How to Board Up Your Home After a Fire

House fires can cause devastating losses for homeowners and their families. The worst part is, most of the damage can’t be seen until well after the fire has been extinguished. After the smoke has cleared, and it’s safe to return to your home, you may find major fire damage like melted walls or a caved-in roof that requires the help of trained professionals. But for less severe damage, you may be able to board portions of the structure and clean up the fire damage yourself.

Why do you need to board up your home after a fire?

Boarding up your home after a fire offers protection for you and your family from greater damages and helps secure your home from weather and vandalism. It can prevent soot and smoke damage to your belongings inside your home. After the initial fire, soot can sometimes get trapped in furniture, carpet, and other upholstered crevices causing additional damage. You can potentially salvage some of these items by boarding up your home and protecting them from leftover smoke or ash left from the fire.

Another main reason to board up your home after a fire is to keep unwanted guests from entering your home, like animals or even vandals. This will ensure no one has free access to your home during the fire restoration process.

Steps for boarding up your home after a fire

Upon inspecting your home after a fire, you may find that you are able to board up your home without professional help. Although not always recommended to DIY, here are some steps you can take:

1. Survey your property and damages. Only enter the property when it is safe to do so, then contact your insurance agency and develop a plan for restoration.
2. Remove standing water. This is important to prevent further water damage that can lead to mold or mildew in your home.
3. Clean up any debris or remains and remove furniture and items that are not damaged. Safely dispose of items that have been ruined.
4. Remove burned or wet drywall and insulation. Proper disposal of these items is important so that mold is not able to grow in those areas.
5. Remove wet flooring or carpet. You will need to use a wet/dry vacuum first, and then cut and roll smaller manageable pieces to dispose of the carpet and padding.
6. Purchase the proper supplies (i.e.plywood, sheetrock, screws, nails, hammer, drill, saw, etc.) to board up any openings in your home like windows, doors, and roofs.

Since the board-up process is tedious and requires special attention to deal, it’s almost always best to call an expert for professional help.

When to call fire damage restoration experts

If damages to your home are greater than you expected, you will need the help of professionals who have the knowledge and skills to help board up your structure and return your home to its previous state. The fire damage restoration experts at Dry Kings can send an expert team to perform the job, making the process more stress-free for homeowners. Call on the knowledge and expertise of the professionals at Dry Kings to help you through every step of the way.