How Smoke and Soot Damages After the Fire Is Out

Cleaning Your Home After Fire

You will surely be anxious to restore and deodorize your New Smyrna Beach, FL home after fire has occurred to eliminate smoke and soot damage as quickly as possible. To make the most out of your efforts and to prevent further damage, you’ll want to contact your insurance agency and a licensed professional to get advice. These professionals can advise you on the correct restoration and replacement procedures to move forward with. First steps include determining which items can and cannot be refurbished. Then, you will want to set a plan of action in place for thoroughly cleaning and deodorizing your home.

Deodorizing Porous Items in Your Home

If items such as clothing, furniture, carpets, and drapes are not properly deodorized, odors can linger far after the cleaning process is finished. Counteractants are chemicals that work to break up smoke molecules and eliminate odors. Ozone treatments can also be used depending on the type of material you’re looking to restore. Most available household sprays and disinfectants only provide temporary relief. Some deodorizers can also interact with smoke odors, resulting in additional odors in your home. There are some methods available to clean clothing, furniture, and other fabrics damaged in a fire. Several launderings may be needed for clothing, insulation may need to be removed, and carpets should be cleaned at least twice or removed altogether. Sometimes a chemical sponge can be used to remove soot stains from walls.

Smoke Odors and Soot Stains

Smoke and soot damage can permeate walls and other porous surfaces, making its way throughout your home via your HVAC system’s ductwork. If it is not properly removed, these odors can come back time and time again, especially during warm and damp weather environment. A process called thermal fogging can be done to neutralize smoke odors deep in your home’s walls. Chemical sealers can also be used to remove odor from your ductwork, creating a clean environment after your home fire.

Often a professional company will be required to conduct these specialized fire remediation cleanings. Specific machines and chemicals produce a more lasting cleaning that what is normally available to homeowners. For more information on fire remediation, contact us online or call us for a consultation or schedule a visit from our professional remediation specialists.

Jerry Gentges