Did Your Elderly Parents Recently Survive A House Fire? 4 Steps To Take To Help Them Initiate The Restoration Process

Few things are more frightening than your parents dealing with a house fire. Now that they have made it out safe, you know that there is a lengthy process for cleaning up the damage before they can move back home. While fire damage cleaning does take time, you can streamline the restoration process by following these four steps.

Wait Until It Is Safe to Reenter the Residence

As much as you may be eager to get in and assess the damage, you must follow the advice of the emergency response team. After a fire, there may be hot spots that could cause burns, or you could be injured by falling debris. Make sure to have your parents' house inspected for safety before you enter the building. Once you receive the go ahead, you should still wear protective clothing such as a face mask, gloves and long pants just in case.

Contact the Insurance Company

During your first visit inside your parents' house, take pictures of all of the obvious damage that you can find. Then, contact your parents' insurance company to find out the process of filing a claim. Often, restoration services are covered, which can help your parents recover financially after the fire.

Prevent Further Damage

Depending upon how extensive the fire was, the house may have damage to the roof, walls and other protective structures that help keep out wind and rain. Begin the clean up process by covering any open areas with a tarp so that further damage does not occur. You may also need to board up broken windows or replace doors to prevent looters from creating further losses in the house.

Arrange for Professional Cleaning Services

After a fire, damage caused by soot, smoke and water are all major issues that must be addressed before your parents' house is safe for them to live in again. While you can manage some tasks by yourself such as wiping soot off of solid surface countertops, there are other areas of the house that are not so easy to clean. Fire damage cleaning services can remove dangerous soot particles from places such as the air ducts so that your parents can breathe easy in their house once they move back in.

The aftermath of a fire is heartbreaking, and your parents may be mourning the loss of their cherished items. While you can't turn back time, you can give them a fresh start in life by making sure that their house restorations take place using the proper procedures.