Fire Damage Restoration

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Frequently Asked Questions

• HOW TO CLEAN SMOKE DAMAGE?

  When your home has been affected by a fire and/or smoke, the smell is the first problem that most people are concerned about. The quickest action to take is to increase ventilation by opening windows. 

  Perhaps the most important thing to know is that speed matters – it is highly advised that you do smoke damage clean up within a few days of the fire if you possibly can, since the damage from smoke and soot grows more extensive and difficult to deal with the longer you wait. The best thing to do is to call a fire damage restoration service- trained teams have the supplies, equipment and manpower to clean up quickly and thoroughly. 

  The next step is to protect yourself- wear goggles, a mask and gloves when cleaning up. Dry out anything that may be wet from putting out the fire. Remove any material and property that is too damaged to save. Then wipe every surface, rinse and repeat until the soot and the smell are gone. Carefully vacuum soot from carpet and upholstery before wiping. Clean carefully so that soot isn’t ground into the fibers. Repaint and repair any walls or other parts of your home that require it. Clothing and other personal items should be carefully cleaned and deodorized. 

  There are many do it yourself ideas for ridding your home of the smell that may linger after cleaning, but a professional will use a hydroxyl generator which will effectively remove any and all lingering odor.

• WHAT IS CONSIDERED SMOKE DAMAGE?

  Smoke damage is physical or structural damage caused by the smoke from a fire, rather from the fire itself. Smoke has soot in it, and creates a challenge because the soot can be oily, and the odor from smoke damage can be very hard to remove. Smoke damage restoration is generally included in most homeowner’s insurance policies.

• HOW DO YOU CLEAN SMOKE DAMAGE FROM PAINTED WALLS?

  The walls should be thoroughly cleaned with a good, strong cleaner and rinsed, possibly repeatedly, but not to the point of saturation. Smoke may cause discoloration and leave an odor that can’t be removed with DIY methods. After thoroughly cleaning, the walls may need to be primed and painted, which will help. The very best choice is to call a professional who will make sure the smoke damage is completely cleaned up and the walls look as good as they did before the fire.

• HOW TO REPAIR FIRE DAMAGE TO HOME

  Repairing your home after a fire is a big job, is often complicated and could be dangerous- call us! Trained and certified, experienced and quick, we can get your home repaired and restored and get you past the difficult experience in a minimum of time. Your insurance company will most likely cover all costs, so leave the job to us. Your first steps after a fire should include cooperating with authorities and only re-entering when it is safe to do so. Next, open windows to ventilate, but don’t start cleaning until after you’ve called your insurance company to determine their requirements. Then call a fire and water damage restoration company.

• HOW DO YOU GET SMOKE DAMAGE OUT OF CLOTHES?

  If you’d like to try to clean your clothes yourself, you’ll need to divide clothes into groups. Separate them into groups that need to have the smoke odor removed, soot removed, or both. To get the smoke smell out, wash clothes in small batches in cold water with chemicals designed specially for smoke odor removal. If the smoke smell remains, rinse and repeat until the smoke odor is gone. To try to remove soot, you’ll want to use a degreaser as well. To remove both, you’ll need a combination in addition to laundry detergent. You may need to wash items several times. Our content team is trained and uses specialized detergents that can simplify this process for you. Our treatments will encapsulate the smoke molecules so they will release from your clothing and each item will be completely clean and odor free.  We go a step further and give all clothing an ozone treatment to eliminate any lingering odors.

• HOW DO YOU CLEAN SMOKE FROM DAMAGED ITEMS?

  When there is a fire in your home, most of the house and its contents will be affected by the smell, which is the most prevalent form of smoke damage. If items simply have an odor, move them to a well ventilated area and wipe them carefully and completely. If there is visible smoke damage, that is caused by soot and must be cleaned carefully and with appropriate cleaners so that the soot isn’t pressed into fibers or the cracks and crevices of an item. It may take many passes with a sponge soaked in cleaner, and many days to air out the smell to fully recover an item.  When we clean contents we do a very detailed clean with specialized chemicals and also do an ozone treatment on all items.  Please consider letting us help with your fire damage restoration!

• DOES LIABILITY INSURANCE COVER FIRE DAMAGE?

  A basic homeowners insurance policy will cover fire and smoke damage, including damage to dwelling and outbuildings (sheds or garages) and personal property and contents. Your policy may even cover damage from a fire occurring on someone else’s property. It’s important to be familiar with your coverage before a fire or incident so that you can get the proper help as soon as possible. Additional fire insurance policies can be purchased, and businesses should look into their insurance needs and purchase appropriate policies.

• CAN YOU PAINT OVER SMOKE DAMAGED WALLS?

  Yes, you can. Make sure the walls are completely clean first. It is helpful to work section by section, cleaning the walls with a sponge soaked in cleaner and rinse with a clean wet rag. Repeat if necessary, but don’t saturate the walls. Allow to dry. Then prime walls with a primer/sealer and paint.

• HOW LONG DOES SMOKE DAMAGE LAST?

  Without professional cleaning techniques, it’s possible that the effects of smoke damage will never go away. Your home is filled with porous materials that will absorb smoke, and has nooks and crannies that smoke and soot can cling to and hide in. Smoke is made up of chemicals and small particles and must be dealt with on a molecular level to truly be eradicated. This is another reason why professional help is the very best way to deal with smoke damage.

• HOW DO YOU CLEAN SMOKE DAMAGED ELECTRONICS?

  After a fire, electronics must be dealt with very carefully. First, unplug them, disconnect them from a power source or remove the batteries. For computers and other items with storage and memory, remove the memory cards, or hard drive to preserve the data, then clean the soot and smoke damage. Use a soft rag to wipe down the exterior and use an air compressor to carefully blow out and vents, outlets or ports. When an electronic device is affected by a fire, soot and its acidic nature can cause corrosion, and can invade small spaces and insulate parts causing overheating. The magnetic charge from smoke can also cause electronics to short circuit. Items like this would be covered by an insurance policy and a professional would provide the most effective smoke damage restoration for your electronics.