DIY Pest Control Gone Wrong: The Importance of Professional Fire Damage Restoration

There are some lessons to be learned from ridding a home of pests without enlisting the services of a qualified, experienced, and well-equipped professional. One of the lessons is that the homeowners who take simple pest control into their own hands may need to call on a fire damage restoration specialist.

Sometimes, all common sense disappears when it comes to removing unwanted pests from a home.People who do not like bugs and spiders sometimes react irrationally. For example, a California man went to great lengths to rid his bedroom of a large wolf spider. Chasing the creature with a torch lighter, the man ignited his mattress, closet, and eventually the room. The entire structure had to be evacuated, and the residents had to find temporary shelter while water and fire damages were repaired.

A house fire is no laughing matter. Fire departments around the US respond to almost one thousand residential fire calls each day, and property damage from house fires approaches nearly seven billion dollars annually. Unlike water damage which may be localized to a room, such as the laundry room when the washing machine supply line ruptures or the kitchen when the dishwasher springs a leak, fire damage can be more extensive. When a toilet overflow occurs in a bathroom on the first floor, the affected area is still generally limited to the bathroom. However, something as small and as brief as a grease fire on the stove or an appliance or heater fire can spread smoke and soot throughout the entire home.

The remedy for the fire damage and the smoke smell that permeates the whole house, including drawers and closets, may be to secure the services of a certified property damage specialist who has the proper equipment to remove the contaminated air, bring in fresh air very quickly, and deodorize the home, including the closets, crawl space, and attic. They can also repair any structural damage caused by the fire. The lesson learned from the disastrous DIY pest control situation above is that both pest control and fire damage require professional assistance.

Should the fire be on a larger scale, such as an electrical fire in the attic that requires the dispatch of a fleet of fire trucks and thousands of gallons of water to extinguish the blaze, the scenario looks much different. The property damage restoration project may require the gutting of the home and the evacuation of the occupants until the water and fire damage is repaired. If the home is considered to be salvageable, the fire damage restoration and reconstruction could span weeks or months.

Anyone who has been involved in a house fire knows the difference in the stress level between a toilet overflow and an electrical blaze, especially if the fire is at night with children involved. A toilet overflow elicits sighs of disgust and warnings to stay out of the bathroom. A house fire in the middle of the night brings shouts, pounding hearts, and sometimes fearful tears.

The takeaway from the wacky ways in which some people deal with insects is to be careful. When a situation arises that calls for specialized training, equipment, and a wide range of experience, contact the professionals who have the tools, time, and talent to resolve the issue quickly and safely, Avoid practices that may result in burning down the house or someone ending up in a burn center for treatment of first degree burns over some or all of the body. Do not let an attempt to save $75 on a pest control visit end up costing $75,000 in home repairs and medical bills.

Conclusion

The team of professionals at PuroClean Emergency Restoration Services of Sterling, VA, has almost a decade of experience in the damage restoration industry. They have completed thousands of jobs related to water damage, flood damage, fire damage, smoke damage, mold damage, and biohazard cleanup. To ensure that they always bring their customers the best the industry has to offer, they are always bringing onboard new training, technology, and techniques. Delivering well-trained technicians, top-notch equipment, the best tools, and products the damage restoration industry has to offer is a core principle. The goal is to custom fit the services to the customer’s needs. At PuroClean Emergency Restoration Services of Sterling, VA, the customers always come first. Expect a great experience along with the best prices in the industry.

For more information about how the property damage restoration process works, contact PuroClean Emergency Restoration Services of Sterling, VA, by phone at (703) 579-8912 or email [email protected].