How To Take Care of Smoke Damage in Your Building

4/13/2022 (Permalink)

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A commercial fire in San Diego, CA is an unfortunate situation for any business owner to deal with, even if it isn’t your business. Another part of the building that is not insured under your policy, for example, can still cause severe smoke damage in your area. Some business owners assume this isn’t a covered loss, when, in reality, the majority of commercial fire policies often cover similar losses. If you happen to find yourself in a situation where you have smoke damage from a fire you didn’t cause, here are a few pointers to make sure the damage gets taken care of.

Contact Your Insurance Company

The first thing you should do if you aren’t sure about what your insurance policy covers is to contact your insurer. Scanning your policy can be frustrating, especially when trying to navigate complex insurance jargon. Ask your agent or broker what your policy coverage entails, specifically regarding smoke damage. With a better understanding of your insurance policy, you will have a firmer handle on how to move forward and on what is covered, for future reference. Your insurance company may also refer you to licensed disaster restoration professionals who can treat the affected area of your building.

Choose a Reputable Restoration Company

Disaster restoration companies are a dime a dozen, and it’s important to make sure you’re choosing one with a good reputation and ethical standards. As mentioned before, your insurance company may refer one to you, but most insurers will not require you to use their recommendation.

Let the Professionals Handle It

One of the biggest mistakes you could make with smoke cleaning is to do it yourself. Without a professional background in restoration, you could end up doing more harm than good. A licensed restoration professional will assess the affected area for soot damage with state-of-the-art, high-tech equipment that will help them to determine which areas and items are salvageable and which need to be completely replaced.