Fire & Flood Restoration in Eastbourne East Sussex

What restoration involves after fire or flood

Restoration after a fire or a flood runs in three stages. First making the building safe and secure and stopping any further damage. Second stripping out what cannot be saved and drying the structure thoroughly. Third rebuilding and finishing so the property is back in use.

The middle stage is the one people underestimate. A wall or a floor that still holds moisture will push damp through new plaster and lift new flooring, so drying has to be measured and finished before anything is rebuilt. Rushing it is why some restored properties develop problems within a year.

We work for homeowners, landlords, agents and businesses across East Sussex, and we are used to working with insurers and loss adjusters, including providing schedules of work, photographs and costings for a claim.

If it has just happened, ring us on 01323 671001 and we will make the building safe first and deal with the rest afterwards.

What the damage actually involves

After a fire, the heat damage is often the smaller part. Smoke travels everywhere and leaves acidic deposits that keep corroding metal and staining surfaces, the smell gets into plaster and timber, and water used to put the fire out soaks floors and ceilings below.

After a flood, the water is not the whole problem either. Contaminated water leaves silt and bacteria behind, plaster wicks moisture up walls well above the water line, insulation in floors and walls holds water for months, and timber and chipboard swell and lose strength.

In both cases electrics need testing before anything is switched back on, and gas appliances need checking, because water and heat damage to either is not always visible.

The other thing people do not expect is how long it all takes. Drying alone is usually weeks rather than days.

How we deal with it

We make the building safe and secure first: propping and making good where the structure is affected, boarding openings, isolating services and getting a roof or window watertight so no more water gets in.

Then we strip out what cannot be saved and dry the structure with equipment and monitoring, taking readings rather than guessing. We record moisture levels as they come down so there is evidence for you and for the insurer that the building was dry before rebuilding started.

Rebuilding uses the trades we already have: electrics and plumbing tested and certificated, replastering, joinery, kitchens and bathrooms, flooring and decoration.

One team through the whole process, and one person you can ring, which matters a great deal when you are already dealing with an insurer.

Making safe and securing

Emergency propping, boarding up, securing the property and temporary weatherproofing, so no more water gets in and the building is not left open.

Strip out and disposal

Removing damaged plaster, flooring, insulation, kitchens, bathrooms and joinery, with waste managed and the extent recorded and photographed for the claim.

Drying and monitoring

Dehumidification with recorded moisture readings until the structure is actually dry, rather than until it looks dry. The evidence goes to you and to the insurer.

Smoke and odour

Cleaning acidic deposits, sealing affected surfaces and dealing with smells held in plaster, timber and cavities, which usually means removing the worst affected materials rather than painting over them.

Services and structure

Testing, repairing and certificating electrics and plumbing through our electricians and plumbers, plus timber, joists, lintels and brickwork via our structural works.

Rebuild and insurance support

Replastering, joinery, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and decoration, with schedules of work, costings and photographic records for your claim.

What to do in the first 24 hours

What happens on the first day affects both the damage and the claim. This is the order that matters.

People first. Do not re enter until you are told it is safe. After a fire that means waiting for the fire service to say so.
Leave the electrics off. If anything has been wet or heat damaged, do not switch it back on until it has been tested.
Ring your insurer. Get a claim number and ask what they need. You are entitled to choose your own contractor rather than only the one they suggest.
Photograph everything. Before anything is moved, cleared or dried. This is the evidence the claim rests on, and it cannot be recreated later.
Do not throw anything away yet. Damaged items may need inspecting by a loss adjuster before disposal.
Get it made safe. Ring us on 01323 671001 and we will board up, prop, isolate services and get it watertight.

After that there is no rush on the rebuilding. Drying thoroughly comes first, and doing that well is what stops problems reappearing.

Flood risk and older buildings in East Sussex

Flooding here comes from more than rivers. Surface water after heavy rain, blocked or overwhelmed drainage, storm surge and driven rain on the coast, and burst pipes in cold snaps all produce the same call. Parts of Eastbourne, Pevensey, Hailsham and the low lying levels inland are more exposed to surface water than people expect.

In older solid walled buildings water travels further than people expect, because lime plaster and soft brick wick it upwards well above the level it reached. That is why we measure rather than assume. Cutting plaster back to a line where it looks dry leaves damp material in the wall and guarantees a problem later.

On period property we also replaster in lime rather than gypsum, so the wall can carry on releasing moisture afterwards, and we allow for the fact that lime takes longer to dry and cure than the insurer’s schedule usually assumes.

Where a property has flooded once and may again, it is worth talking about resilience while it is already stripped out. Moving sockets up, using more resistant floor build ups and fitting removable kitchen plinths cost very little at that stage and save a great deal next time.

Questions we get asked

What should I do first after a flood or a fire?

Make sure everyone is safe and do not re enter until you are told it is safe to do so. Do not switch electrics back on if they have been wet or heat damaged. Contact your insurer and start photographing everything before anything is moved or cleared, because that record matters for the claim. Then ring us on 01323 671001 and we will make the building safe and secure.

Do you work with insurance companies?

Yes. We regularly work on insurance funded restoration and we can provide a detailed schedule of works, itemised costings, moisture readings and photographic records for your insurer or loss adjuster. You are entitled to choose your own contractor rather than only using one the insurer suggests.

How long does a property take to dry out?

Longer than most people expect. Depending on the construction, how much water there was and the time of year, drying commonly takes several weeks and can take months for solid walls and floor slabs. We monitor with meters and record the readings, and we do not start replastering until the structure is actually dry, because rebuilding onto damp material causes the problem to return.

Can the smoke smell be removed after a fire?

In most cases yes, but it takes more than cleaning. Smoke deposits get into plaster, timber, insulation and cavities, so it usually means removing the worst affected materials, cleaning the rest, sealing surfaces and ventilating thoroughly. Painting over it without that work will not hold the smell back for long.

Will you deal with the whole job or just the building work?

The whole job: making safe, drying, rebuilding and finishing. That includes electrics and plumbing tested and certificated, replastering, joinery, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and decoration. Having one company through the process avoids the gaps that appear when drying, building and finishing are handled by different firms.

Can you make the property secure straight away?

Yes. Boarding up openings, propping where the structure needs it, temporary roof covering and securing doors and windows are all things we can do quickly to stop further damage and keep the building safe. Ring us and tell us what has happened.

Can the property be made more resistant to flooding next time?

Yes, and the moment to do it is while it is stripped out. Raising socket heights, using floor build ups and plasters that survive wetting, fitting removable kitchen plinths, and checking drainage and non return valves all cost very little at that stage. Insurers are sometimes willing to contribute where it reduces future claims.

Who pays if the flood came from a neighbouring flat?

That is between the insurers and it should not stop the drying and make safe work starting. Photograph everything, report it to your own insurer and to the managing agent if there is one, and let them establish liability while the building is being dried. Delaying the drying to settle an argument makes the damage considerably worse.

Where we work

We are based on Hyde Gardens in Eastbourne, so the town and the villages around it are home ground for us. We are out working here most days and we know the housing well, including the older seafront terraces, the Victorian and Edwardian houses in Upperton and Meads, and the newer estates and blocks of flats nearer the edge of town.

From Eastbourne we cover the whole of East Sussex. Along the coast that takes in Bexhill, Hastings, Seaford, Newhaven, Brighton, where salt air and driving rain are hard on any building. Inland we work regularly in Polegate, Hailsham, Pevensey, Willingdon, Lewes, Uckfield, Heathfield, Crowborough, Battle and the smaller villages between them, where period cottages and country properties often need a gentler approach and older materials matched carefully.

Being local matters for fire and flood restoration. We can get to you quickly to take a look, we know the buildings and the ground conditions, and we are never far away if you need us again. If your village is not on the list there is a good chance we still reach you, so give us a call on 01323 671001 and we will tell you either way.

Backed by recognised standards

We are Gas Safe registered and members of the Federation of Master Builders, NAPIT and the FSB. Those memberships mean our gas, electrical and building work is measured against recognised standards, and that an outside body has looked at how we work rather than us simply saying we are good at it. For a family business our reputation matters more than anything, and we have built it one customer at a time.

Fire & Flood Restoration