How is Structural Integrity Addressed After a House Fire?

10/2/2020 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO today when it comes to your Chicago fire damage. We know what it takes.

SERVPRO Carefully Inspects Your Chicago Home for Structural Integrity While Handling Fire Damage Cleanup

Any building involved in a fire, big or small, could have some level of damage to the structural integrity. There are several factors that SERVPRO takes into consideration while assessing your Chicago property. When we get called in for cleanup and restoration after a fire, we use our specialized methods and planning to ensure no stone is left unturned. It is essential to our team that your family is safe and sound in your home once we complete the project. Once we get done, your structure and interior will be left "Like it never even happened."

What Can Happen to a Building's Structure During a Fire?

When handling fire damage cleanup in Chicago, we must look at everything from contents and building materials to structural elements. We must consider various things when determining the strength of structural details, such as:

• The duration of the fire
• The intensity of the fire
• The proximity of the flames
• Materials impacted, and more

Having direct flame or heat on materials such as wood, steel, and concrete can reduce overall strength. This then becomes an issue in terms of safety and why it is vital to have a full structural evaluation done post-fire. This helps determine the level of the damage and the need for repair or replacement moving forward. 

What is a Post-Fire Structural Evaluation?

Whenever structural components seem to be compromised, the evaluation helps provide a clear picture of whether or not they can stand up to their design's original intent. Evaluations such as these will include non-destructive and destructive testing of wood, concrete, and steel. Depending on the fire's temperature and the damage, some of the components must get cleaned to remove any soot or other contaminants so that a full visual inspection may commence. Such cleaning may take place by:

• Brushing
• Abrasive blasting with sand or baking soda
• Pressure washing
• Chemical washing

SERVPRO will take a look at a variety of collateral items and learn more about the characteristics of the fire. We look at:

• Plastics
• Windows
• Plumbing elements
• Door handles
• Lamps, and more

This part of the inspection sheds light on the fire's temperature and intensity so that we can make an educated determination of the potential damage to the structural items around these contents.

How Does Fire Impact Structural Components?

• Wood – When wood chars, it consumes the outer layers, and size gets reduced.
• Concrete – Exposed concrete may remain unaffected up to 500 degrees F of exposure. When exposure exceeds these temperatures, concrete begins to spall and crack.
• Steel – Intense heat can start to weaken steel to the point where it becomes deformed. The result may show the steel to be warped or buckled.

To facilitate efficient cleaning and restoration of your Chicago property, SERVPRO takes the time to address other structural components:

• Lighting fixtures
• Cabinetry
• Insulation
• Attics or crawl spaces
• Glass and windows
• Window treatments fixtures, and more

After a fire in your home, it is essential that you do not attempt to clean various surfaces or contents on your own. Using the wrong methods or the wrong cleaning agents could cause permanent damage. It is also best to limit movement throughout your home so that you can keep the amount of contamination tracked from one space to another to a minimum.

Will the Smoke Corrode Certain Surfaces?

When left to fester too long, smoke and soot can become corrosive to certain materials. We take the time to wipe down residue found on lightly-painted or plastic surfaces, fiberglass, finished furnishings, and countertops made of Formica. When handling some surfaces, our SERVPRO technicians may also use a pre-cleaning treatment using lubricants to help inhibit corrosion until the full restoration process commences. We also take the time to protect a range of metal surfaces that have iron or chrome, including:

• Faucets
• Door and cabinet hardware
• Lamps
• Window Frames, and more

What if There is Smoke Residue on Hardwood Floors?

Various hardwood flooring materials contain cellulose, which means that it can quickly absorb water. We have water damage restoration technicians on our team to ensure that we halt damage during the fire damage cleanup by adequately drying the floors. We can then remove lighter or moderate smoke residue with a mop and our Bright-N-Neutral Cleaner. If the smoke residue contains an aerosol that may have penetrated the floors' finish, our team will use more aggressive measures such as sanding, stripping, or refinishing.

Once your home gets overtaken by fire, you should never wait to begin fire damage cleanup. Call in the help of SERVPRO of West Loop/Bucktown/Greektown right away, and we can send a crew out as soon as possible. We can be reached 24/7 for emergency service at (773) 434-9100.