What are the different types of Smoke Loss

4/27/2017 (Permalink)

There are two types of smoke damage after a fire, visible soot and invisible odor. All fires are different, making it difficult to gauge the exact type of damage that will occur. However, in most cases, we would recommend allowing a professional service to come in and properly clean the contents of your home to ensure complete odor removal and the saving of seemingly non-salvageable items.

In most fire situations, there are three restoration alternatives, cleaning, resurfacing, and replacing.

Cleaning is the removal of soot and foreign matters which are not an original part of the material itself. Cleaning is usually the quickest process and the preferred option for the insurance company and homeowner(s).

Resurfacing is the process of taking a damaged piece of property or existing fixture in the home and redoing the surface of it to make it appear new. For example, if a house is not severely damaged by fire or smoke, but the paint on the walls gets damaged, the contractor can re-paint the walls. The contractor can also provide content refinishing as well as the reupholstering of furniture. Resurfacing is a good option when the homeowner considers certain things as sentimental and/or irreplaceable. Resurfacing can be more costly than cleaning, yet less expensive than replacement. Insurance companies will also recommend this alternative to homeowners.

The last alternative is replacement. Replacement is used when items in the home are destroyed or are beyond economical repair. Replacement is usually the costliest option because the non-salvageable items are being replaced with something new.