Why Is It So Difficult to Restore A Home That Suffered from Large Fire

Why Cleaning a Home After a Fire Requires Professional Contractors and Equipment

According to a statistical report, nearly two houses catch fire every three minutes in the United States, and the majority of these houses suffer large fires. While most of these large fires do not cause damage that could leave the house in ashes, the heat, smoke, soot, and other things that come with fire can make it difficult to restore the house. This is why you should be careful when buying a house restored from a large fire. 

Extra Damages

A large fire is capable of destroying your home without any help. Unfortunately, when large fires occur in residences, fire fighters’ main aim is to extinguish the fire, mainly using a lot of water. The water is usually released under high pressure to enhance effectiveness, and this pressure can cause damage to your walls and other items in the house. Additionally, since the water used to extinguish will be a lot and might get soaked on porous surfaces, it might cause a mold infestation in the house. All these damages cost a lot during restoration, and sometimes homeowners opt to buy new homes than renovate such a house with so many issues.

Structural Damages

When a fire burns a house for a long time, it gets weaker and might collapse during or after the fire. This means that such a house may not be safe to live in as it can come down on you while sleeping. Unfortunately, severe structural damages are irreversible and, if not, might cost a leg and an arm. Additionally, the homeowner will have to repaint, replace and restore most house fixtures to normal.

Plumbing Issues

Unfortunately, large fires destroy not only the house furniture and walls but also plumbing fixtures. PVC pipes often get damaged, and so does copper soldering. This means you will have to replace your piping systems, more or less like installing a new system, which is very costly. No house can survive without a properly functioning plumbing system, so you will have to restore it if you want to live in the house again. If the costs are reasonable or you have insurance coverage for your home, you can restore the plumbing system. 

Smoke Damage

While most people do not consider this, smoke damage can be one of the most cumbersome fire problems. For one, your whole house will have a smoke stink unless you hire a reputable restoration company to help with the cleaning. You might even have to throw away some of your belongings that cannot be cleaned. Smoke damage does not come off as easily as everyone thinks and might even compromise the air you breathe while in your home. 

Age of the Home

Houses built before the 1980s are more likely to suffer severe damage compared to newly constructed houses. As a result, inspectors may render the house inhabitable as it might endanger your life. Therefore, before renovating your home that was destroyed by fire, confirm the year it was built for safety.