Dealing with fire damage
Please take stock of your situation as the shock of your loss will not surface immediately and you may make
decisions which in turn may adversely affect your eventual restoration results.
Write down any instructions given by the Fire Brigade. ie. a particular part of the structure may be unsound,
or a part of the property may require forensic inspection.
This information will greatly assist Johns Lyng Group when assessing site requirements.
If you have become the unfortunate victim of fire damage you should not move/alter anything at the fire site. We will treat
and remove property from the source of the fire in a pattern which is designed to mimimise your loss.
We can read the story of a fire like a story book, starting from the source through to areas that may not even appear to be affected yet.
Some useful tips for after the fire:
- Take notes, don't rely on your memory as the decisions made now will affect your restoration capabilities.
- Do not use fresh or canned food which may have been subjected to heat.
- Remove pets to a clean and safe environment, monitor their breathing behaviour for the next couple of weeks
- Remove plants from the immediate fire vicinity, wash leaves on both sides with water
- Do not clean or touch hard surfaces or furnishings
- Do not send smoke damaged clothing, soft furnishings, upholstery, draperies, to your usual dry cleaner as this may cause odours to permanently absorb into the fabric.
- Shut all unaffected doors to keep movement and touching of soft furnishings, carpets, drapes etc. to a minimum, in order not to impregnate incomplete combustion/fall out particles into these surfaces.
The smoke contamination time clock
Although fire may have been concentrated in only one area, smoke and odour can spread throghout the entire area.
Once smoke particles penetrate surfaces or make their way into cracks or crevices, they need to be physically removed,
even if fire and heat have not affected that particular area.
Our technicians are always time concious. We realise that the longer neutralising, corrosion control, or
cleaning is postponed, the worse the damage gets and the more costs escalate.
Within Minutes: Acid soot residues caues plastics to yellow; small applicances located close to the source of combustions
discolour; highly porous materials (marble, alabaster) discolour permanently.
Within Hours: Acid residues stain grout in bathrooms and fibreglass fixtures turn yellow; metals tarnish, counter tops
may yellow; finishes on appliances, particularly refrigerators which extend into the heat line, will
yellow; furniture finishes may discolour
Within Days: In time, acid residues cause painted walls to yellow permanently, metal corrodes, pits and rusts; wood
furniture requires refinishing, linoleum requires refinishing or replacing; clothing becomes soot stained;
upholstery stains permanently.
Within Weeks: Durable carpet fibres may yellow or discolour permanently; silver plate is corroded permanently; glass,
crystal and china may require replacement due to severe etching and pitting caused by prolonged exposure
to acide soot residues. Restoration costs can escalate tremendously!