By: Rae Stapleton
A house fire can begin in one area of a home, but the damage rarely ends there.
For one Durham Region homeowner, a slow cooker fire resulted in a significant residential loss that required extensive fire restoration, structural repairs and ultimately, full interior reconstruction.
What began in the kitchen affected much more than the original source area. Smoke, soot, heat, water and the demolition required to properly restore the property extended the scope of work into connected areas of the home.
For the DKI-CRCS team, the project became a complete large-loss restoration, taking the home from significant fire damage through to a fully rebuilt interior.
Assessing the Full Extent of the Fire Damage
Following a residential fire, some of the damage is immediately visible. Other impacts can extend well beyond the area where the fire originated.
Smoke and soot can travel throughout connected spaces, while water used during firefighting efforts can introduce additional damage. Building materials may also need to be removed to properly access affected areas and determine the extent of structural damage.
At this Durham Region property, the restoration required extensive demolition, with areas of the home taken back to the framing so damaged materials could be addressed and the structure properly prepared for reconstruction.
Charred framing was replaced where required, followed by new insulation, drywall and interior finishes.
More Than Fire and Smoke Restoration
Large-loss fire restoration involves much more than repairing what was directly burned.
The DKI-CRCS team managed the restoration process from the initial damaged state through structural repair and reconstruction. The scope included fire damage restoration, smoke and soot remediation, structural drying, structural repairs and full interior reconstruction.
Throughout the project, documentation and photographs were used to record progress, while the project team coordinated the various stages of the restoration and worked alongside the homeowner and insurance professionals involved in the claim.
Having one restoration team manage the process from damage assessment through reconstruction helps keep the many moving pieces of a large residential loss connected.
Rebuilding the Main Floor
The effects of the fire extended beyond the kitchen into the home’s connected main-floor living spaces.
Restoring these areas wasn’t simply a matter of replacing damaged finishes. Walls, flooring and other building materials affected by the loss and subsequent restoration work had to be addressed before the interior could be rebuilt.
As reconstruction progressed, the main floor was transformed into a bright, cohesive living space with new flooring, drywall, finishes and a completely rebuilt kitchen.
The before-and-after images from this project show just how extensive that transformation was.
An Opportunity to Make the Home Work Better
Restoration is about returning a damaged property to a home again, but a major rebuild can also create an opportunity to rethink how a space functions.
During this project, the kitchen layout and surrounding space were redesigned rather than simply recreating the previous configuration exactly as it had been.
The result was a refreshed main floor with improved flow and a kitchen designed around how the homeowners wanted to use their space moving forward.
It’s one of the unique aspects of full reconstruction following a major property loss: while no homeowner would choose the circumstances that make a rebuild necessary, the reconstruction process can provide an opportunity to make thoughtful changes along the way.
Managing a Large-Loss Restoration From Start to Finish
Major residential fire losses can involve emergency mitigation, demolition, drying, structural work, multiple trades, reconstruction and ongoing coordination with the insurance professionals involved in the claim.
For homeowners, that can feel like an enormous amount to navigate at an already difficult time.
DKI-CRCS manages the restoration process from the initial emergency response through reconstruction, with a dedicated project manager overseeing the work, documenting progress and coordinating the different stages of the project.
Our goal is to take care of the restoration so homeowners don’t have to become restoration experts themselves.
Fire Restoration in Durham Region & Peterborough
DKI-CRCS provides 24/7 emergency property restoration services throughout Durham Region and Peterborough for residential and commercial losses involving fire, smoke, water, storms, mould and other property damage.
As a preferred restoration vendor for many insurance carriers, DKI-CRCS regularly works with insurance professionals throughout the claims and restoration process. Homeowners can also request DKI-CRCS directly when reporting a property loss.
For emergency service, call 1-800-563-3477, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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