How Can Cleaning After Fire Restoration Help My Insurance Claim?

8/21/2022 (Permalink)

Regardless of the room affected or the type of insurance you have, team SERVPRO can help after a fire. Contact our technicians today for services.

Seminole Residents Hoping For A Quick Fire Restoration Settlement

People living in Seminole know the importance of home insurance. If you do not have home insurance already, SERVPRO recommends purchasing a suitable policy as soon as possible. In the event of a disaster at home, insurance can help you with:

• The cost of replacing lost items
• Finding a place to stay until your home is safe to live in once more
• Repairing your home, including the basement and attic
• Repairing adjacent structures such as a garage, shed, or fence

Anyone who tries to make an insurance claim for fire restoration in Seminole will likely meet an insurance adjuster. The loss adjuster’s job is to examine your home and determine the cause of the fire, the extent of damage, whether your insurance covers the incident, and whether the number of losses you wish to claim is reasonable.

What has cleaning got to do with insurance claims?

From the insurance broker’s perspective, replacing lost items is the most expensive option. For example, it costs more to replace a sofa than to have a couch cleaned. Resurfacing is another costly option. It costs more to resurface a wooden floor than it does to refinish it or replace upholstery instead of cleaning it.

The SERVPRO policy is to clean and repair where possible and only resurface or replace an item as a last resort. Our strategy means lower costs for insurance companies, which is good news for homeowners looking for a smooth settlement.

What does cleaning mean after fire damage?

Fire leaves behind smoke and soot residues that look unsightly, smell unpleasant and can damage surfaces. Fire restoration cleaning aims to leave your home and belongings looking “Like it never even happened.”

Our technicians will:

• Carefully inspect your home to discover the smoke residue
• Identify the types of smoke residue present so they can choose the most effective cleaning method
• Identify the type of surface under the residue – different materials require different cleaning processes
• Capture and remove smoke residue from all affected surfaces, or dispose of surfaces that they cannot salvage
• Dispose of all cleaning waste and debris to leave your home residue-free

What can SERVPRO clean?

We can clean many kinds of materials during fire restoration.

Our technicians can remove soot from walls, ceilings, and floors. We can often clean residues from furniture, upholstery, drapes, and rugs.

We clean wooden, plaster, metal surfaces, and upholstery. Let our technicians take a look if you are concerned about your home office, your elliptical machine, or your favorite armchair. We are always honest with you about what we can save and what we cannot.

What is the cleaning process?

The cleaning process differs depending on the extent of the fire damage. However, every visit begins with an assessment of the scope of the damage. Our teams will communicate with you at every stage to ensure you are happy with our cleaning plan.

We use powerful vacuums to capture dry smoke particles. Wet smoke particles bond more deeply to surfaces and need more rigorous cleaning, but vacuuming is a good option for dry particles.

Scrubbing with a brush or using dry ice or baking soda blasting is an excellent option for ground-in particles, especially on more robust surfaces such as crawl spaces or basement walls. Sometimes abrasive action is the only way to shift smoke residue.

We also use a range of wet cleaning solutions to soak out stubborn soot with immersion cleaning, or we can use targeted applications for spot cleaning on delicate surfaces. Our technicians choose the best product for the situation, then we rinse and dry the area or item. We use fans and dehumidifiers to hasten the drying process.

What about the smoky smell?

Getting rid of the smoky smell is essential to fire damage remediation. The smoke has a distinctive odor, which, if left untreated, can linger for a long time and become an unpleasant reminder of the incident.

Our team knows your home will not feel like your own until the smell has gone. That is why we deodorize your home before wrapping up the job. We use a range of odor capturing and odor repellent chemicals, alongside air scrubbers and foggers, to remove smells.

Can SERVPRO talk to my insurance broker?

Yes, our team will work with you and your broker. We will give a professional estimate of which of your belongings we can save (by cleaning and restoration), and which are a loss. Having SERVPRO liaise with your insurer can expedite the claims process and make it less stressful for you.

If you need a fire restoration company that is on your side, call SERVPRO of Seminole & Central Gulf Beaches at (727) 391-6212.