Fire Damage Restoration
The goal of the fire damage restoration process is to lessen the ongoing damage to the structure. The preliminary deodorization and packing out of personal contents help reduce the impact of smoke odors and smoke residues. The equipment and deodorizing products needed for the initial smoke odor reduction are also used throughout the job to ensure no remaining odors are detected after job completion.
Understanding the effects of a fire can help homeowners evaluate the damage to their home. By learning more about fire residues and deodorization after a fire, you can minimize the need for costly restoration. Fire and smoke damage restoration experts can help you return your home and furnishings to “pre-loss” conditions. Professional restoration technicians know that damage increases and restoration costs escalate the longer neutralization, corrosion control, and cleaning are delayed.
Soot is oily and easily stains carpets, draperies and other household textiles. For this reason you must remove it before you attempt to clean or deodorize items. If possible, hire a professional restorer to remove soot with a heavy-duty vacuum. Soot residue and volatile vapors are carried and deposited by rising and expanding air to surfaces throughout a structure.
This process occurs repeatedly until combustion ends, with soot residue building up on surfaces layer by layer. By the time restoration technicians arrive, lacquer-like soot residue may be quite difficult to dissolve and remove.
Smoke Damage Restoration
Smoke and soot particles are the visual by-products of incomplete combustion. Combustion is the self-sustaining process of rapid oxidation. Three elements required for combustion (fire) are fuel, oxygen and heat. Fire is the result of this combustion reaction. The two terms fire and combustion are not the same, but sometimes are used interchangeably.
Removing smoke odor contamination is always the first step in permanent odor control. Next to establishing safe working conditions, prevention or reduction of smoke odor penetration should always be among the first orders of business when arriving to a fire damaged structure. Odors are likely to be pronounced when you first arrive.
In every fire, some surfaces will become deeply imbedded with soot and smoke odors while others will be less affected. The high temperatures generated by combustion create expansion of the air, forcing smoke-laden air deep into cracks, crevices and outside walls, glass and metallic fixtures. Metallic surfaces can become magnetized when heated. Smoke particles, which also carry electrical charges, are attracted to the screw heads and other metallic fasteners used to fix drywall and other materials to a stud wall.
Early deodorization following a fire and smoke damage situation yields enormous benefits to follow-up cleaning and odor removal procedures conducted later. Early deodorization provides a clear indicator of how effective the fire odor removal procedures are and if more drastic means will be necessary.