Dealing with Smoke Damage After a Fire

1/24/2022 (Permalink)

If you’re dealing with fire damage, it’s time to call the professionals at SERVPRO of Southwest Fort Worth. Several little-known facts are crucial to smoke damage restoration procedures. Put your health and property first by learning more about the recovery period.

Ventilation is the First Step

Immediately following a fire, focus on ventilation for the home. The professionals may not be on-site yet, but you can improve the situation right now. Open the doors and windows. Use any fans within the home to move air out of the structure. Our Technicians will bring in industrial fans for this purpose, but get the process started yourself.

Consider your health when it comes to ventilation too. Wear dust masks if you must be inside the home. Remove children, pets, and older residents from the premises. The particles in the air can be irritating to some people.

Odors Don’t Dissipate on Their Own

There’s a misconception about fire damage cleanup and ventilation. You might believe that fire odors will dissipate with enough fans blowing in the house. Soot and other fire byproducts are chemically based substances. Unless they’re physically removed, they’ll continue to react with the drywall, wood, and other materials.

Our smoke damage restoration professionals will clean, remove and service the structure as necessary. They’ll deodorize rooms with careful attention to humidity and corrosion issues. There shouldn’t be any remaining odors after a professional cleanup job. Subtle odors equate to dirty conditions that will only grow stronger over time.

Soot Moves into Every Crevice

Cleaning off the walls and ceilings is only the beginning of the fire damage cleanup process. Most people don’t realize that soot is an excellent article. It floats and lands on nearly every surface. If you have light fixtures near the damaged area, be sure to remove the bulbs and clean them. Soot finds its way into the threaded base. Hazards arise if you turn the fixture on without cleaning it first. Soot can be a fire hazard if it’s not cleaned away in its entirety.

Smoke Damage Restoration Applies to Electronics and Antiques

If soot can find its way into light fixtures, your electronics might fall prey to it too. Discuss fire damage cleanup about your televisions, audio receivers, and other devices. It may take time to restore these items, but it’s worth the effort when it’s done right.

Think about any antiques that you might have as well. SERVPRO of Southwest Fort Worth restoration experts can bring these items back to life. When an antique has either sentimental or monetary value, restoring it should be part of your recovery process.

Call us anytime at (817) 557-6895. We are available 24/7 for any size fire damage emergency. Our team is trained to work with your insurance to ensure a smooth claims process. We’re committed to making your fire-damaged home look “Like it never even happened.”