5 Tips that are a must do first

My building has had a fire...how do I proceed? That question is heard every day at a Fire and Water Damage Restoratoin company.Most important thing is to take immediate action to prevent further damage to your belongings.Every waisted minute can add to the cost of repairs and time neccassary to completely restore your loss...and you loss will expand if you wait.

Time is most critical in Water/Flood Damage. It only takes 24 hours for mold fungi and bacteria to begin to grow and multiply. The entire building will begin to be permeated with foul and unpleasant odors. Hardwood floors will be completely ruined due to warping and metal surfaces will begin to tarnish and rust. Self drying should be avoided. You can mop up the large amounts of water, but just looking dry is not enough.

Certified professionals have moisture monitoring equipment that can tell them just where the moisture is, and if more drying is needed. If left moist, warping and in the worst cases, mold will infiltrate your home and potentially cause thousands of dollars in mold damage to your home.

Follow these steps when you have a disaster to help make your claim go smoothly:

1. Contact your insurance agent (Am I Covered?)

2. Immediately contact your local restoration company to star the cleaning and drying. Whomever you choose, make sure they are an IICRC certified technician. IICRC Certified companies can be found by zip code on the IICRC website. I cannot stress this enough. There are hundreds of copy cat companies out there that will say they do restoration work, but they are not trained or certified.

3. Don’t try cleaning the soot or water damage yourself! Fire cleaning and water extraction should be handled by professionals. It will likely end up worse if you try doing it yourself. Again, check with the IICRC.

4. Businesses should contact all employees and explain the situation. Contact major customers and explain there may be delays.

5. If you are a homeowner, contact the utility companies for your residence. If you loose a lot of domestic water call you sewage company. You may save money on your sewer bill since the lost water did not go through your drains.

Most significantly...act immediately!

To limit the potential damage from a fire around the perimeter of you building, I would recommend you invest in some fire resistant shrubs and plants that you could add in and around your home/business. Lists of ideas are:

• Jade Plants

• Rose Geraniums

• Ice Plants

Some other tips....remove fire wood from your home, store it outside if possible....Trim tree limbs to at least 10 feet from your building...and remove dead leaves/pine needles from your gutters.Locate the water shut off for your building. Look at your circuit box and check to see how you turn off the electric to your house in an emergency.Get your fireplace and chimney professionally inspected. Make sure your fire extinguishers are in easy to access places through your entire house.

There are times when no matter what you do disaster strikes. Remember these tips and share them with your family and co-workers so when it does happen, you are prepared.