Tips for smoke damage and restoration

12/5/2014 (Permalink)

This soot stain was from the home owner attempting to clean smoke damage without professional help.

Smoke and fire damage can be sever to physical property. A small fire can create volumes of smoke damage within a structure and depending on what is burned in the fire, poisonous gases can be released within the smoke and air flow of the structure. Kitchen fires are one of the most common types of fires and although they often leave smoke behind, they sometimes leave unseen damage to the untrained eye. Here are a few things to remember when it comes to smoke damage and restoration:

1.  You  may be anxious to clean your home after a fire, BUT FIRST you should contact your insurance agency and SERVPRO of Carbondale/Clars Summit/Old Forge so that we can effectively assess the damage. We can begin the process of helping you to restore your property correctly.
2. Make sure that you have permission from the fire marshal before reentering your home. You want to make sure that it is safe before you go in. If you must enter the structure, please remember to wear a protective device over your mouth and nose to prevent inhaling any toxins left by the fire. If your haven’t had a professional fire restoration company in your home to clean the toxins, you don’t know what kind of air you’re walking into.
3. Don’t attempt to clean any household textiles, carpets, upholstered furniture or draperies because you will likely cause additional and possibly irreparable damage. Smoke is oily and requires cleaning in a very specific way. We do not recommend try to do this yourself.
4. If you have an operating filter and are able to get into the house, remember to change the furnace filter at least once a day until the filter shows no soot.
5. Smoke odor can remain in clothing, furniture, carpets and draperies after any retail spray or perfume evaporates unless it is properly deodorized by a highly-effective ozone treatment. Without an ozone treatment you will not be able to get smoke odor out of clothing, furniture, carpets, draperies and often other prized possessions.
6. Smoke will enter and remain in and between the walls of the living space. If it is not properly removed, the smoke odor will reoccur, particularly during damp periods.
7. To prevent additional soiling, cover clean items with plastic while further repairs are being carried out in the dwelling.
8. Carpets should be cleaned by a professional carpet cleaner (ahem). Sometimes the carpet will need to be cleaned twice or completely replaced.
9. Do not attempt to wipe down the walls. Professionals can use specific “chemical sponges” that effectively clean smoke and soot from different surfaces, saving money and mitigating further damage.
10. Call SERVPRO of Carbondale/Clarks Summit/Old Forge, Northeastern Pennsylvania's leader in smoke and fire cleanup and restoration. Proudly serving the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre areas.