No one wants to think about a home fire. But, they do happen. A fire in your home is devastating both physically and emotionally. In addition to damage to your home, you could lose valuable possessions and irreplaceable personal items, like baby pictures and family heirlooms. So, every homeowner needs to take steps to protect your property and your family. If there is a fire, you will have to recover your losses and heal from the damage. But, after any traumatic event, you don’t have to manage everything by yourself. Ask family and friends to help you with some of the steps you’ll need to take to repair the damage. Their help and support will shorten your long to do list and lift your spirits.
Your first step to recovering from a fire is prevention. You can’t always prevent a fire from happening, but you can increase your family’s safety and minimize the potential damage. Creating a fire escape plan and practice it with your family can help them keep a cool head and get out quickly. Adding smoke alarms in your home and keeping them properly maintained will speed your reaction to a fire. Some security systems have the capacity to detect a fire and automatically notify emergency services, So, your only focus can be escaping the fire as quickly as possible.
This checklist serves as a quick reference and guide for you to follow after a fire occurs.
- If you own your house or you have renter’s insurance, contact your insurance company for detailed instructions on protecting the property, processing your claim, and contacting fire damage restoration companies. And, notify your mortgage company of the fire. If you are renting, contact the home’s owner. If you do not have renter’s insurance, private organizations may be able to provide aid and assistance.
- Contact any family members that may not have been in the home. Let them know what happened and let them know that everybody is okay.
- Contact your local disaster relief agency, like The Red Cross, if you need temporary housing, food and medicines.
- Confirm that you home is safe to enter with the fire department. Be aware that structural damage may have been caused by the fire. The fire department should confirm that utilities are either safe to use or are disconnected before they leave the site. DO NOT attempt to reconnect utilities yourself, have a professional plumber and electrician perform a thorough inspection and repair.
- Conduct an inventory of damaged property and items. Do not throw away any damaged goods until after an inventory is made. Having photographed or documented your valuable items in advance and stored in a fire safe location will aid in processing your insurance claim. Some homeowners videotape the entire home to document items and their location.
- If your valuable documents and records weren;t stored in a fire safe location, try to locate them or obtain copies. It would be great to have receipts and bank statements of purchased items.
- Begin saving receipts for any money you spend related to fire loss. The receipts may be needed later by the insurance company and for verifying losses claimed on your income tax.
In the event of a fire, remember that every second counts, so everyone must be prepared. Escape plans help you get out of your home quickly. No one wants to have to clean up and repair the damage after a fire, but Guardian is here to help.
When your home is ready for a new roof, repairs, or maintenance, you need a reliable, dependable roof repair company. You count on you roofing contractor to keep your home safe and dry. Guardian Roofing is committed to providing top-quality service, professionalism and workmanship.
If you are looking for a roof repair contractor please call us today at 844-499-7822 or complete our online service request form.
