The Process of Sandestin Fire Damage Assessment

It can happen to anyone, and in the blink of an eye. You leave something on the stove or leave the dryer running as you leave the house and come home to a house fire.

If you’re lucky enough to catch the fire before it engulfs the house, you’ll still have lingering fire damage and smoke damage. Fire damage that you will have to repair.

To repair the fire damage, you’ll need a professional to come out and assess the extent of the damage.

So, how does the assessment process work? What are the steps involved? Here we talk about fire damage assessment in the Sandestin area.

Structural Assessment

The process starts with the inspector checking the structural integrity of the building. This is necessary for safety reasons.

Fires can do a lot of damage, both visible and not visible, so inspectors take significant precautions when it comes to assessing fire damage.

You might be anxious to hear about the damage inside your home, but the inspector needs to inspect the outside. Your house might appear as if it’s structurally intact, but it can still pose a major safety hazard.

The inspector will also take note of any damage to small, accessory buildings on the property as well as the yard surrounding the house.

Start from the Ground Up

The inspection of your home will start in the basement. This is the easiest way for your inspector to access the foundation.

If the foundation is unstable, the repairs can have a hefty price tag. If the foundation is sound, then chances are there is less structural damage throughout the rest of the home.

Once done in the basement, the inspector will continue up through the rest of the house to check structural integrity. Walls within your house are porous surfaces.

The inspector must check them for any smoke damage that may have transferred into the walls during the fire. Walls may not appear to suffer damage and still need repair.

Surface Damage

After the house is assessed for structural damage the inspector will then assess for light surface or superficial damage.

This is when the fire restoration crew will document things like furniture, TVs, and other personal belongings. This can often be the longest part of the process. It can also be the most emotionally painful for the victims of the fire.

It can be tough to see years of belongings damaged in that way, but it’s important to get an accurate count of what’s been lost so it can be covered by your insurance company.

Bouncing Back from Fire Damage

Now that you’ve had your house inspected, you can begin to move forward through the process of fire damage restoration. The fire damage, and possible smoke damage, can result in a lot of necessary repairs.

It’s important to be patient during this time. Once the full extent of the damage has been assessed, getting bids from contractors and getting repairs finalized can take some time.

If you’d like more information on the steps to take after a house fire, check out the resources on our website. If you have more specific questions, please feel free to drop us a line anytime. We’re always happy to help.