Smoke and Odor damage! The mess that fire leaves behind!

2/3/2020 (Permalink)

Smoke Damage!

Fire is not the only destructive force! Smoke and the Odor it leaves behind can be devastating.

When a fire occurs in your home, it's not always a total loss, but the mess that is left behind from the smoke and the putting out of the fire itself; can make it seem like a total loss! Smoke gets into every nook of your home and the odor that is left behind is foul and strong.

Smoke affects various materials in different ways. The temperature and type of the fire can cause different variations of smoke that will damage your home in different ways. Smoke is actually made of small particles of the fire itself. It is toxic and hot particles that damages the surfaces as it lands on it.

Not all fires are big fires, and not all smoke damage is caused by a direct fire. In fact, it's the fires that we don't think that much about, like smoke from a fire outside that sneaks into your home. This type of smoke damage can go unnoticed for a long time, all the while damaging the surface that it's on as well as leaving behind a lingering odor.

You may find yourself wanting to brave the mess yourself if you find yourself with smoke damage, BUT it's not always the safest for you to do on your own. If you have suffered a house fire, chances are that the conditions are unsafe. The structure may have falling pieces yet and the smoke damage combined with the water is extremely slippery.

Odds are that if a fire has occurred, there will be a need to secure the area and clean up the debris before a decision can be rendered on it's safety.

Thankfully, SERVPRO of Lebanon/Hanover/Littleton can help with this. We have the equipment and experience to secure
your home and get it ready for Restoration.

Every fire presents it's own set of circumstances and poses it's own set of problems, there is a general process that is followed.

• Emergency Contact (When you first call us).
• Inspection and Fire Damage Assessment.
• Immediate Board-Up and Roof Tarp Service (if needed)
• Water Removal and Drying (if water damage is present)
• Removal of Smoke and Soot from All Surfaces.
• Cleaning and Repair
• Restoration

Odor elimination is a big part of the Restoration process as well. SERVPRO technicians are IICRC certified in odor removal.

Some odor removal basics are as follows

• Remove the source of the odor. ie burnt wood and building materials safely
• Clean up begins and the deodorization begins. Smoke and soot residues can deposit on and even penetrate the various surfaces such as walls and ceilings. SERVPRO technicians clean
  different surfaces depending on the type of the surface and residue deposited on it.
• Sealing if needed. Generally, sealing is not needed. But if the damage is extensive and the removal of the source is to expensive or impractical; it is the recommended option.

If you believe that you have unchecked smoke damage or have lingering odors, give us a call today at 603-298-6942 and we'll gladly come tackle that for you!