renovation

6 Critical Post-Renovation Follow-Up Mistakes

1 Not Knowing What Fire Insurance Policy Actually Covers

A fire insurance policy covers homeowners for losses or fire damage to structural property. Fire insurance is mandatory for HDB with HDB loans (starting from or after September 1, 1994) and private properties brought in bank mortgages. The fire insurance policy does not cover the contents of the house (such as furniture, renovations, and personal belongings) on your property and also, does NOT cover fire damage if you or one of the occupants of the house is the initiator of the fire. During such an unfortunate situation, you may be held liable for damages caused to your neighbors or their property as well.

2 Failure to Obtain Additional Home Contents Insurance for Complete Protection Against Damage

Extending protection beyond fire insurance is a must, especially if you have invested so much in renovating and furnishing your home. The good news is that you will be able to purchase a separate home content insurance policy from an insurer of your choice! You should compare the list of general insurers and their costs on the popular MoneySmart home insurance comparison portal before making a choice.

3 Do not Consolidate and Inventory Your Home Contents

Before purchasing a particular home content insurance policy, you need to know the total value of your home content *. Since you would probably have bought new appliances or home furnishings once you settled in, tracing the list of home contents and value on an excel sheet is the easiest way. Since this list will grow over time, you should keep and keep a copy in Google Drive for easy access.

4 Failure to Register and Claim Guarantees

Most home appliances, electronics, and computer peripherals come with a warranty. After registering them, consolidate them with warranty dates, along with contact numbers and emails on the excel sheet to save the warranty expiration dates. Since renovating your home is also covered by a warranty period, it should also be tracked together on the same list. Doing your due diligence to seek a warranty when needed will save you a lot of time, effort, and money on the road.

5 Do not Review if Home Renovation Assumptions are Valid

During the renovation phase, there is a list of assumptions you have made that have influenced the design and outcome of the home renovation. To find out if the assumptions made are really valid, you should do a quick collection and review with your renovation professionals after you have moved on for 3-6 months, to determine that your interior design is the right lifestyle for you and your family. One of the most common assumptions is that the shed set aside and the type of luminaires used is family-friendly and that the materials chosen need minimal maintenance. If you find a significant gap between perceived and current requirements, you should discuss with your renovation professional the extra work/replacement of subsequent renovations where necessary. Since your professional and renovation team are already familiar with you and your property, it will be much easier for them to work on additional improvement jobs.

6 Do not Record Mistakes and Knowledge of Home Renovation

It is likely that you will also undergo some home renovation projects during your lifetime and avoiding costly renovation mistakes will save you a lot of headaches and money. Therefore, making a mental note of the mistakes made or the knowledge gained during the renovation trip may not be enough. This is because you could have forgotten most of them by the time you start your next renovation project, years later. Who knows, this may be the most valuable knowledge you can pass on to your children!

 

fire damage restoration

What to Do After a Fire at Your Company

A fire has just hit your company and is definitely one of the most dramatic moments in the life of any business owner. The flames have been extinguished and the smoke has already dissipated, but now what?

No one expects a catastrophe, though there are ways to prevent further damage when that happens. The important thing is not to let the fire damage your business due to loss of productivity and revenue.

A fire in your workplace is a horrible event, but it does not mean the end of your company. This may even mean a chance to update some procedures and improve security standards. It is important to stay calm and follow some basic steps immediately after the incident.

1. Document the damage

The moment the fire department says it is safe to enter the building, start documenting and gathering information about the damage. A building that experiences a fire is often a chaotic scene, but you will need to avoid mistakes in the processes that follow – especially with your insurance company.

Start by collecting all the disaster-related bills and expenses. Create a file and keep full records of all phone calls, budgets, and reconstruction decisions. Do not sign or approve anything at the moment.

Take lots of pictures of the damage, from all sides and in detail. Be sure to photograph furniture, machinery, and any equipment touched by the flames before removing them from the building. A complete inventory of damaged material is important when the insurance company enters the scene.

2. Secure the scene

With the help of local authorities, make sure the scene is stable and safe. Empty and half-destroyed buildings are sometimes considered abandoned and targeted by thieves and vandals. Police can help for a while, but it may be needed to provide private security if valuable assets are still in place.

You can also restrict the entrance by closing all possible outside entrances with planks or bricks, such as broken windows, broken doors, or partially collapsed walls. Tarps are a cheaper option to replace a compromised roof and avoid leaks that could damage building conditions.

3. Pause Your Utilities

The fact that the fire is extinguished does not mean that the dangers are over. Prevent further damage by turning off all utilities. Gas and electricity can be turned off on the meter, but be sure to close the water valve to prevent leaks. Only turn on the utilities only after the building is inspected and put into use.

4. Contact your Insurance Company

Your insurance company will analyze the damage and discuss the situation, in addition to advising you on what you cover. Depending on what is damaged, you can benefit from different policies:

Commercial Property Insurance – This coverage helps with the cost of fire to your property and equipment (such as tools, inventory, and furniture).

General Liability Insurance – If your business operates a rental space, you can file a general liability insurance claim for the damage caused.

Business Interruption Insurance – Depending on the nature of the fire, you may be able to use your business termination insurance to replace lost revenue. Business termination insurance covers operating expenses, payroll, and even the costs of moving to a temporary location if needed.

5. Contact all parties involved

In addition to local authorities, you will also need to communicate the situation to all your employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, and, if applicable, your partners or shareholders. This sharing of information is very important to create an image of transparency and trust.

In a second step, notify the post office of the alternate address to forward your correspondence and update your website to inform customers that you will be temporarily out of business. This will provide understanding and support from your customers.

6. Initial after fire cleaning

Not all fires completely destroy the building. Depending on the severity of the incident, you may be able to start the cleaning process yourself – but always with the instructions of the fire department.

Once your entrance to the building is authorized, you can start cleaning furniture, appliances, and items that were not damaged. Take them to a safe place. They are probably affected in some way, if not by soot, water, fire, and smoke which will need the right cleaning and maintenance.

Soon, it will also be needed to clean the building itself. Fire and smoke affect floors and walls differently, often requiring some specific cleaning. Do not forget about HVAC systems, which can carry harmful waste.

7. Establish Fire Recovery and Renovation Plans

A fire can destroy the business you took years to set up in minutes. Unfortunately, the recovery will not be that fast. It will take some time for all the processes, from getting insurance coverage to cleaning and rebuilding the site.

This is the right time to be realistic but also motivated. It makes no sense to rush the repair process to try to get back to work faster because it will cost you more. Try to design recovery and renovation plans according to your finances and needs, maybe resume activities little by little.

8. Prevent your business from turning to smoke

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), more than 40% of companies are unable to recover from a disaster. But this data should not leave you pessimistic. Rather, it should motivate you to invest in the right prevention. You can not predict or control natural disasters, but you can create a backup plan and be prepared to cope with recovery.

This is one of those cases where what you do before is usually more essential than any decision you can make after the incident. So try to buy new insurance coverage, or boost your existing policy, to help your business get back on track even stronger than before.

Professional Fire Restoration And Repair

Professional Fire Restoration And Repair

Professional fire restoration is necessary for any home or commercial facility that has suffered a fire, regardless of the size of that fire or the degree of damage. Restoring a structure after a fire ensures that the air is clean and the environment is safe from pollution and also protects that structure from mould growth in the future.

Fire reset refers to the cleaning and subsequent complete restoration of a fire-damaged structure to its original condition so that the building is structurally sound and free of hazardous chemicals and fire residues. Drying of a structure after the use of refractory chemicals and water used to extinguish a flame, and monitoring of this structure for possible mould, mildew, and other such risks are also part of this restoration work.

If your home or commercial building has gone through a fire, it is good to understand the importance of professional fire damage recovery service. You can then make sure that your structure is safe to occupy and protected from dangerous and unhealthy mould growth and other such contaminants.

What is needed to restore a structure after a fire

Restoring a structure after a fire involves an inclusive plan for cleaning and rebuilding. Fire recovery services usually involve many of the following steps:

  • Recoverable items are removed from the structure and placed in an area where they can be completely dried. Inexpensive items such as furniture and electronics are disposed of properly.
  • Parts of the damaged structure beyond repair are removed; these items may include drywall, ceiling and floor, carpets, plumbing fixtures and the like.
  • Once all such items have been cleared from a fire-damaged area, that part of another house or building is usually contained or separated in some way. The plastic cover can be hung around the space, for example, to keep the spread of soot, ash, chemicals and other debris in nearby areas of the structure.
  • A fire rehabilitation expert will usually take measurements of humidity or humidity in the air. These measurements tell him or her if the area has dried properly after their restoration work has been completed.
  • Special vacuums remove all traces of smoke, soot, ash, refractory chemicals and excess water. Additional cleaning with speciality detergents is often needed to wash away soot and smoke stains, fire-fighting chemicals and other such materials.
  • Fragrance removers are applied to various areas to remove the smell of smoke, chemicals and burnt wood.
  • High-energy dehumidifiers and other such devices remove water and moisture from all surfaces of the affected area, to remove the water residue used to extinguish the flame.
  • Once humidity levels are normal, the restoration expert will work with construction contractors to rebuild the structure; for example, he or she will install new wall pillars, floor tiles, floor tiles, floor tiles, floor tiles, carpets and other such materials as needed.
  • The fire rehabilitation expert will also work with the property owner to decide on replacement materials for items such as cupboards or furniture, as needed.
  • Contractors will also paint walls, clean windows and perform other such finishing work.
  • Once the recoverable items are dry, they also receive a thorough and deep cleaning.

Why restoring a structure is not an easy task

A homeowner or business owner should never undertake to try a fire cleaning. An important consideration is that the chemicals used to suppress fires are very dangerous to the sinuses, eyes, and skin, and standard household detergents are ineffective at removing those chemicals. Inefficient cleaning can cause problems in you breathing in those chemicals for many days or weeks after a fire.

Soot, ash and other fire residues are also very hard if not impossible to remove with standard household vacuum cleaners. It is also easy to spread these particles to other areas of a structure without realizing it; ash and soot can stick to your shoes and clothes so that they can be traced all over your home or office! This residue can also be made into the air long after your cleaning efforts; then you can breathe in that disturbing waste and potentially suffer from serious health problems.

It is also essential that a fire damage restoration service expert ensures that your home or other structure is completely dry after a fire and even monitors your home for possible mould growth. Note that building materials such as drywall and wood studs absorb water easily and quickly; if not dried properly, this moisture can soften that wood and lead to mould, mildew and other such disturbing contaminants. For all these reasons, leave this work to the pros!

Understanding structural damage after a fire

After a fire, damage to some structural materials is often apparent. Drywall is extremely easy to look for in a fire, such as areas of carpets and other particularly combustible materials in your home or office. Fiery fires can leave holes in walls, floors and ceilings so that these materials need complete replacement.

However, a structure can often suffer major imperceptible or visible damage from a property owner. For example, PVC pipes can release dangerous dioxins into the air when melted. Worn or softened pipes can also lead to water leaks, and leaking pipes usually lead to mould growth and damage to wood beams, floor coverings and the like.

After absorbing water used to extinguish a flame, structural materials and other materials around your home or office may have hidden water stains, or retain water in areas that are not easily visible. For example, carpet filling easily absorbs water that leads to mould under the carpet. This water and moisture can also soften the floor of a structure. A fire damage repair expert will know where and how to examine fire-affected building materials so that your home or commercial building is structurally sound and stable.

Restoration is necessary even after a small fire

Do not assume that your home or office must suffer a significant, catastrophic fire to seek the services of a restoration expert. Even a small fire in the oven or uncontrolled flame in a fireplace can cause great damage to a home! Notice why you want to call a restoration expert no matter the size of a fire in your home or office:

  • Even small amounts of excess water sucked from carpets or tiles can lead to mould and mildew. Once these contaminants develop, they grow and spread rapidly, leading to dangerous mould spores in the home as well as unpleasant odours.
  • Chemicals in household fire extinguishers can stay in the air long after a flame is extinguished; without proper cleansing, you can continue to breathe in those disturbing chemicals for days and even weeks!
  • Even a small fire, as well as a small amount of fire-fighting chemicals and water used to extinguish the flame, can damage dry tiles, ceiling tiles, floor tiles and the like. Without proper cleaning and repairs, these materials continue to degrade over time, making your home structurally unhealthy.
  • Small fires leave behind annoying odours, but homeowners can “blind their noses” so as not to notice these odours. However, these odours can cause headaches and other health concerns and be a nuisance to pets. Smoke odours are also the result of residual soot, ash and other debris that you can breathe or spread to other areas of your home or office. Proper cleaning and odour neutralizers will eliminate those odours.

Mould Repair and Fire Restoration Services

Repairing mould after a fire may involve consistently controlling the humidity levels of the structure, as well as examining the area for mould growth. A mould restoration or rehabilitation expert can also warn a property owner of what needs to be done to prevent mould from developing after a fire, such as providing a properly ventilated structure and examining walls and ceilings for traces of mould growth.

If mould develops after a fire, call a mould cleaning expert. Mould spores are very dangerous to your health and can spread quickly from one area of ​​a structure to another. A mould cleaner can notice if mould cleaning is an option, or if the affected parts of your structure need to be cut and replaced completely.

FAQs about Fire Restoration

Q: Why should a homeowner leave during fire repair services?

A: A homeowner or property owner may need to leave the premises during restoration services, as cleaning work often causes soot, ash, and chemicals to become airborne and settle elsewhere in a home or office. The structure may be unsafe until the cleaning is completed.

Q: How long does it take to repair or restore a fire?

A: Restoring a fire is not usually a quick process. A restoration expert must ensure that every part of a structure is clean and structurally sound. The amount of water used to extinguish a fire will also affect the time required to remove and clean it.

fire damage restoration

Fire Restoration Services in Ottawa

When it comes to fire restoration or smoke damage, fast action is crucial for your property in Ottawa. Whether you are a homeowner or a business, a fire is among the most traumatic incidents that can happen to anyone. It can damage or even destroy your property and make a tremendous emotional toll on family members or employees.

In addition to the heat and fire, the effects of smoke including soot, debris, and odor can be massive and it is likely to cause surface discoloration. It also requires caution to your belongings because they can be damaged if not treated properly and immediately.

After a fire is extinguished, you must start fire damage restoration immediately to avoid further losses and achieve the best results. Renovco always stands ready to provide help in your fire restoration process in Ottawa.

Fire damage restoration services in Ottawa

During a fire, smoke is likely to be driven by heat and penetrates throughout your home. If combined with humidity, it will form corrosive residues that cause pitting and chemical burning.

The longer your home goes without fire restoration services, the greater the damage will be.

Our fire restoration in Ottawa goes through different procedures where we use the most up to date technology, equipment, and processes.

  • Smoke Odor Removal
  • Professional Deodorization
  • Emergency Cleaning and Sanitation
  • Pack-Outs and Contents Cleaning
  • Carpet and Pad Removal
  • Temporary Protection
  • Puff Back Cleaning
  • Wall and Ceiling Cleaning

A leader in smoke and fire damage restoration

At Renovco we provide comprehensive, professional smoke and fire restoration services for your property in Ottawa. In addition, we are committed to providing you with the best results possible, related to other restoration services such as water damage restoration, disaster restoration, mold removal, and more.

Tips for preventing fires in your home:

  • Use a smoke alarm on each floor of your home.
  • Store fire extinguishers within reach
  • Schedule service and cleaning annually for furnaces and fireplaces.
  • Avoid overloading electrical circuits.

Accurate and detailed assessment

Our certified professionals make sure to determine the full impact of fire damage. Home and business owners are always informed during the fire damage restoration process. Our customers always know what is happening and what to expect. 

Thorough treatment and respect

Our fire restoration services include smoke and odor removal, complete cleaning, and sanitation. Also, we provide professional deodorization and air vent and duct cleaning. Fire and smoke damage cleanup with Renovco always comes with respectful handling of property as it were our own. Overall, we take extra care to protect the structure and contents.

Choose your professional company

Our teams of experts are always ready to serve you, whether you would like to design your dream bedroom, remodel a bathroom, finish the basement, create a new home extension, renovate your office or get disinfection and cleaning services, you can count on Renovco!

Renovco has a smartly identifiable unique concept. From emergency work reconstruction, content handling and cleaning, warehousing, mold remediation, Ozone treatment, and Fire-line system to a distribution channel and one-stop-shop for design services. However, this clever solution is translating to become, not only an exclusive competency that Renovco enjoys but also a profound peace-of-mind feature that clients treasure.

So, feel free to contact us here.