What to Expect When Filing a Claim on Smoke Damage in Your Office

3/19/2022 (Permalink)

Fire damage to a building in Frenchtown, RI.

When Filing a Claim for Smoke Damage at Your Office, Here's What to Expect

When the building next door has a fire, your office in Frenchtown, RI, can experience smoke damage. Smoke isn’t just air with a charred smell to it. Ash, carbon dioxide, chemicals and carbon monoxide blend together in the smoke. The damage easily spreads beyond the fire itself. The good news is that your insurance covers damage from smoke even if the fire did not happen in your building. Here are some tips to make the claims process easier.

Covered Loss

Your insurance agent can walk you through the claims filing process. Your commercial property insurance usually covers fire. Depending on how your insurance policy is set up, the policy pays out based on the replacement cost or the actual cash value. Your insurance agent can give you further details on your specific policy and the coverages for the following damages:

• Smoke
  
• Soot
  
• Ash
  
  

Document Everything

To make the claims process easier on your business, carefully document everything. Anything damaged by the smoke from the neighboring building should be detailed. Note the time and date of the fire next door on the same paperwork. Even small amounts of soot and smoke damage should be noted. Those items may need replacement or repair.

Professional Cleaning

Inhaling smoke from a building fire is a health hazard. You do not know what chemicals were released during the fire and carried through the smoke into your building, not to mention that smoke can be difficult to remove from walls, technological devices and carpet. These items may need full replacement. An experienced commercial building restoration service can make this process smoother and faster.

Fires are destructive forces, whether started on purpose or due to an accident. The smoke damage to your business can be remedied through your insurance policy. Smoke cleaning with a professional company can eliminate the hassle to your business and make sure the building is safe to be inside.