Scorchio Summer And Glasgow Fires
I am sure you will agree that we have longed for the kind of summer we have had so far this year in Scotland. However, for some, it has come at a cost. The number of fires we have dealt with so far this year, seems to be increasing by the week.
I am sure you will be aware of the large fire in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow recently which is still causing ongoing problems for residents and businesses in the local vicinity.
Glasgow Fire – June 2018
Some of the fires we have dealt with recently have ranged from pots being left on stoves, BBQ’s being left unattended on decking catching fire and spreading to neighbouring properties to tower block fires which has spread to the homes and closes within.
I thought I would give you a little insight into what we can do to help people who have suffered a fire at their property or who has suffered damage due to a fire in a neighbouring property.
Our experienced team of staff are always at the ready to help these people get their homes and businesses back to pre-fire condition. We have several fire restoration chemicals and expertise at our disposal to help us achieve this.
Some of our customers tell us that when they had the fire at their property, they couldn’t see it ever being back to normal. The smell of the smoke, the soot deposit on all the surfaces, through all the clothes in the wardrobes and items inside cupboards seemed so bad that they believed they would never restore. They are amazed when they see the results our dedicated teams achieve.
Bathroom before and after restoration
When our technician arrives at the property, the first thing they do is assess the damage, takes pictures and prepares a report of their findings. They will then make recommendations on how best they feels the building and contents can be restored to pre-fire condition. This visit normally takes around an hour.
As we use the latest technology, this report gets sent electronically to our administrators who then pass it onto the customer, insurance company or whoever requires this.
Once our recommendations have been approved, we will schedule an appointment with the customer for our team to arrive and start work as soon as possible. We will deploy a team of staff to the property to ensure that works are completed as quickly as possible
Our experienced Technicians will always assess items in the fire damaged property for possible restoration in the first instance and will attempt a test clean to see if they can be restored instead of being replaced. This way customers can retain as many personal effects as possible.
We have our own in-house laundry where our very own Caroline and Mary launder, press and restore all affected laundry they believe will respond to cleaning in preparation for its return to its rightful owners. All laundered items are wrapped and covered for protection, just like you would expect from collecting your clothing from the dry cleaners. Sometimes we store the laundry until the customer gets back home and other times we return it immediately as the customer often has no other clothing at their disposal due to the fact that fires don’t give people a chance to remove contents.
Before all items beyond repair are disposed of by our technicians, they are listed on our inventory forms, a copy of which is provided to the customer. This allows the customer to place a monetary value on the items lost in order that they can reclaim this from their insurer. The remaining restorable items will either be taken away to be cleaned in our premises before storing or cleaned on-site, dependant on the extent of the fire damage.
The walls, ceilings, windows and all other surfaces are then cleaned with our special fire restoration chemicals and equipment. This then prepares the walls etc for redecoration if required. You will see from the pictures above that the results speak for themselves.
The other issue our customers often face after suffering a fire at their property is water damage. This is unavoidable as the fire service need to use water to extinguish the fire. The water also causes damage to buildings and contents, but again our experienced staff can act quickly and minimise the damage where possible.
The Technician will take readings from any affected areas and determine if drying equipment is required. If it is required, this will be installed straight away as this then stabilises the property during other restoration work.
If the water damage is not treated properly before redecoration works etc, it can cause mould to build up which can come back through the affected areas even after redecoration.
Water Damage Readings
So, once all the damaged contents have been listed, disposed of or taken away to be cleaned. The reinstatement works can commence. Once they have all been completed and the property is ready for the customer to return, we can also complete a final clean of the property before the contents are returned. This allows the customer to focus on getting back to normal without the added pressure of cleaning up.
I hope the above has given you an insight into the services we offer our customers.