Terms You May Hear After A Fire

9/22/2020 (Permalink)

Kitchen Fire

Call SERVPRO of Southern McHenry County for fire and water cleanup and restoration.

Industry Terms For Fire Damage

If you experience a fire, whether as a homeowner or in the commercial environment, you may hear many different terms you’re not familiar with. We’d like to familiarize you with some of the terms we use in the restoration industry, so that you can better understand what’s being said and what’s happening.

SERVPRO of Southern McHenry County thrives on transparency and open communication for the Property Owner to better understand the restoration process. We will always communicate with you throughout the process, so that you feel comfortable with each and every step.  

Fire Damage: This is a general term meaning that fire was the source of the loss.

IICRC Training and Certification: The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification. The (IICRC) certifies and sets the standards for the cleaning and restoration industries. SERVPRO of Southern McHenry County is an IICRC certified firm.

Stabilizing the Structure: This is typically done by the Fire Department after fighting the fire. We need to be sure the structure is safe for our technicians to begin the cleanup and remediation process.

Roof Tarping: The Fire Department will often vent the roof of a structure fire to help in their efforts to control and extinguish the blaze. To vent the roof they use an ax or saw to cut a hole in the roof. We use a thick, weatherproof tarp to cover any holes in the roof to minimize secondary damage from precipitation or animals.

Board-Up: We use strong plywood to cover any broken windows or doors that cannot be locked. This is done to preserve the structure and to keep the home safe from possible break-ins and exposure to the outside environment.  

Secondary Damage: This is the damage created by the corrosive nature of substances released by the heat and fire. Often the secondary damages can account for the majority of damage to a home or business.

Pre-Loss Condition: This means to return the property to its original state before the fire or water damage occurred. “Like it never even happened.”

Demo or Demolition: When material has experienced permanent damage and cannot be cleaned or restored, it is then removed and disposed of but ONLY with the owners permission.

Air Scrubber: A portable filtration system that removes particles, gases and /or chemicals from the air within a given space.

HEPA Filter: HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Absorber. An air cleansing machine.

Structural Damage: This is the damage that affects the core-integrity of your home or business. These areas consist of your roof, framing and load-bearing walls.

Contents: Imagine turning your house upside down and taking off the roof, anything that would fall out is considered contents. Furniture, clothing, and personal items.

Pack-out: When necessary our crews carefully remove all contents and move them to our warehouse where they are inventoried, cleaned and restored. This allows for better access to clean and restore the home and eliminates the possibility of secondary damage during the restoration process.