclusion: Restoring More Than Structures

This is about restoring your home–the place you and your family have chosen as your safe place. You have many memories in your home, and we want to help you create many more in the future. That is why We Care so much about what the entire restoration process feels like to you.

Whenever you have a question or a concern, we will listen and address it as quickly as possible. This is not simply a job for us; this is our mission to care for you through this emergency.

Thank you for your trust as we help you restore your home and get your life back to normal.

What Can You Do Now?

Check your smoke alarm.

It’s always best to check your smoke alarms consistently to ensure they are working properly. We like to set a reminder on our phone for every 3 or 6 months. A quick press of the button lets you know if the battery needs replaced.

Your assignment:

1. Check your smoke alarms.
2. Replace any batteries that need it.
3. Set a reminder for 6 months on your phone or calendar.

Safety first for your family and your home.