Fire Damage & Repair
Fire Damage When fire damage occurs the severity can range from light smoke damage to total destruction of part or all of the building. Whatever the severity, most victims find themselves in unfamiliar territory and rely on insurance professionals and restoration contractors to guide them through this traumatic experience.
A residential fire will often disrupt the occupant's normal living patterns, even up to the point where the home may be uninhabitable for several months while repairs are carried out.
In commercial situations time may be the most crucial factor as the business may suffer as a result of lost revenue.
Whatever the situation or level of damage, it is of paramount importance that the restoration contractor you use to restore the property is a certified technician. Using unqualified contractors can increase the cost of the claim through lack of specialized knowledge and unprofessional workmanship. Our technicians are qualified in all aspects at disaster restoration.
We are a licensed general contractor and can restore your home or business back to its original condition. When you have to turn this into an insurance company for a claim they use a computer program, which we also use, to establish the cost of the job. By using the same program as they do we are able to agree in advance on what the cost should be. Having our company support you in your decision on how to handle these projects you will be advised by someone that has been doing this work for 30 years.
Crawlspaces and basements can retain a large amount of moisture which can lead to high levels of mold growth. At 1st Choice Restoration, Inc., we have the necessary skills and equipment to properly remove existing moisture and deter any new moisture that may develop in crawlspaces and basements.
A house fire is a tragedy no one should have to face, but accidents happen. When they do, there are certain things to remember when cleaning fire, smoke damage and smell after a fire. 1st Choice Restoration wants you to know what to do after a house fire. 1st Choice Restoration compiled some fire cleanup information on what to do after a house fire and before we arrive:
- 1. After the firefighters leave, quickly determine if you can do any fire & water clean-up work yourself and always exercise caution.
- 2. Call your insurance agent immediately so the damage can be documented and professionally repaired. Once the damage has been assed by your insurance agent, you'll still have a mess on your hands, but you can begin a moderate fire & water clean-up and fire damage recovery prior to our arrival.
- 3. Open windows and doors so fresh air can circulate through the house and dissipate the smell of smoke. Use a room deodorizer to mask the smell until it's gone.
- 4. Clothing, carpets and other furnishings will more than likely require professional cleaning to eliminate the smoke odor.
- 5. Use a regular dry sponge and pine-scented cleaner (do not use household cleaners on these surfaces). Wipe the ceiling first, since debris tends to drop downward. Then work on the walls, moving from top to bottom using straight, parallel strokes that overlap.
- 6. Try to remove all the soot. The more you get rid of, the faster the smoke smell will dissipate. When the surface of the sponge becomes sooty, simply skim it off with a knife to give the sponge a new cleaning surface.
Now that you know what to do after a fire, try not to worry, as professionals we are skilled at eliminating the smoky odor that lingers after a fire. Our cleanup arsenal includes ozone generators and special deodorizing chemicals unavailable to consumers and we will help you restore as much of your home as we can. We specialize in post fire cleanup work.
24 HR EMERGENCY BOARD UP/SECURE PROPERTY Have you ever come home late to find a burglar has wreaked havoc throughout your home? Or a bunch of vandals threw rocks through every window? You call the police but what are you going to do with all the broken doors and windows? 1st Choice Restoration is at your service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We have an answering service for after regular business hours so that you can talk to a live person. He or she will take your information and within minutes, an 1st Choice Restoration employee will call you back to get directions to your home or business and be on his/her way immediately! Most insurance policies state that you have a responsibility to mitigate damages to prevent further damages from occurring, so contact 1st Choice Restoration, and we will help you through it.
SMOKE ODOR AND SOOT REMOVAL If you have ever had even a small fire you know what a mess a light smoke can create in your home, not to mention the stench of smoke. When a larger fire occurs, sometimes porous items need to be treated and/or replaced. For instance, items such as dry wall or roof trusses. Did you know that a different type of residue will be left on cabinets and such if you burn a piece of chicken than if you catch the pot roast on fire? Did you know it depends on the type of finish on your cabinets whether they are cleanable or not? Have you ever seen a home with an ever so fine layer of soot on everything that was caused by a �puff back� from a gas or wood burning fireplace? If smoke and soot are not removed in the proper manner, you WILL smell that stale smoke odor when you open that cabinet, or get in your attic, or turn on your HVAC unit.
1st Choice offers a full-service in-house showroom for our customer's convenience. All of your home or business selections can be chose right in our showroom. Whether you need tile, carpet, hardwood, wallpaper or vinyl we have it right at your fingertips.
FLOORING RESTORATION OR REPLACEMENT Carpet, tile, vinyl, wood. Sometimes we are able to save a hardwood floor in an historic home by treating and refinishing it. That is always a great feeling. Sometimes, though, it is cheaper to remove and replace a highly charred carpet or vinyl floor. Every situation is different and we treat each customer with care as if the property were our own.
PACK, INVENTORY, STORAGE OF CONTENTS You�ve had a fire at your home, you are standing there with the Fire Chief not sure what to do next. While walking through your home, you know you definitely can not stay there but you are not sure what to do with your furniture, collectibles, pots/pans, appliances, etc. 1st Choice Restoration will help you sort out what is salvageable and what is not. We can pack-out and inventory your personal items and take them back to our facility to be cleaned and stored. Your insurance adjuster will probably have you keep a complete inventory list. If we advise that a certain item can not be restored but has a sentimental value to you, we will do our best to attempt restoration. We realize that not everything is replaceable!
CONTENT CLEANING After 1st Choice Restoration has packed-out, inventoried, and transported your items to our facility, we proceed with the cleaning process while our other crews are beginning work at your property. There are numerous ways to clean items, ranging from a chemical sponge to our state-of-the-art Ultrasonic Machines. We take great pride in treating your valuables with extreme care. If we are unhappy with the results of certain items, we let you and the insurance adjuster know so that we all stay �on the same page� and decide how to proceed.
OZONE TREATMENT We have an ozone chamber where we place your items after we have cleaned them in order to assure no smoke odor. The ozone chamber generates such a high level of ozone that it is unsafe to be inside a structure while the machine is running. Items come out smelling fresh and odor free.
1st Choice Restoration is available seven days a week - 24 hours a day!
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