Q. The house didn't burn to the ground but what was left standing is smoke and water damaged. The fire came through the roof. Can the insurance company force you to "repair" the home (rebuild using existing foundation, joists, etc) or do you have the choice to start over from scratch if the damage has reached a certain point?

A. Many times the amount of the settlement is really negotiable in terms of the question of what is to be replaced and what is to be repaired. You may do well to hire a professional to help you assess what needs to be done and help argue your case with the adjustor. In the end you usually end up with a check for so much and it is up to you to do what you want in terms of repair or replace.

Q. I am grateful for your responses. I am worried about the resale of our house...

A. It will depend on the extent of the fire's original damage and what was done to fix it. Often times the framing of the building can be weakened by the fire or even the water from the fire dept. can cause extensive structural damages. The kilz primer is used to cover the smoke stains and smell. But it should not be used to hide damage. If there was an insurance claim, then it must be explained to the buyer.

Q. Had a house fire, hired a restoration company to clean and repair fire, smoke and water damage. Who is supposed to the the buliding permits?

A. The permits are the responsibility of the contractor. They have to be licensed to do the work and they are responsible for furnishing the details of the work as well as doing the work to code. Period

Q. My sister painted me an abstract painting using acryllic paint on canvas. It was involved in a fire almost three years ago, and I am looking to have it repaired. The only damage to it is smoke damage. I can barley see the painting below the soot that is now covering it. I took it to a restoration gallery and they are asking close to a thousand dollars to repair it, and I want to know if there is a cheaper method I could try at home.

A. Interesting question. NASA has actually created a document on this http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov/reports/1998/TM-1998-208506.pdf I think you may be stuck with the professional. Household cleaners may ruin the painting. Good Luck

Q. We cleaned the vent and trap but i pluged it up it makes a humming sound. did the fire inside damage the motor?

(No Chosen Answer)

Q. The house that we rent out had a fire. I've already informed the insurance company, there's an adjuster coming out, and the tenants are staying somewhere else. If anyone else has been in this situation, I'm wondering if there's any helpful advice for us. Should we drive 10 hours to check things out? If so, when? How many repair/restoration estimates should I try to get aside from the one my insurance uses? I'd planned on doing other work to the home. Can I have a contractor do that work at the same time and split the billing appropriately, or will that screw up the insurance and tax stuff? Please provide any additional ideas. We've never had a big insurance claim and I don't want to overlook stuff. We had previously planned on having the tenants out by April, doing some renovations, and putting it up for sale. I don't know how much this will change things. One bedroom is destroyed and there's a lot of smoke damage throughout the upstairs.

A. When the work is completed make sure you have a mold inspector come out and do a test to clear the house before you sell it. The water damage following the fire can cause a liability for you and you want to make sure that the insurance company is covering it before they close your claim out. Also take lots of before and after photos for the prospective buyers. When you tell them about the previous fire damage it will make it easier to show them where the damage was and how it was fixed. Get LOTS of estimates. Each contractor will also help you think of issues you may not have considered. This is an ideal time to remodel - the insurance company will work with you. Just make sure this will not interfere with your rental loss benefit (if you have it).

Q. I am about to get house insurance for my home. I know some companies will cover for fire etc..but not for the smoke or water damage due to the fire. Are there any other loopholes I should look out for?

A. The first answerer apple has gotten it pretty much right as far as i know it. every policy is different. i've asked for australian questions only so i'm going to assume you are in australia. if you are buying home insurance and in australia, there is usually two types. 1) listed events cover. ie the policy specifies exactly what you ARE covered for and everything else is excluded. 2) accidental cover. the policy covers everything EXCEPT what is listed in the exclusions. the second type of policy i've listed is usually dearer for the simple fact that your cover is not restricted to certain events. also check your excess/deducitble. most policies will cover fire to your home and smoke damages from THAT fire, but will not cover smoke damage only which comes from another source (ie your next door neighbours house burnt down - yours is fine, except smoke damaged). i've never heard of water damage caused by a fire brigade putting out a fire out your house being excluded. the fire dept would be there to prevent the fire spreading and further loss occurring - so their presence would be beneficial to the insurer. are you sure that's correct?

A. What- you had a loss and there not coming out of the woodwork- ha ha, Former Fire and Water damage GC- Dallas area. Look in the phone book under Fire and Water Damage Restoration- you will not find a list like this- but Insurance Adjuster will know most of them. They are General Contractors who specilize in Fire and Water. Also there are companies who only do Content cleanup, like ServePro. They do Water clean up. And Furniture cleaning.