Processing Commercial Smoke Damage

1/4/2022 (Permalink)

Commercial Smoke Damage Remediation

A fire in your place of business in Friendly Hills, CA, can be a serious interruption even if the incident is comparatively minor. Learn how to manage your smoke damage claims and get assistance by reading the following tips.

1. Accreditation and Standards

The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates and maintains standards and guidelines related to how various professional restoration services operate. By voluntarily complying with IICRC codes, these companies facilitate communication with their customers and other specialists. When you use an IICRC-certified business to examine and repair your soot damage and other fire-related issues, you can be sure that their work will follow established procedures.

2. Insurance and Documentation

Another reason to use an IICRC-certified company is the effect on the claims and liability process. Your insurer may require that your company use a restorer in compliance with BSR-IICRC S740, which is the section of code that determines the professional restoration of fire and smoke damage in personal items. After you have taken inventory of everything affected and have contacted your insurance adjuster, the smoke cleaning process can begin according to these standards. These guidelines serve as a guarantee of the safety of the client and the efficiency of the methods used.

3. How to Begin

The restoration service will likely begin by moving sensitive damaged materials away from the building. Here, vacuum freeze drying and dehydration can restore documents, electronics, and other affected assets without unnecessary side effects. Most restoration services will seek to repair your business equipment instead of replacing it in order to save the client money. Note that many types of smoke-related fire damage are covered on many policies, such as damage resulting from a fire on an adjacent property.

By understanding the relationship between smoke damage and your company’s insurance policies, you can better manage potential incidents and keep downtime to a minimum.