How A House Fire Affects Your Homes Contents

5/15/2020 (Permalink)

Fires can destroy your property and definitely cause irreversible damage. The flames move from item to item burning everything to a crisp. The heat produced by the flames will radiate causing surrounding items to melt, crack and sometimes even shatter. After the fire has been put out, you are then left with smoke damage. Smoke damage left unaddressed can devastate your home as well as its contents, and the actual fire doesn't necessarily have to occur in the same room. For example, in the case of wildfires, homes and businesses have been completely ruined just from smoke while the buildings remained untouched by flames.

Even the smallest fire that has been put out relatively quickly can still cause smoke damage to your possessions. Not only that, it can even affect the very structure of your home. This precisely why cleaning up smoke and soot soon after a fire is so imperative. Smoke can act like an acid, and will eat away at different materials if left for too long. It’s best to say that if a fire happens in your home, or if you live near an area where a wildfires has occurred, it’s crucial to act immediately to reduce damages. A professional  restoration specialist can assess the damage and create a custom mitigation plan to ensure your home is completely clear of any fire related damages.

What can be saved? 

Depending on the extent of the damage and material of the items, it may not be salvageable. Cost is a factor that should also be taken into consideration as some items will cost significantly more to salvage as it is to replace it. A restoration specialist can determine what items should be cleaned, discarded or replaced.

How Does Smoke Affect Your Home?

Smoke affects various materials in different ways. Not only that, but the temperature and type of  fire will cause different variations of smoke damage throughout your home. One of the worst ways that smoke can causes damage is by seeping into small cracks and crevices, since the particles are so fine. They can often go undetected for a longer periods of time, leaving a lingering odor of smoke that can last for months. The only way to get the smell out of your home is to remove or clean affected items and the building materials with agents designed to deodorize the smell.

How to Clean Smoke Damage

After a fire, your home needs to be properly and thoroughly ventilated. This will allow some smoke particles to leave your home and prevent them from settling onto other items. Remove as much debris as you can, and clean every area where the damage occurred. Odor neutralizing products can help rid the building of the smell, and remove the very particles that causes it.  Getting this done as quickly as possible reduces the chances of cross-contamination.

Upholstery Items and Curtains

There are special tools and techniques that are designed to remove smoke particles from upholstery such as curtains and furniture materials. A professional can best decide which tools will be most effective in cleaning this portion of your. Using a regular home vacuum can actually cause more damage by pushing the smoke particles and soot even deeper into the material itself.

Bedding and Clothing

Clothing and bedding can come into contact with smoke even when inside a closed drawer or closet. Simply washing them may be enough to remove the smell but commercial cleaning detergents may be needed depending on how strong the odor is. It's actually best to have these items laundered by a professional dry cleaner.

Wood Furniture

Cleaning wood furniture can be tricky. If you use  the wrong cleaning agent you can end up stripping the stain and varnish. Certain cleaning products can also rust metal frames, so it is important to use the right cleaning agent for each material. A professional restoration specialist will have access and knowledge on the right products to use on your wood furniture.

Hardwood Floors

Unfortunately, hardwood floors are porous, meaning that smoke particles can easily get nestled into the wood itself. In some cases, it may be necessary to refinish the floor, or even replace it entirely depending on how extensive the damage is. In the best case scenario, a simple mopping and deodorizing should do the trick.

How Quickly Should You Act?

Time is always of the essence when it comes to smoke damage. The sooner you act, the more likely you are to prevent permanent damage. For example, some materials, such as synthetic fibers and porous items, need intervention within minutes to be effectively saved. The components of your house, such as painted walls and flooring, need to be addressed in no more than a day or two, and in some cases hours. In addition, painted walls and wood furniture can become permanently stained if not addressed quickly. Metal surfaces can rust and corrode when smoke and soot particles are left sitting too long. The longer you leave your smoke damaged home untreated, the more extensive the damage will become and the cost to mitigate will continue to rise.