A fire is a devastating situation for anyone who has to endure it, and cleaning up afterwards is just as emotional. You have to sift through debris in order to salvage memories and belongings. Clean up needs to be done right away, so it’s important to decide if you’re going to hire a fire restoration company or go it alone. The best option is hiring a professional.

It’s important to understand why clean up after a fire needs to be done quickly, and why it needs to be done correctly.

Below are a few of the main reasons you can’t ignore fire damage and why you shouldn’t do it yourself:

1. Fire causes other types of damage besides burning. Smoke damage is also a factor when it’s time to repair the damage caused by a fire. Smoke residue gets in your walls, carpet, furniture, and other belongings, as well. It is not safe to live in a home that has smoke damage. There could be residual ash that embeds itself everywhere and breathing it in is toxic.

2. Smoke and fire damage is more than just “washing”. Smoke remains in hard surfaces like the floors and walls and can stay there for years if not cleaned properly and removed quickly.

A professional fire restoration company will have specialized equipment that will completely remove smoke damage from your home. Trying to do this yourself is nearly impossible as most people don’t have access to this type of equipment. It’s crucial to hire someone with experience and knowledge of how to properly and quickly remove all traces of smoke and fire damage from your home.

3. The soot left behind is damaging to your health. Soot can spread to many areas in your home and the clean up process involves special equipment. This equipment will remove the ash and the smell associated with it. Once again, most people don’t have access to this special equipment, so hiring a professional is highly recommended. If the ash is not cleaned up right away, you will end up having to replace anything that was not cleaned and that is another expense that your insurance company will not cover.

4. Structural damage is difficult to repair. In order to avoid further damage to your home, the work has to be done right away and done right. Professional fire restoration specialists are certified, trained, experienced, and knowledgeable on how to repair structural damage. Attempting to tackle this task on your own can cost thousands of dollars and much of your time as you will have to take the time to learn how to do the job properly. In the long run, hiring a professional to start with is much less expensive.

It should be clear now why cleaning up after a fire must be done quickly and correctly. A professional has the tools and the knowledge to do the job right. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should do it yourself, don’t take too long to decide. Time is of the essence in this situation.