Fire damage is a nasty business. Fear not, fire damage restoration in Edinburgh is one of our specialties. Edinburgh has a history of fire damage (and smoke damage from Auld Reekie), but remember we have a bonnie city because fire damage is restorable!
Our goal at Paintworks & Plastering with fire damage restoration is to help you quickly reverse the damage caused by fire and smoke and get you back to normal living.
In this post, we will cover some of the key aspects of fire damage restoration and provide some advice for handling fire damage to your Edinburgh property. While flood is a more common insurance claim for homeowners, unfortunately, fire damage constitutes about a quarter of all insurance claims. In other words, fire damage is more common than you think. Even smoke damage and electrical appliances can make a mess.
Note: Fire damage restoration is largely handled by Insurance work. Contact your insurance provider, if you haven’t already. You can put them directly in touch with us.
There are a few things you can do and should be aware of…to begin with let’s talk about clean up and repair of fire damage.
CLEANING UP FIRE DAMAGE- A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
1. Turn off electricity, that should be obvious but we have to state it.
2. Be careful with moving around the fire damage space. You might spread smoke or soot contamination and cause unforeseen damage elsewhere.
3. Place towels on walkways to walk through burnt fire damaged areas.
4. Do not try to wash walls or painted surfaces, you may cause more damage than the fire caused itself. However, if the smoke damage is not too serious you can scrub it off with detergent and/or bleach. Start with a small area and see if it takes. If you are not sure, contact us for an opinon.
5. Do not try to clean electrical fixtures that might be soot or fire damaged. Soot tends to be greasy. If the smoke and soot damage is not too serious, first dust off as much as possible,then attempt to clean it as with walls and painted surfaces.
6. Make sure all surfaces are clean and dry before attempting to repaint the fire damaged area.
Fire damage is caused mainly by kitchen fires (chip pans are the biggest offender) and electrical wiring malfunctions. It is important to make sure that you address any weakness in your electrical system and then change any risky behaviors. A qualified electrician is needed for assessing electrical faults. If you are in a period property in Edinburgh and this has not been done since you moved in, you may want to do that immediately. We can refer you to a qualified ‘sparky’ if needed.
Regarding risky behaviors, if you fry a lot of chips, try using a safe fryer (thermostat controlled electric deep fryer) instead of an open pan with oil. Also, many Edinburgh hardware shops sell fire extinguishers. Investing in one may be wise. Get an ABF Fire Extinguisher- they are designed specifically for chip fires. In the absence of one, take a deep breath and calmy smother the fire with a wet towel or large wet cloth.
Remember, fire damage is treatable and reversible. Smoke, soot and water damage (caused by putting out the fire) typically cause disruptions that if left, can add stress to your life and recovery time. We can help with fire damage restoration. We have helped many Edinburgh families get back to normal after fire damage and we are confident we can help you too. We also help businesses recover quickly from fire damage insurance claims.
If you have suffered fire damage in Edinburgh or West Lothian, contact us and we can come out and provide a competitive quote for renovating and rejuvenating your property back to the way it was. Fire damage is a nightmare, but it is restorable and fixable.
Suggested services: Ceiling repair Edinburgh; Wall and Ceiling repair (plasterboard); Interior Decorating
Fire Damage Restoration Advice