Smoke damage can ruin surfaces, regardless of its source and extent. Smoke is inherently acidic due to containing sulfur, nitrogen, and other harmful compounds seeping from fire. Interestingly, the kitchen is the most vulnerable spot in the house in the event of fire and smoke damage. There is a reason also – studies show that most residential fires in New York occur due to unattended cooking. Consequently, kitchen floors, ceilings, doors, utensils, appliances, and furniture remain at a high risk of damage. Since cabinets often lead to higher renovation and replacement costs, most homeowners worry about their budget.
Zicklin Contracting’s smoke damage restoration services can help determine the health of your cabinets and a suitable rebuilding solution for them. Typically, the choice hinges between replacement and repair. If you want to renovate your kitchen after a fire, you can also opt for customized cabinets for a more stylish look. Nevertheless, let’s navigate the process of inspecting the condition of your kitchen cabinets.
Initial inspection steps
Once the firefighters leave, declaring your kitchen safe to enter, you can inform your insurance company about the incident. They will need evidence. While minor fires are less dangerous, you must carefully enter the space. Or, call our restoration damage experts for inspection. Our team has all the protective equipment and tools to handle smoke and soot damage in the burned kitchen. If you go there before us, consider opening windows and doors for ventilation. Let the smoke go out. Keep other rooms closed if they are safe from fire. Everything deserves an examination, from exposed edible items to furniture. Since there will be water in the room due to extinguishing efforts, we will first dry the room with fans, mops, and dehumidifiers.
Surface damage investigation
After drying and ventilating the kitchen, we will evaluate the condition of the cabinets and other surfaces. If we notice soot, we will wipe everything and salvage anything that looks good. Our professional cleaning agents will be used to clean cabinets, shelves, walls, and others. After this, the entire area will be vacuum-cleaned and mopped. Deodorization will also follow to curb the spread of smoke smell.
