Dealing with the aftermath of a home fire can be an incredibly difficult and stressful time. Once the flames are out, smoke, soot and ash can leave behind extensive and devastating damage. Homeowners may live with lingering odors, residue on surfaces, destruction of personal belongings, and even structural damage after a fire. Most of the time, it is futile to try to restore smoke on your own and can even make matters worse if done incorrectly.
This article delves into what a qualified smoke damage restoration company does from start to finish when restoring a home damaged by fire. Homeowners can gain confidence that the health risks and destruction caused by smoke will be remediated by the detailed, meticulous methods used by restoration experts.
Initial Assessment and Inspection
A thorough initial inspection and assessment is the first step in any smoke damage restoration project. The restoration technicians go through a exhaustive walkthrough of the whole home, noting which areas were affected by the smoke and how much damage was caused by the smoke and smoke damage.
Comprehensive Scope of Damage
It’s not just about seeing signs of smoke damage like soot marks and residue — it checks out the unseen effects and distribution of smoke particles throughout the home. HVAC systems are easy for smoke to spread through and permeate soft furnishings, walls, and belongings. This means that a full scope of areas and materials affected needs to be identified in the first place.
Categorizing Damage
There are different types of smoke damage that can occur. For example, wet smoke from a smoldering fire is sticky and adheres heavily to surfaces, while dry smoke from a fast-burning fire can leave a lighter, wipeable film of soot. The inspection identifies the type(s) of smoke damage present so the appropriate restoration methods can be applied.
Assessing Structural Integrity and Safety
An important component of the inspection is checking for any impacts to the structural integrity or safety of the home. Technicians look for damage caused by flames, heat, or smoke such as scorched and unstable structural members, cracked walls or foundations, and areas at risk of collapse. Identifying these urgent structural issues ensures the home can be safely accessed for restoration work.
Inventory of Belongings and Furnishings
The team also surveys furnishings, clothing, artwork, and other personal belongings evaluating damage and restorability. Severely damaged items may need to be claimed through insurance. An inventory helps document this for the homeowner's records.
The in-depth inspection provides critical information to develop a tailored smoke restoration plan addressing the specific type and extent of damage unique to the property. It is far more thorough than a homeowner is likely to conduct on their own.
Ventilation and Safety Precautions
Before any cleaning or restoration can begin, ensuring the safety of the indoor environment is paramount. Smoke contains many toxins, particulates, and other dangerous substances that can negatively impact air quality and health if still present in high concentrations after a fire. Restoration technicians first focus on ventilating the home and establishing safe working conditions.
Air Filtration and Scrubbing
Specialized HEPA air filtration and scrubbing devices are installed throughout the affected areas of the home. Large capacity air scrubbers actively filter all the air, trapping smoke odors and particles and rapidly improving air quality. Negative air pressure containment also ensures contaminated air does not spread to unaffected areas during the process.
Drying Equipment
If water was used to extinguish the fire, high-powered dehumidifiers and air movers are brought in to dry out any remaining moisture. This prevents further damage and inhibits mold growth. Drying can take 1-3 days depending on the extent of water damage.
Ongoing Air Monitoring
Throughout the project, the team continuously monitors air quality using sensitive equipment to ensure safety standards are maintained as restoration work is performed.
Effective ventilation and air filtration protects the health of both the restoration technicians and the homeowners throughout the intensive cleaning process.
Soot and Smoke Residue Removal
Once the property has been thoroughly ventilated, the meticulous process begins of removing smoke residue, soot, and ash from all affected surfaces. This is done using specialized techniques and commercial-grade cleaning agents designed specifically for smoke restoration.
Soft Surface Cleaning
Carpets, rugs, drapes, upholstered furniture and other soft furnishings are cleaned using professional techniques based on the material, such as steam cleaning, pressure washing, or chemical dry-cleaning agents. This removes odors that become trapped deep in fabrics.
Hard Surface Cleaning
Hard surfaces like walls, floors, ceilings, tile, and woodwork are carefully cleaned using cleaning solutions that break down and dissolve smoke film and soot without damaging the underlying material. Repeated cleanings are often needed to fully lift residue.
HVAC and Ductwork Cleaning
Smoke particles easily spread through heating and cooling systems, so technicians thoroughly clean ductwork using industrial vacuums, brushes, and air scrubbers. Air filters are replaced with the highest MERV rated filters to catch remaining particulates.
No area is overlooked during the cleaning process. Thorough removal of soot and residue prevents ongoing damage and recontamination of the home. This level of deep, meticulous cleaning would be difficult for homeowners to replicate on their own without professional equipment.
Odor Removal and Deodorization
Once visible signs of soot and residue have been cleared, the restoration team focuses on eliminating any lingering smoke, fire, or fuel odors using industrial deodorization techniques. Smoke odors can persist even when no visible signs remain.
Thermal Fogging
Heated odor-neutralizing solutions are atomized and dispersed as a fine mist throughout the property via thermal fogging. This allows the deodorizer to reach the source of the odor deep in materials where odors hide.
Ozone Shock Treatment
Ozone generators are used to oxidize and destroy odor molecules at a molecular level through ozone shock treatment. The unstable third oxygen atom bonds to and oxidizes the odor molecules.
Hydroxyl Air Scrubbing
Hydroxyl air scrubber machines are brought in which produce a hydroxyl radical that actively seeks out and destroys volatile organic compounds responsible for odors. This provides ongoing odor removal.
Neutralizing stubborn odors requires professional-grade equipment and chemicals homeowners do not have access to. Thorough deodorization provides fresh, clean air.
Restoration and Repairs
The final phase of smoke restoration involves repairing or restoring any sections of the home damaged by flames, heat, or smoke. This brings the home back to pre-loss condition.
Structural Repairs
Damaged structural members, drywall, siding, roofing materials, and other building components are repaired by qualified contractors. In severe cases, large-scale reconstruction may be undertaken.
Cosmetic Repairs
Soot-damaged ceilings and walls are primed and repainted. New flooring replaces any carpet or hard surfaces that could not be fully restored.
Restoration Specialists
For valuable artwork, documents, or heirlooms damaged by smoke, specially trained restoration experts are engaged to repair and restore these delicate items.
Conclusion
The smoke damage restoration is a highly technical and time-consuming process that requires extensive knowledge, specialized tools and some very meticulous techniques. Professional restorers’ clean residue, eliminate odors, repair structural damage and restore personal belongings using proven methods homeowners can't replicate.
Hiring qualified smoke damage experts gives you peace of mind that the health and safety risks will be taken care of, and your home and belongings will be restored back to normal. Don’t try and do it yourself, leave it to the experts.
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