Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration in Des Moines

Why smoke damage spreads to rooms the fire never touched

Smoke travels on air currents and settles on cooler surfaces, so soot can coat closets, other rooms and ductwork far from the fire. The photos on this site are from our own fire jobs.

• Soot drips and staining on walls and around windows
• Smoke odor in carpet, insulation and upholstered furniture
• Residue inside HVAC ducts and returns
• Corrosion on metal fixtures and electronics
• Water damage from firefighting in floors, walls and the basement below

Common causes of fires in Des Moines-area homes

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking and home heating equipment are among the leading causes of home fires nationally. In Central Iowa, the heating season makes a few of these more common. These are general, not a statement about any one property.

• Kitchen fires

  Grease and stovetop fires often leave heavy soot on cabinets and ceilings even when the fire stays small.

• Space heaters and furnaces

  Heating equipment runs hard through Iowa winters. Puff-backs and heater fires can coat a whole floor with soot.

• Fireplaces and chimneys

  Wood-burning season brings chimney and fireplace smoke damage.

• Dryer vents and electrical

  Lint-clogged vents and electrical faults can start fires in laundry rooms, walls and attics.

• Garage and detached-building fires

  Smoke can travel into the attached house through shared walls and attic space.

• Commercial kitchens and buildings

  Restaurants, churches, schools and offices. See hotels and restaurants and commercial.

Fire damage and your insurance claim

Fire is a covered peril in most homeowners policies, but what your policy pays for depends on your coverage. Only your policy and your adjuster can answer that. Here is how the claim usually goes.

1. 1

   Make the area safe and stop the source

   Shut off the water or wait for the fire department to release the building. Call 911 first for any fire, gas smell or electrical danger.

2. 2

   Call your insurance company

   Opening the claim early lets you ask what your carrier needs from you. Only your policy and adjuster can say what is covered.

3. 3

   Call Elite for a free inspection

   Our phone is answered 24/7. We look at what got wet or smoke-damaged and explain what it needs before any work is authorized.

4. 4

   Document as we go

   Photos, moisture readings and a written scope are kept for the job, which is the record your adjuster reviews.

5. 5

   Pick your repair contractor

   Once mitigation is done, the file goes to the contractor you choose.

More detail: insurance claims and claim documentation.

You choose who does your repairs

Elite handles the emergency side: stopping further damage, drying and cleaning, and documenting the job. When it is time to rebuild, the choice of contractor is yours. Our photos, moisture logs and scope go to whichever contractor you pick, so nobody has to start from scratch.

• You are never required to use any particular repair contractor
• Your documentation goes with you: photos, moisture logs and a written scope
• Work is billed only if you approve it in a signed work authorization
• We're not a public adjuster, so we don't negotiate or settle claims

Fire and smoke restoration across the Des Moines metro

From older homes in neighborhoods like Sherman Hill to newer homes in the suburbs, we serve the whole metro from our office at 751 NE 46th Ave in Des Moines.

• Des Moines
• West Des Moines
• Ankeny
• Urbandale
• Johnston
• Waukee
• Clive
• Grimes
• Altoona
• Pleasant Hill
• Norwalk
• Carlisle
• Indianola
• Winterset
• All areas