Wildfires are unfortunately becoming a more regular part of people’s lives. These fires have been sweeping through California and other places, leaving behind buildings and HVAC systems in desperate need of repairs, remediation and upgrades. If you have experienced a wildfire recently, then there are steps you will need to take to ensure your building is safe for occupancy again, and better prepared in case of future wildfires.
Today, let’s look at what you need to do to build back after your business or commercial building has been impacted by a wildfire. While your building may still be standing, there are likely issues that will need to be addressed to ensure that it can run properly again. There are also some steps you can take to keep your building better protected in the case of another wildfire in the future. Consider why smoke remediation services are integral to recovering after a fire and how you can help your HVAC system be better prepared for smoke damage in the future.
Start with Your Insurance Company
No matter your experience with a wildfire, whether it directly came onto your property or caused residual smoke damage, the first call that you must make is to your insurance company. They will need to be made aware of the situation so that they can properly assess the damage and discuss the compensation you are eligible for to build back afterwards. Without that initial insurance assessment, you will not have an idea of how much money you will have for smoke remediation and other important services. To best plan your future course of action, contact your insurance company right away.
Build Back with Smoke Remediation Services
Smoke remediation is a specialized service that deals directly with smoke damage in a building. In general, these services are targeted at HVAC systems, which is where the majority of the damage occurs.
Your HVAC system is the lungs of your building, pumping in clean air and pushing out dirty air to keep things fresh, safe and clean in your building. After a fire, even a wildfire that may have happened off your commercial property, the HVAC system will become dirty, potentially pumping smoke-laced air throughout your building. This can cause noticeable discomfort for any occupants and potentially cause health issues for certain people.
How to Help Your HVAC System after a Wildfire
Even with filters, your HVAC system can get clogged up with smoke, dirt and grime. This can happen even if your system isn’t directly impacted by a wildfire and can affect it long after the fire is gone. Smoke from these fires can travel for miles.
One of the most important aspects of any post-wildfire smoke remediation is having your HVAC system inspected by a professional. An expert can come in and assess your system, clean it out, replace filters and suggest upgrades for better filtration and ventilation that can help keep your air quality better now and into the future.
There are plenty of recommended upgrades that a professional can provide. New charcoal filters, for example, can help directly filter out smoke particulates from the system. Specialized negative air machines can be used to clean and ventilate specific areas that will need to be filtered differently from other spaces. These are just a few of the upgrades you can get when you connect with an HVAC professional after a wildfire.
Conclusion
If your business or commercial building has been impacted by wildfires, the very first thing you need to do is contact your insurance company. From there, you will need to contact smoke remediation experts to help you get your building back to normal. From there, they can help you fix and upgrade your HVAC system to better prepare you and your company for the future and ensure that it is safe for occupants today and tomorrow.
When looking for help with smoke remediation, make sure you are contacting experienced professionals who work in commercial remediation services. Only the professionals can properly clean your HVAC system and ensure that any dangerous particulates in the system are properly flushed out before people start using the space again. For the safety and comfort of you and the building occupants, experienced professionals are your safest bet.