Water Mold Fire offers Washington DC Fire Damage Restoration

A fire outbreak can cause a significant amount of damage to your property and belongings, and can be quite devastating. The Washington DC Fire Damage Restoration experts at Water Mold Fire are here to make the process a little easier. Our team of experts knows exactly how to approach a fire damaged property and get on the way to bringing it back to its original state faster than you expect. We’d like to inform you on the process so you can know what to expect.

Fire Damage Restoration Process

If you are here, we assume that you have already made Emergency Contact to extinguish the fire, if you have not stop reading and do so!

1. Safety is first and foremost. Remove yourself from the property until the fire is out and professionals have evaluated whether it is safe or not to return.
2. Inspection and Assessment: Once the fire has been extinguished, before you actually begin moving things or cleaning, your insurance assessors will need to take photographs to evaluate the loss due to the fire for which you can claim compensation. Lots of pictures!
3. 1. Insurance Company: Allow your adjuster to visit the property and prepare their estimate for your claim.
   2. Restoration Company: Around the same time a restoration company can also prepare your estimate to negotiate on your behalf vs. the insurance providers estimate if necessary.
4. Board Up / Tarp Service: Water Mold Fire is able to board up any broken windows and tarp a damaged roof so further damage does not occur.
5. Pack Out and Storage: We will pack out your personal belongings and place them in storage while work is being done. Each item is documented to ensure its safe return.
6. Cleanup: The sooner you get started on this the better. Fire damaged building material will not get any worse but the longer items damaged by smoke and water go without attention, the worse it gets. Only a qualified Restoration company like Water Mold Fire should be performing the work below.
7. 1. Water Removal- If water was used to put out the fire, this must be extracted and drying equipment put in place to dry the property.
   2. Demolition- Any fire damaged building materials need to be removed and thrown out. Materials that are within close proximity showing Smoke and Soot damage may also have to be removed. Depending on the severity of the fire, you may also need duct work replaced.
   3. Cleaning – A thorough cleaning with smoke / odor removal products must be used at the entire property to make sure there are no lingering issues present.
8. Reconstruction: After the cleaning is complete and there are no signs of fire damaged materials or smoke odors, the rebuilding process can begin.

Cost of Washington DC Fire Damage Restoration

When determining how much it will cost to have a professional restoration company perform fire damage repairs, it is dependent on the type of fire and the extent of the damage. It is pretty rare that we see a fire that is large enough to require professional attention cost less than $2,000. Unfortunately, a fire can get upwards of $50,000+ in a larger home with multiple rooms affected. On average, our Washington DC Water Damge Restoration projects are around $10,000 per 1000 sq ft. Please keep in mind that is varies greatly depending on the location of the fire and the extent. For example, if the fire was in the kitchen the rebuild alone will likely cost $10,000 depending on the home.

Insurance Coverage for Fire Damage

Luckily for most people involved with a fire damage, most insurance providers cover the majority of the repairs on this besides the deductible as long as you were not at fault. These can at least relieve some of the financial burden that is placed on people for this type of disaster. You can also sign an Assignment of Benefits with Water Mold Fire in most cases. In short, this means you sign the rights of your claim over to us and we take it from there. This is the fastest way to get the work done by us as we do not have to wait on adjusters or anything along those lines. We will perform the work, document everything and bill the insurance directly. If the insurance provider does not pay your claim, you are not liable!

Fire Damage Prevention

Once the fire has been put out and the Fire Damage Repairs have been performed, it is time to start thinking about prevention in the future. Here are some simple tips that can be used to stop more fires or at least limit the amount of damage they do.

Fire Extinguishers

Installing fire extinguishers in your home can help to fight the fire before help arrives and this can also help to reduce the damage caused by the fire.

Sprinkler System

Installing fire sprinklers in your home can help to reduce the destruction due to a fire by around 90%, which can in turn help to reduce your insurance premiums. Sprinklers help to prevent the spreading of fire to other parts of your home by spraying water on the fire. Also, sprinklers use lesser water, almost 8.5 times lesser than traditional fire hoses while putting out a fire. Unfortunately this is very difficult unless the property is new construction.

Smoke Detectors

These are extremely useful and trigger an alarm to alert people in case of a fire outbreak. There are 2 types of smoke detectors – ionization smoke detectors and photoelectric smoke detectors. There are also smoke detectors that can be part of a SMART home and notify you via a mobile app even when you are not at home.

No Open Flames

Limit or eliminate the amount of open flames you have in your home or business. This includes candles, cigaretts, matches, lighters, etc. If you don’t use fire in your house, it drastically reduces your chance of getting fire damage!

Final Tips for Fire Damage Restoration

When a fire occurs, the period between 24-48 hours after the fire is known as the “golden hours” within which fire damage restoration can be done. This is the ideal period to start the fire damage restoration process. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Do NOT enter the home until it has been deemed safe and structurally sound by a qualified professional.
• Beginning the damage recovery process early can help to prevent the costs of restoration from rising due to stains forming on furnishings, carpets and other materials.
• However, it is not advisable to start the restoration process until 24 hours after the fire, as during this period all the smoke and dust will settle, which can cause respiratory problems.
• The process should also not be started until documentation by yourself, a representative of yourself and your insurance company, so this can often delay the process.
• When returning to your home after a fire outbreak, it is advisable to wear masks to avoid breathing in the smoke and dust, which can be harmful.
• Avoid attempting to clean the draperies, upholstery of the furniture, carpets and other fabrics, as this will only cause the soot to get smeared further and cause greater damage.

A fire outbreak can be devastating and cause a lot of destruction, not only to your property but to all your belongings as well. Here at Water Mold Fire Restoration, we not only specialize in fire damage restoration, but also handle smoke and soot damage as well. We have ample experience in fire damage repairs and with our state of the art equipment and utilizing the latest and greatest cleaning methods. This type of work is not a “quick” process but we will get it done as fast as doing this type of job is possible. You can call us on 202-650-0299 or send us an email at washingtondc@watermoldfire.net for a quick quote.

Water Mold Fire Restoration of Washington DC

WMF offers all of Washington DC help with Water Damage, Mold Removal, and Fire Restoration problems. Give us a call with any questions or for emergency assistance at 202-650-0299.

•  2200 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington D.C. 20037, United States
•  washingtondc@watermoldfire.net
•  202-650-0299