Assessing Smoke Damage In Your Home

Is Your Home Safe to Enter?

Before starting the inspection, it is necessary to make sure the affected is safe to enter. Make sure from the fire department that the area can be entered. Also, take precautionary steps like using masks, gloves, and protective clothes. Now that you are sure of entering the place follow the steps below for a proper assessment.

Conduct a Visual Inspection

The first step of proper inspection after fire damage is to do a visual assessment of the whole. Make sure you thoroughly inspect the room where it took place and the adjoining rooms. This will help identify visually distinctive damages to the floors, ceilings, furniture, etc.

Assess Smoke Odor Levels

Examine the prevalence of smoke odor in different rooms and places. Even if the damage is not immediately obvious, the odor of smoke can penetrate surfaces and remain.

Check For HVAC Smoke Damage

Smoke particles can accumulate in the HVAC system and circulate throughout the house, causing ongoing odor and potential health concerns. This is why the HVAC system needs to be appropriately checked.

Are Your Home's Contents Damaged?

Inspect the contents of the house in a systematic manner, room by room. Decide what should be thrown away and what can be packed up and restored.

Document Your Smoke Damage

The next step is to document the damage you found properly. Without proper documentation, the restoration process won't be possible. Furthermore, claiming your insurance policy requires appropriate documentation. Determining how and where to keep the documentation is another thing to consider.