Fire Damage and Smoke Damage

For a quote or to schedule an appointment with one of our fire and smoke damage experts, call 1(800) 498-0473. National Restoration is your premier local fire damage restoration team

The First 24 Hours - Securing Yourself and The Site

You will be approached by various businesses from public adjusters to restoration companies.
During this time, you will be confused, feel pressured and feel like you have to make a decision. YOU DO NOT!
In your contract with your insurance company you have the "Right to Chose a Contractor of Your Choice"
You also have the obligation to prevent further damage to your property by taking the necessary steps as follows

Securing the property by boarding up any windows or doors that have been damaged
Placing a tarp on your roof if a hole was cut to properly ventilate building
Remove any standing water from property or water damaged materials.

We at National Restoration will not pressure you, but we want you to know we are here for you. We will perform all these services and and protect your house as if it were ours. We have years of experience with various types of fires and can answer any question you may have.

Cautions After A Fire!!!

Do not enter the damaged site. Fires can rekindle from hidden, smoldering remains.
Normally, the fire department will see that utilities (water, electricity and natural gas) are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site. Do not attempt to turn on utilities yourself.
Be watchful for structural damage caused by the fire. Roofs and floors may be damaged and subject to collapse.
Food, beverages and medicine exposed to heat, smoke, soot and water should not be consumed.

Leaving Your Home

Contact your local police departments to let them know the site will be unoccupied.
In most cases it may be necessary to board up openings to discourage trespassers.
Beginning immediately, save receipts for any money you spend. These receipts are important in showing the insurance company what money you have spent related to your fire loss and also for verifying losses claimed on your income tax.

If it is safe to do so, try to locate the following items:

identification, such as driver's licenses and Social Security cards
insurance information
medication information
eyeglasses,hearing aids or other prosthetic devices
valuables, such as credit cards, bank books, cash and jewelry

There are many people/entities that should be notified of your relocation, including:

your insurance agent/company
your mortgage company (also inform them of the fire)
your family and friends
your employer
your child's school
your post office
any delivery services
your fire and police departments
our utility companies

Personal Property:

Do not throw away any damaged goods until after an inventory is made.
It is always recommended that you have a professional company help you with inventory. You could cost yourself thousands of dollars if the inventory is not presented properly.

Emergency Board Up Program

Municipalities

Properties that present eminent danger
Dangerous vacant properties

Fire Departments

Provide assistance to Fire Chief when they need a Board up company to secure property

Police Departments

Provide assistance after a vehicle crashed into a building.

Municipal or Financial Institution Board Up Program

Vacant properties.
Dangerous Properties with threat of collapsing.
Properties in foreclosure.

Tarping

We can provide a tarp service after a fire or after a storm.
There are several reasons why a person should tarp their property.

After a fire, the fire department will usually cut holes in the roof structure to vent the smoke . If these holes are left open, you are exposing the inside of your structure to the outside elements. The damage is know as secondary damage and may not be covered under your insurance policy.
After a storm, shingles can be blown off causing water to penetrate roof structure causing dampness in attic area which in turn will result in mold growth or damage ceilings.
Water infiltration can become a major problem and the resulting damage can be costly.

Types of Smoke

Protein – Invisible, Pungent Odor, Varnishes
Dry Smoke – Fast burning fire with high temperatures
Moist Smoke – Smoldering Fire, sticky, Difficult to Clean
Synthetic – Residue from plastics, Hard to clean
Puff Backs – Oil Heaters, smoke throughout ducts and house

Behavior of Smoke

A trained technician should evaluate the conditions of the building after the fire.
Smoke will travel through wall cavities which is know as a "Push"
Our technicians will determine what is "salvageable" and what is "non-salvageable"
Our technicians will focus on the items that are important to you.

What is "Push"?

A push happens from the pressure a fire creates while burning. The pressure from the fire actually pushed the smoke into wall cavities, electrical and light outlets, behind trim. When smoke penetrates these areas that odor is very difficult to control, especially if the smoke penetrates insulation. This is the only reason for a person to used a professional restoration company when dealing with odor control and cleaning smoke and soot.

Content Inventory and Storage

After a fire or flood, your personal possessions, the things that matter most are usually affected.
In the event that your personal property is damaged by smoke or water, don't worry. Just because items are damaged, does not mean they can't be restored. We at National Restoration have restored thousands of personal items after a fire or flood. We have state of the art equipment that cleans and restores the items to pre-loss condition.

There is a process we implement after a devastating event to assist you in the claims process:

Inventory your damaged contents through a thorough documentation
Digitally photographing the rooms and items lost
Carefully box and package any items that are deemed restorable.
Store these items in our state of the art facility until your project is complete.
Act as a reference for your insurance company.
Return the items to your property after they are cleaned and deodorized.

Residential Services