What to do after a fire - Part 4 of a 5 part series

Cleaning up mold

Mold may grow if you or your restoration contractor can’t get in the house quickly enough. Fabric materials with active mold growth must be replaced. Often, a restoration contractor can clean painted and hard surfaces. However, if your contractor couldn’t get into your house quickly enough, insist on inspecting the back of wetted drywall. If it is moldy, you must replace it. If you don’t, the mold will get into the air that you breathe, often days or weeks or even months later. Do not accept the presence of moldy materials anywhere in your house. You can use IICRC S520: Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation or Clean-up Procedures for Mold in Houses as reference guides. Don’t allow chemicals to be used to prevent future mold growth. Mold will only return if your house is too damp for too long. Chemical washes are not necessary and are usually too toxic to have anywhere in your house. If it is judged that mold found in your house existed before the fire, your insurance company may not pay for mold removal. If the mold is on materials to be replaced because of fire damage, these materials will be replaced at no cost to you. Otherwise be prepared to pay extra or sign off to have the mold problem left untreated.

Cleaning surfaces and contents

Smoke residues are usually very chemically active. They attack the surfaces they fall on or stick to. Chemicals from smoke residues can permanently stain or change surface finishes, the texture of fabrics and the performance of finishes and textures. Qualified fire-restoration contractors know how to do this specialized cleaning and save as many items as possible. Get the contractor who will clean up smoke residues into your house as quickly as you possibly can so the contractor can act quickly to minimize the chemical attack and damage. Remember that some items will have to go out for specialized care. Not everything can be properly cleaned in your house.

Monitoring progress

Since the fire-involved house is your home and you are in charge of the remediation (although sometimes it seems that the insurance company is driving the process), it is important that you monitor the progress of the restoration and note any problems that you see. Be polite but be firm. Make sure that all parties know how to reach you, 24 hours a day, so that you can be kept informed of critical steps and decisions required. If you do not have a cell phone, this may be the time to get one. If you have one, keep it on, with you, and well charged.

Signing off on completed work

As stages of the restoration are completed to your satisfaction, you will be expected to sign off on the work. If some work isn’t done well enough, note it on the document when you sign off, and request that a holdback be kept to ensure that the work is done well enough later on. Remember to be reasonable and sign off as soon as you honestly can.