We all fear house fires. Whether they’re caused by a genuine accident, clumsiness or even malicious intent, a fire has the power to leave your home completely uninhabitable for a long time. You may even lose it altogether.
The effect on your life could be devastating. You might need to relocate and undertake major repairs before your property’s safe enough to return to.
But it’s not just the flames that destroy your home — water damage is another massive problem you have to face in the aftermath.
How is this caused and what can you do about it?
Facing Water Damage After a Fire in Your Home
Multiple incidents can cause water damage to your home after a fire, such as:
Firefighters extinguishing flames with a firehose
Firefighters are true heroes. We’ve all seen them confronting infernos, wielding a firehose to extinguish raging flames and running into burning buildings without hesitation.
But the water they blast has to go somewhere. And it can leave your home flooded.
Walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, possessions — anything and everything will be drenched by the firefighters’ water. Yes, the flames are doused and your property’s left standing, but the remaining moisture creates further problems you have to tackle.
Damaged pipes and appliances
A house fire may be hot enough to actually meltwater pipes, causing major leaks that flood one or more rooms.
Multiple ruptures can release enough water to soak into carpets and seep through floors, affecting the structural integrity of your home (on top of the damage caused by the flames). Appliances may be ruined by flames too, spilling yet more water in your basement or kitchen.
Rain breaching damaged roof and walls
If a fire creates a hole in your roof or walls, rain may find its way into your home. This is especially problematic if you can’t return to the property for a number of days, as ongoing downpours will lead to significant damage in your absence.
Water damage after a fire may lead to the formation of mold or exacerbate existing growth, rendering your home even more dangerous for your children or family members with weakened immune systems. It can compromise the structure’s stability if left unaddressed over time too.
Working on Water Damage in your Home After a Fire
After a fire in your home, the restoration process can be long, arduous and upsetting. This is even worse if the property is old and already in a state of disrepair before the flames cause further damage.
But it’s critical that you start the clean-up and restoration as soon as you possibly can. Avoid doing it yourself, though, no matter how tempting that is: you could be in danger of injury or even make the damage worse than it already is. You need the right training and equipment to achieve the best, safest results.
You can rest assured every part of the restoration process is being undertaken by experts with access to cutting-edge tools and qualifications.