Strip-out & reinstatement after flood or fire damage
We remove what the water or fire has ruined, record everything that comes out, and put the property back once it is dry: one contact and one scope from the first visit to the final coat of paint, across Hertfordshire and Essex.
Nothing is rebuilt until the readings say the structure is dry. Rebuilding onto a wet wall or floor is the commonest reason a restoration job fails.
Assess what can be saved
Strip-out happens early, during the drying or cleaning stage, because wet or contaminated materials stop the structure behind them from drying and keep odours in the building.
Where it is unclear whether something can be saved – a solid-wood floor, a plaster cornice, a fitted wardrobe – we say so and test or monitor it before removing it. Stripping out more than necessary costs the claim; stripping out less leaves damp or smell behind.
For the claim file
- Photographs of every affected room before anything is removed
- Items flagged as uncertain, and how they will be tested
Strip out and record
Typical items:
- Saturated plasterboard and plaster, cut back to a straight line above the water mark.
- Chipboard, laminate and engineered flooring that has swollen; soaked underlay and carpet.
- Skirting, architrave and door linings in MDF or softwood that have swelled or delaminated.
- Kitchen base units and plinths that have stood in water – carcasses are usually chipboard and do not recover.
- Insulation in floors, walls and ceilings that has absorbed water or smoke.
- Charred timber, smoke-saturated plasterboard and fire-damaged fittings after a fire.
- Bathroom fittings, built-in furniture and fixed decoration where the water or fire reached them.
For the claim file
- Strip-out schedule listing what was removed, room by room, and why
- Photographs before and after removal
What we remove is bagged and taken away, and the schedule goes to you and, where there is a claim, to the loss adjuster, so the reinstatement scope is agreed against a record rather than from memory.
Dry before rebuilding
Nothing is reinstated until the readings say the structure is dry. See structural drying and moisture monitoring. Rebuilding onto a wet wall or floor is the commonest reason a restoration job fails, and it is avoidable.
After a fire, the property also has to be clean and odour-free before it is put back. See fire and smoke damage restoration.
For the claim file
Drying report confirming the structure is at its dry standard and ready for reinstatement.
Agree the scope
Reinstatement is usually the largest part of a flood or fire claim, and the part adjusters look at most closely. We work the way they expect:
- A written scope of works, itemised room by room, matched to the strip-out schedule and the drying report.
- Like-for-like reinstatement unless you and the insurer agree otherwise.
- If you want to upgrade – a different kitchen, better flooring – we price the difference separately so the claim stays clean.
- Variations recorded and agreed before they are done.
For the claim file
- Itemised scope of works
- Agreed variations, in writing
Insurers and loss adjusters: see how we work with insurers.
Reinstate
Once the building is dry, and clean and odour-free after a fire, the work is carried out to the agreed scope. Typically:
- Plastering and plasterboarding, including skimming to match existing finishes.
- Floors: screed repair, new decking, carpet, laminate, vinyl, tiles.
- Skirting, architrave, doors and linings.
- Kitchens and bathrooms where affected.
- Decoration: mist coat, finish coats, woodwork, matching existing colours where possible.
What the claim file holds by now
- Photographs at strip-out, at completion of drying and at completion of reinstatement
- The strip-out schedule and the drying report
- The scope of works and any agreed variations
Who we work for
Homeowners
Who want the property back as it was.
Landlords and managing agents
Who need the property back and ready to let.
Businesses
That need to reopen.
Insurers and loss adjusters
Who need a contractor who can take a claim from first attendance to handover. Instruct us.
Areas we cover for strip-out and reinstatement
Hertfordshire
St Albans, Watford, Hertford, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Bishop's Stortford, Hoddesdon and the rest of the county.
Flood and fire restoration in HertfordshireEssex
Chelmsford, Colchester, Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Brentwood, Loughton, Epping, Harlow and the rest of the county.
Flood and fire restoration in EssexQuestions people ask us
- Can I use my own builder for the reinstatement?
Yes, if your insurer agrees. We hand over the drying report and strip-out schedule so they know exactly what was removed and what is dry. Many customers prefer one contractor for the whole job because it removes the gap between “dried” and “rebuilt” that otherwise falls to them to manage.
- Will the insurer pay for a new kitchen?
Insurers reinstate like for like. If the units that stood in water are unrecoverable and matching units are no longer available, the claim may cover a replacement kitchen. If only base units are damaged and the range still exists, it may cover those. We document what was damaged so the adjuster can decide on evidence.
- How long does reinstatement take?
A single room after a leak: usually a week or two once dry. A whole ground floor after a flood, with a kitchen: several weeks. A structural fire: months. Drying time comes first, and the readings set it.
- Do you match the existing decoration?
We match as closely as reasonably possible. Where a room is partly affected, we normally redecorate the whole wall or the whole room so that the repair does not show; that is standard practice and insurers expect it.
- Who removes the stripped-out material?
We do, as part of the strip-out, and the strip-out schedule records what went.
Need it put back properly? Call now.
One contact and one scope from the first visit to the final coat of paint, with a record of everything removed and rebuilt.
For insurers and loss adjusters: instruct us. Email hertsandessexrestoration1@gmail.com.