Fire damage is the most devastating of all the emergencies that a property can suffer. It destroys possessions and buildings, causes structural issues, and is also a considerable danger to life. Not only does the heat and flames cause havoc, but even areas not directly affected by the principal fire can be affected by smoke damage, which can ruin furniture, decoration, carpets, clothing and more.
We’re experts at working through the crisis that occurs in the aftermath of a fire emergency. We have a wide range of experience attending fire damaged properties, and have fine-tuned the process from initial tender through to completion. Of course every job is different, you never know what to expect, but having a template for how to approach each contract is useful from the outset.
The process begins
Once the emergency services have attended the site and extinguished the flames, the restoration process can commence. As an initial staring point, insurance companies send the contract out to tender. We will provide pricing quotes against what is required and if we have the most competitive tender, we’ll succeed in winning the job. We will then attend the site or sites, and assess the damage. This will enable us to pull together a schedule of work. We don’t tend to get involved in what caused the fire, but concentrate on the clean-up and restoration.
The restoration work required will very much depend on how the fire was extinguished. Was it controlled using water from fire hoses, a fire blanket, foam or other substance from a fire extinguisher? This will dictate how best we can help. The preparation and restoration work involved in the process can be wide-ranging. It can include cleaning and fire-damaged property removal, replacing plaster and repainting, removing and replacing bathrooms, kitchens and kitchen units, and timber such as skirting boards and architraves. We can also offer specialist cleaning services for furniture and upholstery, such as smoke-damaged sofas, and other furniture restoration or replacement. However, as we tend to deal more with fires categorised as ‘major loss’, the contents are usually written off and unsalvageable.
Time to put it right
When it comes to timescales, as in the case of flooding and other emergencies, it can take time to fully restore the integrity and appearance of a property. A minor fire can take at least two weeks. This will entail one week of stripping out the debris and cleaning, and one week of redecoration. For a major fire, our emergency team can offer a 24-hour response, whenever we are needed. We can make the property safe – this can involve boarding up windows and sealing doors, or adding safely supports to make sure it can be safely accessed. The more complicated the project, the longer the timeframe. Thankfully, our ability to carry out restoration work has not been impeded by Covid restrictions and we have been able to carry on with dealing with our fire restoration contracts as normal.
One factor we have to bear in mind is determining what damage, if any, pre-dates the loss. In this way we can ensure the work we carry out only incorporates what was damaged in the fire. Obviously Grade listed properties and heritage sites are much harder, both to ascertain the level of condition the building was in prior to the fire and the restoration itself. There are certain requirements and boxes to tick, to ensure the restoration is in keeping with the original property and fulfils the requirements in returning it to pre-fire condition. This can often involve sourcing specialist materials and technicians – for example, a thatcher to install a thatch roof, or a stone mason for ornate sandstone work – which can add considerable time and cost to a restoration schedule.
As with all our services, we cover the whole of the North West of England and have worked on properties as far afield as Leeds and Carlisle, as well as Buxton in the Peak District. If you have a recovery and restoration project that you would like us to respond to, then don’t hesitate to get in touch today.
