Fire & Smoke Damage
Our fire and smoke damage recovery team will connect with you within 24 hours.
Fires can leave behind contaminants that can compromise the structural integrity of your property. ATI has over 30 years of experience ensuring that damaged properties are repaired to the highest safety standards, including structural cleaning and decontamination from hazards like soot, lead, or asbestos that are uncovered by fire damage.
Fires cause a reaction in materials like concrete, steel, and especially wood. While it may seem like a home is standing strong after a fire, these reactions can erode or compromise the frame over time. Structural cleaning and decontamination services prevent future damage and allow safe assessment of the building’s condition before repairs. Fires consume all the materials they encounter, but further damage continues to occur through soot residue and smoke after a fire is extinguished. This is one of the reasons that a thorough structural cleanup by a professional is so important.
Fire and smoke can cause structural damage in multiple ways. Many building materials will undergo deformation, collapse, and compaction due to fires. This strain on the building, plus any added weight from fire control measures, can break or fracture structural columns and beams.
Heat from a fire can also compromise a building’s strength by burning or melting different elements holding the building up, causing further deformation. Once a fire is out, the disaster recovery team conducts a thorough evaluation of the building to identify areas in need of structural restoration services and repair, and test other potentially damaged areas.
Water can erode and rust any metal in a building’s skeleton, and it is one of the most prominent fire suppressants. Following any significant water damage from putting out a fire, our disaster recovery team scans affected surfaces for hidden water and moisture that could reach any load-bearing materials (like steel) and cause erosion or rust. For these situations, the team uses various tools to water map the building and mark areas needing repair and waterproofing and sealant materials as needed. Water can also cause excess weight to a foundation. The team can test the building’s foundation for cracks or breaks and repair it accordingly.
Structural cleaning lets our team remove debris and stains from the building’s steel, concrete, or wooden frame, removing soot or burns that could damage the integrity of the building long-term. This cleaning also allows the team a better view of what may need repair.
Drafting a thorough business continuity plan prior to any disaster is key. Outside of a remote work plan, many building owners identify temporary office options in the event of structural disaster recovery. Ask us for our expert opinion on how you can minimize business interruption during this time
In the event of damaged doors and windows that leave your building vulnerable to thieves or vandalism, ATI will board up your doors and windows to prevent intruders from ransacking your building or causing further damage to it. We can also provide perimeter security and fencing to keep your building safe.
The number one benefit: keeping your building intact! Structural recovery or restoration ensures the functionality of your facility for the long term and prevents a building from collapsing.
The recovery process for structural repairs will depend on the type of building. After a disaster, ATI’s team will evaluate the damage and report any structural issues caused by the disaster, as well as any potential future threats. An engineer helps to evaluate your building and create the best repair solution, whether it’s concrete repair, steel repair, or any other type of material.
It is often assumed that a building with a damaged structure should be leveled and rebuilt. Structural recovery, or restoration, restores a structure using sections of a building and building materials that are salvageable from the damage. This process can save building owners a significant amount of time and money compared to a complete reconstruction. Reconstruction is where the damaged structure is removed and rebuilt.
