How Fast Can A Homeowner in Covina Reoccupy Their Premises After A Fire Incident?

10/10/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina can eliminate the stresses you face in the aftermath of fire by organizing all restoration process on your behalf.

SERVPRO helps Review Fire Damage Incidents in Covina, Informing Homeowners of the Expected Restoration Timelines

Your house may not be habitable in the aftermath of a fire. In most cases, it is due to the physical deterioration of items and building materials in the house. In other cases, though, hidden issues can keep you away from your house. You may desire to know how long it might take for you to reoccupy or use various amenities. SERVPRO has highly trained technicians that can evaluate your Covina home providing precise estimates.

What determines the time a home remains unusable?
When trying to determine what it would take for successful reoccupation after fire damage affects your Covina home, you need to consider the effects fires have on different materials and items. After all, it is the inability to use such materials and contents that makes your home uninhabitable. In addition to consuming structural materials on the walls, ceilings, floors, and other parts of your house, the fire also affects:
    •    Electrical circuits
    •    Air ducts and other HVAC components
    •    Appliances and other electronics
    •    Furniture

How does damage to electrical circuits affect reoccupation timelines?
Fire can cause obvious physical damages such as melting of wire insulations or slight issues such as accumulation of soot residues within the systems. Both issues can lead to short circuits within the cables if power is turned back on. Therefore, full inspection, cleaning, and repairs where necessary must be done. Our SERVPRO technicians help open up sockets, switches, and regular or recessed lighting fixtures to clean up the smoke residues that accumulate during the fire. We can also check for signs of frayed wires or molten insulation. Since physical damages may necessitate replacing the wires or other fixtures, we involve a professional electrician to make the necessary repairs. Unlike cleaning and other routine maintenance, repairs might take a couple of days to complete days, increasing the time property might be unusable.

How long does fixing HVAC systems take?
Faulty heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems make a house uncomfortable because of extreme temperatures or air quality issues. Fires affect HVAC systems differently, including causing accumulation of smoke residues in the ducts and filters, compromising the air quality if the system is turned back on before cleaning. If the fire was scorching, it could also burn some of its components, making the system ineffective for heating or cooling purposes.

Since staying in such a house is not ideal, SERVPRO technicians help clean up your HVAC system or find a licensed subcontractor to do a full restoration. The decision is made based on:
    •    The location of the HVAC vents or furnace unit
    •    The duration the fire burnt
    •    Whether the blower was operational during the fire

A physical inspection of the system helps reveal the types of smoke residue within the system, the intensity of such residues, or the presence of smoke odors. Inspection can take time since the restorer must understand the operation and design of the HVAC system. If the system requires repairs, the technicians must source and replace parts such as:
    •    Turning vanes
    •    Dampers
    •    Cooling coil

Completing all tasks, from the inspection to replacement of parts, can take time, thus delaying a comfortable stay at your house until everything is addressed.

What needs to be done to use furniture and appliances after fire incidents?
Unless fire causes significant physical damage to your appliances and furniture, you should be able to reuse such items after the incident. Such items require inspection and cleaning before you can continue using them. Our SERVPRO technicians wet clean the surfaces of these items choosing appropriate cleaning products for wood, plastic, or metal.

Appliances may need extra work because smoke penetrates the interiors where it can damage critical components. Smoke causes problems in three main ways:
    •    Depositing a black film on interior components
    •    Depositing acidic soot
    •    Creating a magnetic charge

The black film left on interior components has an insulating effect, causing your appliances to overheat if you use them without addressing the issue. Acidic soot deposits can corrode the internal components over time, causing permanent damage, while the magnetic charge from the residues can short the devices.

A home is hardly useful without the contents and utilities you need for daily activities. Taking time to clean and renovate items is crucial before thinking of moving back into your home.

SERVPRO of Azusa / Covina can eliminate the stresses you face in the aftermath of fire by organizing all restoration process on your behalf. Call us at (626) 387-4111 today. We’re Faster to Any Size Disaster!