Any family can turn their lives upside down due to a house fire. Homes are destroyed, treasures are lost, and lives are lost in the most terrible cases. A fire at home will destroy more than only material belongings. It can also ruin precious memories and force you to fight with insurance companies for years.
The smoke, fire, and water used to put the fire out are the three main factors that caused the most visible damage. All things that are susceptible to the absorption of odors or moisture, including but not limited to carpeting, furniture, and clothing, can be damaged.
Hidden Damages of Fire
The consequences of a fire are more significant than what they initially seem. Fire-related damage can be invisible and difficult to detect. After an incident, there can be more or less apparent damages that can be expensive and hazardous to your family’s safety. Those are the ones we’ll discuss in this post.
1. Mold
The likelihood of mold growth is increased when the water has soaked into carpets, rugs, ceilings, floors, and walls. Building new flooring, joists, drywall, or walls is not enough. The areas exposed to water need to be dried entirely or rebuilt.
Mold can cause serious health problems and can also damage your home. Mold spores are tiny microorganisms that can be breathed in due to floating in the air. The spores of mold can trigger an allergic reaction, asthma, and other respiratory problems.
Molds can be caused by both water and fire damage. The aftermath of these problems is detrimental to the health of the owner and their property itself. A company specializing in damage removal is needed to remediate the problem.
2. Gas Leaks
Firefighters have various tools to break down doors, walls, and even glass in an emergency. Inadvertent nicks or strikes to gas lines often develop as full-blown leaks once tools are employed. If you enter your house after an accident and can smell a gas odor, leave immediately and dial 911.
A gas leak can fuel an already-burning fire and cause an explosion in the second that could cause severe injury or death to anyone in the vicinity. If there is a gas leak, shut off the valves immediately and dial for assistance.
If your gas line is located below your floor, a flood damage repairment company can give you aid in fixing the leak and the damage to your flooring.
3. Electrical Damage
Also, fires can cause electrical damage. They can cause the melting of wires, short out junction boxes, and cause live wires to dangle when it spreads across walls. Contact your power provider to shut off the power once the fire is out.
But, even though falling power lines could pose a direct threat, a fire may be started when a wire that has been damaged ignites in the walls. After the fire, firefighters will examine the building. However, a wire may be hidden beneath damaged home components.
4. Soot
Soot particles are derived from burning fuels such as wood or coal. As a consequence of living in an industrialized world, we are constantly exposed to the harmful effects of breathing in soot. However, soot-related damage during a fire might go unnoticed until the post-fire evaluation and inspection of your home.
Always wear protective clothing while working with soot which includes covering your eyes, mouth, nose, and hands. It may be more beneficial to get help from experts.
5. Sewage and Water Pipes
It’s a common misconception that sewage and water pipes are safe from fire. A majority of today’s plumbing systems don’t use iron pipes. It is made of PVC or some other durable, flexible material to prevent cracks and leaks. These materials, however, tend to melt at high temperatures.
The toxic and unpleasant gas that could get into your home via the sewage pipes is damaged, which can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and trouble breathing. Broken sewage pipes could also be releasing dangerous carbon monoxide.
