At Paul Davis Restoration of Northeast Texas, we help homeowners recover from unexpected disasters like attic fires. These fires can happen quickly and cause significant damage to a home’s structure. One recent project we’re working on was caused by a lightning strike, leading to serious attic damage. Here’s a look behind the scenes at how we handle the cleanup and rebuilding process step by step.
First, after carefully removing damaged materials such as the roof and attic trusses, we haul them away. Since fire damage restoration creates a lot of waste, it’s important to use a special construction and demolition landfill. Unlike regular garbage dumps, these sites accept only construction debris, not household trash.
Getting to and from the dump site can be challenging. Especially after rain, the ground can turn muddy quickly, causing our heavy-duty trucks and trailers to get stuck. That’s why we rely on four-wheel-drive vehicles. Even then, it’s easy to slip and spin a bit—but experience helps our team navigate safely through muddy conditions.
Once at the dump, we open the trailer’s rear doors and raise the dump trailer bed. By raising it, we let gravity help empty out the damaged materials. Sometimes we need to carefully drive forward a little to make sure everything falls out properly. After emptying the trailer, we lower it, secure the doors, and get ready to leave.
Before leaving, we stop at special scales to weigh the truck and trailer. This helps us keep track of exactly how much debris we remove from each project. On our latest trip, we removed over two tons (4,320 pounds) of damaged materials from just one house. Tracking this weight is an important part of responsible restoration work and ensures we’re properly disposing of all debris.
Next, we return to the job site to start the reconstruction phase. For this specific house damaged by lightning, our team will install new roof trusses, roofing materials, and ensure the attic is completely repaired and protected. We focus on drying in the structure quickly to prevent further damage from weather or moisture.
Each step we take—from cleanup at the dump to careful reconstruction—is designed to restore your home quickly and safely. With our professional equipment, skilled team, and detailed approach, we help homeowners across Northeast Texas confidently recover from attic fires and other unexpected disasters.
