Invasive Smoke Damage: Here’s What To Know

3/29/2021 (Permalink)

In terms of emergencies in homes and businesses, it’s common knowledge that fires can be incredibly destructive. Lurking alongside fires, however, is often an invisible concern that can be just as harmful as fire damage: Smoke damage. Smoke is an invasive substance, sometimes requiring greater restoration services than one would expect. Let’s take a closer look at the nature of smoke damage in order to get a better idea of the effects it can have on your home or business.

Why Is Smoke Invasive?

Smoke can infiltrate even the smallest cracks or crevices. When homeowners or business owners attempt to get rid of soot particles, the substance only smears. Drywall, which is porous in nature, is another easy target for smoke. For this reason, smoke can make its way into insulation and in this case, demolition is often required in order to eliminate the odor of the smoke. Smoke damage also varies in severity depending on the kind of contents that are affected, as well as their location in relation to the source of the smoke.

Surprising Effects of Smoke Damage

In the wake of a fire, physical residue resembling the shape of spider webs can be left behind. These aren’t actual spider webs, but they may still be a cause for concern. What you see on your walls and ceilings are webs made up of smoke. Other times, the presence of smoke damage is not visible. When a protein burns, the resulting “protein fire” does not mark its presence with the soot or dark smoke that we often associate with fires. In the absence of visible damage, homeowners and business owners often wonder why the smoke odor will not go away. Another effect of smoke damage that is important to consider is the acidic quality of soot, which can therefore cause metal substances to corrode. Over time, this can be detrimental to your home or business.

Why Is Demolition Necessary?

Because smoke damage does not always leave a trail of visible damage, it can be difficult to understand the need for demolition and rebuild work after a fire. If your home or business experiences significant fire damage, demolition is often necessary in order to provide a thorough cleaning and restoration. Scrubbing surfaces is not enough when it comes to eliminating smoke odor. Cracks and crevices are the favorite hiding places of smoke and soot, as they commonly nestle themselves in the gaps between plaster or drywall and interior firewall. Additionally, smoke odor tends to hide in insulation and other areas, returning in full force the next time the weather is hot and humid. Even with intense scrubbing, without demolition, it is almost as though the smoke was never cleaned.

How Do We Combat Invasive Smoke Damage at SERVPRO?

Our first priority when combating smoke damage is removing materials that are charred or burned from the home or business. We also tend to “chase” the smoke, which involves surveying any open areas in which the smoke may have traveled in order to track its spread. This process helps us in identifying and thoroughly inspecting every area in your home or business that has been impacted by smoke. Next, we dive into the remediation work. It is not uncommon for water to accompany smoke damage, so we utilize our specialized tools and equipment in order to complete the water extraction. We also work to remove the smoke odor by placing equipment around that home. Lastly, after demolition and cleaning work is complete, we apply a sealant, which works to encase any smoke odor that remains in hard-to-reach areas, such as small crevices.

Trust SERVPRO with Smoke Damage

Because of the invasive nature of smoke damage, it is critical that you call SERVPRO of Harrisburg West at (717) 510-6779 immediately if your home or business has been affected. You can trust our team of smoke damage professionals and reputable techniques to get the job done. We offer a wide array of services, ranging from contents cleaning to deodorizing services, that will work to eliminate smoke and soot from every kind of surface. While our Fire Damage Restoration services are well-known, we also provide a laundry list of Building Services that make us capable of taking care of your home or business’ restoration and rebuild projects alike. To learn more about the Building Services that we offer, click here. There’s no need to look anywhere beyond SERVPRO in the event that your home or business is impacted by a fire. We are standing by 24/7, prepared to make your smoke damage “Like it never even happened,” by having your back throughout the fire and smoke damage restoration, demolition, and rebuild processes.