Your Belongings and Fire Damage
Restoring Your Smoke, Soot & Fire Damaged Belongings
Fire, smoke and soot damage does not just affect your walls, floors and ceilings - it can make its way into every single drawer, closet and crawlspace in your home. Our certified technicians are skilled in not just cleaning your structure, but restoring your belongings as well, so they can truly make your fire "Like it never even happened."
For textiles, clothing and soft goods, we employ our industrial-grade Esporta wash system, which is capable of salvaging 90% of items that previously would have to be declared a loss. Even if the damage is not visible to the naked eye, these items can be plagued with a pervasive smoke odor that traditional wash systems cannot eliminate. With the Esporta, we can often safe those favorite pieces of clothing or family heirlooms that other companies have to throw out.
For specialty items, like documents, medical records, family photo albums and even electronics, we employ a variety of top-of-the-line processes aimed at making fire, smoke and soot damage "Like it never even happened."
As a leading restoration company in Western New York, we also maintain strong relationships with insurance carriers and adjusters, which help to make the process of filing a claim for this kind of specialty fire damage restoration simpler. Here's how it all works.
If You Have Questions or Need Help, Call Us Today – (716) 646-6684
Contents Restoration
SERVPRO of The Southtowns specializes in restoring contents damaged by water, fire, or mold. Our expertise and “restore” versus “replace” mentality can help you save money while preserving precious keepsakes that can’t be replaced. We pretest your belongings to determine what items we can restore to pre-fire condition. We use several methods of cleaning your contents, including:
- Dry Cleaning - Used for cleaning light residues or to pre-clean prior to wet cleaning.
- Wet Cleaning - An effective cleaning method for removing moderate to heavy residues.
- Spray and Wipe -Effective for items that can’t withstand wet cleaning.
- Foam Cleaning - Used for upholstery fabrics that might shrink or bleed if wet cleaned.
- Abrasive Cleaning - Involves agitation of the surface being cleaned.
- Immersion Cleaning - Contents are dipped into a bath of the cleaning product.
Move-Outs/Pack-Outs
If your home requires extensive restoration or cleaning due to fire damage, SERVPRO of The Southtowns can conduct an organized, efficient move-out of the affected area. Move-out will provide several benefits, including:
- A quicker remodeling process
- Protecting items from potential damage
- Protecting contents from further on-site damage
When restoration is completed, we will work with you to coordinate the move-in according to your needs. The services offered upon move-in may depend on your insurance coverage.
Electronic Cleanup
Fire-damaged electronics can present a serious hazard. Do not attempt to turn on or operate any electrical device that you suspect has been damaged by fire. Smoke residues can contain acids that corrode metal surfaces. If the residues are not removed, corrosion causes electronic failure in the device. We will coordinate the restoration of your electronics, including:
- Television sets
- DVD players
- Computers
- And more
The key to restoring electronics is taking prompt action to prevent further damage. Electronics will be cleaned and inspected by a qualified electronics technician.
Document / Photograph Drying
When your valuable documents, including photographs, are damaged by water or fire, extreme caution should be taken to help ensure the fire damage does not destroy the document. Although some documents may not be restored to pre-fire damage condition, SERVPRO of The Southtowns can save a great deal and help minimize additional damage.
Depending on the type of documents and the level of fire, smoke, or soot damage, they have five options for the restoration of documents:
- Air Drying
- Dehumidification
- Freezer Drying
- Vacuum Freeze Drying
- Vacuum Thermal Drying
Contents Claim Inventory Service
When a fire emergency strikes, the damage can often feel overwhelming. We can help ease the worry and confusion during the recovery process by offering our Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS), which provides a detailed and accurate list of your belongings. We take a room-by-room inventory of your contents, including digital photos, and in some instances, bar coding.
Our Contents Claim Inventory Service:
- Preloss list and value of contents
- Detailed and accurate report
- Better information to settle claims quicker
- Assistance with burden of proof for claims