Imagine your worst nightmare comes true, and every room in your home turns into lump of ash, all because of a burning candle left unattended.
In addition to that, imagine if your son or daughter was trapped in the house, and the only way out was through the first-floor window?
As a property owner or manager, you may think: "I hope this NEVER happens to me", and I do too. But unfortunately, these heart-breaking incidents do occur, as was the case for one of our clients.
Luckily no one was hurt, and as you’ll see with this case study today, a heavily scorched property can still be fixed. But only by trained industry professionals—and that’s why this client reached out to us.
You see, after fire damage occurs, the first 24-48 hours are the “golden hours” of recovery.
This is because fire damage doesn’t stop when the flames are killed off.
Acidic soot, smoke and other corrosive substances often produced when a fire is put out, can accelerate the deterioration and erosion of the building components and vital assets. The dry chemicals and water used to put out a large fire can also cause substantial damage to the structure and fittings. And a fire can leave a property exposed to the outdoor elements (due to a hole in the roof or broken windows, for example), which could tack on more damage due to rain, sleet or snow.
So you see why it’s absolutely critical to act quickly.
The faster we can begin the clean-up process, the greater the chance of us being able to minimise the damage and curtail the cost and scale of repairs required. There’s also a greater possibility that we’ll be able to restore valuable contents, and deep-clean soot from upholstery and carpets.
But in this case study…
The entire house was soot-damaged and had to be gutted from top to bottom.
First, we had to clear the site of all contents and debris.
Next, we fully stripped the property of all damaged materials, back to brickwork and bare floors. This included two WC's, a bathroom, kitchen, three bedrooms with built-in wardrobes, electrical cables, wall plaster and more. There were double-glazed windows that had to be replaced throughout and patio doors too.
Once the strip out was complete, we used a three-stage chemical cleaning process with fogging to thoroughly decontaminate and sanitize all soot- and smoke-damaged areas.
Now this is important to remember.
Some companies grossly underestimate the amount of cleaning work required after a fire. They don’t realise that the stench of smoke can not only seep deep into soft furnishings and clothing, but it can also penetrate into the fabric of the building itself and become trapped in pipes, cavities and cabling. Unless a professional fire clean-up service is utilised, the smoky smell and soot can linger for months, corroding the building and degrading the integrity of the structure.
On top of that, there’s the danger of inhaling these airborne chemicals, which may lead to health hazards such as shortness of breath, bronchitis, stroke and even cancer.
So make sure the cleaning company you hire does a meticulous job with adequate decontamination. If you’re unsure about what to ask or look for, contact us at info@sarrani.com.
Or, for more information, view our website for a detailed list of our fire-damage services.
Back to this case study…
After fully stripping and decontaminating the property, we reinstated all rooms, repaired and redecorated the exterior, tidied up the garden and gave the site a final clean… leaving a beautiful, modern home that anyone would be proud to own. We also provided all the necessary certifications and warranties for the work.
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In addition to the above, because our client is based overseas, we helped him choose all the materials needed to complete the job. We sent him links to various design ideas, sourced materials within the insurance budget and provided costs for extras he requested. We also kept him updated along the way by sending photos as the work progressed.
By the end, our client was delighted with the result, citing our service as “excellent” and giving us top scores all round. And we’re equally delighted to have been able to make him happy, and to proudly add another success story to our record. We can do the same for you. Of course, I hope you never have to go through such an ordeal yourself, but if you do…
Don’t delay.
Call us immediately on 020 3006 3126 or contact us at info@sarrani.com.
Remember, if you need to claim on your insurance, our team of experts is on hand to plan, coordinate and manage all the resources required to reinstate your home or business premises to the high quality you expect with the least possible stress.