Saving Belongings After West Palm Beach Fire

7/29/2022 (Permalink)

After a house fire, you'll have to deal with the aftermath and the logistics of living with limited space. What can you salvage after a house fire, and how do you get rid of what remains? Navigating the process of fire damage restoration starts with the understanding and identification of what items are salvageable, what is not and how to restore these contents.

Can Items Be Saved After A House Fire

A house fire leaves much behind in its wake. Some of it is easily salvaged and can be used again, while other items will have to be thrown away due to fire, water, or smoke damage. A house fire can damage or destroy a lot of different things in your home, including furniture, appliances, clothing, books, electronics, and other personal items. It can also damage your home's structure and its foundation, which can make it unsafe to live in. What determines the salvageability of items includes the severity of the fire and the material in which the fire is comprised of.

Determining What Items Are Salvageable

With so many things affected by a fire, it can be hard to know what is salvageable and what isn't. While SERVPRO of West Palm Beach is a fire damage restoration company that practices the restore vs replace method, we understand that not all items can be saved. The best way to determine what items are salvageable is to consider what they are made of and their function, along with the kind of damaged they have sustained.

Items that can be salvaged include:

• Non-porous hard items like glass, metal, or ceramic are typically strong enough to avoid the secondary damages of soot and smoke. These items are easily cleaned and saved.
• Washable items like clothing, bedding, towels and furniture with removable covers can also be saved, though the cleaning process for these fire damaged items are more extensive than a simple cleaning by hand.
• Items like electronics that have the ability to be taken apart or art pieces, can be cleaned by specialty fire damage restoration companies with expert care and precision.
• Hardwood and various types of flooring that are not heavily filled with soot can also be cleaned and restored if seen fit.

When considering the item’s material, noting the amount of damage is required as well. Just because an item can be cleaned and restored, does not mean it has maintained its value or is able to still provide its proper function as it did pre-damage.

Items that are unlikely to be salvaged include:

• Any items that have been burnt, like plastic or metal.
• Any perishable items like food, medicine or cosmetics.
• Any large pieces of furniture that may not have

During the content restoration process, the damage restoration process in your home may also be taking place. This includes thoroughly cleaning the areas where there is water damage, removing debris from your property, and repairing areas that have been damaged done by an experienced fire damage restoration company like SERVPRO of West Palm Beach.

A house fire can damage or destroy a lot of different things in your home, including furniture, appliances, clothing, books, electronics, and other personal items. Turning to the experts like SERVPRO of West Palm Beach after a fire will help determine what items you can salvage and ensure that your most valuable and precious contents are restored.