SERVPRO of Metairie outlines the difference between water and fire damage restoration

12/12/2022 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: SERVPRO® of Metairie explains the major differences between fire damage and water damage restoration.

Every property is at risk of water and fire damage. Water damage can result from pipe leaks, roof damage, flooding, sewage backup, or appliance malfunction. On the other hand, fire damages can happen due to appliance malfunction, mishandling candles, or issues with electricity connection.

Fire and water damage restoration are similar, but are they the same? The experts at SERVPRO of Metairie, a full-service restoration company in Harahan, examine the difference between fire and water damage restoration.

What is fire damage restoration?

When a part of your home or business is damaged by fire, you want it cleaned up and repaired as quickly as possible so that you can move on with your life. This aspect is what fire damage restoration entails.

It’s restoring a property damaged by fire and smoke to its preloss state.

The fire damage process begins with an assessment of the damaged area. The fire and water damage restoration specialist may need to board up any holes to protect the property from intruders. The process may involve erecting fencing around the property, clearing the area of debris, caulking gaps in the building, and sealing off or tarping the damaged part of your roof to protect the remaining portion of the building from the elements.

Once that’s done, they can start the restoration process by clearing any standing water.

Next, they will clean the soot and stains and dry everything using specialized equipment like dehumidifiers. Then they may need to sanitize affected areas to kill bacteria, prevent mold growth, and deodorize to eliminate any leftover smoke scents after a thorough cleaning.

What is water damage restoration?

While water is essential for human survival, it can be disastrous if it gets into the wrong places in a property. Water damage restoration involves cleaning and restoring the water-damaged property to its preloss state.

The first step in restoring water damage is to remove any standing water. Property owners should act quickly to get rid of as much standing water as they can following a flood. This effort will reduce the level of damage to the property.

Water damage restoration experts use industrial pumps and other equipment to extract standing water from a property.

After clearing the standing water, they’ll dry out any remaining moisture. They’ll then use dehumidifiers and moisture detectors to dry the affected areas.

After everything is cleared, the expert will sterilize the affected areas to kill off bacteria and prevent mold growth. They may also need to deodorize the space to make the air breathable.

The last part of the water damage restoration process is the reconstruction, where damaged parts are reconstructed, and irrecoverable structures are cut off and replaced.

Difference between water and fire damage restoration

The fire damage and water damage restoration processes are similar. However, water damage restoration is a part of the fire damage restoration process, as you often need to clean and dry out the water used to put off the fire.

The major difference is that fire damage restoration requires more extensive cleaning to clear out the soot and often requires replacing or reconstructing the burnt part of the property.

With water damage restoration, you may not need to reconstruct the affected area if you act quickly and dry it up.

Get professional water or fire damage restoration in Harahan

SERVPRO of Metairie is the name to trust when it comes to fire or water damage restoration in Harahan, LA. They have a team of trained specialists that can handle any case or water of fire restoration and quickly get your property to its preloss state.

The SERVPRO of Metairie team is available 24/7 to provide exceptional restoration services that guarantee your satisfaction.

Give them a call today at (504) 496-0193.