The hours following a fire are difficult. You are sad and worried, especially when you think about the property you have lost. But, the facts are there, and you must quickly face them in order to save those goods that can still be recovered. You will also have to undertake renovation work to restore the premises to good condition as soon as possible. To do this, here is what you need to do.
Contact your insurance company.
Before contacting a renovation specialist, you should definitely call your insurance company. You must inform them of the date the fire occurred and the coverage you have when a fire occurs. They can then send one of their employees to the scene to make their own observations.
This is how you can start the claim process. At the scene, what is covered and what is not will be determined. It is essential that you do not make any repairs until the insurance company and your adjuster have made their findings. Otherwise, you may not receive any compensation from your insurance company. This will be a double loss for you.
Secure the premises
Once the insurance company knows about the case, you can start the actual work. The first thing you should do is check the electrical system. This is to avoid even more severe incidents. It would help if you boarded up your windows. It would also help if you closed the doors. You will also need to put up tarps. This is necessary to avoid falling roof tiles. In addition to this, you should take the trouble to dry the entire surface of your home. You should do these tasks as soon as possible in order not to make the situation worse. Do not neglect them!
Decontaminate the soot
Before completely renovating the house after the fire, it is important to decontaminate the soot. Soot comes from the combustion of materials, furniture, textiles, electrical equipment, etc. It can be very toxic. They can be very toxic. This is why it is essential to get rid of them as soon as possible. The decontamination allows the neutralization of the traces of substances born from the fire. You don’t just have to clean up the soot, and you have to decontaminate it.
Here, you will need the help of a decontamination company. This means that they will remove all the soot after the damage has been done. They will also remove the fine particles, and bad odors that may remain after the fire is out. Following this decontamination, the walls the ceilings which were touched by the smoke will be cleaned. For these different works, well-known techniques can be used. These include sandblasting, brushing, the use of detergents, dry ice blasting, hydrogumming, encapsulation, etc.
Approve the renovation work to be done by the renovation specialist
Now you must approve the work to be done by the selected renovation specialist. You must mention the type of problem you have in the work approval document. Your insurer must be informed. Even after you have approved the work, it is important to keep in touch with the chosen company until the work is completed. It would help if you were kept informed of the progress of the work, whether it is structural work or not.
Improving the energy efficiency of your home
Finally, and to do things right, you should take advantage of this situation to improve your home’s energy performance. Think about changing your windows to ones that guarantee better thermal insulation. You can also change your more minor energy-consuming household appliances. For all this, you can benefit from state aid. The new appliances that you will choose, such as the heat pump, are, for example, eligible for financial assistance from the State.
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