Dangers of Smoke, Soot, and Heat

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Dangers of Smoke, Soot, and Heat
Most times, when people think of house fires,
they probably imagine an entire house engulfed
in flames or a pile of rubble where a home use
to be. These types of fires are typically called
large loss insurance claims or total losses. Not
every house fire results in a total loss,
though. Most house fires are smaller and usually
contained in one area of the home. That part of
the home can have extensive damage, whereas the
other side of the home may appear to be
undisturbed to the untrained eye.
Some might believe only the damaged rooms should
be repaired, while others may believe the
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entire home should be accounted for repairs.
Heres the truth, fire claims are not black and
white and leave some gray areas. This gray area
is where the insurance company gets by with only
paying the minimum on claims. There are three
aspects of a fire that cause damage in homes
that should be addressed and paid for on every
claim smoke, soot, and heat. This doesnt
mean that everything in accounted for replacemen
t,
the home will be and the insurance
company will write a check and walk away. Fire
claims are not that simple. What this really
means is that there is more to the claim than
just the destroyed parts. Smoke travels through
the home, searching for a place to escape,
leaving its smell behind. Soot follows and
sticks to anything it touches. The heat from the
fire reaches excessive temperatures and can
alter anything in its reach. These three
essentially determine the damage. Smoke, soot,
and heat can cause irreversible damage but can
also be cleaned depending on the extent of the
damage.