Having a fire in your home is incredibly scary. Once everyone gets out and the fire is extinguished, you can, of course, sigh a big sigh of relief. The worst is over, but that does not mean you can march back inside your home and let life get back to normal. Three big threats still linger inside after a fire, and you need to hire a water damage repair and fire damage repair team to handle them and restore your home to safety.
Below, take a closer look at the three big threats that remain after a house fire.
Bacterial Contamination
Firefighters have to dump a whole lot of water on a fire in order to keep it from spreading and then put it out. This water comes from a fire hydrant and is the same clean water that runs through your taps. But do you know what is not clean? Most of the surfaces in your home. There are bacteria in the carpet, some on surfaces, and definitely a lot of them in and around your toilets. As water is sprayed on the fire, it flows off of those surfaces. Then it sits, and the resulting warm, moist environment is perfect for these bacteria to replicate. If you go back into your home before a professional team cleans it up, you could be exposed to E.coli and other dangerous bacteria.
Mold
Bacteria are not the only organisms that like warm, moist spaces. After a fire, mold growth begins almost instantly. A wet home could become overrun by mold within a week or even less, which is why it is so important to call that cleanup team immediately. Mold can cause respiratory irritation, nausea, and itchy skin, so you don't want to move back into your home until all the mold is gone.
Smoke Residue
The smoke generated in home fires is more dangerous than you might realize. Think of everything that burned — plastic, carpet, paint, and other building materials often generate toxic smoke. This smoke residue can linger on counters, on floors, and even in the air ducts. It needs to be cleaned up before you move back in so that you don't accidentally breathe it in or ingest it.
The fire is just the beginning. When it's out, the threat is not over. Make sure you have your home professionally cleaned to remove mold, bacteria, and smoke residue.
When your home has several areas that have sustained damage, it can be tricky to know exactly how to proceed. For instance, you might wonder what you need to do in order to move forward, or you might be concerned about the safety of your home. However, one thing is certain: making the right changes to your home is essential if you want to update your property and improve its value. On this website, check out great information that could help you to make sense of different repairs your home will need, and what to do about any issues that could come your way.