Levels of Fire Damage

5/18/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage is a  multi-step process that minimizes the extent of a fire loss and ultimately saves the Homeowner money through restoration vs. replacement. 

Three Levels of Damage:

• Minor - Smoke residues affect only certain rooms or areas. The amount of smoke residues is light to moderate.  Restoration may involve dry cleaning and/or wet cleaning of ceilings, walls, floors and contents.  Few areas need to be repainted and only minor items require replacement.
• Medium - Smoke residue is moderate, and more materials require wet cleaning to remove residues. The number of areas requiring repainting and items requiring replacement increase.  Floors may need to be refinished.  Heat damage to drywall, cabinets, and contents requires more materials to be replaced.  Contents might be cleaned at the jobsite.  Smoke odors are noticeable, possibly requiring additional deodorization procedures after cleaning.
• Major - Structural framing and finishes may be charred, requiring structural repairs. Smoke residues are distributed through a large portion of the building, and strong smoke odors.  Emergency services are needed, such as Board-up, establishing a source of electricity, winterizing the building in cold weather and removing smoke-filled and charred debris.  Restoration will involve extensive cleaning of the structure and probably require restorers to pack and move out all salvageable contents for off-site cleaning.  Multiple methods of deodorization are needed to remove smoke odors.