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Fire Deals A Four-Pronged Attack On Your Home That Means Serious Damage!

Believe it or not, when your home has a fire, the fire itself is often not the most damaging force working in your home. Instead, things that go hand-in-hand with a significant fire (smoke, water damage, and mold), will represent most of the cost of restoration work.

Let's take a quick look at these four factors:

Stage 1: Fire Damage

Fires are complicated issues that can have many sources and many types of fuel. Some fires can involve more than 100 complex chemical reactions, and can leave corrosive substances behind even when they've been extinguished. They will char and destroy anything they touch, and, if left unchecked for too long, will destroy an entire building.

Stage 2: Smoke Damage

Barring the complete destruction of the home, however (uncommon), fire's damage is limited. Smoke, damage, however, is far-reaching, and can permeate the entire structure.

As temperatures rise in a fire, the heat will open pores in the structure that allows the smoke to be captured deep within building materials, where the smell can linger for years. This smoke can also be corrosive and even toxic.

Stage 3: Water Damage

When fire hasn't burned the house down, you can expect a lot of water. Fire hoses eject water at a rate of about 95 gallons per minute, saturating everything in their path. Collectively, a crew of firefighters may soak a commercial building with 1,000 gallons of water per minute or more!

This water will flow away from the fire-damaged area and can flood lower floors and wall cavities. Water damage will lead to ruined electrical components (including computers), damaged insulation, disintegrated water, and widespread destruction to personal property.

Stage 4: Mold Damage

Mold grows extremely quickly! Given the proper temperature, a source of food, and sufficient moisture, mold will begin to grow (on everything) within 24-48 hours. Professional Builder Magazine reports that a $250,000 home can easily have id="mce_marker"00,000 in mold damage!

The key to preventing this avoidable disaster is to dry your home quickly and professionally - including all building materials and air within wall cavities. This will save you a fortune, as well as an enormous amount of grief and inconvenience.