Fire and smoke
Fire and smoke damage restoration
Even a small kitchen fire spreads soot through the house and leaves a smell in fabrics, ducts and drywall. A larger one leaves water damage too.
Soot, odor and water
Smoke travels further than flames. Soot settles on walls, ceilings, inside cabinets and in the ductwork, and it can stain or etch surfaces if it sits. Wiping it with a damp cloth often smears it deeper into paint.
The odor sits in soft materials and porous surfaces. Contractors use specialized cleaning, sealing of affected surfaces and deodorizing equipment, and some items simply have to go.
There is almost always water damage as well. Whatever the fire department used has to be removed and dried like any other flood, and that part is on a clock.
Before the cleanup begins
- Wait for the fire department to say the building is safe to enter.
- Keep the heating and air system off so soot is not pushed through the ducts.
- Photograph every room before anything is moved or thrown away.
- Set aside documents, medication and valuables you need right away.
- Ask the fire department how to get a copy of the incident report.
Questions
Fire and smoke damage: common questions
Can smoke-damaged clothes be saved?
Often, with professional cleaning. Ask the contractor which items are worth cleaning and which are not, and photograph anything you plan to discard.
Why does the house still smell after cleaning the walls?
Smoke odor settles into insulation, ductwork, carpet pad and other hidden places. Removing it can take cleaning, sealing and deodorizing of more than the visible surfaces.
Related problems
- Water damage restorationLeaks, overflows and storm water: extraction, drying and the rebuild afterwards.
- Water extraction and dryingPumping out standing water, then drying the structure with measured readings.
- Burst and frozen pipesA split line in a crawl space, wall or attic, and the water it leaves behind.
Water where it should not be?
Get an Atlanta restoration contractor on the line
The sooner wet materials start drying, the less there usually is to tear out. One call puts you through to an independent contractor who can look at the damage, explain the work and give you their own price.
Speak with a restoration contractor
Your call is routed to an independent water, fire and mold restoration contractor that takes jobs in metro Atlanta. Describe the damage and ask what they would do first.
Call (678) 649-1321Calls may be recorded. How referrals work: disclosure. How call data is handled: privacy.