Assessing Damage: How to Evaluate the Extent of Water and Fire Damage Before Restoration Begins
In the moments immediately after a fire or water intrusion event, it’s natural to feel a sense of dread and panic. While the aftermath of a personal disaster can be very stressful, there is a clear process for documenting and assessing damage.
In this article, we take a look at what to do in the moments immediately following a fire or water-related home emergency.
Overview: What Role Do Homeowners Play in Assessing Damage?
Ultimately, the responsibility of a homeowner for assessing property damage is relatively limited. There are circumstances in which an element of discretion is required.
For example, a basement flooding because of a backed-up water heater. Do you need a restoration service, or is a shop vac adequate?
In that case, some documentation and possibly an appointment with a restoration service will be valuable.
Similarly, a small kitchen fire: the wallpaper looks scorched, but everything else seems fine.
Do you need a restoration service, or is this something that handyman Dave can take care of? Here’s what you should know.
Even in situations where damage appears minimal, there is often more than meets the eye. Smoke and soot damage, water infiltration that creates mold growth, and structural wear and tear over time.
These scenarios create real damage that isn’t necessarily observed until later on.
When in doubt, it’s always a great idea to contact a professional for a more thorough inspection of the situation.
Remember also that in cases where the damage is more significant, it’s often not safe for you to assess the damage yourself.
Even after a fire, it’s possible for re-ignition through residual heat to take place days later. There’s no need to put yourself at risk when there are professionals available to handle the situation for you.
That said, in the next few headings, we’ll go over steps that you can take in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to ensure your safety and guarantee a smooth restoration process.
Step 1: Prioritize Safety
The first step is to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your family. In the event of a fire or flood, don’t worry about trying to preserve your possessions or your home.
Evacuate as calmly and quickly as you can. Contact emergency services and allow them to do their work. It can be difficult to watch this unfold, knowing that your material things are likely being destroyed. Nevertheless, it’s important to stay calm and remember that this is what insurance is for.
Step 2: Heed the Assessment of First Responders
In the aftermath of a fire or flood, your building may not be suitable for physical inspection. There are several reasons for this.
One risk is structural: even if the building appears intact, you can’t be sure the roof won’t collapse or that the flooring isn’t compromised.
If first responders deem that the house cannot be safely entered, it’s important to heed that recommendation. Restoration services will be able to safely assess the situation. Your job is to stay safe.
Step 3: Contact Your Insurance Company
The good news is that the burden of documenting the incident likely won’t fall on your shoulders in the aftermath of an emergency or disaster.
Your insurance company will send out an assessor to review the damage, document it, and determine what the next steps are.
While working with insurance is never easy, it is an important subsequent step. Note that many restoration services, including us, will handle a lot of the communication for you, streamlining the process. That said, you will need to get the ball rolling by contacting them first.
Step 4: Let The Process Work
Once you’ve contacted your insurance company and a restoration service, the primary next step? Letting the process work. It will take time. It may involve some back and forth with the insurance company.
Ultimately, though, things will work out in the end. You just have to let the process work.
How Damage Is Assessed
After water intrusion or fire damage, there are several tools used to evaluate the condition of a property. These include:
- Moisture meters to determine how much water is present in saturated materials
- Mold testing to evaluate the presence of microbial growth
- Infrared cameras that can detect differences in temperature to determine areas of moisture intrusion
- Hygrometers, which help determine the presence of humidity in a space
All of these tools have one thing in common: they are not normally found in households. For this reason, true damage assessment is impossible for civilians. Bottom line, professionals can provide the help and support you need. Use them as a resource and trust the process. It’s not easy, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hopelessly hard. Contact us today for a consultation.
