Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
When a fire rips through and smoke damages your home and belongings, it’s a gut-wrenching experience.
No one can replace lost photos or permanently damaged heirlooms or belongings, but we promise to quickly rebuild your house so you can return to the important work of making memories in it. Sharing meals with family and parties with friends, after-school snacks and watching movies together: this is what home is about. Let us restore your house so you can come home soon.
Claudio Alvarez Construction works with you as a homeowner or with your insurance company to restore your house to its pre-loss condition. Since 1986, we’ve supported thousands of property owners in the Rogue Valley and surrounding areas in restoring their homes and lives after a fire.
Our reputation speaks for itself. Nobody wants to go through the pain of fire and smoke damage to their home, but if it happens, let us help restore your house. Even after a devastating fire, we can help you go home.
We offer the following services to protect and restore your home after fire or smoke damage:
- Board Up
- Personal Inventory/Content Pack Out
- Roof Tarping
- Odor & Soot Removal
- Equipment Protection
- Home Restoration
- Rebuilds
- Structural Cleaning
Fire Damage: What You Should Know
Although fires can be prevented, they are still often unpredictable. Here are some tips to prepare yourself for the fire damage restoration process, should your home experience a destructive fire.
While fire is always the immediate danger what it leaves behind will continue to affect the house. Ash and smoke will cause extensive corrosion, etching and discoloration, not to mention powerful odors. Our team specializes in cleaning fire and smoke damage in order to stop this before it becomes a major problem.
Before a Fire Happens
Have an insurance policy that covers fire and smoke damage. Make sure that your home is insured properly. Don’t wait to learn that you didn’t have the coverage you needed when it’s too late.
What to Do After A Fire
Get professional cleanup as soon as possible. It’s important that you contact a qualified fire damage restoration contractor (link to contact) to clean up in order to prevent permanent damage.
Practice caution when entering: fire damage leaves harmful particles in the air. Use a dust mask and gloves if you need to re-enter your home or property before cleanup.
Ventilate the home: if your home experiences fire damage of any severity, circulate fresh air in the home to help get the air and particles out.
Use professional laundering services: Draperies, clothing and other machine-washable items should be professionally cleaned in order to neutralize the acid in the soot. If they aren’t sufficiently damaged and in need of replacement, take these articles to your local dry cleaner.
Every Moment Counts
Fire damage increases and restoration costs escalate the longer neutralization, corrosion control and cleaning is delayed. Even after the fire is put out, it can still wreak havoc on your home. If you prolong the restoration of your home, you’ll extend the effects brought on by the smoke exposure.
Slow-Motion Effects of Untreated Smoke and Fire Damage
The following is a timeline from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) concerning the effects of fire and smoke on a home.
Within Minutes…
- Acid soot residues cause plastics to yellow
- Small appliances located close to the source of combustion discolor
- Highly porous materials, such as marble or alabaster, discolor permanently
Within Hours…
- Acid residues stain grout in bathrooms
- Fiberglass bath fixtures may yellow
- Uncoated metals tarnish
- Counter tops may yellow
- Finishes on appliances, particularly refrigerators, may yellow
- Furniture finishes may discolor.
Within Days…
- Acid residues cause painted walls to yellow permanently
- Metal corrodes, pits and rusts
- Wood furniture requires refinishing
- Vinyl flooring requires refinishing or replacement
- Clothing becomes soot stained
- Upholstery stains permanently
Within Weeks…
- Restoration costs escalate tremendously.
- Synthetic carpet fibers may yellow or discolor permanently
- Silver plate is corroded permanently
- Glass, crystal, china experience severe etching and pitting caused by prolonged exposure to acid soot residues
Understanding the effects of a fire can help homeowners evaluate the damage to their home. By learning more about residue cleanup and deodorization after a fire, you can minimize the need for costly repair. The fire and smoke restoration experts at Claudio Alvarez Construction can help you return your home and furnishings to a pre-loss condition.
Claudio Alvarez Construction specializes in fire damage restoration in Southern Oregon. We work with homeowners and insurance agents in Medford, Central Point, Ashland, Phoenix, Talent, Klamath Falls and beyond.