We’re sure you don’t need us to tell you that fire damage to a home or other building can be more than just an inconvenience. Fire can be completely devastating to many people’s lives and livelihoods. What many people don’t know, however, is that bringing an end to the damage caused by a fire does not stop at bringing out the hoses or fire extinguishers. Even once the flames are gone, it is very important to keep in mind that some of the damaging materials they brought may remain. This could potentially cause long-term hazards to your health.
Soot and Particles
After a fire is over, the soot and other particles may linger in the air. While they are not necessarily poisonous, it is never good for your lungs to be constantly breathing in fine pieces of particulate matter. They may make breathing difficult or irritate your eyes or nose. Especially if you have asthma or other respiratory problems, it is a bad idea to be spending a lot of time in a building with a lot of soot damage. Soot can also irritate your skin, so it is never pleasant to have it lying all over your furniture or hanging in the air.
Asbestos and Lead Disturbances
Especially if you live in an older home, there is a chance that the structure of your building contains lead or asbestos. When there is a fire, these particles are released into the air, making it more likely that they will contaminate you.
Structural Damage
After a severe fire, it is also possible that the flames have caused long-term damage to the structural integrity of your home. This makes it more likely that you will have issues later on down the road with the house, both in terms of safety and in terms of resale value. If you suspect at all that there could have been structural damage to your building, it is always best to get it checked out.
What We Can Do
If you have had significant fire damage to your home or another building that you own, there are many different steps we may end up taking to ensure that you are in the safest space possible. Regardless of what we end up doing, we will make sure to communicate with you throughout the entire process. We would never do something without your permission! Getting your building back into shape may involve demolishing parts of it that aren’t fixable or cleaning up water damage that may have occurred from you or someone else putting the fire out. It could also involve carefully removing soot, lead, and asbestos from the area, in order to protect your health.
ABH Services is here for you no matter the issue! If you have any questions, please call us at (781) 941-2422. You can also contact us through Facebook. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to get your building back to being its best self.