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Fire restoration

The speed and ferocity of fire has a traumatizing effect on millions of Americans every year.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, a structure fire is reported in the U.S.
every 65 seconds. Damage or loss to one’s home and prized personal possessions is a frightening experience.

While you cannot truly prepare for the devastation of a house fire, you can attempt to minimize the losses. Prompt fire damage restoration can hold the key to limiting the
emotional and financial struggles caused by a fire.

Restoration begins with knowing the extent of the damage, securing items that weren’t
damaged, and beginning renovations. A professional fire damage restoration company
such as Sincerely Yours will work with you every step of the way to make a complete and
comprehensive assessment of the damage.
Assessing the Extent of the Damage
The first step in the restoration process is to assess how much of your home might have
smoke or fire damage. How deep did the fire penetrate the structure of the home? How
much smoke and soot covered your surfaces? Do your walls, furniture and fixtures show
signs of heat damage?
It’s extremely important for everything to be recorded and documented for insurance
purposes. All untouched furniture needs to be removed from the home as soon as possible,
as smoke lingers and embeds itself into fibers long after a fire. The sooner that you can air
out these pieces, the better.
Another key step in the initial assessment process is to prevent any additional damage
from occurring. That means plugging up any holes or structures that may have been
weakened by the fire. If the walls, floors, or roof were singed, they should be inspected for
repairs or replacement. Heavy rains following a fire could put your home at additional risk
for water or moisture damage.
It’s important to note here that fire and water damage restoration go hand-in-hand.
An “eyeball test” of your home’s interior isn’t sufficient to detect potential leaks or areas
where mold can gather and spread. Water damage requires a cleanup process that includes
pumping and airing out all the moisture, then drying and sanitizing all contents.
The Cleaning and Restoration Process
The smoke and soot that accompany a house fire can be impossible to clean out on your
own. The staining that happens during a fire usually goes beyond the surface, requiring a
deep scrub, sanding, and refinishing to get rid of the smoke. It might be necessary to clean

all the carpet and upholstery throughout the home to eliminate lingering odors. If there is
upholstered furniture, you may need to weigh the cost of cleaning the pieces versus
replacing them.
Fire often causes paint on walls and ceilings to bubble and blister, of the paint; these areas
must be scraped and repainted carefully. Finished wood surfaces damaged by fire, soot, or
smoke can be stripped, sanded, and refinished. This ensures that the trapped odor is
permanently removed. Repairing unfinished wood is trickier; sealants aren’t always
effective and, at best, only mask or trap smoke odor. Either way, restoring wood affected by
smoke and fire damage is a job for professional cleaners.
Rely on Restoration Professionals
Fire damage restoration involves far more than just basic cleaning and repairing. 
It bears repeating that professional expertise and proficiency in both fire and water
restoration can prove invaluable in the aftermath of a fire. Don’t fall prey to “fire chasers,”
unlicensed, uninsured companies that take advantage of the victims of major fires.
Sincerely Yours, Inc. has a team of skilled professionals that can quickly resolve any fire,
smoke, soot, and water damage. Our emergency response team is on standby, 24 hours a
day, ready to help you safely return to your property.