House fires are truly tragic and can be frightening experiences – you need professionals to assist with rebuilding it. They will help take a load off of your shoulders, and you can get back to a normal lifestyle much sooner than you ever thought possible. Rebuilding a fire damaged home will require that safety issues are taken care of, and the home’s structure is as good as it ever was before the fire incident.
Rebuilding a fire damaged home can be achieved through the following process:
Employ a Professional Company
Whether you decide to rebuild your property or sell a fire-damaged house, it is crucial that you hire a fire restoration contractor to examine the structural damage. Inspect all exterior sections of the house and make notes about damage. Ask the fire marshal to come on site and help review the situation. Never enter a home until expert carpenters have cleared debris and assessed interior damage. Your building contractor might need to bulldoze part of the house away or tear off the garage addition that has been burned. Repairing fire damage is not a job for the average homeowners, but you can get involved in some of the cosmetic cleanup and repairs, such as painting or installing new cabinets to save money.
Proper Clearing of Damages
Ask the building contractor to clear away one entryway and begin removing charred wood and debris. The framing of that section of the house must be thoroughly examined. Clean up the house room by room and use hand tools and a crowbar to remove drywall, charred flooring or burned window casings. Look carefully to see how much of the house is damaged. Spend money initially to repair what is the worst, versus making any cosmetic improvements at all.
Preparation
Inspect the basement foundation and floor joists supporting the home’s weight. Pull away drywall to inspect every load-bearing wall in the house. A load-bearing wall is holding up the weight of the floor or roof above it, so repair each one carefully before you move to another. Only an experienced carpenter will know how to construct the exact framing for these important walls. Never hire carpenters’ assistants to work on reframing a burned house. Use their labor for smaller tasks.
Final Supervision
Go room by room to complete the interior once the exterior needs have been addressed. Install drywall in all rooms and rebuild any bathroom or kitchen areas of the house. Salvage any cabinets, bath or kitchen fixtures or undamaged wood flooring to reuse. Negotiate with the insurance company for greater compensation if damage repair costs exceed your allocated budget. Ask the fire marshal to help you create documentation of your needs. After the house is painted, finish the flooring last. Install crown molding and wood trim, plus baseboard materials throughout the house.
Conclusion
Fire damage in a home is usually an overwhelming tragedy. Priceless belongings and valuables can be easily lost to the flames and the resulting smoke and water damage. Professional fire damage restoration experts have had experience with many home fires. They will be able to provide a quick inspection and will give you an estimate of what should be repaired, what can be salvaged, and how much time will be needed and what the costs will be to bring you back to a pre-fire condition. This information is not only crucial for restoring your home but also vital if you are considering selling a fire-damaged house.