Sometimes Fire Damage Is Invisible

3/1/2022 (Permalink)

When a fire occurs in a home or business, the fire puts out a couple byproducts. One such byproduct is soot, which can come in a few forms.  Another byproduct is smoke, which has an off-putting smell. Unlike the soot, which is dark in contrast to walls and objects, smoke odors can linger and hide.  

Removing smoke odors can be the most difficult part of the restoration process following a fire. There is no visible sign of the smoke odor, so it is hard to know where to clean.  Proper technique, tools, and thoroughness are all necessary when attempting to remove odors from a home.  This means odors must be properly removed from all surfaces, porous and nonporous alike.  It also means carefully removing odors from items like carpets and furniture.

The other hard part about smoke odor damage is the fact that it can spread anywhere that airflow takes it.  This means that to remediate the damage properly, cleaning must encompass the entire area, not just the source of the fire.  

It is important to contact a damage restoration professional as soon as you notice any fire or smoke damage. Greenwich has over 30 years of experience working with people who have had damage to their property.  If you have any type of damage, call us immediately at 203.324.1642.