Fire damage can be quite destructive, even if the fire is fairly small. That's because, in addition to flames, there is excessive heat, smoke, and soot that cause their own damage. Plus, water used to put out the fire causes water damage and the water can encourage mold to grow.

You may not even know where to start cleaning up, so it could be best to call a property fire damage restoration company and let them handle the cleanup and restoration of your home. Here are the steps involved in the process.

1. Decide What Is Beyond Saving

The restoration company will probably start by assessing the damage. You'll probably lose a lot of things because of the fire since some materials will melt, others will burn up, and some will be damaged by smoke or soot.

Still, there may be some building materials and possessions that can be cleaned up and saved. The contractor can help you decide what has to go. For instance, drywall will soak up water and smoke, so it's easier to replace it rather than repair it.

2. Check Your Home's Systems

It's important to check the electrical system in your home after a fire since the heat can melt insulation around wiring and put your home at risk of another fire. You may need to have your home rewired after a fire. You could need a new HVAC unit too if your old one is damaged by fire, heat, smoke, or soot. At the least, the ducts and HVAC equipment may need to be cleaned to get rid of the smoke odor and mold or soot.

Metal pipes might withstand fire, but plastic pipes like drain pipes might melt. Your plumbing should be checked as well since pipes hidden behind a wall or under the floor could be damaged and near the brink of rupturing.

3. Clean Everything You Intend To Save

Before work begins rebuilding your home, the fire damage restoration company has to clean everything you're going to save. This includes all the hard surfaces as well as fabrics and paper documents. Everything has to be cleaned because smoke and soot are acidic and they'll slowly destroy what they touch.

The cleanup phase of property fire damage restoration could take a long time, but you want it to be thorough so your important things are spared and so your home won't smell like smoke after the restoration is complete.

Once your home is clean, sanitary, and dry, the restoration company can proceed with putting in new flooring, drywall, and any other building materials your home needs to return to its pre-fire condition. 

For more information about fire damage restoration, contact a local company.