Before

After

Attic Fire Damage in Knoxville Homes

When this family home in Knoxville suffered a wire shortage in the attic space, the delay in physical signs allowed the damage to spread through this upper level of the house rapidly. Being an unfinished crawlspace, the drywall, insulation, and fixtures installed for the ceiling system in the living space below were all thoroughly impacted by wet smoke effects and combustion. These conditions make comfortable living a challenge, and that is why our SERVPRO professionals have efficient cleaning and repair strategies to help.

Controlled Demolition and Damage Assessment

In the Before Photo, the damage was absolute to the ceiling systems, leading to our SERVPRO team stripping out construction elements down to supports and studs. Structure fires with wet smoke damage often lead to overwhelming soil damages from a slowly smoldering blaze. Resolving these conditions would require several layers of repair, fire restoration, and reconstruction. In addition to the damage that the family could see during our job scoping inspection, newly formed vulnerabilities to the roof system required rebuilding.

Even insulation unimpacted by direct fire damage must often get removed to inspect for further damage to underlying materials. The Before Photo shows SERVPRO Fire & Smoke Restoration Technicians (FSRT) partially removing these bulk materials to expose joists and plywood for the roof to reinstall vapor barriers damaged by the heat. With severe storms common to Knoxville, these added precautionary measures prevent water and mold damage in these unfinished attic crawl spaces.

Replacing damaged building materials like ceiling drywall began after roof repairs occurred. We sealed up any vulnerabilities in the plywood and underlayment materials to reinstall the insulation. The replacement of insulating materials saves you money on heating/cooling costs during the various seasons in Knoxville. With these elements reinstalled, drywall can be hung, taped, and sealed.

Rebuilding Fire Damaged Knoxville Homes

Drywall work and the spackling finish on the ceiling you see in the After Photo was completed with our general contractor license and competent professionals. High-vaulted ceilings depicted in the After image can be common in single-story Knoxville homes, so our SERVPRO team has access to equipment like scissor lifts, ladders with picks, and scaffolding to bring the workspace to a height where mistakes are not made, and the quality never suffers.

The metal casings surrounding the drop light bases protected these fixtures from requiring removal. As you can see in the After Photo, they are installed back to their original look and functionality. The register between these lights was reconnected to the ductwork, despite being a conduit for the spread of soot and smoke particles when the fire was still getting extinguished. We utilized our certifications in HVAC cleaning to clear debris and soils from the ducts and vents.

All in all, the family was happy with getting to return to their home and seeing it as they remembered, without the charred building materials and the smoke odors. Our Knoxville SERVPRO professionals worked to restore and repair this fire-damaged home “Like it never even happened.”