The Necessary Steps to Secure Morristown Property After Fire Damage

3/21/2023 (Permalink)

Our local Fire Departments are Here to Help during a fire, SERVPRO is Here to Help after fire damage.

SERVPRO Sets up Barriers and Declutters Morristown Fire Damage Sites for Convenience

Preventing a fire from happening would be ideal. However, you have to think of alternative solutions to ensure the situation is bearable when fire damage occurs. Securing the premises is one such action, and it requires protection against weather elements, people, or animals that might venture in and mitigation the hazards that fire causes.

Securing your Morristown home after fire damage is only effective if done in good time. Otherwise, most of the secondary damages or hazards that such protection can help prevent might already be underway. Notifying SERVPRO of the fire incident the same day it happens guarantees timely action since we usually send a team on-site within 4 hours of notification.

Protecting the structure should follow a definite plan starting with the aspects of fire damage deemed severe or uncontrollable. For example, weather elements can change the trajectory of an incident from a simple fire cleanup of soils like soot and charred materials to a comprehensive restoration exercise with significant replacement of items.

Crucial structural protection helps:

• Keep out the rain
• Keep out vandals
• Control humidity
• Contain hazards like electrical shorts

Rain is most likely to filter into a building if firefighters punch a hole in the roof or a cave-in occurs. Firefighters usually create a hole in the roof to vent smoke and gases out if people are trapped in the house, thus increasing their chance of survival. Venting also makes it easier for the firefighters to see inside the burning house. On the other hand, Roof cave-ins are not deliberate and happen when flames compromise some trusses, thus limiting the ability to support the roof's weight. The quickest way to protect a structure with a hole in the roof is to drape a lightweight, protective material over the affected area. Our SERVPRO technicians install tarpaulin covers over the roof of your structure before starting other fire restoration procedures. Complete roof repairs may take time, primarily due to bad weather. We choose a heavy-duty material that can last several months.

Protection from visitors

Your damaged house may not feel homely to you, but that does not mean it is unattractive to everyone. People and small animals can vandalize it or find a nesting place, worsening the damage left by the fire. Wall openings, whether shattered windows, missing doors, or otherwise, provide the perfect access points. Sealing them off prevents that. Our SERVPRO teams board up all openings before starting fire cleanup procedures.

The board-up process differs depending on the goals of both the homeowner and the restoration team. These goals can be influenced by the fire restoration timelines and the desired visual appeal. Common ways to board up structures include:

• Cover over
• Bolt with tension
• Inserts

The cover-over approach is the simplest but is only helpful for a reprieve. With this method, plywood boards are attached around the edges of an opening. People can pull off the boards easily if they want to access your damaged home. With the insert option, the plywood is cut into a size that can fit into the opening, thus offering better security and visual appeal.

SERVPRO of Hamblen County has considerable experience securing properties affected by fire damage. Call us at (423) 318-6733. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.