Did you know that more than 346,000 house fires happen each year in the United States of America? It is no secret that house fires tend to lead to extensive fire damage throughout the home, and one of the most vulnerable places after a fire is the roof. Fire roof damage causes leaks that lead to water damage and they could make the structure unstable.
It is important that you know how to deal with fire damage to the roof after your home experiences a house fire. Learning how to fix roof damage is an important skill to have if you want to keep your family and guests safe any time they’re at your home.
The good news is that you’re in the perfect place to learn about types of roof damage and how to fix roof damage. Keep reading this article to learn more!
Conduct Inspection of Fire Damage
The first thing that you need to do in the event of fire damage to your roof is to conduct an inspection. Take a look at the outside of your roof as well as the inside to determine how significant and widespread the damage to your roof is. You should also ask a roofing expert or professional like those from hproofingpro.com you join you when looking at the fire damage.
They’ll help you look at the elements that are most important when looking at the significance of the damage caused. It is also your way of learning how long it will be until your family is safe to move back into the home after experiencing the house fire.
Make Your Property Secure
Odds are that you have an insurance policy on your home that will protect you in the event of a house fire. If you have a house insurance policy then you need to get in contact with your insurance provider. Your property and your possessions should get covered by the insurance company in the event of them getting damaged or lost during the fire.
One of the first questions that they’ll have is whether or not you made the home secure after the fire to prevent thieves and burglars from taking what they want. This means boarding up any damaged or missing windows and doors to keep unwanted visitors at bay.
Contact the Insurance Company
Now that your home is secure against would-be thieves and burglars, you’ll want to make that call to your house insurance agent to let them know about the fire damage. Your insurance agent should be happy to walk you through the steps of getting your home and your roof damage repaired.
If there is any water damage from a firehose or rain then they’ll help you take care of that as well. This is also the part of the process where you start listing all of the things that you lost in the house fire.
The insurance agent will start creating a list of all of the personal items and valuables that you lost in the house fire. Expect this process to take some time to complete, but it will help you understand what is covered by your policy.
Place a Temporary Tarp
If you already own a large tarp then you’re ready to go for this step. If not, head to Lowe’s or Home Depot and purchase a large tarp. You’ll use the tarp to cover the areas of your roof that have holes in them due to fire roof damage.
The tarp is important because it will help you prevent water damage to your home after the fire burns out. It will also keep animals out until you have a chance to learn how to fix roof damage.
Clean the Attic
If your home has an attic then odds are that it looks a bit disastrous after the fire damage to the roof. You should choose to leave the more dangerous aspects of fire cleanup to trained professionals but there are things that you can do to make their jobs easier to remove damaged items and scrub the walls ahead of their arrival.
You can also use a broom to sweep up the attic floor and make it safer for the cleanup crew to walk on. Make sure that you wear the proper safety apparel and equipment when taking these cleaning steps.
Replace Damaged Shingles
Odds are that your home uses shingles on the roof to manage rainfall and the elements. You’ll want to go through and locate any damaged shingles before taking measures to replace them. Some shingles are likely destroyed while others sustained damage and will not work as well as before.
Go With Steel Roofing
If your roof has some serious fire roof damage then you should consider swapping out the shingles for a steel roof. If most of your shingles were damaged during the fire then odds are that you’ll need a new roof anyway. A steel roof will last you a lifetime and stand up to Mother Nature much better than shingles.
Get a Roof Sprinkler
Once you’ve fixed the fire damage to the roof you should look at getting a roof sprinkler. Doing this won’t help you fix the immediate fire damage but it will go a long way toward preventing future fire damage at your home.
A roof sprinkler is a perfect remedy for preventing future fire damage. It will start spraying water onto our roof when it detects a fire in or around your home. It will keep your roof and your family safe from all types of roof damage and disasters.
Handle Your Home’s Fire Damage Today
It is always a traumatic and scary experience to find out that your home has fire damage from a house fire. Make sure that you contact our insurance company and secure your home before you start looking to learn how to fix roof damage. You should also look at replacing your roof if the damage is extensive, and install roof sprinklers to combat future fires.
For more helpful and informative articles like this one, make sure you check out our blog!
